Dr Arthur Spier z'l

photo credit J. Gruenebaum

Dr Arthur Spier 

I want to write a few words about someone I never knew but always heard about when I was a child.

Dr. Arthur Spier was a German–Jewish educator who was instrumental in opening a school in New York after what was starting out to be an illustrious career as an educator in the Orthodox religious schools of Germany.

Spier's first distinction is that he attended the Beis Medrash Jeschurun in Frankfurt at its heyday when it flourished as a "College Yeshivah" to apply modern parlance. 

He also taught at the prototype for the American Yeshivah High School when he ran the Carlebach school in Hamburg. This was a high school that would prepare the students for a university degree. An idea ubiquitous on the American scene, but quite revolutionary in its time.

He would then come to America and open Manhattan Day School, and later teach and lead the math and science department in the Breuer's high school. 

There are some articles online about him (you may want to set your browser to translate from German for these) HERE and HERE and HERE, but here is a story found in the intro to his calendar by the revered scientist and educator Dr Hugo Mandlebaum z'l, which attests to his lofty reputation that even earned him the respect of local officials in the face of the Nazi regime:

"The situation can perhaps best be illustrated by an incident that occurred in 1935. A delegation of ladies came from America to make a study of the schools in Germany. At the offices of the Hamburg government they asked if they might also visit a Jewish school. The official in charge took them to the Talmud Torah Realschule.

Speaking with Arthur Spier in his office, the ladies asked him if the relationship of other Jewish schools in Germany to their local government was similar to the relationship of this school to the Hamburg government. On the instant Spier replied, "In one respect we are better off; in other respects we are in a worse position."

The Hamburg official looked at the school's director in astonishment. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I spoke the truth," replied Spier, "We are better off than other Jewish schools, because we have you as the responsible government official, and you look after our interests personally. On the other hand, since 1933 we have received no financial support from the Hamburg government, while for instance in the neighboring state of Prussia the Jewish school teachers still have their full salary paid by the government."

paid by the government."

"Replied the officer, "If you can bring me proof of what you say, I promise to see to it that the Hamburg government will attend to its duties in no worse measure than any other local government in Germany."

To a great extent, the official's response, along with his general attitude toward the school, was due to Arthur Spier's sterling qualities of character and personality, which from the first had impressed the government official favorably."

Further on, Dr. Mandelbaum writes about the Kristallnacht pogrom in Hamburg:

"The next morning, however, classes at the school moumed as usual, in  determination to continue in the face of terror. With all the students in attendance and all teachers at their job, the school was then inckard by the Gestapo, the dreaded Nazi Nazi secret police. After several hours the children were sent home, and the teachers wore taken taken directly to the concentration camp. The last to leave was Director Spier. He was taken from his office to the police station There he was subjected to harsh, brutal treatment, and was finally thrown down the stairs to the basement. Unconscious, seriously injured, he was taken to

the hospital. As he lay recovering, a report of the matter reached the head of the local Gestapo. "What?" he asked, "Director Spier? He is to be released from arrest immediately." Recovered, Arthur Spier went at once to the main office of the Gestapo. He wanted to see if he could manage to get his stalf released.

The officer who received him demanded that he reopen the Talmud Torah Realschule

without delay. (The Nazi regime wanted some semblance of normal Jewish life to continue.) "I hope you realize," replied Spier, "that I cannot run the school by myself. I must have my staff of teachers." 

"Why, where are they?"

"In the concentration camp."

The official nodded slowly.

Long before anyone else was released from the concentration camp, the teachers came home and school resumed within a week."

Because there are no images of him on the internet I contribute one or two here.