THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, May 22, 1981 69

Junior Division Interviews Federation Apartments Residents

Since spring 1979, mem-
bers of the oral histories
committee of the Jewish
Welfare Federation Junior
Division have been tape-
recording interviews with
residents of Jewish Federa-
tion Apartments in an effort
to preserve the memories
and experiences of a genera-
tion that now includes
many octogenarians.
The project evolved out of
the interest of Helen
Naimark; executive direc-
tor of Federation' Apart-
ments; Lilian Bernstein,
the since-retired director of
Junior Division; and mem-
bers of Junior Division
Imselves, who now are di-
Jed by Sandra Feuer.
In explaining the reason
for starting the oral history
project, Mrs. Naimark said,
"We felt that this genera-
tion (residing in Prentis
Towers of Federation
Apartments) is a passing
generation and what they
have to give to us won't be
around much longer.'
Ms. Feuer added,

"Younger generations —
especially children be-
tween 10 and 15 years old,
who are much more re-
moved from the past —
are the reason why we
must capture the heri-
tage of older persons
now."
Recording the residents'
histories seemed to be a
"natural project" for Junior
Division, said Mrs. Berns-
tein. She said the young
adults, who are of post-
college age through their
mid-30s, became interested,
in continuing a relationship
with the residents after
completing a pamphlet for
them on available commu-
nity services. The pamphlet
committee chairman,
Shelly Navarre, first
chaired the oral history
project. She was followed in
the position. by Susan
Weinman, and the current
chairman is Philip Hand-
leman.
To get the program under
way, Mrs. Naimark pro-
vided the committee with

Bnai Brith Activitie

METROPOLITAN
DETROIT COUNCIL OF
BNAI BRITH will have a
special membership brunch
10:30 a.m: May 31 at the
Sheraton Southfield Hotel.
David L. Bittker,
president of Bnai Brith Dis-
trict 6, will be the guest
speaker. He will give a pre-
seritation on the current
role of Bnai Brith locally
and throughout the coun-
try.
For information and
reservations, call Bnai
Brith, 552-8177.

* * *

LOUIS- D. BRANDEIS
CHAPTER will hold a
meeting noon Wednesday in
the Knob-in-the-Woods
Apts. club house. Luncheon
will be served at a nominal
charge. - Rabbi • Phillip
Blachorsky of Cong. Bnai
Israel of West Bloomfield
will talk about Israel.
Guests are welcome.

COUPLETS UNIT will

have a games night 8 p.m.
Saturday at the Jewish War
Veterans Memorial Home,
16990 W. 12 Mile, South-
field. There will be prizes
and refreshments. Guests
are welcome. There is a
charge. For details, call
Keith Savin, fund-raising
vice president, 547-2220; or
Co-President Elanna
Broder, 553-0139.
The group will have a
board meeting 8 p.m.
Thursday in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Ira Sklar, 29739
Guy, Southfield. Guests are
welcome. The meeting will
be the occasion for a paper
deadline. For details, call-
the Sklars, 559-2543; Mrs.
Broder; or Co-President
Sharon Karbal, 682-2710.
The group will have a
family social, a trip to the
Detroit Zoo, May 31 meet-
ing at the front gate of the
zoo at 10 a.m. For details,
call Marilyn Droz, 474-
3322; or Jan Citrin, 476-
3033.

* * *

Bnai Brith, March of Dimes
Joint Venture Recognized

relevant materials and ex-
pert speakers discussing
techniques for conducting
oral interviews. The com-
mittee developed a ques-
tionnaire to use as a start-
ing point in conversations.
Questions solicit informa-
tion about various aspects of

California School
Drops Pledge
to Propagandists

NEW YORK (JTA) —
The University of Califor-
nia denied the Institute for
Historical Review use of its
Lake Arrowhead facilities
fOr a convention next No-
vember after it discovered
that the reservation was
made under a false name by
a person recently identified
as a former British neo-
Fascist , who edited anti-
Semitic and racist publica-
tions in England. The insti-
tute disseminates prop-
aganda purporting to show
that the Holocaust was a
hoax.
Keith Sexton, dean of the
University of California ex-
tension program, in a letter
to the Institute for Histori-
cal Review canceling the
Lake Arrowhead reserva-
tions, noted that the reser-
vation had been made by a
Lewis Brandon and that
"recent information indi-
cates that Lewis Brandon is
a false name used by a per-
son whose real name is
William David McCalden
and that McCalden has res-
igned as director of the In-
stitute for Historical Re-
view."

the residents' lives, includ-
ing recollections of their
grandparents, schooling,
holiday celebrations and
courtshi--, 'customs. Com-
mittee member Julie Borim
said interviewers stress
that no detail of daily living
is unimportant for the his-
tories.
Federation Apartments
staff serve as facilitators for
the project by encouraging
residents to participate. Re-
cently, a number of persons,
signed up for future inter-
view sessions when commit-
tee members visited at the
Apartments' monthly
birthday party for resi-
dents.
The interviewers are
provided with a tape re-
corder and blank tapes
for use during their con-
versations of about one
hour in the residents'
own apartments. Resi-
dents are given a dupli-
cate tape of the interview
upon request.
The 15-20 persons on the
oral histories committee
meet occasionally at Feder-
ation Apartments to
evaluate their interviewing
skills and share experi-
ences. Ms. Borim said the
committee plans to do about
50_interviews during 1981.
Tapes are being stoied at
the Apartments until the
committee decides how-best
to utilize them.
"We've discussed publish-
ing the interviews, making
the tapes available to seri-
ous scholars as part of a re-
source library or using the
tapes with Sunday schools
in the area, to show what

Interviewer Lori Sommers, right, discusses the
oral history project with Federation Apartments
resident Rae Thomas.

* * *

Jewish life was like not too
long ago in places like Po-
land and Russia," said
Handleman. About 60-70
percent of the residents
were immigrants.'
In the course of the proj-
ect, some of the interview-
ers have found that their
preconceived ideas about
the older generation don't
fit. Said Handleman, "I
thought people from Europe
came to the United States to
escape oppression, but
many came for sheer adven-
ture." Many of the elderly
women being interviewed
weren't housewives, as was
expected. Instead, they
spent years working outside
the home.

Mrs. Naimark said the
residents have found
participation in the oral
history program to be

quite rewarding. "People
are pleased that a young
person would take the
time to listen to their lives
and that their lives would
be recorded, to give con-
tinuity."
She added; "It gives them
a good feeling that some-
body will remember them
after they're gone, that
their lives will be passed on
to the younger genera-
tions."
Ms. Borim said the project
has enabled young adults,
many without living
grandparents of their own,
to have the opportunity to
learn about their heritage
and play a part in preserv-
ing it.
"The project has rein-
forced the pride we as Jews
feel in the accomplishments
of Jews as a whole," she
said.

Scholarship Winners Named

United Hebrew Schools
announces the winners of
its Pearl Scholarship are
Anita Levin and David
Nathan. The two students
are seniors at the United
Hebrew Schools High
School. Both- students will
use the scholarship funds
for upcoming Israel study
tours.
Anita is an active
member of Habonim and
David is active in the Bnai
David youth group and
United Hebrew Schools
Student Council.
The Pearl Scholarship is
awarded to full-time United
Hebrew Schools High
School students who
demonstrate academic ex-
cellence and are involved in
Zionist or synagogue activi-
ties.

This year's winners of the
Fishman Family Schol-
arships are Barbara Eps-
tein, Carol Simon, Saul
Rube, Nader Fayazi and -
Yehuda Najman.
Barbara and Carol will
.participate in the National
Federation of Temple Youth
tour to Israel. Saul and
Yehuda will attend Beth
State Sen. Doug Ross, left, presents a State Senate Midrash LaTorah and
Resolution to Bnai Brith and March of Dimes volun- Nader - will be attending
teers who helped coordinate the organization's an- Yeshivat Porat Yosef.
nual joint project, Healthy Baby Week. Accepting the
Robert Canvasser, one of
resolution from Sen. Ross, are, from left: Janet Gub- the judges, announces that
kin of Bnai Brith; Ellie Price, coordinator of volun- Mrs. Josephine Bloom has
teers for the Metropolitan March of Dimes; and Linda given a $1,000 scholarship
Simon, publicity chairman of Bnai Brith.
to Daniel Rosenthal who

are house calls
a thing of
the past??

OF COURSE NOT!

ANITA LEVIN

Let

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relative each week.

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NAME

DAVID NATHAN

will attend Beth Midrash
LaTorah in Israel, aided by
the John and Ella Immer-
man Foundation.
The Judges were Dr.
Gerald A. Teller, Canvasser
and Mrs. Judy Zatkin.

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