Fred M. Butzers Recollections Enrich Historical Records
Editor's Note: The Jewish
News continues the publica-
tion of the Fred M. Butzel
memoirs with this, the third
installment. Our attention has
been called by William I.
Boxerman, whose wife, Flor-
ence, took the Butzel notes
and transcribed them for us,
a n d by Isidore Sobeloff,
former executive vice presi-
dent of the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit, to the
fact that portions of the But-
zel autobiography had ap-
peared in 1943 issues of the
Journal of Jewish Communal
Service. The Jewish News
text, however, which will run
for several more weeks, is
the more complete autobi-
ographical recollection of the
late Fred M. Butzel. The
recollections were dictated
to Boxerman in 1937-38.
Arbitrations
When big campaigns for
funds were held before the
formation of the Joint Dis-
tribution Committee, the
American Jewish Relief Com-
mittee (representing the
Orthodox Jews) and the Jew-
ish People's Relief Commit-
tee (representing the labor
groups) were holding inde-
pendent drives.
A very officious Jew who
had come from New York
had stirred up a Jewish mer-
chant on Hastings St. and
induced him to make scanda-
lous remarks reflecting on
the integrity and honesty of
the Jewish People's Relief
Committee. -
This organization, consist-
ing of numerous workingmen,
had an intricate system of
collections and accounting
and enjoyed the devoted ser-
vices of a great many people.
The opportunities for graft
were obvious.
High Holiday services were
held at one of the Hastings
St. theaters. In the course of
one of them, this merchant,
in an address, denounced the
Jewish People's Committee
and its methods of collections
and praised the Central Re-
lief Committee, with its con-
servative methods.
A libel suit was started
against the person who had
made these accusations. The
Yiddish gas was split wide
open, threatening a great
deal of trouble.
Through the e f f o r t s of
George Avrunin, the matter
was steered out of court, and
a board of arbitrators was alp_
pointed to try the issues. The
interest of the public was so
great that the hearings were
held in the main office of the
Hannah Schloss Memorial.
The arbitrators sat at a
long table, the parties and
their attorneys at separate
tables, and the public, on
benches. We met Sunday
after Sunday and then, for
convenience's sake, held a
few sessions in the vestry
rooms of one of the Orthodox
synagogues. All of us sat
with our hats on. The place
was jammed.
We had accountants exam-
ine the books thoroughly. We
were awed at how well these
poor workingmen kept them.
We found their accounting
system to be excellent, and
by means of duplicate re-
ceipts we checked everything.
The unanimous report of
the five of us was that not
the slightest trace of graft
existed, that the charges
were false and that the Jew-
ish People's Relief Commit-
tee was a fine organization.
No damages were assessed,
for we felt that enough poison
already had circulated in the
community regarding the
case.
We exacted a public
apology, which was very will-
ingly given, and the suit was
dismissed. Our findings were
published by the People's
Committee, and wide distri-
bution greatly assisted their
collections.
In only one instance was
any case in which I arbi-
trated ever carried to court.
I am sorry to say that in that
particular instance the mat-
ter went to the Supreme
Court. where, as the case
was found not arbitrable, it
was reversed.
With that exception, how-
ever, the findings in every
arbitration in which I par-
ticipated were not only sign-
ed by me but by attorneys
of both parties. As a result,
when the arbitration was
over, not only was the case
decided, but fairly good re-
lations were restored between
the parties.
The chief value of the ar-
bitration process lies in the
fact that it gives the parties
a chance to -blow off steam
and clear the lines. It is this,
rather than the actual deci-
sion rendered, which is all-
important. In many instances
the decision itself has little
or no importance.
* *
Fresh Air Society
The Fresh Air Society was
from its inception very close-
ly related to the United Jew-
ish Charities, although not
an integral part of it. Its
leading spirits in the begin-
ning were Ida Kopple (of
sainted m e m or y), Lillie
Wertheimer and .Edna Sell-
ing.
In response to appeals of
Miss Blanche Hart, the so-
ciety undertook to visit old
and sick people and bring
them delicacies and to take
underprivileged children for
whole days to Belle Isle and
Palmer Woods and give them
a good time.
Subsequently, about 1910,
they rented a summer cot-
tage on the Canadian shore
of the Detroit River, and
took groups of children there.
The young women did prac-
tically all the work them-
selves and spent their sum-
mers there in relays. They
had some difficulty about
getting their Canadian cot-
tage and thereupon obtained
a very attractive place in
Grosso Pointe, which became
altogether too small as they
commenced to expand.
Miss Hart of the United
Jewish Charities went out
each year to act as superin-
tendent, and Miss Augusta
Brown was her chief assist-
ant. The children were taken
largely from the groups
helped by the charities, es-
pecially the Self-Help Circle.
The society was maintain-
ed by memberships and con-
tributions. They raised money
independently of the United
Jewish Charities, even though
they had agreed not to do so.
We winked at it because we
realized the need for they
service they were rendering.
The late Oscar Rosenber-
ger, impressed by the worthi-
ness of the cause and by the
difficulties of the women in
financing their work, under-
took to raise the money to
buy a new site. He found a
very large piece of land with
several hundred feet front-
age on Jefferson Ave., run-
ning back to a considerable
depth to Lake St. Clair.
A meeting of the wealthier
men in the community was
called at the old Phoenix
Club. The meeting was char-
acterized by a great deal of
acrimony because each one
feared the other would not
give enough. However, the
necessary amount was sub-
scribed for acquiring the
land and remodeling the
buildings on the property.
Rosenberger de voted a
great deal of time to develop-
ing the preject, and for many
years it was run by volun-
teers. This site was ultimate-
ly sold, and the present camp
at Brighton was established.
*
*
Children's Homes
The matter of burying indi-
gent Jews gave our commu-
nity serious - concern. The
directors of the UJC who
were associated with the
Orthodox synagogue warned
the UJC not to bother with
this matter.
Frequently, it caused a
great deal of tension when a
death occurred in a Jewish
family and time would elapse
before the hevra kadisha
would come to terms with
the family of the deceased.
Under instructions, Miss
Hart would never pay any
money for this service, and
occasionally burial by civic
authorities was threatened.
Eventually, Mr. X, who
was in charge of the burials,
would relent; or the family
would find the money from
its reserves or at a terrible
cost to itself, in the way of
a loan. We did not like Mr.
X, and he did not like us.
What made the matter
worse was that a good part
of the support of the Old
Folks' Home came from the
profits of the burial society.
When the scandal had gone
on for a great many years,
the Chesed Shel Emes (He-
brew Free Burial Associa-
tion) was formed. This group
made a practice of burying
first and collecting after-
wards. Naturally, the new
society got our business,
and Mr. X was displeased.
He got his revenge when
an illegitimate boy was born
prematurely and upon the
advice of the mohel was not
circumcized. He n e e d e d
nursing care and was given
into the hands of a practical
nurse, a Christian woman,
who became quite attached ple to withdraw their
charges. However, the
to him.
From time to time, he was smoldered for a long time.
seen by the proper official,
During the hearings, I took
but the circumcision was al- advantage of the situation by
ways postponed. The baby calling attention to their
died, and the body was turn- various inefficiencies and the
ed over to Mr. X for proper injustice done to the chil-
disposition. He carried the dren. I got the good will and
infant up and down Hastings interest of some of the more
St. showing it to various intelligent women on the
people, with the explanation board who were put in charge
that the UJC was taking il- of the institutions and its
legitimate babies and deliver- policies. At a later date, the
ing them to Christian people two children's homes were
to be brought up as Chris- induced to merge.
tians.
There was a terrific scan-
YMHA
dal on Hastings St. Some of
The earliest YMHA that
our Orthodox rabbis, and
was started in tIA
even some of our board remember
early 1890s, quite independ-
members (who should have ent of any other movement.
known better) took advan- It met in a house which was
tage of the situation.
rented on the east side of
As a result, the Detroit He- Brush near Winder, but it
brew Orphan Home was did not last very long. The
formed in 1920. There were equipment of the house was
men and women on the board meager, and there was no
at first, but when they had real demand for the service.
a row the women retired
I remember at various
and formed a Hebrew Ladies' times we would invite a
Baby Day Nursery. Both in- well-known speaker to come
stitutions were in my neigh- there and talk. While the
borhood on Rowena.
speaker was being entertain-
Raising money for the two ed in the front room we
institutions was not very dif- scurried around the neigh-
ficult. It was common prac- borhood to beg people to
tice to have a party at the come over and furnish an
infants' home and late at audience.
night, before going home,
to trot upstairs and see how
nicely the children lay in
their little cribs. Every wom-
an in the society became a
mother to the babies, with
all the trimmings.
Children were taken into
the two institutions without
any investigation, and many
parents were relieved of
burdens, so that breaking up
a home was a cinch.
Later, a dispute arose in
the Hebrew Ladies' Baby
Day Nursery. Some of the
members openly charged the
president with stealing funds.
A slander suit took place,
and when the judge saw so
many interested voters on
BERNARD GINSBURG
both sides, he was in a "hot
Early in the 1900s, how-
spot." Without consulting me,
he referred the matter to me ever, Bernard Ginsburg or-
for investigation and arbitra- ganized the Fellowship Club,
and this was an immensely
tion.
In spite of my horror at popular place. A house was
the entire infant movement, rented on W. Columbia, sev-
both sides received me very eral hundred feet back from
cordially and did the best Woodward. Bowling alleys
they could to gain my good in the basement were par-
will. I induced the president ticularly popular.
(Continued on Page 15)
to resign and the other peo-
In Frank Murphy's Office
Historic Photo: Butzel and Ussishkin
Fred M. Butzel participated wholeheartedly in activities of the
Zionist Organization of Detroit and supported the Jewish National Fund
- When Menahem Ussishkin, then world president of the Keren
Kayemet le-Israel—Jewish National Fund—was in Detroit in 1932, he
was given a state and city reception at the City Hall by Mayor Frank
Murphy. Mr. Butzel was a participant in that function and is shown here
on the extreme right.
In the photo, from right, next to Mr. Butzel, were: the late Mayor
Murphy, Bernard Isaacs, then superintendent of the United Hebrew
Schools and now superintendent emeritus of the school; the late
Mr. Ussishkin, the late Aaron Kurland, who was then president of the
Jewish National Fund Council of Detroit, and Philip Slomovitz, who was
named by the then Governor Wilber M. Brucker to represent the state of
Michigan at the reception for Mr. Ussishkin.
14—Friday, March 22, 1974
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS