Morris and Althea Silverman papers

Rabbi Morris Silverman, born in 1894 in Newburgh, NY. After earning an M.A. in American History from Columbia University, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1922. As a student rabbi at a congregation in Washington Heights, New York, Silverman had been highly successful in tripling the size of the congregation, starting a Hebrew school, and moving the congregation into a new home.

In 1923, Silverman took over the pulpit of the four-year-old Emanuel congregation and continued to serve there for thirty-eight years until his retirement in 1961.

Rabbi Silverman attracted many new members to Emanuel; over the years the membership rose from 178 families to more than 1,000 families. Actual attendance at services also rose as Silverman instituted innovations such as late Friday evening services, the Bat Mitzvah ceremony, Junior Congregation services, and other youth programs. During the WWII years, Rabbi Silverman also reached out to locally stationed Jewish members of the military.

In addition to serving his congregation, Rabbi Silverman became well known throughout the entire greater Hartford community for his inter-faith and civil rights support. He was Chairman of the Connecticut State Commission on Civil Rights, a founder and leader of the Hartford Association of Ministers and Rabbis, a member of the Hartford Citizens Committee on Redevelopment, and was honored by several groups for his activities in these areas.

In addition to his local work, Rabbi Silverman also served the Conservative movement nationally by editing numerous prayer books and other publications. His Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book became the official siddur of the movement, and his edition of the High Holiday Prayer Book is still in common use today. Rabbi Silverman put his degree in history to good use by writing a series of newspaper articles on the history of Hartford Jews that then evolved into his book Hartford Jews 1659-1970.

Rabbi Silverman's wife, Althea, was active in the synagogue and community. Her own love of writing is demonstrated by the many pageant scripts she wrote, her books on Jewish themes for children, and her book The Jewish Home Beautiful, which arose from her Sisterhood programs on holiday and Shabbat entertaining.

The Silverman’s son Hillel also became a Rabbi. Hillel Silverman’s son, actor Jonathan Silverman, is the grandson of Rabbi Morris and Mrs. Silverman