Miss MacDonald Commends Hadassah

1 4

—

TH E JEWISH N EWS

Friday, February 16, 1951

Our Letter Box

Backs Becker and Herman
For Board of Education

JEANETTE MacDONALD, (right), famous film and stage star,
currently appearing in Detroit, was enthusiastic about the lovely
articles made by Hadassah women for their gift shop, a new ac-
tivity to increase revenue for Hadassah's medical work in Israel.
With Miss MacDonald are Mrs. HARRY KOPEL (left) and Mrs.
THEO. BARGMAN, chapter president. Prospective workers and
purchasers may obtain full information by calling either of the
gift shop co-chairmen, Mrs. Kobel, TY. 4-2810, or Mrs. Jacob
Mazer, TO. 8-6443.

G

Jewish Mayors in Michigan

Houseman of Grand Rapids

By IRVING I. KATZ
The first Jew hi Michigan to
hold the office of Mayor was
Julius Houseman of Grand
Rapids.

JULIUS HOUSEMAN

He was born at Zeckendorf,
Bavaria, Germany, Dec. 8, 1832.
His father, Solomon Hausemann,
a native of Bavaria, was a mer-
chant and manufacturer of 'silk
and cotton goods at Zeckendorf,
where he died in 1873 at the age
of 71. His mother, Henrietta,
,7 -•=daughter of Julius Strauss of
Heiligenstadt, Bavaria, died in
1835 at the age of 35. Julius
was the older of two children,
his sister, Mary, having married
Albert Alsberg, a prominent New
York merchant.
Houseman's education, up to
the age of 13, was obtained in
the National Schools of Zec•en-
dorf and Bamberg, and was
completed with a two years'
commercial course, after which
he was a dry goods clerk.
Came to U. S. in 1851
The Revolution in Germany
in 1848 had its influence on the
young man's life. In 1851, at
19, he left to seek freedom in
the United States. His first
home was in Cincinnati, where
he was a clerk in a clothing
house. Then he went to New
Vienna, 0., where he remained
as clerk in a general store until
March, 1852, when he came to
Battle Creek, Mich. Here he
engaged in the merchant tailor-
ing and clothing business with
Isaac Amberg, the firm name
being Amberg & Houseman.
In August, 1852, he came to
Grand Rapids, the first Jewish
settler in that city which then
had a population of less than
3,000. He established a branch
of the Battle Creek firm and in
1854 became its sole proprietor.
His Business Successes
In 1864, the firm of House-
man, Alsberg & Co. was organ-
ized, with branch
York, Baltimore
Savannah,
continueL until 1870
7- which
)

when the firm was dissolved, Mr.
Houseman retaining possession
of the Grand Rapids establish-
ment. In 1870, Houseman spent
a summer in Europe, visiting
Germany, Switzerland, France
and England. In 1876, he dis-
posed of his business to his
cousin, Joseph Houseman, who
had been a partner for several
years and who was also a prom-
inent Jewish resident of Grand
Rapids; and Moses May, who
continued it for a number of
years under the firm name of
Houseman & May, later suc-
ceeded by Houseman, Donnally
& Jones. The business, today
the second oldest mercantile es-
tablishment 'in Grand Rapids,
still located on Monroe Street,
goes by the name of Houseman
& Jones.
Houseman had mean while
taken an active interest in other
lines of business and invest-
ments, notably in timber lands
and the manufacture of pine
lumber in Michigan, and after
1876 devoted himself largely to
these interests.
The Houseman Building in
Grand Rapids, one of the largest
business blocks in the state, is
a fitting monument to him.
In 1870, he became a stock-
holder in the City National-
Bank, the predecessor of the
National City Bank. He was an
organizer of the Grand Rapids
Chair Company, director of the
Grand Rapids Brush Company
and president of t h e Grand
Rapids Fire Insurance Company.
Served in Congress
In political affiliations, House-
man was a Democrat. He served
as Alderman in Grand Rapids
for eight years, from 1863 to
1870, was Mayor in 1872 and in
1874, and represented Grand
Rapids in the State Legislature
in 1871-72.
In 1876 he was the candidate
of his party for Lt. Governor of
the State. He was proposed for
the Governorship of Michigan,
but refused to be a candidate.
In 1883 he was elected to repre-
sent the fifth district of the
State of Michigan in the 48th
Congress and was the first and
only Jewish Congressman from
Michigan.
Houseman was a loyal and de-
voted Jew and took a leading
and active interest in the af-
fairs of the Jewish community
of Grand Rapids. He was one
of the founders of Temple
Emanuel, in 1871, and served as
its first president. He was one
of the organizers of Grand Rap-
ids Lodge 238, Bnai Brith, in
1875, and served as its first pres-
ident. When Houseman died in
Grand Rapids on Feb. 9, 1891,
at the age of 59, the Lodge's
name was changed, in tribute to
his memory, to Julius House-
ma:i Lodge, a name under which
it functions to this day.

By Mrs. S. Joseph Fauman
The Serve a School Committee
with. which I am actively affili-
ated has asked all Jewish or-
ganizations to conduct a cam-
paign among their members to
vote at the Primaries on Feb. 19
and especially to be careful in
their choice of candidates' f o r
the Board of Education. T h e
type of people we elect will af-
fect the status of our school
system.
A number of leaders, includ-
ing Dr. Shmarya Kleinman, Sid-
n e y Shevitz, Mrs. Alexander
Sanders and others have en-
dorsed our request.
Among the candidates are
two, Betty Becker and Fred
A. Hermann who were recom-
mended for their interest in
good schools and their liberal
and non - discriminatory re-
cords by the Serve our School
Committee. SOS is a commit-
tee organized to improve our
public schools by nominating
competent and reliable can-
didates to the Board of Edu-
cation.
We urge the election of Betty
Becker and Mr. Hermann. They
will mean much to us in our
efforts to improve our schools.

Jewish Communities
In Japan Growing

HONG KONG, (JTA)—While
the never very large Jewish
communities in the main coastal
cities of China are decreasing
in size, the Jewish communities
of Tokyo and other Japanese
cities are growing, it was re-
ported here.
One reason for this growth is
the fact that Jewish business-
men from Shanghai, Tientsin
and elsewhere, although they
receive temporary visas for bus-
iness visits to Japan, are given
residential permits for their
families. The other reason is
the presence of large numbers
of American civilian and mili-
tary personnel among whom are
many Jews.
A Christian mission chapel in
Tokyo is used as a synagogue
during the Jewish holidays and,
if the war does not interfere,
the community may soon open
a center. Aside from the Amer-
ican Jewish families here, there
are some 30 families of Russian
Jews, refugees from China and
some Jews from England and
India in the Tokyo community.

Resettlement Service
Aids Alien Registration

Deadline for the registration
of aliens has been postponed by
the Department of Justice, but
all aliens are warned to regis-
ter. Anyone who needs help in
registering may apply at Re-
settlement Service, 5737 Second
Ave.
Aliens may register by send-
ing a letter to the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, 3770
E. Jefferson. Information must
include the full name, address,
date of birth, country of which
alien is a national. If sateless
give country of origin and
statement of statelessness, also
alien registration card number,
full name used at time of entry,
date of registration and signa-
ture of alien.

Israel to Get British
Oil Refined Products

LONDON, (JTA) — An agree-
ment covering outstanding prob-
lems between the Israel govern-
ment and British oil companies
was concluded here to assure
a sufficient supply of refined oil
products for Israel's needs. They
are to come from the British oil
refineries located at Haifa.

All Faiths Unite
In Brotherhood
Concert Feb. 22

The LAMP & SHADE CENTRE

17610 Jas. Couzens at Outer Dr.
Max Schiff
UN. 4 - :7671
Open Thurs., Fri., and Sat. to 9 p.m.

The Sisterhood of Congrega-
tion Shaarey Zedek will present
Mrs. Arthur Robbins, who will

The ninth annual Brother-
hood Concert sponsored by the
Detroit Round Table of Cath-
olics, Jews and Protestants will
be staged at 8 p. m. Thursday,
Feb. 22, in the Rackham audi-
torium.
The program will open with
greetings by John C. Manning,
editor of the Times. Brother-
hood Week chairman, and com-
mentary by Dr. William W.
Walsh of Mercy College. Per-
formers, who will be from all
faiths and races, will include:
Cantor Nicholas Fenakel of the
Northwest Hebrew Congregation;
the Jewish Center Choral So-
ciety conducted by Julius Cha-
jes; Trinity Methodist Church
Choir; Marygrove College Chor-
us; the University of Michigan
Extension Orchestra and Celeste
Cole, soprano. Admission is free
MRS. ARTHUR ROBBINS
and the public is invited, accord-
ing to Joseph Q. Mayne, execu-
review
"Out of My Later Years"
tive secretary of the Detroit
by Albert Einstein, at the book
Round Table.
review on Feb. 20, at 12:30 p.m.
Mrs. William Nadler, UN.
4-2028, is taking reservations.
Social chairmen of the day are
Mesdames Lyons and Klaus.
Mrs. Allan Weston and Mrs. M.
Pregerson are book review chair-
men.
NEW YORK (AJP) — An of-
fensive to rid the Women's Pa-
triotic Conference on National AJC to Present
Defense of minor fascist group Brotherhood Forum
affiliates is planned by the
Ladies' Auxiliary of the Jewish At Davison Center
War Veterans, as an answer to
The Commission on Commu-
the introduction of hate-spread-
er Joseph Kamp at the confer- nity Inter-relations of the De-
ence's recent national conven- troit Women's Division of the
American Jewish Congress will
tion in Washington.
Kamp's appearance during present a symposium "Brother-
which he flayed the Anti-De- hood in Action", on Wednesday,
famation League of Bnai Brith Feb. 21, 12:30 p.m. at the Davi-
as "a worse threat to Ameri- son Jewish Center. A buffet
canism than Communism", luncheon will be served.
Mrs. M J. Kritchman, divi-
coupled with the refusal of Mrs.
William A. Becker, former DAR s i o n a l vice-president of the
president, to apologize for pre- commission, • announces that
senting Kamp at the conference, brotherhood as lived on a day
set off a wave of reaction here. to day basis will be stressed.
The participants will be:
Officials of the Ladies' Aux-
Dr. Albert Mayer, professor of
iliary of the JWV strongly fav-
ored remaining within the con- sociology and anthropolgy at
ference in order to root out the Wayne University, representing
small fascist-like groups which the schools; Edward Turner,
they claim have infiltrated the chairman of the Mayor's Inter-
huge conference of Patriotic racial Committee, representing
the community; and Roy Reuth-
Women in recent years.
er,- chairman of UAW-CIO Poli-
tical -Action Committee, repre-
Fred Schwab Elected
senting industry.
Selections by the Music Study
President of Self help
Choral Group, under the direc-
At a general meeting of Self- tion of Dan Frohman, will be
help on Jan. 21, the following presented. Members and friends
officers were elected f o r the are invited.
coming year:
Fred Schwab, president; Wal-
ter Gottlieb and Walter Stark, Full Partnership
vice - presidents; Kurt Michel, With Israel Regime
treasurer; Mrs. Margaret Stark,
Envisioned by ZO
secretary.
Members of the board include
NEW YORK—Dr. Nahum
Paul Corby, Karl Lowy, Fred
Opperer, Siegfried Plonski, Al- Goldmann, chairman of the
fred Strauss, Fritz Tuch, Alex American Section of the Jewish
Wolton and Mesdames K u r t Agency for Palestine this week
Ehrlich, Julius Friedman, Wal- declared that the Zionist Or-
ter Gottlieb, Eugene H i r s c h, ganization will seek, at the
Er n a Leopold, Hilde Manko, World Zionist Congress sched-
uled to open in Jerusalem on
Lilly Saffir.
July 11, a "moral and legal"
as a partner with the
ZOA Annual Book Award status
government of Israel in the task
NE YORK—A $500 award for of building the state.
Dr. Goldmann left for a brief
the best book-length manuscript stay
in Europe, after which he
on the subject of Israel or Jew-
ish culture and education is will proceed to Israel for dis-
being offered by the national cussions on Congress problems
commission on educational ac- with the Executive of the Jewish
tivities of the Zionist Organ- Agency in Jerusalem and with
ization of America, it was an- leaders of the Zionist parties
nounced by Prof. Abraham I. and members of the government.
Katsh, commission chairman.
The award will be presented for
the best manuscript submitted
during 1951 and will be the
first in what is planned by Ben-
jamin G. Browdy, ZOA Presi-
For
dent, as an annual series.

JWV Auxiliary
Plans Drive on
Hate-Peddlers

TUXEDO
RENTALS

All Occasions

•

SAVINGS
CURRARTEENT ACCOUNTS

LAMPS REPAIRED

Rewired, Refinished, Parts Replaced
`LAMPS MADE FROM ANYTHING!
BIG SELECTION OF SHADES
Free Pickup and Delivery
GIFTS AND LAMPS IN STOCK

Mrs. Robbins to Review
New Book by Einstein

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

SAVINGS INSTITUTION"

=AMERICAN NUMB

AND LOAN ASSOCIATION

Dexter Blvd. a! Cortland - TO. 9-6811
111. Fort at Military -li[.3.760 G

Prompt Service
•
You will be fit-
t e d perfectly and
to your entire sat-
isfaction.
•
We Outfit Complete
Wedding Parties, etc.

9.

young

9819 DEXTER
Open Evenings

& Son!

TY. 4-0878
Sundays, 10-3