Jacob Panken, a colorful and well-known figure on New York City's Lower East Side, was a pioneer and outspoken participant in socialist, labor, and Jewish organizations and activities. He was also the first socialist judge elected in New York City, and later served for twenty years on the Domestic Relations Curt bench where he became well known for his controversial decisions and his work with juvenile delinquents. Panken was born in Kiev, Russia, January 13, 1879. In 1890 his family immigrated to the United States and bought a farm in Vermont. Panken left the farm in 1895 to go to New York City where he attended night school and worked as a pocketbook maker. After being black listed for labor organizing activities he studied law at NYU. Admitted to the bar in 1905, he practiced on the Lower East Side, handling many trade union and civil rights cases.
From 1900 to 1939 Panken ran as a socialist for numerous New York political offices: Assemblyman, 1900; Mayor, 1921; Governor, 1926; Municipal Court Justice, 1917 and 1927; Congressman, 1930; Supreme Court Justice, 1931 and 1939; and Court of Appeals Justice, 1932. His only successful campaign was for Municipal Court Justice in 1917. After losing reelection in a controversial 1927 campaign, Panken returned to private practice. During this period, Panken was also very active in other socialist, labor and Jewish affairs. Known as a fiery orator, he lashed out against Tammany and unfair labor practices from soap boxes on the Lower East Side. Around 1900 he participated in the founding of the Waistmakers Union out of which the International Ladies Garment Workers Union grew. He frequently traveled to speak and lecture on behalf of socialist and labor organizations, attended labor conventions, and was an American Socialist Party delegate in 1923, 1926, 1928, 1931 and 1933 to the congresses of the Labor and Socialist Internationals where he consistently lobbied against the Communists. Panken's activities in the organization and leadership of Jewish organizations include: president of the American ORT (Organization for Rehabilitation Trades); vice president of the People's Relief Committee; vice president and judge of the Jewish Court of Arbitration; president of the Forward Organization; and chairman of the Workman's Council.
Panken associated and corresponded with many of New York's prominent political figures. On- of these, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, appointed Panken as Justice of the New York Domestic Relations Court in 1934. After this appointment, Panken's interests turned increasingly toward issues related to his court work, especially the causes and prevention of juvenile delinquency and the problems of marriage and divorce. Panken wrote and lectured on he above, and he became a well-known proponent of “bibliotherapy,” the reading of good literature in order to influence and modify behavior of juvenile delinquents. At the same time, he worked for the placement of restrictions on violence and sex in comic books, movies, television, and other media. Panken insisted on meting out “not just technical but human justice.” Consequently, many of his decisions proved to be controversial. Although New York courts had refused to recognize Mexican divorces, Panken did, and he as also the first judge to use the Rh factor blood test to determine paternity.
Panken published numerous articles, letters to newspapers, and two books, Socialism in America (Rand School of Social Science, [1928?]) and The Child Speaks (Henry Holt and Co., 1941). After his retirement from the bench, Panken returned to a limited private practice; in the late 1950's he was chairman of a committee to establish a chair at Brandeis University in honor of Morris Hillquit.
Panken was married in 1910 to Rachal Pallay who was also active in socialist politics and Jewish organizations; they had one daughter. Panken's brother, Irwin, was a prominent New York attorney and a member of the New York state senate. Panken died February 4, 1968 at the age of 89.
