Rosenwald’s catalog
As a regular reader of Washington Jewish Week, I often discover new areas of Jewish contribution and concern. Perhaps never before was I as touched and impressed as I was by Dorothy A. Canter’s op ed, “Preserving Julius Rosenwald’s profound story” (April 28).
I, too, saw the amazing documentary “Rosenwald” in 2015 by Aviva Kempner. Perhaps no one in the audience but me knew who this Rosenwald was.
As a Chicagoan born and raised, Rosenwald was a major Jewish name in my life. Each time my dad would drive past the Sears, Roebuck & Co. headquarters and I was in the car, Dad would say, “Sandy, look. You know who the founder of Sears was? It was a Jew named Julius Rosenwald.” Each time the Sears catalog was at the doorstep, he would say, “That’s from Rosenwald.”
Rosenwald was so modest that he would not let the City of Chicago call his museum the Rosenwald Museum. But, you guessed it, my parents called it The Rosenwald Museum.
There was a time that whenever I was asked to speak to a group, I would choose to speak on the Jewish topic of tzedakah — charity. I always featured in my talks an unknown hero — Julius Rosenwald.
RABBI DR. SANFORD H. SHUDNOW
Chaplain, U.S. Navy (retired)
Silver Spring
