64 Friday, August 10, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Zionist Pioneering Recounted in Ruth Hershman's
Story of Her Grandfather Eliahu Zev Lewin-Epstein
States and established the duress in the World War I
history
is knowledge of the eminent
Zionist
era.
Carmel Wine Co.
enriched and the move- personality biographed in
He was in close associa-
He needed help. It was
interesting
ment's archives acquire a these
difficult to mobilize support. tion during those years of
definitive memoranda. They are his-
remarkably
He went to Paris, met with notable services with Dr.
document in the impressive torically significant. Here
Baron Edmond de Chaim Weizmann, philan-
story of the life of one of the was a young man, born in
Rothschild, who created the thropists Felix Warburg
most distinguished pre- Volkovysk, Poland, whose
wine industry in Rishon and Jacob Schiff, with world
Herzlian Zionists written work for Zion's redemption
leZion, and for about 15 leader Max Nordau and in
by a former Detroiter as a preceded Dr. Theodor Herzl
years the Carmel industry conferences with Arthur
tribute to her distinguished by at least two decades.
functioned in the U.S. James Balfour, James
EZ was among those who
grandfather.
Its collapse was due to the Rothschild and other
Ruth Hershman, daugh- established the foundation
obstacles
emerging from the sonalities whose roles v,
ter of the late Dr. Abraham for Zion Rebuilt. From his
First World War as much as historically significant.
M. Hershman and Miriam youth in his home city, then
from lack of support. When the American
Lewin-Epstein, compiled in Warsaw, he mobilized
His several meetings Zionist Medical Unit was
impressive facts from the supporters for the Zionist
with the Baron, whose sent to assist Palestinian
memoirs ofher grandfather, movement that was to
name is recorded in Jewish Jewry, Dr. and Mrs. Samuel
Eliahu Zev Lewin-Epstein. emerge under Herzl's lead-
history as the Nadiv Lewin-Epstein shared roles
It is the story of the earliest ership.
Hayeduah, the Famous of significance with him.
The movement was offi-
years of the establishment
He had occasion in the
Benefactor, whose creative
of Jewish pioneering set- cially banned in Russia, of
efforts in Palestine are in- process of these activities to
tlements in the deserts of which Volkovysk was a
erasable, attest to the lead- confer with Henry Morgen-
part. The future builders of
Palestine.
ership that make the name thau, who was the U.S. Am-
Ruth Hershman had the Zion found a way of meeting
EZ so impressive in Zionist bassador to Turkey, and his
cooperation of her sister clandestinely and to raise
leadership and counsel were
history.
Ayga in compiling her facts the funds that were vital for
When
World
War
I
broke
utilized
and respected.
from Yiddish documents those who, like EZ, were so
out, EZ became a factor in
that have been translated soon to settle in Palestine.
EZ had, indeed, become a
relief activities. From his leading activist in Zionist
into the Hebrew. The two As a pioneer and or-
home in New York, where ranks. It was a continuation
daughters of the late Rabbi ganizer of followers of the
he operated Carmel Wine, of his pioneering with
Hershman, who was rabbi cause of a redeemed Jewish
he traveled to Poland, es-
of Cong. Shaarey Zedek in homeland EZ was superb —
Eliezer Ben-Yehudah in
tablishing contacts there encouraging all efforts to
Detroit for nearly half-a- first in his home town, then
between the Jews of War- make Hebrew the spoken
century, now reside in New in Warsaw, with the
saw and environs and their tongue of the Jewish people
York and are on the staffs of encouragement of his wife
kin in the U.S. His leader- and his efforts to befriend
important national Jewish who throughout the years
ship in the Zionist move- Arabs and Bedouins in his
organizations. condoned his many travels,
ment was in assiciation years of creative tasks in
Miss Hershman compiled then in a -struggling
with Louis D. Brandeis and Eretz Yisrael. He bef-
the biographical facts re- environment in the under-
the
eminent personalities in riended men like British
Eliahu
Zev
(Elias
Wolf)
Lewin-Epstein
Palestine.
garding her grandfather in developed
American Jewry, as well as Governor of Jerusalem
1863-1932
Judith, who was the acclaim
two parts.
in association with world General Ronald Storrs.
In Pursuit of a Dream," of her granddaughter, went
the title chosen for this along, being a loyal partner Agricultural Experimental during World War I, when Zionists leaders.
He rose from his early
With the formation of the
Station and then the Weiz- he aided in relief efforts for
work, is especially appli- in constructive activities.
In Palestine, EZ was the mann Institute of Science the distressed Jews of Zionist Provisional Com- organizational position as
cable to the earliest years in
Palestine, EZ attained high mittee, under the chair- an inspirer to settlers in
the life of the man who rose frontiersman, the builder were established.
The links- with the world positions in the Zionist manship of Brandeis, EZ Palestine to that of a world
to high leadership roles in and inspirer of associates.
movement on a world scale. was in a leadership capacity figure in the ranks of in-
They suffered from malaria Zionist movement may also
Zionist ranks.
Turkish restrictions had and participated in impor- spirers of his people to the
Lewin-Epstein — he was and meager food and hous- be said to have emerged
referred to by his closest ing. But the foundation was here for EZ. That's where to be overcome, and EZ was tant missions. dignity inherent in Zionist
With his son, Dr. Samuel ideology.
skillful in many capacities,
associates as EZ and is so established for the Jewish his association with Dr.
His granddaughter, Ruth
in the political arena and in Lewin-Epstein, and his
designated in the Ruth Her- community that was once Theodor Herzl commenced.
performed
daughter-in-law Madeline, Hershman,
When Dr. Herzl came to industry.
shman book — was born in again becoming Eretz Yis-
he
supervised
the
shipment
magnificently
in
recording
He
foresaw
the
need
of
Palestine
on
the
occasion
of
the Polish town of Vol- rael.
It began with the forma- the visit there, in 1899, of exporting wine from Israel of food from this country in a the story of his life. In the
kovysk in 1863 and he died
to the United States. The relief mission to Palestinian process she has contributed
in 1932 in Bad Nauheim, tion of the MVN — Kaiser Wilhelm III of Ger-
productivity in the grape Jewry, their names becom- a valuable document to the
Menucha v'Nachala — the many, EZ utilized the occa-
Germany. .
ing indelible in the ranks Jewish and Zionist histori-
The years are important Rest and Heritage move- sion for the creator of the crop made the wine indus- that provided succor for cal records.
try
a
highly
successful
one
ment.
EZ
enrolled
associ-
World
Zionist
Organization
to the reader who shares
— P. S.
ates and supporters. They and the World Zionist Con- and EZ went to the United those who were under
made the first voyage to gresses to meet with the
Palestine and commenced Jewish settlers in Palestine.
mystery is recorded in Devora reasoned, had un-
their pioneering by secur- It was in the home of Mr.
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
ing the area then known as and Mrs. Lewin-Epstein
Mrs. Carol Korb Hubner's the story "The Missirg doubtedly been added for a
Duran. That's where their that Herzl was welcomed "The Haunted Shul and Papers." As the name of certain purpose and could
struggles commenced. Its and entertained.
Other Devora Doresh Mys- the story suggests, her not be superfluous.
The additional step
EZ also met with Herzl in teries" (Judaica Press), is a assignment was to find
significance must not be
underrated. That spot very Rishon leZion and an asso- collection of short stories for the hiding place of Mr. turned out to be the secret
valuable location of Goldberg's mis-
Goldberg's
soon became Rehovot and ciation emerged when EZ children, age 8-14.
an immense historic exper- began to attend World
The central figure of the papers. Goldberg, it is sing papers.
Another of Devora's in-
iment became the root for Zionist Congresses.
mysteries, as the title indi- important to point out,
There was a period' of cates, is Devora Doresh, a had been hospitalized fol- volved mysteries is de-
one of the most important
agony for EZ when he voted student at the Yocheved lowing a serious auto- scribed in great detail '-
centers in Palestine.
"The Case of the F
He had a share in the land with the slim majority to High School, whose mobile accident.
purchasing process for support Herzl's Uganda set- teachers called her a "Gem- Notably, in the Talmud Diamonds." The probleiii
Jewish pioneering, together tlement plan. It distressed ora Kop" (a bright Talmudic class, Devora learned was to find four hidden
with the early pioneers in him and he was comforted student). numerous maxims, includ- diamonds.
This time, the week's
such efforts like Moshe by the noted American
Devora Doresh, like Sir ing this: "There is not one
Smilansky. Zionist leader, Dr. Harry Arthur Conan Doyle's Sher- letter in the Torah of God "sidra" (Pentateuchal
portion of the week),
EZ may therefore truly be Friedenwald of Baltimore, lock Holmes, is a natural- that is not important. There
Hershman
Miriam
(Mrs. Abraham M.) • considered one of the who was the second born sleuth. But unlike is not one letter, not even a more specifically "the
commandment bidding
daughter of EZ and pioneers who established president of the Zionist Sherlock Holmes, she is as- dot in the Torah that is
sisted in her investigative superfluous. Every letter is every Jewish man to
mother of the author of and began the development Organization of America.
wear 'tzit-tzit', a four-
In later years, especially work by a knowledge of the intended to tell us some-
of Rehovot where the Sieff
this biographical thesis.
cornered garment with
Bible, Hebrew and Jewish thing. Every letter in the
history. Torah has a message for fringes on each corner,"
suggested to Devora the
Incidentally, "doresh" in those who seek to under-
problem's solution.
Hebrew means inves- stand . ." She also learned
The author of the Devora
that nothing in the world is
tigator.
Doresh mysteries, Mrs.
Her typed index cards superfluous.
These maxims Devora re- Hubner, is a graduate of
read: "Devora Doresh Lost
and Found Bureau Will called when noticing that Stern College for Women
Help You Find Anything Goldberg's staircase con- and a member of the
You Lose 612 East Maple- sisted of 16 steps, while presidium of the National
ton Phone 991-3340." those of his neighbors only Council of Bnos Agudath Is-
Devora's first solved 15 steps. The extra step, rael.
Mysteries Solved with Judaic Knowledge