Happy Birthday, Soby
Friday, September 2, 1949
Detroit Jewisi Philanthropy
Prior to WC Founding in '99 Orthodox Je .mss Plan Welfare Federation Director
20 — THE JEWISH NEWS
Editor's Note: Irving I, Katz, the author of this series of
articles, is the executive secretary of Temple- Beth El. For the
- past few years he has been making a study of the history of
the Jewish communities of Michigan and is recognized as the
best informed person on' the history of' Detroit and its neigh-
boring communities. This is the first of a series of articles he
is writing for The JeWish News on the subject "Jewish Philan-
thropy in Detroit Prior to the . Founding of the United Jewish
Charities in 1899."
By IRVING I. KATZ
Early Jewish philanthropy in Detroit, as elsewhere in
the country, centered in the synagogue. When Temple Beth
El was founded in 1850, its first Constitution provided that
"on application for charitable purposes the president shall
have a right to grant a sum not exceeding $5.00." For the
disbursement of larger sums, the president had to consult
his board of trustees.
The synagogue assisted three
types of cases: 1. The local poor
Jew who, because of incapacity
or misfortune, needed the aid of
his fellow Jews. 2. The immi-
grant who, often . penniless • on
his arrival, had to be helped
until he established himself. 3.
The transient who remained in
Detroit until he was sent to
some other town.
Synagogue philanthropy was
not limited to the distribution of
money. Poor people received
other forms of aid as well.
These were chiefly free seats in
the Synagogue, Matzoth before
the Passover holidays, wood
during the winter, and free
burial.
Beth El Hebrew Relief Society .
From 1850, to the end of 1869,
the philanthropic work of Tem-
ple Beth El was carried on by
the president and the board of
trustee s. In December, 1869,
president; Sigmund Simon Sr.,
treasurer; Hugo Hill, secretary;
William Van Baalen, Simon
Heavenrich, Herman Freedman,
Martin Butzel and Max Herz-
berg, directors. With the excep-
tion of Max Herzberg, who was
a member of Shaarey Zedek and
served as its president in 1871,
the others were all members of
Temple Beth El.
In 1879, the Detroit Associa-
tion of Charities, the city's first
federated philanthropic agency,
w a s founded. Martin Butzel
represented the Beth El Hebrew
Relief Society at the organiza-
tion meeting and served for
many years as a member of its
council, employment committee,
and trustee.
When the huge immigration
of Jews from Eastern Europe,
principally Russia, began in the
1880's, the work of the Beth El
Hebrew Relief Society was di-
rected mostly to the relief of
the poor Russian Jews who came
to Detroit. The number of relief
cases during 1880-89 was 260.
There is the mention of a La-
dies' Aid Society which supple-
mented the work of the Beth
El Hebrew Relief Society by
visiting poor families and -fur-
nishing them with clothing and
other such items. This Ladies'
Aid Society is none other than
the Hebrew Ladies' Auxiliary
Relief Society, organized by
Temple Beth El in 1882 and
later known as the "Hebrew La-
dies' Sewing Society."
In 1891, t h e , members of
Shaarey Zedek withdrew from
the Beth El Hebrew Relief So-
ciety and formed a society of
their own, named "Jewish Re-
lief Society." Tradition has it
that the rift was, due to some
DAVID J. WORKUM — remarks made by Dr. Louis
Temple Beth EI,eln cooperation Grossmann, Rabbi of Temple
with Congregation Shaarey Beth El, during the course of
Zedek, founded the first cen- an address before the members
tralized Jewish philanthropic of Shaarey Zedek. That the
organization in Detroit, under Jewish Relief Society did not
the name of "Gentlemen's He- have the support of all t h e
brew Relief Society," known leaders of Shaarey Zedek is
later as the "Beth El Hebrew evidenced by the fact that David
Relief Society." Its founder and W. Simons, a pillar of Shaarey
first president was David J. Zedek and later its president,
Workum, a prominent member- remained active in the Beth El
of the Jewish community of Hebrew Relief Society and
Detroit who served as president served as its treasurer in 1893
of Temple c:Beth El from 1866 to and 1894.
1868 and as a School Inspector
United Jewish Charities
of the Sixth Ward. The society
On Nov. 7, 1899, the Beth El
was organized "for the purpose Hebrew Relief Society, through
Of relieving all deserving Jewish the initiative of Dr. Leo M.
applicants, who may be con- Franklin, called a meeting of
sidered by its officers to be the Jewish Relief Society, the
worthy of the society's bounty." Hebrew Ladies' Sewing Society,
Its president was charged, the Self Help- Circle, and the
among other things, with the Ladies' Society for the Support
duty of "visiting the sick and of Hebrew Widows and Orphans
indigent, inquire into their for the purpose of federating
wants, and may relieve the same. the „T e w i s h philanthropic so-
in any sum not exceeding $10, cieties in Detroit into one cen-
and draw his order on the treas- tral agency. All the invited so-
urer for same. If in his opinion cieties, with the exception of the
More is required, he shall con- Ladies Society for Support- of
sult his board of officers." Widows and Orphans responded
Membership dues in the society favorably to the call and the
was set at a minimum of $5 per result was the organization of
annum. In addition to income the United Jewish Charities of
from dues, the society sponsored Detroit.
annually sever al fund-raising
During the 30 years of its
affairs.
existence, the Beth El Hebrew
In 1872-73, the society drew Relief Society dispensed $100,000
209 orders for relief to 52 per- in charity, a very large sum
sons, 29 of whom were residents considering t h e small Jewish
of Detroit, 12 regular pensioners, population of Detroit before the
and 23 strangers passing turn of the present century.
The presidents of the society,
through the city. Three enter-
tainments were held which besides DaVid J. Workum, were
Emil S. Heineman, Simon Heav-
netted $397.69.
enrich, Seligman Schloss and
1873 Appeal Nets $1,000
At the annual meeting of the Martin Butzel.
The Beth El Hebrew Relief
society on Nov. 23, 1873, an ap-
peal for funds resulted in con- Society and the Jewish Relief
tributions in the sum of $1,000. Society were the two major phil-
In 1873-1874, the society was anthropic agencies at the time
headed by David J. Workum, of the founding of the United
president; Louis Lambert, vice Jewish Charities.
.
Fight on UN Calendar
Reform Proposal
Celebrates Fiftieth Birthday
Isidore Sobeloff, dynamic director of the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit, reached his 50th year on Tuesday,
Aug. 30.
NEW YORK (JTA)—Jewish
On vacation, after one of the hardest years in his career
Orthodox groups here indicated as a leader in the social service field, Sobeloff is returning
they will mobilize all possible home next week to resume planning in multiple areas of
strength to combat a proposed
calendar reform which may be
taken up at the UN General As-
sembly next month and which
is causing great concern to re-
ligious Jews throughout the
world. Its advocates claim the
measure has the support of 41
nations.
The proposal, which would
affect the Sabbath and Jewish
religious life, has been submit-
ted to the United Nations by
Panama with the recommenda-
tion that it go into effect
throughout the world starting
iri 1950. Under the provisions of
this proposal the calendar year
would be divided into 52 weeks
with each day of the week re-
maining the same date on the
calendar forever. This simplifi-
cation of the calendar would,
however, make a year of 364
days instead of the 365-day year.
The extra day would be ac-
counted for by making the day
following Dec. 31 an annual
year-end world holiday. It
would have no date and Would
be followed by Jan. 1.
A bill recommending a simi-
lar calendar reform was intro-
duced in the U. S. Senate sev-
eral months ago. The bill, read
twice and referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, urges
Congress to enact legislation
under which the day after Sat-
urday, Dec. 31, 1950, be desig-
nated "Worldsday" and that the
worlds calendar should become
the official calendar of the
United States beginning with
Sunday, Jan. 1, 1951.
Jewish religious groups in the
United States, opposing the es-
tablishment of a world calendar
of 364 days, advance the argu-
ment that the elimination of the
365th day from the calendar
would shift the Jewish Sabbath
one day each year. "Observant
Jews would certainly refuse to
accept the new naming - of the
days which would shift their
day of rest from Saturday to
Friday, and a year later from
Saturday to Thursday, etc.," Dr.
Jonas Simon, spokesman for the
Orthodox groups declared.
3 Detroiters Named
Delegates to NJYC
NEW YORK—Detroiters Nat-
alie E. Gaines, representing the
Regional Young Adult Council,
and Shirley Schubiner and Earl
Sobole, representing the Detroit
Jewish Young Adult Council,
have been elected delegates to
the 1949 assembly of the Na-
tional Jewish Youth Conference,
which will be held Sept. 2 to 9
at Camp Wel-Met, Narrowsburg,
N. Y.
The Conference is a nation-
wide youth body sponsored by
the National Jewish Welfare
Board and representing Jewish
youth and young adult councils
and national Jewish youth or-
ganizations.
Miss Gaines, Miss Schubiner
and Sobole. will join young peo-
ple from all sections of the
country, representing Jewish
Community Centers, Jewish
Youth Councils, Jewish Young
Adult Councils, national Jewish
youth organizations and other
Jewish youth groups.
Five Israeli Colonies
Esta blishedonWeekend
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Five new
settlements in scattered sectors
of Israel were established dur-
ing the week-end. The new col-
onies—including two founded by
newly-arrived Turkish and Cze-
choslovak Jews — are located
near Athlit, in the Hebron
mountains, in the Negev and in
the Mountains of -Ephraim.
The cornerstone was laid for
the first house of the collective
settlement, "Herev Leat," lo-
cated in Emek Hefer. The kib-
butz was established in 1947
Jewish social welfare. But his 0
chief concern is the Allied Jew- Service Quarterly, as editor of
ish Campaign which raises the Better Times, a social work pub-
required Detroit funds for the lication, and as chairman of the
National United Jewish Appeal. Social Work Publicity Council.
In the tough struggle to se-
His keen understanding of
cure these urgently needed
national as well as local prob-
funds for the relief of sur-
lems has earned for the De-
vivors from Nazism and for
troit Federation director nu-
merous appointments to im-
portant national committee
posts. He served on the na-
tional allottment committee of
the UJA and as chairman of
many important national com-
mittees. During the war, the
National War Chests recog-
nized his leadership ability by
naming him to important po-
sitions and by calling him to
assume, on a year's leave of
absence from Detroit, the post
of director of the New York
Committee of the National
War Fund.
In De t r o i t, Sobeloff has
served on numerous boards of
Jewish and non-Jewish agen-
cies and has been given respon-
sibilities of leadership by, the
Community Chest, the USO, the
Council of Social Agencies and
other important groups.
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
Wherever there are social,
their settlement in Israel, So- workers—nationally and locally,1
beloff has earned the admira- in Israel and in JDC centers
tion of co-workers and na- throughout the world—messages,
tional leaders and is consid- of greetings are being sent to,'
ered as the top man in his Sobeloff—popularly known in all
field—as co-ordinator of com- American Jewish communities
as "Soby"—in recognition of hii
munity services and as fund-
dynamic personality in the so-
raiser.
In 1948, due to Sobeloff's ef- cial service field.
Mr. and Mrs. Sobeloff * and
forts, Detroit was among the
leading communities in fund- son, Jonathan, reside here at
raising for the UJA. A survey 1403 Virginia Park.
shows that even in 1949, when
the entire country's UJA effort
declined seriously, to the detri-
ment of Israel-,--Detroit was on
top of the ladder. This com-
munity's Allied Jewish Cam-
paign total of $5,300,000 makes
Detroit among the best—if not
the very best—American fund-
Two outstanding Jewish com-
raisers. All thanks to the able munal
leaders will make majoi
leadership of Isidore Sobeloff.
addresses
at the 14th .annual
Sobeloff, who came to Detroit
in 1937, was born in Baltimore. conference of the New York-,
For 15 years he was engaged in Ontario Region of the Council
community organization and re- of Jewish Federations and Weld
lated social work in New York. fare Funds, to be held in Buffa-1
As director of public relations lo.
The two ma
of the Federation for the Sup-
or speakers will
port of Jewish Philanthropic
be Julian Free
Societies in New York, he be-
.m a n, Indiana-1
came recognized as an outstand-
president
ing publicity' director. He also
of the CJFWF
held the posts of director of the
East Central
New York office of the National
Region and
Jewish Hospital at Denver, di-
chairman of the
rector of public information and
CJFWF C o
education of the Welfare Coun-
mittee on UniH
cil and fund-raising consultant
J., Freeman fled and Stable
to the Travelers Aid Society of
New York. He established an National Fund Raising; and Isi
excellent record as a newspaper- dore Sobeloff, executive director
man in his positions as manag- of the Detroit Jewish Welfare
ing editor of the Jewish Social Federation.
Sobeloff to Address
Federation Meeting
Planned for Buffalo
Mrs. Leonard Weiner Nominated
For Women's Division President
Mrs.- Leonard H. Weiner who
has served as vice president of
the Women's Division of the
Jewish Welfare Federation, has
been nominated for the division
presidency. Election of officers
will be held at the Division's
annual meeting, Wednesday,
Sept. 28, at the Detroit Institute
of Arts.
Long a leader in community
affairs Mrs. Weiner is also a
vice president of the Jewish
Community Center and a board
member of the Jewish Com-
munity Council. In addition to
her offices in social service
agencies, Mrs. Weiner is a past
president of the Detroit section,
National Council of Jewish
Women, ay.d recording secretary
of the Sisterhood of Temple
Beth El. She is a graduate of the
University of Michigan and
holds a Teachers' certificate
from Wayne UUniversity. If
elected, she will succeed Mrs.
Max Frank as division president.
Nominated for vice president
are Mesdames Hyman C. Broder
John C. Hopp, Harry L. Jone
and Nate S. Shapero. Mrs. Eu
gene J. Arnfeld has been sug
gested for recording secretar
of Mrs. Samuel S. Aaron, cor
responding secretary. .
Nine members have bee
nominated for a first term o
the board of directors. They ar
Mesdames Lawrence Fleisch
man, Ivor Kahn, Sidney Karbal
Louis Manning, Arthur Purdy
Charles Robinson, Isidore Sobel
off, Raymond Sokolov, Fran
Wetsman.
Suggested for a second ter
are Mesdames Jack Behrma
Lewis B. Daniels, Louis Glasie
William B. Isenberg, Harry
Jones, Daniel Krouse, Nathan
Schermer, Carl S. Schiller.
All Women's Division mem
bers, women contributors to th
1949 Allied Jewish campaig
are invited to attend the annu
meeting.
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