100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact the Bentley Historical Library at bentley.ref@umich.edu

February 24, 1978 - Image 56

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1978-02-24

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

51 Friday, February 24, 1918

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Cohodas Family A Dramatic Story
of an Impressive Upper Michigan Dynasty

"Cohodas"—The Story of
a Family" is the title of a
remarkable book veiled in.
simplicity. The narrative,
by Wilbert H. Treloar, is re-
plete with so many details
about one of Michigan's
most interesting families
that it could well have been
described as the history of a
dynasty and of industrial
empire builders.
The heroes of this book,
the eminence of the author,
the fact that the book car-
ries the imprimatur of the
Northern Michigan Uni-
versity Press (Marquette,
Mich.) combine to give the
250-page, interestingly il-
lustrated volume consider-
able significance.
The Cohodases have
created such fame for
northern Michigan with
their many industrial ac-
complishments that the
name is almost synonymous
with the area in which they
have operated for more than
50 years.
Treloar, a distinguished
newspaperman with many
news records to his credit,
writes the story authorita-
tively because of his long
friendship with the
dynamic leader of the fam-
ily, Samuel Cohodas. 'Pre-
boar's son, James A. Treloar,
follows in his father's
footsteps as a member of the
editorial staff of the Detroit
News.
That the book should
have been published by
Northern Michigan Uni-
versity Press, is the mark of

SAM COHODAS

recognition given the
Cohodas family by the uni-
versity which has been
among the favorites of Sam
Cohodas in the many
philanthropic gifts he has
made to advance education
in this state, in this country
and in Israel.
The appreciation of
Northern Michigan Uni-
versity for the interest
shown by Sam Cohodas in
the expansion of the college
programs is expressed in a
preface to the book by the
university president, John
X. Jamrich.
There is genius in the
Cohodas story. They came
as immigrants and built an
empire. Sam Cohodas was
the acknowledged leader of
the family, and he was not
the only creator of the vast
empire in the many
Cohodas projects that were
centered primarily in the
produce business. The five
brothers — Hyman, Morris,

'Al Tir'ah' Fear Not!

By MERIAM MARGOLIS

To the victor belong the spoils:
To him the right to draft the peace,
But when it comes to Israel
Rules change, accepted standards cease.
In wars, on her by Arabs forced,
No one her valor could excell!
Ringed by her foes and outnumbered,
No nation ever fought so well!
Each war she won, but not the peace.
Her efforts bashed against demands
From the aggressors she defeated
That she, to them, make all amends!
Astride the world with oil power,
On crest of glory newly found,
Do they presume that Israel
Her own death knell will meekly sound?
That she, like beaten Jews of old,
Can to a Ghetto be confined
And grateful for "right to exist"
Accept the bounds by them defined?
Land she obtained is drenched with blood
She sacrificed to Arab hate.
The price she paid is unhealed wound
For sons' untimely tragic fate!
Her grieving heart this won't forget,
The dead shall not have died in vain!
Each backward step she'll take with care
That she secure and strong remain!

Harry, Sam and Max —
were a cooperative quintet.
While Sam managed, he
never worked alone. He al-
ways consulted his
brothers; and the two sisters
played their roles as well.
Not to be underestimated
is the influence of their
mother. She was a practical
woman. The lessons of the
poverty she experienced in
Russia stood her and her
family in good stead. She
was Jewish in every respect.
She had a kosher home.
During her lifetime religi-
ous services were conducted
regularly in their Ishpem-
ing home. Her Jewish spirit
was carried into all
branches of the family and
Sam became a benefactor of
many projects in Israel,
which he visited several
times.
They
started
as
youngsters of 10 and 12 who
left school to go to work at
$5 and $7 a week. They en-
tered the produce business
and their progress was so
immense that their firm
served seven countries on
two continents. The map
displaying this form of
dynasty is among the im-
pressive accounts given by
Treloar.
The many industries Sam
Cohodas and his brothers
created form a veritable en-
cyclopedic account. Soon
Sam entered the banking
business and his holding
company includes eight of
Northern Michigan's
banks.

While his home is in
Ishpeming, scores of North-
ern Michigan cities echo the
triumphs accredited to the
Cohodas family.
They were self-made men
and they attained a love for
learning. Their philan-
thropies are recorded in
Michigan's universities and
in the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem. The Honorary
Fellowship accorded to Sam
Cohodas is only one of the
many notable honors given
the man who created an
empire and headed a group
that can well be called a
dynasty.
Indeed, while the start
was from poverty, the
offspring now are in several
states, in many professions,
the youngest of the Cohodas
sisters and all of the grand-
children being university
graduates.
Sam had many accolades.
He was once called Michi-
gan's Apple King. He was
named an empire builder.
The vastness of the farms
on which they grow the pro-
duce, the dominant roles
they had among the leading
produce distributors in the
country, their pioneering in
mining and other projects—
the creativity of the
Cohodas clan is the - cast that
the author had as rich sub-
jects to deal with and he
treated it deservedly. Sam
Cohodas and his family
emerge as genuine indust-
rial and philanthropic
heroes in "Cohodas -- The
Story of a Family."-

L.A. Israel Expo Offering
Historic Collector's Cover

LOS ANGELES — A spe-
cial commemorative collec-
tors envelope, in a limited
edition of 1,000 has been
made available by the
Westside Jewish Commun-
ity Center in Los Angeles,
following its recent Israel
Expo.
This
multicolor,
standard-size 6% envelope,
called a cover by collectors,
uses as a cachet, a photo of
Prime Minister Menahem
Begin and President Anwar

Sadat at their first historic
dinner meeting in
Jerusalem.
The cover also carries a
genuine Israeli stamp is-
sued in 1954 honoring the
High Holy days and pictur-
ing the first fruits brought
out from Israel in the time of
Moses. This significant
stamp is tied to the envelope
by a rubber stamp cachet
depicting the Star of David,
eternal symbol of Israel and
the Jewish people, with the
inscription, "State of Israel
1948-1978."
A limited number of these
covers with a History of Is-
rael album page, are avail-
able at a nominal charge
from: Israel Cover,
Westside Jewish Commun-
ity Center, 5870 West
Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles,
Calif. 90036.

Boris Smolar's

`Between You
. . and M e'

Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA

(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)

CARTER'S GENTLE HINT: Is President Carter at-
tempting in a gentle manner to involve the American
Jewish community in pressuring Israel on the stalled talks
between Egypt and Israel?
This question is now very much on the minds of many
Jews in this country following the dinner which Carter
gave in the White House to a group of invited leaders of
important Jewish organizations. The dinner was arrant
by the President ostensibly to give his evaluation private_
to the Jewish leaders on the present state of affairs in the
Egyptian-Israeli dispute in the light of the discussions he
had with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt during the lat-
ter's visit in the United States. Carter seemed hopeful at
the dinner of the possibility of resuming the Sadat-Begin
talks. However, he emphasized — and this was apparently
the real purpose of his dinner invitation — that should
these talks not show any progress, Sadat may give them up
altogether. This, he warned, may mean losing a unique._
possibility for peace.
This warning is now being taken as a gentle prod to
Jewish leadership in this country to see to it that the oppor-
tunity is not lost. It was a subdued appeal by the President
for Jewish support of moves which he is apparently plan-
ning to make. The Jewish sentiment conveyed to him by the
guests at the dinner was, that Jews in this country would
like to see renewed and intensive face-to-face talks between
Egypt and Israel, with the United States continuing to
make its good offices available to mediate between the two
parties, but as an honest broker, not as an arbiter. This
means not to impose any conditions upon the negotiating
sides.
THE JEWISH FRONT: For American Jews, whom the
Washington administration would like now to see involved
in its attempt to pressure Israel, the hostile statements
against Israel emanating from the White House and the
State Department constitute a very serious problem. All
major Jewish organizations made their positions clear.
Their view is: only direct face-to-face negotiations between
Egypt and Israel — without any outside pressure — can
bring desirable results.
This is the unanimous stand of all the Jewish groups
affiliated with the Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations. The American Jewish
Committee, which is not affiliated with the conference but
cooperates with it on important problems affecting
American-Israel relations, foresees now that Sadat will
follow up his visit to the United States with a strategy of
making intensified attempts to split off the American
Jewish community from the general U.S. public opinion.
The AJCommittee anticipates that local Jewish com-
munity leaders may be approached in a number of com-
munities with a suggestion for a meeting with Egyptian
officials in their community. The communities are being
advised that the policy of the AJCommittee is not to en-
courage public meetings at this point; however, that there
may be occasions when informal off-the-record meetings
may be helpful. In any case, the local Jewish community
leaders are urged to check with the national headquarters
of the AJCommittee before undertaking any such activity
in the community.
In general, the AJCommittee advises not to be drawn
into answering provocative questions on such intricate is-
sues as the establishment of secure and recognized borders,
and the rights of the Palestinians. It takes the attitude that
these are properly the subject of the 'Egyptian-Israeli
government-to-government negotiations which are now
hanging in the air. It emphasizes its confidence tha+
equitable compromise can be achieved, if Sadat is prei
to negotiate with Israel in good faith. It makes it clear
strongly the American Jewish community will not become
a party to an imposed peace, nor will it allow its loyalty to
be impugned. A leading newspaper in Miami has tried to
raise the issue of dual loyalty of American Jews several
times.

.

Women to Speak to Rabbis Group

NEW YORK — Although Hotel March 28-30, the
there are no women mem- speakers will range from
bers of the Rabbinical As- newspaper columnist "Dear
sembly, speakers at the Abby" Van Buren to women
78th annual convention of
the Conservative rabbinate professors and students at
will include an unpre- the Jewish Theological
cedented number of women Seminary of America and
program participants, ac- other academic institutions.
cording to Rabbi Bernard S. There are also three women
Raskas, program chairman. members of the 35-member
To be held at the Concord convention committee.

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan