James Koppel Gutheim
Encyclopedia
James Koppel Gutheim was the rabbi
of Congregation Shangarai Chasset of New Orleans.
He was born November 15, 1817, near Münster
in Westphalia
, Germany
. In 1843, Gutheim arrived in the United States
and immediately thrust himself upon the Jewish scene. Gutheim was a strong proponent of education, both religious and in his latter days secular education as well. During the 1840s, while serving the Jewish community in Cincinnati, Ohio
, he attempted to start a Jewish school, which was unable to sustain itself. Later in his career, he was the president of the New Orleans Board of Education
.
Although generally referred to favorably in era literature, in The Occident and American Jewish Advocate
, Isaac Leeser
appeared to offer Gutheim especially favorable coverage through the 1860s. Gutheim’s move from Cincinnati, Ohio to New Orleans was given flowery coverage, saying that “The Crescent City has robbed the Queen of the West of one of the brightest jewels in her diadem.” There was also the printing of an exchange of pleasantries in the form of correspondence between Gutheim, then serving as congregational rabbi of Shangarai Chasset and the congregation’s president, Isaac Hart (father of Confederate Army Major
Alexander Hart
), when the congregation presented Gutheim with a gift marking the anniversary of his service to the congregation. His first term as rabbi of the synagogue was from 1850–1853.
After his first term at Shangarai Chasset ended, Gutheim served as the New Orleans' Portuguese
Synagogue Nefutzot Yehudah’s Rabbi/Hazan, where he encountered both religious and political controversy.
During 1860, he appears to have encountered some controversy with regard to his position as the Acting President of Touro Monument Association. Gutheim advocated for the construction of a statue memorializing Judah Touro
, whose philanthropic giving was incomparable. (Touro, a wealthy New Orleans businessman, left an estate of $200,000 which provided funds for every existing traditional synagogue in America and $50,000 for the relief of poor Jews in the Holy Land
. During his lifetime, aside from his Jewish charitable giving, Touro funded civic projects throughout the United States, including establishing parks as well as funding the construction of a New Orleans church.) The community halted Gutheim’s efforts when a traveler, Israel Joseph Benjamin, present at a communal meeting regarding the statue, challenged the decision to erect the memorial statue, as it violated traditional Jewish Law.
Disappointed by the failure of his project, Gutheim withdrew his congregations’s pledged $900 support of Benjamin’s international Jewish welfare organization, and attempted to smear Benjamin in the press. His actions in the media were considered deplorable by leaders of Reform Judaism in Cincinnati, and those leaders also ruled that erecting the statue appeared to violate Jewish tradition according to their interpretations of Jewish standards (at that time).
Further difficulties arose for Gutheim in 1863, when he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Union
after New Orleans was recaptured. He fled New Orleans, and served as rabbi to Jewish congregations in Montgomery, Alabama
, and Columbus, Georgia
.
Gutheim returned to New Orleans after the Civil War
, to serve as Shangarai Chasset's rabbi, but left to serve in New York
’s Temple Emanuel
in 1868. In 1872 he once again returned to New Orleans to became minister of the New Orleans Temple Sinai, where he preached until his death. He died in New Orleans on May 11, 1886.
According to the website of Temple Beth El of San Antonio, Texas
, on September 10, 1875, Gutheim was engaged as a guest rabbi to lead the inaugural services at the congregation's new structure.
Despite reportedly having devoted himself to Jewish studies late in life, he was referred to as being "…one of the most eloquent and learned men in American Jewry," particularly in connection with his service as the New Orleans Reform Temple Sinai’s spiritual leader, and his adherece to the principles of Tikkun Olam
.
Gutheim’s lifetime involvement in educational and charitable work, was recognized by the Louisiana State Senate adjourning on the day of his funeral.
The Menorah, in its July–December 1894 edition noted that the B'nai Brith lodge (no. 439) in New Orleans was named after Gutheim during that year. The lodge members credited Gutheim as a "beloved teacher and pulpit orator...deeply enshrined upon the hearts of the people of New Orleans."
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of Congregation Shangarai Chasset of New Orleans.
He was born November 15, 1817, near Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
in Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1843, Gutheim arrived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and immediately thrust himself upon the Jewish scene. Gutheim was a strong proponent of education, both religious and in his latter days secular education as well. During the 1840s, while serving the Jewish community in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, he attempted to start a Jewish school, which was unable to sustain itself. Later in his career, he was the president of the New Orleans Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
.
Although generally referred to favorably in era literature, in The Occident and American Jewish Advocate
The Occident and American Jewish Advocate
The Occident , was the first general Jewish periodical published in the United States. ....
, Isaac Leeser
Isaac Leeser
Isaac Leeser was an American, Ashkenazi Jewish lay minister of religion, author, translator, editor, and publisher; pioneer of the Jewish pulpit in the United States, and founder of the Jewish press of America. He produced the first Jewish translation of the Bible into English to be published in...
appeared to offer Gutheim especially favorable coverage through the 1860s. Gutheim’s move from Cincinnati, Ohio to New Orleans was given flowery coverage, saying that “The Crescent City has robbed the Queen of the West of one of the brightest jewels in her diadem.” There was also the printing of an exchange of pleasantries in the form of correspondence between Gutheim, then serving as congregational rabbi of Shangarai Chasset and the congregation’s president, Isaac Hart (father of Confederate Army Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Alexander Hart
Alexander Hart
Alexander Hart was a major in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.-Military career:Hart hailed from New Orleans and commanded soldiers from the Fifth Louisiana Regiment during the war....
), when the congregation presented Gutheim with a gift marking the anniversary of his service to the congregation. His first term as rabbi of the synagogue was from 1850–1853.
After his first term at Shangarai Chasset ended, Gutheim served as the New Orleans' Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Synagogue Nefutzot Yehudah’s Rabbi/Hazan, where he encountered both religious and political controversy.
During 1860, he appears to have encountered some controversy with regard to his position as the Acting President of Touro Monument Association. Gutheim advocated for the construction of a statue memorializing Judah Touro
Judah Touro
Judah Touro was an American businessman and philanthropist.-Early life and career:...
, whose philanthropic giving was incomparable. (Touro, a wealthy New Orleans businessman, left an estate of $200,000 which provided funds for every existing traditional synagogue in America and $50,000 for the relief of poor Jews in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. During his lifetime, aside from his Jewish charitable giving, Touro funded civic projects throughout the United States, including establishing parks as well as funding the construction of a New Orleans church.) The community halted Gutheim’s efforts when a traveler, Israel Joseph Benjamin, present at a communal meeting regarding the statue, challenged the decision to erect the memorial statue, as it violated traditional Jewish Law.
Disappointed by the failure of his project, Gutheim withdrew his congregations’s pledged $900 support of Benjamin’s international Jewish welfare organization, and attempted to smear Benjamin in the press. His actions in the media were considered deplorable by leaders of Reform Judaism in Cincinnati, and those leaders also ruled that erecting the statue appeared to violate Jewish tradition according to their interpretations of Jewish standards (at that time).
Further difficulties arose for Gutheim in 1863, when he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
after New Orleans was recaptured. He fled New Orleans, and served as rabbi to Jewish congregations in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, and Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
.
Gutheim returned to New Orleans after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, to serve as Shangarai Chasset's rabbi, but left to serve in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
’s Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel, founded in 1889, is the only Reform Jewish congregation in Roanoke, Virginia or the surrounding area. The name, Emanuel, is Hebrew for "God is with us" and is a name shared by over 60 other Reform congregations in the US, including Temple Emanu-El, the first Reform congregation in...
in 1868. In 1872 he once again returned to New Orleans to became minister of the New Orleans Temple Sinai, where he preached until his death. He died in New Orleans on May 11, 1886.
According to the website of Temple Beth El of San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, on September 10, 1875, Gutheim was engaged as a guest rabbi to lead the inaugural services at the congregation's new structure.
Despite reportedly having devoted himself to Jewish studies late in life, he was referred to as being "…one of the most eloquent and learned men in American Jewry," particularly in connection with his service as the New Orleans Reform Temple Sinai’s spiritual leader, and his adherece to the principles of Tikkun Olam
Tikkun olam
Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
.
Gutheim’s lifetime involvement in educational and charitable work, was recognized by the Louisiana State Senate adjourning on the day of his funeral.
The Menorah, in its July–December 1894 edition noted that the B'nai Brith lodge (no. 439) in New Orleans was named after Gutheim during that year. The lodge members credited Gutheim as a "beloved teacher and pulpit orator...deeply enshrined upon the hearts of the people of New Orleans."