Rokeach lived on only a third of his share of the earnings he received from his business. The rest he donated to charity. His largest charitable contributions were made yearly before Rosh Hashanah.
“On April 29th, 1930, a banquet was given at the Brooklyn Jewish Center in honor of Israel Rokeach’s forty years of communal work in America. The most prominent Jews of all classes participated, including Rabbi Abraham Shapiro of Kovno, who was on a visit to the United States and who greeted his distinguished townsman in his own name and in the name of Lithuanian Jewry. Among the hundreds of Jewish leaders who sent greetings on this occasion were Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, Chief Rabbi of Palestine (died, 1935), Dr. Chaim Weizmann and M. M. Usishkin [a Russian Zionist leader].”
As mentioned, Israel Rokeach was instrumental in the founding of many important Jewish institutions and organizations. In 1914 he joined the effort to found akosher hospital in Brooklyn. There were a number of obstacles that had to be overcome before the Beth Moses Hospital, which was located at the corner of Stuyvesant and Hart Streets, became a reality. The October 29, 1920 issue of the American Hebrew reported the following regarding the dedication ceremony that took place on October 24, 1920;
Rabbi I. I. Leventhal of the Jewish Center of Brooklyn emphasized the importance of Kosher and a Jewish environment to the immigrant Jew, who in his early stages of his acquaintance with America, finds himself in hospital care. Beth Moses Hospital has two kitchens which will assure the serving of strictly Kosher food.
The hospital has complete, modern equipment for treatment and research. A majority of its 165 beds are in free wards. It has eighteen private rooms and small wards for which moderate fees will be charged. A large dispensary will further increase the hospital’s usefulness.
The cornerstone was laid in October 1918 and the work of construction has just been completed. The institution will be opened for the reception of patients in early November. The new hospital is a five-story fireproof brick structure. It has four operating rooms and a portion of its topmost story, which affords fullest light and ventilation, is given over to children’s and infants’ rooms. The X-ray unit and research laboratories are well equipped to enable the hospital staff to aid the progress of medical science.
Israel Rokeach served as treasurer of Beth Moses Hospital. In 1947 Beth Moses Hospital merged with United Zion Hospital and is known today as Maimonides Medical Center.
“Israel Rokeach died Friday, August 11, 1933. The funeral took place on Sunday, August 13th. The mourners numbered over 5,000 persons. Cables, telegrams and letters of condolence were received from Jewish communities and individuals of many countries. The body was later taken to Palestine, where Israel Rokeach came to his eternal rest in a grave which he had provided for in his lifetime, on the historic Mount of Olives cemetery. There he lies, together with the remains of his wife, Hannah Breindel Rokeach, who died in New York on February 5, 1906.”
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[i] See “Poland – Jewish king for one day” (http://strangeside.com/poland-jewish-king-for-one-day/).