1

Synagogues are autonomous organizations administered by a president and a board of directors. Although there were few men who served for president for multiple terms there were many who served faithfully and well in other capacities.

Abraham Isaacs was president of the Ahavith Achim at the time of its dedication in 1899 and was there at the time of the schism with those who established the Hazen Avenue Congregation with Louis Green as their founding president.

With the merger of the two congregations, a single board was assembled with William Webber as its head. He held this position for five years. J.J. Freedman, Dr. Eli Boyaner, and Joshua Lieberman also served for at least five years each. Others served four years : Barnett Jacobson, Dr. Lewis Freedman, and Norman Hamburg.

J.J. Freedman also had the distinction of being the youngest man elected to this position in 1929 at the age of 27 and also of being able to bridge the gap between the English and Yiddish speaking members of the congregation. Erminie Cohen was the first women in the community to serve as president when she was elected in 1991.

Some of the longest serving members of the board were those men who served as secretary : Myer Cohen, Sam Komiensky, Percy Goldman, Israel Goldberg, Ben Freedman, Ralph Isaacs, and Phil Hamburg.