40—Friday, April 12, 1968
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
`Cause to Be Proud Of: Israel'
Henry F. Prestwood, 19329 Ilene, recently bought a $500 Israel
Bond for his son Henry Jr., 14, to demonstrate his friendship for Israel
and for the Jewish people. "I couldn't think of a better cause to sup-
port," said Prestwood (above). "I am a strong admirer of Israel for
Israel has demonstrated that a small nation can survive if the people
have the will to survive. The young people in Israel are committed.
They can set an example for our youth," he said, "I was especially in-
terested in the Six-Day War and bought four copies of 'Swift Sword,' by
Gen. S.L.A. Marshall." Prestwood's wife died last September, a week
after they had moved into their home on Ilene, and their son is now
living with his grandparents in Cincinnati. Prestwood, a veteran of the
Inia-China-Burma campaign in World War II, served 38 months over-
seas. He has lived in Detroit for more than 20 years and is now a super-
visor of mechanical maintenance for the Detroit Parks and Recreation
Department. His wife was a social worker for the city. One of his close
friends is John Greenberg, his attorney for many years. As a boy in
Alabama he got his first job from Benjamin Moskowitz, owner of The
Fair, a men's and ladies' clothing store in Tuskegee. After he returned
from the service in 1946, his boss wanted to set him up in business, but
Prestwood declined the offer and came to Detroit, to work for the Parks
and Recreation Department. "After reading 'Swift Sword,' Prestwood
said, 'I wanted to invest in a cause my son and I would be proud of, and
chose Israel Bonds."
Detroit to Celebrate 2041i Year
of Israel Statehood in Program
Detroit's Jewish community will
celebrate the 20th anniversary of
Israel's independence in a special
program featuring Moshe Leshem,
ambassador extraordinary - with
the Israel Mission to the United
Nations, at the Jewish Center 8
p.m. April 28.
Plans for the event were an-
nounced jointly by Dr. Sanyiel
Krohn, president of the Jewish
Community Council, and Morris
Lieberman, chairman of the Zion-
ist Council of Detroit. The annual
celebration of Israel Independence •
Day has been sponsored jointly by
Lois Leaderman to IfTed
Mel Gitler in August
the Community Council and Zion-
ist Council since the re-establish-
ment of the State of Israel in 1948.
In addition to Ambassador Les-
hem's address, there will be a pro-
gram of musical entertainment and
other traditional features such as
the presentation of the colors by
local Jewish veteran organizations.
'Tickets will be available at the
door.
Brevities
An outdoor cafe atmosphere
will be added to the Detroit Sym-
phony Orchestra's 1968 CABARET
"POPS" CONCERTS, scheduled
for April 17-27 in Detroit's Light
Guard Armory. MeMbers of the
Junior Women's -Association for
the Detroit Symphony will provide
special decorations for all of the
concerts.
* * *
The DETROIT HEARING and
SPEECH CENTER has moved
into new quarters at 19185 Wyom-
- ing.
* * *
A puppet show for children will
take place Wednesday afternoon
at the Jewish Museum, New York.
The B-GAY PUPPETS, star at-
traction of the museum's Passover
program this year, will give a
performance of several playlets
based on the Bible and Jewish
legends.
* * *
The PICCOLO TEATRO MUSI-
MISS LOIS LEADERMAN
CALE of the City of Rome, appear-
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Leadermaning for the first time at Detroit's
of Faust Ave. announce the en- Masonic Auditorium, at 8:20 p.m.
gagement of their daughter Lois May 7, has enchanted the capitals
Elaine to Mel Gitler, son of Mr. of Europe since its conception in
and Mrs. Norman Gitler of Prairie 1948. This little opera company of
40 founded and directed by Renato
Dr., Southfield.
Fasano, features a roster of 17
The bride-elect attended the leading Italian opera singers ac-
dental program at Oakland Col- comp a n i e d by the Virtuosi di
lege. Mr. Gitler attended Ferris I Roma, augmented to an orchestra
State College, where he was af- of 24 musicians, in a repertoire of
filiated with Sigma Alpha Mu 18th Century comic operas by such
fraternity. composers as Rossini, Pergolesi,
An August wedding is planned. i Cicarosa and Fioravanti.
I
Sigmund Shlesinger Heroic Indian Fighter
"Killt a coyote and eat him all followed the Indians' trail and en-
up," wrote a teen-aged Indian camped in a valley opposite a sandy
fighter a hundred years ago. Re- island in the middle fork of the
Republican .River near Wray,
searchers at the American Jewish Colo.
Archives in Cincinnati disclose that
On Sept. 17, 1868, a large
this teen-ager, Sigmund Shlesinger, band of Cheyenne and Sioux at-
a Jewish immigrant from Hungary, I tacked them and forced them to
played a heroic role in the Battle take cover on the island. They
were besieged there until Sept.
of Beecher Island, one of the most i 21, when the Indians withdrew.
dramatic Indian battles of the Old It was not until Sept. 25, that
West. they were rescued.
Despite bitter cold, gnawing
Shlesinger had gone West to seek
his share of the frontier's economic hunger, and disheartening sights of
boom, and he joined the 50 scouts destruction and death, S'hlesinger
in the troop commanded by Colonel displayed great strength and forti-
George A. Forsyth. Ordered to tude. Colonel Forsyth later wrote
seek out a band of Indians who of him: "He most worthily proved
had killed two teamsters, the scouts himself a gallant soldier. among
brave men." In a letter to Rabbi
Henry Cohen, of Galveston, Forsyth
IDetrolter's Music praised "the pluck and endurance
of this young son of Israel . . . a
to Be Presented
worthy descendant of King David."
During the days of the siege,
in t•i • iarrn on May 1 Shlesinger
kept a diary which was
Norman M. Snider, Detroit at- uncovered by the staff of the
torney, has been informed that his American Jewish Archives in 1951.
symphony, "Days of the Temple," It records in terse, simple, in-
will receive its world premiere at elegant language some of the ob-
Servations of the nineteen-year-old
immigrant. At one point, Shle-
singer noted: "About 600 Indians
attackted us. Killt Beecher, Culver
and Wilson. Woundet 19 Man and
Killt all the horses. We was with-
out Grubb and Water all Day.
Dug Holes in the sand 'whith our
Hands."
Leaving the West after the
battle, Shlesinger moved to Cleve-
land, Ohio, where he became one
of the Jewish community's most
respected and influential leaders.
He never forgot his experience in
the West, however, and it colored
much of his life. He remained
very close to American folk-heroes
like "Buffalo BilL"
Hebrew Union College senior
Burt A. Siegel of Milwaukee, has
prepared a full account of the
adventures of this extraordinary
American Jew. It will appear in
the April issue of American Jewish
Archives. Drs. Jacob R. Marcus
and Stanley F. Chyet, of the
Hebrew Union Colloge faculty in
Cincinnati, are editors of the mag-
azine.
PRESENTS
Hal Gordon
MUSIC
BIG BAND OR SMALL COMBOS
NORMAN M. SNIDER
the B a y f r on t Amphitheater,
Miami, May 1. The evening is an-
nually set aside as "Israeli Night"
and is attended by several thou-
sand spectators.
For this occasion, Snider, who
will be present at the premiere,
has dedicated the
symphony in
celebration of the
20th anniversary
of the State of
Israel.
At last year's
Israeli evening,
Snider's "Hebraic
Gordonia,"
symphony d e d
cated to the me-
mory of the late
Max Gordon,
formerly of the
United Hebrew
.Schools of De- Fershko
troit, was enthusiastically received
and will be repeated again this
year.
The program in Miami will be
under the direction of the Miami
Israeli Committee.
*noel Fershko of Miami Beach,
haliteen chosen as the symphony's
conductor for this performance.
Israeli dancing and singing will
be included in the presentation.
While in Israel, Fershko was di-
rector of the armed forces radio
station Kol Israel. Gen. David Sar-
noff discovered Fershko and
brOught him to the U.S.A. • in the
early 1950s. Since coming to this
country he has composed, directed
and produced many Broadway
shows on TV and radio.
Medal to Honor . Pre-'48
Para-Military Groups
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The cabi-
net has authorized a special medal
that will be awarded. to all mem-
bers of military or para-military
organizations that f ought to
achieve Israel's statehood prior to
independence in May 1948.
To be included among the recip-
ients will be former members of
such dissident military activist
groups as the Irgun Zvai Leumi
and the Stern Gang which fought
Arab terrorists and British Manda-
toryauthorities after World War II.
UN 3-8982 UN 3-5730
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