Michigan Jewry's History
By IRVING I. KATZ
Editor's Note: With. this "Ch.ronolocru of the History of
the Jews inn. Michigan, 1761-1850" begins another American
Jewish Tercentenary feature. Based on Mr. Kate's forthcom-
ing book, to be published by Wayne University Press. this
chronology, to be followed by chronological facts about. Detroit
and Michigan Jewry, will present the story of the development
of our communities in this state.
1621-1649—Individual Jews settled in Virginia (16211, Mary-
land (1634), and MasSachusetts (1649).
• 1654—Twenty-three J , -ws from Brazil arrived in New Amster-
dam New York City) and founded the first Jewish community in
what is now the United States.
1701, July 24—Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac with his company
of soldiers and traders landed at the site of the present city of
Detroit and built a stockade which he named Fort Pontchartrain
du Detroit (Fort Pontchartrain on the Strait), in honor of the
Comte de Pontchartrain, French Minister of Marine, whose favor
made its founding possible. Fort Pontchartrain became a part of
New France' (Canada).
1760, Nov. 29—Fort Pontchartrain was surrendered by the
French to the English with all of Canada. Major Robert Rogers
was in command of the British soldiers who took over the .Fort
and town of Detroit which had 300 dwellings and 2,000 inhabi-
tants. Fort Detroit (the name Pontchartrain was dropped by the
English) became recognized within a few months as the center of
the Indian trade in the Northwest.
1761, Summer—Ezekiel Solomons of Montreal . arrived in Fort'
Michilimackinac (Mackinac), the most important Fort and fur
trading post north of Detroit. He became the first known Jewish
settler in what is today the State of Michigan. A few months
later, Solomons narrowly escaped captivity by a 'band of Ottawa
Indians.
Lieutenant Elias Meyer of the Royal American Regiment, who
may possibly. have been a Jew, visited petroit on a mission to
obtain- supplies for a Block House which he was building at the
post at Sandusky Lake where he was stationed. During his stay
in Detroit, Meyer attended a ball given by Captain Donald Camp-
bell, the English Commandant of Detroit. Meyer evidently did
very. well for himself at this social function for we read in the
record "The Young Ladies of Detroit send their compliments to
the Commandant of Sandusky and hope to have the honour of
dancing with him again this winter."
(Chronological History to Be Continued)
Arab Information Center Exposed
As Professional Anti-Semites' Ally
The Anti-Defamation League
of Bnai Brith charged that the
new Arab Information Center
in New York, operating with
semi-diplomatic status, has been
consulting with "professional
anti-Semites" to develop an Arab
propaganda campaign in the
United States.
The center, financed by the
Arab League, was opened in re-
cent weeks as an informational
and cultural exchange. But, ADL
declared, in its program to win
sympathy for the Arab League
states and discredit Israel, the
center has, through Arab League
intermediaries, .conferred with
anti - Semitic leaders about
methods of arousing public feel-
ing against Jews in this country.
The ADL charges were made
in a published report prepared
by Arnold Forster, its chief
counsel and civil rights director.
The new Arab Information
Center is located at 445 Park
Ave. This is also the address of
the United Nations delegations
of the League of Arab States and
the Kingdom of Yemen.
Chief of the center is Kamel
Abdul Rahim, one-time Egyptian
ambassador to the United States.
Rahim arrived here in November
as UN representative from Yem-
en, with rank of ambassador.
This grants him diplomatic im-
munity. The information center,
however, is to be registered with
the U.S. Justice Department as
"a foreign agent." •
Mr. Forster declared that the
Anti-Defamation League's as-
sessment of the Arab center as
"the mass coordinating point for
nation-wide dissemination of
pro-Arab, anti-Israel and anti-
Semitic propaganda" is docu-
mented by statements and re-
ports attributed to Rahim and
other Arab League officials.
The ADL report also dis-
closes that Dr. Haliq, Arab
League representative in New
York, had reviewed for the
League the activities of Gerald
L. K. Smith, who runs the
Christian Nationalist Party;
Joseph P. Kamp, head of the
Constitutional Educati onal
League; Allen Zoll, whose
American Patriots, Inc., was
listed as "fascist" by the Jus-
tice Department; and Benja-
min H. Freedman, confessed
financier of anti-Jewish pub-
lications, and had advised his
superiors in Cairo what coop-
eration the propaganda center
could expect from them.
6—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 18, 1955
Kelsey Admonishes:
israel Here to Stay
W. K. Kelsey, the brilliant De-
troit News commentator, in an
analysis of the Egyptian-Israel
crisis that resulted from the
Gaza incident. declares:
"Obviously, Israel must have
troops in that region to protect
it. Obviously, if the troops find
an apparent incursion on the soil
of Israel they are not going to
issue tickets like American po-
licemen."
Mr. Kelsey continues:
"What Egypt wants, and what
the other Arab nations want, is
cessation of conflict with Israel
by the extinction of Israel. They
resent this Jewish nation in the
midst of the Arab world. They
resent Israel's prosperity. They
resent the good will shown to
Israel by the West, even though
most of her financial support
comes from Western co-religion-
ists.
"The clear fact. is that Israel
exists, and from that fact fol-
lows the corollary that she will
continue to exist unless the na-
tions Which assisted at her birth,
chiefly Britain and the United
States, connive at treachery
without a parallel in modern
history."
• He added: "We have told the
world we mean to protect Chiang
Kai-shek in his hold on Formosa.
Would it be asking too much if
Israel should suggest equal treat-
ment? If weakness in the face
of Red China is a serious blun-
der, is weakness in the face of
the Arab world a virtue?"
News from Israel at Rapid Pace
NEW YORK, (JTA)—Estab-
lishment of the first direct radio
printer • circuit between New
York and Tel Aviv was an-
nounced here by Louis P.
Rocker, president of the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency.
The circuit went into opera-
tion last week for the transmis-
sion of JTA news from New
York to the Israeli News Agency
in Tel Aviv, a JTA affiliate for
distribution to the newspapers
of Israel. The new system -e-
places Morse code and transmits
news at the rate of 66 words per
minute.
For this circuit, the JTA op-
erates two Press Wireless trans-
mitters on Long Island. The
news is received by the Israeli
News Agency's own station in
Tel Aviv.
Other JTA news transmissions
to Israel will be converted to
automatic operations as rapidly
as conditions permit, Rocker
said. He expressed the hope that
Aaron DeRoy Center Begins
Adult Film Discussion Series
A new Adult Lounge program
has been inaugurated at the
Aaron DeRoy building of the
Jewish Community C e n t e r.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m., each Sun-
day visitors may view and dis-
cuss educational films.
The current film series is de-
voted to the understanding of
children. Current periodicals,
child development literature,
and Jewish books are available
for leisure reading before and
after the film.
JTA would be able to complete
its program for mechanization
of all its radio circuits through-
out the world by the end of
1955.
Earlier this year, JTA opened
a radio printer circuit to the
JTA bureau in Rio de Janeiro.
Bnai Moshe Young People
To Hear Rumor Clinic
The Young People's Club of
Cong. Bnai Moshe is planning a
Rumor Clinic, at which Dr. Mor-
ton Sobel. Midwest director of
the Anti-Defamation League of
Bnai Brith, will be guest speaker
at 8:30 p.m., Monday, in the
Harry Rosman Hall.
The recently-organized group
of young men and women has
planned a series of social and
cultural events. Young people
over 18 years of age are invited
to attend.
Community Leaders Join
Board of Commerce Cruise
Dr. Robert Drews, Maurice
Enggass and Nathan Silverman
are currently participating in
the annual Detroit Board of
Commerce cruise, which is trav-
eling through South America.
After touring Chili, Venezuela
and Brazil, the group met for
an audience with President Juan
Peron of Argentina. They will
return to Detroit about Monday.
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CARD OF THANKS
The family of the late Walter
Adas Shalom to Publish
G. Kellerman acknowledges with
grateful appreciation the many
Cantata by Rabbi Segal
kind expressions of sympathy
A cantata, "In Freedom's extended by relatives and friends
Light," written by Rabbi Jacob during the family's recent be-
reavement.
E. Segal for last year's Adas
Shalom confirmation service,
will be published in April under
auspices of the synagogue.
The work, dedicated to the
American Jew, will be made
available • to numerous syna-
gogues. in the country. The mus-
11 \I
ical background and transitions
for the cantata, as well as a
number of original melodies in
the work, were written by Zinovi
Bistritzky, director of the Adas
Shalom Symphohy Enssemble.
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AKE mix
Avalon Hikers Plan Outing
The American Friends of the To Proud Lake .on Sunday
Middle East, the leading U. S. or-
ganization sympathetic to Arab
aims, has been critical of • the
new Arab office's propaganda
approach. Its president, Garland
Evans Hopkins, expressed the
opinion that the Arab center
could be "more effectiVely used
in the establishment of a po-
litical lobby . . . which will at-
tempt to educate and gain the
sympathy of congressmen, high
officials, top leaders in church-
es, labor, industry, education and
women's organizations."
"At this late date," ADL quotes
Dr. Hopkins' as saying, "what
the Arabs need is a direct ap-
proach to the Americans who
make decisions."
CARD OF THANKS
The Leiderman, Burstein and
Eizen families acknowledge with
grateful appreciation • the many
kind expressions of sympathy
extended by relatives and
friends and the donations given
to charities in memory of their
beloved sister-in-law and aunt,
Dora Cohen, who passed away
recently.
The Avalon Hikers will meet
at 1 p.m., Sunday, at the Avalon
parking lot for a hike at Proud
Lake and dinner at Luna's.
Transportatioh e x.p e n s e s are
shared. Guests are welcome to
join. For further information,
call Harvey Benenson, TY. 4-0189
or Audrey Huler, BR. 3-5566.
•
Saul Berth says that when
people buy a new car they look
for beauty and performance. And
Saul, who's been
with Packer
Pontiac for
three years,
should know. In
that time, he's
been one of
Packer's High-
Volume sale s-
men.The key to
good salesman-
Ship, he says, is
a fair deal, coupled with good
customer relations, even after
the car is sold. For the finest
deal on the finest car, see Saul
Berch at Packer Pontiac, 18650
Livernois, phone UN. 3-9300.
ADV.
. . ....
. . .
...and delightful!
Makes delkatea : •-
fluffy sponge
cake that
melts In
your mouth.
So delicious
and
so easy!
Kosher for
Passover!
DIST R B1 17:ED BY:
GOLDEN CRACKNEL FOOD & SPEC. CO . t
600 CUSTER AVE., DETROIT, MICH.
COME ONE
COME ALL
B'nai Frith
Annual Ball
AT FOUNTAIN BALLROOM, MASONIC TEMPLE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1955 AT 9:00 P.M.
MUSIC BY
MICKEY WOOLF AND HIS ORCHESTRA
NO ADMISSION CHARGE