Giving in '56: Challenge Needing Fulfillment

By ISIDORE SOBELOFF

By MAX M. FISHER •

By JOHN E LURIE

Executive Vice President, Jewish Welfare Federation'

Chairman, Allied JeWisli
-
Campaign

Chairman, Allied Jewish Campaign

_ The 1956 Allied Jewish Campaign finds the
beleaguered. people of Israel and hundreds of
thousands of Jews in North Africa looking for
material help. from us for ainelioration of their
difficulties.
However, while meeting their crisis we can
not abandon the 55_causes whose services pro-
vide basic and vital needs for our Jewish people
here in Detroit, nationally and overseas.
For over 50 years our community has been
organized to assist our
fellow Jews whenever and
-wherever there is -n e e d
of aid. Good citizenship
has taught us that we do
not construct our fire en-
gine after the alarm bell
has been sounded. The
machinery essential for
collecting great sums of
money in our large com-
munity has functioned
smoothly a n d efficiently
for each of the past 50
Isidore Sobeloff
years. It enables us to 'do
in one annual drive what no multiplicity of
campaigns -can do as well separately.
In crisis we have increased our goal beyond
the $4,150,000 required last year. We have
accepted an extra quota of $1,230,000 as De-
troit's share of the United Jewish Appeal $25
million Minimum Emergency Fund. With the
machinery already functioning each of us works
harder, stretches his generosity and heeds' the
call of our brethren around the corner and
around the world.
The annual Allied Jewish Campaign is not
just another appeal. It is the one major cam-
paign in our community that is ready, not only
when newspaper headlines proclaim a crisis
for our people, but is organized to help 'solve
the problems of daily living for thousands of
Jews in Detroit, nationa 1 # and overseas.
Funds collected in tne Campaign enable
thousands of Jews to leave the filth and degre-
dation of North African ghettos for a life of
dignity and usefulness in Israel, and they carry
forward the constructive work of health, edu-
cation and welfare in Israel, in Europe and
here at home.
This year when we open the door for the
Allied Jewish Campaign solicitor we will need
help to keep Israel's door to immigration open
and at the samettime provide for all our neces-
sary on-going services at home and abroad.*

Hitler taught world Jewry, at a terrible
cost, the penalty of hesitance; indecision and
disunity. We. learned from him that it is prac-
tical to hope for the best only while preparing
for the worst.
Bitter experience -has shown that situations
of danger for Jews overseas do not, like night-
mares, vanish with the morning if only one
forgets about them. Procrastination only makes
them greater, more tragic, more costly and
difficult to solve.
- We know it is no use
protesting that we live in
the 20th century, we are
enlightened, and religious
persecution is outmoded.
No one has told this to the
mobs in Algeria. and Tunis
who damage and loot Jew-
ish homes and places of
business. This does . not
comfort the Jews who suf-
fer bodily harm at the
hands o_f the Moslem riot-
John Lurie
ers.
The world is small. The paper boy brings
an account of latest developments in the tense
Middle East situation to our door each- morn-
ing. Even if we would, we cannot ignore,, the
fate of our co-religionists overseas.
That is why, in a single annual drive, the
Allied Jewish Campaign, Detroit Jewry amasses
funds to aid those Jews who must rely upon
our generosity for their very existence.
Our funds will take thousands of Jews out
of squalid and fear-ridden North African ghet-
tos and bring them to Israel where they will
-be able to establish a productive and dignified
existence as Jews. For those who must remain
in North Africa our funds will mean the dif-
ference between- hope and despair.
Money raised in the- Allied Jewish Campaign
will buy food, milk, shoes and education for
North African Jewish children and provide
treatment for trachoma and tuberculosis.
At the same time our funds will relieve
Israel of the burden of financing immigration
and enable her to turn her .face and force
toward hostile borders-while her doors remain
open to all Jews seeking a haven.
By bold action and generous giving we show
the Jews of North Africa and Israel, and the
rest of the world, that we have learned well
the costly lesson of Hitler days.

This year we have a double job to do. While
uneasy Israel stands arined at its borders, we
alsO have problems here at home.
Even in time of great crisis we must not
neglect the education of the young, the care of
the sick and aged,_ and help for the distressed
and disturbed; We must continue our work on
all fronts of social welfare, without in any way
neglecting the urgent call for help -overseas.
If lack of funds forced us to neglect an - emo-
tionally disturbed child,
refuse care' to an aged
man, or forego the Jew-:
ish education of our chil-
dren, those Who' oppose
Israel could claim a major
victory, for we would be
undermining the founda-
tion of a strong and self-
reliant Jewish community
at home and soon we
would not be able to help
either ourselves or Israel.
In time of crisis for
Max Fisher
Jews overseas, we do not
neglect essential services at home, but match-
ing, to some 'extent, Israel's courage and de-
termination we, here in Detroit, work harder
and give more to meet all needs.
Our community is justly proud of the scope
and calibre of the services it renders, made
possible by unified giving, through the annual
Allied Jewish Campaign and enhanced by our
central coordinating agency, the Jewish Welfare
Federation.
Last year we moved forward in service on
many fronts through your generosity.. New
building sites for community use were pur-
chased. Additional facilities for the care of the
aged are being completed.. Construction . was
begun on the Jewish CoMmunity Center-United
Hebrew Schools Branch on Ten Mile Road.
Sinai Hospital facilities were expanded.; - enroll-
ment of children at the United Hebrew Schools
increased. In many directions a growing com-
munity provided growing services.
Now, with your continued and extended
generosity to the 1956 Allied. Jewish Campaign,
we shall meet the crisis in the Middle East
while maintaining essential and ongoing serv-
ices in our community. Detroit is a good cornt
munity, rich in resources. It will strengthen
the home front and, at the same time, strengthen
the cause of our brave friends in Israel.

Our Hope for Young Adults: Time for Lost Sheep to Come Home

(Editor's Note: Periodical-
ly, a wave of interest devel-
ops about Young Adult activi-
ties in the community. Two
recent articles by Boris Smo-
/or of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency on national young
adult problems and several
letters and telephone calls
from readers has prompted
this article, which is the be
ginning of a series on Young
Adult organizations in De- ,
troit).
By FRANK SIMONS
It has been said, not onee but
many times, that the lost sheep,_
the wanderers of the commun-
ity, are its young adults.
The youth are easy to organ-
ize, to keep busy and content;
the young married element now
is coming into its own with a
host of activities, the older
'adults have had their programs
for many, many years.
But what of the -single young
adult, that perennial problem
who is by his , own or society's
choosing a misfit as a youth,
certainly not qualified as - a
young married and does not feel
at home in older; adult com-
pany? .
Roughly, the young adult fits
into the age category of 18 to
30. Many of the younger ele-
ment are happy with youth or-
ganizations, and many of' the
older element would like to join
in activities of older groups,
but there is little in the way
of common experience to be
shared here.
The problem s. of toslay's
young adult are brought into

sharper focus than in other becoming a juvenile delinquent. cause that is their written, been in existence for a number
I
times for several reasons:
There also is pressure to secure underlying purpose. However., of • years always has someone
in all groups, the main reason
1, Young men 'are faced with facilitieS for the older element, I for existing is social activities. to fall back on.
the draft;
through old age homes and the
Young adult groups can lose
A -%1ITZVAH IN HEAVEN'
a president through marriage
2. Early marriage has thinned
Every president, advisor or one week, a vice-president who
the ranks of the young adult
"With only limited- resources rabbi to whom we talked, how- has moved out of town for 'a
population;
in terms of money and person- ever, said that there is certainly better business opportunity an-
3. The depression, with its re- nel, somebody has to suffer. In nothing wrong with this ar- other week and so forth.
sultant lowering of the birth this case, it is the young adult rangement- As one rabbi phrased
rate, has added to the numerical who is independent and doesn't • it, "If we can get boy to meet . With only a small group of
slimness of young adults- in that need the help we must give the :girl, to like girl and to marry, workers and nobody to fall back
sick kid and the dependent • girl under this roof,, then we on, it's net difficult to see why
general age category;
the loss of two key' people can
adult."
have a mitzvah in heaven."
4. Technological advances,
break up an organization.
SHORTAGE OF FUNDS
If there are 14 groups suc-
namely the prominence of the
Many leaders or advisors
Center
this
year,
the
Until
automobile, have made access-
. cessful enough to exist in these
ible a wide variety of interests had a Young Adult Council times, then why • is there • a seem to feel that the pur-
poses of their groups are not
which detract from activities with a membership of some 20
well enough known to Jewish
which might ordinarily be chan-{ organizations, including college • young adult problem?
Princ i pa 11 y , the reason is the yoUng adults in Detroit. For
neled into constructive young . fraternities. It operated under
that reason, in the coming
adult planning and activities. the direction of one man' who lack of stable membership.
weeks, we will outline the pur-
share
his
time
between
had.
to
The
advisor
of
one
group
OBSTACLES APLENTY
working for the Jewish Welfare cited an instance where a young poses and programs of the exist-
There are other problems, to Federation half a year and the
ent organizations to which
be sure, but they have been remainder of the time working . lady came to three dances in a young people in the general age
row,
wasn't
given
a
tumble
or
with us right along. Yet, added with young adults.
even asked to dance. She lost category 18' to 30 may be in-
to these new difficulties, to-
interest,
and never showed up terested.
It is neither the fault of the
day's young adult has had
EXISTENT ORGANIZATIONS
again.
Center
nor
Federation
that
this
thrust upon him a heavy bur-
These include the • following:
den in attempting to plan a pro- situation existed. When there
He pointed to a gross negli-
Jewish Center . Young Adult
gram which leads to a construc- are inadequate funds, someone gence on the part of the .male
'is bound to be left out.
element, but added that they Lounge, Bnai .Brith Young
tive and happy life.
can't
be blamed entirely be- Adults, Duartians of the City
In
the
fall,
the
Center
spokes-
As an official of the Jewish
cause
there was a surplus of of Hope, Junior Hadastah,
man
said,
it
is
planned
to
re-.
Community Center mentioned,
young
women at all three af- Hadassah . Evening Group,, 'Am-
there is another big, over- activate the Young Adult De-
erican Jewish Congress Univer-
fairs.
whelming obstacle—the fulfill- partment with a full-time staff
sity Women's Chapter, -Young
worker.
He
added
that
there
are
a
ment of the needs of an expand-
•
Zionist Clu13, Adas. Shalom
ing community have not kept
In the meantime, a bit of certain amount of individuals Young People's League, Beth
pace with the increase In popu- quick checking showed that the who join an organization be, Aaron Young Adults, • Beth El
lation. This, • however, is not young adult situation might. be cause they feel the need of B . 0 s in e ss and Professional
limited to the Jewish commun- •a great deal worse than we are belonging. Others will' come Group, Shaarey Zedek Young
ity, but is an overall tendency led to believe,. 'There are some only to an occasional 'open event, People's League, Bnai Moshe
in this country:
14 existent o rganizations that and will neither join nor work Young People's League, Young
for" the group.
The spokesman from the Cen- young adults may join.
Adults Of Young Israel and the
While this problem of a hard- Hillel 'Fatiridation.
ter posed the problem this way:
Tht-se run the gamut from
"Where is, pressure upon the Zionist , and synagogue groups to core of workers is one faced by
24—Petroit JeWish News
community to give assistance civic and cultural organizations. many organizations, he said, 'an
Frida.Y, March
23, 1956
to the youth, to help him avoid We mention these categories be- aault organization which has
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