 1852 - 1937 (85 years)
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| Name |
Henry Pereira Mendes [5, 6] |
| Prefix |
Rabbi |
| Alt Birth |
13 Apr 1852 |
Birmingham, England  [6, 7] |
| Born |
15 Apr 1852 |
Birmingham, England [8, 9] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Degree |
1884 |
- M.D., New York University
|
| Degree |
1904 |
- D.D., Jewish Theological Seminary
|
| Census |
12 Jan 1920 |
New York, New York (Manhattan), NY [10] |
| 1920 US |
| Residence |
12 Jan 1920 |
New York, New York (Manhattan), NY [10] |
| 99 Central Park West |
| Degree |
1937 |
- Dr of Hebr Literature, J. Inst. of Religion
|
| Reference Number |
4391 |
| Died |
20 Oct 1937 |
Mt. Vernon, Westchester, NY [6, 9] |
| Buried |
Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY |
| Person ID |
I4391 |
aojd |
| Last Modified |
14 Nov 2011 |
-
| Notes |
- Biographical Sketch
Mendes, H. Pereira. Minister (since 1877) of K. K. Shearith
Israel, New York City. Son of Rabbi Abraham Pereira Mendes
and Eliza de Sola. President Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of the United States and Canada; President New York
Board of Jewish Ministers; Honorary Vice-President Federation
of American Zionists. Address: 99 Central Park, West, New York
City.
Anne Joseph:
From Henry Pereira Mendes' U.S. Passport Application dated October 1922, we learn - that he was born on 13 April 1852 in Birmingham, England, - that his wife's name was Rosalie P. Mendes, - that he emigrated to the U.S. in 1877, (leaving Liverpool in January 1877: Rosalie's passport application) - that he had lived principally in New York City from 1877, - that he was naturalized a citizen of the United States before the Supreme Court of New York State at New York City in 1885, (15 October 1888 according to Rosalie's passport application) - that he resided in France, England and Austria from July 1920 to June 1922, - that he was resident in Prague, Czechoslovakia in September 1922, where he applied for a new passport from the consulate there. The renewal passport was issued on 9 October 1922. ------------------------ Henry Pereira Mendes was born in Birmingham, England, during his father's tenure as minister to that city's Sephardic community. He received his early education at Northwick College, a boarding school which his father, Abraham Pereira Mendes, had founded and directed in London. Many of Northwick College's students went on to lead lives of distinction, including the industrial chemist Raphael Meldola, as well as Rufus Isaacs who became Lord Reading, Chief Justice of England, and Viceroy of India. From 1870 to 1872, Mendes studied at University College, London, while continuing his Hebrew studies. It was in 1875 that the Chief Rabbi of the Sephardim in England, Dr. Benjamin Artom, offered Henry the choice of becoming minister in either St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, or the newly formed Sephardi congregation in Manchester. He chose Manchester, and served as hazan and minister there for more than 2 years, from 1875 to 1877.
In 1877, Shearith Israel in New York was looking for a preacher. By then the hazan, the Reverend Mr. Lyons, was 63, and the congregation realized that they needed someone who could both fill the pulpit and assist the hazan. They had called on Dr. Frederick deSola Mendes of Congregation Shaaray Tefila to help them out from time to time, and it was he who called their attention to his younger brother, Henry, at that time still serving as both hazan and preacher in Manchester.
Henry championed an enlightened modern Orthodoxy, and used his privileged position as rabbi at Shearith Israel to work closely with all sectarian and social elements in Jewish life. In facing problems affecting Jewry, he followed his belief in Kelal Yisrael (the totality of Israel). He was one of the founders and leaders of the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America. It was his older brother, Frederick, who had leanings towards Reform and actually became a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which probably led to many interesting fraternal discussions. Such discussions probably extended to Frederick and Henry's first cousin, the Rev. Meldola deSola who succeeded his father as hazan at Shearith Israel in Montreal in 1882. Meldola was well-known for his outspoken opposition to the Reform movement. Opinions may have differed, but familial ties remained. As it happened, it was Henry Pereira Mendes who officiated at the Montreal funerals of not only Meldola deSola, but also those of Meldola's brother Clarence and their father Abraham.
Back to the early days in New York, Hazan Lyons died soon after Henry Pereira Mendes' arrival, which meant that Henry quickly came face to face with the challenges of full responsibility for all aspects of religious leadership of the congregation. This he did and at the same time, feeling the call to be a rabbi-physician, he took up the study of medicine and graduated from the medical school of New York University on June 8, 1884. He was ambivalent about which career to choose, but in the end as his position in the congregation became more assured, he dropped thoughts of practicing medicine. In 1904, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America bestowed upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity, and in 1937, the Jewish Institute of Religion honoured him with the degree of Doctor of Hebrew Literature.
Henry's character endeared him to his congregation right from the beginning. His tenderness of nature, vivid sympathy, deep spirituality, and firm faith all manifested itself, and he responded to all calls. He never accepted for himself fees to emoluments for personal religious services, returned all such gifts: later, however, he decided to accept them for charitable distribution, a precedent and a policy followed by his successor.
Henry Pereira Mendes did not marry until he was 38, 13 years after arriving in New York. His bride was one of his pupils, the 21 year old Rosalie Piza. Throughout his life he actively participated in a wide range of noble causes which caught his attention, of which the following were just a few. He was vice-president of the Federation of American Zionists; president of the Horeb Home and School for Jewish Deaf-Mutes; founding member and secretary, later president, of the New York Board of Jewish Ministers; speaker for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; vice-president of the Guild for Crippled Children; and a great many more. On April 24, 1888, the 36 year old Henry Pereira Mendes opened the session of the United States Senate with prayer, which was 16 years after his uncle (his mother Eliza's brother), the 47 year-old Abraham deSola of Montreal, had performed the same service for the United States House of Representatives.
In addition to all these congregational and community activities, he was a prolific writer, in a style marked by emotional vigor and poetic quality.
Henry was in Montreal on 31 August 1890 to be with his Joseph and deSola family relatives as they celebrated the dedication of the new Shearith Israel synagogue on Stanley Street. Henry not only carried the Torah Scroll, he led the Afternoon Service and delivered the sermon.
Over the years it seems that Henry Pereira Mendes became "the rabbi of choice" for many family events in Montreal. He officiated at the funerals of Abraham deSola, his wife Esther (Joseph) deSola, two of their sons Meldola and Clarence, and on a happier occasion, he officiated at the wedding of Pinto Joseph to Hortense Ury on 27 October 1909 in Schenectady, New York.
On 5 March 1892, Henry Pereira Mendes attended evening services as usual, and was followed home afterwards by an Arabian beggar, José Mizrachee, who had also attended the services. The beggar forced his way into the Mendes house at 6 West Ninth Street and demanded $100. Henry offered him all the money he had, but since this was less that $100, it did not satisfy Mizrachee, who then shot Henry in the abdomen. The gunshot attracted the attention of Henry's wife and a servant, who saw the assailant leaving by the front door but made no attempt to stop him. Medical help soon arrived, and the decision was made to operate right away and remove the bullet. Luckily for Henry, the bullet had struck the lower part of his double waistcoat, which deflected it to an angle that caused much pain, but was not life threatening. José Mizrachee was caught in Philadelphia on 18 March, and on 21 April was sent to prison for ten years. Two months later, he was sent to the prison asylum at Matteawan.
When his retirement was announced on 24 May 1920, Henry Mendes became minister emeritus, and just two years later, David deSola Pool, his 1st cousin once removed, was called to the Shearith Israel pulpit. Henry's mother was Eliza deSola Mendes, whose sister Sarah deSola Pool was David's paternal grandmother. While all this was going on, Henry had left New York to spend four years in Europe and South America, returning in June 1924.
Then in 1927, at a reception given for him in honour of his 75th birthday and 50 years of service to the congregation, he learned that his friends had established the H. Pereira Mendes Foundation. The income from the foundation was for the enjoyment of Dr. and Mrs. Mendes during their lifetime, and thereafter for "promoting education in the principles and traditional practice of the Jewish religion among Jews residing in the City of New York or within fifty miles therefrom ..."
Illness plagued him in later life, and after many ups and downs, he died at his home in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on the morning of Wednesday 20 October 1937 at the age of 85.
Funeral services were held on Sunday 24 October at Shearith Israel Synagogue at Central Park West and Seventieth Street in New York. Henry Mendes had left explicit directions concerning his funeral services, and had written "I desire that my body be not taken into the Holy Synagogue. I desire that no praises of me, a human being, be recited in an auditorium built and consecrated for the praises of God." Therefore, in conformity with his wishes, the coffin was placed in an adjoining room, and the brief and simple ceremony was conducted according to old Spanish rights by David deSola Pool. He was buried beside his parents in the Cypress Hills cemetery in Queen's.
Source: An Old Faith in the New World by David and Tamar deSola Pool, The Jewish Encyclopaedia, The New York Times. [5, 6]
- (Research):a. Jewish Chronicle 5 Jun 1874 Mr. H.P. Mendes son of Rev. A. P. Mendes of Northwick College, and brother of Rev. Dr. DeSola Mendes of New York, has been unanimously elected minister and preacher of the New Spanish & Portuguese Congrgation of Manchester. [6]
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| Sources |
- [S393] .
- [S81] .
- [S149] .
- [S285] .
- [S409] (Reliability: 3).
- [S77] .
- [S81] (Reliability: 3).
- [S4] PG. 191 MENDES (Reliability: 3).
- [S79] .
- [S80] YEAR: 1920;CENSUS PLACE: MANHATTAN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 7, NEW YORK, NEW YORK; ROLL: T625_1197; PAGE: 9A; ENUMERATION DISTRICT: 542; IMAGE: 370. (Reliability: 3).
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