Jacob Nieto

Jacob Nieto (1863-1930) was first a rabbi in Sheffield, England (1889-1892), and then served as rabbi of San Francisco’s Congregation Sherith Israel, from 1893 to 1930.

Rabbi Jacob Nieto was widely recognized as an impassioned and spellbinding orator and a champion of humanitarian causes and controversial issues, as well as a supporter of the Spanish-American War and manifest destiny. He served as a president of the Anti-Capital Punishment League and as president of the San Francisco branch of the National Industrial Peace Association. With Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger of San Francisco’s Congregation Emanu-El, Nieto played a role in the reorganization of the city's Young Men’s Hebrew Association, a precursor to San Francisco's Jewish Community Center.

Nieto also served on the Board of Governors of San Francisco’s Jewish Education Society; as president of the Board of Ministers of Northern California; as president of the Western Association of Jewish Ministers; as president of B’nai B’rith District Grand Lodge No. 4; as the Grand Orator and Chaplain of the Free and Accepted Masons of California; and as one of the original members of the San Francisco Council of the Boy Scouts.

After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Rabbi Nieto organized disinfection work and was in charge of issuing passes to those who wished to leave San Francisco. He continued to serve as rabbi of Sherith Israel after the earthquake, when the congregation’s synagogue served temporarily as courtroom.

In 1916, he advised merchants and labor union members to join against the "well-fed paunches from Montgomery Street" who were sending them out to die, but he did America’s efforts in World War I after the United States declared war.

He wrote and preached forcefully against local attempts at converting Jews and the presentation of the passion play in Freiburg. He also cooperated with Catholic priests to fight the anti-Catholic organization, the American Protective Association. He also supported civil rights for blacks and women's rights and fought against white slavery. He also wrote treatises, plays, and poetry and he contributed to and/or served as the editor of the New Occident; the Jewish Journal; the Jewish Times; and was a feature writer for the " [San Francisco Call|San Francisco Bulletin] ", which carried his column "Without Prejudice: a Look at Current Problems."

The Western Jewish History Center, of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, in Berkeley, California contains a collection relating to Rabbi Nieto. It consists of correspondence; rabbinical and congregational materials; documents; newspaper clippings; copies of speeches and sermons; photographs; and genealogical materials.

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