Elkan C. Voorsanger

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gives information about Elkan as army rabbi

Rabbi Elkan Cohen Voorsanger, who was called "the fighting rabbi" of World War I, died yesterday in San Francisco, where he had lived in retirement for the last three years. His age was 74.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=96659198

Birth: Mar. 19, 1889 San Francisco San Francisco County California, USA Death: May 1, 1963 San Francisco San Francisco County California, USA

Rabbi Voorsanger served Congregation Shaare Emeth, St. Louis, Missouri as associate rabbi for over 2 years (1915-1917) and he is listed along with other rabbis who served St. Louis congregations. The full list can be found at SAINT LOUIS RABBIS. _________________________

TIMELINE:

1913 University of Cincinnati Graduate Degree

1914 Rabbi Ordination, Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, OH

1914-1915 Temple Emanuel, Grand Rapids, MI Associate Rabbi

1915-1917 Congregation Shaare Emeth, Saint Louis, MO Associate Rabbi

1917-1919 World War I American Expeditionary Force, France Senior Chaplain, 77th Division

1919 Joint Distribution Committee in Poland

1921-1925 American Jewish Relief Committee Field Executive for National Fundraising Campaign

1934-1936 Union of American Hebrew Congregations Director of Finance

1936-1942 Chicago Public Works Department Superintendent of the Bureau of Compensation

1945-1947 World War II: National Jewish Welfare Board Chaplaincy Commissioner

1948-1960 Jewish Welfare Federation, Milwaukee, WI Executive Director

1960-1963 San Francisco Israel Bond Committee Chairman _________________________

Voorsanger espoused pacifist causes yet joined the United States Caplaincy during World War I. He had received training as a medic and was recipient of the Croix de Guerre of France, Distinguished Services Cross, Pershing Citation badge, and a Purple Heart. Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger earned his citations for his actions during the battles of Argonne, Marne, and Chateau Thieng (1)

He was married to Henrietta Moscowitz 1921

(1) Source: The Fighting Rabbis, by Albert I. Slomovitz _________________________

NEWS FEATURE Subject: Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger THE JEWISH VOICE Dateline: St. Louis, MO, Feb. 16, 1917

We gratfully regretted to learn of the resignation of the Rev. Dr. Elkan Voorsanger, the young Rabbi of Shaare Emeth. During his brief stay in our midst, he rendered himself beloved and popular among all classes; made his good influence felt in the Young Men's Hebrew Association and many other organizations, and never filed to respond to any demand on him. We need a man like him in St. Louis. _________________________

NEWS FEATURE Subject: Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger THE JEWISH VOICE Dateline: St. Louis, MO, Apr. 19, 1918

Thus far, Voorsanger is the only American Army chaplain. Held Passover services for boys overseas who wear near enough to attend _________________________

NEWS FEATURE Subject: Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger THE JEWISH VOICE Dateline: St. Louis, MO, May 23, 1919

Voorsanger has accepted the important post of General Director of all overseas activities of the Jewish Welfare Board. Will make headquarters in Paris. _________________________

NEWS FEATURE Subject: Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger THE JEWISH VOICE Dateline: St. Louis, MO, Aug. 2, 1919

General Pershing has cited Chaplain Rabbi Elkan C. Voorsanger, formerly Assistant Rabbi of Shaare Emeth for exceptional meritorius services in the Army of the United States. Captain Voorsanger is now Chief of all Jewish Welfare Board activities in France. _________________________

NEWS FEATURE Subject: Rabbi Elkan Voorsanger THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Dateline: San Francisco, CA Apr. 3, 1967

Chaplains to hold their 42nd National Convention. Will pay a special tribute to Rabbi Voorsanger. Their convention booklet is dedicated to him. He died in May, 1963 at the age of 74. His memorabilia is to be presented to Chaplains' School Museum at Fort Hamilton, NY by daughter, Major Esther L. Voorsanger of the Army Nurse Corps. Ms. Voorsanger and two other daugthers, Mrs. Walter Fick of San Francisco and Mrs. Claude Marlow of Palo Alto to be honored guests at the banquet.

By a special act of Congress, Voorsanger was commissioned as an Army Chaplain while serving in France--the first Jewish Chaplain to be so commissioned in the American Expeditionary Forces and first to be so commissioned to any of the U.S. Armed Forces. During the Argonne engagement, Voorsanger was commissioned a Captain and for singular heroism under fire, received the French Croix de Guerre, Purple Heart and was recommended for the Distinguished Servcie Medal. _________________________

OBITUARY May 6, 1963 FUNERAL SERVICES HELD FOR RABBI ELKAN C. VOORSANGER IN SAN FRANCISCO Jewish Telegraphic Agency Dateline: San Francisco May 5, 1963

Funeral services were held here today for Rabbi Elkan Cohen Voorsanger, who served as senior chaplain with the American Expeditionary Force in France during World War I and later with the Joint Distribution Committee in Europe. He died at his home here where he lived in retirement for the last three years. He was 71.

Born in San Francisco, the son of a rabbi, he was graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1913. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1914 and served at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, Mich. Later he served as rabbi of Temple Shaare Emeth in St. Louis. When World War I broke out, he gave up his post at the temple and enlisted in the Army as a private and went over to France with the first 750 Americans. He was successively promoted to sergeant, lieutenant-chaplain, captain and senior chaplain of the 77th division. He held the French Croix de Guerre decoration and several American citations, including the Purple Heart.

After the war, he was named overseas director of the Jewish Welfare Board and later served the JWB in World War II as chaplaincy commissioner. He went to Poland for the Joint. Distribution Committee in 1918. In 1934, after entering the business field, he was named superintendent of the bureau of compensation of the Chicago Public Works Department. In 1936 he was named director of finance of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and later was executive director of the Milwaukee Jewish Welfare Federation. _________________________

OBITUARY May 2, 1963 E. C. VOORSANGER IS DEAD AT 74 San Francisco Chronicle Dateline: San Francisco May 2, 1963

Elkan C. Voorsanger, who was this country's first Jewish chaplain during World War I, died at Mt. Zion Hospital here last night after a long illness. He was 74.

He was the youngest son of Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, who headed Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco in the years before and just after the fire and earthquake of 1906.

Mr. Voorsanger resided at 100 Laurel Street. He had lived in this city for the past seven years after his retirement as executive director of the Jewish Charities of Milwaukee, WI.

He Attended Lowell High School here, and was elected rabbi of Grand Rapids, Michigan, synagogue after graduation from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. He resigned from his rabbinical office in May of 1918 during service overseas with the Army hospital corps.

He became a senior chaplain with the 77th Division in France with the rank of captain. This service continued through the period when the division broke through the Hindenburg line and the early American occupation in Germany.

At the end of World War I, Mr. Voorsanger entered business in Chicago. But, he renounced this way of life, close friends here said, for a pursuit more congenial to his high ideals--work in charities.

Voorsanger served for 18 years as executive director of the Jewish Welfare Federation in Milwaukee.

A year after his retirement to San Francisco, he was elected chairman of the San Francisco Israel Bond Committee for Israel's Tenth Anniversary Year.

He is survived by his wife, the former Henrietta Moscowitz of New York; a brother Dr. William C. Voorsanger of San Francisco; a sister, Mrs. Lewis Waxelbaum of Macon, GA, and 3 daughters, Mrs. Walter Tick of San Francisco, Esther Voorsanger, head of the teaching program at Babies' Hospital, Chicago, and Mrs. Claude Barlow of Palo Alto, CA.

Mr. Voorsanger's father, Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger came here from The Netherlands in 1886, and headed Temple Emanu-El for 23 years. At that time, the temple was located at 450 Sutter Street. Rabbi Voorsanger died in 1908.

Funeral arrangements for Mr. Voorsanger are pending at Sinai Memorial Chapel. _________________________

OBITUARY New York Times Dateline: San Francisco May 2, 1963

RABBI ELKAN VOORSANGER DEAD; NOTED CHAPLAIN IN WORLD WAR I

Rabbi Elkan Cohen Voorsanger, who was called "the fighting rabbi" of World War I, died yesterday in San Francisco where he had lived in retirement for the last three years. His age was 74.

Rabbi Voorsanger was the senior Jewish chaplain with the American Expeditionary Force in France in World War I. He was rabbi of Temple Shaare Emeth in St. Louis when the United States entered the war. He gave up his pulpit and enlisted in the Army as a private.

An article in The New York Times of 1919 told how "Captain Elkan Voorsanger....went over as a buck private in May, 1917, with the first 750 Americans, and rose by successive promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, chaplain and senior chaplain of the 77th Division."

Captain Voorsanger was quoted as saying on his return, "In France there were no distinctions. A chaplain was a chaplain, not a Jewish chaplain, a Catholic chaplain, or a Protestant. Each one was responsible for the religion of every man, and it didn't matter to us how a man prayed. A Catholic chaplain organized Yom Kipper services in a ruined cathedral on the battleline. He said to me, I was afraid you couldn't get here, so I started them off with a prayer...."

After the war Rabbi Voorsanger was appointed overseas director of the Jewish Welfare Board whom he served as Chaplaincy commissioner in World War II.

He was born in San Francisco, the son of Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1913. Ordained a rabbi at Hebrew Union College in 1914, he served briefly at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before going to St. Louis.

He held the French Croix de Guerre, and several American citations including the Purple Heart.

Rabbi Voorsanger went to Poland for the Jewish Distribution Committee in 1919, and was named field executive of the national fund-raising campaigns of the American Jewish Relief Committee two years later.

He then entered the business field, and in 1934 he was named superintendent of the Bureau of Compensation of the Chicago Public Works Department. In 1936 he was appointed director of finance of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

Before his retirement he was serving as executive director of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Milwaukee.

He married Miss Henrietta Moscowitz of New York in 1921. they had three daughters, Ester Leah, Alice, and Edith Ann. _________________________

The rabbi featured on this Find A Grave page is one of many included in a "Virtual Cemetery" of rabbis who've passed but who served on St. Louis pulpits during their rabbinate. The complete "Virtual Cemetery" list can be found at SAINT LOUIS RABBIS. Questions about this "Virtual Cemetery" project may be directed to: Steven Weinreich Email: steveweinreich26@gmail.com

Family links:

Parents:

 Jacob Voorsanger (1852 - 1908)

 Eva Korper Voorsanger (____ - 1922)

Spouse:

 Henriette Moskowitz Voorsanger (1895 - 1985)

Burial: Home of Peace Cemetery and Emanu-El Mausoleum Colma San Mateo County California, USA Plot: Plot A, Sect 3, Lot 5, Grave 5

Created by: Brent Stevens Record added: Sep 07, 2012 Find A Grave Memorial# 96659198