Philip Sidney Bernstein (June 29, 1901 – December 3, 1985) was a reform

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

who served as the advisor to the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war he helped find homes for over 200,000 displaced Jews.

Biography

Bernstein was born on June 29, 1901 in Rochester,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He would study at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

as well as the Jewish Institute of Religion. At the age of 25, in 1926, Bernstein returned to Rochester to serve as assistant

of Temple B'rith Kodesh. Within the year he would be made the rabbi of the

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

and go on to serve there for over 43 years. In his capacity as a rabbi, Bernstein would begin taking a prominent role in fighting

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

; exemplified by his correspondence with his acquaintance

Cardinal Edward Mooney Edward Aloysius Mooney (May 9, 1882 – October 25, 1958) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Detroit from 1937 until his death, and was made a cardinal in 1946. Early life and ministry Edward Mo ...

. Bernstein requested the

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

join him in combatting Father Charles Coughlin and his antisemitic

National Union for Social Justice The National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ) was a United States political movement formed in 1934 by Charles Coughlin, a Catholic priest and radio host. It heavily criticized communism, capitalism, and the administration of Franklin D. Roosevel ...

. During World War II Bernstein, a

reform rabbi Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

acted as the official advisor on Jewish affairs to United States Army commanders in Europe. He would also relate the stories of the Holocaust to the United States beginning in 1943. He would continue to serve in Europe, in this capacity after the end of the War. After the war, Bernstein would assist in resettling over 200,000 displaced European Jews. At the petition of

Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Jewish theology, Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Or ...

living in displaced persons' camps, he adopted their proposition that copies of the Talmud should be printed to help support

Jewish education Jewish education ( he, חינוך, ''Chinuch'') is the transmission of the tenets, principles, and religious laws of Judaism. Known as the "people of the book", Jews value education, and the value of education is strongly embedded in Jewish cul ...

in the refugee camps. In the 1950s and 60s, Bernstein served as the president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and chairman of the

American Israel Public Affairs Committee The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC ) is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the United Stat ...

. Bernstein died in Brighton,

on December 3, 1985 of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

References

1901 births 1985 deaths Religious leaders from Rochester, New York Syracuse University alumni American Reform rabbis {{US-rabbi-stub American Israel Public Affairs Committee