Today in Wheeling History: June 5–Morris Lazaron, Reform rabbi and writer who briefly served as rabbi at Congregation Leshem Shomayim in Wheeling and was most remembered for his opposition to political Zionism, passed away (1979).
Morris Samuel Lazaron was born on April 16, 1888, in Savannah, Georgia, to Samuel Louis Lazaron and Alice Zipporah de Castro. His mother’s Sephardic Jewish heritage traced back to Curaçao, Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, Morocco, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. Lazaron pursued his religious education at Hebrew Union College, where he was ordained as a Reform rabbi in 1914.
His first rabbinical position was at Congregation Leshem Shomayim in Wheeling, where he served for a year before moving to Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in 1915. Lazaron became a nationally recognized advocate for Jewish-Christian relations, touring the U.S. with a Catholic priest and Protestant minister in the 1930s.
Initially a Zionist, his views shifted after visiting Nazi Germany, where he concluded that nationalism was inherently destructive. He became a vocal opponent of political Zionism and co-founded the American Council for Judaism in 1942. His anti-Zionist stance led to his resignation as rabbi emeritus in 1946.
Lazaron authored several books, including “Common Ground: A Plea for Intelligent Americanism” (1938) and “Homeland or State: The Real Issue” (1940). He passed away in London, England, on June 5, 1979.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2j3cxmb3), Jewish Museum of Maryland (https://tinyurl.com/ybckatmk)
Photo credits: Library of Congress
Morris Samuel Lazaron was born on April 16, 1888, in Savannah, Georgia, to Samuel Louis Lazaron and Alice Zipporah de Castro. His mother’s Sephardic Jewish heritage traced back to Curaçao, Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, Morocco, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. Lazaron pursued his religious education at Hebrew Union College, where he was ordained as a Reform rabbi in 1914.
His first rabbinical position was at Congregation Leshem Shomayim in Wheeling, where he served for a year before moving to Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in 1915. Lazaron became a nationally recognized advocate for Jewish-Christian relations, touring the U.S. with a Catholic priest and Protestant minister in the 1930s.
Initially a Zionist, his views shifted after visiting Nazi Germany, where he concluded that nationalism was inherently destructive. He became a vocal opponent of political Zionism and co-founded the American Council for Judaism in 1942. His anti-Zionist stance led to his resignation as rabbi emeritus in 1946.
Lazaron authored several books, including “Common Ground: A Plea for Intelligent Americanism” (1938) and “Homeland or State: The Real Issue” (1940). He passed away in London, England, on June 5, 1979.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/2j3cxmb3), Jewish Museum of Maryland (https://tinyurl.com/ybckatmk)
Photo credits: Library of Congress
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