Debrest, Harold, 1883-1982

Harold Debrest (formerly Harold Willinsky) was born in Brest-Litovsk, Russia on November 25, 1883, and immigrated with his father and sister to the United States in 1892. He settled in New York City, and attended the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was working towards a rabbinical career when he became disenchanted with the rabbinate. He then developed an interest in journalism, becoming a successful writer and editor of various newspapers, including the Modern Review (St. Louis), the Hebrew Standard, the Jewish Tribune, and the New York Post (New York). Debrest also distributed his own news bulletin, Debrest's Special News Service during the 1930s, and is best remembered for his Tribune feature, "Remark-Ables", a weekly column that focused on noteworthy people or events. Debrest was also involved in Jewish organizational life and was a published poet, remaining active until his death in 1982 at the age of 98.