Friday January 10, 19.47
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Rap Six
Grayson Band to Play
for Center Hop Jan. 19
HISTORY OF JEWS
IN MICHIGAN
By IRVING L KATZ
ARTICLE 48
Bnai Brith in Michigan
Pisgah's Early Activities
(This is the third article In a series)
IN ITS EARLY YEARS, Pisgah, like all other Bnai Brith lodges,
combined mutual aid benefits with fraternal features. There was a
sick benefit fund for the members and their families and a fund for
the support of the widows and orphans of deceased members. Another
important feature was endowment insurance.
Much attention was paid to formula and ritual and even the wear-
ing of regalia was a matter of no small importance. Candidates for
membership had to be proposed
by an old member. The proposed
member was investigated by a
special committee and then voted
on by the membership. In ballot-
ing, three blackballs barred the
candidate. Initiation was given
with elaborate ceremonies and re-
galia comprising six degrees.
It is interesting to note that the
r itual, passwords and mottoes of
Bnai Brith were drawn from
either German or Hebrew sources.
The degrees were based upon Jew-
ish historical occurrences. The ear-
ly titles, such as Grand Sar (Grand
Master), Grand Mazkir (Grand
Secretary), Grand Zkenim (Grand
Elders—the highest ruling body),
were drawn from Jewish lore.
The general conduct of mem-
bers, and especially their conduct
toward othe r members, was
watched carefully, not only in the
lodge room, but likewise in their
private and public life. When any
AARON IntOOCK
deficiency was noted, trials were held at which the offending member
might be fined, suspended or even expelled. The constitution and by-
laws, however, regulated all these matters, so that the rights of mem-
bers were safeguarded.
The Jewish Community Center's
first Holiday Hop of the new year
will be held Sunday, Jan. 19, with
Bobby Grayson's band playing.
It will be an SOS dance to help
in the collection of supplies for
overseas survivors. Guests are
asked to donate a can of food.
Provision will also be made for
the purchase of SOS supplies in
the lobby.
The Hop is headed by Estelle
Starr Herman. She is assisted by
Dolores 'Mihaly, Ann Kasselman,
Beatrice Diamond, Morris Buch-
zeiger, Eve Caner, Bernice Fried-
land, Danny Raskin, Frances Rot-
man, Celia Fine, Helen Wasser-
man, Sam Borakt Earl Davidson
Symphony Soloist
Sr*
ARTI1UR BENAVIE, 16-year-
old violinist and son of Samuel
Benavie, music director of WJR
and the Jam Handy Picture
service, appeared as guest
soloist with the Detroit Sym-
phony Orchestra Wednesday.
Arthur, a pupil of Joseph Gin-
gold, played the Paganini con-
certo.
Hadassah Invites Newlyweds
to a Get-Acquainted Luncheon
To acquaint newly married wo-
men with the activities of Hadas-
sah, invitations have been set out
to 300 of the younger married set
for a buffet luncheon at 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday at the home of Mrs.
Fred Ginsburg, 664 Chicago boule-
vard.
Although Hadassah is a house-
hold word in the Jewish home, the
actual scope of this internationally
recognized organization is not
known to some of the younger
group, Mrs. Morton Zuckerman,
chairman of the event, points out.
Accordingly, she said, the luncheon
has been planned to acquaint the
unaffiliated with Hadassah's pro-
gram.
Assisting Mrs. Zuckerman are
Mesdames Louis Grossman, Mar-
vin Weinstein, Bernard Brown,
Jerome Sonenkiiir, Joseph Allender,
Joseph Gilbert, Charles Pearlman
and Donald Roberts.
A program of brief talks on
Hadassah's basic functions will be
given by Mesdames Henry Barris,
Louis Grossman, Harold Hoffman
and Marvin Weinstein.
Luncheon hostesses include: Mes-
dames Reuben Allender, Sam Ar-
kin, Oshie Baker, Max Blumberg,
Philip Gilbert, Louis Glasier, Sam-
uel Greenberg, Benjamin Imber,
William Isenberg, Harry L. Jones,
Maurice Landau, Judi) Sauls, Carl
Schiller. Henry Stark, Philip Smith,
Julian Tobias, Frank Wetsman and
Leon Zechman.
Any young woman who would
MRS. FREI) GINSBURG
like to acquaint herself with Ha-
dassah through the medium of
this social gathering is invited to
phone Mrs. Morton Zuckerman,
UN. 2-8791.
CENTER DANCE SATURDAY
A Saturday Nite party will be
held Jan. 11 in Butzel Hall of the
Jewish Community Center. Music
will be by Milt Carr and dancing
will be from 9:30 to 12:30.
•
GREAT STRESS WAS LAID upon the duty of visiting the sick,
attending funerals of deceased members, and, chief of all, caring for
the widow and orphan. Social intercourse among members was en-
couraged and distinctions along economic lines were opposed.
The secret passwords, inner and outer guards, regalia, rosettes,
initiation and ceremonies of various kinds had a tremendous appeal
to the German-Jewish immigrants and made them eager to apply for
membership in the lodge.
The immigrant Might peddle his way through life, or toil with his
hands, or engage in retail trade; once a week, however, he forgot
that he was a stranger In a land he did not understand and that did
not understand him. He went weekly to the place of his lodge meet-
ing, where he was ranked according to his degree; once there, once
he had donned his regalia, he was of the inner circle.
The mutual aid and insurance benefit program of Bnai Brith was
abandoned about 1900, as have been all material benefits. The secret
features were abolished in 1920, and the ritual published. The degrees
of initiation were compressed into one and the wearing of regalia
abandoned. The Hebrew titles were abolished in favor of English
terms early In the history of the order.
• • •
IN THE EARLY YEARS of Pisgah the proceedings were carried
on in German. English replaced German as the official language of
the lodge only after a bitter fight waged by the younger members.
After its organization in 1857, Pisgah was augmented by new
arrivals in the city and the membership continued to grow slowly
but steadily. In July, 1864, Pisgah was host to the annual convention
of District Grand Lodge No. 2, of which it then was a part. At this
convention, the law establishing the orphan asylum fund, passed at
the Cleveland conventiOn in 1863, was embodied in the new constitu-
tion for the District.
In 1868 District Grand Lodge No. 6 was established and Pisgah
Lodge was included in the newly established District. Four members
of Pisgah had the honor of serving as presidents of District 6: Adolph
Freund, 1883.1884; Bernard Ginsburg, 1898-1899; Aaron Droock, 1939-
1040; Harry Yudkoff, 1945-1946.
(Next week—Plsgah's B •oader Field of Activity)
Relief Group to Hear
Rabbi Wohlgelernter
The Primrose Benevolent Club
will hold an SOS shower, Monday,
at the Bnai Moshe. Members have
asked their husbands and friends
to attend. Admission to the shower
is a bundle of clothing or a bag
of canned food.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the club
will give its annual Victory lunch-
eon at the Book Casino. This
luncheon honors members who did
outstanding work for the club at
the donor event in November.
ADVENTURE COMIC
Play Director
An eye-witness account of life
in Palestine and the displaced per-
sons camps in Europe will be de-
livered by Rabbi Max J. Wohl-
gelernter at a meeting at 8 p.m.
Thursday of the Detroit Women's
Emergency Relief Committee in
the home of Mrs. William Silver,
2684 Richton avenue.
Volunteers are needed to assist
in packing parcels for European
survivors, it was announced. This
work is done from 2 to 5 p. m. and
from 8 to 11 p. m. on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday of each
week at Clover Hill Dairy, Davi-
son avenue.
Mrs. Max J. Wohlgclernter, TY.
6-7464, and Mrs. James Brindze,
TO. 6-6800, are in charge of pack-
ing. Contributions to the organiza-
tion can be mailed to Mrs. Joshua
Sperka, 1938 Tuxedo avenue.
Primrose Club to Hold
SOS Shower Jan. 13
Two of Many Colorful
Characters in the
a
a
MR& HAROLD SCIIAKNE is
producer and director of a com-
edy, "Baby Snooks Comes to
Temple," to be presented before
the Sisterhood of Temple Israel
at 1 p.m. Monday at the Insti-
tute of Arts. The following are
in the cast: Mesdames Ellis Fish-
er, Samuel Charfoos, Saul Ben-
yes, David Berg, Ben 11Ierkle,
Joseph Bean, Phillip Brevets, Al-
bert Gelb, Jacob Citrin, Morris
Tack and Harmon Dix and Mari-
lyn Gelb. Mrs. Randolph Weber
Is the chairman. Mrs. Samuel
Blather heads the sisterhood.
DAILY and SUNDAY
5
Starting MONDAY, Jan. 13
O
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