Edwards Proclaims Sunday 'State of Israel Day'
All Detroit
THE JEWISH NEWS
' Detroit's Allied Jewish
Campaign Supports the
UJA Causes
A Weekly Review
VOLUME 15—No. 9 .2114 Penobscot Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155
of Jewish Events
Independence Day
Celebration at
Fair Grounds
Coliseum
Sunday,
Detroit 26, Michigan, May 13, 1949
Jews
invited to Israel
‹Lil;17
2:15 p.m.
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
Community Summoned to Israel
Anniversary Celebration Sunday
Ben Zion Ilan, Rabbi Morris Adler, Cantors' Association,'
War Veterans, School Children, Mayor and Governor on Program
.
More than 160 congregations and community organizations hav,-. ,
joined forces in issuino. a call to the entire community to participate in the
Detroit celebration of b Israel's fifst anniversary, at the public meeting to
be held Sunday, May 15, starting at 2:15 p.m. sharp, at the Coliseum of
the State Fair, Woodward and Eight Mile Road.
Provisions have been made to accommodate many thousands of
people and there will be facilities for parking for thousands of cars.
The invitation has gone forth to young and old, arrangements having been
made by the Zionist Council of Detroit and the Jewish Community Coun-
cil, whose respective presidents, Sidney Shevitz and Aaron Droock, have
joined in the call urging that at least 12,000 to 15,000 persons should at-
tend the rally. Admission will be free.
Spokesmen for the entire community will express Jewry's joy over
Israel's freedOm and will acclaim the success of the Jewish: State on the
first Independence Day—Yom Atzmauth—at Sunday's meeting.
Rabbi Morris Adler and Ben-Zion Ilan of Israel, former Haganah
leader, will be the principal speakers. Mr. Shevitz will preside and greet-
ings will be extended by Acting Mayor and Council President George Ed-
wards and Governor G. Mennen Williams, both of whom are staunch
friends of the Zionist cause.
The program will open with the presentation of the Colors—Ameri-
can and Israeli---by the Jewish War Veterans and by Israeli veterans,
who will be joined by veterans of the Canadian Army and Navy.
Emma Schaver will lead in the singing of the national anthems. Rabbi
Leizer Levine will recite a Hebrew prayer as spokesman for the Orthodox
Vaad Harabonim.
Two outstanding features of the program will be the singing of
several selections by all members of the Detroit Cantors' Association and
the appearance, in special Selections, of more than 200 children repre-
senting all the Jewish schools in the city. Schools and youth groups to be
included in the special presentation will be : United Hebrew Schools, Jew ,
ish Folk Schools, Sholem Aleichem Institute, Arbeiter Ring Schools, Yeshi-
vath Beth Yehudah, Yeshivath Chachmey Lublin, Congregations Shaarey
Zedek, Bnai Moshe and Bnai David, Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, Mit-
telishule, Carmel Hebrew School, Habonim, Young Judaea, Hashomer Hat-
zair, Young Israel.
Music will be provided before the opening of the program by the
Detroit Letter Carriers' Band.
All the Bnai Brith lodges, Jewish Congress groups, the War Veter-
ans, all Zionist organizations, Workmen's Circle Chapters, congregations
and their affiliates, American Jewish Committee and la.ndsmanschaften
are among the co-sponsors of the Detroit celebration. .
The certainty with which information is coming in from Lake Sue-
cess pointing to Israel's admission to the UN is expected to add to the
significance of Sunday's event.
Proclaiming Sunday as "State of Israel Day," Acting Mayor Edwards
issued the following official statement:
• WHEREAS, an independent Jewish State under the name of the
State ,of Israel caine into existence in Palestine in accordance with a
resotition of the General Assembl of the United Nations; and
►
WHEREAS, the United States has given its support and recogni-
tion to the State of Israel, and similar acts of recognition have been
accorded to Israel by well over fifty foreign countries; and
WHEREAS, a great historic tragedy, the tragedy of Jewish
national homelessness, has thereby been brought to an end after
almost two thousand years, and. one more oppressed nationality has
thereby been permitted to resume independent existence; and
WHEREAS, May 15, the anniversary of the declaration of inde-
pendence, of the State of Israel coincides with the. Am An American
Day" proclaimed by President Truman to remin us of the priceless.
heritage of freedom we enjoy as the result of our own Declaration of
Independence 173. years ago, for which our forefathers fought with
the same courage then as the people of Israel fight now, and foi the
same ideals of self-government, freedom and equality; and
WHEREAS, the Citizens of Detroit, like the people of America,
are traditionally happy to rejoice over the victory of freedom and
human liberty all over the world; -
NOW THEREFORE, I, GEORGE EDWARDS, ACTING
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DETROIT, do hereby PROCLAIM MAY
15, 1949, as STATE OF ISRAEL DAY, and do call upon the citizens
of Detroit to join me in best wishes for the new State of Israel to the
end that it may play its part, in friendship with our own country and
in harmony with all the nations of the world, to advance the cause of
peace, civilization and prosperity within its own borders and an over
the world.
•
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my .hand and
caused the seal of the City of Detroit to be affixed this 9th day of
May, 1949.
(Signed) GEORGE EDWARDS
Acting Mayor
Irving W. Schlussel, chairman of the program committee for
Sunday's celebration, announces that Ben-Zion Ilan has been designated
as the personal representative here, for the Israeli Yom Atzmauth event,
by Israel's Ambassador to the United States Eliahu Elath.
Mr. Shevitz, as chairman of the arrangements committee, urging the
entire community's participation in the celebration, declared : "This is one
occasion on which Detroit's Jews can assemble in a festive atmosphere to
give thanks for the redemption that has occurred within our time."
* * *
Campaign Solicitation Lagging;
Berry Calls for All-Out Efforts
ACTING MAYOR GEORGE EDWARDS (seated) on Monday signed
a Proclamation, in the Mayor's office in the City Hall, setting May 15 as
STATE OF ISRAEL DAY. After the signing of the Proclamation, he was pre-
sented with a copy of the. illuminated Israeli Declaration of Independence
which was prepared by the famous artist, Arthur Szyk, for the Lipton Tea
Co. The Presentation was made. left to right, by BORIS JOFFE, executive
director of the Jewish Community Council; SIDNEY SHEVITZ, president
of the Zionist Council; SOPHIE BLANCHE SCHWARTZ, vice-president of
the Zionist Council; AARON DROOCK, president of the Community Coun-
dl, and Acting Mayor EDWARDS.
Louis Berry, chairman of the 1949 Allied Jewish Campaign for a
goal of $6,395,000, announced at the workers' report luncheon meeting on
Monday that the drive had reached a total of. $3,361,418. This amount
represents coverage of 18,992 contributors for a total of 52 per cent of
the quota and 40 per cent of the people to be solicited.
Monday's meeting was dedicated to the Detroiters who visited in Is-
rael with the 1949 United Jewish Appeal delegation—Max Osnos, Hyman
• Safran, •Herman Lewis Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Borin.
A film taken during the UJA delegation's visit in Israel, showing
the Detroiters while they were in the Jewish State, was featured at the
meeting.
Guests at the meeting were heads and directors of social service
agencies affiliated with the Jewish Welfare Federation.
The amount raised thus far is $1,000,000 less than the stun that was
reported in the similar period last year. With $3,000,000 still be be secured,'
an urgent call goes forth to Detroit Jewry to go all-out for the Allied Jew-
ish Campaign during the week, in order that this community may provide
its full share of support for Israel's unbuildine.