THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating - The•Vetroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Assoeiition of Irmalids-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Assoc&
atlas Published overy , Pridirj hi The ;swish Meow Publishing Co.; 17515 W. Nine_hille. Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48079.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Sontlifield„ Michigan-and Additional Mailing Offices.
Subscription $8 a year. Foreign $9

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

bditor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

business Manager

CHARLOTTE DUBIN

City Editor

DREW LIEBERWITZ

Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections.
This Sabbath, the fourth day of Adar, 5732, the following scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Exod. 25:1-27:19. Prophetical portion, I Kings 5:26-6:13.

Candle lighting, Friday, Feb. 18, 5:50 p.m.

VOL. LX. No. 23

Page Four

February 18, 1972

Continuity of Devotion and Generosity

There is something most remarkable, about the community interest in Jewish needs
and in the responsibilities kinsmen have toward the'needs in Israel.
In spite of economic setbacks in the past year, the responses to the call for action
in the Allied Jewish Campaign have .been so heartening that, as part of the larger and
equally generous total American Jewish community, we retain the title of "compassionate
members of a compassionate pebple."
The reports that have been submitted to the campaign dinner on Wednesday by the
heads of various divisions signalize much more than the record-setting total indicate: It is
not only the very large sum that has already been subscribed; it is, besides the encourage-
ment given by increases over last year's gifts, an assurance of great identification of vol-
unteer workers with their community. It serves to provide confidence that the needs of
Israel will not be overlooked, that in our own community the schools will not be neglected,
the aged will not be forgotten, the needy will be provided for.
This is the type of continuity of Jewish devotion to the people's needs, at all times,
regardless of obstacles, that gives one pride in his fellow man. Nobility in our responses
to our kinsmen everywhere, in our duties to all human needs, is the guideline that was
emphasized in the magnificent role mirrored in the current activities for a great Jewish
communal philanthropic effort.

Brotherhood and Dialogue on Yearly Basis

Hendricks Family as Copper
Magnates, Their Deep Jewish
Roots, Related it Whiteman Book

"Copper for America—the Hendricks Family and a National In-
dustry 1755-1939" by Maxwell Whiteman has been published by
Rutgers- University Press.

The title and author are introduced in advance as a factor of
It can be a sad state of affairs when
Even in the good old-days; the "joke" was
major consideration by the reader because the reviewer wishes to
"brotherhood" becomes a subject. for -ridi- _ - - that the—Friitestants provided the high moral call attention to two important aspects of this book: its emphasis on
tone; the Jews, the money and the work; and
cule. It so happens that the National Con-
a great industry's history and on the role of an important family in
the Catholics, the passive resistance. The Con- early American Jewish history.
ference of Christians and Jews, inaugurator
ference abstained for years from involvement
with civil rights for Negroes because that was
Whiteman, a noted archivist and historian, was the co-author with
and sponsor of the annual Brotherhood -Week
"political" and, besides,- it might alienate the Edwin Wolf II of "A History of Philadelphia." He authored an im-
observances, because it is the recognized
portant volume relating to emancipation of the blacks, "The Kidnaped
Wasps, whether veal or honorary.
'and the Ransomed," which, like the Philadelphia story, was published
"good will movement" in America, has wan-
Now, the whole business is a shambles. by the Jewish Publication Society of America.
dered off into new spheres, such as matters
When blacks refer to "brothers" they mean
He credits much of• the arrangement on the new book to
of police relations with communities and
other blacks; and "soul food" isn't cooked in
his wife, Elizabeth Delano Whiteman, who helped in gathering
a melting pot. And there is the heart of the
their populations, the interest of youth in
the
"absorbing
details of the Hendricks firm and family life."
whole matter. The "brotherhood" bit was firm-
our high schools in the race issue, and espe-
While the Hendricks family's records have been recognized as
ly rooted in the notion of a melting pot from
cially dialogues.
which everybody would come out smelling and treasures in Jewish history, the industrial facts are now made avail
looking like a white rose. And it was assumed, able as a result of the thorough research made by Whiteman. ?Us
In a sense, tackling these issues is more
correctly in most instances, that everybody new book does, indeed, reveal "a source of early American technol
important than promoting "brotherhood" for
in our economic history.
wanted to.
a specific reason: they do not emphasize a
The story begins with Uriah Hendricks, who came to New York
But them days are gone, baby. Only the
week but imply action during the entire year.
from London in 1755. He was 19, ambitious, successful in the jewelry,
week remains.
This has been the objection to Brotherhood
trinkets and dry good business. He married into the Gomez family,
Week from its very inception: that it was an
This is an echo of the past not to be ig- was active in Cong. Shearith Israel, and the loyalties to faith' marked
interest confined to one-52nd of the calendar
nored in the present. While the "brother- the beginning of five generation of prominence and Jewish affiliations.
year, while the issues involved plagued the
• The Hendricks family became deeply involved irk overseas
hood" term still is utilized, there is evidence
peoples involved all the time.
trade, and copper became their main trading element. Urialt's
of more pragmatic approaches, especially in
son harmon became a master tradesman and the generations the
If there is to be this mere change from
followed pursued the business and established it as a great Amer*,
a week specifically set aside for dialogues the actions taken to advance practical efforts
can industry.
for the creation of good relations between
to talks between neighbors and friends who
In Whiteman's story, we have a fascinating account of an eminent
happen to be of different faiths and are not police and community and for the raising of
Jewish pioneering family's social, economic and cultural links with
of the same skin coloration, then the new
the standards of security forces on the basis their
people while creating a great industry for America. It is a
role should be welcomed.
of their understanding of the need for har- masterful account of religious affiliation and activity by Jews of the
18th
and
19th centuries while it delineates business skills that con-
mony and compassion, and in areas where
The criticisms can not be ignored. An
example of the dismissal of the Brotherhood
"dialogue" works and is not a subject for tributed towards America's industrial growth.
Week as it was practiced in earlier years of ridicule and suspicion.
While relating the story of "copper in an age of transition,"
Whiteman has delved deeply into history. His research abilities are
Round Table movements like Detroit's and
When youth from high schools come to indicated in the fact that a teit of 233 pages required nearly 100 addi-
similar ones associated with the National
Round Table symposia with criticisms, de- tional pages of annotations.
Conference of Christians and Jews, is the
mands, proposals based on their experiences
Members of the Hendricks family had gathered many docu-
editorial comment in the current issue of
ments which became available to Whiteman in the compilation
in our public school systems, the need for
Jewish Digest by Dr. Manheim S. Shapiro,
of
his
interesting historical analysis of Jews in the copper indus-
perpetuated
good
will
efforts
can
not
be
ig-
who, under the intriguingly neo-Yiddishistik
try. label Hendricks Franks and Rosalie Nathan Hendricks, dis-
heading of Brotherhood Smotherhood" wrote: nored.
tinguished members of the family, aided this- effort.
Did you realize they're still observing
Basically, the attacks on false emphasis
The Hendricks were active in philanthropic work, and they helped
"Brotherhood Week?" This is probably the best
on ecumenism is correct. In actuality, since found the first Sephardic Jewish organization in New York. Their
available evidence of how long error can per-
there continue to be racist issues, thereby interest in Shearith Israel was undiminished among the five genera-
sist, given sufficient publicity and the appear-
necessitating better understarding between tions whose labors are accounted for in this volume.
ance of rectitude.
whites and blacks, and since there is no end
With - Harmon Washington Hendricks' . death in '1928, the family's
to religious prejudices, -every contribution Belleville Copper Rolling Mills closed. 011 that day, 4March 31, 1928,
The National Conference of Christians and
Jews started with a patently fallacious concept.
toward the elimination of hatreds must be "the National Copper Exchange interrupted its -usual liading for 15
"The brotherhood of man under the fatherhood
encouraged. The movement that has inaugu- minutes to auction a pig of tin for the firm• of-Kezidricks Brothers,
of God" has a nice ring of moral authority._The
rated the working idea for such efforts need the proceeds to be used for New York City's United Hospital Fund."
only trouble with it is that it tries to bring peo-
Whiteman states that "the_ closing of the mill brought to an end
not be outlawleck It still has a task to per-
ple together precisely on the basis of the most
175 years of the Hendricks' participation in the cornier industry,
form. And since We are witnessing an exten- the
profound differences among them. It's all right
epoch of one family's association with the American
sion of a week's talkativeness into a yearly metal longest
for people who are pretending to be of a par-
industry, and one that was not equaled in length of years by
dialogue, let's be grateful that all decencies any other
ticular religious persuasion, but not for those
firm 'engaged. in copper manufacturing or mining."

have not gone to pot. There is still that hope
Since the Maxwell -Whiteman story of such as unusual family
for -genuine brotherhood on the basis of experience
also is linked with that famlly's devotional Jewish asso-
mutual respect. The dialogue to. make that ciation, "Copper for America" is valuable historically -for coun-
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who are persuaded. Bringing together even two
or three of the Protestant churches takes years
of discussion and negotiation, let alone all

Christians.

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