Rabbi Martin Zielonka

Martin Zielonka was born on February 15, 1877, in Germany. He obtained his degree in Cincinnati. Zielonka furthered his studies and attended Hebrew Union College. His class was the last ordained by Issac Mayer Wise. Wise was referred as "the Foremost Rabbi in America" upon his death. Zielonka was a Rabbi in Waco, Texas for about a year. He moved to El Paso and died therein. Masons of El Paso Lodge #130 A.F. & A.M., Samuel Schutz and Ernst Kohlberg were listed in the early records of Temple Mt. Sinai. Martin Zielonka was the first Rabbi of Temple Mt. Sinai. Zielonka was a proud member of the masonic lodge. According to our historian, El Paso Lodge had a panoply of religions represented at its meetings. They all were instrumental in the founding of their respective churches. Furthermore, masonry is not a religious organization, but a system of morality. It allows men of all walks of life, ideologies, and religions to coalesce and live as members of humanity. Zielonka represented Mt Sinai, Magoffin (Roman Catholicism) and the rest of the many Protestant churches. Finally  - Zielonka is credited for starting B'nai B'rith in Mexico among his many impacts.  Image Description: A woman and a man are posing in the center of this photograph. The woman, pictured on the left is wearing a black dress that has a slightly ruffled sleeve and a white, square lace collar. The man to her right is wearing a white suit with a black belt and short, rounded tie. The woman and man are looking straight at the camera and slight smiles on their faces. Both of their arms hang at the sides of their bodies.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: EL PASO LODGE # 130 A.F. & A.M. ARCHIVES

Uploaded by: Alonso Wells IV