American 'elvish Periodical eager CLIPTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, 01110 Friday, May 31, 1946 Soviet Journalists In Detroit to Help Celebrate Jubilee HISTORY OF JEWS IN MICHIGAN By IRVING I. KATZ Today's two greatest literary figures of the Soviet Union, Ilva Ehrenburg and Konstantin Si- ARTICLE 18 Biographical Sketches of Detroit Jews Emanuel Wodic Emanuel Wodic, Bohemian born, came to the United States in 1854, at the age of 18. His first job was on a Long Island, N. Y., farm, where he received the princely wage of $6.00 per month. Later he hired out on a wrecking vessel cruising in Delaware Bay. In 1856 he enlisted In the United States Army. Almost at the very outset of his military career, he participated in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, being one of the few survivors. At the ex- piration of his term, he reenlisted and served through the Civil War. His service record is a re- markable history. It includes. among others, the battles of Bull Run, Chancellorsvllle, Gettysburg, t h e Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Peterburg, and the various battles preceding the evac- uation of Richmond. He received a number of wounds but fortun- ately none that incapacitated him from service. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged and went to Michigan. There he bought a forty-acre farm in Ma- comb County. For the next twen- ty-five years he farmed in that section and became known as the foremost farmer in the county, an authority on all farm problems and a leader In the community. When the Palestine Colony was formed in Bad Axe, Michigan, Wodic was living in the village of Utica, near Detroit, on a small farm where he had retired when EMANUEL WODIC his advancing years and his wife's illness compelled him to give up more actIve farming operations. A Jewish peddler, who had witnessed the sufferings of the colonists at Bad Axe, brought the story of their heroic struggle to Martin Butzel, a prominent Detroit merchant who was at the time president of the Beth El Relief Society. Butzel became interested in the colony and turned to Wodic as the ideal man to investigate conditions at Bad Axe. Wodic arrived In Bad Axe in March, 1892, and did much to im• prove the lot of the colonists, acting not only as the agricultural ad- visor but as the community leader and arbiter of the many petty disputes which naturally arose among the colonists. (The story of the Palestine Colony in Bad Axe will be dealt with at greater length In a future article.) Mr. Wodic moved to Detroit a few years later and served for many years as the Warden of the Cemeteries of Temple Beth El. He died in 1925 at the age of 89. monov together with their col- league Gen. Mikhail Galaktionov will appear in Detroit for one evening. At the Scottish Rites Ca- thedral, Masonic Temple, June 11th at 8 p.m. a rally will be held by the Detroit Jewish Com- mittee for Russian Relief to honor this brilliant triumvirate. Jacob Seligman was one of the most picturesque merchants of Mich- igan in his time. He was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, and came to Oakland County in the middle 1860's, engaging in the retail clothing trade at Pontiac. Seligman was a pigmy of a man. being but five feet tall, a circumstance which he capitalized into a self-advertisement of himself as "Little Jake," by which sobriquet he was always known. He had a competitor in Pontiac in the person of an Englishman named Christopher R. Mabley, in the days before extensive newspaper advertising of commodities and when, in the ab- sence of professional advertising writers, the ingenuity of merchants was taxed to attract customers. Seligman and Mabley were well- matched in this respect and conducted a most intense rivalry, which resulted in Mabley buying Seligman out of Pontiac, the latter going to Saginaw in 1869. M,,bley later became the leading merchant of his day in Detroit, while Seligman became a leader in the clothing trade and later a banker in his new home city. He accumulated a consider- able fortune and was the moving spirit in the Majestic Building enter- prise in Detroit, then the greatest construction project of the state. which was later on occupied by the business successors of his early rival in Pontiac. The panic of 1893 hit him hard and he was stripped of his fortune and his health. Later he recovered both in Colorado. He was a man of much commercial ability, a good friend and a good enemy, and had a biting wit. Once, on his return to Saginaw for a visit, all his old friends joined in a complimentary dinner, at which the good-will of his former associates was voiced by the eloquent Benton Hanchett. Seligman had developed an enmity against an old business associate and the chance to get even was too good to be lost. Mounting a chair so that he could be seen, he essayed his response with tears stream- ing down his cheeks. "I have a friend in Detroit," he began, "half of whose life, yes, all of it, I would gladly give to be able to speak as finely as Mr. Hanchett." The rest of his address, after this sally at getting even, was lost in laughter at his bon mot. Everyone knew he meant what he said. He was very vain. He built the Tower Building In Saginaw, and on the top of the tower placed a life-sized cast-iron statue of himself. It is there still. tors. All of them have been con- zation as a whole, and for the re- building of a just world order. Rabbi 1(1. J. Wohlgelernter, President of Yeshivath Beth Ye- (3) the continuity of the He- brew tradition. He stated that the work of such institutions as Ye- shivath Beth Yehudah, in training Jewish youth for a knowledge of Divine attributes—and their ap- plication to political, social and economic life, has importance not only for the Detroit Jewish com- munity, but for American civili- plies, 2.6%; Building and Main- tenance, ; A d m inist ration, 11.6%. Income during this period came from the following sources: Students' fees, 40`x; Dues and hudah, presented a financial statement for the first elever months of the current fiscal year showing a total expenditure of $93,77 5.9 7, and a total income of $82,321.73. Plans were an- nounced for the solicitation of new members and contributors during the next few weeks to help meet its deficit of $11,4 54. - 24. The breakdown of expenses is Donations, 19%; Synagogues, 8%; Dinner and Journal, 7.2%; Jew- ish Welfare Federation, 10.1%; Ladies' contribution towards maintenance, 25%, The Detroit Zionist Election Board announces the following voting places for the coming election of delegates to the World Zionist Congress: ILYA EHRENBURG Jewish Community Center, Shaarey Zedek, Rose Sittig Cohen Bldg., Tuxedo and Holmur Talmud Torah, Parkside and Mid- land Talmud Torah, Philadelphia-Byron Talmud Torah and Ha- bonim Office, Twelfth and Taylor. Monday only: Zionist Office, 1044 Penobscot Bldg. tinuously in action since their arrival, their engagements rang- ing from cheering meetings in the halls of anions, through movie and previews and champagne vodka office parties. The election will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday and Monday, June 16 and 17. Ehrenburg"s apearance in De- troit will be the culmination of Iris tour through the South. His confrere Konstantin Simonov will have made an appraisal of the West Coast, while Gen. Galak- tionov will be .returning from a journey through the Mid West. Their re-union should offer some significant, as well as entertain- ing results and it will be worth- while to note their individual re- actions to three such diverse AVOID CROWDING CLOSETS! PROTECT YOUR CLOTHES! American regions. 100 TABLETS 354 WORLD'S LARGEST SELLER AT 104 America's Finest COLD STORAGE for WINTER GARMENTS BLANKETS and DRAPES Forest Cleaners' reputation of over a quarter of a century of quality service is your assurance of dependable protection. Winter clothes, blankets and drapes are beautifully Vitalize Cleaned and safely stored against moths, fire and theft. Pay Next Fall PICKUP AND DELIVERY SERVICE Tacked Down Vial! to Wall le Phone TEmple 1-42001 CARPETING Cleaned,In Your Home ( Ala Furniture Cleaning 533.547 Forest Avenue, East Sam and Son, Inc. announces Grand Opening DRUG SALE Leader The Formal Dedication Beth Aaron Synagogue A large gathering of men and women heard Professor Samuel Levin, head of the economics de- partment at Wayne University, make a plea for a return to mo- ral and spiritual values in the postwar world, at the annual meeting of Yeshivath Beth Yehu- dah held last Monday evening in the synagogue auditorium of the school at Dexter and Cortland. Taking as his theme the 23rd Psalm, Dr. Levin emphasized that even though Jewry has walked through "The Shadow of the Val- Voting Places for Zionist Delegates YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND —of the— Professor Levin Urges New Moral Revival; Yeshiva Seeks Funds The three representatives of ley of Death" there is hope for as follows; Teaching and Super- Soviet letters came to this coun- "The Restoration of its Soul" in vision, 64.2%; Transportation of try at the invitation of the Amer- (1) The American Jewish Center, Pupils, 8%; Students' Lunches, ican Society for Newspaper Edi- (2) the Palestinian Yishuv, and 5.6%; School Furniture and Sup- Jacob Seligman 4 Page Three DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle ARE CLEAN & BEAUTIFUL —at— ON HARD-TO-GET ITEMS Now in Progress Watch for full-page ad in this week's Northwest Record Mr. Lyle Keillor, 31 years a pharmacist, and other registered pharmacists on duty at all times in our completely equipped prescription department. 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