February 14, 1941

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

14

L. A. S. Donor Dinner

Dance March 23

The Detroit Auxiliary of Los
Angeles Sanatorium announces
that its annual donor dinner
dance in connection with its
fourteenth anniversary celebra-

"Traffic Justice
Sanely Applied"

RECORDER'S COURT
TRAFFIC and ORDINANCE DIVISION

Judge Maher has dem-
onstrated'a policy of sane
humane administration
of traffic laws looking to
the greatest possible
good for the offender
and society alike.

'1 MAHER

Varsity Club Dance at
Northwest Branch of
Jewish Center

The first "teen dance" of the
Varsity Club will be held on Sat-
urday night, Feb. 15, in the audi-
torium of the Northwest branch
oif the Jewish Community Cen-
ter, 13226 Lawton. Music will
be furnished by Eddie Sparge.
The dance committee is composed
of Donald Silverman, Phillip
Kaplan, Milton Drapkin and Earl
Kauffman.

PROMOTE

JUDGE GEORGE L.

BADDER

CIRCUIT JUDGE

War Veteran — Born in Detroit
Municipal Judge 15 Years
NON-PARTISAN
Primary Feb. 17

Contributed by a friend

RETURN

Judge

Who was this man Jones who
fathered the Bnai Brith? Strange
to say, we know little about him,
but that little is worth telling.
(Continued from Page One)
ish National Fund and Hannah Jones was born in Hamburg,
Solomon with the Council of Jew- Germany, Dec 22, 1811. From
ish Women. But the oldest of the minutes of New York Lodge
e first
all existing national Jewish or- No. 1, of which he was the
ganizations in America — Bnai secretary, it appears that w
Brith—is seldom, if ever, coupled fairly well educated. When he
with the name of its founder, conceived the idea of man
BnaiBrith,
of few
Henry Jones, who died just 75 he was a young of considerable
years ago. worldly goods
It is time he were lifted from standing
in the Jewish
commu-
trade,
he
by trade
A machinist
prominent
in
the
affairs
of
the limbo and restored to his nity.
was
Congregation Anshe Chesed, New
rightful place.
When Bnai Brith was born in York's third oldest synagogue, of
1843, the American Jewish com- which he was secretary for some
munity
consisted
some 25,000
men, women
and of children,
large years during the late 1830s and
early 1840s. Later he left Anshe
numbers of whom were recent Chesed to help Rabbi Leo Merz-
immigrants from Germany, Po- bacher, one of the earliest mem-
land, Bohemia. Organized Jew- begs of Bnai Brith, found the
ish life centered around the syna- Cultus Verein in 1843, which
gogue. Except for a few burial subsequently became T e in p 1 e
societies, American Jewry had Emanu-el, the famous Reform
•
no philanthropic agencies de- congregation.
tached from the synagogue. Nei-
Jones was . also a factor in . the
ther was there any provision for
orientating the immigrants into early organized Jewish philan-
the American scene. The Jewish thropies of New York. As one
immigrants who had arrived fr of the organizers of the German
830s were Benevolent Society, which was
Germany in the late 1
mostly men of little means and founded in 1845, Jones became
While they had in fact one of the creators of
less education.
what is now the vast system of
in
great need of material a ssistance organized Jewish p
e
and cultural guidance, the Jaw-
ish community was too weak and ears
New before
York City.
In 1847, five
the establishment
too divided to offer either in yf Mt. Sinai
any effective measure. Then, too, o hospital
Hospital,
first
America,
in the
Jewish
unity in Israel was the great Jones and other leaders .
desideratum, for the various rs of the
BENJAMIN B. GORDON
groups of Jews had little to do G( rrnan Benevolent Society pro-
with each other. Synagogues in_ posed to the older and wealthier
Hebrew Benevolent Society (a
known as the "Poor Man's
er but of
more the
be- Sephardic Jewish
creased
in number
creation
Court".
of the spirit of competi-
Mr. Gordon is making a strong
and r itions
. to . the
several
that
they
bid for this office in numerous tion and lack of leadership than community),
Jewish congregations
addresses and in an interesting any real need. The times called unite for the erection of a hos-
campaign as a result of which
pital. To give point to its plan,
the German Benevolent Society
he is enlisting many supporters.
Mr. Gordon is a graduate of
voted the sum of $1,500 out of
the University of Michigan. He
its general fund and certain por-
has practiced law in Detroit for
tion of its yearly receipts to help
23 years, in all courts of record.
start the hospital.
His law offices are in the Na-
The Hebrew Benevolent Soci-
tional Bank Bldg., and he re-
ety quickly approved of the plan
sides with his family at 4782
and a meeting of Jewish leaders
Leslie Ave. He is a member of
was called, with Mordecai M.
Perfection Lodge No. 486, F. &
Noah presiding. Several of the
A. M., and of other important
larger congregations declined
organizaztions. During the war
their cooperation, thus giving em-
he was chief assistant in the
phasis to the lack of unity that
traffic division of the quartermas-
had brought Bnai Brith into be-
ter's department.
ing. As a result the plan fell
through. Meanwhile, the moneys
voted by the German Benevolent
Ba'Maaleh Habonim Group
Society were kept apart and grew
Starts Drive for Members
steadily. In 1895, a few years
after Mt. Sinai Hospital had been
The recently formed youth
opened as Jews' Hospital, Jones
group in the Habonim, the labor
helped bring about a merger be-
Zionist youth organization, Ba'-
tween the German Benevolent
Maaleh (in Ascent), has started
Society and the Hebrew Benevo-
a membership drive for new
lent Society under the name of
members. The meetings are in-
the Hebrew Benevolent Society
HENRY JONES
teresting and also there are many
of the City of New York. The
other activities open to Jewish for a new type of organization hospital fund belonging to the
youth who join this group, such and it was some of the younger German Benevolent Society was
as dramatics, choir, Hebrew, and better educated among the made available to the consoli-
handicrafts, music group, and
hikes. At the last meeting the German newcomers who did dated agency for the establish-
following officers were elected: something about it. Chief among ment of an orphan asylum, the
now famous Hebrew Orphan
Rosh (chairman), Michael Franz- these was Henry Jones.
talking Asylum of New York. Jones be-
Jones first began
blau; mazkir (secretary), Leon
Bleifield ; gizbor (treasurer), about a new organization with came a director of the new so-
Robert Kannon. Meetings are some of his friends who used ciety, serving until his death. In
held at the ulam (meeting hall), to gather at Sinsheimer's coffee 1874 the Hebrew Benevolent So-
13614 Linwood, near Clements, shop on Essex Street in New ciety became a part of what is
every Wednesday at 7 p. in. Jew- York. He sensed the need for an now the Jewish Social Service
ish boys who are interested in instrument that would bring to- Association of New York, a unit
joining an active labor Zionist gether on the same platform all in the Federation.
youth group are invited to the Jews, regardless of religious
Almost from the (lay Bnai
next meeting.
opinion, geographical origin or Brith was organized Jones de-
voted himself to it unstintingly.
economic status.
Bloch Republican Favorite
All of his confreres at Sin- He was secretary of the first
for County Auditor
sheimer's were sympathetic to lodge. From 1851 to 1855 he was
Jones' idea but they differed on grand saar (president) of the
As the primary election day the means of giving it concrete Supreme Lodge. At the time of
draws near, Harold N. Bloch of expression. Some suggested a his death on Feb. 16, 1866, he
2995 Chicago Blvd. looms as a Jewish lodge of the Masons or was president of District Grand
prominent Republican choice for Odd Fellows. Others urged the Lodge No. 1, which he had helped
county auditor. He is a pro- establishment of a mutual bene- to organize. His death left his
gressive young businessman mak- fit society. A few thought the family in serious straits, and
ing his first venture in politics. problem could be dealt with Bnai Brith raised a fund for
In an interview Mr. Bloch through a cultural club. But their relief. When Mrs. Jones (lied
said: "If I am chosen as the Jones was a man of vision, and at the age of 81 in 1881, the
Republican candidate for county he saw that a little club or bene- fund was diverted to educational
auditor I can assure you I will fit society could not achieve what purposes.
wage an active and intensive was essential. He had the bigger
Benjamin F. Peixotto, who
campaign to unseat the present idea of something entirely new knew Jones intimately and who
incumbent whose record leaves in Jewish life—a Jewish frater- was president of Bnai Brith when
much to be desired. I will at all nal order—the first of its kind in the founder died, told the 1866
times endeavor to serve all of the the world, which would have a convention of Bnai Brith that
people and never any one politi- program sufficiently flexible to Jones "was universally mourned
cal faction. I am not a mem- embrace all aspects of Jewish as a true friend of humanity, a
ber of any political club and do
not owe favors to anyone. My life and win the adhesion of all philanthropist whose goodness of
heart never denied aid to the
entire aim will be to serve all elements in the Jewish commu- sufferer
nor sympathy to the un-
the people of Wayne County to nity.
Such
were
the
ideals
that
ani-
fortunate."
the best interests of all."
No monuments have been
mated Jones when he gathered
him 11 like-minded men erected to Jones; neither have
Stoetsel and Casadesus at around
and on Oct. 13, 1843, laid the biographies been written about
Symphony Concert Feb. 20 groundwork for what was to him. He needs none. His monu-
Two celebrated musicians, the become Bnai Brith. The broad ment is the Bnai Brith and his
American conductor-compel.
aims of the new order were biography is its history.
Albert StoesEel, and the French enunciated in its first constitution
piano virtuoso, Robert Casadesus, which declared that "Bnai Brith A r g e n t i n a Refuses to Issue
will lend unusual flavor and dis-
Transit Visas to Jews
taken upon itself the mis-
tinction to the concert of the De- has
sion
of
uniting
Israelites
in
the
LONDON
(WNS)—Scores of
troit Symphony Orchestra Thurs- work of promoting their highest Jewish refugees,
equipped with
day night, Feb. 20, in Masonic interests and those of humanity." visas to the United States and
Auditorium. Neither of these At the same time the motto— other countries in the Western
great artists is a stranger to De-
troiters, although the occasion "Benevolence, Brotherly Love Hemisphere, have been denied
will mark Stoessel's first appear- and Harmony" was selected, and denied transit visas by the Ar-
it has never been changed. gentine consulate here.
ance here.

tion will take place at the Fort Benjamin B. Gordon
Wayne Hotel Ballroom on Sun-
In Race for Judge,
day, March 23, at 6 p. m.
A fine program is being pre-
Common
Pleas Court
pared. A strictly kosher, full-
course chicken dinner will be ca-
Benjamin B. Gordon, well
tered by Lackat. A celebrated
dance orchestra is being engaged. known Detroit Jewish attorney,
An enjoyable evening is assured. is a candidate for Judge of the
The following interesting in- -Common Pleas Court, which is
formation has just been received
from the national office: In 1940
370 patients were confined in the
sanatorium and ex-patients 'home
for a total of 87,934 hospital
days, 576 adults paid 2,343 visits
to the adult clinic and 676 chil-
dren made 1,760 visits to the
children's clinic. Nine refugee
patients were treated last year
and the demand for this type of
service is steadily increasing for
obvious reasons. The institu-
tions experienced a deficit of ap-
proximately $25,000 in the op-
erations of last year. There are
now 15 Detroit patients in the
sanatorium and two applications
are pending.
The auxiliary meets every
Thursday at the A. R. Educa-
tional Center, 11535 Linwood,
and the meetings are always open
to the public. For information
regarding the donor dinner dance,
Madison 6766.

SWEENY

To the Recorder's Court

His fairness, courage. devotion to judicial duties
and sympathetic nature eminently qualify him for
re-election to the bench.

PRIMARIES MONDAY, FEB. 17

Paid for by a Jewish friend

JONES

