1200 Attend Fiftieth Anniversary Jubilee (Vol. 2, Issue 7)
Twelve hundred persons thronged the Astor Hotel, Sunday evening, t commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Yeshiva and the twentieth anniversary of its guidance under Dr. Bernard Revel.
Borough President Samuel Levy characterized the Yeshiva as the solution to the American Jews’ search for education. He declared it to be “the symbol of the Jewish soul, the expression of its will to live, and the one irrefutable answer to the recriminations of the Hitlers throughout the world.”
In his capacity as chairman, he introduced Dr. Revel and the entire audience rose spontaneously in tribute to the president of Yeshiva College. Dr. Revel traced the growth of Yeshiva from its humblest beginnings as the Yeshiva Etz Hayyim to its present position as the leading institution of orthodox tradition and culture. In closing he made mention of the loss of Rabbi Margolies Judge Otto Rosalsky, and Nathan Lamport, all of whom had labored on behalf of Yeshiva.
Maurice Levin, Jeremiah T. Mahoney, and James J. Lyons, Borough President of the Bronx, were among the other outstanding personalities who spoke. The latter speaking in a humorous vein expressed his regret that Yeshiva College was not founded in the “Borough of Universities”.
Rabbi Leo Jung, professor of ethics at Yeshiva College, presented a portrait of Dr. Revel to him on behalf of the faculty in acknowledgement. and appreciation of twenty years of faithful service and devotion to the welfare of Yeshiva.
The rendition of Elgar's “Pomp and Circumstance” by the ‘‘Roxy” Concert Orchestra and Choral Ensemble with Mr. Harry Lubin, Director, opened the musical program, which was dedicated to the late Samuel Rothafel, better known as “Roxy”. This was followed by several other selections, notably a violin solo by Jascha Fishberg ‘of the overture, “Orpheus in Der Unterwelt” by Oftenbach.
The after dinner program had among its highlights such selections as the Prologue to “I Pagliacci’’, sung by Mr. Robert Weede, “Rachem” and “‘Feakir Leid” by Miss Viola Philo, and “La Juive” and “Kol Nidre” by Mr. Jan Peerce, the last rendition receiving a tremendous ovation from the audience.
A beautiful fiftieth anniversary jubilee book, dedicated to Dr. Revel and containing many articles and pictures illustrating the history of Yeshiva College from 1886-1936, was issued to the assemblage. The proceedings were broadcast over Station WMCA.
