Monday
September 27, 1926
Yidishes ṭageblaṭṭ = The Jewish daily news (New York, N.Y.) — New York City, New York
“⚡ $5 Million Electric Dream & a $100K Ransom Gone Wrong — Sept 27, 1926”
Art Deco mural for September 27, 1926
Original newspaper scan from September 27, 1926
Original front page — Yidishes ṭageblaṭṭ = The Jewish daily news (New York, N.Y.) — Click to enlarge
Full-size newspaper scan
What's on the Front Page

The Jewish Daily News leads with electrifying developments in Palestine as Rutenberg declares his massive hydroelectric project fully funded. The $5 million concession for irrigation and electrification work around the Jordan River is moving forward, with construction expected to employ 1,800 people and begin immediately upon Rutenberg's arrival in Palestine next week. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes closer to home as the body of Chicago businessman Jake Rosenthal arrives for burial in Brooklyn's Cypress Hills cemetery after being murdered in Mexico when kidnappers failed to receive their $100,000 ransom demand. Over 1,000 mourners packed the Temple Beth El in Far Rockaway, with 2,000 more waiting outside as police maintained order during the funeral procession.

Why It Matters

This September 1926 front page captures the complex reality of Jewish life in America during the Roaring Twenties. While the Zionist movement was gaining momentum with major infrastructure investments in Palestine, American Jews were establishing themselves as successful businessmen — sometimes becoming targets for criminals, as the Rosenthal kidnapping demonstrates. The detailed coverage of both Palestine development and American Jewish community news reflects how this Yiddish newspaper served readers navigating between Old World traditions and New World opportunities during an era of unprecedented Jewish immigration and assimilation.

Hidden Gems
  • A Gutenberg Bible was sold for $106,000 (about $1.6 million today) to Dr. Otto H. Wahler, whose rare book collection was being exhibited in New York
  • The Hebrew University in Jerusalem was planning to build a new faculty building for Jewish and Oriental studies using a half-million dollar fund left by Sam Rosenblum of Pittsburgh
  • Morris Hillquit was fighting an injunction against cloakmaker strikers in court, declaring that workers have the right to picket shops and conduct strikes through peaceful means
  • Federal prosecutor Buckner was expected to close his case against Daugherty and Miller for defrauding the government, with bank records from Daugherty's brother's bank as key evidence
Fun Facts
  • Rutenberg's Palestine electric company would eventually become the Israel Electric Corporation — the ambitious 1926 project laid the groundwork for Israel's entire power grid
  • The $106,000 Gutenberg Bible sale mentioned in the paper represents one of the highest prices ever paid for a book at that time, when the average American home cost around $7,000
  • Morris Hillquit, the socialist lawyer defending striking cloakmakers, had run for mayor of New York in 1917 and nearly won — his legal battles helped establish modern labor organizing rights
  • The Hebrew University's expansion plans came just one year after its official opening in 1925, making it one of the world's youngest universities to be planning major construction
  • Jake Rosenthal's $100,000 ransom demand was equivalent to about $1.5 million today — his kidnapping in Mexico reflected the dangerous business climate during that country's post-revolutionary period
Sensational Roaring Twenties Crime Violent Economy Trade Labor Strike Immigration Religion
September 26, 1926 September 28, 1926

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