TWO
of the Silver Pieces in
Tercentenary Art Exhibition
Lecture by Miss Bortman, Reception
To Mark Tercentenary Art Exhibition
At Detroit Art Institute on Monday
Community-wide interest is
being shown in "theexhibition of
"Early American Jewish Silver
and Portraits," which began on
April 6 and will continue
some of the outstanding Jewish
personalities who have influ-
enced every sphere of American
life since the first settlement of
the Jews in America 300 years
ago—in developing American
trade, in financing and supply-
ing the army of George Wash-
ington, and in fostering relig-
ious, social, political and eco-
nomic freedom in the early 19th
century. These and others con-
tributed to the development of
American- art through their
patronage of leading artists.
Among colonial silversmiths,
Myer Myers, the New York
craftsman of Jewish descent,
was notable -for his work for
Jewish and non-Jewish patrons.
This lecture will be held in
the lecture hall of The De-
troit Institute of Arts, and will
be followed by a reception,
under the joint auspices of the
Arts Commission of the City
of Detroit, the Trustees of the
Detroit Museum of Art Found-
ers Society, and the Detroit
Committee of 300 for the
American Jewish Tercenten-
ary.
Serving as hostesses at the re-.
ception, representing the De-
troit • Tercentenary Committee,
Will be Mesdames Harry L.
Jackson, Henry Wineman, Na-
than Spevakow, Irving Small,
Charles E. Feinberg, Samuel
Danto and Philip Slomovitz.
The exhibition will be on view
Monday from 7:30 to 11 p.m.,
with the lecture and reception
set for 9 p.m.
Additional Photos on Page L
Michigan Jewry's
.
story
S
FRANCIS W. ROBINSON
These are two of the silver pieces 'included in the art ex-
hibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, marking the American
Jewish Tercentenary.
Upper photo shows Cream Pitcher made for Moses Mi-
chael and Rachel Hays, of Boston, by Paul Revere (1735-
a 818), silversmith and patriot. It was lent to the Art Institute
by Mr. and Mrs. Mark Bortman, of Boston, whose daughter,
Miss Jane Bortman, will deliver the lecture Monday evening;
at 9, in the Art Institute Lecture Hall, on the subject "Jewish
Contributions to the American Cultural Heritage."
The lower photo shows a silver bowl, made by Myer
Myers, early American Jewish silversmith. It is from the
collection of Lawrence A. Fleischman, of Detroit.
Women's Division, to Have Guest
Speakers at MC Events This Week
Discussing their fund-
raising teas are these
.special gifts hostesses
for the Women's Divi-
sion in the Allied Jewish
ti Ca mpaig n. From the
left: Mesdames MAX-
WELL JOSPEY, THEO-
. ORE LEV1N, BERT
SMOKLER and MAX
FRANK.
A brunch, teas and briefing
meetings this week will mark
acceleration of Women's Divi-
sion activities in the Allied Jew-
ish Campaign.
The brunch and a series of
three teas, being held for Pre-
Campaign and Special Gifts, will
hear two distinguished guest
speakers.
The briefing meetings will
offer instructions and sugges-
tions to workers by captains and
vice-chairmen in • the general
solicitation category.
At 1 p.m., Monday, Rabbi Her-
bert A. Friedman, executive
vice-chairman of the United
Jewish Appeal, will address a
pre-campaign $500 minimum
gift brunch at the home of Mrs.
S. Brooks Barron, 19631 Argyle
Crescent.
Tuesday, at 1 p.m., Mrs. Z.
Alexander Brailove, honorary
chairman of the UJA's National
Women's Division, will address a
$100 Minimum Gift special gifts
tea at the home of Mrs. Max-
well Jospey, 8251 Lincoln, Hunt-
ington Woods.
Two more special gifts teas
featuring talks by Mrs. Brailove
through May 1, at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, Woodward and
Kirby. The exhibit marks one of
the major events arranged by
the Art Institute, in coopera-
tion with the Detroit Tercen-
tenary Committee, in celebra-
tion of the American Jewish
Tercentenary.
This exhibition is not large
but includes some works of art
of prime importance in the
story of American silversmithing
and portraiture, and silver- by
Myer Myers, distinguished 18th
century New York silversmith
of Jewish descent.
It includes the Mark Bortman
collection of silhouette por-
traits of notable Jews of the
mid-19th century, made by
Augustin Edouart, the celebrat-
ed French silhouettist who cut
thousands of profile portraits,
usually in full length, in the
urban centers of the eastern
United States in the 1840's.
There are examples of the
silver made by Paul Revere,
Boston silversmith and Revo-
lutionary patriot, for Moses
Hayes, noted Jewish business-
man of Boston.
Silver, miniatures, rare books
and documents pertaining to the
Jews in America have been lent
by the American Jewish His-
torical Society of New York; the
Henry Ford Museum in Dear-
born, Michigan; the Addison
Gallery of American Art in
Andover, Mass.; the City Art
Museum of St. Louis, Mo.; Mr.
and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleish-
man and Charles E. Feinberg, of
Detroit, Vincent D. Andrus, of
New York and Messrs. Gins-
burg and Levy of New York.
The exhibition has been as-
sembled by Francis W. Robin-
son, curator at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, with the co-
operation of Philip Slomo-
vitz, chairman of- the Detroit
Committee for the American
Jewish Tercentenary, and
Charles E. Feinberg, chairman
of Tercentenary Exhibitions
for the Detroit Committee.
On Monday evening, at 9
o'clock, Miss Jane Bortman of
Boston, Mass., daughter of the
noted collector, Mark Bortman,
will present an illustrated lec-
ture on "Jewish Contributions
to the American Cultural Heri-
tage."
Miss Bortman will discuss
will be held Wednesday at the
homes of Mesdames Bert Smok-
ler, 1900 Balmoral, and Theodore
Levin, 2860 Cambridge.
East Side members of the
Women's Division will gather for
a tea at 1 p.m., Monday, at the
Fred M. Butzel Memorial Build-
ing, 163 Madison. A building tour
will follow the meeting. At the
same time, a .general solicitation
speakers' briefing meeting will
be held at the Davison Jewish
Center.
A second general solicitation
briefing is slated for 10:30 a.m., 24—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Tuesday, at the Davison Center.
Friday, April 15, 1955
Three Tercentenary TV Programs
Leon Wayburn, chairman of the public relations com-
mittee of the Detroit Tercentenary Committee, announces
completion of arrangements for three TV programs in honor
of the Tercentenary. -
The first in the series, televised Thursday night over
WJBK-TV, featured the three Reform temples and their
rabbis — Dr. Richard C. Hertz, 'Temple Beth El; Dr. Leon
Fram, Temple Israel; Dr. Frank F. Rosenthal, Temple Em-
anu-El. The moderator will be George W. Stark.
The Conservative congregations' program has been set
for April 24, over WXYZ-TV.
The Orthodox program will be televised in May
By IRVING I. KATZ
Editor's Note: This is the third installment, of the "Chron-
ology of the History of the Jews in Michigan, 1761-1850."
It is another American Jewish Tercentenary feature. Based
on Mr. Katz's forthcoming book, to be published by Wayne
University Press, this chronology, to be followed by chronolog-
ical facts about Detroit and Michigan, Jewry, will present the
story of the development of our communities in this state.
1808—Louis Benjamin, who may possibly have been a Jew, way
mentioned in the records of the Governor and Judges of Michigan
Territory as having been awarded a new lot to indemnify him for
his loss in Detroit's great fire of 1805 which destroyed all the
buildings in the village, save one.
1812—John Lawe, a nephew of Jacob Franks, served as a lieu-
tenant with the British forces that defended Mackinac against the
Americans during the War of 1812.
William Solomons, one of the sons of Ezekiel SolomOns, served
as interpreter at British occupied Mackinac during the War of 1812.
Detroit was surrendered by Governor Hull to the British Gen-
eral Brock during the War of 1812.
1813—Detroit was recaptured by American troops.
1815—Detroit was re-incorporated and provided with a local
governing board elected from the residents. Corporate name be-
came "City of Detroit."
1821—Lewis Solomons, youngest son of William Solomons and
grandson of Ezekiel Solomons, was born at Drummond Island. He
studied later at the Detroit Academy.
1823—Congress transferred territorial government from Gov-
ernor and Judges to a Governor and Legislative Council.
1824—City Charter was adopted providing for local govern-
ment by Mayor and Common Council or Board of Aldermen.
A James Solomons, who was probably a relative of Ezekiel
Solomons, was listed as .a resident of Drummond Island.
1827—"The Mayor, Recorder, and Aldermen of The City of
Detroit" became the *corporate name of Detroit. Detroit city seal
was adopted, commemorating the fire of 1805. .
1834—Stephen Cohen was listed as a resident of Adrian.
1835—Alex Cohen was listed on the payroll of the Common
Council of Detroit for grading a street. W. A. Cohn was listed as
a resident of Huron Township.
1837—Frederick E. Cohen, an English Jew from Woodstock,
Ontario, came to Detroit, remaining until about 1855. He became
a famous portrait painter, Michigan's first Jewish artist.
Michigan was formally admitted to the Union as the 26th state.
FirSt Directory of the City of Detroit was published. No known
Jews appeared therein.
1842—Detroit's first Board of Education was organized.
German-born Jacob Hirsch was the first Jew to settle in
Jackson.
1843—Solomon Weil, a German Jew, arrived in Ann Arbor. He
was followed by his brothers, Moses (1844), Leopold (1845), Marcus
(1846), Jacob (1848), and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Weil
(1850). The first Minyan (private religious service) in Michigan
was held in 18!.;.,5 at the residence of Leopold Weil and his brother-
in-law, Judah Sittig, who came to Ann Arbor about 1845: The
first Jewish cemetery in Michigan was established in Ann Arbor in
1848 or 1849.
1844—Charles E. Bresler and Edward Kanter, both immigrants
from Germany, were residents of Detroit. Bresler first came to
Ypsilanti, possibly in the late 1830's. Kanter went to Mackinac
but returned to Detroit in 1852. He was the first Michigan Jew to
serve in the State Legislature (1857) and he became the first Mich-
igan Jewish banker by organizing the German-American Bank.
Kanter street in Detroit was named after him. Mannes Israel of
Waldeck, Germany, settled in Kalamazoo, starting a general store.
Solomon and Andrew Freedman settled in Adrian. They
moved later to Detroit.
1845—The Detroit City Directory of 1845, containing 2800
names, listed the following Jewish firms and individuals: Solomon
Bendit and Company, dry goods; Freedman and Goodkind, fancy
and dry goods; Moses Rindskopf.
Lewis F. Leopold, a native of Baden, Germany, and his family,
as well as his sister and brother, were lOcated on the Island of
Mackinac where they pioneered in the fishery business.
1846—The Detroit City Directory, containing 3238 names, listed
the following Jews: S. Bendit and Company, dry goods; Frederick
E. Cohen, portrait painter; Solomon Freedman, fancy and staple
dry goods; Adam Hersch, cigar maker; Moses Rindskopf; Jacob
Silberman.
1848—Samuel and Marx Hart, natives of South Germany, ar-
rived in Marshall.
Louis Freidenberg and Solomon Meyerfield settled in Monroe
(originally Frenchtown).
1849—Charles, Henry and Emanuel Lederer, natives of Bohemia,
settled in Lansing. They came originally to Ann Arbor in 1847.
(Chronological History to Be Continued)