Friday, August 30, 1946

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

HISTORY OF JEWS
IN MICHIGAN

By IRVING L KATZ

ARTICLE 27

Biographical Sketches
of Detroit Jews

I

Morris Hirschman

Morris Hirschman, Bavarian born, was among the
few Jews who came to Detroit in the middle forties of
the last century. He started a clothing store on East
Jefferson
_ . avenue, and his residence was at the corner
of Wayne and Lamed Sts.
He was one of the German-
Jewish pioneers who found-
ed Temple Beth El in 1850,
and he served as its second
President from 1857 to
1859. He was also a char-
ter member of Pisgah Lodge
Bnai Brith when it was or-
ganized in 1857, and he
served as its President in
1860.
Mr. Hirschman was mar-
ried to Mina Weichselbaum
and they were the parents
of Hannah (Mrs. John
Cone), Rose (Mrs. Charles
Hirsch), Rebecca, (Mrs. Sig-
mund Fechheimer), David.
J and Barbara (Mrs. Adolph
Morris Hirschman
Enggass).
Their grandchildren are Hugo Fechheimer, Clar-
ence M. Enggass and Maurice A. Enggass—all of Detroit,
and Mrs. Max P. Heavenrich (Minna Enggass) of Sagi-
naw, Michigan. The following grandchildren are de-
ceased: Moses Cone, Mrs. David Hersch (Rose Cone),
Carrie Cone, Blanche Cone and Morris Fechheimer.
Mr. Hirschman died in the 1870's and was interred
in the Lafayette avenue cemetery of Temple Beth El,
Detroit's first Jewish cemetery.

Adolph Enggass

Adolph Enggass was born in Eubigheim, Bavaria
in 1842 and came to New York in 1859. Three years
later he moved to Detroit, and in 1865 he opened a
jewelry store on Jefferson avenue near Griswold in
what was then the heart of the retail district. Later he
moved the store to Woodward avenue near Lamed, the
old Herril Block. A man of
vision who glimpsed the di-
rection in which his town
would s p r ea d, he later
moved his business to Gra-
tint avenue near Farmer,
while others of lesser vision
caviled at his moving so far
north. He was not alone in
this envisaging of the fu-
ture, for just across the
street was the store of J. L.
Hudson.
Mr. Enggass was a mem-
ber of Temple Beth El and
Pisgah Lodge Bnai Brith.
He was one of the earliest
members of the Detroit
Board of Commerce and be-
longed to many fraternal or-
ganizations. He was known
Adolph Enggass
as a baseball enthusiast .and attended all opening ball
games. (The newspapers in reporting about opening ball
games invariaby mentioned the presence of Adolph
Enggass).
Mr. Enggass married Barbara Hirschman in 1882
and they were the parents of Clarence M., Minna (Mrs.
Max P. Heavenrich) and Maurice A.
The grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Enggass
are Robert Enggass, Mrs. Sigmund Robinson (Elinor
Heavenrich), Max P. Heavenrich II, Dr. Robert M. Hea-
"enrich, Barbara Enggass and Peter Enggass.
When Adolph Enggass died in 1908, his sons, Clar-
ence and Maurice, took over the full direction of the
business and in 1925 moved to their present location on
Monroe avenue. The store is under the name of "Enggass
k• Jewelry Company'", and is usually referred to as the
i i Jewelry store "where Grandma and Grandpa bought."

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Book Review

(Continued from Page 4)
"According to the Gospel, it is impossible for the rich to enter the
kingdom of heaven" (which no doubt explains why the church is so
solicitous of the wealthy classes). Heroism is easy for the poor;
- they have nothing to lose.
The rich had much to lose and they decided to keep what they
had even with a Hitler to watch it for them. The author is worried
in case the fifth column will be able to reconquer the bourgeoisie
and effect the counter-revolution which they prepared for. The fu.
ture will tell. We have to ,keep in mind one adage, and that is:
History always repeats Itself.

The Voicel)f the
Man in the Street

Page Five

MAN CF TEE WIEEI\

Dr. Stephan Samuel Wisc has been compared by many to the
Old Testament preacher, Isaiah. By others he has been called a scold.
The Jewish Chronicle will pay
From a survey of scrapbooks pertaining to his preaching, the
$1.90 to the person whose question
is used in this column. Mall your headline writers have formed a habit of writing "Rabbi Wise de-
questions to the Jewish Chronicle, plores" this or that. He has assailed conditions and customs without
any allusion to those in whom the responsibility rests.
525 Woodward Ave., Detroit 26.
On the subject of modern dancing he said: "Modern dancing is
Photos by ERIC BENNETT
not dancing at all. It is simply
Staff Photographer
a form of sex excitement. A two
or three hours' dance in modern
TIME: Sunday afternoon.
fashion is nothing but a sex orgy
PLACE: Dexter Boulevard.
set to music."
QUESTION: Do you approve of
Speaking from the pulpit of
Increasing the quota of Jews to the Free Synagogue of New York
the United States?
in 1914, he yelled: "What you
want us to do is to cater to the
MRS. HARRIET BERG, 3310
wealthy
employers of labor who
Glynn court, Housewife and
so largely support the synagogue.
Wayne University student.
Yes. Jews, like everyone else, You are afraid of what the rich
should be treated as humans. The may say if we take a stand for
United States has room for them social and economic justice. You
and can benefit quote the scriptures that 'justice,
immensely by justice, shalt thou pursue,' but you
afraid to practice what you
letting them in. are
preach."
The West
Rabbi Wise calls a spade a
needs develop-
ment as much spade, and lets the chips fall
as does Pales- where they may,
tine. It could
Caused Rumpus at U. of M.
use an enter.
prising people . Those who attended the Uni-
in that develop. versity of Michigan back in 1921
ment. This may remember the battle he had
country still has with Prof. W. H. Hobbs, of that DR. STEPIIAN SAMUEL WISE
a shortage of Ann Arbor school faculty. After Wise had made a speech In the
workers in many fields, and these Hill Auditorium under the auspices of the Oratorical Association.
immigrants would be just the right Hobbs, in a statement published in the Michigan Daily, branded
ones to fill in. I don't think they him as a pacifist and pro-German. He called Wise a "blind 'cadet
would create unemployment or of the blind." The rabbi's reply was: "I do not deem it necessary to
any further outbreak of anti- reply to any charges made against me by Prof. Hobbs that I have
Semitism. That is, of course, if used my pulpit for German propaganda. I safely leave Prof. Hobbs'
they are given a fair chance.
charges to the judgment of the American people, who, I venture,
Our factories could also absorb know where I stood and what was the character of my service
a great deal of the immigrants to America during the war and to the Allied cause in the beginning
and would not only be helping in August, 1911." He offered to resign from his post in the Free
themselves but the refugees as Synagogue, New York, if the charges could be substantiated, ano
well, who are now living in mis- said he would demand the resignation of Hobbs should the professor
ery. I also think that our culture fail to prove his statements.
would be greatly enhanced by
these people.
Became Internationally Known
Dr. Wise became internationally known for his efforts to pro.
GODFRY SIMON, 3269 Clai r- mote American Jewry, his services toward Judaism generally and
mount avenue, Retired.
his active interest in the Zionist movement.
Yes, I do. Jews have been
Although his liberal. views at times put him into conflict with
pushed around too long. Although orthodox Judaism, he did not seek to impose them upon those who
we should be given Palestine for were not in sympathy with hie teachings.
a homeland, the
A notable example of this was his attitude toward his own. Dr.
British and
Wise was the eon and grandson of rabbis of note and his son
other selfish in-
pursued his education with the itention of continuing the line of
terests appear
rabbis which the family had given to the church.
determined that
we shouldn't. In
The son, James, after two years' study, announced that he had
the meantime,
repudiated formal Jewish theology and that he would not carry
the Jews in
on his father's ministry. Dr. Wise accepted his son's decision with
Europe go on
this comment: "It was the only decent and honorable thing for
suffering.
him to do in view of his convictions."
I think the
United States
Born In Budapest
would not only
Rabbi
Wise
was
born
at Budapest, Hungary, March 17, 1874. A
be doing the
year later his parents, Aaron and Sabine de Fischer Faritashasy,
refugees a great
kindness but would also be bene- settled in New York, where the father was minister of Temple
fiting themselves by this move. Rodeph Sholem until his death in 1896. The son after his public
There is still a labor shortage in school education specialized in the classics and languages at the
many industries. and these eddi- College of the City of New York, 1887 through 1891, and then pur-
tional workers would be able to sued courses in semitics and philosophy at Columbia University,
earning his doctor's degree.
..ase this situation.
In 1893, Rabbi Wise became assistant to Dr. Henry S. Jacobs
MRS. M. S. PERLIS, 3337 Glynn at the Madison avenue Synagogue and became rabbi before the end
of the year. He resigned that charge in 1900 to go to Beth Israel
court.
Letting more Jews into America Synagogue at Portland, Ore., one of the leading Jewish congrega-
will not solve our problem. We tions of the Northwest. He remained there until 1907 when he re.
still need Palestine as a home- turned to New York to found the Free Synagogue. A superb orator
land and must of convincing argument, he became known throughout the country
fight vigorously as a speaker of note on religious and ethical topics. His services
to get it. Only were attended by men of all faiths.
then will the
Before going to Portland, Dr. Wise married Miss Louise Water-
prestige of the man, of New York, in November, 1900. They had two children.
American J e w
During the period the United States participated in the World
and Jewry as a
whole come War, Dr. Wise donned overalls to work as a day laborer at a New
York marine construction plant. Due to increasing functions at hi.
about.
I am a na- Free Synagogue, he was forced to leave his job after four weeks
tive . born, 100 and turned over the $76.13 he had received in wages to the Red
He jokingly asserted that actually he had only earned tit:.
percent Ameri- Cross.
13 cents.
can. I love this
country but still
Prominent in Zionism
I realize that anti-Semitism and
From the beginning, Dr. Wise figured conspicuously in the Zionist
discrimination are very much pre-
valant here. Letting more Jews movement that followed the wresting of the Holy Land from the
enter will not solve our most ba- Turks in the World War. He was one of the founders and first
sic problem. We must get Pales- secretary of the Foundation of American Zionists and became asso-
tine for a homeland. That is our ciated with Zionist publications in this country and abroad. He
only fight. With it, we can build served as chairman of the provisional executive committee for gen.
eral Zionist affairs in America and later was chosen vice-president
a culture for all Jews.
of the World Zionist organization's executive committee.
MORRIS BERG, 4014 Humphrey
One of the notable incidents when his views came into conflict
a venue, Ca .penter.
with orthodox Jewry was in 1925, when Dr. Wise counseled Jews
Yes. I came over from Russia_ to accept the story of Jesus Christ and regard Him as a moral
Poland in 1912 and know how it teacher of whom they could be proud, not as a myth or God, but
is to be in the shoes of those as a man and a Jew. The resentment of orthodox Jewry caused a
hopeless Jews
controversy that for a while created dissension in the conduct o'
in Europe. They
the United Palestine Funds Appeal for $5,000,000. Dr. Wise was
should be given
chairman of the appeal in 1925-26 and when the controversy was
the chance to
precipitated. offered his resignation. Several wealthy and Influential
live a decent
Jews, as expressions of confidence in him, made large additional
life like every-
contributions to the fund and upon their urging Dr. Wise continued as
chairman.
one else.
There arc
Criticized Freely
many carpent-
While
he
devoted
himself
to the social and religious progress of
ers, mechanics
his people, Rabbi Wise, as mentioned previously, did not hesitate
and other skil-
to criticize their shortcomings. In a sermon in 1927 he took to task
led workers
Jewish students for changing their names and remaining away from
there that we
the synagogue in an effort to lose their religious and racial identity.
could use in America.
If I were in Europe today, I, He warned that because of such actions they would find themselves
personally, would want to go to discriminated against by institutions of higher learning even more
the United States. I was in Rus- than if they had the courage "to stand for something."
sia, served in the Russian Army
Today, with the Zionists fighting more fervently than ever for a
during its war with Japan, and Jewish haven in Palestine, Dr. Wise is practicing what he preached
know how it is to be persecuted, to those students.

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