Alexander Lyons (June 19, 1867 – June 5, 1939) was an American rabbi who ministered in New York City for nearly 40 years.

Life

Lyons was born on June 19, 1867, in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, the son of Samuel Lyons and Fanny Wolf. Lyons attended public schools in Mobile. In 1891, he received a B.L. from the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

and was ordained a rabbi at

Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...

. He served as rabbi of Temple Israel in

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, from 1891 to 1895, followed by Congregation Beth Emeth in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, from 1895 to 1902. In 1902, he became rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. He was a founder of the Consumptives Jewish Aid Society of Brooklyn in 1907. He wrote ''At Sinai'', ''Home and School'', ''Heart to Heart'', and ''Delinquent Parents''. He received an M.A. from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1906 and a Ph.D. from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in 1909. Lyons served as rabbi of Beth Elohim until he died. Interested in promoting good will between Jews and Christians, he founded and edited the monthly magazine ''The Supplement'' in 1920 to promote interfaith understandings. He published a collection of his essays on the topic in the 1937 volume ''Jew and Christian''. Active in general and Jewish social work, he was an executive board member of the Society for the Prevention of Crime, a member of the Brooklyn Library Board, and an honorary member of the Young Men's Christian Association. In 1919, the French government named him a ''Chevalier'' of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

for his service on the pulpit and platform on behalf of France and the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

even before America joined

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Lyons was a founder of the Sheepskin Club of Brooklyn and a member of

B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith International ( ; from ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish service organization and was formerly a cultural association for German Jewish immigrants to the United States. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the se ...

, the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, the Judaeans, the Clergy Club, the Unity Club, and the

Montauk Club The Montauk Club is a social club located in a Francis Kimball-designed building in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Club provides dining and drinking services. History The Club was founded in 1889 as a traditional men's social club by a group looki ...

. He was also an honorary member of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...

. In 1892, he married Ida Eisendrath. Their children were Samuel, Albert, and Irene. Lyons died at home from a heart attack while recovering from pneumonia on June 5, 1939. He was cremated at Fresh Pond Crematory. His funeral at Beth Elohim was conducted by Rabbi

Isaac Landman Isaac Landman (October 24, 1880 – September 4, 1946) was an American Reform rabbi, author and anti-Zionist activist. He was editor of the ten-volume ''The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia''. Biography Landman was born in Russia on October 4, 1880, t ...

, his successor as rabbi of Beth Elohim, and Rabbi Sidney S. Tedesche of Union Temple.

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

Justice Meier Steinbrink delivered the eulogy. The funeral was attended by 800 people, including Rabbi Samuel J. Levinson of Temple Beth Emeth, Rabbi Max Reichler of Temple Beth Sholom, Rabbi Harry Weiss of Shaari Zedek Temple, Association of Reform Rabbis of New York president Rabbi Joshua L. Goldberg, Rabbi Benjamin A. Tintner of the Association of Reform Rabbis, rabbis Joseph Miller,

Jacob Bosniak Jacob Bosniak (December 1, 1887August 25, 1963) was a Russian-born American rabbi from Brooklyn, New York City. Life Bosniak was born on December 1, 1887, in Gorodetz, Russia, the son of Abraham L. Bosniak and Bessie Golub. He immigrated to Ameri ...

, and A. Allen Steinbach of the Brooklyn Jewish Ministers Association, Rabbi Solomon Foster of Newark, and scores of jurists, public officials, and business leaders.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Alexander 1867 births 1939 deaths People from Mobile, Alabama University of Cincinnati alumni Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion alumni 19th-century American rabbis 20th-century American rabbis American Reform rabbis Rabbis from New York City Jews from Indiana People from Terre Haute, Indiana Religious leaders from Albany, New York Religious leaders from Brooklyn American Freemasons American recipients of the Legion of Honour Knights of the Legion of Honour