Leo Weidenthal

Great nephew Bud Weidenthal speaks about Leo:
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/561/

Click here!\:
http://www.clevelandjewishhistory.net/people/weidenthal.htm=

Lived at 13309 Buckeye Rd. Cleveland

Bud Weidenthal accepts Hall Of Fame award on behalf of Leo Weidenthal May 12, 2010:

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/b95f6cb6250118d9c05cc706c9b028da...

Leo Weidenthal Hall of Fame bio:

http://www.clevelandpeople.com/hof/hof-2010-bios.htm#weidenthal

Nate Arnold in you tube talking about Leo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0fh6xZeZU

Click on photos to see obits.

http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=WL1

WEIDENTHAL, LEO (23 Apr. 1878-8 May 1967),

editor of the Jewish Independent and founder of CLEVELAND CULTURAL GARDEN FEDERATION, was born in Cleveland to Emanuel and Julia (Kretch) Weidenthal. He began his newspaper career as a reporter for the CLEVELAND WORLD; then for the CLEVELAND LEADER; then, in 1906, for the PLAIN DEALER, assigned to the city hall beat. In 1917 he became editor of the Jewish Independent, a weekly founded in 1906 by his brother Maurice, a former Plain Dealer and Press reporter. Leo's brother Henry was also a journalist, once managing editor of the Press and News.

Weidenthal spent much time cataloguing his large collection of books, autographs, and letters marking the history of the theater since the early 19th century. He was also an amateur painter and authored From Dis Waggon. Weidenthal was a founder of the Cleveland Chap. of the Natl. Conference of Christians & Jews (1933), was vice-president of the EARLY SETTLERS ASSN. OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, and is credited with suggesting a mounted police patrol. He was a critic of the modern freeway and worked to establish more parks and playgrounds. Until his retirement from the Jewish Independent in 1964, Weidenthal supposedly never took a vacation and worked 6 days a week, his only diversion being occasional weekends in New York City to attend plays. He received many honors, including a resolution passed by city council on 24 Sept. 1917 praising his service to the city during his 10 years as city hall reporter for the Plain Dealer. Weidenthal died a bachelor and was buried in the Mayfield Cemetery.

__

Vol. 49, pg 131, Ohio History

Source: http://publications.ohiohistory.org/

http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&P...

Attempts to Preserve National Cultures in Cleveland

by Wellington G. Fordyce

"...................Cleveland has three Jewish publications, the Jewish Review

and Observer, the Jewish Independent, and the Jewish World. The

Jewish World, published in Yiddish, is a daily. The other two are

weeklies. The most important Jewish paper in Cleveland has

been the Jewish Independent. It was founded in 1906 by Maurice

Weidenthal, American-born of Bohemian-Jewish parentage. Un-

der his direction the Jewish Independent became the spear point

of many Jewish policies, both local and national.

Maurice Weidenthal fostered an attack upon the teaching of

The Merchant of Venice in the public schools, and the movement

spread to all Jewish America. One of the Jewish societies, B'nai

B'rith, took the matter up and made it a national affair. The

motive was not antagonism to Shakespeare as literature, but seems

to have been inspired by the Jewish fear that plastic minds would

receive a picture of Jewish character from Shylock that might

later lead to prejudice and persecution. For similar reasons this

paper has opposed all plans to incorporate religious instruction

into the public school curriculum. Any movement which brings

any hint of a state and church union receives their opposition.

Leo Weidenthal succeeded his brother in the editorship and con-

tinued these policies. Under Leo Weidenthal the Jewish Inde-

pendent has become distinguished for its literary excellence...."

http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&P...

_____________________________________________________________

Remembering Leo Weidenthal “The Lion of Willowdale”

By Bud Weidenthal

Sitting across the dinner table from him, as I often did, one would be hard pressed to recognize that this quiet, scholarly man was the hard hitting, investigative City Hall reporter for the Plain Dealer. Revered and sometimes feared by the town’s leading politicos.

They dubbed him “Leo the Lion of Willowdale” for his journalistic tenacity. When he got on to a story or a cause, he never let go. Among them was the Shakespeare Cultural Garden which he inspired in 1916, and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens which came eleven years later.

When he retired as a reporter in 1917 to become editor of the Jewish Independent, Cleveland City Council unanimously voted to name a street in his honor. They called it Willowdale Ave. (the loose English translation of Weidenthal)

This was Leo Weidenthal, who celebrated his birthday each year with William Shakespeare, and built and catalogued a Shakespeare collection which now resides in the Cleveland Public Library in his honor. As a reporter in 1916 he goaded the city leaders into creating the Shakespeare gardens in honor of 300th anniversary of the death of the Bard.

World famed actresses Julia Marlowe and Ethel Barrymore came to plant trees at its opening.

It was in May of 1927, the Cultural Gardens Federation, with Weidenthal as honorary chairman, was able to convince the City Council to establish the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The Hebrew garden was first, followed later by a chain of ethnic gardens along the winding park and Doan Brook on that is now MLK Blvd. The 80th anniversary of this event was celebrated last weekend with festive events at most of the gardens.

Weidenthal was a bachelor, who lived most of his adult life in an apartment on Sterns road, near University Circle. He had a wry, Alan Greenspan-type, sense of humor, and he would make funny faces that would bring giddy laughter to family children.

In 1962 Louis Seltzer, editor of the Cleveland Press wrote a column dedicated him. “You, Leo, are a great citizen of your home city, and in your lifetime have helped as much or more than any other in your generation to keep it great.”

Weidenthal died in 1967 at age 89.

see:

http://books.google.com/books?id=fb8ZPDtGLCUC&pg=PA98&dq=weidenthal...

Leo Weidenthal (1878-1967) was editor of the Jewish Independent and founder of the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation. Born in Cleveland to Emanuel and Julia (Kretch) Weidenthal, he began his newspaper career as a reporter for the Cleveland World; then for the Cleveland Leader and in 1906, for the Plain Dealer on the city hall beat.

In 1917 he became editor of the Jewish Independent, a weekly founded in 1906 by his brother Maurice. Leo Weidenthal guided the Jewish Independent for 47 years. His retirement in 1964 served as the catalyst for a reorganization of Cleveland's Jewish press by a civic group incorporated as the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company.

Weidenthal was a founder of the Cleveland Chapter of the National Conference of Christians & Jews. Cleveland was one of the first US cities to have a chapter because of his efforts.

Bud Weidenthal recalls that he was dubbed "Leo the Lion of Willowdale" for his journalistic tenacity. When he got on to a story or a cause, he never let go. Among them was the Shakespeare Cultural Garden which he inspired in 1916, and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens which came eleven years later.

When he retired as a reporter in 1917 to become editor of the Jewish Independent, Cleveland City Council unanimously voted to name a street in his honor. They called it Willowdale Ave. (the loose English translation of Weidenthal)

Leo Weidenthal celebrated his birthday each year with William Shakespeare, and built and catalogued a Shakespeare collection which now resides in the Cleveland Public Library in his honor. As a reporter in 1916 he goaded the city leaders into creating the Shakespeare gardens in honor of 300th anniversary of the death of the Bard.

During the dedication of the Shakespeare Garden in Rockefeller Park in 1916, Weidenthal said that similar sites should be prepared for each of the city's nationality communities. In 1926 the organization became the Cultural Garden League, and a Hebrew garden was established. On May 9, 1927 the city set aside areas of Rockefeller Park for future gardens.

In 1962 Louis Seltzer, editor of the Cleveland Press, wrote a column dedicated to him. "You, Leo, are a great citizen of your home city, and in your lifetime have helped as much or more than any other in your generation to keep it great."

Lived at 13309 Buckeye Rd S.E., Cleveland

Biography of Leo Weidenthal

Leo Weidenthal (1878-1967) was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Emanuel and Julia Weidenthal. He became a well known name in the Cleveland newspaper circuit, working as a reporter for the Cleveland World, the Cleveland Leader, and finally the Plain Dealer in 1906. He later went on to become the editor for the Jewish Independent in 1917, a periodical founded by his brother Maurice in 1906. His other brother Henry was also apart of the newspaper scene working as the editor for the Cleveland Press and the Cleveland News. Weidenthal was a great advocate of literature and theatre, creating a large collection of books, autographs, and letters documenting the history of theatre since the early 19th century. Sharing a birthday with the famous bard, William Shakespeare, Weidenthal collected and cataloged a collection of his works which now resides in the Cleveland Public Library. Weidenthal is also responsible for the creation of the Cultural Gardens Federation (1927) which planted the Cultural Gardens located on MLK Blvd. He was also the founder of the Cleveland Chapter of the National Conference of Christians & Jews (1933), was vice president of the Early Settlers Assn. of the Western Reserve, and was a supporter of the Jewish National Fund. Weidenthal died a bachelor at age 89 and was buried in Mayfield Cemetery.

Sources: Weidenthal, Bud. "Remembering Leo Weidenthal, 'The Lion of Willowdale.'"Cleveland Jewish History. Accessed November 13, 2014. http://www.clevelandjewishhistory.net/people/weidenthal-leo.htm

"Weidenthal, Leo - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History." Case Western Reserve University. Last modified July 23, 1997. http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=WL1