Benjamin Hoffman

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Benjamin Hoffman (April 15, 1864 – May 20, 1922) was a Jewish-American lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.

Life[]

Hoffman was born on April 15, 1864 in New York City, New York, the son of David L. Hoffman and Babette Heilman.[1] His parents were both German immigrants, his father immigrating to America from Maßbach, Bavaria and his mother from Württemberg.[2]

Hoffman graduated from the New York University School of Law with an LL.B. in 1885.[3] He then studied law under Alfred Steckler. He was admitted to the bar in 1887, after which he practiced law with his brother Charles L. Hoffman for many years. He became a member of Tammany Hall in 1891.[4] He lived in the Lower East Side.[2]

In 1894, Hoffman was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Democrat, representing the New York County 6th District. He served in the Assembly in 1895,[5] 1896,[6] 1897,[7] 1898,[8] and 1899.[9] He was a minority member of the 1899 Mazet Special Committee that investigated the affairs of New York City.[1] In 1899, he was elected Judge of the Municipal Court. He was re-elected to the office in 1909[2] despite opposition from the Bar Association as he retained his political leadership. He was again elected to the office in 1919 and was still serving as Municipal Court Justice when he died.[4]

Hoffman attended Congregation Rodeph Sholem.[10] He was a director of the Hebrew Free Burial Association and a member of the Odd Fellows, the Freemasons, the Educational Alliance, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and the Israel Orphan Asylum. He was married to Rebecca Fuld, and their children were Belle (Mrs. Isidore Wells), Eva (Mrs. Nathan Ries), Ruth, and Joseph B.[2] Rebecca was politically active in her own right, serving as a Democratic co-leader of the Sixth Assembly District since women gained the right to vote, a delegate to multiple Democratic National Conventions, founder, president, and treasurer of the Progress Relief Society, and Register of New York County. She was elected to the latter office in 1929, the only woman nominee in New York City to win that year, making her the highest paid woman official in the state[11] and the first Jewish woman in the United States to be elected by a major party for a county office.[12]

Hoffman died at home from a stroke of apoplexy on May 20, 1922. His funeral was one of the largest in the Lower East Side at the time, with over 5,000 people watching the funeral procession. The pallbearers were Marcus Loew, David Lazarus, Samuel Koenig, New York Supreme Court Justices Charles L. Guy, Mitchell L. Erlanger, and Leonard A. Giegerich, Justice Aaron J. Levy, Magistrate Max S. Levine, E. J. Ahearn, Henry M. Goldfogle, Senator Fitzgerald, and A. S. Rosenberg. He was buried in Linden Hill Cemetery.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Adler, Cyrus; Szold, Henrietta, eds. (1904). "Biographical Sketches of Jews Prominent in the Professions, Etc., in the United States". The American Jewish Year Book, 5665. Vol. 6. Philadelphia, P.A.: The Jewish Publication Society of America. p. 119 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d Pfeffer, J., ed. (1917). Distinguished Jews of America. New York, N.Y.: Distinguished Jews of America Pub. Co. p. 207 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ General Alumni Catalogue of New York University, 1833-1906: Law, Graduate, Pedagogy, Veterinary, Commerce and Collegiate Division Alumni. New York, N.Y.: General Alumni Society. 1906. p. 35 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b "Justice Hoffman Dies of Apoplexy". The New York Times. Vol. LXXI, no. 23493. 21 May 1922. p. 30 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1895). The Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 179 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1896). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 229 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1897). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 222 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1898). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 223 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Murlin, Edgar L. (1899). The New York Red Book. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 203 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "Obituary-Hoffman". The Hebrew Standard. Vol. LXXIX, no. 21. New York, N.Y. p. 5 – via Historical Jewish Press.
  11. ^ "Mrs. Hoffman Dies; County Register" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. LXXX, no. 26807. New York, N.Y. 17 June 1931. p. 25.
  12. ^ "Rebecca Hoffman, Register of New York County, Dead". The Reform Advocate. Vol. LXXXI, no. 22. 27 June 1931. p. 541 – via Historical Jewish Press.

External links[]

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
New York County, 6th District
1895 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 New York State Assembly
New York County, 16th District
1896–1899 		Succeeded by
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