Rabbi Harold P. Smith, former vice president of Hebrew Theological College, passed away on Nov. 9, at age 98.
Rabbi Smith, of Chicago, was a passionate Jewish teacher and leader who held a variety of high-ranking positions in Jewish organizations across the country.
Born in 1913 in Chicago, Smith was ordained as a rabbi in 1940, after which he went on to serve as the Midwest Regional Director of Religious Zionists of America. For almost three decades, Rabbi Smith was vice president of Hebrew Theological College, where he created the Practical Rabbinical Program that has been recently revived and expanded.
Rabbi Smith was president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis; president of the Chicago Rabbinical Council; and national vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America. He was active in Jewish Federation and served on its Public Affairs Committee; was involved with the Rabbinical Advisory Committee of Combined Jewish Appeal; and was awarded "Clergyman of the Year" by the Chicago Tribune, for which he often wrote columns about Judaism and Israel. A prolific writer, Rabbi Smith authored "A Treasure Hunt in Jerusalem," a children's book about Judaism.
"Rabbi Smith was a wonderful man and an outstanding rabbi who had an outstanding impact on his congregants. He was a gentleman and a gentle man, in both senses of the word," said Rabbi Jerold Isenberg, chairman of the Hebrew Theological College. "He really carried himself with nobility and dignity … I can never recall a situation when he raised his voice. He was a strong and firm believer in the Torah and how we are to lead our lives following its precepts."
In lieu of flowers, make contributions to the Harold P. Smith Scholarship Fund at Hebrew Theological College, 7135 Carpenter Road, Skokie, IL 60077.
