Page Eight

Friday, October 26, 19

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

MAN Tet'i WEEIK

ann is saluted this week by
Genial, kindly, Akcpuipt James
the Chronicle as the Man of the Wee , President of the Zionist Or-
ganization for yeast's And a leader in both Jewish and non-Jewish
community life, Mr. Ellmann practices law in this city and in a quiet
it. way is a prime factor in the gradual development of Detroit com-
munity organization.
His story reads like an Horatio Alger book. Mr. Ellmann was
born in Rumania and lived there the first sixteen and a half years of
his life. He attended a Jewish parochial school conducted and paid for
by the Jewish community. This was because it was extremely difficult
for any Jew to enter Rumanian schools.
In this school, he studied French, German, Rumanian, bookkeep-
ing and a science known as "merceology" which is untranslatable but
comes under the general head of economics. At the same time, he
studied Bible and Hebrew and got as far in Jewish education as the
study of Rashi, commentary on the Bible.
His boyhood life was none too happy. He recalls being in a
pogrom where the mob gathered outside the tailor trimming store
which his father ran.
"When the mob broke all the windows in the store, my brother
ran out to beat them back. Instead, the mob beat him up. He was
almost killed," he recalled grimly.
"The town was called Galatz
and was a port on the Danube
where all the foreign boats came,"
he continued, reminiscing on his
early life. "I used to love to go
down and watch the boats. I
learned English from the British
sailors who were constantly pour-
ing in. I also learned to swear a
lot," he continued with a twinkle
in his eye," a habit which I can
still indulge in when the occasion
arises."

He used to play a game of
ball as a child which was quite dif-
ferent from the kind of ball played
by youngsters today. It was played
in a square and the ball was bat-
ted from one person to another.

almost into his blood stream when he was a boy, was an unknown
quantity in the thoughts of the American Jew of the early part of
this century.
In 1921, he joined the Zionist movement in Detroit. He continued
only mildly interested until 1932 when he decided that this was the
only positive way of combating existing evils. In 1935, he was elected
president of the Zionist organization.
"I felt so abysmally ignorant of the whole scope of the movement,
that I took my wife on a trip to Palestine to see what this country
really meant in Jewish life."

Rabbi David Stiapirc
Heads Chicago .Jnit
Of Jewish Congress

In 1936, he was one of the founders of Jewish Community Coun-
cil and helped to frame its constitution. lie became the first vice-
president in charge of anti-discrimination work and after four years
he became president.

"My experience in the Zionist organization and the general
chaotic condition of life in this city just forced our thinking along
the lines of a community council," he remarked. "I feel that the
community council idea has taken root completely in Jewish life in
America and is bound to grow in spite of early opposition from anti-
democratic forces."

Ellmann has also been a force in non-Jewish affairs in the com-
munity. For many years he has been one of the local counsel for
American Civil Liberties Union. He was chairman of the Civil
Service Board of Highland Park and helped to establish the first
Civil Service plan in operation there. In 1933, he was assistant
attorney general in Michigan. lie was director of the Detroit Round
Table of Catholics, Jews and Protestants. Ile was public panel mem-
ber of the War Labor Board for eighteen months and was also on
the Selective Service Board.
Ellmann likes to dress conservatively but is occasionally seen in
a very flashy suit. He is quite fond of a bright tie. He enjoys ping
pong and boasts that he can still heat any of his three sons at the
game. In the summer, he enjoys his game of golf.

He has no real preference in the matter of food, but to help out
a harassed hostess, he can turn out a very nifty fruit and vegetable
salad always adding his own novel touch. He still goes to school.
Right now he is taking up an extension course at Rackham Institute.
He is very fond of travel.
When asked for a quotation which might serve as a guide for
the younger generation, he smiled.
"The difference between a wise man and a fool," he said soberly,
"is one day. The fool finds it out the next morning."

Music Study Club
Hebrew Ladies Aid
Complete Donor Plans Meets on Tuesday

"It was q very economical
game," he continued. "Our family
At a board meeting of the
JAMES I. ELLMANN
was not in the lowest of circum- Hebrew Ladies Aid Society held
stances but it was necessary for us to watch our pennies."
at the home of Mrs. Sarah
In 1904, Ellmann sold everything in the store down to the last Schwartz, of Webb Ave., arrange-
button and with his mother and sister left the country. He arrived in ments for the annual donor lun-
cheon on Nov. 19 were completed.
Ellis Island just as war broke out between Russia and Japan. The
Pledge chairman is Mrs. Elfreda
family then settled in New York.
Greenwald, Davison 2451.
Three months was all the time he allowed himself for schooling.
Members of the Hebrew Ladies
During this time he learned English after a fashion. Then he took a Aid Society served at the down-
job in Wall Street taking telephone quotations on the stock market. town U.S.O., Oct. 15. On Oct. 18
"I learned English mighty fast this way," he smiled. "Believe a group of members visited Elo-
ise and distributed gifts to the
me I had to."
inmates.
He stayed at this job for a year and a half. Then he became an
At the next social meeting on
assistant exporter's clerk at the American Express. During the next Wednesday, Oct. 31, a musical
six years, he took a preliminary course to finish high school, took a program by Miss Ordentlich, ac-
law course and passed the bar examination and took and passed a companied by Mrs. Stulman at
complete citizenship course. All this was done while he was working the piano will be heard.
full time at the express company. Then in •1910 he started to practice
law. He has been in the practice of law ever since.
Then he moved to Detroit where he continued to practice. He
entered into politics in 1918 by becoming an associate justice in
Highland Park. Although he was a judge, he was permitted to retain
a private office and keep up his practice. In 1919, he was reelected
to the office for another four years.
"For a while, I thought of going into politics for good," he said.
"I ran for mayor of Highland Park in 1923 and decided against
politics from then on. Although," he chuckled, "I only missed being
elected by a few hundred votes."
About this time, his practice became very extensive and as a
result of having to rush clients, he developed out of stern necessity
a technique of settling problems by conciliation rather than law
suits. He went further and worked out a complete method of con-
ciliation by counsel.
"My first article on the subject of 'Conciliation of Legal Con-
troversies By Counsel' appeared in the Jewish Chronicle in 1928.
Since then I have gone ahead on this subject and on this method. I
have used it in my private and professional life extensively."
When asked what he considered the most important thing he
had done in his work as a lawyer, he paused to think.
"I have tried to be of some service to the community," he began
modestly. "I think that the most important thing that I have ever
done as a lawyer, since you ask me that, has been to serve the Jewish
community as a conciliator of differences. And there certainly have
been differences in this community," he continued thoughtfully.
Ellmann is inclined to take a erious view on most things, a little
too serious, he thinks. But funny things make him laugh uproariously.
One time when he was a judge, there was a man named Riley
before him charged by his 'wife with cruelty and non-support. The
lawyer was questioning Riley very caustically.
"Riley," he said, "when you married your wife, didn't you
promise to love honor •triel respect her? Didn't you promise to take
care of her for better or for worse?"
"Yes," snapped Riley, "hut I didn't expect her to get as had as
this worse."
Ellmann's first interest in Zionism came when he was a boy in
Rumania. There was no other redemptive thought than Zionism and
the Herzlian thought to combat the menace of the Dreyfus affair
and other anti-Semitic outbreaks. However, once he came to this
country, the thought of Zionism lay dormant in his mind while he
studied all the other isms of his time. Zionism, which had been fed

Music Study Club of Detroit
will hold its first luncheon rally
for the annual concert at the
home of Mrs. A. Joseph Seltzer
on Atkinson Ave., Tuesday, Oct.
30, at 1 p.m.
The artist this year will be
Miss Paula Lencher, young dra-
matic soprano, winner of the Na-
tional Federation of Music Clubs
Contest, and the Naumberg
Award.
Co-hostesses will be Mesdames
Ezra Lipkin, Jack Sauls, David
Hubar, Harry Cohen and Isadore
Mendelson.
Mrs. Sidney Jackson is the con-
cert chairman.

RABBI DAVID SHAPIRO

Rabbi David Shapiro has been
appointed executive director of
the Chicago Division, 'American
Jewish Congress.
•
Dr. Shapiro, who replaces
F.
C. White, was born in Jerusalem
in 1907. He studied at New York
University and the :Yeshivath
Yavne in New York, was admit-
ted to the New York State Bar
in 1933, ordained as a rabbi in
1936.
He has been rabbi of Green
Bay, Wise., for the last six years.

Prophet's Birthplace
Site of New Colony

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A new
settlement, which will probably
be named after Chief Rabbi Her-
zog, was formally dedicated on
the site of the birthplace of the
prophet Amos.
An advance party, including 20
youths who arrived in Palestine
about six weeks ago from Ber-
gen-Belsen, has been at work on
the site for some time, erecting
a stockade and temporary living
quarters.

Primrose Benevolent
Donor Event Oct. 13

The Primrose Benevolent Club
will hold its 13th annual donor
luncheon on Nov. 27, at the Latin
Quarter. Guest speaker will be
Dr. B. Benedict Glazer.
There will also be a musical
program.

THINK IT OVER!

It's For Your Good!

THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS THAT FACE

DETROIT TODAY ARE TOO BIG . . . TOO

IMPORTANT . . . TOO VITAL FOR A MAN

WHO IS AFRAID TO MAKE DECISIONS!

DETROIT NEEDS . . . DETROIT MUST HAVE

A COURAGEOUS...CLEAR-HEADED MAYOR LIKE

"DICK" FRANKENSTEEN!
[21 ELECT..."DICK"

FRANKENSTEEN

MAYOR

