Sam Levenson Narrates Many Stories: Recalls the Past,
Moralizes in Autobiography 'Everything But Money'
Sam Levenson is full of fun. An
able teacher who became an out-
standing story-teller, it is the
wholesomeness in the role of a
raconteur that has earned for him
an enviable place among the coun-
try's best entertainers.
He writes equally as well as he
narrates a story, and he proves it
in his autobiographical work, "Ev-
erything But Money," published by
Simon and Schuster.
Levenson's story of his life on
the East Side of New York will re-
mind many people of the crowded
environs, the large families whose
struggles would probably cause de-
SAM LEVENSON
family bulletin board: 'Darling—
If I'm not at the PTA, or the
Save the Children Luncheon, or
the Homemakers' Meeting, I'll be
at the hairdresser's. Start de-
frosting at four. If I'm not home
by five start joyful family liv-
ing together without vie. Your
loving mother, Mary Harrington,
B.A. M.A., cum laude.'
And so, in the midst of poverty,
there was joy and cooperation and
self-help as well as the . helping
hand for members of his family,
and an affection in that family
circle.
Levenson tells in his life story
that as children of immigrants his
family represented "undesirables"
at the beginning of things, they
were "foreigners" and they real-
ized that "the only way to rise
above undesirability was not mere-
ly to become desirable, but to be-
come indispensable. This would re-
quire equal amounts of education
and sacrifice. They filled every
hour not devoted to study with
part-time jobs as truant officers;
book salesmen, teachers of English
to foreigners—wearing out their
eyes, their pants and their books,
drinking black coffee to stay
awake, postponing marriage, shar-
ing clothes, colds, money and
dreams. They defined freedom as
the opportunity to change the chi-
cumstances of your life through
your own effort, to force the
hand of history rather than to re-
main forever enslaved by it."
Thus, while "Everything But
Money" is an entertaining book,
filled with an immense amount of
stories related to accounts of a
personal life and that of his fam-
ily, it is also a very serious book,
and that is indicated at once on
the opening page in which the
humorist writes in all seriousness
and yet with a sense of glee and
mirth:
spair today. But in the days of his
youth—reconstructing an era when
people were less affluent but hap-
pier — Levenson tells a story of
vast possessions, when his family
had plenty—everything but money.
They had plenty of "relatives,
neighbors, boarders, janitors, cats,
dogs, cockroaches, hugs, slaps,
books, music, weddings, illnesses,
politiciam. superstitions and junk."
But mingled with these also were
the qualities of hope, ambition,
family pride, faith in and aspira-
tion for education.
There is lots of humor in Lev-
enson's book, and there also is
the note of seriousness. He tells,
for instance: "According to stud-
ies made by social-service agen-
cies, a good home is defined as
one in Which there are love, ac-
ceptance, belonging, high moral
standards, good parental exam-
ple, decent food, clothing, shel-
ter, spiritual guidance, disci-
pline, joint enterprises, a place
to bring friends and respect for
authority. Today any child, rich
or poor. who lives in such a
home is considered a 'lucky kid.'
By these standards, then, I was
a 'lucky kid,' not in spite of my
home but because of it."
It is in this vein that Levenson
tells how at 8 he became, a pro-
vider by working in a butcher
store, how he and his brothers and
sisters defied noise and studied
hard at one table, now laughing at
mistakes. But they succeeded, all
of them.
He offers in parallel columns
examples of experience in olden
days, contrasted by the present.
For instance, in those days, "peo-
ple came to see people." Now:
"We are back in the Dark
Ages: The lights are out and the
television set is on. There are
shadows eating peanuts and
drinking beer. The answer to
`Good evening' is cshhh P At
eleven the lights are turned on,
everybody says 'Hello,' and goes
home."
Or the old experience was:
"Mama was one up on the genie
of Aladdin's lamp. You didn't
need a lamp to summon her. She
was always present whether you
rubbed her the right way or the
wrong way. You could stand on a
mountain peak and yell 'Hey, Ma,'
and the echo would come back,
`What now?' "
Now, by contrast:
"Today's child also knows
where his mother is. All he has
to do is to read the note on the
It was signed Emma Lazarus,
a name that sounded familiar to
my parents—perhaps some sec-
ond cousin oft my mother's side.
So Mama and Papa packed all
their belongings and left for
America. After all, who was
more tired, poor, huddled, yearn-
ing to be free, wretched, home-
less and tempest-lost than they?
But this isn't all. Levenson mor-
alizes. He offers advice. In the
concluding chapter, "My Dear Chil-
dren," he follows an old Jewish
tradition: he writes an ethical will,
and he admonishes:
"To my parents freedom meants
above all, 'Live and let live.' They
were willing to settle for tolerance
as a way of life. For the world in
which you are going to live, tol-
erance will not be good enough.
We are now in the 'Live and help
live' era of democracy. Like your
immigrant grandparents who sent
for those left behind, you will
have to help others to cross over
into freedom."
And in the chapter "Off My
Chest", in which he states that he
reverts to the ancient tradition of
ehical will writing, he sets forth
lots of principles for this age. He
tells more stories here, makes use
of his experiences and gives whole-
some advice.
The combination of these experi-
ences, of advice giving, of moraliz-
ing while entertaining his readers
makes Levenson's "Everything But
Money" a very good book.
8—Friday, September 16, 1966
New Livonia National Bank Rates Go Into Effect
Livonia National Bank an- tinued tightness of saving funds
nounced that effective Sept. 6, were major factors in the Livonia
it increased the interest it pays National Bank decision to boost its
savers on some long-term de- rate.
posits to 5.5 per cent.
Livonia National Bank will pay
the new rate on certificates of
INFANT NEEDS
deposit of $1,000 or more main-
FOSTER HOME
tained for a year. These new
We are looking for a foster
certificates of deposit are not sub-
home that will provide good
ject to withdrawal prior to ma-
care for a 2 months old in-
turity, and are not automatically
fant. Agency will pay for
renewable in order to conform to
board and medical needs.
the recently revised Federal Re-
Please call David B. Gold- ,
serve regulations.
berg, JEWISH FAMILY AND
Elvin Dougherty, president of Li-
CHILDEN'S SERVICE, DIa-
vonia National Bank, stated that
mond 1-5959.
recent rate increases by other
metropolitan banks and the con- /
Greetings on The New Year
To Our
Relatives and Friends
Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Elliman
BEST WISHES FOR
A HAPPY NEW YEAR
My parents came to America
by invitation. Those who had
landed here before them sent
back picture postcards of a lady
called Miss Liberty. Printed on
them were these words: -
Another Rosh Hashanah is with
us and during these holy days many
will pause to reflect on their activi-
ties and the roles in life which they
have fulfilled during the past year.
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free,
The wretched • refuse of your
teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden
door!
RICHARD H. LOVE
Emotional Illness
Problem Faced
in Local Schools
Manager
Problems of emotionally handi-
capped children as they are dealt
with in the W y a n d o t t e public
schools are reviewed in an import-
ant study that has been issued by
Wayne State University Press.
"Emotionally Handicapped Chil-
dren and the Public Schools" is the
result of research and analyses
by WSU Prof. Eli Z. Rubin, head
of the Detroit Lafayette Clinic di-
vision of psychology; WSU Prof.
Clyde B. •Simson, chief of the La-
fayette Clinic children's services,
and Marcus C. Betwee, director of
special services of the Wyandotte
schools.
The cases of 83 children who
showed evidences of emotional mal-
adjustment are reviewed in this
study.
Valuable charts and case his-
tories, explanations of teachers' ex-
periences and other tests are in-
cluded in this valuable work which
will prove of great merit in deal-
ing with the emotionally disturbed.
We too, as Insurance people, look
into our own lives, humbly grateful
for the privilege of bringing the light
of surety into the homes of friends
and acquaintances. We have en-
joyed our associations with many
men and women of purpose and
conviction and deep inner refine-
ment. We hope we have helped
them bridge gaps in their personal
and family security; we hope our
efforts will result in happier and
more secure future years for them.
And thus as we turn, inevitably,
from thoughts on the past to hopes
for the future we take this occasion
to extend to one and all our sincer-
est wishes for a Happy New Year.
MOE LEITER
RICHARD H. LOVE, Manager
MOE LEITER, Associate Manager
Associate Manager
DETROIT CENTRE BRANCH
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