Bialik, Sholem Aleichem Visits Here
Center
Recalled in Jewish History Journal No

The Jewish Historical Society of
Michigan has just published the
January issue of its magazine,
Michigan Jewish History with ar-
ticles on Jewry in Detroit, St. Ig-
nace and Traverse City before the
turn of the century.
Michael Michlin, retired Hebrew
teacher and historiographer, writes
of "Memories of an Earlier De-
troit," encompassing the history of
the Jews of Detroit since 1913.
Among his "Memories" are two
notable visits.
The first was by Chaim Nach-
man Bialik April 7, 1926, at which
time a banquet was given in his
honor at the Statler Hotel. Among
those present was Detroit poet
Edgar Guest, who wrote a welcome
poem, printed in the Detroit Free
Press. The poem is as follows:
WELCOME TO
CHAIM NACHMAN BIALIK
By Eddie Guest
(April 7, 1926)
I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO
WELCOME YOU, BIALIK,
Better than words, were pity's
glistening tears,
For all the anguish of the long,
hard years,
A fitter welcome were a Gentile's
prayer
That God should lift the cruel
yoke you bear
Should ease your suffering and
make smooth the way
And haste the dawning of the
better day.

BECAUSE YOU ARE, THERE
STILL IT IS HOPE, BIALIK,
While one still pleads for courage
some will dare
To rise above the flesh pots
which ensnare.
And some will follow where the
great heart leads
To mold his influence into
mighty deeds.
Not vain your struggle, nor in
vain your lives,
Because you sing, the torch of
hope still shines.

I AM BUT A HUMBLE CRAFTS-
MAN HERE, BIALIK,
And yet I dream that men may
come to peace
That all the cruelties of life
shall cease,
That Jew and Gentile shall in
stature grow
And live the life God fashioned
us to know.
And sharing such a dream, to
you I've penned,
These feeble lines of welcome,
as a friend.

The second item is as follows:
"On May 16, 1915, Sholem Alei-
chem appeared at the Detroit
Opera House under the auspices
of the Progressive Literary and
Dramatic Club. He read from his
writings, and the audience inter-
rupted him often with their
laughter at his humor. Some of
the members of the dramatic
club were Philip Gilbert, Sam
Victor, M. Finkel and A. Bibitch.
They presented a Sholem Alei-
chem skit "Die Agenten"—"The
Insurance Agents." The Detroit
News, in its report of the event,
related an incident that had taken
place when the two huomorists
Sholem Aleichem and Mark
Twain met. Mark Twain said,
"So you are the Yiddish Mark
Twain. I suppose I might be
called the American Sholem
Aleichem."

In addition to Michlin's reminis-
censes, there is an article on
"Some Early Jewish Physicians of
Michigan," eighth in a series by
Dr. Irving I. Edgar. It deals with
"Dr. Hugo A. Freund and the Jew-
ish Community" and "Dr. Hugo A.
Freund and Harper Hospital of
Detroit."
A piece on "Detroit's Yom Kip-
pur Day Riot" by Robert A. Rock-
away deals with an incident on
Yom Kippur, in 1867, waich was
reported in the paper of that per-
iod, The Detroit Advertiser and
Tribune, Oct. 10, 1867.
The Jewish Historical Society of
Michigan also announces that on
May 28, it will celebrate its 10th
anniversary. A committee consist-
ing of Mrs. Morris Friedman, Mr.
and Mrs. Bernard Panush, Jay
Rosenshine, Allen Warsen and
Rabbi David Jessel is in charge of
the affair.

Social Security's
Increases, Benefits
Explained by Test

Starting with the first pay checks
they receive in the New Year, the
nation's working people will pay
4.8 per cent of their earnings to-
ward their social security protec-
tion, an increase of .04 of one per
cent over the contribution rate in
effect since the beginning of 1967.
Social Security contributions are
still payable on only the first $7,800
of annual earnings, according to
Sam F. Test, Detroit-Northwest
social security district manager.
For a person earning $7,800 or
more a year ($150 a week or over),
the increase will amount to 60
cents a week; a worker earning
$100 a week will pay 40 cents a
week more.
The increase that went into
effect Jan. 1 was scheduled in the
social security amendments of
1967. Those amendments increased
cash benefits for all beneficiaries
by at least 13 per cent. The in-
crease in benefits payable to work-
ers and their families in the future
will be even greater, Test said.
Retirement protection for work-
ers and their families is increased,
and so is the protection wives and
children have if the worker should
die. There is also improved protec-
tion for the entire family if the
family breadwinner should become
disabled for a period of 12 months
or more.

Business
Brevities

FELDBRO QUALITY MEATS
20233 W. Seven Mile, is starting off
the new year with a super special.
Choice quality whole beef briskets,
all sizes, are being offered at a
minimum savings of 20 cents a
pound. Feldbro is open every day
for convenience, specializing in
choice quality meats and a com-
plete selection of poultry.

Afternoon Jewish School
Answer to Church-State
Issue? Romney Thinks So

Gov. Romney, in his controver-
sial farewell address to the state,
suggested that parochial school
students should attend public
schools for nonreligious classes,
then, if they choose, attend church
classes modeled after the Jewih
afternoon school.
In his TV talk Monday night,
Romney said that parochial
schools should be confined to reli-
gious studies and moral training.
The suggestion came as he dis-
cussed the subject of state aid to
Catholic and other parochial
schools. He said the state and
churches ought to "reassess their
respective roles in education."

Seniors
Get Shuttle
Service to NW

Starting Monday, the Jewish Cen-
ter will offer a shuttle bus service
to selected points in the Northwest
area for senior adult Center mem-
bers. The bus will travel between
the Center and Blackstone Apart-
ment, Nine Mile Rd., 10 Mile Rd.,
Northgate and Votrobeck apart-
ments and Borman Hall.
Until Feb. 28, the schedule is as
follows:
Leaving Blackstone (Norfolk St.),
11:35 a.m.; Nine Mile (A & P Store,
on lot), 11:40 a.m.; 10 Mile-Cool-
idge (NW corner), 11:50 a.m.; Jew-
ish Center (10 Mile branch), 11:55
a.m.; Northgate Apts. (front),
noon; Votrobeck Drive (front of
playground), 12:10 p.m.; Borman
Hall, 12:15 p.m.
The shuttle bus leaves the Jewish
Center at 4:15 p.m. (except those
returning to Blackstone, who take
the 3:30 p.m. bus). The return
schedule is via Borman Hall, Vot-
robeck, Northgate, 10 Mile and
Church, and Gardner at Nine Mile.
Tickets are available in the sen-
ior adult office, room 224, at 10
cents each.
The Dexter daytime shuttle will
be discontinued as of Jan. 13. How-
ever, the Wednesday evening Dex-
ter shuttle bus will continue as
usual.

Herzl Propounded
First Bond Idea

By DAVID SCHWARTZ

(Copyright 1969, JTA, Ine.)

Pinhas Sapir came from Israel
with a check for $50 million to pay
Americans for redemption of Israel
Bonds.
It was Theodor Herzl himself
who first thought up the idea of
Israel Bonds. Back in 1895, when
Herzl came forward with the Zion-
ist idea, he went to see the Jewish
philanthropist, Baron de Hirsch,
who was busy at the time planting
Jewish agricultural colonies in
Argentina.
Herzl told Hirsch that he was
wasting his money, that there were
areas where the Jews were farm-
ers and somehow there were anti-
Semites there too. Anyway, Herzl
said, a Jewish state was a much
better solution for the Jewish prob-
lem.
"Where will you get the money?"
asked Hirsch.
"I will float a bond issue," re-
plied Herzl. "I will raise a Jewish
national loan of ten million
marks."
"Impossible," said Hirsch. "Pure
phantasy. Rothschild will subscribe
500 marks. The rich will give you
nothing."
That yvord "impossible" was to
come up at every stage. Some
years before Herzl, the American
Jewish poetess, Emma Lazarus—
some of whose words are inscribed
on the Statue of Liberty—wrote an
article in the American Hebrew,
urging the establishment of the
Jewish state. She was told it was
an impossible dream.
"The impossible always hap-
pens," said Miss Lazarus in reply.
And the Zionist-minded Jews went
on—how does the song say? "To
dream the impossible dream."

Friday, January 10, 1969-31

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Jewish Agency Adopts $375,000,000 Budget

and housing, followed by agricul-
tural settlement, youth aliya,
youth and halutz training, organ-
ization and information, education
and culture and Tora education
and culture in the Diaspora. About
$13,000,000 will be earmarked to
pay old debts dating from the
early 1950s when mass immigra-
tion was at its peak.
According to reports submitted
to the executive, total immigration
from the United States and Can-
ada in 1968 was 5,090 compared to
2,402 in 1967. The Jewish Agency
brought 3,876 students to Israel in
1967 and the same number in
1968, of whom 3,300 registered
upon arrival as immigrants.

JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Jew-
ish Agency Executive adopted a
record $375,000,000 budget for fis-
cal 1969--$55,000,000 greater than
the 1968 budget. The new fiscal
year will begin on April 1.
Aryeh L. Dulzin, the Jewish
Agency treasurer who submitted
the budget at a meeting of the
executive Sunday, said it was bas-
ed on anticipated increases in in-
come from the 1969 Emergency
Fund campaign for Israel which
he hoped would yield more than
the 1968 campaign.
The larger budget for fiscal
1969 anticipates an increase in
immigration. Last year 30,941
new immigrants arrived; at
least 35,000 are expected this
year. The Jewish Agency's di-
rector-general, Moshe Rivlin,
said that figure was a conserva-
tive estimate.
The largest item on the new
budget is immigrant absorption

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Friends to Honor
Bernard. Isaacs

A group of admirers of Bernard
Isaacs is arranging with other in-
terested groups to hold a program
and reception Feb. 23 honoring the
educator and writer.
The event would mark publica-
tion of Mr. Isaacs' two new books,
"Mivbar Sipurim," a collection of
stories in Hebrew, and an English
translation of some Hebrew short
stories written earlier by Mr.
Isacs. Sidney Shevitz will be one
of the speakers. For information
No precepts will profit a fool.— on the event, call Mrs. Norval Slo-
Ben Jonson.
bin, 311 15433.; r ; z -

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