.
By CHARLOTTE HYAMS
"Two good people in a small
Jewish community • can make
the difference."
The "difference" to which Elie-
zer Leikin, director of the Mich-
igan-Ohio Zionist Region, re-
ferred was that area between
indifference to and active par-
ticipation in a meaningful Jewish
life.
In the Tri-City communities
of Bay City, Saginaw and Mid-
land, that fortunate combina-
tion exists, largely in the per-
sons of Rabbis Phillip Fried of
Temple Israel, Bay City; Joseph
Katz, Temple Bnai Israel, Sagi-
naw; and Louis M. Sanker, Tem-
ple Beth El, 11Edland.
With the help of a few
leading citizens, Fried and
Katz have attempted to inject
Jewishness into the commu-
nity mainstream through He-
brew and religious school
-classes, adult education semi-
nars, Zionist organization
(Leikin recently helped or-
ganize a Tri-City Zionist
group) and other men's, wom-
en's and youth 7ctivities and
annual campaigns like the
UJA and Israel Bonds.
(Katz added that boys observ-
ing their Bar Mitzvah are pre-
sented a subscription to The
Jewish News "to make them
aware of Jewish life outside
- Saginaw.")
But it's a hard fight. Both
Fried and Katz admitted there
is a dearth of lay leadership,
that without the unceasing
efforts of the rabbis and few
active synagogue members
there would be no community.
Katz, who has been spiritual
leader of Temple Bnai Israel
for ten years, has big plans for
his 70-year-old Conservative
congregation. As one of two
centers of Jewish life in Sagi-
naw (there is also. a Reform
congregation, Beth El),
the Bnai Israel synagogue has
a 2,000-volume library of Ju-
daica, the largeSt north of De-
troit, and a seven-year-old
sanctuary-social hall. Katz hopes
to house the synagogue in the
proposed wing, to include six ad-
ditional classrooms.
The Saginaw Jewish commu-
nity of 200 families has a 55-
year-old Bnai Brith organiza-
tion, two Young Judean groups,
BBYO and Jewish War Veter-
ans Post. Bnai Israel also has an
active sisterhood and men's
club.
Although Saginaw and Bay
City held loosely-co-ordinated
activities in recent years, with
the organization of the tri-city
Zionist Organization joint com-
munal activities have reached
a new high. Special inducement
for Zionist membership has
been a synagogue plan where-
by members of the congrega-
tions may receive membership
in ZOA at reduCed cost.
Fried, rabbi at Temple Is-
rael for two years, is looking
toward 100 percent member-
ship of the 182 Jewish citizens
of Bay City in the Conservative
synagogue. It Is now the sole
congregation in the area, al-
though mall recently the Bay
City Jewish Center Associa-
tion included Shaarey Zedek
and Temple of Abraham,
comprised of Orthodox and
Reform members of the 75-
year-old Jewish community.
Ultra-modern Temple Israel,
built last year largely through
the aid of leading citizen Joseph
C. Hirschfield, also offers serv-
ices to small neighboring com-
munities such as Gladwin.
Bearing close resemblance to
the Saginaw communal activi-
ties, such as the annual Israel
Independence Day celebration,
Bay City events reveal in-
terest in Israel's progress. The
few community members who
have visited the State, Fried
said, have returned full of en-
thusiasm.
Unfortunately, enthusiasm
over Israel has been insufficient
to minimize the indifference to
leadership needs and threat of
intermarriage to these two com-
munities.
But while Fried referred to
his Bay City congregants as
"conservative to the left with a
great deal of intermarriage,"
both rabbis stressed that Jewish
training prior to marriage has
helped prepare new community
members for a full Jewish life.
Many identify closely with the
synagogue and are active in
Jewish causes.
Four years of high school
Hebrew following Bar Mitz-
vah is encouraged at Temple
Israel where Mrs. Phillip Fried
is an instructor. Some 83 chil-
dren of all ages attend classes,
and the largest graduating
class of twelve students will
receive diplomas this spring.
There is little Jewish activity
for high school graduates, but
most are sent away to college
where there is greater oppor-
tunity to make Jewish friends,
Fried said.
Both rabbis feel there has
been progress in citywide re-
lations. Katz estimates 25 per-
cent of his time is concerned
with interfaith activity in the
190,000 population of Saginaw.
His primary objective, how-
ever, is -to, win his own congre-
gation over to a more active
participation in communal af-
fairs. This is where the Detroit
Jewish community has failed
to meet an obligation, he said.
"The speakers we receive
from Detroit," he explained,
"are not educators; they are
propagandists. We would like
outstanding lectures but can't
afford to bring them here; thus
our people hear about speakers
in Detroit, but rarely have the
opportunity to hear them. If
the community is to progress,
it must be exposed to artists
and educators, not just come-
dians • and propagandists who
are only interested in how much
money they can get out of us."
Demand Made at Herat Convention
to Stop Foreign
b Cash Restrictions
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
fluence of pressure groups, Av-
to The Jewish News)
TEL AVIV—A demand for the mel proposed the establishment
suspension of all foreign currency of a special ministry for economic
restrictions was made here at the planning and coordination.
Referring to a statement by
p
anarnttyta. 1 convention of the Herut
party leader Menachem Beigin
Addressing a session devoted in which the party leader pro-
to domestic economic and poli- I posed.that the Herut Trade
oin the Histadrut, Israel's
tical issues, Knesset- Deputy Bin- l join
yamin Avniel also called for na- i labor federation, Knesset Deputy
tional efforts at improving pro- liezer Shostak, who heads the
duction and packaging to pt Herut Labor Organization, said
that he did not think such a mer-
Israeli industry on a competiti
• ger would take place before the
level with other countries
forthcoming Knesset elections.
world markets.
Stressing the need to free
Israeli economy from
in-
at Dow. When he first arrived
five years ago, he said, the lead-
ing member of the community
assured him he would find no
discrimination.
That leading citizen happened
to be Joseph Bergstein, drug-
gist, philanthropist, pioneer and
"living legend" of Midland.
Bergstein, who has contrib-
uted vast sums to both the
Jewish and non-Jewish commu-
nity in the 35 years since he
arrived there, insists on stay-
ing on the sidelines, Sanker
said. "Whenever he discovers
and
we plan to honor him at an PHILIP CAMER c.
LAWRENCE B. WAYNE, De-
. event, he doesn't show up.
"Through his self-effacing troit representatives of Metro-
Dan Frohman Chorus
Mumford High, Apr. 30
FlF rt nT IL URE
modesty and concern for both politan Life Insurance Co., have
Jewish and civic causes and been invited to participate in a
his rooted attachment to four-day business conference
Judaism, he has set a corn- with President Cecil J. North
munity standard of activity, and other officers of the com-
a tempo and calib pany at the Breakers, Palm
ch, Fla., next week.
everyone feels
to
up to."
The vicf ous yo b "corn-.
MANOR HAVEN
munity
PhD's" as in ve
rapidly ead in th fi e
educat . n and sp i a
Hebre classes are
weekl religious s
1 0
day,
d BBYO
erchange
with
low Jewish youth
arrang
with Saginaw,
ay
City an
then commun . es.
There
0 offici
ebrew
school atten
ndards, al-
though five to six years of
Hebrew education prior
Mitzvah is the accep
mum.
Rabbi and Mr
ker share
the Hebrew
se , and Sunday
morning r gious' school, and
lead a w ly discussion grou
in the IV . Pleasant communit
PI
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As ar as Detroit ei g
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"I
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Mi 1 and,"
an i bligation
Sa er said. " ave we th
rig to call o them?
we such acut need?"
In
"model corn • ity,"
-ls there is o such
Sanker
need, fo ile •re is no
men's club or nai Brith and
little Zionist activity ("The
community represents an age
group that hasn't be
Katz pointed out that his
member
by Zionism"),
and Rabbi Fried's congrega-
hrough intel-
find expressio
tions "mother" outstate com-
lectual chan
. e 28 or
munities, such as Traverse
for example, at-
30 memb
City and Alpena, and prior
ekly adult study
tend t
to the establishment of the
group
oneg shabbat semi-
Jewish community of Mid-
nars.
land, sponsored activities
ou 'see," Sanke
there. "Why can't Detroit do
"t vigor of Judais
the same for us?" he asked.
ar culated in th o-c
Midland, the third and young-
well as in
est member of the Tri-City Jew-
ish community, doesn't fit into
the same picture.
et
Artists
I In fact, Rabbi Louis Sanker,
ernstein • wards
English-born deader of the four-
year-old Conservative Temple
ill
artists
ine Americ
Beth El, has found during the r- ive the 1961 Brandei Uni-
year he has been there that ve y creative arts wards
Midland is a "model commu- fro eonard Bernst
nity."
Bern-
'ser - conduc
Co
He attributes the active Jew- stein,
irecto if Brandeis'
ish life largely. to its small size School o
ve Arts, will
(42 families), youth (the aver- make the formal presentation
age young couple is in its early June 10 at Boston's Hot
30's) and intellectuality (all Statler-Hilton.
but 13 members are scientists
Mrs. Eleanor
at Dow Chemical Co., the sole be featured
industry of Midland).
annual meeti
Unlike the community of of Brandei
niversity:
Bay City, which dates back
Lillian Hellma
Playwria
three generations to Latvia, composer
allingford Riegge
and the Kurland-born resi- poet All
Tate, and p
dents of Saginaw, most of the Karl K the will be h
congregants at Temple Beth in the f h annual rese
El have arrived in Midland of the creative
from large Eastern - cities medals
esigned i
within the past three years. Brandei culptor Pe r
ippe.
Thus, the problem of too
Specia itations will
made
little leadership is non-existent to comp
Billy Jim
yton,
in Midland where all members poet Lou
0. Coxe, painter
are -..orced to participate by George Mu
and to Juli
virtue of their small number Beck and
wife, J
and social pressure to "join the Milina, for their "The
crowd."
Living Theatre" productions.
The city itself has been warm-
Bernstein also has established
ly receptive to its Jewish citi- the endowment for a full tui-
zens, according to Temple Beth tion scholarship to be awarded
El president Russell Kenen, annually to a music student at
young textile research engineer Brandeis University.
g - Resto
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3 113H 111 0
Judaism in Tri-City Area; Survival
Depends on R abbi and Synagogue