Tachna, Max ²

   Another name for Max was Meyer Tachna.

  General Notes:

Max Tachna graduated from Columbia Law School in 1909. In charge of Gimbel Bros department store 1909-1911. Member School Board 49, Queens, N.Y. 1927-1937. Once director of the American Zionist Commonwealth. President of the Allied Civic Leagu e of The Rockaways 1930-1936. Vice President for Queens of the Greater N.Y. Consumers' League 1932-1934. Synagogue: Shaaray Tefila Congregation, Far Rockaway, N.Y. He was the author of numerous columns and letters to the editor in the New Yor k Times. Cited in the 1939 edition of Who's Who in American Jewry. He secured the release from Ellis Island of Briendle (Tachna) Perlmutter and her children Rose, Al, and Annie in 1920. Thereby preventing their deportations back to Poland.

Written by Ruth Candace Tachna about her father Max Tachna [Wed, 7 Mar 2001], "Tac did not found ACLU. He did found American Jewish Congress along with Rabbi Stephen Wise. I have pictures of a testimonial dinner for Tac that Congress gave whe n he was president of the Manhattan division. Wise is in that picture. He enjoyed good speakers and was an ardent fan of Jon Haynes Homes a famous minister and we have a pew in his church in NY. As I child I had to listen to speeches by Harry E merson Fosdick a VERY rightg wing preaher because Dad appreciated his abilities as a speaker. He also admired Billy Graham and I can still hear him praising Graham's use of gesture. It wasn't the religion that mattered to him. Dad also was i n love with good theatre and I remember him telling me about a director who tied his star actress's hands but at her climax scene she broke the bonds to raise her arms and he told her that was the way to use gesture. If we ever said "uh" he was o n us, 'Think first". Dad was a very good trial lawyer and a frustrated actor which all good trial lawyers have to be. When we were little and he read stories to us he didn't just read he acted them. Also he was very handsome and knew it. He onc e said, "I only need one or two women on the jury to win my case." But he also taught me that no case is won or lost in court, it's won or lost in your office and nothing takes the place of proper preperation. I remember that one of the client s beame furious with my father because of the grilling Dad put him through in the office but his comment afterward that there wasn't a single questiion put to him during the trial that he didnt have the winning answer."

Written by Leslie Ann (nee Bauman) Levy about her grandfather Max Tachna [Wed, 7 Mar 2001], "Robert, I'm forwarding this to Mom who can answer much better than I. However, here is some partial information. He loved religion, almost any religion , provided speeches were involved. (That's also why he became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous! He didn't drink, but he liked listening to the people giving speeches about their lives.) I have no idea if he wanted exposure to diverse people. Mo m thinks he was not involved in founding the ACLU; I think I remember his telling me otherwise. I think Mom can better describe what kind of law he practiced. However, I recall that he incorporated Longines in this country, as well as Gimbel' s and possibly Saks 5th Avenue? Anyway, I think there was a second prominent department store. I would assume that he must have enjoyed litigation, given his love of speech-making. I was present at some of his speeches, and he certainly was a f ine speaker. He had the audience in the palm of his hand. Mom just told me that he founded the Jewish War Veterans Society. I think I already told you that he founded American Jewish Congress. Frankly, he did so much that it's hard to keep trac k of everything. Again, Mom will recall more. Leslie"

  Noted events in his life were:

• Hebrew name. Meyer Ha-Levy

• Jewish Birth Date. ² 4 Av 5646

• Birth in Week. ² Thursday

Max married Rose Rosenblatt, daughter of Louis J. Rosenblatt and Mary Hachani, on Sep 10, 1912 in New York, New York, United States.² (Rose Rosenblatt was born on Aug 7, 1888 in Petrograd, Russia ² and died in Jun 1974 in Nassau, New York, United States ².)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage In Week. Tuesday

• Jewish Marriage Date. 28 Elul 5672