Courtesy of Wikipedia
Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912) and Rosalie Ida Straus (February 6, 1849 – April 15, 1912) were an American couple who died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Isidor was a German-Jewish businessman, politician, U.S. congressman and co-owner of Macy’s department store with his brother Nathan. He also served for just over a year as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of New York. He died with his wife, Ida, in the sinking of the Titanic.
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Tomorrow, February 7: Maxwell Newman
Isidor was and is the more famous of the brothers. Nathan was far more important. Nathan saved millions of children by demonstrating, implementing and promoting the pasteurization of milk. He saved thousands of jewish and Arab children in Mandate Palestine with the creation of clinics and a major hospital. The City of Netanya is named after him.
His list of accomplishments goes on and on. There is one little acknowledged accomplishment he was responsible for made the establishment of Israel possible.
The US was not going to support the Balfour Declaration. The British would not support the Declaration without the tacit support of the Americans.President Wilson needed a powerful push from inside his political world. Strauss enlisted ( Justice) Brandeis to the cause. Wilson was swayed. The rest is history. Strauss wrote a letter to Brandeis saying that he was the true father of Zionism, not Herzl.
Nathan used his fortune for good and the Jewish people. He had little left when he passed.
Yet Isidor is celebrated. No question Isidor was a good, accomplished man. He is celebrated more than Nathan because he went down on the Titanic.