R2 Friday, June 24, 1983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Hank Greenberg Inspires Old Friends in Reunion Shown at the reunion are, from left, Robert Stein- berg, Louis Blumberg, Hank Greenberg and Harold Allen. Hank Greenberg Day, to- gether with his associate Charles Gehringer, at Tiger Stadium on June 12, re- vived interest in a chapter of community interest. His close pals were there to greet him, and two of them wined and dined to- gether. Louis Blumberg was among his closest friends and he always took advan- tage of occasions to continue that friendship in New York as well as in Detroit. Together with an another old timer, Harold Allen, there was a party here for Hank, and they reminisced, regretting that the ranks have thinned. As they chatted, the group especially regretted not having the late Rabbi A. M. Hershman with them. Lou Blumberg recalled that Rabbi Hershman seldom missed a Tiger game in the Greenberg days, and on trips to New York he would attend the Tiger-Yankee games, to be sure he could see Hank in action whenever opportunity pre- sented itself. Blumberg told the gathered celebrants at the reunion that the participa- tion of Bob Steinberg, his nephew, provided a most in- timate flavor. He recalled that he took his nephew to a Tiger game when he was 5 and Greenberg gave Bob an autographed baseball. Real-Life Docu-Drama Personality Dies IOWA CITY, Iowa — Bill Sackter, about whom the television docu-drama "Bill" was written, died June 16 at age 70. Mickey Rooney portrayed the role of Mr. Sackter, a mildly retarded man whose return to society after 44 years in an institution was depicted in the TV special. Born to Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Sakter confirmed that he was a Man Convicted of Vandalizing Md. Synagogue WASHINGTON (JTA) — A 23-year-old man was con- victed last week of drawing anti-Semitic symbols on a Silver Spring, Md. syna- gogue• in what the Jewish Advocacy Center in Wash- ington called one of the few successful prosecutions in the United States for acts of anti-Semitic vandalism. A jury deliberated for less than two hours in Montgomery County Cir- cuit Court before returning a guilty verdict against Michael David Remer on charges of destruction of property. Sentencing will be Aug. 11. Jew, and at age 66 he had a Bar Mitzva. Mr. Sackter was diag- nosed at age 7 as being mentally retarded and entered an institution. It was later determined that his learning disabil- ity was so minimal that he never should have been institutionalized. When he was released in the 1960s on a work pro- gram, he was befriended by Barry Morrow, an aspiring filmmaker in Minneapolis. He accompanied Morrow to Iowa City and ran "Wild Bill's" coffee shop at the University of Iowa's school of social work. He also por- trayed Santa Claus to hos- pitalized children, the Washington Post reported. Arabs Applying TEL AVIV (ZINS) — The newspaper Maariv reports that a record of 4,000 Arab students have taken entrance exams to be admit- ted to Israel's universities in the fall. Another 1,000 Arabs have applied to post- secondary technical schools and teacher training insti- tutes. Israel Deputy Premier Ehrlich Dies JERUSALEM (JTA) — Simha Ehrlich, deputy premier of Israel, a founder of the Likud coalition and a leader of its Liberal Party wing, died June 19 at age 67. He was eulogized by Pre- mier Menahem Begin as "a dear friend" who was "both a friend and a rival." Zionist organizations in the U.S. that maintained a close association with Mr. Ehrlich expressed condo- lences. Mr. Ehrlich led the Lib- eral Party for the past 10 years. He reached the peak of his political career when he became finance minister in the first Likud government elected in 1977. But his economic reforms failed in the fiercely inflatio- nary climate and he was forced to resign in favor of Yigael Hurwitz. After Likud's second elec- tion victory in 1981, Mr. Ness Ziona. Later he opened the first factory manufac- turing optical equipment in the country. He entered politics in 1955 as a member of the Tel Aviv City Council repre- senting the General Zionists, forerunner of the Liberal Party. He pushed hard for the merger of the Liberals with Begin's Herut faction to form the Gahal Alignment in 1965. Mr. Ehrlich was first elected to the Knesset in 1969 and served on its Finance Com- mittee. SIMHA EHRLICH Ehrlich was elevated to the office of deputy prime minister and was also named minister of agricu- lure, the offices he held at the time of his death. Born in Bychowa, Poland, Mr. Ehrlich immigrated to Palestine in 1938, working for a time as a farm hand at Ex-Home for Aged Director Ira Sonnenblick Dies at 75 Ira I. Sonnenblick, former executive director of the Jewish Home for Aged, died June 18 in New York City. He was 75. Born in Austria, Mr. Son- nenblick came to the U.S. at age 14. He earned a mas- ter's degree in education at New York University and a law degree at St. Johns University. He was Alexander Donat, Publisher, Dies NEW YORK (JTA) — Alexander Donat, whose memoir, "The Holocaust Kingdom," is considered a pre-eminent work in the field of Holocaust litera- ture, died June 16. He was 78. Born in Warsaw where he had published a daily news- paper before World War II, Mr. Donat's newspaper was confiscated by the Nazis and he and his wife, Leona, were imprisoned in concentra- tion camps. He was liberated from Dachau by American troops and returned to Warsaw where he found his wife and their son, whom friends had placed in a Catholic or- phanage. They came to the United States and started a printing business. He established in 1977 the nonprofit publishing program, the Holocaust Li- brary Publications that brought many books on the experience of Jews in Europe during World War II. He was chairman of the advisory board of the Holocaust Library at the time of his death. IRA SONNENBLICK graduated from Yitzhak El- chonen. Mr. Sonnenblick became the director of the Jewish Home for Aged on Feb. 1, 1947, and served until his retirement on June 1, 1975. During his 28 years as di- rector, he earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan and innovated many pro- grams at the Home which became the model for Jewish homes for Aged in the United States. He instituted the first sheltered activities cen- ter and day care program at the Home. He also was instrumental in institut- ing the first structured medical program for the residents. Mr. Sonnenblick was per- sonally responsible for training many of the de- veloping professionals who later became directors of homes throughout the U.S. Mr. Sonnenblick is sur- vived by his wife, Eve; and nieces and nephews. Alex Dekel, 51, Aided Emigres NEW YORK (JTA) — Alex Shlomo Dekel, a social worker with HIAS who helped to place immigrating Syrian and Soviet Jews in New York City, died June 19 at age 51. An Auschwitz camp sur- vivor, Mr. Dekel immig- rated to Israel in 1949 to join his wife and step- children. He came to the United States in 1963, re- turned to Israel for several years and then returned to the U.S. in 1967 to work for the Israel Defense Mission and then for HIAS. Mr. Dekel was a consul- tant on Israel and in the Holocaust to the major radio and television networks and for both Time and Life mag- azines. At the time of his death, he was completing a book, "The Valley of Dry Bones," on Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz doctor who was infamous for his experiments on inmates. Mr. Dekel him- self was about to undergo surgery at Mengele's clinic when the death camps were liberated by allied forces. New Texas Law Covers Jewish School Holidays NEW YORK (JTA) — Enactment of a state law in Texas which prohibits pub- lic schools from penalizing students who are absent be- cause of religious holidays was lauded this week by Daniel Chazan, general counsel of the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (COLPA). Help in drafting the new law was provided by Michael Kusin, a Houston COLPA member, in consul- tation with other COLPA attorneys. Kusin said the measure "will substantially aid Jewish students and members of other religious minorities who attend pub- lic schools in Texas." "Over 65 years of traditional service in the Jewish community with dignity and understanding." HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL In 1973, he was a driv- ing force in the creation of Likud which embraced the centrist Liberals along with Herut and other rightwing factions. For the Liberal Party, Mr. Ehrlich's death came at the worst possible time. The faction is embroiled in bit- ter internal conflicts. The Family of the Late GERALDINE HARON Announces the un- veiling of a monument in her memory 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at Beth Moses Cemetery. Cantor Shimansky will officqate. Relatives and friends are asked to attend. The Family of the Late ESTHER GERTRUDE NISKAR Announces the un- veiling of a monument in her memory 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at Machpelah Cemetery. Rabbi Arm will of- ficiate. Relatives and friends are asked to attend. The Family of the Late SAM ROTHENBURG Announces the un- veiling of a monument in his memory 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at Machpelah Cemetery. Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper will officiate. Relatives and friends are asked to attend. The Family of the Late MAX SHINEBROOM Announces the un- veiling of a monument in his memory 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at He- brew Memorial Park. Rabbi Gruskin will of- ficiate. Relatives and friends are asked to attend. The Family of the Late MORLEY WOLFE Announces the un- veiling of a monument in his memory 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 26, at He- brew Memorial Park. Rabbi Goldschlag will officiate. Relatives and friends are asked to attend. 543- 1622 SERVING ALL CEMETERIES 26640 GREENFIELD ROAD OAK PARK, MICHIGAN 48237 Alan H. Dorfman Funeral Director & Mgr.