Page Six
THE JEWISH NEWS
David A. Brown and Our Times
An Evaluation of the Rise of a Great Campaigner and Humanitarian,
on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, Occurring November 3
By MORRIS D. WALDMAN
graph of that resolution climaxing 12
years of an amazingly effective na-
tion-wide service to the Jewish cause
epitomizes briefly, simply and touch-
BACK IN MY DETROIT
ingly Brown's great contribution.
days sometime between 1924 and 1928
Two men—nearly forgotten—Jacob
I was requested by the editor of the
Billikopf and David A, Brown, have
Jewish Social Service Quarterly to
been mainly responsible for teaching
write an article on "How I came to
the Jews of America to give gen-
be a Social Worker." After writing
erously to philanthropic causes. Billi-
it I felt stimulated to consider writing
kopf discovered Brown. In a sense,
a book which would be a review and
perhaps, Billikopf set him an example.
appraisal of Jewish life in America
In 1917 Billikopf headed the national
during the first quarter of the century.
JDC drive for $10,000,000, a huge sum
But not sure that I would follow
in those days.
through on it I prudently added the
Pump-Priming Device
sub-title: "The first chapter of a book
He had persuaded Julius Rosenwald,
. that may never be written."
the most generous philanthropist of
During the limited leisure of very
the period, to pledge $1,000,000 to
busy days I managed to write two
the campaign as a pump-priming de-
or three more chapters, which, were
vice to obtain the remainder. With
never published. But that ended my
the help of Jacob H. Schiff,' Billikopf
plan for the MAGNUM OPUS. I have
got Brown to agree to head the New
no intention to revive it.
York City part of that campaign.
Brown in Stellar Role
Had it not been for the spirit of
these two men it is doubtful whether
Had I produced it, at least one chap-
Jews of this country could raise today
ter, if .not more, would have been
the astronomical amounts for overseas
devoted to the. feverish activities in
needs and even larger sums, in the
organized Jewish life that were con-
aggregate, for local and national or-
DAVID A. BROWN of New York,
cerned with fund-raising for European
former Detroiter, nationally famous
ganizations, including $30,000,000 for
relief and Palestine during the period
the New York Federation.
campaigner, who will observe his '70th
between 1914 and 1930;In that chap-
birthday on Nov. 3.
Brown's job was not all "beer and
ter the Joint Distribution Committee
skittles." It was a task that could
would have furnished the leading
not have been accomplished if Brown's
scenes of the drama and David A.
I had not expected to talk, but as
idealism had not been combined with a
Brown would have played the stellar
driving (some have said with a brutal)
Brown rightly said, I had a story to
role.
energy that sometimes evoked resent-
tell. I don't recall speaking longer
Because my friendship with Dave
ment on the part of ungenerous "pros-
than 10 or 12 minutes. I told of
was little more than casual I knew
pects" and timid collaborators.
things I had witnessed, of the after-
virtually nothing of his life before he
A man as dynamic as he vvas bound
math of war and pogroms, of epidemic
became, as Isidor Coons of the United
to make enemies as well as friends.
liseases, of children homeless and un-
Jewish Appeal recently characterized
Often he shamed men into giving, in
cared for, of the difficult efforts of
him, "the number one Jew in the
the very presence of their families and
the people to readjust their wretched,
country." Added Coons, "he got fan-
neighbors far beyond the slogan of
broken lives in the face of the terrible
mail, crank letters, etc. Women wrote
"give until it - hurts." Some of them
devastation.
him admiring letters offering to marry
came back to him later and expressed
him." Nor had I, until very recently,
Tears in Hundreds of Eyes •
gratitude for his having helped them
more than the merest inkling of the
My voice broke under the. emotion
to
gain
their
soul.
many civic activities that had made
I felt in recalling and recounting the
Started New Profession
him a leading citizen of his city before
misery I had witnessed. Tears were
It would not be an exaggeration to
1917 when I delved for several days
streaming down from the eyes of
credit these two men as being the
into a vast amount of printed material
hundreds in the audience. And - when
pioneers of a new profession that now
about him. My contact with Brown
. I sat down Frankel shoved his sub-
counts
many
thousands
of
able,
useful
has been virtually entirely in connec-
scription card over . to me- on which
_well-paid people — professional fund •
tion with his Jewish interests and even
appeared quite a substantial
s
figure.
raising.
The
term
"professional"
is
in that area with only those segments
Then quickly withdrawing it he
warranted not only because it is paid
covering his work for the JDC.
crossed out the amount and inserted
service but. because it connotes the
exactly twice the figure and tenderly
His Other Activities
development of a special technic.
whispered into my ear. "You son of
His other important and far-reach-
The most essential qualities are an
a gun, yout speech cost me just
ing activities only intimate friends and
instinct for .public relations, a knowl-
double." •
associates like Jacob Billikopf could
edge of psychology, particularly mass
The spirit of the meeting had
adequately recount. The best Boswell
psychology, and a sense of the dra-
changed. It was Brown who saved
to this Johnson would have been David
matic.
the day. His instantaneous decision,
M. Bressler who unhappily is no
An experience I had with Brown
when he noticed me, to ignore the
longer with us.
well illustrates this observation: One
program and inject a dramatic note,
Therefore the t a sk assigned to me
day in February, 1922, Lreturned home
was a brilliant example of the .technic
by the Editor of The Detroit Jewish
from a seven month's sojourn in
I referred to aboiie.
News is not to write a biographical
Europe where I had served as the
Forthright and Courageous
sketch of this striking personality—a
European director of the War Orphans
It • is evident that David Brown is
task not unworthy of a future historian
and Medico-Sanitary departments of
no flatterer. Like the prophets in
or biographer—but to recall to the
the JDC. On the very day a big cam-
Israel he did not hesitate to flay men
attention of the Jews of America that
paign dinner was being held in New
in high places. He was forthright
though no longer leading the parade
York City. I had not been expected
and courageous. As he was described
of Jewish life he is still an inter-
back until several days later; so,
in 1917 when- he was recommended
ested, and interesting, observer ; a
naturally, no cover had been reserved
to take the chairmanship of the New
white haired figure on the grandstand,
for me. But my wife and I managed
York City, campaign, he had a "slash-
with flashing eyes, ruddy complexion
to get seats next to my good friend
ing, smashing way."
and undiminished vigor, capable, I am
Lee K. Frankel, well in front of the
Brown was always in deadly earnest
sure, of repeating some of the phenom-
dais.
when he spoke but now and then a
enal achievements which made his
Prominent Leaders There
humorous allusion in derogation of
name a household word in scores of
A thousand of the most substantially
himself would reveal that he did not
thousands of Jewish homes from the
situated men and women of New York
suffer from an inflated ego. It would
Atlantic to the Pacific and an object
were in attendance. The most prom-
not have been surprising had he ac-
of grateful veneration to millions of
inent leaders were at the speakers'
quired a swelled head in view of the
Jews in Eastern
table, Brown presid-
Europe.
encomiums which were showered upon
ing. Several h a'd
him for many years. It is refreshing
spoken and Louis
Among the thou-
to find him at this time a truly simple
Marshall • was fin-
sands of press ar-
and modest man at heart, calm and
ishing his appeal for
ticles and leaflets I
mellow, respectful of the opinions of
funds when Felix
found a number of
those whose intellect and integrity .he
Warburg spied me
__beautifully engrossed
admires even to the point of hero-
and descended the
resolutions in parch-
worship.
This was so with regard to
platform
to
greet
ment, enthusiasti-
his love and admiration for Louis
me. Up to that mo-
cally awarded to
Marshall, universally regarded as the
ment the audience
him. One must
outstanding statesman of American
w a s discouragingly
have cost several
Jewry.
cold and indifferent.
thousand dollars to
Marshall's Speech Recalled
David Brown
prepare, signed by
looked worried. Then
several hundred
Here, it would be well to call in
he spied me, with
leading Jewish citi-
Louis Marshall and hear from his lips,
Warburg standing
zens of Philadelphia
as permanently recorded, what he
over me. In despera-
thought of David Brown. The speech
and 22 other cities
tion, but with a
of Western Pennsyl-
he delivered at a great meeting, called
sense for the dra-
vania, headed by
the Victory Conference, • held in De-
matic he shouted,
Albert Lieberman,
troit on April 9, 1922, not only- vividly
"there is Morris
captioned "in esteem
recalls David Brown's activities in
Waldman who has
and affection pre-
those, early years but paints a piCture
just returned from
sented at the New
of the man in a colorful yet accurate
MORRIS
D.
WALDMAN,
au-
Europe; we hadn't
York Conference of
likeness such as no historian or bio-
thor of this article, has just re-
expected him for
the United Jewish
grapher, who never knew him in the
signed as executive vice-presi-
several days. Fresh
Campaign and the
flesh, could paint. And no finer
dent of the American Jewish - from the front he
Joint Distribution
tribute to Brown's life and work
Committee.
One
of
the
country's
can tell you what
Committee, May 11-
could be paid now on his seventieth
leading social workers, he was
the situation over-
12, 1929, Biltmore
anniversary than. to reproduce a good
executive
director
of
the
United
seas is and I am sure
Hotel, New York
part of that unmanuscripted speech, as
Jewish Charities of Detroit and
you will all want to
City."
it was stenographically reported.
was responsible for the formation
g e t a first - hand
That was in 1922. In 1925 David
The opening para-
of the Jewish Welfare Federation.
story from him."
Brown was 50. His host of friends and
Friday, November 2, 1945
admirers throughout the country
could not let his birthday pass un-
noticed. Hundreds of letters and tele-
grams reached him from all over the
country and from abroad, from the
President down to the humblest of
European Jewry, grateful for his
works and eager to do him honor..
A. Touching Resolution
Temple Beth El of Detroit adopted
a touching resolution. Herbert H.
Lehman, who since then has gained
enviable laurels as one of New York's
ablest governors • and is now the di-
rector-general of the greatest relief
action in history, the UNRRA, at that
time vice-president of the JDC, sent
him a message. He received an im-
portant greeting from Louis Marshall
That was in 1925. In 1929 David
Brown established his domicile in New
York as president of a bank. A large
and notable citizen's committee greet-
ed his advent with great enthusiasm
in the form of a public dinner presided
over by Lee K. Frankel. Among the
10 speakers was the Mayor, three dis-
tinguished guests from Detroit, the
Lieutenant Governor of New York and
Louis Marshall. It was not a fund
raising dinner but a spontaneous greet-
ing. All the speeches were gay and
witty. Even Henry Ford who was
present thawed out and circulated
a tribute in writing praising his fel-
low townsman in warmest terms.
Picture Covers Page One
The Daily Mirror devoted its en-
tire front page to a photograph of
Brown and three more pages were
entirely given to the story of the re-
ception and the history of his life.
The speech of Marshall, who was in-
troduced by Frankel "as the greatest
and most beloved Jew in the U. S.,"
and who had by that time been in-
timately associated with Brown in
philanthropic work for 12 years, is
worthy of being reproduced • today. It
reflects ne dimunition of the high re-
gard and affection the great Jewish
leader had manifested in • previous
years.
Less r than three months later
Marshall died in Zurich just as he and
Chaim Weizmann had completed the
job of establishing the enlarged Jew-
ish Agency for Palestine.
Published Jewish Periodical
Brown's removal to New York did
not end his active interest in Jewish
affairs. He became, a. little later,
owner and publisher of the. American
Hebrew, and gave much of his time to
this periodical. He wrote a "publish-.
er's column" regularly and many ad-
ditional articles on many subjects, not
all confined to things Jewish. In the
light of his lack of formal education
(he went to work when he was 13)
his command of English, his lucid
style and evidence, of his wide reading
were little less than amazing, espe-
cially in one whose life had been
packed with activity far beyond the
normal.
Here. he had the opportunity to ex-
press himself more freely than ever.
The smashing, slashing propensities
which had brought him -the call in
1917 to head up the JDC Campaign
in. New York City had full sway in
this publication. His forceful person-.
ality could not brook consideration of
tact and diplomacy. He was no ap-
peaser. His were heavy blows of the
club, not. skillful thrusts of the rapier.
- lie Made Many Enemies
The result was that he made many
enemies. _He- personalized communal
issues largely because he was unhappy
over the fact that those who shared
his views in private frequently failed
to give them public support. But even
_ those whom he offended most bitterly
could not justly accuse him of lack
of sincerity and intellectual integrity.
Many of his articles were clarion
calls for generous support for relief
needs here and abroad. One dated
May 2, 1932, originally delivered as a
radio address entitled, "Tired of
Giving? You Don't Know What It Is to
Be Tired," with a sketch of the face
of a middle-aged Eastern European
Jewess that "set millions of hearts
athrob with compassion for the under-
priveleged" was a masterpiece of cam-
paign "literature" and helped substan-
tially to revive interest following the
crash of 1929.
That the impression may not gain
ground, because of the emphasis I
have placed upon Brown as a money
raiser, that fund raising was his ex-
clusive interest in philanthropy, I am
impelled to say a word about his part
in what are termed the functional
aspects of social work as distinguished
from fiscal aspects. He was a very
active factor in the policy making of
the JDC and other philanthropies with
which he was identified.
Went Abroad Frequently
He went abroad frequently on corn-
Missions and in •his individual capacity
and explored the remotest places in
(Continued on Page 19)