Friday, March 6, 1970-29
Stein-Bienstock Nuptials THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
to Be Exchanged in June B. M. Laikin Writes His Memoirs;

•

Honoree at Reception on March 15

Benjamin M. Laikin, prominent Yiddish, who late in life studied

here in Labor Zionist and com- the Talmud, who learned Hebrew.
Thus, he played a leading role
munity affairs for many years,
and an active participant in educa- in establishing the Yiddish -school

tional activities, will be honored at
a champagne reception 8 p.m.
March 15 at Sholem Aleichem In-
stitute.
The occasion is the publication
of his book, "Memoirs of a Prac-
tical Dreamer."
The speaker at the reception
will be Moshe Starkman, an
editor of Tog Morgen Journal
who wrote the introduction to
Laikin's book. A musical program
will be given by Cantor Reuven
Frankel.
Sponsors of the reception include
heads of Poale Zion, Pioneer
Women and Farband branches
here and an honorary committee.
Laikin's book was published by
Schulsinger Brothers of New York.
The book is in Yiddish. It contains
numerous family photographs.

-

MISS RISE STEIN

Mr. and Mrs. Morris A. Stein of
Lafayette Cir., Southfield, an-
nounce the engagement of their
daughter Rise Elaine to Norman
Arnold Bienstock, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Samuel Bienstock of South-
wood Dr., Southfield.
The bride-elect attends Wayne
State University. Mr. Bienstock is
a graduate of Wayne. A June wed-
ding is planned.

Israel Philately
Honors Notables,
Dimond, Habima

activities in Society

The 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Bregman of
Carriage Hill Rd Southfield, will be observed at services and kidush
Saturday morning at Cong. Shaarey Shomayim. Mr. Bregman married
the former Ida Olshansky in 1920 at Agudas Achim Synagogue, at Hast-
ings and Ferry Sts. Their two sons-in-law, Dr. Henry Markowitz and
Bernard Mintz will participate in services. The Bregmans are members
of Jericho Lodge of the Odd Fellows and Sholom Aleichem Lodge, Bnai
Brith, as well as Shaarey Shomayim. They have seven grandchildren.
The Bodzin Family Club will meet Sunday evening at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Jack J. Bodzin of Jerome Ave., Oak Park, where they
will extend a farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Jonathon Bodzin, who are mov-
ing to Appleton, Wis.

INC.

FINE FURNITURE TO LIVE WITH

elm/whin*

Laikin's Memoirs Story

Laikin possesses a literary skill.
His Yiddish is classic—devoid of
the crude in vernacular. Consider-
ing himself a self-taught man who
mastered the Yiddish and Russian
classics, it is evident throughout
his writings that he seeks the
learned, the informative, that
which will advance his knowledge
and his way of elevating standards.
His work is very detailed. He
treats minutely his childhood ex-
periences, yet they emerge most
interesting in his explanations of
minor feuds, the hand-downs of his
elder brother's clothing to him,
the inevitable family arguments.
But out of them all there does
emerge a familiar loyalty.
A matter involving an inherit-
ance and the struggle over it, the
difference in wealth that differen-
tiated his immediate family from
close relatives, the search for an
avocation, his refusal to become a
storekeeper, the Russian economic
pressures—all are gathered into
reminiscences that give status to
a book by a mere layman who
nevertheless counted among the
chief leaders in his own com-
munity—in Detroit.
His book is an account of an
immigrant's e a r l y straggles,
periods of unemployment, of
hunger, the first few years in
this country when he slept on
park benches in Baltimore, work-
ed as a coal miner in Pennsyl-
vania, later encountered difficul-
ties in Philadelphia and in Cam-
den, returned to Baltimore and
began to make his way in life.
He became an expert in the rag
Noted personalities, the Dimona- business and later in life was a
Oron Railways and the 50th anni- leader in the national waste cloth
versary of the Habima Theater are industry. In that capacity he dealt
with government authorities, secur-
featured on new Israeli stamps.
many concessions in the Indus-
Included in the new series are, ed
try's behalf, was recognized for
from left:
his business leadership.
Thus it may well be said that
Top row, the late Levi Eshkol
(1895-1969), prime minister of Is- Laikin's experiences were from
rael at the time of his death, and poverty, to rags, and in the
course of his life's struggles as
the eminent Israeli woman leader,
d
Manya Shohat (1878-1961), on the e hescbes
them in his book,
h desc ribe a high role in the
occasion of the 60th anniversary he
of HaShomer, the Israel protec- commercial field.
His busy industrial labors which
live guards movement.
often kept him in his factory and
Middle row: Vladimir Jabotin- office for 12- to 15-hour days did
sky (1880-1940), and the Dimona- not restrain him from devoting
Oron Railway.
himself to cultural interests. He
Lower photo, 50th anniversary was a self-made, self-studied man
who mastered English as well as
of Habima National Theater.

WOOD

in Baltimore and in sponsoring
Yiddish cultural affairs in Detroit.
In his autobiography, which is
primarily a personal document,
he tells of his Zionist interests,
his leadership in forming the
Detroit Jewish Community Coun-
cil, his Poalt Zion and Zionist
Council activities here.
Laikin's self-study often seeks
to analyze himself, and he never
forgets the battles he had—on the

GOES

TREMENDOUS

BENJAMIN M LAIKIN

communal front, in Washington in

defense of his business rights,
with national Zionist leaders and
in defense of cultural aspirations.
As a personal document, his
story often refers to his wife, to
his four daughters. A Labor Zion-
ist himself, he tells about his wife's
leanings to general Zionism, and
while she was active in Pioneer
Women, she was devoted equally
to Hadassah. At one point he de-
plores the irreligious attitude of
one daughter. He expresses con-
cern generally over the Jewish
interests of his children and grand-
children.
For Detroiters, the L a i k i n
memoirs will prove interesting in
the sense of his analyses of Wel-
fare Federation interests and
priorities, of the conflicts that
arose through the years over a
hospital, a council, education.
In all these functions he play-
ed the role of an advocate of the
democratic way of life, and his
retirement and the illness of a
few years ago only slightly cur-
tailed his devotions.
Laikin's reconstruction of his
life in Europe, his settlement in
America, his business role, his
cultural interests, always contain
the emphasis of his adherence to
Jewish traditions, his observance
of kashrut, his love for the syna-
gogue. He writes considerably
about his affiliation with Cong.
Shaarey Zedek.
His concluding chapter is a
tribute to his wife and expression
of happy memories of their 45-year
marriage.
Although a personal account—
which an autobiography must al-
ways be — Laikin's book contains
chapters that reflect Detroit Jew-
ish history, and as such, will cer-
tainly merit wide communal
interest here.

Two cheers for democracy; one
because it admits variety and two
because it permits criticism.—E.
M. Forster.

Yettlitt94- he/Zel

22120 COOLIDGE

We are
MOVING

To Our
1€4

NEW

-
,

`wz. .

OPENING JUNE 1st
in TEL-TWELVE MALL

BEN
MORGANROTH

FINE FURNITURE

AND DRAPERIES

MADE IN OUR

NSID

Member
National Society
of
Interior Designers

OWN WORKSHOPS

FOR OVER 150 YRS.

BEN AND MARK MORGANROTH

PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR DESIGNERS

543-6024

22120 COOLIDGE HWY., OAK PARK

Nr;