Sigmund Hecht (1849–1925) was a Hungarian-born American

Reform Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

rabbi. An immigrant to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, he served congregations in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

before serving as the fifth rabbi of Congregation B'nai B'rith, the oldest synagogue in

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, from 1899 to 1919.

Early life

Sigmund Hecht was born on August 1, 1849, in Hlinik,

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

.Rabbi Sigmund Hecht:1849-1925
, Jewish Museum MilwaukeeA Finding Aid to the Sigmund S. Hecht Papers. 1877-1919.: Manuscript Collection No. 700
Cincinnati, Ohio: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives His father was named Moritz Hecht. He grew up in Zsolna, Hungary and went to a rabbinic seminary in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, receiving a degree in Jewish theology in Bistrizt, Hungary. He immigrated to the United States in his early twenties, arriving in 1868, three years after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

of 1861-1865. He first studied Jewish theology in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He then moved to the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

, where he received a

Doctorate of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (i.e., Christian theology and ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the English-speaking world than elsewhere. In the United Kin ...

from the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

in 1886.

Career

He served as a rabbi at

Temple Beth Or Temple Beth Or (transliterated from Hebrew language, Hebrew; "House of Light"), founded as Kahl Montgomery, is an historic Reform Judaism, Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 2246 Narrow Lane Road, in the Cloverdale, Montgomery, ...

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, from 1876 to 1888.Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities - Montgomery, Alabama
Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life During that time, he established a Sunday school. He then the served as the rabbi of Emanu-El in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, from 1888 to 1899. His third service was at Congregation B'nai B'rith in Los Angeles, California, where he was the senior rabbi from 1899 to 1919.Wilshire Boulevard Temple: Our History
/ref> He paved the way for more fundraising and established programs for women and young people. He also oversaw the move of the Jewish cemetery from

Chavez Ravine Chavez Ravine is a shallow canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for a 19th-century Los Angeles councilm ...

to the Home of Peace Memorial Park in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...

. In 1916, he trained Edgar Magnin, who went on to serve as the rabbi of B'nai B'rith from 1919 to 1984. He wrote ''Post Biblical History: A Compedium Of Jewish History from the Close of the Biblical Records to the Present Day (for the Home and Sabbath School)'', published by the Bloch Printing Company / the American Jewish Publishing House in 1896.

Death

He died on June 27, 1925. He was seventy-six years old. His papers are kept at The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hecht, Sigmund 1849 births 1925 deaths Hungarian emigrants to the United States People from Montgomery, Alabama Religious leaders from Milwaukee Rabbis from Los Angeles University of Alabama alumni American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent American Reform rabbis