# Leon Sanders

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**Leon Sanders** (May 25, 1867 – August 18, 1937) was a [Jewish-American](/source/American_Jews) lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.

## Early life and education

Leon Sanders was born on May 25, 1867, in [Odessa](/source/Odessa), [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire), to Nathan Sanders and Elka Green.[1] He immigrated to America with his parents as a child.[2] Sanders attended [New York Law School](/source/New_York_Law_School) while working as a clerk for the Commissioner of Jurors in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1895.

## Career

Sanders began his career working as a clerk for Drake, Mastin & Company, and later as a bookkeeper for the [Baumann Brothers](/source/Baumann_Brothers) and [Edison General Electric Company](/source/Edison_General_Electric_Company). He eventually specialized in legal matters related to distilleries and wholesale liquor houses, establishing himself as a prominent business lawyer.[3]

A leader in [Tammany Hall](/source/Tammany_Hall), Sanders was known for his oratory and debating skills. He was elected to the [New York State Assembly](/source/New_York_State_Assembly) in 1898 as a Democrat, representing New York County's 12th District. He served from 1899 to 1902.[4] In 1903, Sanders was elected as a Justice of the New York City Municipal Court, serving until 1913 when he resigned to return to private law practice.[1]

In the [1916 United States congressional election](/source/1916_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_New_York), Sanders ran as the Democratic candidate for [New York's 12th congressional district](/source/New_York's_12th_congressional_district) but lost to Socialist [Meyer London](/source/Meyer_London).[5]

## Community involvement

Sanders was deeply involved in Jewish causes and fraternal organizations. He served as president of the [Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society](/source/HIAS) and chaired the Committee on Immigration of the [American Jewish Congress](/source/American_Jewish_Congress). Sanders also held leadership roles as Grand Master of the Independent Order of B'rith Abraham and president of the Jewish Fraternal Congress. He was a member of the board of governors of the [Jewish Maternity Hospital](/source/Jewish_Maternity_Hospital) and a founder and president of Temple Beth-El in [Cedarhurst](/source/Cedarhurst,_New_York).[2]

## Personal life

In 1896, Sanders married Bertha Fischer.[3] They had three children: Frances Van Pragg, Theresa Penner, and Nathan N.[6]

## Death

Leon Sanders was killed in a car accident in California on August 18, 1937. He was buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery.[7]

## References

1. [*Who's Who in American Jewry*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uWrXAAAAMAAJ). New York, N.Y.: The Jewish Biographical Bureau, Inc. 1926. p. 537.

1. ["Sanders Inquest Ordered on Coast"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1937/08/20/118988082.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Vol. LXXXVI, no. 29063. 20 August 1937. p. 17.

1. Mowbray, Jay Henry (1898). [*Representative Men of New York: A Record of Their Achievements*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7No-AAAAYAAJ). Vol. II. New York City, N.Y.: The New York Press. pp. 133–135.

1. Murlin, Edgar L. (1899). [*The New York Red Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=5yM0AQAAMAAJ). Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon. p. 228.

1. Malcolm, James (1917). [*The New York Red Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=l3FIAAAAYAAJ). Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 495.

1. ["Deaths-Sanders"](https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_1937-08-23_86_29066/page/n18/mode/1up). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Vol. LXXXVI, no. 29066. 23 August 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-09-18. – via Internet Archive.

1. ["Sanders Rites Tomorrow"](https://www.nytimes.com/1937/08/23/archives/sanders-rites-tomorrow-services-for-jurist-killed-in-auto-accident.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Vol. LXXXVI, no. 29066. 23 August 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-09-18.

## External links

- *[The Political Graveyard](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sanders.html#333.64.73)*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Leon Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Sanders) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Sanders?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.