Maximilian H. Heller Papers

Manuscript Collection No. 33

1871-1929. 7.1 Linear ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE
The MAXIMILIAN H. HELLER PAPERS were donated to the American Jewish Archives by Heller's son, James G. Heller, in January, 1952 and May, 1953. Additional family correspondence was received from the Heller family through Bobbie Malone in August, 1993. Property rights are assigned to the American Jewish Archives. All literary rights to the materials by Maximilian H. Heller are held by the Heller heirs. Literary rights to materials authored by others are held by the individual author or his/her heirs.
The MAXIMILIAN H. HELLER PAPERS are open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH top
Maximilian H. Heller (January 31, 1860-March 30, 1929), rabbi, born in the Bohemian city of Prague, was the only son and the third of five children born to Simon and Mathilde (Kassowitz) Heller. On both sides of the family, which was of the German or Ashkenasic strain of Jews, he was descended from a long and distinguished line of European rabbis and scholars.
His childhood and early youth were spent in the ghetto of Prague, where his father was a well-to-do wool-merchant. In 1877, while he was a student at the Prague Gymnasium, his father suffered such severe financial reverses that the family decided to emigrate to the United States. In order not to interrupt his preparation for a career in medicine, the son was left behind.
The family settled in Chicago, Illinois, where the father eked out a precarious living by preparing young boys for confirmation and by serving as a lodge secretary. In 1879, Maximilain, hearing that his mother, who was afflicted with tuberculosis, had but a short time to live, followed the family to the United States. Upon his arrival in Chicago, he saw before the necessity of having to help support the family and decided that his best course was to prepare himself for the rabbinate. He therefore entered the Hebrew Union College at Cincinnati, Ohio, at the same time enrolling for courses at the University of Cincinnati.
This period of his life was a very strenuous one, since he was compelled to support himself by extensive tutoring, the strain and privation of his college years being such as to result in the permanent impairment of his health. His efforts, however, brought him the degrees of B.L. (1882) and M.L. (1884) from the University of Cincinnati and the degree of Rabbi (1884) from Hebrew Union College.
Upon graduation, he was appointed associate to Rabbi Bernard Felsenthal of Chicago [Zion congregation], in which capacity he served for a year and a half. For a period of five months, he was next in charge of the Reform Jewish Congregation of Houston, Texas. In 1887, he was elected rabbi of the Temple Sinai Congregation of New Orleans, Louisiana. He was in charge of this congregation until 1927, when he was made rabbi emeritus.
On March 6, 1889, he was married to Ida Annie Marks, daughter of an old Portuguese Jewish family of New Orleans, by whom he had four children. In New Orleans, he soon revealed himself as a man who did not hesitate to take a determined and courageous stand when he thought a moral principle was involved. Together with Dr. Benjamin Morgan Palmer, Presbyterian divine, and Senator (later Chief Justice) Edward Douglas White, he led the bitter and historic fight which resulted in the abolition of the Louisiana Lottery, although his friends advised him against such a course and some of the officers of his own congregation opposed it.
Equally characteristic was his early espousal of the cause of Zionism, a position he assumed when support of this cause meant vilification and loss of merited recognition. He was also actively engaged in promoting the cause of public education. From 1892 to 1896 he was a member of the State Board of Education. The Tulane University of Louisiana recognized his scholarship by appointing him, in 1912, professor of Hebrew language and literature. He was made professor emeritus in 1928. His co-religionists recognized his leadership in Jewish education and culture by electing him vice-president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in 1907 and 1908, and president in 1909 and 1910.
His literary work was extensive, though largely composed of published articles, sermons, and addresses. He was editor of the Jewish Ledger from 1986 to 1897, lead writer on the American Israelite from 1902 to 1914, and contributor of a column of Jewish current events to the B'nai B'rith News until shortly before his death. His more extended works comprise Jubilee Souvenir of Temple Sinai 1872-1922 (1922), a history of his New Orleans congregation; "The Place of the Jew in a Racial Interpretation of the History of Civilization" which appeared in the Year Book of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (1913), and My Month in Palestine (1929), published after his death by his children.
He was one of the most respected and best loved religious leaders of New Orleans and the South. His associates in every field recognized him as a man of firm moral convictions and yet of great intellectual tolerance; as a writer and speaker, gifted with a fine sensitiveness to delicacy of thought and expression; and a personality of rare gentleness, simplicity, and charm.
Exerpted from Dictionary of American Biography, s.v. "Heller, Maximilian."
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE top
The Papers of the New Orleans rabbi, Maximilian H. Heller, contain material relating to his long career and interest in the Reform movement, Zionism, and the labor movement. The collection includes correspondence, sermons, lectures, newsclippings, and articles, as well as miscellaneous material. The Papers span the period 1871-1929, and are divided into six series:

SERIES A. CORRESPONDENCE

SERIES B. PERSONAL

SERIES C. LECTURES AND SERMONS

SERIES D. MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL

SERIES E. PRINTED MATERIAL

SERIES F. MISCELLANEOUS

The majority of the collection is in English with some correspondence in German, French, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
Series A. CORRESPONDENCE consists of six boxes spanning the years 1871 through 1929. It is arranged alphabetically by the name of the correspondent and chronologically within. The general folders within this series contain material of interest, but generally of lesser importance or quantity. Unidentifiable correspondence is placed at the end of this series. A few of the many correspondents of interest in this series include: Gotthard Deutsch, Louis D. Brandeis, Jacob de Haas, Kaufmann Kohler, Henrietta Szold, Isaac M. Wise, and Stephen S. Wise. Letters between Rabbi Heller and his congregation, Temple Sinai, in New Orleans have been filed under "Temple Sinai Congregation". Subjects in this area relate to congregational, rabbinical, religious, scientific, cultural, and political matters, the Reform movement, Zionism, the labor movement, conferences, meetings, the prayer book controversy, immigration problems, the Hebrew Union College, books, trips, and the careers of well-known rabbis, scientists, and writers.
Series B. PERSONAL consists of approximately two boxes of material which has been divided into two sub-series, 1) Family correspondence (1876-1923) and 2) Miscellaneous. The latter includes a travel diary, school reports, receipts, and photographs. The family correspondence is restricted.
Series C. LECTURES AND SERMONS consists of manuscript material such as sermons, lectures, and prayers which have been organized by date and tied into individual packets. This material spans the period, 1885-1922. The material is grouped into Friday lectures, Saturday sermons, holiday sermons, and miscellaneous.
Series D. MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL consists of three boxes of unorganized miscellaneous items including sermon and lecture notes, addresses, resolutions, and prayers. Most of this material is undated.
Series E. PRINTED MATERIAL consists of three boxes of scrapbook pages of newsclippings and articles spanning the period, 1881-1929. Some material is undated. Box 16, folders 4 thru 6 consists of memorial material prepared by Ida Marks Heller for her son James. The material is arranged as it was found in the scrapbooks.
Series F. MISCELLANEOUS consists of Sunday School record books, minutes of meetings, assorted documents, picture postcards, and holiday program material. The Minutes of the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College for 1921 and those of the Commission on Jewish Religious Educational Literature for 1923 April are included. There is also a Theodor Herzl chronology in Box 17, folder 5.
BOX AND FOLDER LIST top
Box  Folder    Contents

SERIES A. CORRESPONDENCE

1    1         A, General. 1885-1916.
     2         Adler, Cyrus. 1902-1909.
     3         Antin, Mary. 1911.
     4         B, General. 1884-1926.
     5         Barnston [Barstein], Henry. 1903-1915.
     6         Bergman, Moise. 1900-1909.
     7         Berkowitz, Henry. 1881-1910.
     8         Bettman, Bernhard. 1884-1910.
     9         Bienenstok, Montefire. 1904-1905.
     10        Brandeis, Louis D. 1915-1922, 1927 [scattered].
     11        Braunfeld, Julius. 1894-1911.
     12        Braunscheveig, E. 1887-1888.
     13        Buxbaum, E. Leopold. 1887, 1908.
     14        C, General. 1885-1925.
     15        Cahn, Edgar M. 1886-1892.
     16        Calisch, Edward N. 1887-1914.
     17        Cohen, Alfred M. 1918-1921.
     18        Cohen, Henry. 1888-1917.
     19        Cohen, Oscar J. 1889-1899.
     20        Cowen, Philip. 1901-1909, 1914.
     21        Crofton, Alfred C. 1914-1917.
     22        D, General. 1885-1921.
     23        Dannenbaum, Henry J. 1912-1914.
     24        Davidson, David. 1885-1900 [scattered].
     25        De Sola Pool, David. 1907-1917.

2    1         Deutsch, Gotthard. 1897-1912.
     2         Deutsch, Gotthard. 1913-1921, 1930.
     3         E, General. 1890-1915.
     4         Ehrlich, Arnold B. 1900-1911.
     5         Elkin, Heiman J. 1890, 1911.
     6         Enelow, Hyman G. 1902-1911, 1916.
     7         Englander, Henry. 1916-1920.
     8         R, General. 1878-1924.
     9         Felsenthal, Bernhard [Bernard]. 1884-1902.
     10        Franklin, Leo M. 1913-1915.
     11        Freiberg, J. Walter. 1911-1915.
     12        Friedenwald, Harry. 1909-1917.
     13        Friedlander, Joseph. 1901-1916.
     14        Friedman, William S. 1892-1913.
     15        Frisch, Ephraim. 1912-1915.
     16        G, General. 1885-1920.
     17        Gaster, Moses. 1911-1912, 1918-1919.
     18        Gittelman, H. 1918-1922.
     19        Goldberg, Jeanette Miriam. 1878, 1908-1909, 1915.
     20        Goldstein, Julius. 1923.
     21        Gottheil, Gustav and Richard. 1894-1911.
     22        Gries, Moses J. 1892-1914.
     23        Grossmann, Louis. 1888-1919.
     24        Guttmacher, Adolph. 1889-1914.

3    1         H, General. 1882-1925.
     2         Haas, Jacob de. 1902-1922 [scattered]
     3         Harris, Maurice. 1891-1924 [scattered].
     4         Harrison, Leon. 1895-1923.
     5         Hecht, Sigmund D. 1886-1897.
     6         Heinsheimer, Edward. 1895, 1917.
     7         Hirsch, Emil G. 1888-1900, 1908.
     8         Hurwitz, Henry. 1901-1916, 1924.
     9         I, General. 1882-1922.
     10        J, General. 1888-1918.
     11        Jacobs, Joseph. 1914-1915, 1920.
     12        Jacobson, Moses P. 1889-1917.
     13        Jasin, Joseph. 1907-1910.
     14        K, General. 1886-1923.
     15        Kallen, Horace M. 1912-1916.
     16        Kaplan, Jacob H. 1909-1920 [scattered].
     17        Kohler, Kaufmann. 1893-1916.
     18        Kohn, Annette. 1903.
     19        Kohut, George Alexander. 1876-1911.
     20        Krauskopf, Joseph D. 1882-1920.
     21        Kory, Sol L. 1898-1905.
     22        L, General. 1882-1925.
     23        Lehman, Emanuel. 1899-1904.
     24        Lemann, Monte M. 1906-1915 [scattered].
     25        Leucht, I.L. 1886-1895.
     26        Levy, J. Leonard. 1899, 1911-1915.
     27        Levy, Lipman. 1885-1915 [scattered].
     28        Lewinthal, Isidore. 1887-1905.
     29        Lipsky, Louis. 1904-1919, 1928.
     30        Lyon, J.A. 1913-1915.

4    1         M, General. 1884-1925.
     2         Magnes, Judah L. 1906-1911.
     3         Mannheimer, S. 1884-1905.
     4         Margolis, Max. 1906-1908.
     5         Marshall, Louis. 1903-1904.
     6         Marx, David. 1887-1913 [scattered].
     7         Marx, Salomon. 1886-1913 [scattered].
     8         Mayer, Harry H. 1898-1914 [scattered].
     9         Mendes, Isaac P. and H. Pereira. 1899-1914.
     10        Meyer, Martin A. 1909-1917.
     11        Mielziner, Moses, 1884-1902.
     12        Montefiore, Claude G. 1910-1914.
     13        Morgenstern, Julian. 1908-1917.
     14        Moses, Alfred G. 1904-1907.
     15        Moses, Isaac S. 1890-1904.
     16        N,O,General. 1884-1924.
     17        P, General. 1880-1918.
     18        Philipson, David. 1884-1913.
     19        Pohl, Julius. 1889.
     20        Pollak, Carl. 1881-1889.
     21        R, General. 1879-1926.
     22        Raisin, Jacob S. 1900-1914 [scattered].
     23        Raisin, Max. 1905-1916.
     24        Raphael, E. 1886-1899.
     25        Rauch, Blanche. 1885-1901.
     26        Rosenau, William. 1904-1915.
     27        Rosenwald, Julius. 1921.

5    1         S, General. (Sa-Sp). 1871-1927.
     2         S, General. (St-Su). 1871-1925.
     3         Samfield, M. 1887-1893.
     4         Scharnfarber, Tobias. 1884-1912.
     5         Schechter, Solomon. 1903-1912, 1917.
     6         Schulman, Samuel. 1909-1925.
     7         Seeman, George. 1897-1912.
     8         Silber, Mendel. 1909-1915.
     9         Silverman, Joseph. 1881-1910.
     10        Singer, Isidor. 1904-1919.
     11        Smith, William B. 1894-1929.
     12        Son, Nathan A. 1892.
     13        Sonneschein, S.H. 1887-1890, 1895.
     14        Steeg, A. 1896-1897.
     15        Stern, S. Walter. 1914-1920.
     16        Sternheim, Emanuel. 1912-1915.
     17        Sulzberger, Mayer. 1902-1907.
     18        Szold, Henrietta. 1903-1917.
     19        T, General. 1909-1923.
     20        Temple Sinai Congregation. 1898-1923.

6    1         U,V, General. 1885-1915.
     2         W, General. 1883-1924.
     3         Wagenheim, Isaac E. 1900.
     4         Weil, Robert. 1876-1881.
     5         Weis, I. 1893-1897.
     6         Wise, Isaac M. 1879-1896.
     7         Wise, Leo. 1885-1915.
     8         Wise, Stephen S. 1896-1929.
     9         Wolf, Simon. 1898, 1905-1918.
     10        Wolsey, Louis. 1898-1915.
     11        Z, General. 1885-1923.
     12        Zangwill, Israel. 1900.
     13        Zepin, George. 1912-1923.
     14        Zielonka, Martin. 1900, 1909, 1911.
     15        Unidentified. 1878, 1881-1917, 1927.

SERIES B. PERSONAL

     16        Cohen, George and Ruth Heller [daughter]. 1913-1921.
     17        Heller, Ernestine [sister]. 1884-1915, 1923.
     18        Heller, Helen Bettman [daughter-in-law]. 1916.

7    1         Heller, Ida Marks [wife]. 1888-1892.
     2         Heller, Ida Marks [wife]. 1893-1896.
     3         Heller, Ida Marks [wife]. 1897-1915.
     4         Heller, Isaac [son]. 1916-1917.
     5         Heller, James Gutheim. [son]. 1897-1920.
     6         Heller, Jean Bettman [daughter-in-law]. 1916-1923.
     7         Heller, Louise [sister?]. 1833-1915 [scattered].
     8         Heller, Mathilda Kassowitz and Simon [parents]. 1876-1891.
     9         Heller, Mathilda Kassowitz and Simon [parents]. 1892-1910.

8    1         Lasker, Edward and Cecile Heller [daughter]. 1900-1920.
     2         Stein, Anna. 1882-1989, 1910.
     3         Stein, Carrie. 1889-1910 [scattered].
     4         Stein, Samuel. 1878-1895, 1903-1913.
     5         Stein, Sidney. 1895, 1899.
     6         Stolz, Joseph [nephew?]. 1881-1904.
     7         Stolz, Joseph [nephew?]. 1905-1929. [scattered].
     8         Miscellaneous family. 1889-1920.
     9         Unidentified family. 1882-1913 [scattered].
     10-11     Travel Diary. ca. 1927.
     12        School Reports. 1871-1879.
     13        Receipts. 1890-1896.
     14        Photographs. n.d.

SERIES C.  LECTURES AND SERMONS

9    1         Friday Lectures. 1887-1898.
     2         Friday Lectures. 1899-1907.
     3         Friday Lectures. 1907-1917.
     4         Friday Lectures. 1918-1922.
     5         Saturday Sermons. 1885-1896.
     6         Saturday Sermons. 1896-1904.

10   1         Saturday Sermons. 1904-1910.
     2         Saturday Sermons. 1910-1916.
     3         Saturday Sermons. 1916-1922.
     4         Holiday Sermons. 1905-1916.
     5         Holiday Sermons. 1916-1923.
     6         Miscellaneous. n.d.

SERIES D.  MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL
     (Includes sermon and lecture notes, addresses, resolutions and prayers)

11   1         Resolutions and addresses.
     2-6       Miscellaneous.

12   1-6       Miscellaneous.

13   1-5       Miscellaneous.

SERIES E.  PRINTED MATERIAL

14   1         Scrapbooks. 1881-1899.
     2         Scrapbooks. 1900-1908.
     3         Scrapbooks. 1908-1915.
     4         Scrapbooks. 1908-1914.
     5         Scrapbooks. 1914-1920.
     6         Scrapbooks. 1920-1925.
     7         Scrapbooks. 1916-1923.

15   1         Scrapbooks. 1883-1900.
     2         Scrapbooks. 1900-1907.
     3         Scrapbooks. 1891-1900.
     4         Scrapbooks. 1900-1904.
     5         Scrapbooks. 1905-1911.
     6         Scrapbooks. 1919-1925.
     7         Scrapbooks. 1891.
     8         Scrapbooks. 1891-1898.
16   1-3       Scrapbooks. n.d.
     4-6       Scrapbooks. 1929.

SERIES F.  MISCELLANEOUS

17   1         Record Books. ca. 1889-1899.
     2         Minutes of Meetings.
                    1921 March-November. [Board of Governors,
                         Hebrew Union College]
                    1923 April. [Commission on Jewish Religious
                         Education Literature]
     3         Holiday Program Material. ca. 1921.
     4         Picture Postcards.
     5         Documents and assorted items.

ADDITIONAL FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE [received August, 1993]

     6         Heller, Cecile [daughter] to Isaac and James Heller [sons],
                    1914-1917 and n.d.
     7         Heller, Ida Marks [wife] to Isaac and James Heller [sons],
                    1914-1917
     8         Heller, Isaac [son] from Max Heller, 1914-1917
     9         Heller, Isaac [son] postal cards from Max Heller, 1914-1916
     10        Heller, Isaac and James [sons] from Max Heller, 1914-1915
     11        Heller, Isaac and James [sons] from Max Heller, 1916-1917
     12        Heller, Max to "Dear Folks and Boys" [wife and children],
                    1915-1916
     13        Heller, Ruth [daughter] to Heller family, 1914-1915 and n.d.
     14        Miscellaneous and unidentified family, 1916 and n.d.
SUBJECT TRACINGS top
Note: The following list represents a selective guide to the significant
subjects and correspondents within the MAXIMILIAN H. HELLER PAPERS. References
are used to boxes and folders, e.g. 2/7 = Box 2, Folder 7. This list should be
used conjunction with the Box and Folder List of this inventory.

American Humane Association 1/1.
American Israelite 6/7.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee 5/18.
American Jewish Relief Committee 1/1.
Anti-Semitism 2/2, 4/5.

Billikopf, Jacob 1/4.
Brandeis, Louis D. 1/23, 3/15, 6/8.

Central Conference of American Rabbis 2/11.

Emergency Committee on Jewish Refugees 4/5.

Ford, Henry 4/5.

Harvard Menorah Society 3/8.
Hebrew Union College 1/8, 1/18, 2/1, 2/11, 2/22. 2/23, 3/17, 3/21, 3/22.
Herzl, Theodor 17/5.

Intercollegiate Menorah Association 3/8.

James, William 3/10.

Kallen, Horace M. 2/23, 4/10, 4/17, 6/8.
Kohler, Kaufmann 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/23, 4/10, 6/8.

Magnes, Judah L. 6/7.

Palestine 1/23, 2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 5/20, 6/8.
Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs 1/10.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. 4/21.
Russia, Jews in. 1/24.

San Remo Conference, 1920. 1/17.

Union of American Hebrew Congregations 2/11, 3/27, 6/13.

Warburg, Felix 6/2.
Wise, Isaac M. 2/1, 6/7.
World War I. 1/14.

Zionism 1/4, 1.23, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 3/15, 3/17, 3/29, 4/2, 4/4, 4/10, 5/5, 5/20,
6/7, 6/8.
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