Friday, March 12, 1948

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page Eleven

Letter Raps Welfare Federation, By-Laws

System of Elections
and Statement of
Purpose Challenged

DEAR MR. KROLIK:
I address this letter to you,
as president of the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation, in a spirit of
constructive criticism and not
as the publisher of the Jewish
Chronicle but as a member of
the Detroit Jewish Community.
Let me say in advance that
the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
will support the Allied Jewish
Campaign effort just started to
the utmost of its ability and
responsibility despite any unilat-
eral action already taken or
that may be taken by the Fed-
eration.
We as a newspaper feel very
deeply our responsibility to our
readers, our community and to
our fellow Jews all over the
world, and we will not allow
the campaign to be hampered
or endangered because of any
private motives or misconstruc-
tions on the part of some of our
leaders.
•
•
BY-LAWS PUBLISHED
NOW TO THE point. On Fri-
day, Feb. 27, you published in
another Anglo-Jewish newspaper
the proposed amended Federa-
tion by-laws—which were to be
submitted for adoption at a
membership meeting on Thurs-
day, March 4. But for the fact
that the next issue of our paper
was to be out on Friday, March
5, we would have publicized
' these by-laws and our comments
before the meeting.
Unfortunately, most of the
people who were present at the
meeting abstained from voting
on the motions made there. But
since amendments are still open,
we feel it our duty to review
some provisions of these by-laws
as adopted and call to the at-
tention of our 18,000 readers
their fallacies and their threat.
• • •
FEDERATION PURPOSE
WE BASE OUR criticism on

two major points:
(1) The purpose or function
of the Federation as given in
the by-laws goes beyond any
authority ever .granted to the
Federation by the Jewish com-
munity and is dangerous to the
well-being of our communal life.
(2) The provisions on the
election and administration of
the Federation are undemocratic.
Article I of the by-laws states
the purpose of the Federation
as follows:
". . . to provide for com-
munity planning, coordination,
and financing; to facilitate the
enlistment of leadership and
support for those things neces-
sary to the community wel-
fare; to raise and distribute
funds; to acquire and hold
property, real and personal,
by purchase, gift, devise, be-
quest or otherwise; to review
and determine the obligations,
responsibilities and effective-
ness of all agencies requesting
appropriations; to provide for
and budget the annual require-
ments and disbursements of
beneficiary agencies; and in
cooperation with affiliated,
beneficiary and other related
organizations, to establish and
discharge those responsibili-
ties for the needs of Jewish
life in Detroit and elsewhere
which may be found neces-
sary."

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and the officers of the Federa-
tion are elected by the board
of governors; vacancies are
filled by the board of govern-
ors; members, individuals or
institutiohs can be removed by
the board of governors; powers
of the executive committee are
designated by the board of
governors.
• • •
DANGEROUS HOLD
YOU NEED ONLY 30 mem-
bers for a membership meet-
ing, •and if too many "outsiders"
should show up then the meet-
ing can be adjourned. The
members present at the sub-
sequent meeting would then
constitute a quorum if only five •
or feWer should appear, at
which time an election for the
board of,governors can be held.
Mind you, I am not criticiz-
ing your present board of gov-
ernors. I am criticizing the by-
laws. The present board is corn-
posed of some of our most de-
voted, capable and most com-
munity-conscious men and worn-
en—who are giving of both
their time and effort for the
well-being of our community.
But that still does not jus-
tify the purpose of the by-laws
as adopted nor the usurpation
of democratic rights. Such pur-
poses would be justified only if
the Jewish community were
aware of the full significance
of your Article I.
After the by-laws have been
given the full benefit of dis-
cussion, and Detroiters the full
benefit to vote upon them and
the full benefit to elect the
leaders to head the organiza-
tion — persons who represent
every phase of Jewish life —
then and only then will you
be justified in assuming the re-
sponsibilties as stated as the
purpose of the Federation.
Your committee claimed
that it took it two years to
draw up these by-laws. Why,
Mr. Krolick, did you allow
only 45 minutes for discus-
sion, and then on the basis
of pressure and unparliamen-
tary tactics, permit the by-
laws to go to a vote?
Yours very truly,
S. T.

Beth Aaron Men
Await Games Night

Leading the grand march at the fifth annual military ball
of the Michigan Department, Jewish War Veterans, in Ma-
sonic Temple were, left to right, R. C. Cohen, captain of the
JWV color guard, Mayor Van Antwerp, and Mrs. Harold
Moran, president of the Silverman Ladies Auxiliary.

MASONIC AUDITORIUM

MON., MAR. 22-8:20 P.M.

MARIAN ANDERSON

TICKETS: $3.00, $2.40, $1.80, $1.20 GRINNELL'S, TE. 2-7100

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SUN., MARCH 21, 2:20 P.M.

JOHN CHARLES THOMAS

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AFTERNOON AFFAIRS

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is

Mayor Leads JWV Grand March

• • •

THE BETTER VEGETABLE SHORTENING
. . . fOR BARING, COOXING, FRYING

A

like certan phases of Jewisn
activity.
And since your manner of
electing a board of governors,
which has the complete and ab-
solute authority over the direc-
tion and management of the
Federation, is most undemo-
cratic, such a contingency is
within the realm of possibility.
The present board of govern.
ors can now perpetuate itself
or the people of its choice in
office forever.
No nominations are allowed
from the floor. Only by special
written petition with 25 signa-
tures and 10 days' notice would
additional nominations be ac-
cepted.
The board can pack its body
with an additional 25 members,
and because of the financial
hold over its institutional mem-
bers, the board further strength-
ens its control.
Thus the board of governors
elects the board of governors

SWALLOWS ALL
IS THERE A function of
Jewish life here or elsewhere
that you eliminated?
Has a Jewish leadership been
given over to you by default
or is this a coup d'etat?
Is there anything proposed
by the American Jewish Con-
ference or Assembly (which the
Federations rejected) that is
not included in ,Article I?
On the basis of the by-laws,

NYAFAT

SPECIAL RATES GIVEN

there is no further need for a
Jewish Community Council, an
Anti-Defamation League or
even a Zionist Organization ex-
cept as you might choose to find
it "necessary" to cooperate
with them.
The by-laws would give the
Federation authority to collect
funds, allocate and budget these
funds of any type and provide
against spending these funds ex-
cept as they are specifically al-
located.
What chance would the
Jewish Community Council,
which depends for its exist-
ence on the funds allocated
to it by the Federation, have
to overrule the Federation or
reject its dictates?
• • •
YOUR CONTROL of Jewish
life here is dangerous and
might even create chaos if the
Federation leadership, for ex-
ample, should. fall into the
hands of some people' who dis-

Candid Shots .. .

of your
WEDDING
PARTIES - BAR MITZVAH
by

Just who will win the three
prizes in the raffle of the Beth
Aaron Men's Club will be de-
cided at the group's evening of
games, Saturday in the Syna-
gogue, Wyoming and Thatcher
avenues.
Grand prize is a television set,
with a mangle and a vacuum
cleaner as second ane third place
awards, respectively.
Proceeds will go to charity. Re-
freshments will be served.

Kvutzah Ivrith to Hear
Rabbi Adler Saturday

Rabbi Morris Adler will be
guest speaker at a gathering of
Kvutzah Ivrith at 9 p.m., Satur-
day, in the Rose Sittig Cohen
Bldg.
Ile will talk on "Elijah, the
Gaon of Wilna" in commeroration
of the 150th anniversary of the
noted Rabbi's death.
The public is invited, Solomon
Kasdan, chairman, said. Joseph
Katz is president of the organiza-
tion.

Chronicle Social and Club
News deadline is noon Monday.

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