THE JEWISH NEWS

Page Twelve

Windsor's Communal Leadership
Wins High Respect of All Canada

BY RUTH MIRIAM LEVINE

Detroit Jews may look with pride upon their Canadian
cousins across the river. The Jewish community of
Windsor, though ranking seventh in population among
Canadian Jewish groups is acclaimed the leader in that
country in almost every phase of communal work, and
serves as an example to other cities as they develop simi-
lar patterns of activity.
The 3,000 Jews in Windsor form a closely-knit com-
munity, under the leadership of the Jewish Community
Council. The Council serves as an all-inclusive agency,
combining fund-raising, welfare, recreational, cultural,
counseling and other community services. All contribu-
tors to the annual" Windsor Welfare Fund campaign are
members of the Council and are eligible to vote for its
officers.
Until this year, Windsor was the only Canadian Jewish
community to conduct a unified, once-a-year fund drive.
Windsor is a highly-organized community. Every
national and international Jewish organization has a
branch there, and a number of independent cultural
and educational groups also exist. Ardent Zionists, the
Windsorites work and give generously for Palestine.
Part of the key to Windsor's supremacy on the Can-
adian Jewish scene is its excellent leadership. Three of
its top men are among the most prominent Jews in
Canada — Michael M.
Sumner, president of
the Community Coun-
cil; Harry Cherniak,
Council treasurer and
past president, and
Harry Rosenthal,
Council executive
board member, all
hold positions on the
nation boards of the
Zionist Organiz'ation
of Canada, the Can-
adian Jewish Con-
gress and the local
region of the Council
of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds.
Windsor's profes-
sional community
leader is Louis Lieb-
lich, executive direc-
tor of the Community
Council.
A trained
group worker, Lieblich
MICHAEL M. SUMNER
came to Windsor two
years ago after his army service. Although experienced
with the Jewish communtiies of New York, Chicago and
Pittsburgh, Lieblich is most enthusiastic about the Wind-
sor community's leadership and spirit.
He emphasizes particularly the activity of the youthful
element of the community. There are few young adults
who are not affiliated with at least one Jewish organiza-
tion, he said. Within the past year the community has
taken great strides in providing activities for children
and teen-agers. For example, fve new Young Judea
groups have been established. The council provides a
part-time group worker to lead youth activities.
Windsor has three synagogues, but much of its cultural,
recreational and social life revolves about the largest,
Shaar Hashomayim. Its large auditorium and social hall
are in constant use for some type. of Jewish event.
Shaarey Zedek and Tifereth Yisroel in East Windsor are
the other synagogues. All are orthodox and are mutually
served by Rabbi Benjamin Groner, a young, energetic
person who has won the esteem and friendship of the
entire community.
There are two Jewish schools in Windsor. Shaar
Hashomayim sponsors a Talmud Torah, now directed by
Rabbi Chaim Weinstein, with an enrollment of about 75
pupils. The I. L. Peretz Yiddish School has 100 students,
an unusually high figure for a Canadian city. Joseph
Kligman is the director. Windsor's Jewish library facil-
ities, at present are that of the AZA youths, who main-
tain a national Jewish library for AZA of Canada, and
small libraries sponsored by the two schools. The Jewish
Youth Cultural Organization is in process of organizing
a new community library which will be housed at Shaar
Hashomayim.
Recognizing the need for augmented community rec-
reational and cultural facilities, Windsorites last year
conducted a week-long community planning conference
which was climaxed by a decision to build a Jewish
community center. A budget was set up and a special
fund-raising drive planned, but the developments in
the Palestine situation took precedence in the hearts
and minds of the Canadians, and the community cen-
ter plans were shelved to allow for the greatest pos-
sible financial assistance for the Yishuv.
As individuals, Windsor's Jews are typical of any
small city Jews. Primarily they are merchants and
"white-collar" workers, with a sprinkling of manufac-
turers, a fairly high
proportion of profes-
sionals—doctors, law-
yers, dentists, a n d
many industrial work-
ers. Windsorites are
active in civic affairs,
too. Harry Rosenthal
and Eli Golden are
prominent members
of the Retail Mer-
chants Association and
Chamber of Corn-
merce. Dr. Dennis
Barkoff has been
president of the Wind-
sor Dentists' Associa-
tion. Maxwell Schott
is on the Windsor Li-
brary Board And, of
course, all Windsor is
proud of David Croll,
BARRY ROSENTHAL
three-term mayor of
the city, who is now

acquitting himself creditably in the Canadian Parliament.
Though separated. by an international border, the
Detroit and Windsor Jewish communities are closely re-
lated. As a larger community, Detroit is able to pro-
vide many more facilities, such as the Jewish Center,
which are made available to Windsor groups. When a
distinguished personality such as Golda Meyerson, visits
Detroit, Windsorites are always invited across the river.
The Windsor Community Council has an agreement
with the Detroit Jewish Vocational Service, whereby
Canadian youths are offered vocational counseling and
employment guides. Windsor, in turn, speaks for the
Detroit Community Council on the Canadian side of such
international projects as radio station CKLW. Detroit
receives great benefit from the Windsor Council in immi-
gration matters, a service which has become particularly
valuable within the past few years.
The informal aspect of international cooperation is
particularly evident in youth activities. Detroit and
Windsor AZA groups form a combined council. Young
Judea and Bnai Brith Girls chapters of the two cities often
hold joint meetings and affairs. Intermarriage between
American and Canadian young men and women is not
uncommon, and often results from these cooperative
youth programs.
Windsor's Community Council board is made up of the
elected officers, committee chairmen, campaign leaders,
and delegates of each Jewish organization. Represented
on the Council are the following groups:

I. L. Peretz Mothers' Club, Jewish Russian Ukrainian Far-
band, Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew
University, Mizrachi Youth of Windsor, Hashnosas Orchim,
Branch 362 of the Canadian Legion, Windsor Lodge No. 1011 of
Bnai Brith, Canadian Birobidjan Committee, Mizrachi Organiza-
tion of Windsor, Shaar Hashomayim Sisterhood, Workmen's
Circle, ICUF Reading Club, ICUF Ladies' Reading Club, Zionist
Council.
Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, Congregation Tifereth
Yisroel, Essex Co-Operative Society, Junk Peddlers' Association,
Herzl Zion Club, Parent-Teachers' Club of the Talmud Torah,
Jewish Youth Cultural Organization, Jewish National Workers'
Alliance, Poale Zion, Lillian Friedman Hadassah, Wingate Poale
Zion, Kadimah Group of Hadassah. Pinsker Progressive Aid
Society, Chana Senesh Club. Bnai Brith Women's Lodge, United
Jewish Peoples' Order, Pioneer Women Club of Windsor,
Junior Hadassah and the I. L. Peretz School.

The officers of the Council, especially the three men-
tioned above, are generous with their time, energy and
ideas, and their enthusiasin for community work has
inspired the major part of the Jewish population to
similar effort.
Michael Sumner—to quote his friend and colleague
Lieblich—is "A very rare person—the most active com-
munity worker you could ever find." Although trained
for the rabbinate at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Semi-
nary in New York, he Is a printer by profession, but
he has remained active religiously and is chairman
of the board of the Shaar Hashomayim.
The Cherniak bro-
thers —Harr y and
Archie—are both ar-
dent workers for the
synagogue and the
Council. Archie Cher-
niak is highly es-
teemed for his keen
judgment and expert
advice, particularly
around campaign
time, but he has per-
sistently refused to
accept community of-
fices.
One of Canada's
outstanding Zionists
is Harry Rosenthal,
last year's president
of the Ontario Zionist
Region. He has been
in charge of public
relations for the Com-
HARRY CHERNIAK
munity Council for
many years. A key figure in Windsor's campaign is
Robert Slutzky, this year's drive chairman. An ardent
,worker, he has the knack of "getting others to give."
Other officers of the Council include M. C. Meretsky,
11. Novak and Mrs. J. Rash, vice presidents; Jacob Rash,
secretary, and W. Auerbach, S. Freed, Frances Geller,
A. F. Goldberg, E. C. Goldin, W. Hurwitz, B. Nosanchuk,
H. Rosenthal, Mrs. W. L. Taylor and H. Vexler, members
of the executive. Mr. and Mrs. Rash are an unusual
family team. In addition to their posts on the Council,
Mrs. Rash is chairman of the . Worrien's Division of the
Welfare Fund and her husband is president of the Wind-
sor Zionist Organization.
Perhaps most indicative of the spirit and unity of
Windsor Jewry is its most recent project—the wel-
coming and assimilation of 19 - young refugees from!
the displaced persons' camps ,of Europe. All are or-
phans, although three have found relatives either in
Detroit or Windsor. They have been in Canada three
months, and each is settled with a congenial family.
The entire community has rallied to their aid—find-
ing employment, providing recreational opportunities,
educating them to their new way of life. Upon their
arrival, a women's committee received them, found them
homes, bought them new clothes. Two are attending
high school, several are practicing the trades they learned
thqrough ORT in Europe, others are training for new
jobs—one youth is going to Montreal to be trained as
a "shoichet." Rabbi Weinstein, the Talmud Torah di-
rector, has arranged a special night school class at which
the newcomers are learning English.
It is a good community which these young people
have entered. Its residents, its leaders, its activities have
won the respect not only of all Canada but of observant
Americans as well. With the excellent examples of com-
munal living before them, the young refugees, may be
expected to learn quickly a new, positive way of life
as free Jews.

Friday, April 23, 1948

For the Sake of Freedom

Campaign Dedicated
To Cause of Liberty

For World Jewry

BY ISIDORE' SOBELOFF

Passover will be an especially poignant
observance in 1948. The Jews of the world,
more than ever before, are in a position 'to
comprehend the experiences of the Jews of
Biblical times who celebrated their deliver- ,
ance from Egypt in the first Passover. This
year the traditional holiday of freedom has
an immediate meaning to us, because in the
Allied Jewish Campaign of Destiny we have
dedicated ourselyes to join with the other
Jews of America in providing the means to
a permanent home, with liberty and freedom,
for our people in Europe and Palestine.
It is because of the association of April,
Passover and Freedom that this month has
been designated as Freedom Month through-
out the nation. This is the month during
which American Jews will be called upon
to make Freedom a meaningful word to the
Jews in the DP camps, to the Jews in the
ruins of Europe, to the Jews imprisoned on
Cyprus, to the Jews building new lives in
our own country and to the Jews battling
for a homeland in Palestine.
This is the month, too, when we in De-
troit will reaffirm the freedom we have
under the
American way
of life to build
up and streng-
then the social,
cultural, health
and welfare
agencies that
make up our
community
services here
at home.
Palestine
must be made
ready, through
the United Pal-
estine Appeal,
to absorb tens
of thousands of
i m m i g rants,
and it must be
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
ready t o de-
fend itself and them against the forces who
seek to prevent the Jews of Europe from
finding a home in Palestine. It was another
Passover—five years ago—that the heroic
Jews of Warsaw defied the might of the
German wehrin.acht. The Palestinian Jews
have given evidence that they will fight
with at least equal valor—but assistance
from us is urgently required.
In Europe the Joint Distribution Com-
mittee is bringing freedom from insecurity
and want to a million Jews who were up-
rooted when the Nazis swarmed over the
Continent. As part of its relief and re-
habilitation program, it is providing supple-
mentary food rations to the Jewish displaced
persons in the camps. It is giving medical
care to the ailing and clothing to the ill
clad, and it is teaching new skills to prepare
Jews for new lives in permanent homes.
The United Service for New Americans
is making possible a new life under free
institutions in the United States for immi-
grants who are coming to these shores after
years of hopelessness and despair in other
countries.
The success of the $250,000,000 United Jew-
ish Appeal, on which depends the effective-
ness of the programs of the Joint Distribu-
tion Committee, the United Palestine Appeal
and the United Service for New Americans,
rests with the Jews of America—residing in
3,500 communities across the country now
engaged in the greatest voluntary fund-
raising drive in the history of any people
or nation.
We, the Jews of Detroit, identify with the
other American Jewish communities through
our Allied Jewish Campaign. It is impera-
tive, for the sake of the freedom of Jews
everywhere that, in this historic month of
, Freedom, we rededicate ourselves to the sal-
vation of our people.

THIS IS 'FREEDOM MONTH

As you recount the ancient tale of the first liberation from slavery, around
the Seder table, remember that thousands of Jews in Europe and in
Palestine are still awaiting real liberation. You can help achieve freedom
for world Jewry by supporting the causes embodied in Detroit's

,

ALLIED JEWISH CAMPAIGN for $6,200,000

