THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
34 Friday, June 8, 1979
National Acclaim Memorializes Irving I. Katz
Historiographer's Mourners
a Veritable Mich. Who's Who
National as well as
statewide and local tributes
to the memory of Irving I.
Katz are pouring in to the
office of Temple Beth El,
which he had served for 40
years with great distinc-
tion, as well as to the homes
of the survivors.
Mr. Katz, the widely
acclaimed historian and
Jewish scholar, died late
last Saturday afternoon of a
sudden heart attack. He had
only a month ago returned
from another visit to Israel
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where he dedicated a
Jewish National Fund
Grove planted by Temple
Beth El.
Temple Beth El was filled
to near capacity at the fun-
eral service held Monday af-
ternoon. Revered citizens
who formed a long line of
honorary pallbearers could
be considered a communal
Who's Who of representa-
tives of all elements in
Jewry and the state.
Rabbi Richard C.
Hertz, eulogizing the man
who did so much for Beth
El, described him as "a
legend in his own time."
Announcing that burial
was to be in Beth El Memo-
rial Park, Dr. Hertz stated
that the deceased had la-
bored during his many
years of services with his
congregation for the park's
development.
"He had a computer
memory," Dr. Hertz said in
describing the great gifts of
Mr. Katz.
In his eulogy, Dr. Hertz
announced the establish-
ment of an Irving I. Katz
Memorial Fund and assured
that an appropriate Irving I.
Katz Temple Beth El
Memorial Project will be
made a reality very soon.
In his tribute to Mr.
Katz, Rabbi Dannel
Schwartz called him "my
teacher and my friend."
Cantor John Redfield
chanted an appropriate
hymn and recited the El
Mole Rachamim.
Mr. Katz, who was 72,
leaves his wife, Gail; two
daughters, Mrs. Lawrence
(Nina) Isaac of Morton
Grove, Ill., and Mrs. Melvin
(Myrna) Adelman of Essex-
ville; two brothers in Israel;
and four grandchildren.
The late Mr. Katz was the
noted historiographer and
was eminent as an archivist
who had collected many
thousands of valuable
manuscripts.
Scores of Mr. Katz's arti-
cles published in the Detroit
Jewish News enlightened
readers about Michigan's
Jewish historical per-
sonalities.
Born in Dvinsk (today
Soviet Latvia), Mr. Katz
received his Hebraic
Welfare Federation, Wayne
State University Press and
IRVING I. KATZ
training and rabbinic or-
dination in Europe and
his university education
in Cleveland, Ohio. He
was also the first temple
administrator in the
country to be certified as
a fellow in temple ad-
ministration by the
Board of Certification for
Temple Administrators
of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations
(UAHC), Central Confer-
ence of American Rabbis
(CCAR) and National
Association of Temple
Administfators (NATA).
He was the fourth in as
many generations in his
family to be ordained a
rabbi.
From 1927 to 1936 he was
the synagogue adminis-
trator and educational di-
rector of the Oheb Zedek
Congregation in Cleveland,
Ohio, and from 1936 to 1939
he served in a similar
capacity at the Anshe
E me th Temple in
Youngstown, Ohio.
In 1939, he became execu-
tive secretary of Temple
Beth El. Locally, he had
made many significant con-
tributions to the welfare of
Temple Beth El and had
played a leading and active
role in the State of Israel
Bond Drive, Zionist Organ-
ization, Jewish National
Fund, Allied Jewish Cam-
paign, Jewish Community
Council, Jewish Historical
Society of Michigan, Met-
ropolitan Detroit Federa-
tion of Reform Synagogues,
Council of Synagogue
Executive Directors of Met-
ropolitan Detroit, Detroit
Service Group of the Jewish
tory, he authored the
award winning "Beth El
Story - With a History of the
Jews in Michigan Before
1850" published by Wayne
State University Press,
award winning "The Jewish
Soldier From Michigan in
the Civil War" published by
the Wayne State University
Press, award winning "His-
tory of Jewish Community
Services in Detroit" put
lisped by the. Jewish Wel-
fare Federation of Detroit,
co-author of "Successful
Synagogue Administra-
tion," and contributor of a
chapter in "The Temple
Brotherhood — An Organ-
ization Manual," published
by the National Federation
of Temple Brotherhoods,
and contributor of a chapter
in "Heritage of Faith -2- De-
troit's Religious Corn-
munities, 1701-1976," pub-
lished by the Detroit Bicen-
tennial 'Religious Task
Force of the Detroit Bicen-
tennial Commission.
He has also contrib-
uted articles on Michigan
Jewish history to the
Encyclopedia Judaica.
Mr. Katz was elected to
the executive council of the
American Jewish Historical
Society, and was elected to
the board of the Resettle-
ment Service of Detroit.
the Syntgogue Council of
Greater Detroit.
Nationally, he was the
founder of the National
Association of Temple Ad-
ministrators, served as its
first president and was
elected honorary president
for life. He served on the
board of trustees of the
UAHC and its various
commissions and commit-
tee* and was a charter
member of the executive
board and executive com-
mittee of the Great Lakes
Council of the UAHC as
well as a member of its
Caravan of Service.
He served as honorary
vice president of the
Northeast Lakes Council
of the UAHC and was a
member of its executive
board and executive
committee; executive
board of Metropolitan
Detroit Federation of Re-
form Synagogues, NATA
executive board and ad-
ministrative committee,
UAHC Commission on
Synagogue Administra-
tion and Board of Certifi-
cation for Temple Ad-
ministrators.
Mr. Katz received cita-
tions and honors from the
UAHC, NATA, Hebrew'
Union College-Jewish In- Trifa Interview
stitute of Religion, Reform `Shocks' Official
Jewish Appeal, National
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Federation of Temple
Brotherhoods, Council of Dr. John A. Gronouski,
Synagogue Executive Di- head of the U.S. agency
rectors of Metropolitan De- which oversees the opera-
troit, Jewish Welfare Fed- tions of Radio Free
Liberty
eration of Detroit, Allied Europe/Radio
expressed
(RFE-RL),
Jewish Campaign of De-
troit, American Jewish His- "shock" that Radio Free
torical Society, Jewish His- Europe broadcast an inter-
view with Valerian Trifa,
torical Society of Michigan,
Michigan Civil War Cen- who is accused of atrocities
tennial Observance Com- against Jews in Romania
mission, Jewish War Vete- in 1941. He has demanded
rans Department of Michi- an explanation from the
gan, St. John's Provincial radio combine's top man-
Seminary, Mercy College of - agement.
Detroit, the City Council of Peace Basketball
the City of Southfield,
- GENEVA (JTA) — The
Greater Detroit Metropoli-
tan Cemetery Association national basketball teams -
of Israel and Egypt will
and others.
A frequent contributor to probably meet this autumn
in Geneva, playing for the
professional magazines and
newspapers of articles on peace cup, according to the
synagogue administration Information Bulletin on the
and Michigan Jewish his- Middle East.
EDITORIAL
Irving I. Katz, Michigan's Historian
Irving I. Katz wrote his name indelibly into experiences and was able to gather facts about per-
sonalities and events that now provide a great collec-
Michigan Jewish history.
By his creative efforts, his mastery of historic tion of historical documents.
He was a Zionist and he inspired the youth of
facts, his skill as a researcher, as an archivist who
was unmatched in his devotion, he established a re- Temple Beth El and the community in behalf of Is-
cord that has gained him national recognition in the rael.
The Jewish National Fund will miss him, as will
ranks of historians.
He had earned Semikha, the right to ordination the Men's Club of Temple Beth El to which he devoted
as a rabbi. He did not preach from pulpits, yet he was his life, the Jewish Chautauqua Society, Bnai Brith,
a great teacher in the sense that what he had ORT, Brandeis University and a score of other
gathered in historical records was teaching people a movements and causes.
He was a lover of books and he encouraged
knowledge about their past, themselves as inheritors
interest in the Jewish Publication Society and
of great legacies.
He was an organizer of merit. He helped related efforts at publishing the best available
create the Jewish Historical Society. He was a for Jewish readers.
He gained fame in the field he created, that of
leader in the celebration of the American Jewish
Tercentenary. He was nationally recognized for temple and synagogue directors, as the founder of the
his abilities by the American Jewish Historical National Association of Temple Administrators, and
he earned it.
Society.
Therefore, his memory is blessed extensively.
'He dug into the records of Michigan's Jewish