Butzel Remembers: Jewish Farmers in Michigan

By FRED M. BUTZEL
(Editor's Note: This week
concludes the five-part series
excerpted from the memoirs
of pioneer Detroit Jewish
'leader Fred M. Butzel. The
material stems from inter-
views given in 1937 and '38
to William I. Boxerman, first
executive director of the
Jewish Community Council,
who now lives in Los Ange-
les.)

ssociated Charities

- ..e curious creation which
we called the Associated
Charities was the first orga-
nization in Detroit that at-
r- tempted to pool together any
group of charities.
It was organized in 1878.
- The various societies—ladies'
sewing societies, orphan
homes, Christmas distribu-
\ tors and organizations doing
- special work — got together
and formed a society which
consisted of representatives
of all the agencies in Detroit,
together with anybody who
could pay one dollar per
year.
In 1909 we reorganized the
Associated Charities. We had
a restatement of principles
and objectives. We decided
that there was to be no pros-
elytizing and no general funds
for relief.
Among the chief objectives
were to be investigating, fur-
nishing reports, promoting
the general welfare by dem-
onstrating the need for sani-
tary measures, and collect-
ing and furnishing informa-
tion concerning various char-
itable undertakings in the
city.
The first Children's Bureau
was formed in 1910, when the
Protestant Orphan Asylum,
German- Protestant Orphan
Association, Old Folks' Home,
United Jewish Charities,
Home of Friendless, Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty

to Children and the Catholic
Orphan Asylum made some
arrangements t h r o u gh a
young Vassar graduate, Eve-
lyn G. Gardner, who subse-
quently became head of the
Social Service Bureau of
Seattle.

draw more money from the
fund than they would con-
tribute. The chief proponents
of joining the fund were the
Orthodox Jews on our board,
notably D. W. Simons, and
after a good hot evening, it
was resolved that we would
Detroit Patriotic Fund join the fund. From that day
until now the Jewish com-
Before we knew it, Amer- munity has gotten the bulk
ica was in the war. We were
asked to raise untold mil-
lions for YMCA, Knights of
Columbus, Jewish Welfare
Board, Red Cross, War Camp
Community Service, Sol-
diers' and Sailors' Library
Service and other matters
too numerous to mention.
It was determined to have
one drive, the Detroit Patri-
otic Fund, which would in-
clude all local charities, and
all our national and interna-
tional obligations. Funds for
the Joint Distribution Com-
mittee were also included
and some of the other na-
tional relief funds for foreign
countries. I think we went
out for $10,000,000 and raised
$11,000,000. At any rate, 'we
exceeded the quota.
While the Detroit Patriotic
Fund was being set up, Wil
Ham J. Norton, (director of
DAVID A. BROWN
the Associated Charities) and
Tracy McGregor had come to of its sustenance for our
the United Jewish Charities main local charities from the
and asked us to join this or- Detroit Community Fund.
ganization. It was proposed
Tolerance in Relations
that we should submit our
The Community Fund was
-requirements to a budget
committee and then get our the one place in Detroit
money from a joint drive. It where the various races, re-
was agreed that our local ligions and nationalities met,
needs as well as the JDC not only on a basis of mere
should be included in the toleration but with a deep
desire for mutual _ under-
fund.
David A. Brown was a standing. During the war,
large –factor in the Detroit the German Deaconess Hos-
Patriotic Fund, as he was in pital was very much in dis-
every other fund-raising en- tress for lack of funds. •
terprise in Detroit. Strangely
Joseph J. Crawley of Crow-
enough, I opposed our join- ley' Milner, the most intimate
ing the fund, as I had a mor- lay confidant of the Catholic
bid fear that our Jews would bishop, took the initiative to

get this hospital financed
through the Community Fund
with the understanding that
the name German should be
dropped from the title. He
declared, quite properly, that
industrial Detroit desperate-
ly needed a workmen's hos-
pital where the rates were
extremely moderate and the
service was adequate.
The Volunteers of America
were investigated by a small
committee of Jews and Chris-
tians. We found it to be a
very immoral place at the
time and took the responsi-,
bility for denying it –admis-
sion into our organized ag-
encies. Detroit also had two
animal welfare societies,
which we induced to consoli-
date.

Jewish Farmers

conclusion then was reached
that we had been badly stung
in its purchase, as the soil
proved to be of pod/. quality.
Most of the Jewish farmers
found their way back to De-
troit into the various trades.
Later, the Jewish Agricul-
tural Society gave loans to
quite a number of Jewish
immigrants from Russia to
go on farms. Some are still
out in the Davisburg region.
Quite a number have re-
mained in South Haven, prob-
ably more interested in run-
ning summer board in g
houses than in farming, al-
though all of them raise some
chickens, fruits and vegeta-
bles.
In the early days, I exam-
ined farm abstracts and
helped draw contracts but
later I turned this branch of
the activity over to Theodore
and Saul Levin. The trouble
with most of the Jewish
farmers in this area was
their desire to buy too much
land on a shoestring and to
go into operation beyond
their capacity. But most of
them were really competent
agriculturists.
The problem of keeping the
Jewish children on the farins
also proved to be very seri-.
ous. The children of Jewish
farmers, just as the children
of pioneer merchants in small
country towns where there
were few Jews, tended to
trek down to Detroit.
Larger economic opportu-

nity was only one aspect of
it. The desire to meet boys
and girls with the object of
matrimony was most impor-
tant. Today, there is only one
Jewish farmer with whom I
am still in contact. He hangs
on griml y, although his
daughters pay a pretty big
price for his loyalty to farm-
ing.
During the time that I
was on the House of Correc-
tion board, Sampson Liph,
the agent of the Jewish Agri-
cultural Society, with head-
quarters in Chicago, came to
me with a very pathetic
story. He said that the Jews
of South Haven had, by the
practice of tremendous self-
denial, acquired a small
piece of land and put up a
very nice little hall for their
social, educational and reli-
gious purposes.
After the hall - was fin-
ished, however, they had no
money for furnishings and
they needed chairs desper-
ately. I think I sent them
eight dozen ,chairs with my
compliments. They did not
expect them and were tre-
mendously thrilled with the
gift, especially because they
had never heard of me. I
still have their message of
thanks, which is as follows:
"The congregation desires
to express its deep thanks to
Mr. Fred Butzel for the splen-
did gift of chairs. Wishing
you a merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year . . ."

The farm movement in
Michigan started about 1895.
The Baron de Hirsch Society
in New York (now the Jew-
ish Agricultural S o ci e t y),
communicated with Martin
Butzel, my uncle-, and with
the advice of Emanuel Wodil,
a farmer from Utica and a
Civil. War veteran, a large
piece of acreage was bought
from the Hubbard family,
bankers at Bad Axe.
Mr. Wodil lived out there
on the farm and supervised
the poor Jewish settlers who
came through the society.
At the beginning, there were
complaints that the farming
suffered because of various
interruptions. The settlers on
very short notice would stop
working in order to invoke a
blessing upon the first rain,
the first grass, the first crop
LONDON (JTA) — The re- paigning on a worldwide
and the first everything else.
For a long time the settlers sults of three days of meet- basis rather than on a na-
were blamed for the insuffi- ings of the Jewish Agency tional one," Fisher said.
cient farming.
executive and the executive's
He announced that the
fund-raising
committee were Louis Pincus Memorial Fund
Quite a little money was
poured into the project be- summed up by Leon Dulzin, for Jewish Education has
fore it was abandoned. The acting chairman of the Jew- been formally established.
ish Agency and World Zion- The participants are the
ist executive, and Max M. American Joint Distribution
Fisher of Detroit, chairman Committee, the Jewish
of the Jewish Agency board Agency, the World Zionist_
of governors.
Organization and the Israeli
Dulzin said decisions were government. Dulzin and
Allocation In
taken in three major areas: Fisher will represent the
millions of dollars
_the 1974-75 budget, housing agency on the board.
Meanwhile, 46 American
for new immigrants and the
Jewish Agency's third gen- Jewish- leaders have pledged
eral assembly to be held in to raise $250,000,000 in cash
by June 30, for the human
Jerusalem June 16-1g.
Dulzin disclosed that 1,000 needs of the people of Israel,
fewer immigrants arrived in following the group's mission
Israel from the Soviet Union to Israel and an intensive
during February 1974 than study of the Jewish Agency's
humanitarian programs.
during February 1973.
The participants returned
He said there will be 500
after
inspecting projects of
fewer this March than in the
corresponding month last immigration, absorption, edu-
year. This is a cause for cation and social well-being.
The mission vowed "to
same concern, he said.
commit
the entire adminis-
Nevertheless, the Jewish
Agency is planning for an tration, organizational and
annual aliya of 70,000 this creative resources of the na-
year, half of which would tional UJA to assisting com-
come from the Soviet Union, munities in their cash effort
March through June."
Dulzin said.
Dulzin reported that top-
level negotiations between Israel Holds Druze
the Jewish Agency and the on Espionage Charge
Israeli government will start
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Some 20
next Monday for the agency Druze settlers of the Golan
to take over the immigrant Height's were detained since
housing program.
the Yom Kippur War on
Fisher reported that the charges of espionage and acts
fund-raising committee dealt of terror against Israel.
with the problem of cash
Most of them; settlers of
flow and decided on a special the Druze village Majdal
The chart shows the allocations in millions of dollars to be made of the proceeds from the sale of Israel
cash campaign to run be- Shams on the slopes of Mt.
Bonds of the new $1,000,000,000 Reconstruction and Development Issue. The 1974 worldwide campaign for a $1,000,-
tween now and, the end of Hermon, were tried and con-
\-000,000 Ioan through Israel Bonds will enable the people of Israel to expand their development program in spite
June with a target of $350,- victed on various charges
of the enormous defense expenditure which has increased almost five-fold since 1966 and which absorbs some 33
000,000. "We are now enter- that connected with violating
percent of its state budget. Synagogues throughout the United States and Canada are scheduling congregational
ing upon a new era: cam- the state's security.
Israel Bond dinners during April, May and June to provide Israel with the large•scale funds for industrial and agri-
cultural development and for the creation of jobs for the new immigrants from the Soviet Union and other countries.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April S, 1974-61

Jewish Agency Plans for Aliya
of 70,000, Decline From USSR

Billion Dollar Bond Issue Aids Israel's Economy

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