Harry Cohen Receives Community's Grateful
Acclaim for lifetime Service to Many Causes;
Will Be Honored With Room in Hillel Building
On Sept. 15, Detroit Jewry will
have occasion to honor one of the
community's most distinguished
citizens, when Harry Cohen marks
his 85th birthday.
Widely acclaimed for his serv-
ices to Detroit's major causes, ad-
mired for his tirelessness, his read-
iness to be of help to all events, to
movements and causes and to in-
dividuals, Cohen will receive his
well deserved honors at two con-
gregations. On the Sabbath before
his b i r t h d a y, Sept. 14, he will
be called to the Tora at Adas
Shalom a n d will be given
Maftir. A special kiddush is being
arranged by the synagogue to fol-
low the services.
Because he resides too far from
the synagogue of his lifetime affili-
ation—Shaarey Zedek—now that he
makes his home with his daughter,
Mrs. Charles Rosenblatt, at 18065
Muirland, Adas Shalom is within
walking distance for him and he
has been attending Sabbath serv-
ices there for seven years.
All his life a devout man, Conen
had served as second hazan—con-
ducting shahrit services at the
Shaarey Zedek. At Adas Shalom,
on the Sabbath dedicated in his
honor, he will again conduct
shanrit services.
On the day of his birthday, his
children and grandchildren will
honor him at a reception at the
Shaarey Zedek. The synagogue's
official family will greet him at
the reception from 2 to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 15.
Born in Poland, Sept. 15, 1883,
Cohen was brought to Detroit by
his parents, Meyer Dov and Gitel
Cohen, when he was 4 years old.
He was educated in Detroit public
schools and early in life entered
the dry good business and was as-
sociated with the leading mer-
chants here.
He entered a partnership in a
dry good establishment on Hastings
and High Streets and the name of
the firm, Sarasohn and Cohen, be-
came widely known, later changing
Synagogue Council Slams President
of NYU Backing Hatchett Naming
NEW YORK (JTA) — The presi-
dent of New York University was
assailed Monday by the represen-
tative body of six national syna-
gogue and rabbinic organizations
for defending the controversial di-
rector of the university's Afro-
American Student Center, John F.
Hatchett, against charges that he
is an anti-Semite. -
The controversy grew out of an
article by Hatchett in a Negro
teachers' periodical last year in
which he accused Jewish teachers
who, he alleged, dominate the New
York public school system, of
"mentally poisoning" Negro pupils.
NYU President Dr. James M.
Hester, said in an interview pub-
lished recently in the New York
Times, that while he did not sub-
scribe to Hatchett's views he could
understand how they might have
been expressed in the context of his
article without the author being
anti-Semitic "in the classical
sense."
The Synagogue Council of Ameri-
ca, comprised of the lay and rab-
binical bodies of Conservative, Re-
form and Orthodox Judaism in the
United States, denounced Dr. Hes-
ter's comments as an "apologia"
for a "scurrilous anti-Semitic ar-
ticle."
Hatchett's appointment to the
NYU post, made apparently with-
out knowledge of the contents of
his article which had appeared
months earlier, aroused a storm
of protest in Jewish and non-Jew-
ish circles and demands for his
ouster.
Hatchett replied that his arti-
cle was not anti-Semitic in in-
tent, but he defended his right
to identify by name the ethnic
group that he charged, in effect,
was responsible for the lack of
progress by Negro pupils. Dr.
Hester accepted his disclaimer.
The Synagogue Council's state-
ment said: "It would have been
possible and sufficient for Dr. Hec-
ter to attempt to justify the en-
gagement of Mr. Hatchett with the
assertion that the article did not
truly reflect what NYU believes to
be Mr. Hatchett's true convictions.
Instead, Dr. Hester chose to de-
fend Hatchett's article and state
`I can understand' the reference
to the religion of the teachers un-
der attack.
"This statement by Dr. Hester
constitutes an apologia for Mr.
Hatchett's scurrilous anti-Semitic
article that is in no way mitigated
by the condescending qualification,
`personally I wouldn't do it.' . . .
Surely he cannot be ignorant of
the long, sordid history of anti-
Semitism in which the classical
defense of the anti-Semite always
was that the Jew was singled
out not for his Jewishness but for
`objective' sins attributed to him."
Dr. Hester's remarks were de-
fended in a letter to him by Dr.
M. T. Mehdi, secretary- general
of the Action Committee on Ameri-
can-Arab Relations, who said that
"Jewish organizations believe that
the Jews can do no wrong and any
criticism of any Jew, ipso facto is
anti-Semitism."
THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE
Is a Pioneer Congregation in a New Concept
of Jewish Religion Called
HUMANISTIC JUDAISM
The philosophy is a bold attempt to merge the best ethical and
aesthetic traditions of the Jewish past with the scientific integrity
of the twentieth century.
ROSH HASHANA AND
YOM KIPPUR SERVICES
of the Birmingham Temple will be held at the Robert Frost
School, Scotia at Nine Mile Road.
If you desire to attend please call the Temple Office, 549-5490,
to make reservation. Your interest in a humanistic Judaism is
the only requirement.
10—Friday, September 6, 1968
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Philadelphia Jewish Body Joins Action on Grapes
to Robinson and Cohen, with which
he was associated for many years.
Before his retirement 20 years ago
he was in the furniture business
for a few years.
Having shared in numerous
community project s, Cohen's
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
PHILADELPHIA — The Jewish
Community Relations Council of
Greater Philadelphia has joined
with Catholic and Protestant bodies
in calling on consumers to be se-
lective in their purchase of table
grapes in order to support the
strike of Mexican-American farm
workers against California grow-
ers.
The growers, according to the
JCRC, have rejected all overtures
for a settlement or even negotia-
tions, It noted that Philadelphia is
the fourth largest distribution cen-
ter for table grapes in the United
States and urged consumers to buy
selectively to distinguish grapes
grown in California from those
grown in other parts of the coun-
try.
READY•MIX
CONCRETE
Residential and Commercial
LARGE OR SMALL ORDERS
PROMPT DELIVERY INCLUDING
EVENINGS & SATURDAYS
14500 W. 7 MILE
AT LODGE X-WAY
CALL VI 1-7200
..001.0•0 11.10%.0"%mroo\NW
HARRY COHEN
chief pride is in having been
president of Shaarey Zedek and
the United Hebrew Schools. He
had been called to assume the
presidency of the schools at a
time when they suffered from a
great deficit and with the assist-
ance of Detroit's leading citizens
he revamped the tuition program
and within a short time the
schools were operating in the
black.
His interest in the schools
stemmed from a family tradition,
his father having been one of the
organizers of the United Hebrew
school system. He has served on
the United Hebrew Schools board
for more than 40 years.
Cohen has been honored as one
of the most active workers in be-
half of the Israel Bond drives. He
has beein actively associated with
the Zionist Organization of Detroit,
was a leading worker for Keren
Hayesod drives and for eight years
chaired first the Balfour Balls and
then the Balfour Concerts of ZOD
when the programs changed from
formal balls to concerts.
At a meeting of the executive
committee of the Hillel Day
School last week, it was unani-
mously decided to name a room
in the projected Hillel school
building, soon to be construct-
ed, in Cohen's name. Abe Kasle,
Hillel Day School president, said
the naming of a room in Cohen's
honor will be a mark of appre-
ciation for the many services he
had rendered this community.
Allied Jewish Campaigns count
him among the community's most
dedicated workers and he has par-
ticipated in the drives since their
inception, still being among the
most active campaign workers.
Assisting Jewish National Fund
affairs, he has helped in the plant-
ing of several forests, including
those in memory of Joseph H. Ehr-
lich, Isaac Shetzer and Simon Shet-
zer.
The community has honored
Cohen by planting a forest in his
name in JNF territory in Israel.
That honor was extended to him on
his 65th birthday.
There is a high honor for him at
Kfar Silver in Ashkelon, Israel,
where one of the rooms bears his
name.
Cohen has helped in strength-
ening the Mo'os Hitim Passover
relief committee and served as
its chairman for several years.
Besides his d a u g h t e r, Mrs.
Charles Rosenblatt, he has five
grandchildren and a great-grand-
daughter. He had two sons, David
who died in 1934 and Julian who
passed away in 1965.
A child can be given a complete
eye examination as early as the
day he is born.
LIVONIA JEWISH CONGREGATION
29475 Six Mile Road
HIGH HOLY DAYS SERVICES
Rosh Hashanah
September 22, 23 & 24
Yom Kippur
October 1 & 2
Services Conducted by Rabbi Martin D. Gordon
Liturgy Chanted by Cantor Morris Kaminsky
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BUILDING
September 15 from 9 a.m. — 1 p.m.
September 18 from 8 p.m. — 10 p.m.
or call 425-9370, 427-1167
"A Marvelous Testimony
to the Culture of our People"
We are pleased to announce
that the new recording
by
CANTOR REUVEN FRANKEL
0.1
of the Silence"
songs of cuss can Jewry
Lazar Weiner
at the piano
IS NOW AVAILABLE
"BEAUTIFUL AND MOVING . . . Your interpretation of the
Yiddish songs is among the best I have heard. . . I am. sure
it will reach many hearts as it has reached mine."
ELIE WEISEL, AUTHOR
"SWEET SINGER . .. Certain to please the most discriminating
musical critics."
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
"A BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO THE SPIRITUAL AND FOLK
.MUSIC of the Russian Jewish tradition. The rich voice of Cantor
Frankel and the skillful accompaniment of Lazar Weiner make
these songs a lofty inspiration to all (Jews and to all persons
whose spiritual aspirations make them appreciate what that
great community of faith has given the world.")
DR. CARLYLE ADAMS
Albany Times-Union
An Ideal Gift for the Holyday Season!
BORENSTEIN'S BOOK
and MUSIC STORE
SPITZER'S HEBREW BOOK
and GIFT CENTER
13535 W. 7 Mile Road
Detroit, Michigan
DI 1-0569
24900 Coolidge Hwy,
Oak Park, Michigan
542-7520
Executive V-Pres. Cantors Assn. Hazzan Samuel Rosenbaum