Neiditz, Rachel_1974/12/4, Oral History, 1974-12-4

GREATER HARTFORD JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Tape No.: 2 No. of Tapes: Name of Interviewee: Neiditz, Rachel Podnetsky (Mrs. Moses) Date of Interview: December 4, 1974 Occupation: Homemaker Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Transcript (yes/no): Yes No. of Pages: 19

Abstract: Mrs. Neiditz came to Hartford from London where her family lived after leaving Russia. They were helped by the Mitnick family. Her father was apprenticed as a cabinet maker in London and found work in Hartford as a carpenter. She attended the old South School (later called the Chauncy Harris School) where Major Stanley was the superintendent. Every Wednesday General Henry C. Dwight gave lectures on the Civil War. Judge Joseph Klau was a classmate. After high school she graduated from State Teachers College and taught at the Northwest School. She attended religious school at Beth Israel Synagogue where Rabbi Edelson was the leader. The Sunday School was founded by the aCouncil of Jewish Women in 1910 with Mrs. H.P. Levy as the first president. The teachers of the Sunday School were Mrs. Wieder and Miss Christine Haas.

Her father became a builder of houses and her mother was a Zionist and influenced her daughter, Rachel, in her lifelong interest in Zionism at a very early age. Mrs. Neiditz went to the Talmud Torah for five years. The prominent Jews on the Board of Directors were Mr. Levy, F. Nirenstein, Samuel Antipitaki, Mr. Finkelstein and Jacob N. Cohen. The auditorium of the Talmud Torah was dedicated to Mrs. Sara P. Suisman. The Cantor was Rubin Siegel. Mr. Neiditz, who later became her husband, was a substitute teacher.

Families who emigrated from Palestine before the turn of the century were: Neiditz, Gelman, Zalkan, Schoolnik.

Her parents took her to the theater where she saw Jacob Adler, Bertha Kalish, Boris Tamoshefsky at the Poli Theater, Germania Hall, or Foot Guard Hall.

Mrs. Neiditz was very active and influential in many Jewish and civic groups from an early age. She organized and led the Young Judea Groups, religious groups, started the first young Hadassah groups who supported development of homes for children in Israel. She named Harry Silverstone, former District Attorney of Connecticut, as the president of the Connecticut Young Judeans when he was a student at Yale University. Samuel Berman who became Judge of the Bankruptcy Court was a leader in fund raising; Reuben Taylor, Dr. George Cohen, Samuel C. Kone, Abraham Goldstein, Abe (Bunk) Borden, retired Judge of the Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut, were other prominent leaders.

She organized the young Jewish people to participate in the big parade held to celebrate the visit of Dr. Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weizman in 1921. Other great personalities who visited Hartford were Itimar Beneviv in 1917 and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1915, Sergei Kousevitsky in 1951 to conduct the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 1940 Pierre Von Passen, a Christian writer who was a great friend of the Jews.

An important event in her life in 1919 was the founding of Emanuel Synagogue. Among the founders were David T. Weinerman, Herman Koppleman, Louis Gaberman, Walter Beatman. Frieda Cantarow and Blanche Goldsmith taught Sunday School. Rabbi Morris Silverman and his wife, Althea, were among the first in the country to organize interfaith meetings and performances. Mrs. Silverman organized a pageant, “The Jewish Home Beautiful,” which was performed at the World’s Fair in New York in 1939.

Mrs. Neiditz was part of a committee consisting of Mrs. Gustave Feingold, Mrs. Louis Morgenstern, and Mrs. David Siegel who met with Miss Primrose Wolvert, Director of the YWCA and her committee and later with the Women’s Church Union and the Council of Catholic Women to work together on a range of mutual interests. In 1947 Mrs. Neiditz was appointed to the Board of Directors of the YWCA.

Mrs. Neiditz has three children: a daughter, Eleanor who works for the Connecticut Department of Human Rights and Opportunities and has two children. Her husband is the president of the Jewish Community Center. Her son, David, is a Senator of the State of Connecticut. Her son, Daniel, is chairman of the United Jewish Appeal. David’s wife, Minerva, has a Ph.D. and teaches at a university. Her other daughter-in-law, Arlene, is a leader in the Jewish community.

Subject Index: Civic Activities (in the greater non-Jewish community) Civic Leadership (in the greater non-Jewish community) Community Activities (in the Jewish community) Community Leadership (in the Jewish community) Oral History Hartford History (Jewish) Interfaith Activities Synagogues – see also individual synagogues Zionism