Early Spiritual Leaders (1852-1872)

For the first 20 years of our history, WHC hired spiritual leaders on a nearly yearly basis to lead our services, teach our children, and perform all the lifecycle events and other tasks required of a rabbi at that time. Professionally trained rabbis were rare in the mid-19th century United States, but these leaders with varying backgrounds and training were commonly known as either reader, chazan, teacher, pastor, reverend, or rabbi. Here are their names with their dates of service, life span, and what we know about them.

William Jacobi (1852) lived on Pennsylvania Avenue between 19th and 20th Street. Our first reader.

Bloch (1853)

Samuel Herman

Samuel Herman (1833-1911) served WHC as Chazan from 1854-55. Born in Hessen, Darmstadt, Germany in 1833, he came to this country in 1854 and settled in D.C. He immediately established a general merchandise business at 4 1/2 and D Street SW. He married Yetta Goodman in 1855. He retired in 1883, with his two sons Isaac and Albert taking over the business. Herman also served WHC as its secretary for a time. He was a member of the Masons. He is laid to rest in our Memorial Park.

Lewis Seldner (1829-1881) served as Chazan in 1855. Born in Baden, Germany, he came to the U.S. in the early 1850s and settled in D.C. After serving WHC, he moved to Baltimore and started L. Seldner & Son, a clothing store. He later started a fertilizer business and was also involved in real estate. He belonged to the Masons, American Legion, and B’nai B’rith. He is laid to rest in Baltimore.

Henry Mela served WHC as reader from 1856-57 and also as secretary in 1856. He presided over a grand Hebrew festival in 1857 to raise money for purchasing a Sefer Torah scroll that was held at Harmony Hall. Many speeches and prayers were given, and much money was collected.

Solomon M. Landsburgh

Solomon M. Landsburgh served WHC as pastor from 1857-1860. Formerly of Baltimore, Maryland, he was the author of System der Mathematischen und Theologischen Chronologie oder Zeitkunde von 1741-1900, a “learned astronomical & historical treatise.” Under his leadership, we moved to our last rented quarters in Harmony Hall at D Street near 13th Street, site of today’s Commerce Department building. A revised constitution was written in 1857 and signed by 44 members. We believe Landsburgh is the progenitor of the Landsburg family that founded and ran Lansburgh Department Store in D.C.

Samuel Weil (1837-1911) served WHC as rabbi from 1860-1866. Our religious school began at this time. He presided over our services during our time at Harmony Hall, our last rented headquarters, as well as our move in August 1863 to our first permanent building at 8th & I Streets NW. He led our memorial service held after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. He went on to serve congregations in Jackson, Michigan, Oil City, Pennsylvania, and then for 13 years in Bradford, Pennsylvania. In the 1890s, he left the Jewish faith, becoming a spiritualist, writing articles, and giving lectures, believing it was the religion of the future. He is laid to rest in Lincolnwood, Illinois.

Jacob S. Jacobson (1840-1911) served as WHC reader and teacher from 1866-1870, his first pastorate. In 1867, he presided over a fundraising effort to fight a yellow fever epidemic. He was also very opposed to efforts to institute “reform” practices at Temple. He was born in Rendsburg, Denmark, and educated in both Germany and England. He came to this country in 1864 and married Rosa Ullman. They had 8 children. After WHC, he went on to serve congregations in Easton, Pennsylvania, Charleston, South Carolina, and The Temple in Atlanta, Georgia. He served a congregation in Natchez, Mississippi from 1887-1895, and finally Temple B’nai Israel and Zion Temple of Chicago, Illinois, where he died. He was also an accomplished musician.

Herman Baar

Herman Baar (1826-1904) served as our reader for a short time in 1870 when a throat illness forced his resignation. At his installation service, he spoke of the “…warm reception which had been accorded to him in his sacred mission….” He further said, “Be proud…that you belong to a religion which at first drove away darkness from the earth, and kindled a light to the nations; be proud that you belong to a people who though without great title and nobility of birth, are and remain an eternal signet of God’s loving kindness in history.” He was born in Stadthagen, Germany, and earned a PhD from the University of Jena in Germany. He was known as a great scholar, teacher, and speaker. Before coming to the United States, he preached at a synagogue in Liverpool for nine years. He later served a congregation in New Orleans for seven years. He finally became the superintendent of Hebrew Orphan Asylum at 137th Street & Amsterdam Ave. in New York City, where he served for 23 years. He was known for his great skill as the educator of young people. He died in NYC.

Isaac Stemple

Isaac Stemple (1829-1899) served WHC from 1870-71. He was born in Gissighein, Baden, Germany, and educated in Heidelberg, where he became an educator, reader, and cantor at the local synagogue. He became well known throughout Germany for his Jewish studies. Because of anti-Jewish laws and a poor salary, he emigrated to the United States in 1867. He spent a year in Poughkeepsie, New York, and then in New York City as a private tutor. He then moved to Washington, D.C., to assist Dr. Baar as cantor and teacher. Stemple succeeded Baar as preacher and teacher. He held positions at numerous other institutions and synagogues. He was remembered for a eulogy he gave in Leavenworth, Kansas, on the death of President James A Garfield. He again came to D.C. to serve briefly at Adas Israel Congregation. He was associated with a synagogue in Yonkers, New York when he died.

Michael E .Goldberg He served our congregation as rabbi from 1871-1872 and was the last of our temporary spiritual leaders. He promoted Jewish education and held our first confirmation class in 1872. The class “examined the first class in catechism, biblical history, Hebrew, poems of religious character…” He was briefly a professor at Howard University from 1873-74.