56 May 7, 1976
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS.
$16 630 000 Predicted for Campaign
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. .. and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
William Avrunin, Jewish Welfare Federation executive vice president, is shown at the podium predicting
that Detroit's 1976 Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel Emergency Fund will reach $16,630,000, the fourth highest in
the country. Avrunin made the projection at the closing meeting of the Campaign April 28 at Adat Shalom Syn-
agogue. Pledges in hand-that evening totalled $15,290,015. With Avrunin at the head table were, from left, guest
speaker Dr. William Haber, general Campaign chairmen Merle Harris and Dr. Leon Fill and Federation presi-
dent Martin E. Citrin. In the foreground are Ruth K. Broder, Women's Division Campaign chairman and Philip
S. Minkin, associate chairman of the Industrial and Automotive Division.
Volume Recalls London's Jewish History
Ellis Island had a coun-
terpart in England — Lon-
don's East End. However, as
the immigrants to America
passed through Ellis Island,
those coming to England
settled in the East End,
creating one of the most
poverty-stricken, slum-
laden pockets of that coun-
try.
Chaim Bermant skillfully
details the immigrant waves
into England in "London's
East End — Point of Ar-
rival." Published by Mac-
millan, Bermant's "East
End" describes in detail the
arrival of the Huguenots, Ir-
ish, Jews and Pakistanis
into the area and the contri-
butions of each group to
commerce and social wel-
fare.
As a means of introduc-
tion,' Bermant portrays the
East End as "the skid row of
the metropolis, a resort of
the helpless, the feckless
and the unfortunate, the
place where one family set-
tled as one declined in life
. . . It was the service area
of the metropolis, the serv-
ants' quarters of the stately
home that was London."
The Eastern European
Jews, fleeing from perse-
cution and tyranny, set-
tled in London's East End.
Their arrival was met by
the local populace, as well
as by the established En-
glish Jews, with dismay.
As with the other immi-
grant groups, the Jews were
met with favor by the
Crown, but with disfavor by
the resident population be-
cause they created competi-
tion for the already estab-
lished businesses and
socially, brought strange
ways" with them.
According to Bermant,
"They were secretive in
their ways, kept to them-
selves, spoke a strange
tongue, had strange habits
and struck the local popula-
tionas furtive and sinister
About the time of the
Jewish influx, the infamous
"Jack the Ripper"- murders
took place. The murderer,
according to Bermant was
" 'age 37, height, 5 ft. 8 in.
Rather dark beard and
moustache; dress, dark
jacket, dark vest and trou-
sers, black scarf and black
felt hat. Speaks with foreign
accent.' It was a description
which could have fitted
about half of the 40,000 or
so Jews who were then liv-
ing in Spitalfields."
Many of the police and
non-Jewish East Enders
even speculated that the
murderer was a local
shohet, since he had a
knowledge of anatomy and
an assortment of knives,
similar to'those which may
have been used on the vic-
tims. Although the mur-
derer was never found, the
search for him created a
sense of fear among the
Jews and caused them to
hide their faces.
In a careful examination
of the East End Jewish com-
munity, Bermant highlights
the religious life of the
Jews. Marty of the residents
formed small congrega-
tions, called chevras, where
they came "to pray, study or
chat, or perhaps all three.
Above all it was an inti-
mate,' friendly place."
Sir Samuel Montagu, a
Liberal MP, and himself
Jewish, set about organizing
the chevras into an associa-
tion, the Federation of Syn-
agogues, and he became its
president. The ultimate aim
of the federation was to
modernize the congregants.
Bermant's "London's
East End — Point of Ar-
rival" is a carefully re-
searched volume which
should be counted as an en-
lightening addition to exist-
ing historical collections,
especially for its spotlight
on the Jewish arrival in
England.
—H. P.
YIVO ACHIEVEMENTS: The YIVO Institute for
Jewish Research — which is holding its annual conference
next week in New York — is gaining more and more pres-
tige in this country among academicians, authors and
American-born Jewish youth of student age. It is also gain-
ing increased recognition on the part of the U.S. govern-
ment as a major cultural institution.
American professors, writers and students — Jewish
and non-Jewish — are spending more and more time in the
YIVO library and archives in New York which are widely
recognized as the greatest collection of holdings pertaining
to Jewish history and culture of Eastern Europe, mass set-
tlement of Jewish. immigrants in this country, th
rolo-
caust, the Jewish labor movement in the U.S., and
'ish
language, literature and folklore.
Irving Howe, author of "World of Our Fathers," Lucy
S. Dawidowicz, author of "The War Against the Jews
1933-1945," and at least a half-dozen other authors of best
sellers have this year expressed thanks to YIVO for the im-
port-ant role • its library and archives played by providing
them with research material which gave depth and authen-
ticity to their works.
U.S. RECOGNITION: Recognizing the importance of
YIVO, the U.S. government during the last few years has
awarded substantial grants to YIVO on a matching basis in
order to enable the institution to preserve valuable books
and manuscripts as well as to expand its program. The
grants are given through the National Endowment for the
Humanities where YIVO enjoys a high reputation.
This year the NEH awarded the YIVO a grant for it
library to catalogue Yiddish books. The YIVO library ha
the largest Yiddish collection in the world. The new prole(
will make it possible for the Library of Congress in Was -
ington to publish a National Union Catalogue of Yiddif
Publications.
Half of the NEH grant has been designated for ti
YIVO archives, to register all collections. The governme
grant will thus enable YIVO archivists to ultimately provi
the scholarly community with the most detailed picture
the contents of YIVO's holdings.
One of the most inspiring examples of YIVO's work h
photographic presentation of Jewish life in Poland fro
1864-1939. It opened in the Jewish Museum of New Yor
about two months ago and has attracted tremendous attei
tion. It will run in New - York through September and wii
be shown later in other cities. The material for this exhibi-
tion has been gleaned from YIVO's special collection of
about 10,000 photographs of Jewish life in Poland from the
end of the 19th Century to the eve of World War II.
NEW PRESIDENT: YIVO, which celebrated its 50th
anniversary last year, has just elected Morris Laub as its
executive president. -
Laub had gained a high reputation during the imme-
diate post-war years when he worked in executive positions
for the Joint Distribution Committee overseas and at the
New York headquarters.
It was "Moish" Laub — as he is affectionately called —
whom the JDC, in cooperation with the United Nations Ref-
ugee Relief Administration, sent to Cyprus to direct aid to
the Jews in the camps.
Since 1958 he has been director of the World Council of
Synagogues. He has been taking an active interest in YIVO
as member of its administrative committee and its execu-
tive. His profound knowledge of Yiddish and Hebrew, in
addition to English, as well as his erudition in Jewish his-
tory of all times in all lands, make him the most ideal exec-
utive president of YIVO.
Crusty President John Adams' Friendship for Jews
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
Of all the founding fath-
ers, none is being recalled
There was a bit of a more in this year of celebra-
Streak of vanity in John tion. The reason is that he
Adams to which he himself played a dominant role in
confessed and if he were to 1776.
Jews have an added rea-
arise today he might briefly
expand his chest and say son for liking him. He was,
"My, my. Look at all the at- their friend and he didn't
express his friendship to
tention I am getting."
get the Jewish vote.
Adams and Jefferson
were of opposing parties,
but for some years they car-
ried on a correspondence. In
a letter to Jefferson, he
wrote:
"In spite of Bolingbroke
and Voltaire, I will insist
that the Hebrews have done
more to civilize man than
Job* Adams
any other nations."
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
In another letter to
Judge Adrian van der
Kent, he expressed his baf-
flement at Voltaire's anti-
Semitism. "How is it pos-
sible," he wrote, "that he
should view the Hebrews
in this light. They are the
most glorious people ever
to inhabit the earth. The
Romans and their empire
were but a bauble in com-
parison to the Jews. They
have given religion to
three quarters of the globe
and have influenced the
affairs of mankind more
hopefully 'than any other
nation, ancient or mod-
ern."
Adams was the first
American President to ex-
press support for the Zionist
idea. In Adams' day, one of
the best known Jews was
Mordecai Manuel Noah.
Adams thought Noah was
the best newspaperman of
his day. Noah also fought
duels, was Consul to Tunis,
served a term as sheriff and
wrote popular plays for
Broadway — and for a time
looked upon himself as the
possible leader for the resto-
ration of the Jews to nation-
hood.
He later contemplated the
establishment of a refuge
for Jews in a place he named
Ararat, after the site of
Noah's ark in the Bible.
Noah has been called "the'
first American Zionist" and
he wrote to Adams about it.
Adams expressed his
complete sympathy with
the idea for the restoration
of the Jewish nationhood
and added his wish that
the Jews might be admit-
ted to full rights in all
countries.
Adams did more than
talk. One might say that
Adams was a pioneer in the
field of Hebrew education
and even that he helped
found one of the first He-
brew schools in America.
Anyway, he did something
like that — for which he
deserves to be remembered
by all Jews. Four years be-
fore his death, in a codicil to
his will, he bequeathed
funds for the establish= t
of a school in which He
was to be taught along with.
the classical languages.
MORDECAI NOAH