Litwak's New Novel Reconstructs Feud
in Detroit Linen Industry in Late 1930s
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September -12, 1969-13
Pontiac gives you more car for the dollar
for the finest personalized service and
satisfaction in automobile purchasing. See
BERCH
fore, if Jake had been left to live
of activities which emerge as
SAUL
in the story—since the prototype
part of a picture of Jewish life
AT BARN ETT PONTIAC
has become such a distinguished
in Detroit in a period when, on
member of our community, such
the world scene, Nazism endan-
Just East of Southfield Expressway at
a dedicated labor leader, so ardent
gered Jewish existence.
14505 MICHIGAN DEARBBORN, MICH.
a supporter of Israel and of Jew-
Phone: TI 6-1122
The streets, the eating places,
ish mercy causes.
Boesky's as well as Cream of
In the new novel, the labor Michigan, and some allusions to
leader challenges the racketeers occurrences at that time emerge
who threaten him at the Cream realistically to point to the his.
of Michigan Restaurant. That's toric facts of noteworthy Detroit
We Wish All Our Customers and Friends
where Jake Gottlieb asks for an episodes. Otherwise the names are
oath from his sons — a pledge fictitious. And only those fully
And The Jewish Community
that they won't forget the aware of the facts can connect
enemies if they should ever the heroes in this story with those
A.
YEAR
OF
PEACE. HEALTH and HAPPINESS
harm him. It's an oath to fight who figured the labor struggle
the Mafia—and the entire career here.
of the martyred labor leader in
It is difficult to understand the
this story signifies sincerity and tile — "Waiting for the News"—
opposition to gang rule. Such Is because it is equally confusing to
the tribute of son to father.
appreciate fully the author's equat-
It's a dramatic story that pla- ing the events in the Detroit 12th
And Staffs of
igues the boys during the interven- Street district with those in Ger-
I ing years between the commence- many at the time. Except for the
ment of the feud, Jake's rise to fact that what was happening in
great power as a labor leader, his I the Detroit labor union struggle
3826 N. Woodward
223 Main Street
death at the hands of O'Brien, the was being overshadowed in small
Royal Oak
Rochester, Mich.
new contestant for power, the measure by the Hitler plague, the
eventual act of avenging the mur- !author's linking of the two is
549-7350
65 I -2280
der—all are part of a conflict that rather ineffective.
emerges as fiction in the Litwak I, There is, of course, the Jewish
book but is undoubtedly based on I element in the story—not merely
some actual events in which so because the characters are under-
Best Wishes For A Peaceful New Year to all our
many Detroiters figured, which ! standably Jewish but because of
Friends and Patrons
was part of a period of violence the slight interest in the synago-
and a struggle for power mingled gue, the revelation that the story-
teller,
the
son
of
labor
leader
Jake
with justice.
LEO LITWAK
Richton Avenue was the domi- Gottlieb, had not been in a syna-
cile and from there the activi- gogue until after his fourteenth
er here who was among those who
ties spread to the developing ' birthday, and similar references
experienced the battles that mark-
Dexter area and to the centers to characters many of whom were
ed labor union ramblings in an
Jews.
era when violence was not un-
Then there is the love affair—
T•
expected and when not only bosses
`U.S.
Won't
Ask
Israel
the promiscuity of the 15-year-old
and workers were involved in con-
troversies, but labor leaders had to Alter M.E. Position' Jewish girl, and telling incidents
about the love life of other labor
feuds among themselves.
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Israel's am-
In this Doubleday-p ublished bassador to the United States. Hz- leaders.
Understandably, it is the d-ama
work Litwak, writing in the first hak Rabin, said here that while involving
SPECIAL
Jake Gottlieb, the pledge
person, presents a narrator who there were differences between the exacted from
his boys, the act of
treats issues involving himself, his U.S. and Israel on various
issues, avenging, the general attitudes of
brother, his father, their friends.
U.S. would not urge Israel to labor leaders whose deep friend-
the neighbors and the labor cham- the
from Sept. 24 to Oct. 15, 1969
"budge an inch" from its stand in ships often were influenced by
pions. The scene of action is De- the Middle East dispute.
the emerging struggles in the un-
• Round Trip with El Al
troit, the places mentioned are not
.
ion,
that
stand
out.
It
is
the
stub-
Gen. Rabin, addressing the Tel
• Strictly Kosher Meals
strange to people in this com-
bornness and the strength of char-
munity, the manner in which the Aviv Press Club said the Ameri- acter of Jake Gottlieb, the father
in 1st Class Hotels
can
position
was
much
closer
to
struggles for power in the union
• Tours with Qualified Guides
Israel's than that of Soviet Rus- of the lad who narrates the story,
was conducted is not a mystery.
• Free Tour to Eilat
that are especially effective in a
Leo Litwak begins his story by ria and that Washington showed a tale that makes Detroit the center
• Simchat Tora Celebration in Jerusalem
introducing the toughs in the "practical understanding of Is- of union-building history and one
TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BOOK YOUR TRIP
Cream of Michigan Restaurant rael's defense needs" and the need man's (Isaac 'Litwak's) defiance
WITH THE MIZRACHI ORGANIZATION
on Pingree and 12th St., and the to prevent an imbalance of power of Mafianism.
rejection of their tactics by the in the Middle East as long as the
Leo Litwak, before this novel,
Send
for
list of group tours — $465; $505; $535
Arabs
were
unwilling
to
move
to-
hero--the'father of the narrator
had authored a collection of short
—and at once the narrative, the ward peace.
stories and his works appeared in
For reservations and information call or write:
Gen. Rabin said that the dif- several anthologies. A native De-
new Litwak novel, becomes not
mere fiction but part of the his. ferences between Israel and the troiter, he is a Wayne State Uni-
MIZRACHI OFFICE
tory of Detroit and the develop- U.S. were not over maps but versity graduate. He is currently
23125 Coolidge
Phone: 398-7180
rather "they ask that we show on the faculty of San Francisco
ing linen workers' union.
Oak Park, Mich. 48237
We assume that Jake Gottlieb. initiative, seek solutions and dis- State College.—P.S.
the hero, father of the narrator. play flexibility to achieve them.
is Isaac Litwak, the father of the They do not consider the means
author. And if fiction is reality we important, only the final result."
are presented with a remarkable
Nevertheless, Gen. Rabin said,
portrait of a very noble labor there is growing doubt in Washing-
leader, of one who would not yield ton over Arab readiness to make
to shenagigans and corruption, of peace. He said the U.S. was par-
a dedicated man for whom the ticularly sensitive with respect to
interests of the laboring man in the security of Lebanon. "But that
whose behalf he was functioning does not mean that Israel must ac-
in the labor movement is of major cept sabotage originating in Leb-
significance.
The extraordinary growth of our company has created a demand for more
anon."
It might have been better, there-
The London Guardian reported
personnel. Positions in mortgage servicing, personnel management, and
from Beirut that President Gamal
Abdel
Nasser
of
Egypt
is
expected
Arab Gets 25 Years to fly to Moscow within a few days sales are immediately available. Bright, ambitious, young executives have
for talks with Soviet leaders.
unusual earnings possibilities in salary, commissions, and bonuses, also
for Bombing at
According to the Guardian,
dispute between Palestinian
Hebrew University the
included are pension plans and life insurance. Challenge, freedom, flex-
guerrillas and Lebanese authori-
TEL AVIV (JTA) — An Israeli ties is reaching "crisis propor-
ibility, and potential are unlimited.
court yesterday sentenced an Is-1 lions." The guerrillas have re-
raeli Arab to 25 years' imprison-1 jected an ultimatum by the
IF YOU WANT TO BETTER YOUR EARNINGS, BETTER YOUR POSI-
ment' for his part in an explosion Beirut regime to hand over the
in the Hebrew University cafeteria ' men responsible for an armed
TION, AND BETTER YOURSELF, MAIL YOUR COMPLETE RESUME
early this year. Adnan Hassan el clash with Lebanese troops at a
Yehli, 23, a student at the univer- refugee camp 10 days ago.
TO OUR OFFICE NOW. ALL INFORMATION KEPT IN STRICTEST CON-
sity, from a Galilee village, was
The clash occurred when Leba-
identified as the man who proposed nese soldiers tried to pull down
FIDENCE. MAIL TO: BOX #951.
the site of the bombing. He al- an unauthorized structure in the
legedly brought an Arab girl, Ma- camp that was to be used as head-
riiam Sharshir, who has been sen- quarters for the "Palestinian arm-
tenced to life imprisonment, to the ed struggle command." A Pales-
site for an early reconnaissance tinian guerrilla leader was quoted
and then returned with her when as warning that his men would
17100 W. 7 MILE RD.
she brought the bomb. He allegedly turn their guns on the Lebanese
DETROIT, MICH. 48235
waited for her outside the cafeteria army if the latter attempted to in-
and then took her to East Jerusa- terfere with their campaign to
"liberate" Palestine.
lem.
Detroiters who know the history
of a serious labor feud, of the
sensational conflicts that arose in
the linen industry here in the late
1930s and early 1940s, of one man's
incorruptibility, will be reminded
of sensations that stirred interest
in this city and in the Jewish com-
munity in Leo Litwak's new novel,
"Waiting for the News."
Litwak's dedicatory legend back-
ing up the title page reads: "To
Isaac and Bessie—Fifty Years."
They are his parents and Isaac is
the popular teamsters' labor lead-
.
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