Two Great Families and Their Temple November 18, 2020
On November 18, 2020, SHS and Leo Baeck Institute co-hosted a virtual presentation about the Straus Family, their relationship with the Lehman family, and their commitment to their synagogues, Temples Emanu-El and Beth-El.
From these two prominent families arose leaders in government, commerce and philanthropy, shaping the history of America in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Strauses and Lehmans were linked by marriage as well as through the close-knit New York Jewish community and their congregations. Temple Emanu-El was founded in 1845 as the first Reform Jewish congregation in New York City merging with Temple Beth-El in 1927.
This unique event featured speakers Warren Klein, Joan Adler, and Karen Franklin who each provided a comprehensive and complementary history of the families and the congregations. Each spoke for about 15 minutes to an online audience of 185 attendees. The virtual chat was lively and many interesting points and questions were raised. After the presentations, the speakers answered questions from the chat, as well as live questions from attendees. A recording of this event is available on our Video page.
Thank you to Warren Klein for imagining this event and for all of his hard work to put it together. Thank you also to Karen Franklin for her invaluable contributions. And finally, thank you to all those who attended. If you have any further questions, please write to us at info@straushistory.org