Ephraim Alex
Encyclopedia
Ephraim Alex was an English
Jewish
philanthropist, founder of the Jewish Board of Guardians, London
; born in Cheltenham
, 1800; died in London, Nov. 13, 1882. He was a successful business man, which fact eminently fitted him for the great charitable work to which he chiefly devoted his attention—that connected with the well known Jewish Board of Guardians in London. To his ingenuity were due the practical steps which led up to the establishment of that institution; and to his zeal and public spirit, which he imparted to the community, were due its rapid development and perfect organization. A suggestion had indeed been made as early as 1802 by Joshua Van Oven to replace the loose and imperfect arrangement between the three German synagogue
s by a definite board of guardians for the Jewish poor. This suggestion was, however, lost sight of until 1858, when Alex was overseer of the Great Synagogue
, and he became impressed with the inadequacy of the system for outdoor charity then prevailing. He ventilated the subject energetically before his own council and vestry as well as on various public occasions.
In February, 1859, he issued a circular proposing "a scheme for a board of guardians for the relief of the necessitous foreign poor." This scheme exhibited a great insight into the needs of the poor, as well as a comprehensive idea of the machinery necessary adequately to relieve them. The keynote of the circular and scheme was organization, and the subsequent development of the board has been strictly on the lines of Alex's original conception.
He was not a man of commanding intellect, but he possessed a genial and tactful disposition which attracted young men to the undertaking. He was the first president of the board, over which he continued to preside till 1869, when his physical infirmities compelled his retirement; as a member of the board, however, he continued to take part in its deliberations till the year of his death. He was also a life-member of the Council of the United Synagogue, and a member of the Committee of the Jews' Hospital in Mile End
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
philanthropist, founder of the Jewish Board of Guardians, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; born in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, 1800; died in London, Nov. 13, 1882. He was a successful business man, which fact eminently fitted him for the great charitable work to which he chiefly devoted his attention—that connected with the well known Jewish Board of Guardians in London. To his ingenuity were due the practical steps which led up to the establishment of that institution; and to his zeal and public spirit, which he imparted to the community, were due its rapid development and perfect organization. A suggestion had indeed been made as early as 1802 by Joshua Van Oven to replace the loose and imperfect arrangement between the three German synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s by a definite board of guardians for the Jewish poor. This suggestion was, however, lost sight of until 1858, when Alex was overseer of the Great Synagogue
Great Synagogue of London
The Great Synagogue of London was, for centuries, the centre of Ashkenazi synagogue and Jewish life in London. It was destroyed during World War II, in the Blitz.-History:...
, and he became impressed with the inadequacy of the system for outdoor charity then prevailing. He ventilated the subject energetically before his own council and vestry as well as on various public occasions.
In February, 1859, he issued a circular proposing "a scheme for a board of guardians for the relief of the necessitous foreign poor." This scheme exhibited a great insight into the needs of the poor, as well as a comprehensive idea of the machinery necessary adequately to relieve them. The keynote of the circular and scheme was organization, and the subsequent development of the board has been strictly on the lines of Alex's original conception.
He was not a man of commanding intellect, but he possessed a genial and tactful disposition which attracted young men to the undertaking. He was the first president of the board, over which he continued to preside till 1869, when his physical infirmities compelled his retirement; as a member of the board, however, he continued to take part in its deliberations till the year of his death. He was also a life-member of the Council of the United Synagogue, and a member of the Committee of the Jews' Hospital in Mile End
Mile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
.