THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, November 21, 1980
Michigan Bell
Boris Smolar's
`Between You
• . and Me'
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S
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1980, JTA, Inc.)
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Some interesting an d
A GREAT INSTITUTION AT 80: The Workmen's
Circle, known in Yiddish as "Arbeter Ring" — the great
American Jewish fraternal order — is now celebrating its
80th year of existence against a background of a rich and
colorful record.
;Very few national Jewish organizations can boast of
u–dtioning 80 years. There are not enough in this country
to count on the fingers of even one hand. Most of the leading
organizations existing now were born after the Jewish pop-
ulation in the U.S. reached its first million. The Workmen's
Circle dates its birth to an earlier period. Its history goes
back to the early years of Jewish mass immigration from
East European lands, precipitated by Jewish poverty and
anti-Jewish oppression. The very popular Workmen's Cir-
cle is a product of the waves of Jewish emigration to this
country at the end of the last century from Czarist Russia,
Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Galicia, and which grew
considerably larger after the notorious Kishinev pogrom in
Russia in .1903.
ONLY YESTERDAY: In the years when the mass
immigration of Jews from East European countries started,
the Jews from Germany in this country were the "aristo-
crats." The constantly growing number of East European
immigrants not being given any organized communal aid
had to help themselves with the meager assistance which
relatives or "landsleit" in this country — themselves poor
managed to provide for them during the first days after
their landing. The "Goldene Medinah" was not so good to
them, they discovered. They had to work very hard, and
very long hours in sweat shops to eke out a meager liveli-
hood. They lived in crowded tenement houses with no run-
ning water, gaslight instead of electricity, no fresh air. In
the hot summer months many of them were spending a
good many hours of the night on the flat roofs of their
houses for rest.
They needed encouragement. They also needed a
friendly and warm atmosphere. They needed the
"heimishkeit" to which they were used to in the "old Coun-
try." They also needed a cultpral atmosphere to strengthen
their morale._It was then that the Workmen's Circle was
founded.
THE WORKMEN'S CIRCLE OF TODAY: Today,
the Workmen's Circle is part and parcel of the American
Jewish community. No history of American Jewry can be
written without giving a place of honor to the Workmen's
Circle and its achievements. Its record of activities from the
very first years of its formation is solid and colorful. Its
leadership not only created an atmosphere of "heimishkeit"
and human warmth for the many tens of thousands of its
members, but also cemented them into one large family
taking care of their social, medical and cultural needs.
The Workmen's Circle also provided Jewish education
for the children by establishing afternoon and weekend
schools and opening summer camps. With the march of
time the Workmen's Circle became a powerful part of
Jewish life in many communities.
ACTIVE ON ALL FRONTS: At its present age of 80,
the Workmen's Circle continues to be an influential factor
in Jewish communal life. It constitutes a strong pillar in
communal activities for Jewish continuity. It helps espe-
cially to perpetuate Yiddish culture through a network of
schools, first-class Jewish concerts, strengthening the Yid-
dish theater, sending lecturers and Yiddish actors to pro-
vincial communities, publishing Yiddish textbooks, a Yid-
dish magazine for children and other material, and
encouraging the American-born Jewish youth to under-
stand the cultural values that have been created in Yiddish
treat writers, thinkers and poets.
r The Workmen's Circle plays now an important role
also in the fight conducted by American Jewry for the
rights of Jews in the Soviet Union. It is in the forefront of
the fight against anti-Semitic forces in the United States. It
is the backbone of the Jewish Labor Committee which is
recognized as one of the major central Jewish bodies com-
batting bigotry and protecting civil rights of Jews.
Most of its 57,000 members are now American-born as
is its present leadership. It is now concentrating on attract-
ing younger elements into its ranks through its English-
speaking branches, and foresees for itself an active future
for many years to come.
helpful facts you may ::
not know about your
phone service.
EQ UIpm2N
MICHIGAN BELL EMPLOYEES
DON'T WEAR UNIFORMS, SO ASK
FOR IDENTIFICATION FROM
THEM OR ANY OTHER SERVICE
PEOPLE WHO COME TO YOUR
DOOR. MICHIGAN BELL
PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GLAD
TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES.
IF A MEME3ER OF YOUR FAMILY HAS A HEARING,
SPEECH OR PHYSICAL HANDICAP THAT MAKES IT
DIFFICULT TO U5E A CONVENTIONAL PHONE, ASK YOUR
MICHIGAN BELL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT
THE EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE OPTIONS BELL
CAN OFFER TO HELP.
jivi chOirdge?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WItEN YOU
DIAL Pk WRONG NUMBER LONG DISTANCE?...
JUST HANG UP AND DIAL THE OPERATOR
RIGHT AWAY. EXPLAIN YOUR MISTAKE
AND YOU WON'T BE CHARGED FOR THE CALL.
Did you know that the woricli6
first international telephone
communications were estab-
lished in 1880 with a fine
linking Petroitand Windsor?
7`he 1870:5, 9irls began replacing boy
operators when a number of boys in
Grand Rapids were discovered
shooting marbles instead
of tending - the switch-
board.
"TWO-PARTY BUDGET SERVICE" SAVES !
THIS SERVICE co5T5 A LoT LESS
THAN 1 - 0R - 2 PARTY FLAT-RATE
SERVICE. FOR A LOW MONTHLY
CHARGE YOU SHARE A TWO - PARTY
LINE AND HAVE A MONTHLY
ALLOWANCE OF LOCAL CALLS.
CALL YOUR MICHIGAN BELL
BUSINESS OFFICE FOR DETAILS.
Q uestions About Your Phone Service?
HI, I'M ONE OF DOZENS OF MICHIGAN
BELL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES SERVING
or
CUSTOMERS LIKE YOU THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN.
IF YOu HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR
PHONE SERVICE, LOOK ON THE FRONT OF YOUR
PHONE BILL FOR THE PHONE NUMBER .OF YOUR
SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. HE OR SHE IS READY TO HELP. "
"
American Jews Join Parley
NEW YORK (JTA) — A spoke was attended by a
spokesperson for the Inter- "cross-section of American
national Conference for Jews."
The conference "espouses
P.E.A.C.E. (Preventing the
Emergence of Another Arab the implementation of Sha-
01 Country in Eretz Israel), ron's proposal that Ameri-
said its meeting Nov. 1 can Jewish communities
Ow where Israel's Minister of adopt Israeli settlements,"
Agriculture Ariel Sharon the spokesperson said. •
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Michigan Bell
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