Saluting Leonard N. Simons' 70th Birthday, July 24
Tribute to Simons
From HUC-JIR
By DR. JACOB R. MARCUS
Acting President, Hebrew Union College
Jewish Institute of Religion
We here in Cincinnati have the custom
of sending special congratulatory messages
to good friends when they mark a signifi-
cant birthday. I
am not alt o-
gether sure I
know what a
special birthday
is. But this I do
know. When-
ever Leonard
Simons cele-
brates his natal
day I celebrate
in spirit with
him. For me,
and I suspect
for you, too,
that is a very
special o c c a-
sion. What
would Detroit,
Dr. Jacob R. Marcus
Americ an
Jewry, have done without Leonard? Behold
the indispensable man. Can you imagine
writing the philanthropic history of Detroit
without putting him in the center of things?
In the Greek the word philanthropy means
love of fellowman and in the literal sense
he has loved his fellowmen, working for
them without regard to color, creed, or
race.
You good people of Detroit will rejoice
with him because of what he has so self-
lessly done for your community. I will cele-
brate in my own way because I admire
this man for his gentility, his kindness, his
wit, his love of books, his devotion to every-
thing that is fine.
I speak for myself and the whole college
family when I express the profound and
pious hope that the- years that lie ahead will
be good to him and his dear Harriette, that
they may continue to carry on with the
warmth, affection and generosity that have
always distinguished them.
Historical Commission
Greeting to Simons
Wayne State U. Gives
Appreciation Message
By SOLAN W. WEEKS
Director, Detroit Historical Commission
By GEORGE E. GULLEN, JR.
President, Wayne State University
The members of the Detroit Historical
Commission, the trustees and members
of the Detroit Historical Society and the
staff of the Detroit Historical Museum join
me in extending to Leonard N. Simons our
heartiest congratulations and best wishes
on the occasion of his 70th birthday, July
24, 1974.
This date is, by happy coincidence, the
273rd anniversa-
ry of the found-
ing of Detroit by
Antoine de La-
mothe Cadillac
in 1'701. Perhaps
*it was this coin-
cidence of birth
that first spark-
ed Leonard's
deep and stead-
fast interest in
the preservation
of Detroit's uni-
Solan W. Weeks
que and rich her-
itage. If so, it was a very fortunate oc-
currence for our city.
An ancient proverb suggests that a man
is like the company he keeps. I would- like
to think that an institution can be so judged.,
Wayne State University has been keep-
ing company with Leonard N. Simons for
more years than I can document. In fact,
this very per-
sonal relation-
ship precedes
Dean David
Mackenzie's
days in the
1920s (of whom
Leonard wrote
a most moving
biogra phic a 1
statement).
There are
men of large in-
tellect and there
are men with
great hearts. I
am not sure
how often these George E. Gullen, Jr.
are found in
the same person. They certainly are both
part of the life of Leonard Simons. He
thinks clearly, expresses himself articulate-
ly, loves that to which he gives himself
dearly, all the while maintaining his man-
liness.
Wayne State University has more than
100,000 living alumni. Untold numbers of
them owe something to Leonard Simons'
love of education in general and his love
for Wayne State University in particular
and they will never know it. For most of
what he has done is real but not apparent.
He has made buildings possible, library col-
lections possible. equipment possible, publi-
cations possible, scholarships possible, dis-
tinguished faculty chairs possible. If these
have not turned out exactly as he wanted
them, it is our fault, though the administra-
tion has tried to meet the high standards
which Leonard Simons sets so appropriately
for everything he does.
These contributions have the sound of
being material things. They are not; they
are very human in their interests and in
their objectives. In this they exemplify
From his initial involvement with the
Detroit Historical Society in helping to
raise funds required to construct the first
unit of the Detroit Historical Museum; his
continuous active service on the Detroit
Historical Commission since it was estab-
lished by Charter Amendment in 1946; his
leadership in the acquisition and develop-
ment of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum,
the Fort Wayne Military Museum and the
historic Moross House; and, more recent-
ly, his successful effort to assist in the
preservation and restoration of the birth-
place of Cadillac in St. Nicolas de la Grave
France, Leonard Simons has quitely but
effectively labored in the vineyard of local
history—often at considerable personal sac-
rifice in terms of time and resources. We
take this occasion to extend to him deep
appreciation for all that he has done to
advance the cause of local history in De-
troit, and our warmest wishes for many
happy, healthful and productive years
ahead.
Editorial
Leonard N. Simons
Inspires Community
.
Three distinguished spokesmen fo;
major movements locally and nationally are
expressing their affections for Leonard N-.=
Simons in the accompanying statements.
They speak the minds of the entire Detro,,
community and of a major group in Ameri-
can Jewry with whom the eminent Detroiter
has been associated.
He has given
his best to great
causes and he is
an inspiration to
the many whose
devotions he has
shared for many
years.
When there is
need for action,
Leonard N. Si-
mons is on the
alert. He is fear-
1 e s s, dynamic,
Leonard N. Simons
firm.
And he is as generous as any of the
people who have been enrolled by him
the philanthropic services of the Jewish
people.
Leonard N. Simons' birthday is an ideal
time to make note of his generosity, kind
ness, friendships. Those who have benefited
from these kindnesses are blessed, and they
in turn now bless him and his family with
heartfelt wishes for good health to enable--
him to carry on his great tasks.
Leonard Simons at his best—a very human
person. Life is an uncertain gift in tennis
of the span of years allotted to each of us.
How lucky can we be to have Leonard
Simons among us for his full three score
and ten! But because of what he does for
us and because of what he is among us,
it is not too selfish to wish for him many-
years of happiness ahead.
Those who know him best will recogniz ---
the need to say to him with heartiness: "Hi,
pal, happy birthday and best wishes foal-
many years of health and prosperity."
George E. Gullen, Jr.
President
Wayne State University ;=--
Eliav's Great Hope for a `Sulha,' Seeking Reconciliation in Mideast Conflicts
Arie (Lyova) Eliav is
among Israel's leading doves.
He has consistently advocat-
ed restraint in establishing
new settlements in Israel's
newly-administered area. He
favors creation of a separ-
ate Palestinian state in the
Gaza Strip and on the West
Bank.
In "Land of the Hart"
(subtitled "Israelis, Arabs,
the Territories and a Vision
of the Future"), just issued
by the Jewish Publication
Society of America, he de-
velops his theme and offers
some solutions.
References to Israel in Tal-
mud, Midrash and Bible as
eretz ha-zvi- — land of the
hart—explains the title of this
important work on Israel's
status, needs and the prob-
lems that affect her future.
Eliav, whose role in Israel
has been in many of the
country's foreign and domes-
tic spheres, touches upon all
aspects of the embattled na-
tion's difficulties as well as
opportunities.
As a natural sequence, his
review of the many Israel de-
velopments commences with
a chapter devoted to world
Jewry's relationship with Is-
rael. As he indicates in a
prologue:
48 Friday, July 19, 1974
—
ARIE (LYOVA) ELIAV
"Zionism — the liberation
and renaissance movement
of the Jewish people — was
the negation not only of the
Jewish fatalism which put its
faith in a messianic era and
in miracles, but also of the
materialism of the Diaspora
. . . Zionism has achieved
only one of the goals: the
founding of the state of Is-
rael. But the founding of the
state was to have been only
a means toward the fulfill-
ment of the higher purposes
that Zionism has set itself"
the gathering of the major-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ity of the Jewish people in
the land of Israel and the
creation of a new Jewish so-
ciety based on justice, equal-
ity and human freedom."
Struggles over the goals
yet to be attained, the prog-
ress made in state building,
the successes and the ob-
stacles—all are given thor-
ough review.
But a main purpose of this
work is to emphasize the
need for a cooperative spirit
with the Arabs, and it is in
the "Face to Face With Our
Neighbors" chapter that he
presents his basic view for
which he has gained special
attention as a leading dove.
Treating realistically the
conflict between the nations
in the area, Eliav devotes
himself to the consideration
of the "Great Sulha," the
coveted reconciliation, and
he states:
In Arabic culture, a blood
feud is terminated by a `sul-
ha,' a grand reconciliation;
this custom predates Muham-
mad. Why should we not be-
lieve that the time will one
day come for the 'great sul-
ha' and an end of the inter-
necine struggle between us
and the Arabs?
"Even if we cannot bring
about peace immediately, we
must try to bring it nearer
and advance ourselves
toward it. We must begin by
adopting a new way of using
words. We must try to talk
to anyone claiming to repre-
sent the Palestinian Arabs.
We must address our words
to Arabs under our jurisdic-
tion on the West Bank and
in the Gaza Strip, to Arabs of
the kingdom of Jordan, even
to saboteurs and terrorists
being held in our prisons. We
must not stop trying. At
first the seeds we sow will
fall on rock. For every ten
wells we drill for peace, nine
will prove dry. The path of
dialogue is strewn with dis-
appointments. But there is no
other way.
"If we speak, the chances
are that someday we will
find partners for dialogue.
We must foster such dialogue
among the Palestinian Arabs
of the administered territo-
ries and grant them the
rights of free assembly and
free debate with us, how-
ever bitter-tasting such a de-
bate may prove to be. When
this struggle is over we do
not wish to have as neigh-
bors humiliated, obedient,
cowering Palestinian Arabs,
but a proud people. Helping
them attain this pride does
not mean that we should re-
lax our vigil against those
among them who bear arms
against us; it means that we
should sponsor their elemen-
tary right to national self-de-
termination and to an inde-
pendent, sovereign state of
their own."
Consistently adhering to
these views, Eliav is still
among the leading doves who
believes in the sulha he
aspires to. Will the Arabs
cooperate in providing that
reconciliation that must be-
gin with conciliation? Only
time will tell. Meanwhile, th-
Eliav views challenge Isra-
elis and Jews to action ant
to a compelling consideration
of major views on the most
serious issues affecting world
Jewry and Eretz Yisrael.
`Israelis Warned 4 Austrian UN
Officers to Skirt Danger Zone'
JERUSALEM (JTA) —De-
fense Minister Shimon . Peres
told the cabinet that four
Austrian officers killed by
a mine on the Syrian front
recently while serving with
the United Nations Disen-
gagement Observers Force
(UNDOF) had been clearly
warned by Israel not to enter
a danger zone in the Mt. Her-
mon region because of pos-
sible mines.
Peres was responding to
reports from Vienna that
Austrian authorities were not
satisfied with Israeli expla-
nations and had demanded
further investigation by
UNDOF.
An army spokesman re-
jetted as totally _ Ate the
allegation of an Austrian
officer that the deaths werP
the result of misinformation
passed on by Israeli au:hori-
ties.
At an investigation held
immediately after the inci-
dent in the presence of the
UN commander, Gen. Ensio
Siilasvuo, UN officers con;
firmed that an Israeli repre-
sentative had in fact warned
UN personnel that the road
to the Syrian side of the sum-
mit of Mt. Hermon was not
cleared of mines and should
not be traversed until az
all-clear notice was given,
the army spokesman said.