In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

THREE Newfield the Man Thus far I have traced the developing career of Morris Newfield, the transplanted Hungarian who, by 1914, had made a successful journey, first to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Hebrew Union College, and then to Birmingham, Alabama, and a leadership position in the Jewish community. My first two chapters dealt with the "public" Newfield, the disciplined student who made sacrifices for future goals, and the resourceful young rabbi, who, by combining principle with diplomacy, began to lead a younger generation of Birmingham Jews. Succeeding chapters will also explore the "public" side of Morris Newfield. Now, however, I will look at the "private" or "personal" side of Morris Newfield, the man who lived in Birmingham from 1895 to 1940. The task is difficult for two reasons. First, much of Newfield's correspondence and speeches pertains to his professional activities . Second, except in the letters that the rabbi wrote to his wife in the period 1896-1914, some of which survive, he did not express many of his innermost feelings. The "private" side of Morris Newfield, therefore, is apparent only in his most personal correspondence and from the recollections of his four sons and two daughters. Newfield was, above all, a contented man: the fact that he 46 remained in one pulpit throughout his adulthood suggests that he enjoyed his life and work in Birmingham. His contentment may have stemmed from Newfield's keen awareness of his alternatives in any situation in which he operated. The already quoted letters of courtship from the rabbi to his wife provide evidence of his heightened self-awareness and more important of his ability to adjust to the demands of different and often difficult situations. Perhaps this trait stemmed from Newfield's respect for flexibility. He must have learned early in his life that open-mindedness need not seriously diminish his strong commitment to principle. In his professional activities, Rabbi Newfield exhibited his flexibility by practicing the art of diplomacy. He did not mind compromising , apparently because he viewed his leadership role at times as dependent on his ability to find consensus among his followers. This is not to say that Newfield did not maintain principle ; rather I mean that he listened well and tried to develop moderate solutions upon which most people could agree. The "private" Newfield was more authoritarian, more concerned with transmitting characteristics of self-discipline, personal warmth, and humane concern for his fellow man than with developing consensus at home. With his family and friends who knew him well, he commanded a sense of respect for the disciplined and humane life-style that he expected of himself and of the other people around him. Newfield's children remember their father as a generally serious man who did not lack a sense of humor. Many of their anecdotes accentuate his deep commitment to self-discipline. The rabbi usually awakened at 7:00 A.M. and prepared to go to his study at the temple, which was six blocks from his residence on South Fifteenth Street, on Birmingham's south side. The Newfields had purchased this land and built a home on it in 1907 with the help of Leo K. Steiner, their friend and banker. They lived in this same house even after the rabbi's death in 1940. In the winter, after starting a fire in the coal furnace, Newfield ate breakfast, which the cook or his wife would prepare. He then spent three hours in his study, from 9:00 to 12:00, or went downtown to attend one of the many religious or civic functions in which he was involved. At noon, Newfield usually came home for the main meal of the day, as was the custom in Birmingham NEWFIELD THE MAN 47 NEWFIELD THE MAN 48 Leah and Morris Newfield at home. 2150 Fifteenth Avenue South, in Birmingham. for many years. There was always soup at dinner or at supper because Newfield liked soup. At 2:00 he went back to the temple to receive visitors or to study. Then at 6:00 he would return home for supper, the one social occasion that the family shared on weekdays. After supper the evening activities varied. Sometimes NEWFIELD the rabbi went to meetings at the temple or at other civic arenas THE MAN throughout Birmingham. When he stayed at home, he would play cards with his wife or his father-in-law, listen to music with his wife, or read in his study.' These evening activities were among...

Share