With Rabbi Isaac M. Wise in Old Detroit
Centennial of Visit by Reform's Founder
Editor's Note: The accom-
panying article by Irving I.
Katz, executive secretary of
Temple Beth. El and the un-
official historiographer of the
Jews in Michigan, marks the
centennial of the first visit in
Detroit of Rabbi Isaac Mayer
Wise, the founder of Reform
Judaism in America. The rare
photo of Rabbi Wise is used
through the courtesy of the
American Jewish Archives,
Cincinnati, 0.)
* * *
►
ticularly in the west, preaching
in many congregations, dedicat-
ing new houses of worship, and,
above all, advocating a moder-
ate reformation in worship, in
the direction of decorum,
brevity and modernity of
thought.
Rabbi Wise was the guest
preacher of Beth El at the
Saturday morning services on
Aug. 20, 1859, and he so im-
pressed his listeners with his
sermon that he was later pre-
sented with a "Resolution of
BY IRVING I. KATZ
.Thanks" by the congregation.
Copyright, Irving I. Katz, 1959
Rabbi Wise recorded his im-
In 1059, one hundred years
pressions of Detroit in a news
ago,_ Detroit was a bustling
item which appeared in the
city of about 45,000 inhabitants
Aug. 26, 1859, issue of The
which included about 200 Jews.
Israelite, an English - Jewish
Temple Beth El, organized in
RABBI ISAAC M. WISE
weekly, published by Rabbi
1850, was the only Jewish con-
gregation in the city. Its mode advance, and specifically stipu- Wise in Cincinnati. Wise's
of worship was officially Orth- lated that "it shall be occupied article reads as follows:
"DETROIT—Last week, for
odox, although in 1856, the as a meeting house and school-
the first time, we visited
more liberal members of the rooms."
congregation, after a series of
The congregation also owned Detroit, the metropolis of Mich-
"e x p l o s i v e" congregational its own cemetery. It consisted igan, a fine and lively city with
meetings, succeeded in passing of half an acre of land on wide and regular avenues, hand-
a new Constitution and by-laws Champlain (now Lafayette) some buildings, romantic vicin-
which contained moderate Street, adjoining Elmwood ity and an active, industrious
changes in the Orthodox Cemetery, and was purchased population. The site of Detroit
ritual.
in January, 1851. Rabbi Samuel is level. One can view the land
The rabbi of the congrega- Marcus, the first rabbi of Beth for miles up the lake, down
tion was Dr. Liebman Adler, El, was internee there in 1854. the river and into the interior
who came to the United States This -cemetery is still owned by of Michigan.
in 1854 and shortly after his Temple Beth El and is the
General Cass, one of the
arrival was called to the pulpit oldest Jewish cemetery in wealthiest men of the city, has
of Beth El. His annual salary Michigan.
an old residence here, which
was $360.00 and his duties
The only other Jewish insti- the ground exempted, is worth
included that of preacher (in tution in existence in Detroit about $500. This is the general's
German), cantor, t,e a c h e r in 1859 was Pisgah Lodge No. homestead. A Frenchman of
shochet and mohel. The presi- 34 of the Independent Order this city, who is worth millions,
dent of the congregation in of Bnai Brith, organized by lives in a frame house that is
1859 was Morris Hirschman.
members of Beth El in 1857 and worth about $200, the ground
not included. Several more
A Hebrew-German-English still in existence today.
wealthy men thus retard the
Day School was conducted
One hundred years ago, on progress of the city, still it im-
under the auspices of the
congregation where the chil- Friday, Aug. 19, 1859, to be proves rapidly, notwithstanding
dren received their secular exact, the small Jewish corn- the damages done to all the
as well as religious educa- munity of Detroit was anxiously lake cities by the railroads.
tion. The congregation num- looking forward to the visit of
"About 60 families of our
bered some 50 families but a prominent Rabbi, as the guest
people live in this city united
did not as yet have a syna- of Beth El. The visitor was in a congregation. ' Few of
gogue building of its own. none other than the famous
them are actually rich, none
Service s, congregational Rabbi Isaac M. Wise of Cincin-
are actually poor. They fol-
nati's
Congregation
Bnei
meetings and sessions of the
low different pursuits and
day school were held in a Yeshurun (now the Isaac M.
are concerned in almost all
rented hall over John C. Wise Temple), the founder and branches of city trade. Most
Sherer's Drug Store, at 39 master builder of American
all of them are young and
Michigan Grand Avenue (now Reform Judaism.
active men. Some of them
Cadillac Square), between
Although an exceedingly
play a prominent part in poli-
Bates and Randolph. The lease busy man in his own congrega- tics, and are very popular.
for the hall, dated May 1, 1859, tion and community, Rabbi
The Rev. L. Adler is the
called for a yearly rental of Wise traveled extensively popular minister of this con-
$140.00, payable quarterly in throughout the country, par- gregation. He attempted suc-
cessfully to improve divine
services by his lectures, exege-
tic expositions of the Biblical
sections read every Sabbath,
and by omitting • from the
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The on problems concerning the ab- liturgy such prayers as belong
trial of Ben Haroush, leader sorption and settlement of new to by-gone ages. Three times a
of the North African Immi- immigrants.- - The discussions, week Mr. A. gives instruction
grants in the Wadi Salib quar- conucted in the light of the to the young in the religion of
our fathers.
ter of Haifa, who is charged recent disturbances by North
"In consequence of Mr. A.'s
with illegally possessing fire- African immigrants, have es-
arms and with shooting at po- tablished that if there is any being schochet and -mohel he
licemen during the recent riots discrimination in the handling can not attend as fully as he
in Wadi Salib, was suspended of newcomers, it is in favor of desires to the functions of a
teacher. Our brethren of Detroit
by a high court order after it non-Europeans.
have no synagogue of their
opened before • a local magis-
The director of the Agency's own and no expectation to get
trate in Haifa. ,
absorption department, Yehuda one very soon. There is not
Suspended also was the trial Braginski, reported at the ses,
of three other Jews from Wadi sion that of a total of 160,000 that enterprise and energy in
Salib who are charged with North African immigrants, congregational affairs among
our brethren of Detroit as
attacking policemen.
120,000 came from Morocco,
The suspension came after 103,000 of them since 1954. among the rest of our Western
the accused demanded the trial Of these, 83,000 were sent to congregations. They need a
be held in another court. The development areas where hous- synagogue, a school, a benevo-
lent society, and they could
lawyer defending the four ar- ing was provided.
have all these with but little
gued that the defense was not
Of the 19,000 families still exertion on the part of the
given sufficient time to pre-
pare its case. Prior to its in ma'abarot (villages of tem- leading members.
Several of them told us
postponement, police took pre- porary huts), 6,000 were from
cautionary measures to ensure North Africa. Many of these they would contribute several
North African immigrants had hundred dollars toward the
quiet during the trial.
• Meanwhile, the Jewish Agen- been given housing in agricul- building of a new synagogue;
cy executive started discussions tural or industrial develop- this is the case especially
ment areas, but had abandoned with Messrs. Breslauer, Sykes
the houses, returning to the and others, if the matter
ma'abarot, Jewish Agency offi- would be agitated.
IF YOU TURN THE
cials reported.
7•100
We preached there Sabbath
r5 I
It was also reported at the before last to a large auditory
UPSIDE DOWN YOU WON'T
session that of 19,000 scholar- and, with the help of God, we
FIND A FINER WINE THAN
ships given jointly by the Min- hope to have cast a blessed
istry of Education and the Jew- seed on a fertile soil. We return
ish Agency for immigrant chil- our thanks to our brethren of
dren, over 70 percent were Detroit for the kind treatment
we experienced in their midst,
given to non-European immi- and especially to our friendly
Milan Wineries, Detroit, Mich.
grants.
host. Mr. and Mrs. Trounstine."
Change of Venue Ordered in Trial
of North African Rioters
•
UNICEF Assists Healthy Israel
UNITED NATIONS, (AJP)—
A UNICEF report, released here
this week, reveals a "phenom-
enal success" in Israel's milk
and nutrition program during
the past decade, thanks to con-
tinuous financial and technical
aid of the UN Agency.
The survey shows these fig-
ures: $507,000 allocated for milk
conservation; $89,000 for child
feeding; $85,400 for anti-tuber-
culosis vaccination; $28,900 for
nutrition education, and
$326,800 for emergency aid.
The survey, which records a
child population of 715,000 and
one physician to every 450
people making Israel a land of
children and doctors — states
that 195,000 children receive
free or subsidized milk.
for a doctor and student work-
ers to carry out a nutrition sur-
vey duripg the summer of 1959
to determine food habits and
nutritional deficiencies of re-
cent immigrants now residing
in rural areas.
The survey further shows that
the five dairies for which
UNICEF has provided pasteur-
izing, bottling, sterilizing and
other equipment, have reached
a monthly output of almost
4,000,000 liters of pasteurized
bottled milk, and the bottled
product has found universal ac-
ceptance.
UNICEF has also played a
vital role in Israel's basic ma-
ternal and child welfare serv-
ices ($184,000) and in rehabili-
The UNICEF nutrition edu- tation of handicapped children
cation fund provides stipends ($18,600).
IN DETROIT ...ONLY AT
SPITZER'S
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
ISRAEL DEFENSE
ARMY 1948-'58
Published by `Maarochot'
-- Israel Defense Army
Publishing House — fore-
word by David Ben-Gur-
ion. 400 pictures showing
evolution of Israel army
from the first step to
date. Hebrew text with
English translation each
page.
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