31 YEARS OF SERVICE TO DETROIT JEWRY •

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

VOL. 48, NO. 39

(Section Three)

and The Legal Chronicle

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1946

_MEN
WITHOUT
WIVES
Women Save the Jeivish Lodges from Extinction?

ill

By LARRY HEXTER

About twenty-five or thirty or
forty years ago, stories about "the
boarder" were probably the most
popular feature of Jewish news-
papers. Every Jewish triangle al•
ways featured "the boarder". The
jokes that outside of Jewry were
told about the traveling salesmen
were in the Jewish world always
hung on "the boarder." How many
chuckles were had at the expense
of the poor pathetic boarder.
The ''boarder" was the newly
1
arrived Jewish Immigrant, who
had not yet been long enough in
the country to root himself suf-
ficiently well economically to
bring over his family. Till that
happy day arrived, he must go on
unrelievedly working at his trade
as a cigar maker or pants press-
er. The only touch of domesticity
which was his were the few spar-
ing glimpses which "the Missus"
with whom he boarded gave him
.N as she handed him his borst and
I his potatoes. Actually, the number
of affairs between "boarder" and
the "Missus" were so few as to
be negligible. They existed only in
the imagination of the people,
maybe of the boarder himself,
who was emotionally starved and
who perhaps even fostered the
illusion of the triangle. It is bet-
ter to have an Illusion than noth-
ing at all.

My attention was turned back
to this vanished figure in Jewish
life by Abraham A. Redelheim,
vice-president of Bnai Zion.

He was a truly pathetic fig-

ure," I remarked to Mr. Redel- immigrant seeks out his brethren
heim.
from among the Jews who for-
"He was pathetic enough," merly resided in his old home
agreed Mr. Redelheim, "but he town. It Is the old geographcial
was one of the most forceful fig. tie which forms the first basis.
ures of Jewish life. Perhaps, if
"In the smaller towns," said
we looked at it all around from Mr. Redelheim "fraternalism finds
a comprehensive historical point a different basis. There they feel
of view, we would find that he the necessity of a link connect.
was the most effective of the ing all Jews. This is not felt so
forces moulding Jewish life in much in the larger city. Thus, In
America," he said.
New York while the landsman-
"How do you say that?" I shaft type of fraternalism Is very
asked.
strong, the Bnai Brith type, while
"Well," said Mr. Redelheim, strong, is not as strong relatively
"have you ever thought of the as It is in the smaller towns."
Jewish fraternal orders, Brith
Then a third type of fraternal:
Abraham, Bnal Brith, Bnai Zion. ism ensued. It is the fraternalism
At one time, Brith Abraham of a common aim. The Arbeiter
counted a quarter of a million Ring or Bnai Zion are examples
members. Do you know who for of this brand of fraternalism.
the most part built up these fra- Thus, the Arbeiter Ring is united
ternal orders originally? It was by the endeavor to work for the
the 'boarders'."
interests of labor, while Bnal
"The boarder had to find some Zion has the common interest of
substitute for his missing life— working for Zionism.
some social outlet. This is what
brought them to the lodges in
great numbers. This Is what ini-
tially built the great Jewish fra.
ternal orders for the most part.
I need not tell you how sig-
nificant was the part these fra-
ternal orders played not only in
moulding the lives of the mem-
bers but in the matter of repre-
senting American Jewry in civic
matters.
"There are today, Mr. Redel-
heim pointed out to me, over
5,000 Jewish landsmanshaften in
America. Fraternalism in the be.
ginning generally partakes of the
nature of a "landsmanshaft." The

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Here and there, some of the
Jewish fraternal orders are still
as strong as they were in the
past, but for the most part now,
as Mr. Redelheim himself will
tell you, they are on the decline.
This he explains by the ending of
immigration. Some Orders which
at one time counted members in
the hundreds of tTiousands are
now admittedly facing extinction.
It is not true of all, of course,
but it is true of most of the Jew-
ish orders.
"Then there is no hope for the
Jewish orders," I said to Mr. 7,1-
delhelm, who is himself vice-
president of the Zionist fraternal
order, Bnal Zion.
"No, on the contrary, I think
there is great hope for them, If
they learn from their own expe-
rience," he declared.
"What do you mean by that?"
I asked.
"Think back to the boarder,
who first built the lodges," Said
Mr. Redelheim. "It was the need
of a social outlet primarily which
built the Orders."
"Now," he continue d, "the
boarders are married. Every one

for the most part has a wife and
children. But the family also
needs a social outlet.
"Take the average man, as he
comes home from work today.
The woman of the house in many
cases has also just returned home
from work. Whether she has or
not, she does not like the idea of
her husband leaving her to go to
the lodge. She wants to go with
him wherever he goes. Now if
both man and wife can go to the
same lodge and find there a so-
cial outlet, the lodge begins to
build up again."
"Isn't that all just theory7I
asked.
"Well, if it is, it Is theory/that
has already been put to tip test
in Bnal Zion, and has ( proven
that It works."
"Will you put your idea In one
sentence?" I asked.
"Gladly," returned Mr. Redel-
helm. "You just say: The 'co-ed'
fraternal order Is the coming
thing."

Three thousand road rollers
will be required in the next few
years in the building of a na-

tional highway system in India.

1 1946

Rosh Hashonah

Greetings e . .

T.D.C. Aids Jews Fleeing Poland

Rosh Hashonah, hallowed in its heritage of eternal hope, is

the spiritual beacon-light of Israel.. .. On the Jewish New Year,

the faith in the future dispels the clouds of disappointments in

the past.

To the Jewish people, each New Year is another stone in the

ancient walls . . . another reassurance that the structure of the

ages, reinforced by the undying faith of a people, will remain

strong whatever the stress may be.

May this New Year bring a renewal of faith, hope and cour-

age. May it bring everlasting peace and contentment to the Jewish

community—a year of health and happiness in the fullest

measure.

CONFECTIONERS

Established in 1875 and Still Ex.
clusirely Owned and Operated by
Members of the Sanders Family

IN

FLIGHT FROM POLAND, these Jewish refugees (above) line up
outsid e a railroad station in Czechoslovakia. They hope to reach areas
A further west from which they can go to Palestine or other halms.
belonging to the Joint Distribution Committee, which
provide s
clothin g emergency care for the refugees in transit, Including food,
Prarue and medical care. Below, Polish Jewish children just arrived in
shown with Israel Jacobson (right), J.D.C. director in Czechs).
siotakia. The J.D.C. receives its funds from the United Jewish Appeal.

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