New Challenges face Jews
of Windsor on Anniversary

By CHARLOTTE HYAMS
At age 25, a young adult is inclined to stop and
wonder, Where have I been? Where am I going?
The organized Jewish community of Windsor is 25
this year. And its leaders ask the same questions.
In 1938, the Windsor Jewish Community Council
was formed to give unity
and direction to a growing Eisenberg, supervised the pro-
population. Fund raising gramming. But they'll have
and community relations none of that now. Under presi-
were the Council's main dent Mrs. Lena Bookman and
its executive committee, the
concerns.

limner

of the University of Windsor.

goes on.

The list

-

they receive Windsor Red describing the generosity . of the
Feather money.
Canadian people to a group of
There are other communal Jewish war orphans brought
ties: a cemetery, a ritual slaugh- over in 1947. Of the 1,116
terer, a co-op credit union, a youngsters, 25 found homes in
community bulletin, a Vaad Windsor.
Kashrut to supervise the dietary
It was a good investment. Now
laws . . . And two Kosher de- in their mid-30s, "those who re-
licatessens in the heart of Wind- mained are our best citizens,"
sor's former "Jewish quarter." Eisenberg said.
(Besides Abie's and Malic's,
There are other "best citi-
there's a snack bar in the Jew- zens" who have served both
ish Center. Attendant David Windsor and the Jewish com-
Sklash wanted to be sure his munity. Men like Harry R.
snack bar wouldn't be forgotten Schwartz, for-
in any article. "We're strictly mer president
kosher," he said, "and closed I of the Retail
Friday night and Saturday." For Business-
atmosphere, he could offer "cub men's Associa-
scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, tion but also
BBG, BBYO and the Friendship president of
Club. It's a madhouse on Sun- t h e Windsor
day.")
Jewish C o m -
* * *
munity Coun-
The Philip Bernstein Jewish cil and one -
Community Center has injected t i rn e Welfare
much life into the communal Fund C in-
Schwartz
mainstream.
paign chairman.
Built in 1959, the bright, mod-
ern facility is, literally, the
center of things. In addition to
youth and older adult functions,
there are a drama group, He-
brew lessons and special inter-
est classes, physical education
activities and health club.
The Center is closed on the
Sabbath, and, Eisenberg said,
there has never been any is-
sue raised over opening it.
Jews in the Windsor environs
also nucleate toward 1641 Ouel-
lette. "There are eight or nine
shops in Kingsville owned by
Jews," according to the direc-
tor, "and when they have chil-
dren, they move to Windsor to
bring them up. They commute
I back and forth."
DAVID CROLL
LIBERAL TREND SEEN
With the evolution of Jewish
A young Windsorite, Herbert
communal 1 i f e has come the Gray, was recently elected to
evolution of religious life. Lib-1 Parliament; David Croll, former
eral trends have set in among Windsor mayor, is a senator;
the once-Orthodox community. and other Jews are active at
A new temple has been built all levels of government.
by Cong. Beth El, directed by
Printer Michael Sumner is a
Sherwin Wine, a young rabbi Zionist pioneer and active in
ABE BERNIKER
who is helping form the Birm- work for the aged; news distri-
ingham Temple.
butor Jacob Geller is a former
The largest synagogue, the C o m m unity
Orthodox Shaar Hashornayirn, Council presi- k.
has a number of Conservative dent. Eli Gol
members. Its spiritual leader is den, another
Rabbi Samuel Stollman, son of past presi-
Detroit rabbi Isaac Stollman of dent, was
Cong. Mishkan Israel.
Windsor's
Senior congregation is Sha- Man of the.,
rey Zedek, established in 1904. Year and has
A Jewish Community Coun- been instru-
cil bulletin makes interesting mental in the
reading. The activities col-
umns include synagogue sis-
terhoods, men's, youth and
couples clubs, study groups,
The contributions have been
Hadassah, Mizrachi and Pio-
many . . . and always in a cli-
neer Women chapters. Many
mate of interfaith cooperation,
events are co-sponsored with Eisenberg said. "Anti-Semitism
Detroit units.
is unknown here. There are
MRS: MAXWELL SCHOTT
For the size of the Windsor warm, cordial relations with the
Women's Division chairman Jewish community. the number non-Jewish community."
*
*
*
Mrs. Maxwell Schott are out to who have visited Israel is note-
persuade everyone in the com- worthy. Organizations have con-
Thus, the little city across the
munity to contribute. Their tributed much to the Zionist river has become, for many, not
$125,000 goal is an increase of cause, and the sale of Israel "second best" but "best." After
$15,000 over 1963. •
Bonds has met with continued World War I it was a tempor-
ary refuge, a waiting room for
Several agencies receive Wel- success.
those who sought the United
GROWTH AFTER WW I
fare Campaign funds, including
Windsor Jewry couldn't al- States. But then Windsor came
the Jewish Community Center,
in which the Council has its of- ways boast such organization. In to be more.
It came to be home for 3,000
fices, and Family Service De- 1893, the first Jews arrived, but
partment, which concerns itself until after World War I, it was loyal Canadian Jews.
with a wide range of case work a fledgling community.
U.S. i m m ig r a tion laws
services, transient and tempor-
weighed heavily in the develop- Levi Eshkol To Spend
ary relief.
ment of Windsor. After the war,
This issue of The Jewish many Jews from Eastern Eu- 5 to 10 Days in U.S.
News will go to Fund contri- rope's Pale of Settlement sought I WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Is-
butors—as does the fourth is- a home in "the Golden land" rael's Prime Minister Eshkol,
sue of each month—as another of America. It was denied them. who will arrive for an official
Council service.
So they chose Windsor with the meeting with President John-
Allocations also go to Wind- hope that one day they could son in Washington on June 1,
will spend five to ten days in
sor's Jewish schools — the cross the river. Many stayed.
Orthodox Shaar Hashomayim,
Mindful of their European the United States. it was learn-
secular I. L. Peretz Shule, at origin, these one-time immi- ed here.
which Yiddish is taught, and grants kept close ties with world
Eshkol also will meet Secre-
the Temple Beth El religious Jewry, contributing to refugee tary of State Dean Rusk as well
school.
causes.
as other top governmental and
The Community Center and
Not long ago, Prof. Ben Lap- congressional leaders. He will
the Family Service Department pin of the University of Toronto visit several other cities besides
have another financial source. wrote the heart-warming story Washington during his Ameri-
This will be the third year that I of "The Redeemed Children," can stay.

d e v elopment

Growing up next door to De- Friendship Club arranges its
troit, sharing the same backyard own activities, many of them
pool, Windsor's Jewish commu- with the Golden Agers of De-
nity was bound to "tag alone troit's Jewish Center.
The new Friendship Club
with its older neighbor.
C
But it didn't want to tag along Choir
will perform April 13 for
forever. The community had their Detroit colleagues. They
w
problems of its own. And, hav- ill be in good voice, too; on
ing met them for the past quar- April 12, they will participate
in Windsor's Israel Independ-
ter century, it stands matured, ence
Day celebration.
ready for the next hurdle.
There's something unique in
* * *
One hurdle, in particular, the self-reliance of Windsor's
looms very high: the runaway older adults. Pomm put it this
way: "Our elderly people don't
young adult.
need so many activities as they
Joseph Eisenberg blames it
do in Detroit. They just don't
On Sputnick. Eisenberg, execu-
tive director of the Windsor seem to be lonely."
The Council has thought of
Jewish Community Council, ex-
plained that with the launch- purchasing city land to build a
ing of the Russian satellite residential facility for Jewish
Carrie the sudden realization by aged. But there never has been
young people that "My father's an urgency in the proposal.
Is there something special
business is not for me."
about Windsor's climate that
The new fields which demand
keeps the elderly happy?
college-trained technicians have
Perhaps. The health care pro-
drained much young blood from
gram in Canada has taken
small cities like Windsor. "They
away one of the biggest fears
go off to school," the director of
the aged person: the fear
said, "and they don't come that
he will become ill and
back."
be unable to pay his medical
In the 20-30 age group, ac-
bills. Without that uncertain-
cording to Eisenberg, "of 100
ty in his future, Pomm said,
who go away to school. four
he can turn his attenion to •
men and two women will re-
other, enjoyable pursuits.
turn here." There- -are - some
At the other end of the Jew-
100 single young people out ish Center clientele are the jun-
of a Jewish population of iors. Starting at age 3 1/2 in the
nearly 3,000.
kindergarten club, a young
He refused to blame the Windsorite can 'progress
United States for the "brain through the youth program.
drain." Although many young
Here again, conditions uni-
Windsorites attend college in que to Windsor's community
Detroit, graduates often move have led to notable success
to Toronto and Montreal.
among the 200 Jewish high
It isn't entirely a one-way school students. Of that num-
traffic, either. From 1957 to ber, over 175 are actively in-
'62, the Windsor Jewish com- volved in Center activities.
The reason is simple, accord-
munity lost 17 per cent of its
population (economic hardship ing to Pomm. "Rather than have
sent many to Detroit and out its own teen program, the Ceri.
West), but in the next two ter provides facilities for four'
years, it regained 7 per cent Bnai Brith Youth chapters. Why
through marriages and a trickle make the kids choose between
Bnai Brith and the Center? This
of refugees.
Now, Eisenberg said, the com- way they're not divided in their
munity has reached a plateau, loyalties."
at which the birth rate is keep- Members come in from as far_
away as Chatham (some 50 to
ing up with the death rate.
60 Jewish families live in the
ALT NEULAND
Obviously, the loss of its small town), and the four groups
young adults has had a pro- have an active voice in the
found effect on the nature of Great Lakes BBYO Council.
* * *
the Windsor Jewish community.
With harmonious interfaith
It is, in effect, an"alt neuland,"
with very old and very young relations and the absence of any
particular ghetto area in Wind-
segments.
How the Council deals with sor, the problem of interdating
these two age groups gives a was going to crop up sooner
fairly good idea of the Jewish or later.
&immunity, which, although
The issue was resolved by the
spread throughout the city, is youth themselves.
close-knit ("Nobody escapes our
A year ago, Eisepberg said,
following' a study of intermar-
eyes," the director said).
*
riage by Dr. Leon Lucas of
The older adults, 40 of whom Wayne State's school of social
belong to the Friendship Club work, a number of sessions
44 the Windsor Jewish Center, were held to study the question
in Windsor.
are a very independent lot.
When the club was first or-
"Before we had a chance
ganized, planning was done for to do anything about it," Eis-
them; Monty Pomm, assistant to enberg recalled, "we realized
interdating had already tap-
ered off. The kids heard of
An ex-Detroiter, William
the tumult, saw the effect
Silver, is heading the 25th
their conduct had on us adults
-anniversary celebration of
and started to influence each
.Windsor's Jewish Community
other. Today, interdating is
Council, to be held next fall.
negligible."
Council Executive Director
That intermarriage has not
Joseph Eisenberg insists Sil-
made inroads is linked to the
ver's name had nothing to
do with his appointment as fact that Jewish young adults
chairman of the Silver An- are sent away to college where
the marriage market is much
niversary observance.
wider.

YOUNG LEADERS
If Windsor's Council couldn't
do anything about the brain
drain, it made up its mind to
keep the community vital
through the age 30-40 leader-
ship that remained. The Coun-
cil roster is impressive. Two
vice presidents, Morton M.
Bernholtz and Sidney Lazarus,
are under 40. So are treasurer
Henry Shanfield, secretary Ger-
ald Freed and eight members
of the executive committee.
"There is a conscious, deli-
berate effort to train leaders,"
Eisenberg said. "From day camp
and through youth club s, a
young man climbs to the com-
mittee level and, eventually, to
the executive level."
This Community Council ex-
ecutive committee has 36 mem-
bers, who, in turn, are respon-
sible to 105 governors, repre-
senting Jewish organizations
and a few (16) elected at large.
Any contributor of $5 or more
to the annual Welfare Fund
Campaign, now in progress, is
considered a member of the
Council and is eligible to vote
at the annual meeting.
There are at least two peo-
ple convinced that every Jew
can be a member of the Coun-
cil. Welfare Fund Campaign
chairman Abe Berniker and

21 -- THE DETRO IT JEWISH NEWS -- Friday, March 27 , 1964

City Across the River-25 Years of Communal Progress