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Entire Community Honors Butzel at Funeral
yederation Creates Special
Fred Butzel Memorial Fund
pr. Glazer, in Eulogy at Funeral Service, Calls Upon Com-
munity to Dedicate Itself "to Heritage He Has Bequeathed
to Us": Entire Country Honors Michigan's Great Leader
Thousands of Detroiters turned out , over the week-end, at
the funeral-parlor and at the funeral services at Temple Beth
El on Mondaysmorning, to pay final tribute to Fred M. Butzel.
Long before the scheduled hour for the service, at 11 on
Monday, the auditorium of Temple Beth El began to fill
y the thousands who came to
onor the man whom Christians
and Jews have come to recognize
as Michigan's leading philan-
hropist and social worker.
There were Christians and Jews
n the congregation. Many leading
ersonalities in the community
ere there. The service was con-
ucted by Dr. B. Benedict Glazer,
abbi of Temple Beth El. Jason
ickton was the participating
rganist. There was a Boy Scout
onor guard in Naval uniforms.
Dr. Glazer read the Fifteenth
saim and selections from the
wenty-ninth chapter of the Book
f Job. - •
"A Prince and a Mighty Man
as fallen this day," Rabbi Glazer
aid. "He haS left us orphaned
nd bereaved.: He was an unique
d inspired - ttersonality."
-Speakinei:-61 the . "almost in-
redible range and depth of his
interest and services," Dr. Glazer
aid that "f(* this we loved him
d his pe*tirating intelligence,
s unflagging zeal- and energy."
He paid honor to his gener-
ous heart OW desEribed his ac-
tivities as that of a great citi-
zen, a great AmeriCan, "a loyal
and conscious Jew who was
positive in his generous at-
tachments."
Dr. Glazer pointed out that
• Butzel was "known and res-
ected as a -national personality.
e became for many the living
ymbol of conscience and 'com-
assion." He told of the help he
xtended to students and immi-
ants, and declared that "he
fted the burdens and anxieties
f troubled hearts." Even in the
ast days he displayed his "self-
orgetfulness in his hours of pain
d suffering" by inquiring re-
arding community activities and
he progress, that was being made
y the religipus school committee
f Temple Beth El.
Rabbi • Glazer said that Mr.
Butzel "accepted faithfully his
duties as a member of the Beth
El religious school board," that
he was a. loyal Zionist who
labored to See the unfortunate
people in Europe settled in the
State of Israel. He concluded
with the appeal: "Let us pledge
ourselves to the heritage he has
bequeathed; to us."
The pallbearers were the mem-
bers of the law firm he headed—
Isidore Levin, Harry Winston,
Chris M. Youngjohn, Edward
Quint, Morris Stein, Henry Sills,
Max Fruhauf, Jacob Keidan and
Rodman Myers.. Burial was in
Woodmere Cemetery.
The flag at the Community
Fund Building, 51 W. Warren,
was at half mast. Many offices
were closed to enable entire
staffs to attend the funeral serv-
ice.
On the Sabbath, tributes to Mr.
Butzel's memory were paid by
Rabbis in all synagogues.
The. executive boards of prac-
tically all national organizations
met in special sessions to adopt
resolutions in honor of the great.
Detroiter who for more than 40
years had given encouragement to
every effort to aid the needy, to
rehabilitate the homeless, to assist
the downtrodden.
In compliance with the wishes
of the deceased and at the re-
quest of the survivors—Mr.
Butzel's two brothers, Michi-
gan's Supreme Court Justice
Henry ,M. Butzel, and . Lawrence
M. Butzel of New York—there
were no floral tributes. Spe-
cific requests were made that
memorials should be in the form
of contributions to charitable
causes.
The first group to make special
gifts to the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign, in addition to their pre-
vious gifts, in Mr. Butzel's mem-
ory, were the members of the staff
of the Jewish Social Service
Bureau. .
A special Fred M. Butzei
Memorial Fund has been set up
by the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion and the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign and numerous contribu-
tions to this fund have begun to
pour into the Federation office
at 51 W. Warren and the cam-
paign office at 600 Owen Bldg.
All Detroit newspapers carried
editorial tributes which are re-
printed in this issue.
Besides MSc two brothers, his
nieces and nephews, Mr. Butzel
also is survived by his cousins,
Emma and Leo Butzel.
The Jewish News has received
numerous telegrams from lead-
ers throughout the country ex-
THE JEWISH NEWS-13
Friday, May 28, 1948
Fred M. Butzel
-resat.Vittzti
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An Editorial in the
Detroit News, May 22, 1948
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Professionally, a lawyer must
interest himself in the troubles
of others, but with Fred M. But-
zel a life long preoccupation with
people in difficulty waas a part
of his nature. .
The law, in which he made a
splendid name, was but an instru-
ment among several to carry out
the impulses of a great and
generous heart.
He was to a supreme degree
outgiving, for his giving was not
only of his substance, but of him-
self, of his time and his good
counsel and of his skill at bring-
ing to practical fruition the count-
less humanitarian undertakings
which enlisted his dynamic
sympathy.
The list of these is long, and
all • will be definitely the poorer
for his death.
Not all or even a great part of
his good works were done in the
open. His heart was accessible
always, and to men singly no
less than in the mass. To distress
in 'any- shape, to poverty and all
its connotations, weighs on the
human spirit, he was responsive
instantly and instinctively.
As with an 'occasional great
soul who is without wife and
:children, Mr. Butzel made the
community his family and his
charge, and the marks of his corn-
passion and concern. are - found
in' countless piaces upon it, in its
organized agencies of. welfare to
which he contributed so much in
the way of wise • and inspiring
direction, . and also_ in tire lives
of people who, one by one, were
b-enefioiaries. of his. endless devo-
tion to the human race and its
happiness..
He was of those who. are always
too few in . the community: The
selfless workers for the rest,
whose rewards might be 'trernen-
dous were their interest to center
in their personal concerns, but
who instead find their satisfac-
tions outside -themselves.
It is a great loss and an irrepar-
able one which this city suffers
by his passing.
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When the late Fred M. Butzel celebrated his 50th birthday, on
Aug. 25, 1927; Detroit Zionists honored him with an inscription is
the Jewish National Fund Golden Book and with an engraved resolu-
tion, reproduced above. The resolution was signed by Maurice H.
Zackheim, president; Dora B. Ehrlich, vice-president; the late Abra l-
ham J. Koffman, treasurer; Israel Zilber, secretary; Abraham Cap-
lan, financial secretary.
The Detroit' Times Tribute
(From the Times Editorial Page, May 22, 1948)
It is rare that a civic leader's himself or his money because he
death can leave such a real sense expected anything in return ex-
of loss in so many places as did cept the personal gratification of
the death of Fred
M. Butzel.
relieving humanity in whatevei
,
If any one in the history of way he could. He , headed Jewish-
Detroit had the' right to be called charities- and participated in the
"beloved" in the true sense of the affairs of his people but he was
word, it was he. For none in a too much of a humanitarian to
lifetime of 70 years could do more be confined into even such a
for so many in a selfless benev- mold.
He founded the Boy Scouts in
olence that knew nothing of race,
Detroit and the Boy's Republic
creed, color or station in life.
Fred Butzel loved his fellow and the city's playground systeni.
man so well that he gave all who But more than his public bene-
came to him of his time, money factions were those of which none
and his heart. It mattered not to knew except the recipients whO
came to his office and his moct-
pressing sorrow over Mr. But- him that occasionally his trust . est home.
was 'betrayed. He expected the
zel's death.
-
Fred M. Butzel won many high_
(A special section of this issue vagaries of human nature to mock honors during his lifetime. But
his
efforts
now
and
then
but
it
of The Jewish News—Pages 11
his memorial is in the hearts of
to 14—is devoted to tributes to never made him bitter or less those in high places and low who
Mr. Butzel. Other tributes will understanding,
found in his wisdom and kind.
His philanthropies were many. ness and human understanding,
be found in the editorial on Page
1, Purely Commentary column His interests were as broad and as well as in his boundless char-
on Page 2 and Danny Raskin's as deep as his fine mind.
ity, the 'way to renewed hope
column on Page 21.)
Fred Butzel never gave _ of and a better form of life.
Presentation of Bronze
Bust to Fred M. Butzel
On His 70th Birthday
Among the most recent honors extended to
the late Fred M. Butzel was the presentation of
a bronze bust made of him on the occasion of
his
. _ 70th birthday by the eminent sculptor,
. Walter Midener. The presentation was made
on Oct. 26, 1947, at the home of Mrs. Hoke
Levin, chairman of the committee which ar-
ranged the presentation of the gift.' In the
photo are, left to right: ISIDORE LEVIN,
who made the presentation; MR. MIDENER,
MR. BUTZEL and MRS. LEVIN.
—rnoto b Paul Kirsch. Jewish News Photographer