Abraham Borman-Image of a Humanita Tian THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
By SAMUEL STEINGLASS
Some men struggle all their
life to create an "image." For
others, the image seems to come
easily and n a t- TWTrm
urally and fits,:
like a custom-
tailored suit
Abraham (Al)
Borman fits into
this role.
In a lifetime
of quiet achieve-
ments in behalf
of humanity, he
has widened the
horizons of hope
for all people .: ,
who needed help,
Borman
the old, the
young, the sick and the blind.
He has helped to open the book
of learning for youth and the
world of art and culture for all.
Several years ago, when he and
his brother Tom presented 450
sets of encyclopedias to public
and parochial schools in Detroit
and nearby communities, Abraham
Borman said, "Detroit has been
awfully good to us since we ran
our little Twelfth Street store. We
want to do something to show our
appreciation."
In this effort to say "Thanks,"
he has become an integral part
of the "heart" of Detroit, a vital
seed in the growth of its civic
responsibility and a reliable wheel
in the welfare of its citizens.
It comes as no surprise that
Abraham Borma n, a prime
mover of Detroit, in recognition
of his many public-s p i r i t e d
deeds and his inspiring support
of Israel, will receive the Israel
Prime Minister's Medal at the
State of Israel Bond dinner on
* * *
Tuesday evening, Dec. 13 at
Cobo Hall.
Abraham Borman was born on
July 26, 1898 in Odessa, the
Ukranian seaport located on the
Black Sea.
His father had a brick factory,
and the family was fairly well
provided for. But history was
about to change all that.
After the Bolshevik revolution
of November, 1917, a large part
of the former Russian Empire was
organized as the Soviet Federated
Socialist Republic. Then followed
a period of civil war when young
Borman was conscripted into the
Russian army. But he opted for
freedom. Caught between two fires,
communisni on the one hand and
the tyranny of freebooting gen-
erals, he managed to escape to
the United States and came to
Detroit in 1923.
Al Borman started his new life
in America working with his hands
as a sander at the old Wilson
Body Works. But the business-
man in him soon asserted itself
and he began his business career
with a dry goods store in Utica,
Mich., and a fruit stand on Dix
Highway.
In 1929, he joined forces with
his brother Tom, who had preceded
him to the United States, in open-
ing a small grocery store with
$100 worth of merchandise.
T o d a y, the company they
founded, Borman Food Stores,
Inc., operates more than 60
stores of Food Fair Markets of
Michigan, with some 3,000 em-
ployes. A director and chair-
man of its executive committee,
Borman recently relinquished
his post as chairman of the
board in order to devote more
*
* *
National Israel Bond Leaders
Join Award Dinner for Borman
DR. SCHWARTZ
LOUIS BOYAR SAMUEL ROTHBERG
Three outstanding leaders of the
Israel Bond program will be among
the distinguished participants at
the presentation of the Israel
Prime Minister's Medal to Abra-
ham Barman at the State of Israel
Bond dinner, Tuesday evening,
Dec. 13, at Cobo Hall, it was an-
nounced by Max M. Fisher, gen-
eral chairman of the United Jew-
ish Appeal, who is dinner chair-
man.
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, vice
president of the Israel Bond Or-
fY
ganization: Louis H. Boyar, chair-
man of the board of governors,
and Samuel Rothberg, national
campaign chairman, will join with
many civic, religious, business and
communal leaders of Detroit and
Michigan in paying tribute to Bor-
man for his achievements in be-
half of his fellowmen and his serv-
ice to Israel.
Since he assumed the post of
vice president for Israel Bonds in
1955, Dr. Schwartz has helped to
raise the sights of the Israel Bond
drive to new levels of sales which
have provided more than one-third
of Israel's development budget each
year. Prior to his role at the helm
of the Israel Bond drive, he was
the executive vice chairman of and
directed the United Jewish Appeal
for 41/2 years. From 1938 through
1950 he was director general of
the Joint Distribution Committee in
Europe and organized the transfer
time to personal and community
affairs.
Trim and vigorous, he carries
his 68 years lightly. Yet he sug-
gests the meditative mien and calm
visage of a patriarch, a man of
tradition and profound respect for
learning.
His respect for learning has
expressed itself in benefactions
to institutions of learning of al'
faiths. A member of the board
of trustees of Maryglade College,
he was a recipient of an inter-
faith "Knight of Charity" award
presented by the institution in
1961.
The Borman Branch of the
United Hebrew School s, con-
structed with funds contributed by
the Borman family, is located on
Seven Mile Road.
He is an outstanding supporter
and a member of the board of
Yeshiva University.
He has aided institutions of
higher learning in Israel as a
member of the board of Bar-Ilan
University at Ramat Gan and as
a founder of the Truman Peace
Center to be built at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem.
In 1959, Borman received the
Louis Marshall Award in New
York for his work "as national
patron of the Society of Jewish
Theological Seminaries."
A Golden Trustee of State of
Israel Bonds, Borman presented
$50,000 in Israel Bonds for the
scholarship fund at Wayne State
University to the late President
Clarence B. Hilberry, and helped
to endow a series of Near Eastern
Lectures at the University.
Recently, he and his wife Molly
took part in the dedication of the
Abraham and Molly Borman Gal-
lery in the new South Wing of
the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Honorary chairman of the Allied
Jewish Campaign, he also played
a key role in financing the build-
ing of Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield, and the Borman
Hall of the Jewish Home for the
Aged.
Borman is a founder of the
Merrill-Palmer Institute and a
member of the board of Metro-
politan Society for the Blind. He
has been a leading supporter of
Marygrove College and the United
Negro College Fund and is a key
participant in the Detroit Round
Table of Christians and Jews.
For a decade he has been in the
forefront of the United Founda-
tion and, as vice president, helped
to assure the success of the 1966
Torch Drive.
A member of the Board of
Greater Detroit Safety Council,
Borman was appointed by Gov-
ernor George Romney as a mem-
ber of the Economic Expansion
Council for the State of Michigan.
He is a past president of the
Zionist Organization of Detroit.
When Abraham Borman receives
the Israel Prime Minister's Medal,
capacity attendance is expected for
the tribute, headed by a distin-
guished representative of the
Prime Minister of Israel and by
civic, religious, business and com-
munal leaders of Detroit and
Michigan.
In the words of Alax M. Fisher,
General Chairman of the United
Jewish Appeal, who is chairman
of the State of Israel Bond dinner:
"His selection for this singular
honor reflects the total devotion
of a man not only to his family
but to the family of man, the
total dedication of his energy and
resources to the economic and
cultural growth of the United
States and Israel, and leadership
of a higher order in every vital
community-wide effort."
to Israel of more than 500,000
Jews from distressed areas in Eu-
rope, North Africa and the Mid-
dle East.
A foremost personality in work
in behalf of Israel, Boyar has
served as national chairman of
trustees of the Israel Bond Or-
ganization, and was for several
years chairman of the Los Angeles
Committee for Israel Bonds. He is
chairman of the board of Israel In-
vestors Corporation, a member of
the board of directors of Capital
for Israel, Inc., and a member of
the board of the Hebrew University
in Jerusalem.
Rothberg was a founder of the
Israel Bond drive. Formerly Na-
tional chairman and chairman of
trustees of the Israel Bond Or-
ganization, as well as national
chairman for initial gifts of the
United Jewish Appeal, Rothberg is
now a member of the UJA's nation-
al campaign cabinet. A vice presi-
dent of the American Committee
for the Weizmann Institute, and a Mapai Leaders Approve
member of the board of governors Ahdut Avoda Merger
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Veteran
of the American Association for
Jewish Education, he is chairman leaders of the Mapai Party ap-
of the board of American Jewish proved here a move to unite Mapai
League for Israel. He is chairman and Ahdut Avoda into a single
of the board of American Friends party.
Ahdut Avoda is now a partner
of the Hebrew University and a
recipient of its 1962 Scopus Award. with Mapai only through a politi-
Last March the Hebrew University cal alignment, but full union of
conferred upon him the honorary the two groups is being pressed
by the Mapai veterans.
degree of Doctor of philosophy.
YuL
Friday, November 18, 1966-5
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