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 DETROIT TIMES Dial CHerry 8800 to Order Carrier Delivery COPPIR CALHOON