THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 26—Friday, January 1, 1971 Conservative Leader Reverses Position, Now Urges State Aid for Day Schools NEW YORK (JTA)—A leading Conservative rabbi declared that "with pain in my heart and a total reversal of a stand I have taken for the greater part of my career, I urge that we accept state aid for our (Hebrew) day schools." The remark, by Rabbi Edward T. Sandrow, past president of the New York Board of Rabbis and spiritual leader of Temple Beth El, Cedarhurst, N.Y., was made in the course of an address at a midwin- ter conference of Jewish educa- AN HISTORIC PHOTO: The late Mr. and Mrs. Felix M. Warburg are shown here on a visit in Na- halal, then Palestine, in the late I12as. They are the first figures on the right. With them, in the center, was the late Col. Frederick H. KWh, who was chairman of the Palestine Zionist Executive. Col. Math died a hero's death in the last war, serv,ing in the British armed forces at Tebrnk. Felix M. Warburg-Centenary of a Gentleman CINCINNATI—There is a very famous American Jewish family which can trace its origin back some 400 years to the little West- phalian town of Warburg. Some of the members of this family have exhibited an apparently irresistible itch to wander and and have scat- tered all over the world, as far away from Westphalia as Tokyo and Shanghai. One hundred and fifty years ago, one of them even sailed up the Mississippi to New Orleans, made a huge fortune there and then lost it in the panic of 1837. This widespread family — its members came to call them- selves Warburg after their ances- tral hometown — has included a Nobel Prize winner, a pioneer president of the World Zionist Or- ganization and a leading Amer- ican banker. This last was among the finest, most cultured gentle- men to emerge from Warburg ranks. Felix M. Warburg was born on Jan. 14, 1871, in Hamburg. One of the seven children of the well- known banker Moritz Warburg, Felix was taught at an early age that, if he had ten cents in his pocket, one penny had to be put aside for charity. As a teenager. he was farmed out to his maternal grandfather, one of the Oppen- of Felix Warburg." helms of Frankfurt-am-Main, and The Felix Warburg papers, about IW the time he left grandpa's half a million pages, have been menage he had become a man of culture and breeding, adept in the knowledge of fine jewels, the arts and modern languages. As a child, Felix studied the violin and sing- ing, and years later the successful New York financier established a Stradivarius Quartet and sup- plied the performers with instru- ments made by the great master. In ISIS, Felix married the daughter of Jacob H. Schiff, set- tled in New York City, and ultimately succeeded his father- in-law as bead of the arm of Hatir, Loeb and Company. Bank- ing, however, was not Felix's peed's; it was only a means to a livelihood. Essentially he was a communal worker In the gen end and Jewish eentimealties and a lever of music and the fine arts. An intelligent, senders man ameerned with Whig his fellow creatures, be spent much of his time helping others. This was a young man with a social conscience, and once. when Jacob H. Schiff was asked to re- lease his son-in-law for work as a philanthropic project, be an- swered: "We have given you all preserved at the American Jewish Archives on the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jew- ish Institute of Religion. Professor Jacob R. Marcus, director of the archives, believes that the papers are an invaluable and all but in- exhaustible source for the study of American cultural development in the first third of the 20th Century. "These papers alone," according to Dr. Marcus, "contain sufficient material for a half dozen Ph.D. theses." After his arrival in the United Warburg busied himself serving the settlement houses — forerunners of Jewish-Community Centers — on the Lower East Side. In the larger Jewish community, he was instrumental in bringing to birth the federation of Jewish philanthropies of his adopted city. In the years before be took this task in hand, it was not uncommon for New York City's Jewish char- itable organizations to spend sixty cents to raise another forty - cents. Warburg was among the founders or early supporters of the Jewish Welfare Board (the national asso- ciation of Jewish "Y's") the far- flung Joint Distribution Committee, and the enlarged Jewish Agency for Palestine. He also was one of the first to endow the Hebrew Uni- versity of Jerusalem when it open- ed Its doors in the mid-1920's. Warburg's efforts were not limit- ed to Jewish enterprises. There were few New York cultural and social concerns which were not en- riched through his interest and de- votion. He was active in promoting youth work, remedying the condi- tions which produced juvenile de- linquency, and fostering general education, the opera, and the sym- phony. He even found time to raise money to maintain Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, as a na- tional monument. In his desire to honor the memory of the first great 19th Century commodore, Uriah P. Levy, who had saved Monticello from deterioration if not complete destruction. Felix is Latin for "happy" or "blessed." The Hebrew equivalent is "baruch." and this was War- burg's "religious" name. He was indeed blessed by his unflagging interest in learning, beauty, cul- ture, and, above all, his fellowmen. both Jews and Gentiles. When he passed away on October 20, 1937, be deserved the esteem of a world which was the better for having been graced with his presence. States, If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others would do us no harm.—La Rochefoucanid. 4 • • t • • Sr . @ • •• • • • • • • • • • ' ••• • • •, tors here, sponsored jointly by the Educators Assemblyand the Unit- ed Synagogue Commission on Jew- ish education. Rabbi Sandrow said he was forced to reverse his position on state aid to private schools be- cause the Jewish community has not given sufficient support to Jewish education. He told his audience that the present system of congregational afternoons in which students get no more than six hours a week of instruction is not adequate. He called on the educators "to push for the establishment of more day schools and to urge more of our children in afternoon schools to transfer to day sehoola." He also proposed the development of a network of post-elementary schools and af- ternoon high schools with a mini- mum of six to eight boars. Rabbi Sandrow urged "rabbis and principals of congregational schools to return to the classroom particularly after the third year of congregational schooling, for re- ligious and moral teaching." Rabbi Sandrow said that talk of federation assuming greater fiscal responsibilities for Jewish educa- tion is on the agenda of many communities. But he cautioned Jewish communities not to be "lulled into the notion that money alone will reconstruct -our commu- nities, motivate our parents, break down the present sense of aliena- tion, create better schools and vi- able curricula." He warned that "federation as the sole panacea is also an illusion, even if federation could financial- ly support the educational com- plex." The Conservative leader claimed that except for a small number. of students who attend congregation- al schools or Hebrew summer camps or who have spent time in Israel, "most grow up to maturity almost totally devoid of Jewish knowledge." MUSIC BY SAM BARNETT AND His ORCHESTRA LI 1-2563 Philadelphia Teachers Affiliate With AFL-CIO PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — A A newly formed Professional He- brew Teachers Organilation here has announced plans to assign representatives to all J e w is h schools in the area and to begin contract negotiations with the Board of Jewish Education of Philadelphia. The plans were announced at the first general membership meet- ing of the union, which recently became affiliated with the Phila- delphia Federation of , Teachers, OPEN SUN. 11-4 MARRY 7111011IAS - . wine Fee Over 35 Wore 1517/8 W. 7 MLR RD. 3 RD= Nast at Greesfield _ Dm' Doily WS to I - • DroltA•wriabr• • Diners • twerity • Metiers • OAK PARK WATCH- UMW • Selected-- Dna •1•;•11,7 - . - David Tulin, president of due local union reperted to tbe meeting that the goals of the union were to re-establish community respect for Jewish education and teachers, to advance the welfare and rights of teachers, and to enhance -recogni- tion of the need for improvement in Jewish education as a key factor in Jewish survival and Diamonds Large Selection of Fine Opal Jewelry Watch and Jewelry Repair IRV ASHIN . LI 7-5068 -- Nom Pen Office 1372 W. WM HAPPY- NEW- YEAR FROM THE WATNICKS A GIFT FOR EVERY OCCASION Ccr-pie!,: Srlect 07- :r.Ciudir•9 ?he F Kt. Gold 7-I Sc: Morris Watnick 253 Hamilton Thurs sAVE Fri, tc_, 9 p m BUY NOW 111101yen AWNiNGS at Winter Prices FOR SPRING New 1971 Beautiful Vinyl Coated Dacron Fabrics INSTALLATION , FREE ESTIMATES • EASY TERMS . WE SERVE ALL SUBURBS Depossikile MICHIGAN TENT 6 AWNING CO. for Owir 50 Toast 4892 GRAND RIVER • J394-4400