Amtericatt lavish Periodical Ceder

CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO

Friday, February 15, 1946

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and Ths Legal Chronic!,

Frightened Family Frantically Flee Flames;
Sunday's Sedate Serenity Stops Suddenly

HISTORY OF JEWS
IN MICHIGAN

No script for a movie comedy
thriller could be more hilariously
serious or more fraught with the
possibility of tragedy than the
events of last Sunday at the home,
or rather the former home, of
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Weisenfeld,
of 2015 Gladstone.

By IRVING I. KATZ

Executive Secretary, Temple !Seth El, Detroit

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ARTICLE

IV

Michigan's German-Jewish Pioneers
1840-185(1

Early Settlers in Monroe, Michigan

jOU1S FREIDENBERG and Solomon Meyerfield were the only Ger-
i man-Jewish settlers in Monroe (originally Frenchtown). Michigan,
before 1850.

Louis Freidenberg (originally Von Freudenberger and later Freud-
enberg) came from Bavaria in 1848 or 1849 and started a generil
men's store, which is still in existence today under the name of "Heil
and Hackett," and is the oldest men's store in the State of Michigan.
He became a member of the original Volunteer Fire Department and
was active in Masonic circles. During the Civil War, he visited Cin-
cinnati and was obliged to obtain a pass from the Provost Marshal of
the Union forces that were defending Cincinnati, permitting him to go
through the Union lines in order to return to his home in Monroe.

Original Pass Still in Existence
'File original pass, now in the possession of Mr. Sylvan Grosnei
of Detroit, was issued in Cincinnati on September 18, 1862, and signed
by A. E. Jones, Provost Marshal, and 1. W. Kirk, deputy. Louis Freid-
enberg married Caroline Goldman and they were the parents of three
children, Benjamin, Rudolph and Theresa, all born in Monroe.
Benjamin Freidenberg became associated with his father in business,
under the name of L. Freidenberg and Son, and upon the death of Ins
father continued the business un-
der his own name. At a later date,
he took in two associates and the
store went under the name, "Freid-
enberg, Hell and Hackett."
President of Bank
Benjamin Freidenberg also serv-
ed as president of the Erie State
Bank and vice-president of the
Dansard State Bank of Monroe.
At the wedding of his sister, Ther-
esa, In Monroe, he met Miriam
Benjamin and shortly thereafter
they were married. Miriam Ben-
jamin was a niece of the famous
Judah P. Benjamin, outstanding
statesman, known as "the brains
of the Confederacy," and probably
the best-known. Jew in the United
States during the first half of the
19th century. She was born in St
Thomas, Virgin Isluads (which is
also the birthplace of her uncle,
Judah P. Benjamin), and upon the
death of her father, Solomon Ben-
jamin, came with her mother to
MILS. BENJ. FREIDENBERG the United States and resided in
Brooklyn. N. Y., until her mar-
riage to Benjamin Freidenberg. They had two children, Sylvia (the
wife of Sylvan Grosncr, Detroit attorney) and Irma, who resides in
California. Upon the death of Benjamin Freidenberg, his wife sold her
interest in the .man's store to the other two associates and, as men-
tioned above, the business is now under their name.

Mrs. Weisenteld has been III
for some time and requires quiet
and peace. Her heart is in none
too good a condition and she re-
quires pills at intervals. As is
customary in heart cases, there
are certain little brown pills, to
be administered with warm water
in case of emergencies. Above
all, she must have no excitement.
The no excitement came to an
abrupt end last Sunday after-
noon. At about noon, the lady
next door noticed flames coming
from the Weisenfeld attic. In-
stead of ringing the door bell
and giving notice, she ran out
in the street, shouting "Fire!" at
the top of her lungs.
The Weisenfelds looked at her
from their window and wondered.
Not inclined to mix in neighbor-
hood affairs, they decided to ig-
nore her. But soon they could
ignore no more. There was an
ominous crackling of flames. The
crackling changed into a roar.
There was a strong smell of
smoke and the house was warm-
er than it had been all winter.
Home at the time were the en-
tire family consisting of the Mis-
ses Sue and Dora Weisenfeld,
Mr. Harry, and the two men of
the house, Al and Sam. Sam had
broken his toe the previous day
and was hobbling on crutches.
Sue went to the phone and
started making culls. First she
called the fire department. Next
she called the doctor and an am-
bulance.
By now, it was evident that the
house was going to go. Openings
appeared in the ceiling. The fir"
department had arrived and was
shooting water on the roof. The
water was coming In the house
through the holgi•n the roof and
was drenching sill the furniture.

Penfil in Capital
To Help FEPC

Sally Fields Addresses
Junior Mizrachi Club

11738 1)1iXT1i1(
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MI . A 15 Af Ak'AYb

Auroi) 13, Morgolis

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still is at this time. The Weisen-
feld family is scattered among
friends and relatives. They are
desperately in need of a flat. Six
adults are in the family and they
take this opportunity to beg any
landlord who has a flat for rent
in the district bounded by 12th,
Dexter, Boston Blvd. to Davison
to let them rent such a flat. They
will be eternally grateful. Any-
one knowing of such a flat is
urged to call the Detroit Jewish
Chroricle at Cadillac 1040 or write
to the Chronicle at 525 Wood-
ward Ave.
Meanwhile, for the benefit of
all her friends and relatives, Mrs.
Weisenfeld is doing nicely and
the whole family is in good health
if not exactly in the best of spir-
its.

We are very sorry we
cannot accept more reset.
vations for our Victory

Luncheon to be held Tues-
day, Feb. 19, at 12:30 p.m.
at the Latin Quarter.

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PEA JACKETS
for Girls and Bovs

Regular Navy Style

$12.75

Sites for Boys, 8 to 1K yearb

Si/es fur Girls, 10 to 16 years

Buttun•tu.the.tteck coats

of warm 32-ounce fumy
blue woolen meltos cloth that is really rugged.

Lined hhitl ► contrasting Kahl swot, Plan to own
our fur school, bhittter sixots and g•nerrl here,

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YOUTH
EDUCATION'
LEAGUE

Hudson's Store Hours Daily, 9:30 to 5:30

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Al had rushed down in the
street to get help to carry her
out. The crowd was so thick out-
side, he could not get anyone to
hear him. Dora sat beside her
mother preparing the little brown
pills kept for emergencies.
Outside, the ambulance had ar-
rived and could find no place to
park. It went up the street, turn-
ed back and finally double park-
ed about a half a block away.
Upstairs, the fire marshall was
still screaming. The roof was sag-
ging ominously. Finally the
stretcher arrived and Mrs. Weis-
enfeld was loaded on it. She was
strangely calm in the midst of
all tAe excitement. Dora was
handing her the pills and she took
them with a glass of water all
the way down the steps. The
marshall was still yelling, "Get
out! Ceiling coming down!"
Into the next door house every-
body trooped. Mrs. Weisenfeld
was deposited on the floor on the
stretcher. First came a police-
man, asking her age. Then came
the fire marshall, asking her age.
Next came the ambulance driver,
and he too wanted to know her
age. She kept repeating her age
tranquilly as the answer to all
questions.
Next came in kindly Mrs. Max
Pollock of 1992 Gladstone and
said, "Bring her to my house.
She needs a bed and care."
So she was brought into the
house of Mrs. Pollock where she

At this point, Mrs. Weisenfeld
began having angina pains. A
heart attack was coming on. She
was lying on the couch in the
living room. Water from the hoses
was pouring on her through the
holes in the ceiling. The fire mar-
shall came in.

"Get that woman out of here,"
Moves to Detroit
he screamed. Th e roof will be
Rudolph Freidenberg moved to Detroit and married Estelle Hill, falling in ary moment."
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Hill. Rudolph was engaged in the
tailor's trimming business. His wife was one of the organizers and the
first vice-president of the Woman's Auxiliary of Temple Beth El now
the Sisterhood) and active in philanthropic work. Their daughter, Elsa,
married Dr. Benjamin Welling, Detroit dentist; another daughter,
Melanie, became the wife of Edgar Menderson of Cincinnati; and a
son, Louis, moved to Buenos Aires. Theresa Freidenberg married Ben-
Mrs. Elizabeth Penfil, chairman
nett Benjamin of Brooklyn, N. Y., a brother of Miriam Benjamin and
of the Legislative Committee of
nephew of Judah P. Benjamin previously mentioned.
the Detroit Section of American
SO10111011 Meyerlield
Jewish Congress, went to Wash-
Solomon Meyertield came to Monroe from Bavaria about the same ington, Jan. 28, in regard to the
time as Units Frt•idenbt•rg. He opened a men's clothing store and be. Fair Employment Practices Com-
ame a prominent citizen of Monroe. He married Zillie Ehrman of mission. She was a member of a
cineinnati and they had u family of six children: Sophie k Mrs. Moses delegation representative of com-
Schott of Detroit), Sarah (Mrs Myer Friendly of Elmira, N. Y.), Funny munity organizations from the
I Mrs. Nathan Newman of Detroit), Miss Rose Meyertit•Id of Dt•tro;t, Detroit urea such as the Institute
Len S Meyerfleld of Detroit, and Mathilde.
of Applied Religion, the Wayne
County Council of the CIO, the
President of Temple Beth El
Detroit Chapter of the National
J ill lust mimed with married to Louis Welt of Detroit, founder of
Negro Congress, the 13th f.'em-
the Welt and lions Paper Company, who served as president of Tem-
gressional District of the PAC.
ple Beth El. Mrr. Louis Welt was one of the founders and the that Michigan Council of Veterans, the
measurer of the Woman's Auxiliary Association of Temple Beth El, International Workers Order, Lo-
and ont of the pioneer members of the Twentieth Century Club. Their cal 205, UAW, 1710, tile Michigan ,
411dren, Melville S. Welt and Joseph 104. Welt, are at the head of the
Citizens Committee, the Metro-
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