Camden People - Louis Berkowitz

Louis Berkowitz & Congregation Beth El

On October 3, 1920, a meeting was held in Mr. Natal's law office for the purpose of organizing a new congregation in Camden. From this meeting would spring Congregation Beth El, Camden's first Conservative synagogue. The twenty-five men present included Harry Barroway, Dr. Otto Reiter, Reuben Pinsky and Manny Pearl. Each of the latter four contributed fifteen dollars and the dream became real. According to Herman Natal in an interview published in the "Voice" September 1951, others at that meeting were Louis Cades, Kolman Goldstein, Harry Teitelman, Herman Natal, Louis Berkowitz, Morris Handle and A. I. Rovner. Jacob Leventon attended a subsequent meeting.

On November 1, 1921, Beth El was officially incorporated by the state of New Jersey. On the Certificate of Incorporation, dated November 1, 1921, the founders were:

Morris Handle	Benjamin Natal	H. S. Lichtenstein
Harry Varbalow	Nathan Robinson	1. E. Silverman
Harry W. Markowich	Israel Paletz	Maurice B.Wessel
Alexander Romm	Israel E. Fridrich	Philip Wendkos
Abraham Rovner	Philip Auerbach	Mark Obus
Otto Reiter	Louis Cades	Manuel A. Pearl
Louis Berkowitz	Harry Nurock	Harry H. Teitelman
Isadore S. Siris	Herman Natal	Israel Weitzman
Jacob Leventon	Kalman Goldstein	Nathan Friedenberg
Louis M. Nelson	Morris Hess
Reuben Pinsky	Isador Mazer

Morris Handle was the Congregations first President, serving from 1920 through 1922. Louis Berkowitz succeeded him, and held the post until 1925. During his term as president the synagogue that stood on Park Boulevard across from Farnham Park for so many years was completed.

In May of 1940, on the recommendation of a nominating committee headed by Morris Liebman, the membership of Congregation Beth El approved the establishment of an honorary Board of Directors to be composed of all former Presidents. The Board consisted of Commissioner E. George Aaron, H. L. Barroway, Louis Berkowitz, Samuel F. Ginns, Morris Handle, Ben Natal and Jesse Satenstein.

Beth El's Rabbi and lay leaders, blessed with foresight, realized that a new school building would eventually be needed. In June of 1942, a group of men jointly bought a lot adjoining the synagogue on Park Boulevard. The men were: Meyer Adleman, Louis Berkowitz, Leon Cooperson, Henry Cooperson, Isadore Blume, Herman Cornfeld, Herman Z. Cutler, Joseph Galanter, Jesse Satenstein, Morris Handle, Max Holzman, Harry Grossman, Jacob Leventon, Sol Rosenberg, Sam Marochnick, Manny Pearl, Walter Saline, Meyer Sakin, Leo Spector and Hy Myers.

After serving as an army chaplain during World War II, Beth El's Rabbi, Philip Lipis, after a year in camden, accepted another position in Oakland, California. In 1947 A committee, headed by Louis Markowitz, began the search for a new rabbi. Other members of the committee were Louis Berkowitz, Harry Berkowitz, Morris Liebman, Norman Heine, Henry Bass and Herman Z. Cutler. The search ended in July of that year with the choice of Rabbi Harry B. Kellman. Rabbi Kellman originally from Philadelphia, had graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1927 and the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1931. Following his service as an army chaplain in World War II, he became rabbi at Beth Israel in Vineland, New Jersey, for seventeen years. Rabbi Kellman had already established wide reputation as an "orator of note". He and his wife, Ruth, and eightyear old daughter, Nadine, moved to Camden at the end of the summer. He was installed as Beth El's Rabbi on September 9 by Dr. Max Artz. Louis L. Goldman was chairman of the installation ceremonies.

Louis Berkowitz became Beth El's first president emeritus.

LOUIS BERKOWITZ
President Emeritus 1948-1959

Beth El's new school building was built in 1949. The building was completed, at a cost of $140,000, in time for the Fall school term. The dedication took place on Dec. 4, 1949. At the dedication ceremonies, Honorary President, Louis Berkowitz, recited the prayer of "Shehechiyanu" over "South Jersey's largest synagogue school building." The honor of cutting the ribbon was given to Past President, Herman Z. Cutler, the man most responsible for the "realization of the dream". The doors were officially opened by Honorary President Jacob Leventon.

On October 20, 1950 at Sabbath Services, a new Torah was presented in honor of Louis Berkowitz's 75th birthday.

On March 8, 1953 a dinner honoring Beth El's past presidents and founders was held in the auditorium. Irving Levinsky chaired the event which honored Past Presidents Morris Handle, Louis Berkowitz, Benjamin Natal, Louis Cades, Jacob Leventon, Henry L. Barroway, E. George Aaron, Meyer Adleman, Samuel F. Ginns, Israel Katz, Jesse Satenstein, Meyer Sakin, Herman Z. Cutler, Morris Liebman and Louis Markowitz as well as the surviving founders.

1953 DINNER HONORING PAST PRESIDENTS
AND FOUNDERS OF THE CONGREGATION

N. Herman "Doc" Rappaport and Louis Berkowitz

Max Odlen and Benjamin Natal

Martin Odlen and Meyer Adleman

Louis Berkowitz, honorary president of Congregation Beth El since 1948, passed away in December of 1959.

Camden Courier-Post * February 1, 1938

Camden Spokesman Lists Ideas On Parley to Aid Small Business
Curb on Chiselers, Demand for Fair Trade Practices and Wage-Hour Regulation
Urged by Broadway Merchant named for F.R. Conference

Legislation to eliminate "chiselers" and to establish more stringent fair trade practices and stricter regulations of minimum wages and hours to create more jobs are among the recommendations to be made by a Camden representative at the conference of small businessmen of the nation in Washington, February 8 and 9.

Louis Berkowitz, of the Style Nook Shops, 211 Broadway, was appointed yesterday by Charles M. Heritage, president of the Broadway Business Men's Association to represent that organization at the President's conference.

"The President and Congress both can assist the smaller merchant and businessman," said Berkowitz. "The trouble is that there is too much pessimism and net enough optimism in business.

Raps Business 'Chiselers'

"Business chiselers with their unscrupulous methods, misleading advertising and cut throat competition are driving legitimate businessmen to the wall.

"Regulation of wages and hours in small business also is important. More jobs would create less unemployment and contribute more buying power.

"Legislation is needed nationally and locally to enforce fair trade practices. This unwholesome condition exists more in smaller retail business lines than it does in big business.

"The national administration has been concerned for many years with the problems of big business while the smaller retail merchants and firms have been neglected."

Berkowitz expressed the opinion that President Roosevelt should do something with the ,aid of Congress to stimulate business of small businessmen and help restore confidence of the American buying public.

Lays Trouble to Fear

"People have money," Berkowitz added. "The trouble is they are afraid to spend because of forebodings that the country is running into another depression.

"Fear in business and among buyers of merchandise must be eliminated before the country can snap out-of this recession and confidence can be restored.

Action of President Roosevelt in calling' the conference was lauded by Berkowitz, who said he is confident the conference will have a psychological. effect on' the country and that business generally will shortly feel its effects in renewed buying and increased retail sales.

Camden Courier-Post * February 4, 1938

Camden Man Disgusted by Trade Parley

"It was a cut-and-dried affair from start to finish, A mere dog-eat-dog affair, Big Business dominated the meeting from start to finish and through its stooges put through a platform that I don't favor, and that I don't believe two out of ten small business men want in any way, shape, or manner."

This was, the gist of the comment made last night by Louis Berkowitz, "disillusioned and disgusted," as he returned from Washington where he attended the conference of "small businesses”.

Berkowitz, who is a well known dress goods merchant of Broadway and a member of the Broadway Business Men's Association, declared the entire affair was staged", and it was simply another ruse by big business to put over its propaganda.

"I went down there with an idea that I thought was helpful," he declared last night. "I expected to find business men there who would reflect our ideas of how to climb out of the recession and get the country back to where we were before this recession.

"Instead I found myself in a cut-and-dried affair, which was merely a case of dog-eat-dog, Big Business handled the thing from start to finish, and if the country at large thinks the platform adopted or, rather put through by the stooges of Big Business is my idea on the matter, that is foolish.

"I didn't get a chance to advance my thoughts on the matter. The roll call came by states and when New Jersey was called three others and myself went on the platform, but three of us were waved away:

"'Only one man from each state can talk' the chairman said.

"And I wasn't the one allowed to talk. I had a statement ready and perhaps you'll want to print it yourself."

Here is the statement Berkowitz intended to present to the gathering:

"I believe that the prosperity of the country depends largely upon the activity of the great mass of smaller business men.

"First, he must have customers. Until large industry can take up the slack, I would recommend large scale Government spending for useful purposes.

"I also would recommend that smaller business be relieved of the nuisance taxes and irksome accounting requirements.

"Labor costs should be fair but not permitted to become excessive.

"An ample supply of credit should be made available.

"If the smaller business man is thus aided, he will buy and spend, not only for merchandise, to be put in the hands of the public, but for improved machinery and facilities. The aggregate of such spending will be sufficient to keep the ball of prosperity rolling.

"We should enlarge at once the WPA.

"We should permit loans to be made to small business by the RFC.

"We should increase the purchasing power and keep Government spending on tap until such time as recovery has been really accomplished."

"One thing that made me believe the whole business was cut and dried," continued Berkowitz, "was the fact that the man from New Jersey who was permitted to speak didn't know what it was all about; He rambled on about the budget and things like that, while what we wanted was to make the Government understand our condition and how to help us to recovery.

"It was a disgraceful exhibition and was pre-arranged by Big Business to pack the place and nobody can tell me any differently. It didn't reach down to one single one of our troubles, and I for one, will have nothing to do with any such platform as was adopted by that conference.".