Pisgah Lodge Presidential History

FamilyiesDominate 100 Years in Office •

In the annals of Pisgah Lodge
of Bnai Brith, which this year
is celebrating the centennial of
its founding_ in 1857, there is a
striking record of ' family par-
ticipation.
According to records made
available by Irving I. Katz,
Michigan Jewry's unofficial his-
torian, there is an amazing
record of . leadership in Pisgah
Lodge, which indicates the ac-
tive participation of fathers and
sons, grandfathers and grand-
sons, and brothers.
These combinations account
for exactly half of the presi-
dents which have guided
Pisgah throughout its 100 years.

curred in the Van Baalen fam-
ily, • when Israel Van Baalen
served as president in 1865,
to • be followed seven years
later by his father; Emanuel
H. Van Baalen, in 1872. A sec-
ond son, Henry Van Baalen,
completed *the cycle when he
served in 1897. -
There are four instances of
fathers. and sons who assumed
the PiSgah presidency,. in addi-
tion to the already-mentioned
SiIberinan family.

brother,
(1930).

Ascher served in 1890, and 52
years later, his grandson, Rai--•
dolph Meyersohri in 1942-43, be-
came its president.

Dn. Victor

Droock

Simon Freedman Louis Selling

SIMON A. ASCHER

Weiss (already mentioned in
connection
with his son)
and his broth-
er, Herman
Weiss, who was
president
in 1873; Louis
Selling (1870)
and Zaohariah
Selling (1889);
Louis Blitz
Herman Krolik
( 1 8 7a) a n d Henry A. Kro-
lik (1890); Louis Blitz (1891) and
1888) and Simon Blitz (1883).
Also mentioned previously
was Adolph Freund and _ his
son. But in 1886, it was his
brother, Herman Freund, who
was Pisgah president. Then
there were the Van Baalens, al-
ready mentioned, and Morris
Garvett (1918) and his brother,
Joseph S. Garvett (1922) and
Aaron Droock (1925), another
District past president and na-
tional committee man, and his

Herman Krolik Henry Krolik

Joseph Garvett Morris Garvett

Thus Pisgah's history is in-
dicative of the interest of gen-
erations of Detroiters during
the past 100 years in carrying
out Bnai Brith projects which
work for the betterment of our
community and country.

B. G. R. Sa;'

JACOB SILBERMAN

The sequence of familial ties
and the presidency of the or-
ganization is traced back to the
very first year of the organiza-
tion's founding.
In 1857, Jacob Silberman as-
sumed the presidency of the
newly-organized Pisgah Lodge,
the first Bnai
Brith organiz-
ation in either
Detroit or
Michigan. He
also served" in
1858. The fol-
lowing genera-
tion saw his
son, Sidney
Silberman,
take • office as
presi-
Pisgah
Sidney
dent in 1902.
Silberman
Although the Silberrnarit
were the first mentioned chron-
ologically, there are records in-
dicating that one family—the
Cohens—registered a father and
three sons in the top position of
the Van
while
leadership,
Baalens boasted a father and
two sons who made the presi-
dency.

MAGNUS BUTZEL

Magnus 13 utzel, the noted
philanthropist and patriarch of
one of Detroit's greatest Jew-
i s h families,
who 70 years
ago aided Jew-
ish farm settle-
m e n t,. served
as a Pisgah
Lodge pres
dent in 1868.
His son, Henry
M., Butzel, the
now retired.
Chief Justice
of Michigan's
Henry Butzel
Supreme
Court, was president in 1894.
In 1869, Philip Weiss, the
grandfather of Detroit advertis-
ing executive Philip Marcuse,
became president of the lodge,
to be followed only two years
later by his son, Sam-Uel Weiss,
in 1871.

Introducing Dr. Max Ascoli

Every distinctive group of Italian-Jewish' family. The As-
people within our population, coils, which produced many
dedicated to special religious or outstanding citizens, also had a
cultural interests or -idealistic number of scholars to -their
aspirations, in time "makes credit.
A first-person story by Dr.
copy" for newspapers, magazine
Ascoli, which appeard in the
articles and books.
Dec. 23, 1952 Reporter, further
The great phenomenon of the
answers the question:
rise of Israel has been far from
"I landed in the United States
overlooked. And if the Elmer
as a political immigrant from
Roper Poll, showing that the
1931. In
majority of Americans are in Fascist Italy on Oct. .5;
my native country, I had been
sympathy with Israel, is cor-
a writer, a 'university professor
RUDOLPH MEYERSOHN
rect, the reason for this feeling
of jurisprudence and, above all,
may be found in the reception
from the beginning of Fascism,
In addition to the Cohen accorded the rise of the Jewish
brothers, already mentioned in national home by the press and an anti-Fascist.
"I could never, of course, have
connection with their father, many other publications in the
left Italy had it not been for
there is one other group of United States.
a :fellowship I 'received from
three Lodge brothers who be-
The volume of literattire on
came lodge president. (Inci- the 2;ubject of Israel and the the Rockefeller Foundation,
dentally, the term brother is number of magazine articles, re- whose representative in Italy.
used here to indicate blood and ports, pamphlets and books has was Luigi Einaadi, now Presi-
not fraternal relationship, for assumed immense proportions dent of the Italian Republic. For
in Bnai Brith each member is and in itself almost constitutes two years I traveled throughout
the United States and worked
a brother to the other).
a complete library, testifying to at Harvard, at'the University of
the historic significance of , the Chicago, and at the University
event.
of Wisconsin.
One of the most illuminating
"In 1933, I was appointed Pro..
and impressive magazine ar- fessor of Political Philosophy
ticles to appear lately was the on the Graduate FaCulty of the
extensive report, "Notes on Is- New School for Social Research
rael," written by Max Ascoli in New York. From then on,
for The Reporter, the fortnightly besides teaching, I did a lot of
liberal review which he founded writing. Most of my writing was
and which, within the past six on my pet obsession: how, in
Philip Weiss Samuel Weiss
years or more has become one the democratic climate of our
of America's leading periodi- times, freedom • can perish.
Another distinduished family
cals.
-
the Freunds—were represent-
"But with my single-t rack
Dr. Ascoli, who did not make mind, even when I was spend=
ed in the Pisgah. dynasty by
his trip to Israel as a tourist, ing a great deal of energy on
Adolph Freund, • the father, who
butt rather as a student and Italian handicrafts and teach
served.iii 1877, 1891, 1906-7 and
scholar, presents in his article ing, I couldn't help writing -
1909. His son, Dr. Hugo A.
a comprehensive analysis of all about freedom—how it is gen-
Freuhd, was president in 19043
the things which have been erated, how it can be lost. "The .
and again in 1909, when he
achieved by a comparatively Power of Freedom" was pub-
shared the term of office with
small people in a very new lished in 1948. It contains some
his father, the only such occur-
,MEYER W: LEIB
State. _
of the main- ideas which, tested
pence • in Pisgah history.
MARCUS COHEN
There is a lot more that could against the concrete situations
- Samuel W.- Leib, whO was
Pisgah: president in 1937-38 ; be said • about Ascoli's impres- of our day, are to be found in
later served. as District No. 6 sions, but one phase in particu- The Reporter.
"Oct. 5, I guess, is the luck*
president . and now is a national lar stands out most prominently.
committee man, was succeeded Among all the "outsiders" who day of my life. On Oct. 5, I
attempted to penetrate the first "landed in America; nine
in 1949-50 by
phenomenon of Israel, this years later to the day I married
his brother,
writer, better than any other, Marion .Rosenwald, daughter of
Meyer - W. Leib.
has succeeded in tracing all the Julius Rosenwald. In 1942, Pete
A third brother,
tentative and tenuous first steps was born. I am just as proud of
Dr: George V.
of the early settlers, from the Pete as of 'The Reporter'."
Leib, is the im-
It should be added that hav-
Mark • Sloman Adolph Sloman mediate past
Shomrim to the Vaad Leumi,
back to the conscious, though ing married a Rosenwald, Prof:
Simon Cohen Moses Cohen
Another instance where a son Pisgah p r e §
unexpressed; Purpose which Ascoli is naturally the brother-
office is dent, having
shaped itself toward the crea- in-law e.f William Rosenweld,
Marcus Cohen, the father, preceded his father in
served
in
1956-
who • through the United Jewish
was Pisgah president in 1858 noted when Adolph Sloman be- 57.
tion of a State.
and again in 1862. His son, came Pisgah's president in 1883,
Jewish readers of this article, Appeal and other agencies is
On
nine
oc-
Simon Cohen, came next, serv- 'also serving the following year, casion s, twoDr. Geo. V. Leib intensely interested in the sub- greatly helping Israel, and an-
ing from 1869-1871 and again in while his father, Mark Sloman, brothers have became Pisgah ject and appreciative of . its other man by the name of Les.
iii
1873 and 74. Simon's brothers, did not serve until 1905.
president, beginning in 1859, treatment, . were naturally sing. Rosenwald, who lives
Moses Cohen (1876) and Solo-
There is only one instance in when Herman Freedman became tempted to ask, "Who is- Ascoli?" Philadelphia and, as far as the
mon Cohen (1877) directly suc- Pisgah annals where a grand- president. His brother, Simon A glance into any one of the Jews are concerned, also in a
5-
Jewish eneyclopedias would re- world apart.- '
' seeded him. •
father has preceded a grandson Freedman served in 1861.
Bernard G. Richards
An interesting departure from
veal
the
name
to
be
of
an
old
Others have been. Philip
the usual order of events oc- in the presidency. Simon A.

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