Leon Sanders (May 25, 1867 – August 18, 1937) was a

Jewish-American American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are Americans, American citizens who are Jews, Jewish, whether by Jewish culture, culture, ethnicity, or Judaism, religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of Am ...

lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.

Early life and education

Leon Sanders was born on May 25, 1867, in

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, to Nathan Sanders and Elka Green. He immigrated to America with his parents as a child. Sanders attended

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...

while working as a clerk for the Commissioner of Jurors in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1895.

Career

Sanders began his career working as a clerk for Drake, Mastin & Company, and later as a bookkeeper for the Baumann Brothers and

Edison General Electric Company Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

. He eventually specialized in legal matters related to distilleries and wholesale liquor houses, establishing himself as a prominent business lawyer. A leader in

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was an American political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789, as the Tammany Society. It became the main local ...

, Sanders was known for his oratory and debating skills. He was elected to the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

in 1898 as a Democrat, representing New York County's 12th District. He served from 1899 to 1902. In 1903, Sanders was elected as a Justice of the New York City Municipal Court, serving until 1913 when he resigned to return to private law practice. In the 1916 United States congressional election, Sanders ran as the Democratic candidate for

New York's 12th congressional district New York's 12th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City. As of 2023, it is represented by Democratic Party (United States), Democrat Jerry Nadler, redistricted i ...

but lost to Socialist

Meyer London Meyer London (December 29, 1871 – June 6, 1926) was a Lithuanian-born American politician from New York City. He represented the Lower East Side of Manhattan and was one of only two members of the Socialist Party of America elected to the Unit ...

Community Involvement

Sanders was deeply involved in Jewish causes and fraternal organizations. He served as president of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society and chaired the Committee on Immigration of the

American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests in the US and internationally through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The idea for a ...

. Sanders also held leadership roles as Grand Master of the Independent Order of B'rith Abraham and president of the Jewish Fraternal Congress. He was a member of the board of governors of the

Jewish Maternity Hospital Jewish Maternity Hospital was an obstetrics hospital located at 270–272 East Broadway, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. History Jewish Maternity Hospital was chartered in 1906 and opened on February 15, 1909. It catered to the ...

and a founder and president of Temple Beth-El in Cedarhurst.

Personal life

In 1896, Sanders married Bertha Fischer. They had three children: Frances Van Pragg, Theresa Penner, and Nathan N.

Death

Leon Sanders was killed in a car accident in California on August 18, 1937. He was buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery.

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Leon 1867 births 1937 deaths Odesa Jews Jews from the Russian Empire People from Odessky Uyezd American people of Russian-Jewish descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Jewish state legislators in New York (state) Lawyers from New York City 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century New York state court judges Municipal judges in the United States New York state court judges Politicians from Manhattan Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Road incident deaths in California Burials at Mount Lebanon Cemetery 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature