100 Years of 11111A-Jewish Center Life
Wins Warm Appraisal from Sen. Lehman
By U. S. SEN. HERBERT H. LEHMAN
munity Centers particularly
concerned with their recrea-
tional and social problems.
Young people perplexed and
uncertain about tomorrow, find
renewed courage and inspira-
tion in the Center program. As
breadwinners take defense jobs
or go on active military duty,
the Center plays a significant
part in helping to maintain
family stability. T h e educa-
tional program of the Center
is a great asset in shaping pub-
lic opinion and action at a time
when an informed, alert, and
intelligent citizenry is a critical
necessity.
Centers now serve a large and
evergrowing number of people
of all ages in hundreds of com-
munities. The opening of new
buildings, enlarging p r o g rams
and spheres of service, expand-
ing staffs, bigger budgets, grow-
ing membership, the wider use
of outdoor facilities and camps,
JWB FOUNDERS: Col. Harry Cutler, first president of JWB extension of service to all age
(seated, center), flanked by such distinguished colleagues as Louis groups and all neighborhoods—
Marshall and Dr. Cyrus Adler. Standing, 2nd from left, Dr. David these are evidences of a vital,
progressive movement that is
de Sola Pool.
demonstrating a unique capacity
for meeting new needs and an-
ticipating • them. Through the
World Federation of YMHA's
and Jewish Community Centers,
the movement is spreading its
beneficient influence to the rest
of the democratic world.
On the eve of its Centennial
celebration, the Jewish Corn-
munity Center movement,
which now embraces more than
350 Centers with a membership
of better than half a million,
deserves the support and good
wishes of all Americans.
MORALE: On the Mexican border, 1916.
The 100th anniversary of an interesting, wholesome,
and uniquely American activity, the Jewish Community Cen-
ter movement, is to be celebrated with a six-month obser-
vance of varied character, beginning in the fall of this year.
My intimate association with Jewish communal develop-
ments over an all-too-substantial number of rears has made
T*74
-
A Touchdown for Brotherhood:
Story Based on True Incident
Dwight D. Eisenhower's Boyhood
Intercession Against Prejudice
By DR. MAEANNA CHESERTON-MANGLE
Editor, Religious Press Committee
An American Jewish Press Feature
One autumn afternoon, in the
early 1900's, a lad about eighteen
years of age, walked down the
street of a sleepy little town in
Kansas. It was a beautiful day;
all blue and golden with white
fleecy clouds lining the sky; but
the boy noticed nothing. He had
something on his mind, some-
thing that was making h i m
frown.
* * *
"Hello there, young man, don't
you recognize your old friends
any more?" The "young man"
looked up', startled. "Golly, Dr.
Forrester," he exclaimed, "I
never even saw you."
"How could you?" teased the
Doctor. "You were miles
away." The older man's eyes
twinkled. "Here I was expect-
ing you to be pleased a s
punch: Not every boy in this
town gets to be captain of the
football team. Instead, you
look positively glum—as if you
had the troubles of the world
on your shoulders."
The lad smiled sadly. Dr. For-
rester was his history teacher
at school—a wise, sympathetic
man. It ,might help to get some
of his worries off his chest.
"I was proud, sir—very proud,
when the fellows elected me
captain a - few weeks ago; but
something's come up now that's
taking all the joy out of life.
We've got a big game scheduled
for next week with Carlton High
School and the team has refused
to go through with it, just be-
cause one of Cannon's players
is a Negro." His voice rose with
anger. "Can you beat that?
What's the color of a guy's skin
got to do with his being able to
play football? We were all creat-
ed by the same God, weren't we?
That makes us all equal—doesn't
it? Boy! Those guys make me
sore!"
I'm going to have it out with
the team this afternoon. I'm
going to tell them that I won't
have any part of the k . !nd of
deal they're planning to pull.
They may turn against me;
but it's worth it. The way I
see it, it's more important to
be true to myself than to be
captain of a football team" •
Dr. Forrester seized the boy's
hand and shook it vigorously,
"Good boy," he beamed. "Gdod
boy—go to it!"
* * *
That afternoon, the young
captain waited until after foot-
ball practice was over before he
entered the dressing room to An-
nounce his decision. His throat
felt strangely dry and his hands
trembled but he swallowed hard
and pitched in. At first he spoke
quietly; but finally his courage
mounted and he stormed out:
"I'm ashamed of you, every last
one of you—pretending you be-
lieve in fair play and justice
and then calling off a game be-
cause a player is colored . .
better get yourself another cap-
tain—I'm through!" He 'stalked
out of the room and slammed
the door.
* *
For the next few seconds the
boys stood motionless, as if
stunned. Then the quarter-
back, Mickey Goldstein, a big
earnest-looking boy with
blonde hair, said, "How about
it, fellas—let's call him back.
I think I'd like to play the
game his way." The others
nodded silently an'd lowered
their heads. They weren't feel-
ing pleased with themselves.
Mickey ran to the door, flung
it open and shouted, "Captain—
come back—we're all with you."
His voice rang out through the
- Dr. Forrester nodded approval. empty corridor. "Come back, Ike,
"I know exactly how you feel, do you hear me — Ike Eisen-
my boy; but what are you go- hower!"
ing to do about it?"
The boy said slowly, "Well,
I've given this thing a lot of 8 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 11, 1953
thought and I've decided that
—
SENATOR liVIIMAN
CORNERSTONE LAYING: Pres. Coolidge (front row, center) at
ceremony of Washington, D. C., Jewish Community Center, 1925.
it possible for me to be an eyewitness to the remarkable
growth and stirring development of this movement. For a
good part of this period I was privileged to participate in
the work of several Jewish Community Centers in New
York. In my younger- days I
was a member of the 92nd named than the Jewish Com-
munity Center, for in its name
Street YMHA.
The century since the first is epitomized its whole program.
It is Jewish in purpose, com-
Center, the Baltimore "YMHA,
was founded, has been marked munitywide in scope and serv-
by vast epochal changes in the ice, and it is a center of Jew-
social, political, and cultural life ish life and activity.
When JWB was founded in
of mankind. During that span
few communities in history have World War I to serve as Ameri-
grown so great in numbers, sta- can Jewry's united agency for
tus, and achievement and in- religious and welfare service to
herited such grave responsibili- Jewish personnel in our Armed
ties as has American Jewry. Forces, I was myself a member
Never in my memory was there of the armed forces, but was
a time when the ideal's and ob- privileged to be of some help to
jectives of the Jewish Commu- the leaders of - this organization.
Wise planning by American
nity Center were more urgently
, needed by American Jewry than Jewry after World War I en-
' couraged the National Jewish
today.
Since 1854 millions of • boys Welfare Board to assume the
and girls and men and women leadership of t h e promising
have been benefited by Centers. Center movement. This states-
In each stage of its develop- manlike action was affirmed
ment the Center has responded and reaffirmed in the 1920's
to the problems and needs of and 1930's, during the trying
the time. Whether the need years of World War II, and now
was for Americanization, voca- again in the difficult days
tional training, physical edu- through which we are living. It
cation, child care, or war serv- is a great tribute to the wisdom
ice, the Centers were never of Center leadership, and of
JWB, that during World War II
found wanting
One of the • most striking and in the continuing crisis of
things about the Jewish Com- our time, Center services and
munity Center is its n a m e. programs were maintained at
When it was known only as their customary high level. Dur-
YMHA or YWHA its name had ing the war the Centers wrote
delimiting character. Today a glorious chapter of the fullest
even those who retain this name participation in and aid to the
out of sentiment and tradition national effort for victory. They
no longer serve only young men had • done the same in World
and women. Centers today are War I and are doing it again
organized by and for the whole today ...
Children and old folks, whose
community and serve the whole
.sommunity. No agency in the needs are too often neglected
Jewish community is more aptly in a crisis, find the Jewish Com-
New Year Blossoms Through Bonds
.
.
As the New Year 5714 begins, the people of
Israel are helping their nation to build a strong
economy by working in industrial camps and
agricultural settlements, many of which are fi-
nanced through the Israel Bond issue. Workers
in the bond-supported projects are shown here:
spinning wool at the Moller-Dee Textile Corp.,
in Ramat Gan (upper kft); bringing• flour,
ground from the grain grown in a settlement
near Shorashim, to market (upper right) ; form-
ing aluminum kitchen utensils at Palalum, Ltd.,
Tel Aviv (lower left) ; completing construction
on a generator at Electric Motor Works Ltd., in
-Ramleh (bottom center) ; and surveying land for
the S'dom Road,
wi
a new section
of which
will
'serif,' its one Of. Israel's major highways.