Friday, November 30; 1945
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Multi-Faceted Career
Rabbi. Fram's Activities
Reviewed on 50th Birthday
Played Leading Role in Important Community Projects;
Noted for Educational Work; Is One of Michigan's
Leading Zionists; Testimonials Planned in His Honor
When Rabbi Leon Fram celebrates his 50th birthday
on Dec. 12, those greeting him and wishing him well will
not be limited to the members of Temple Israel or the Jew-
ish community of Detroit. He will receive the felicitations
of communities of Jews and Christians with whom he had
worked in causes for the good of America and humanity.
He will be acclaimed by Zion- 0
ists whom he is serving loyally
in the cause of Jewish national
redemption. He will receive the
good wishes of his associates in
Reform Judaism, this year mark-
ing also the 25th anniversary of
his graduation from Hebrew
Union College, the 20th annivers-
ary of his coming to Detroit as
assistant rabbi of Temple Beth
El and the fifth anniversary of
his spiritual leadership of Temple
Israel.
Rabbi Fram was born Dec. 12,
1895, the first night of Hanukah,
in Rosienny (Raseinas or Rosh-
en), Russia. His father, Michael
Fram, a goldsmith, died young,
leaving his widow, Leah, with
five children of whom Leon was
the youngest. The oldest daugh-
RABBI LEON FRAM
ter, Jennie, now of blessed mem-
ory, left for America and out of
Savings from meager wages special courses in education at
brought the entire family to the University of Chicago, he
made his religious school an ex-
Baltimore, Md.
periment in progressive methcids
Gives Up Scholarship
of education and served as presi-
In Chemistry for Rabbinate
dent of Ramah Bnai Brith Lodge.
Graduating from the Baltimore
Attracts Wide Attention
public schools, the Baltimore With Adult Courses
Talmud Torah and with honors
Coming to Detroit in 1925,
from Baltimore City College, he
won a free scholarship to study Rabbi Fram founded a new move-
chemistry at Johns Hopkins Uni- ment of adult education at
versity, but a casual visit at Temple Beth El. Local universi-
Eutah Place Temple with the late ties gave students credit for at-
Rabbi William Rosenau, who was tendance at his classes and he
known to have recruited more made adult education "so attrac-
students for Hebrew Union Col- tive that the adult school attract-
lege than any other rabbi, caused ed thousands of students. His
him to turn from chemistry to work attracted wide attention,
with the result that he was called
the rabbinate.
In 1915 he entered Hebrew upon to speak on his experi-
Union College* and the University ments before the Council of the
of Cincinnati, graduating from Union of American Hebrew Con-
both with honors, receiving his gregations and the Central Con-
M. A. and B. A. from the latter ference of American Rabbis and
and being awarded the Jacob H. he wrote extensively on the sub-
Kaplan Talmudic Prize for an ject. He established a pre-
essay on "Traces of Jesus in kindergarten nursery, the Temple
Midrash and Talmud" and the High School and was responsible
University of Cincinnati Social for many advances in Jewish
Service Prize. for an essay on educational methods.
Rabbi Fram became popular as
"Social Service in Its Relation
a story-teller and his Yom Kip-
to the Armed Forces."
pur stories, told at afternoon
Gains Large Following
Atonement Day services, were
During Service In Chicago
Rabbi Fram's first ptilpit was looked forward to by the young-
sters.
in Temple Judea, in Chicago's
His "The Story of a Melody,"
Lawndale section, a neighbor-
hood of 100,000 orthodox families. which appeared in Young Israel
He succeeded in enrolling hun- Magazine, won for him a na-
dreds in his Temple and thous- tional prize.
ands of young people came under His Many Activities
his influence and began to take For Causes In Detroit
an active interest in Jewish life.
For many years, Rabbi Fram
While in Chicago he took has been a member of the Corn-
mission on Jewish Education of
the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations and is chairman
of its committee on schools.
His services to Detroit have
been multi-faceted. As chair-
man of the League for Human
Rights, he led the movement for
the boycott of German-made
goods.
He is chairman of the corn-
munity relations committee of
the Jewish Community Council,
of which he is vice-president.
He is president of the Zionist
Organization of Detroit and for
many years has been one of the
most active Zionist leaders in
Michigan. At the Zionist conven-
tion in Atlantic City he was
elected a member of the ZOA
national executive committee.
A close personal friend of Mr.
New Zionist Org. Holds
Mass Meeting Dec. 17
The New Zionist Organization
of Detroit (Revisionist) will hold
a mass meeting
at the Bnai'
Moshe on Mon-
day evening,
Dec. 17.
Speakers will
include Rabbi
Moses Fischer,
Judge Patrick H.
O'Brien of Pro-
bate Court of
Wayne County,
Dr. Joseph Rabbi Fischer
Schechtman, former president of
the Polish Revisionist Zionists,
and B. Netanyahu, former editor
of the Jerusalem Hayarden.
The Rev. David Katzman will
recite the Haskarah for the Jew-
ish martyrs in Europe.
Justice Frank Murphy of the
U. S. Supreme Court, Mr. Mur-
phy, as Mayor of Detroit, ap-
pointed him chairman of the
committee to investigate labor
conditions during the depression.
Rabbi Fram delivered the in-
augural sermon at Mr. Murphy's
inauguration as Governor of
Michigan.
Forms Temple Israel; Raise
$400,000 for a Building
Rabbi Fram has traveled
through Palestine, Mexico and
other Latin American countries.
He was in Germany in 1937 and
his pamphlet "Inside Germany"
was circulated ,in hundreds of
thousands of copies. He wrote
a series of articles for the De-
troit News on his travel impres-
sions.
In 1941 Rabbi Fram resigned
from his post at Temple Beth El
and responded to the call of his
friends to found Temple Israel,
which now has a membership
of 800. A building fund•has been
started for the new Temple and
more than half of the $400,000
goal already has been subscribed.
The Sisterhood of Temple Israel
is raising a fund for a kitchen
project in the new Temple.
It is believed that a number
of testimonial events will be ar-
ranged here by the many move-
ments in whose behalf Rabbi
Fram has labored in Detroit, to
pay him honor for services well
done.
6543 Sylvester
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: This poem, dedicated by Anne Campbell.
Detroit News poet, to the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Jewish National
Fund, was read by the author at a meeting of the organization at the
Rose Sittig Cohen Bldg. on Nov. 21. Miss Campbell was presented with a
certificate signifying that trees were planted in her honor in Palestine.)
Over the roads of the world
They have no goal, no home.
The refugees are walking.
They have no place to go.
They have a dream of home,
And it is of home they are talking,
They who are starved and crushed
'Neath an avalanche of woe.
What is their dream as they wander
Under teeming skies and fine?
What is their theme as they wander:
Palestine! Palestine!
There are babies torn from their mothers;
There are women too sad to weep.
There are young men, old men and others
Who have no homes to keep.
There are grandmothers helpless and wear. y,
Whose pillow is a stone.
There are children who scream with terror,
Walking, walking alone.
What is their dream as they limp through the woods,
And over the roads in a piteous line?
What is the theme of their heartbreak today?
Palestine! Palestine!
What can we give these refugees
That through the evil darkness grope?
Warmth for their backs, fire for their hearts,
And for their souls the hope
Of a future home, a sheltered wall,
A stalwart roof and a bed for all;
Windows to catch the sun and shine
With the holy light of Palestine!
That is a dream to sustain the soul!
God's hand is planning the whole design!
That is the promise and the goal,
Palestine! Palestine!
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