THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
281Friday, August 17, 1973
`Uncle Sam' Cohodas of Ishpeming:
Popular N. Michigan Personality
Loukinen-Posner
Engagement Told
Editor's Note: Julius Bril-
ler, author of this article, is
a former history professor
who worked in communica-
tions in Israel for the last
four years. He is presently
the representative of the He-
brew University of Jeru-
salem in the state of Michi-
gan.
By JULIUS BRILLER
Orchardist and canner,
agricultural wholesaler and
shipper, banker, director of
a newspaper chain, stock-
holder in mining enterprises,
philanthropist—Sam M. Co-
hodas of Ishpeming is all of
these.
More significantly, he is
a giant in his land, a kind of
homespun, self-made baron.
His career and even his most
casual advice have benignly
affected the lives of many
fellow citizens of the Upper
Peninsula, most of them non-
Jewish. Yet he is also a
bastion of Jewish loyalty and
honor in a sparsely populated
rural region. The latest
recognition of this occurred
at this year's Israel Bonds
Dinner in Ishpeming, where
Sam Cohodas was awarded
the- Prime Minister's Medal
for service in the cause of
Israel's development.
The land of the Upper
Peninsula is rugged and rela-
tively uncluttered with the
effluvia of the consumer
society. It is a verdant terri.
tory of interior lakes and
forests, of orchards, lumber,
iron and copper mines. The
contour of the lakefront of
Superior is topographically
defined by hills and coves.
These lie silent in the beati-
fic clear air along what
seems like a wide sea not
quite of this century.
Here Sam Cohodas reigns
a patriarch: tall, large of
stature as one of the region's
trees, taciturn as the coun-
tryside, rich and powerful as
the strong, veined earth. He
is "Uncle Sam" to nephews
and grand-nephews and a
supporter of community pros-
perity and civic conscious-
ness. Sam Cohodas of Ish-
peming — he has and needs
no more specific address, nor
does the parent company, the
firm called "Cohodas
Brothers."
Few of his neighbors know
MISS EVA LOUKINEN
Announcement is made of
the engagement of Eva
Elizabeth Loukinen of W.
Farnum Ave., Royal Oak, to
Gerald F. Posner, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Posner
of Ardmoor Dr., Bloomfield
Township.
Mr. Posner attended the
London School of Economics
in England and received his
BA degree in economics
from Wayne State -Univer-
sity. He is a senior at Yale
Law School.
No wedding date has been
set.
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13721 W. 9 MILE at RIDCEDALE
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WE DELIVER.
Games Nights at Beth Shalom
Cong. Beth Shalom an-
nounces the introduction of a
games night 7:30 p.m. Aug.
28 and every Tuesday there-
after.
Licensed by the state of
Michigan, the games will be
held in the newly redeco-
rated social hall with a
capacity of 300. Committee
chairman Phil Elkus said
electronic equipment has
been acquired to provide
rapid moving, accurate
games.
Committee members in-
clude Iry Herman, Jack
Lovinger, Sy Finkelstein, Sy
Rosenwasser, Murray Rubin,
Joseph Kramer, Jerry Ja-
cobs, Mary Posner and Sol
Dembs.
Refreshments will be avail-
able.
sponsors draws a guest list
that is more than 50 per
cent gentile. Sam Cohodas
The use of history is to
is as known for his support
give value to the present
of higher education and local
hour and its duty.—Ralph
charities in the Upper Penin-
Waldo Emerson.
sula, as for his Israel chari-
ties and wide-flung business
interests.
FIRESTONE
His award of the Prime
JEWELRY
Minister's Medal at the Is-
Wholesale Diamonds & Jewelry
Remounting, Jewelry & Watch Repairinft
rael Bonds dinner was be-
SUITE 364 ADVANCE BLDG.
stowed by Colonel Shaul
23077 Greenfield at 9 Mile
Ramati, consul-general of
(313) 557 7 1060
Israel for Chicago and the
Midwest. Ambassador Avra-
ham Harman, president of
the Hebrew University in
SAM M. COHODAS
Jerusalem, sent special con-
FREE — FREE — FREE
that Sam. Cohodas was born gratulations to Sam who is
1 Bottle Thompson VITAMIN E 100 Units D-ALPHA 100 Capsules,
in Vilna, arriving in the an admired friend and
With Purchase of $20 or More Mon. and Tues. Only.
United States when he was patron of its distinguished
Natural Vitamins &• Minerals • Fresh Organic Fruits &
eight years old; and in the faculty of agriculture. Sam
Vegetables • Fresh Eggs • Dried Fruits & Nuts
Upper Peninsula when he has participated in economic
2823 Coolidge, Berkley
CLOSED
was already 13. He seems so conferences in Jerusalem
and
has
several
times
at-
• PHONE 543-3505
SUNDAYS
perfectly indigenous • to his
Free Parkin. Open Daily 10 to 7
present homeland, that any tended meetings with Prime
precedent history sounds Minister Golda Meir.
Sam Cohodas doesn't much
mythic, a tale invented to
obscure the reality that he care for city life. Though he
had sprung fully grown from loves Israel and feels at
home there, he will always
the Upper Peninsula rock.
In his 78th year, he still be part of the annals of
works more than a full day, American pioneering and em-
A Very Special Store
entering his office every pire-building in the northern
For Pre-Teens
country
of
Michigan.
The
ex-
morning at seven and re-
and Juniors.
maining till five or six. He clusion of such Jews as Sam
IN
M.
Cohodas
from
any
aspect
then frequently holds various
OAK PARK
of
the
social
or
business
life
board and civic meetings in of the Upper Peninsula
23133 COOLIDGE
the evening. Several times a would be as unthinkable and
NORTH OF 9 MILE RD.
year friends and associates as alien to its practices to-
SUMMER HOURS:
PHONE 545-3242
Mon. thru Sat. till 6 p.
are treated to a trout dinner day, as a border skirmish or
inimitably prepared by Sam an irredentist claim to this
himself at the Cohodas lovely land from the contigu-
family lodge on Lake Michi- ous state of Wisconsin.
gamme.
At home amid his forests
The Cohodas Brothers and neighbors, Sam Cohodas
wholesale fruit and grocery personifies the ideals of Jew-
business began in Houghton ish talent, communality and
in the Upper Peninsula, charity. Jew and gentile
moved to Ishpeming and alike in this awesomely beau-
Make Your Party
'then expanded throughout tiful country compete in
A Success with
Michigan and Wisconsin. The claiming him as "one of our
five Cohodas brothers (Max own."
• Popcorn
of Green Bay and Appleton,
• Cotton Candy
Wisconsin is the only other ' BRAM GOLDSMITH, prom-
• Sno-Cone Machines
surviving) began to grow inent California real estate
and Supplies
apples and cherries in Michi- developer and Jewish com-
gan in 1932, eventually pro- munal leader, has been ap-
ALSO FOR:
cessing and canning these pointed chairman of the
✓ BUSINESSES
crops. They started a com- Council of Jewish Federa-
✓ FUND RAISINGS
pany in San Francisco in tions and Welfare Funds'
✓ ETC.
1934: Heggblade and Mar- Task Force on Multiple Ap-
guleas, Inc., which raised all peals, it was announced by
Call 273-0040 or 273-2475
types of fruit and acted as CJF president Raymond Ep-
13438
Fenkell 1 blk. E. of Schaefer
sales agent for other grow- stein.
ers. This firm was sold to
the Tenaco Corporation in
1969, though Sam Cohodas is
still a major stockholder in
Heggblade Marguleas Ten-
aco. The Cohodas family
also began to grow apples,
peaches, pears, apricots,
plums and cherries in the
Yakima Valley of Washing-
ton in 1944. Today Cohodas
Brothers is both grower and
sales agent, as well as the
12945 West 7 Mile Rd. UN 2-9300 — UN 2-7980
largest fruit shipper in
Yakima.
Sam Cohodas still travels
to the state of Washington
and acts as consultant to va-
r ious of his businesses,
though he has devoted his
646-7159
30760 SOUTHFIELD RD. at 13 Mile
(FORMERLY COUNTRY CORNER BAKE SHOP)
time since 1965 mainly to
banking. Forty years ago,
VE 7-1977
15 744 West 7 Mile Rd.
after the Bank Holiday, the
(Formerly Weiss Bakery & Pastry)
brothers entered the banking
field in response to what
they considered an urgent
community necessity. Sam
now has controlling interest
in six banks, all in Upper
Michigan. As a banker he
lb.
frequently assists young men
of business acumen whose
•
talent and enterprise he
wishes to retain for the Up-
Under Supervision of the Council of Orthodox
per Peninsula.
Rabbis of Greater Detroit
Perhaps for this reason,
and because he is Ispeming's
leading citizen, the annual
Israel Bond dinner which he
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