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 COUNTRY INN. RIBS • B-B CHICKEN celebrate your birthday at • B-B • ITALIAN DISHES —BEER & WINE- AlftedJ 45199 CASS. 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Everything Also Available For Carry-Out THE RYAN ROABBOUSE OUR RIBS ARE THE BEST! 939-1800 14 MILE at RYAN RESTAU RANT-LOU NG E 29505 W. 9 MILE RD., SW Corner Middlebelt 474-4650 SUNDAY ONLY SPECIAL! SLAB OF:RIBS FOR THE PRICE OF_ A COMPLETE DINNER! Reg. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 to 2 a.m. - Sat. 4 to 2 a.m. $ 25 Your Host: MIKE WATZMAN ALL.YOU-CAN-EAT FISH & CHIPS SPECIAL INCLUDES: COLE SLAW, GARLIC $ 3 50 'BREAD & BUTTER CIRO'S Children's Portions Available 1535 CASS LAKE RD. 1 /4 MILE NORTH OF ORCHARD LAKE RD. 681-3440 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