Our First Women's Charity Society;
Detroit Phikin. thropy Prior to '99

rated under the name "The De-.
troit Ladies Society for the Sup-
port of Hebrew Widows and Or-
phans in the State of Michigan."
The new constitution abol-
By IRVING I. KATZ
ished the board of 10 men but
Executive Secretary, Temple Beth El
retained the advisory board of
(Third article in a, series)
three men. The board of ladies
On Oct. 25 1863, the "Ladies
In 1876 the society invited the was increased from 10 to 12 and
Society for the Support of He- following Jewish organizations the designation of a board mem-
ber was changed from "direct-
brew Widows and Orphans in
the State of Michigan," the first and congregations in the city to ress" to "trustee." The initiation
fee of $1 was abolished. Meet-
philanthropic society to be attend its Purim Ball:
formed here which became pop-
Phoenix Club, Aetna Club, Gentlemen's ings of trustees were changed
Relief Society, Pisgah Lodge No. from bi-monthly to monthly.
ularly known as "Frauen Ve- Hebrew
34 of the Order Bnai Brith. Montefiore
rein," held a meeting at which Lodge No. 12 of the Order Free Sons of Fines for absence from meetings
some of the men questioned the Israel; Beth El, Nathan, and Detroit Ciity were abolished.
ladies' ability to govern them-
Although German was re-
selves. The opposition however
tained as the official language,
was defeated when, on Nov. 1,
permission -was granted to
1863, the following officers were
those who desired to use Eng-
elected:
lish in presenting reports.

Mrs. Emil S. Heineman., president; Mrs
Louis Hirschman, vice-president; Mrs.. -
Morris Trounsteini treasurer; and Mrs.
Isidor Frankel, secretary; "diretcresses,"
Mesdames A. Bresslauer, Moses Rindskoff,
S. Musliner, Bernhard Prell, S. Wolfson,
Julius Robinson, Isaac Warshauer, Arnold
Kaichen, Louis — Lambert, and Adam
Hersch.
The following board of meri was elected:
Bernhard Prell, Marcus Cohen, Herman
Freedman, Morris Hirschman, Louis Lam-
bert, Rabbi Abraham Laser, Marcus Bern-
stein, Moses Labold, S. -Musliner and
Philip Lichtenberg:
The advisory committee of men elected
at the meeting consisted of Moritz L. But-
zel, Isidor Frankel and Louis Hirschman.

One of the first projects of the
new society was a benefit ball
which in future years became
the popular annual Purim Mas-
querade Balls. Representative
Jews and Gentiles attended
these balls. Young and old vied
with one another in producing
the most unique and picturesque
costumes. A supper, prepared by
the ladies of the society, was
served at these balls.
The balls were discontinued by
the society in 1877 because sev-
eral other Jewish organizations
in the city arranged similar
balls and the competition de-
creased the social value and ma-
terial benefits of these events.
At the end of six months the
society boasted a membership ,.;f
136. At the annual meeting • in
1864, Mrs. Hirschman was
elected president. The member-
ship in 1865 was 150.

In 1868, an incident occurred
which almost disrupted the
young society. District Grand
Lodge No. 2 of Bnai Brith was
about to open the Cleveland
Orphan Asylum and the local
Pisgah Lodge was soliciting
-funds for the asylum. A corn-
niittee from Pisgah Lodge
called on the society for a
contribution. Mrs. Hirschman
refused to make one on the
ground that it was contrary
to the provisions .of the socie-
ty's constitution' and by-laws.
She claimed that the society
was organized to take care of
widows and orphans within
the state of Michigan only.
The committee from Pisgah

did not agree with Mrs. Hirsch-
man and demanded that the
matter be voted on by the gen-
eral membership. At a special
meeting, a majority voted in
favor of the contribution. Mrs:
Hirschman submitted her resig-
nation from the presidency and
her husband resigned from the
governing board. Subsequently
a group of members secured an
injunction from the courts
against the withdrawal of funds
for the Cleveland Orphan Asy-
lum.
There was much bitterness
and friction among the members
and the very existence of the
society was threatened i but the
newly elected president, Mrs.
Seligman Schloss, was able to
bring peace into the society and
its work continued. •
In the meantime a subsidiary
society of the Cleveland Orphan
Asylum was organized, with Mrs.
Heineman as president, for the
purpose of raising funds for the
Asylum.
Mrs. Schloss was in .office for
three years. She was followed in
1872 by Mrs. Heineman who, with
the exception of one year (1883)
when Mrs. H. Frank was presi
dent, served the society as presi-
dent for the next 30 years. The
rift of 1868 was evidently com-
pletely forgotten in 1872 for in
that year a Purim Ball was ar-
ranged by the society, jointly
with Pisgah Lodge and the Gen-
tlemen's Hebrew Relief Society.
In the following year the Purim
Ball was under the auspices of
the society and the subsidiary
society of the Cleveland Orphan
Asylum. Later the society made
contributions to the Cleveland
Orphan Asylum and to other or-
ganizations.

Congregation Beth El was des-
ignated as trustee of the as-
sets of the society in case of
its dissolution.

On Oct. 31, 1888, the society
celebrated its 25th anniversary
at the Phoenix Club. The pro-
gram consisted of opening re-
marks by Dr. Louis Grossmann,
rabbi of Temple Beth El; an ad-
dress by Mrs. Emil S. Heineman,
president of the society; re-
marks by Isidor Frankel; vocal
selections by Miss Einstein; vio-
lin solos by Edward Frohlich
(Mr. Frohlich is still a resident
of Detroit) ; a vocal solo by Miss
Simon; and a piano duet by the
Misses Butzel. The membership
MRS. EMIL S. HEINEMAN
of the society at that time was
169.
lodges of the Order Kesher Shel Bartel;
Rebecca Lodge No. 2, Hebrew Young
In 1888, the official language
Ladies Society, Independent Club Society,
Subsidiary Society of the Cleveland Or- of -the society was changed from
phan Asylum, Congregation . Beth El, Con-
gregation Shaarey Zeclek and Congregation German to English.
Bnai Israel.
1896, the society supported 13
In 1877 a. new constitution and widows paying them regular
by-laws were adopted, and in pensions. One blind woman had
1880, the society was re-incorpo- been aided financially for 25

years. A few of the pensioners
received, in the long run, as
much as $3,000 and $4,000.
Besides giving pecuniary aid,
the society attempted to help
its clients to become self-sup-
porting by giving them instruc-
tion in home economics, educat-
ing their children and helping
shape the children's careers so
that they could support their
widowed mothers.
The society was also interested
in social reform and social legis-
lation. According to the 1900 re-
port of the society /published in
"The Twenty-Third Annual Re-
port of the Board of Trustees of
the D e t r o i t Association of
Charities," the society influenced
the members of the State Legis-
lature to pass a law providing
public school instruction for the
deaf and dumb children. It also
was against child labor and for
better housing conditions.

When the United Jewish
Charities was organized by the
late Dr. Leo M. Franklin, in
November, 1899, the society
refused to become a part
thereof, continuing its work
independently.

In 1902, Mrs. Heineman was
succeeded in the presidency oy
Mrs. Zachariah Selling who
served until her death in 1907.
The membership of the society
increased to 310. Tie next presi-
dent was Mrs. Louis Blitz who
served until her -death in 1911.
During her able administra-
tion, a long cherished dream of
the society was realized when
the model apartment building
to house widows was erected.
During Mrs. Blitz's presidency a
new constitution and by-laws
were adopted and in 1910 the
society was re-incorporated - un-

THE JEWISH NEWS-61

Friday, September 23, 1949

der the name "Jewish Widows
Aid Society."
Shortly before 1920, the Jew-
ish Widows Aid Society became
affiliated with the United Jew-
ish Charities. The Jewish Com-
munity Blue Book of Detroit of
1920 describes the work of the
society at that time as follows:
"The society pays the rent of
many widows in the city, assists
thein financially, helps their
children in obtaining positions,
provides medical attention when
necessary and renders aid in
every possible way. The organ-
ization maintains a model apart-
ment in the city- where eight
widows and their children are..
housed."
The presidents who followed
Mrs. Blitz were Mrs. Louis
Rosenfield, Mrs. Moe C. Well
and Mrs. Wallace Rosenheim.
The society went out of exist-
ence in 1927 and the late Fred
M. Butzel filed the articles of
dissolution.

Mayor Rokach Invites
O'Dwyer to Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV (JTA)—Mayor Is-
rael Rokach has extended an
invitation to Ma y o r William
O'Dwyer of New York to visit
Tel Aviv.
A delegation of Israel citrus
growers left for London to begin
negotiations with various Euro-
pean governments on the sale
of next season's citrus crop. Is-
rael expects to export s o
6,000,000 cases of citrus products
during the coming win t e r
months.

BEST WISHES

FOR A

HAPPY
NEW YEAR

5710

1949

SAMS, INC.

RANDOLPH
AND
MONROE

WOODWARD
Al
CAMPUS MARTIUS

