Camden People - Philip Zinman

PHILIP ZINMAN was born July 18, 1904 to Robert and Esther Zinman. His early years were spent in Philadelphia PA , where his father had a cigar store at 4001 York Road. He made his way to Camden in the 1920s, where he would have a long and successful career in real estate, becoming a nationally known figure in his field, as evidenced in his being cited in the 1983 edition of Who's Who in Real Estate, and in several editions of Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives. In the 1920s he served as secretary on the Camden County Real Estate Board, and later was president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey.

Philip Zinman was partnered in a real estate firm with Benjamin Stambler in the late 1920s, with offices in the Wilson Building at Broadway and Cooper Street. By 1936 he was on his own, and did business out of 333 Arch Street. He would later move to 519 Market Street, where his agency, with exception of a brief period around 1959, would remain into the late 1970s.

Philip Zinman was quite active in Jewish affairs both ;locally and internationally. In 1984 he was one of the first eight people to have granted an honorary doctorate from the University of Haifa, in Haifa, Israel. Two other Americans were so honored that year, one of them being Dr. Henry Kissinger.

He established the Philip and Betty Zinman Endowment for Jewish Cultural Arts at the University of Pennsylvania , which, since 1992, has sponsored the Teatron Jewish Theatre. The Philip Zinman Foundation also funds the Philip Zinman Foundation International Studies Honors Scholarship at the Florida Atlantic University. This scholarship was established by Betty Zinman of the Philip Zinman Foundation in January 2002, and is intended for students enrolled in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College with an interest in international studies. Philip Zinman was included in the 1980 Who's Who in American Jewry, and the 1972 and 1978 editions of Who's Who in World Jewry.

None of this may have occurred if Philip Zinman had not been rescued by Camden Boy Scout, James J. Wilcox in January of 1928, when he fell through the ice while skating at Farnham Park in Camden

By 1947 Philip Zinman was living at 5325 Browning Road in Pennsauken NJ with his wife Zola. She passed away in 1981. He eventually retired to Boca Raton FL where he resided when he passed way on February 5, 1993.

The Zinman name is still alive in South Jersey, as the Battista-Zinman Agency still serves the area from its offices at 5801 Westfield avenue in Pennsauken NJ.

Camden Courier-Post - January 7, 1928

SKATER NEAR DEATH IN FALL THROUGH ICE
Realty Board Secretary has Harrowing Experience at Farnham Park

Crashing through the ice while skating, Philip Zinman, secretary or the Camden County Real Estate Board, narrowly escaped death it was learned yesterday.

Zinman had left his office in the Wilson Building shortly after noon Tuesday to go to the park. He had been told that the ice was thick, and it was an ideal day for skating.

The realty board secretary anticipated an hour’s sport as he adjusted his skates at the park. Soon he was cutting fancy figures on the ice as he swirled along the frozen surface, the only skater on the lake.

Suddenly, the ice cracked under his feet and he dropped into the hole that had opened under his weight.

Zinman shouted for help as he returned to the surface. No one was near. He called again, and saw two school children. But they did not hear him.

I saw that my only salvation was what I could do for myself,” Zinman said today, describing his experience. “I managed to keep my head above water, and strove time and time again to get a hold on the ice surrounding the hole. But each time I reached a part of the ice that I thought would hold, it would snap and I would have to start over again.”

“This began to play me out. I was fatigued, and beginning to lose hope. I put every ounce of what strength remained in one last effort. I gripped another part of the frozen surface with all my might. It held, and weakly, I pulled myself out.”

Zinman, after his harrowing experience, for a hot mustard foot bath and a change of dry clothes.

Camden Courier-Post - January 9, 1928

DAVIS TO COMMEND CAMDEN SCOUT HERO
Realty Meet at Banquet to Honor Boy Who Saved Secretary When Ice Broke

A Boy Scout who saved a man from drowning under the ice of Farnham Park at the risk of his own life will receive public commendation for his act of heroism from Secretary of Labor James J. Davis when the latter visits this city Thursday.

This announcement was made today by Philip Zinman, prominent Camden business man and secretary of the Real Estate Board who was pulled from the water of Farnham Park by James J. Wilcox, 14-year old Scout leader of the Silver Fox Patrol Troop 11, of East Camden, when he broke through the ice while skating last Tuesday. Paralyzed by the frigid water and exhausted by his desperate efforts to save himself, Zinman was rescued by the lad, who, with the help of the branch of a tree, dragged him to safety.

For several days the story of his brave act was modestly kept a secret by the boy who considered it just another “good turn” in accordance with the Boy Scout code. But on Thursday evening he will be the guest

of honor at the banquet of the real Estate Board in the Hotel Walt Whitman. Wilcox will receive praise and congratulations from Secretary Davis who will visit this city and address the board.

A desire to express his gratitude to he boy for saving his life prompted Philip Zinman to ask the member of the President’s Cabinet to personally commend the lad.

“I am more grateful to this boy than words can express,” said Zinman today. “Although he is modest, I believe he will attend the banquet and accept the praise of Secretary Davis who has a high regard for human achievement.”

The accident happened when Zinman skated too near the statue at the north end of the lake and was catapulted into deep water when an entire section of iced collapsed beneath his weight.

As piece after piece of the ice snapped, Zinman shouted for help and young Wilcox heard him. The boy grasped the branch of a tree and crawled out over the cracking ice towards the hole. It snapped when Zinman tries to put his weight on it. The boy found another and longer limb and again crawled out over the ice.

The stick held and with the aid of another boy whose name could not be learned, Zinman was pulled to safety.

H.H. Etter, a scout official, said that he will recommend Wilcox for a gold medal, one of the highest honors that can be awarded a Boy Scout.

American Jewish Yearbook for 1931-1932
Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia PA - 1931

MEMBERS

Camden
LIBRARY MEMBER

Dale, H., Haddon Book Bindery

ANNUAL MEMBERS

Adlen, R., 1455 Broadway
Arnoff, Rabbi Nachman, 1254 Langham Avenue
Brown, Barney B., 1222 Langham Avenue
Conston, H., 707 Broadway
Cooper, Dr. David E., 1314 Broadway
Cooperson, Leon, 40 North 4th Street
Feldman. J., 422 Kaighn Avenue
Feldsher, R., 800 Broadway
Fine, Florence, 520 Kaighn Avenue
Fox, P., 1122 Broadway
Fridrick, H. E., 2587 Baird Boulevard
Fuhrman, Abe, 444 Broadway
Furer, Jacob L., 602 Wilson Building
Goldstein, Dr. Hyman I., 1125 Broadway
Grossberg, J., 827 Broadway
Heine, Samuel, 910 Broadway
Hermann, I. H., 300 Broadway
Jaspan, H., 631 Grant Street
Kaplan, S., 804 Wilson Building
Levy, W. H., 2554 Baird Boulevard
Liberman, Lewis, 307 Market Street
Lichtenstein, H. S., 1450 Wildwood Avenue
Markowich. H. W., 1277 Kenwood Avenue
Markowich, S. N., 1221 Haddon Avenue
Markowitz, L. L., 808 Broadway
Marritz, Mark, 521 Cooper Street
Miller, S. N., 548 Federal Street
Naden, Jacob, 773 Kaighn Avenue
Natal, Benjamin, 1491 Greenwood Avenue
Newman, A., 1178 Haddon Avenue
Ostroff, William, 1196 Haddon Avenue
Palitz, Sarah L., 514 Federal Street
Polivnick. Miss C., 1449 Ormond Avenue
Rose, Leon H., 511 Income Insurance Building (300 Broadway)
Rosenfeld, R. H., 3046 Federal Street
Udell, W., 504 Kaighn Avenue
Visor, David L., 23 Broadway
Weitzman, Israel, 1456 Haddon Avenue
Yuschinsky, Miss Dora E., 520 Liberty Street
Zinman, Philip, 548 Federal Street

Camden Courier-Post - June 29, 1933

ZINMAN FORECASTS NEW REALTY BOOM
Camden Man Tells Lions Club Inflation Program Spurs Comeback

A new boom in real estate values within the next several months was forecast yesterday by Philip Zinman, Camden real estate man who spoke at the weekly meeting of the Camden Lions Club in Hotel Walt Whitman.

"President Roosevelt's Inflation program is responsible for the slow but sure comeback of real estate," Zinman said.

"Real estate, unlike stocks and other commodities. did not suffer such heavy losses when the last boom ended and depression set in. That is one reason why its recovery will probably be more quickly than other things.

"Within the last six-to eight weeks business of rentals of property has picked up tremendously. It will continue for with more people going back to work, it, means more rent and the payment of back debts.

"Another factor will be that many empty houses will shortly be occupied. Three out of every four tenants of houses in Camden and vicinity have somebody else living with them at the present time. However it won't be for long for the great American desire is to live in your own home," Zinman added.