18 Friday, March 28, 1980

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Dr. Joseph Zeltzer Dies at 93; Life Story
Tells Two-Generation Labor Zionist History

Dr. Joseph E. Zeltzer, the
first Jewish veterinarian in
Michigan, a Labor Zionist
leader whose activities em-
braced two generations of
activities, died March 23 at
age 92.
His wife, Fannie, died in
October 1978 and their
daughter, Grace, died a year
later.
The death of three mem-
bers of the family in 18
months was a shock not only
to the family, but to the
community in which all
played important roles.
The Dr. Zeltzer was a per-
sonality of note. His life

Books Withdrawn
from Competition

NEW YORK — Three of
the five books nominated for
the American Book Awards
in the general fiction cate-
gory have been withdrawn
from consideration by their
authors.
Norman Mailer ("The
Executioner's Song"),
• Philip Roth ("The Ghost
Writer"), and William Sty-
ron ("Sophie's Choice") cited
their disapproval of the
nominating process and the
elaborate presentation
ceremony for withdrawing
their books.

story is best told in his own
words, written a short time
before his death. It is ap-
pended here:

* * *

Zeltzer Wrote
of Life's Work

I was born in Minsk, Rus-
sia, on Sept. 15, 1887, into
an Orthodox family. I went
to cheder at age 5. I
went to the yeshiva in
Minsk. Two famous persons
were my classmates: the
two Charney brothers, B.
Charney, known later as
the Young LaSalle, and his
brother S. Charney, known
later as "S. Nigger," a
famous literary critic. I
joined the then secret Poale
Zion. I left for America on
March 1, 1905, and arrived
in New York, Ellis Island,
March 31, 1905.

BBYO
Activities

ROSE AZA will feature
the band, "Contra Band," at
its spring dance to be held 8
p.m. Saturday at
Southfield-Lathrup High
School. Admission fee in-
cludes refreshments. For in-
formation, call Gary Naf-
taly, 968-2354.

DID YOU
REMEMBER

DR. JOSEPH ZELTZER

In Rochester, we or-
ganized a PZ Branch with
the help of Gershon Avru-
nin. In 1910, I was a dele-
gate to the organizing con-
vention of the "Farband"
Labor Zionist Order. In
1911, Avrunin was called to
New York to manage the
"Yiddisher Kemfer." I went
with him to New York. I
worked in New York and
attended the Eron Pre-
paratory School.
That year H. Ehrenreich,
general secretary of the
Poale party, gave up the job
and I was appointed the
general secretary at $8 a
week (in U.S. stamps). I was
also private secretary to Dr.
Chaim Zhitlowsky for a
short time. At the end of
1911, I left for Rochester,
N.Y.
In 1912, I entered
Michigan Agricultural
College, East Lansing,
now called Michigan
State University. I
graduated on June 1,
1917, with the degree of
Doctor. of Veterinary
Medicine.
I left for Detroit the same
month. I applied fo4a posi-

Bar-Ilan Profs.
Hope to Turn
Sewage to Feed

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RAMAT GAN — Scien-
tists at Bar-Ilan University
are participating in a proj-
ect (with scientists at the
Technion, Haifa and City
University of New York) to
explore the possibilities for
a combined system of pro-
ducing useful chemicals
from microalgae grown in
sewage.
The chemicals which can
be obtained from the algae
are currently manufactured
from petroleum in energy-
costly chemical processes.
In the new system, algal
culture does not compete
with conventional agricul-
ture for water and fertilizer.
Conventional farming is
not able to keep pace with
the demand for food by the
growing world population
and scientists are intensify-
ing research for sources of
food outside the conven-
tional. The residue left after
the extraction of the chemi-
cals from the algae is very
rich in protein, and forms a
valuable source of animal
feed which can replace part
of the imported soy bean
and fish meal needs for
chickens and fish.

tion with the Detroit Board
of Health. I was the first
Jewish veterinarian for the
city of Detroit. I accepted a
position with the U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture as
a U.S. veterinary meat in-
spector stationed in Detroit,
starting Nov. 1, 1917.
I retired Oct. 1, 1957,
after 40 years of service. For
40 years I was very active in
all Jewish activities: The
Farband - LZO - Poale Zion,
Palestine Workers Fund,
Palestine Workers Bank,
Jewish People's Relief and
Jewish schools.
For five years, (I was) fi-
nancial secretary in Branch
79,-Farband LZO.
* * *

Dr. Zeltzer also included
among his activities mem-
bership in the National
Association of Retired Fed-
eral Employees, Michigan
Jewish Historical Society
and Sholem Aleichem Insti-
tute. He was a life member
of the Veterinary Medical
Association of Michigan.
He leaves two sons, Dr.
Allen and George M.
(Mike); a brother, Jack Zel-
ter; a sister, Mrs. Daniel
(Bessie) Zeltzer; seven
grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren.

Jewish Ethic
for Work, Play
Is Advocated

NEW YORK (JTA) — Dr.
Norman Lamm, president
of Yeshiva University, has
called for a "modern-day
Jewish ethic of work and
leisure" because "in
America and other western
nations leisure is gradually
replacing work as the basis
of our culture," weakening
the "Protestant ethic."
"The opportunity for ex-
cessive and misspent lei-
sure in our society may lead
to widesprad mental and
moral breakdowns," he told
an ORT Centennial
Rabbinic-Scholar confer-
ence. Lamm declared that a
research study has pre-
dicted that by 1985 the typi-
cal American worker will
have a choice of either a
25-week vacation, retire-
ment at age 38, or a 22-hour
work week.
"Even in the talmudic
era, the sages commented
that idleness leads not only
to unchastity but to bore-
dom, and that boredom may
in turn lead to nervous
breakdowns, becalise the
mind cannot long maintain
its integrity if unoccupied
and unstimulated," Lamm
declared.
Another speaker was Dr.
Leon Shapiro, an historian,
who said that from its start
in the Czarist Russia of
1880, ORT's commitment
was not only to the necessity
of labor as the means of
physical survival but,also to
the value and desirability of
labor as the key to moral
and ethical survival." He is
the author of "The History
of ORT," to be published in
April.

Elizabeth Lieberman Kaplan,
Active in Jewish Concerns

Mrs. Hyman (Elizabeth)
Kaplan, who had leadership
roles here for many years
and for 20 years in Califor-
nia Jewish circles after set-
tling there, died March 21
at age 87.
The daughter of the late
Amalia and Max Lieber-
man, she continued the fam-
ily role in active Jewish
leadership. Her father was a
pioneer Zionist and an or-
ganizer of the Detroit Dis-
trict of the Zionist Organ-
ization of America.
Her father also held
offices at Cong. Shaarey
Zedek, Jewish Home for
Aged and in the Jewish Na-
tional Fund.
Her brother, Burton,
now of Dallas, Tex., was
president of the Hebrew
Free Loan Association

and active in the Hannah
Schloss Old Timers.
Born in Michigan, Mrs.
Kaplan lived in the Detroit
area more than 50 years,
prior to moving to Califor-
nia 31 years ago.
She was active in
Women's American ORT,
was president of ORT of Los
Angeles, was a member of
National Council of Jewish
Women and was a Gray
Lady at Cedars-Sinai Hos-
pital in Los Angeles.
Mrs. Kaplan is survived
by a son, Ben of Los
Angeles; a daughter crs.
Gordon (Sara Jane) .h-
ell of Beverly Hills, Calif.;
her brother; a sister, Mrs.
Leonard S. (Harriette) Si-
mons of Southfield; and two
grandchildren. Interment
California.

Rabbi Gross, School Dean

NEW YORK — Rabbi
Alexander S. Gross, founder
and dean of the Miami
Beach Hebrew Academy,
Miami Beach, Fla., and a
pioneer staff member of
Torah Umesorah, National
Society for Hebrew Day
Schools from 1944 to 1949,
died recently at age 63.
Rabbi Gross was ordained
by the Mesifta Torah Vod-
aath Rabbinical Seminary
and obtained his secular de-
grees at Columbia Univer-
sity and the University of
Miami. He held pulpits in
Denver and New York City.
Rabbi Gross was instru-
mental in establishing a
number of Hebrew Day
Schools in North America.
He was responsible for the
founding of the National

Association of Hebrew Day
Schools Parent Teachers
Associations, the Torah
Umesorah Teacher Train-
ing Program and other
facets of the Torah
Umesorah Program.
In 1950 and 1951 he was
delegated to Iran and Is-
rael where he helped or-
ganize a network of Otzar
Hatorah Schools for
Sephardic children.
He was a recipient of a
number of awards from
United Jewish Appeal, Is-
rael Bonds, and Magen
David Adorn. In 1977 he was
honored by Torah
Umesorah
with
its
Educators Award.

The root of all discontent
is self-love.

In Memoriam ------
--- ■ - NATHAN W. COHEN
(Nunny) ---
Died: April 1, 1976
"For a good name remains with
one; he does not leave it behind.
This is the opposite of possessions,
which a man must leave behind
when he dies."
From: The Widsom of The Fathers
The Talmud
Translation: Judah Goldin

In Memory of Our Beloved
Mother and Grandmother

FANY GOODMAN

Who passed away March 27, 1963. Always
a "class Act" — Dearest darling, you are
always in our thoughts and hearts.

Your children Selma and Harry Kramer
and your grandchildren Robin, Jeffrey
Keith and Dana.

In Loving Memory-Of

ALBERT E. JACOBS

Who passed away March 29, 1978. Sadly missed
and always remembered by his loving wife Anne,
children and grandchildren.

■

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