62

Friday, July 8, 1983

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Scores of Tributes Memorialize Newman

Scores of Detroiters and
many from communities in
several states this week
paid honor to the memory of
Gus D. Newman who passed
away early last Friday
morning after a brief ill-
ness. He would have been 92
on Aug. 10.
Only a week earlier, at
the important meeting at
which the foundation was
laid for an enlarged com-
munal project for the el-
derly, Leonard N. Simons
praised Mr. Newman's life's
work in behalf of the Home
for the Aged, which he
served as one of the early
presidents. Simons, a close
friend and fellow associate
with him in social service
movements for nearly four
decades, delivered the eul-
ogy.
Many messages serve as
memorials to the deceased
who pioneered in many
movements, whose devotion
to the Allied Jewish Cain-
paigns and to the move-
ments incorporated in it had
his devotion as a dedicated
volunteer and as a leader in
many causes.
On the occasion of his
90th birthday, The
Jewish News recalled
Mr. Newman's accom-
plishments thus:

r

"A native Detroiter,
Newman has fond
memories of his birthdays
on Dubois Street in a home
which was later demolished
to make room for Miller
High School. He recalls his
grandfather, Abraham
Jacobs, who was born in
Russia, went to Manches-
ter, England, as a youth and
came to Detroit in 1856.
"With his father, Henry
Newman, also a native De-
troiter, and his mother, who
came here as an infant, Gus
shared the religious activi-
ties to which they were de-
voted. With his father he
walked to services at the
Beis Yankev (Beth Jacob)
synagogue on Montcalm
and at Hastings, later affil-
iated with Shaarey Zedek in
which he retains member-
ship for more than half a
century.
"His recollections are of
Shaarey Zedek dating back
to the synagogue on Con-
gress and Antoine, prior to
the assumption of the pulpit
by Rabbi Abraham M.
Hershman, and the many
congregational events since
then.
"Gus attended the
Bishop School on Winder
and Adelaide. He joined
the Henry and Hatter

To: The Jewish News

1 751 5 W. 9 Mile Rd.

Suite 865

Southfield, Mich. 48075

WEI JUST

from:

Paste in old label

To • •

4

NAME

Effective Date

GUS D. NEWMAN

firm which was or-
ganized by Henry Kop-
rofsky as a delivery boy,
later becoming a partner
in the firm with which he
was associated for nearly
40 years.
"In that capacity he met
many of the country's nota-
bles, including Eddie Can-
tor, Jack Dempsey, George
Jessel, Benny Leonard,
Mark Hellinger and scores
of others who came often to
see him at Henry at the
Hatter on Michigan Ave-
nue.
"The community leaders
were his associates and
friends. With George Stutz
he shared chairmanships in
the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign. Fred Butzel, Ju-
lian Krolik, Clarence
Enggass, Sam Finsterwald,
scores of other notable
names were in his fellow-
ship of service to civic
causes, to the Allied Jewish
Campaigns, the Jewish
Community Center, He-
brew Free Loan Association
and other movements .. .
"Among his major activi-
ties is the Detroit Service
Group of the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation and the Al-
lied Jewish Campaign. He
was preceded as DSG
president by Aaron DeRoy
and Dora (Mrs. Joseph)
Ehrlich 'and his successor
was Irving Blumberg.
"At all of the last 10
DSG Stag Days, Gus
Newnian was honored in
appreciation of his
pioneering labors.
"Hebrew Free Loan Asso-
ciation is among his major
concerns. He was honored
with a special plaque by the
HFL in 1980 'for his 40
years of service to the cause'
and as a past president.
"It is in the Hannah
Schloss Old Timers which
he organized with Sam
Raskin that Gus Newman
has another communally
historic role. He was among
the leading factors in the
then nationally acclaimed
Tri-Squares Club of Han-
nah Schloss which preceded
the Jewish Center move-
ment. He played basketball

and baseball with the team
and he coached teams for
the then active Young
Men's Hebrew Association
(YMHA).
"He also coached and re-
fereed games of the then
popular T.V. Rayl teams.
"Inhis recoll-
ections of Detroit Service
Group activities, he
spoke praisefully of the
activities of the late
Esther Prussian. He re-
called the direction of
Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion services by the
executive directors start-
ing with Morris
Waldman, continuing
with John Siawson, Kurt
Peiser, Isidore Sobeloff,
William Avrunin and
now Sol Drachler.
"He
expressed
enthusiasm over his asso-
ciation with Shaarey Zedek
where he was Bar Mitzva.
"The movements in
which Gus Newman was
active was the Home for the

Aged, starting with the era
when the home was on Ed-
mund and Brush and Jacob
Levin was the president. He
rose to the presidency of the
Jewish Home for the Aged,
and was honored for his
services.
"His recollections are of
many leaders, and of the
period when major func-
tions were held in the
Phoenix Club on John R.

"His memberships in-
clude Men's Club of
Shaarey Zedek, Men's
ORT, of which he was one
of the organizers, and
Pisgah Lodge of Bnai
Brith.

"His father, Henry, was a
linguist who spoke seven
languages. His mother was
active in Jewish charity
functions."
Mr. Newman leaves two
brothers, Barney and
Joseph; three sisters, Mrs.
Jack (Dorella) Horwitz,
Mrs. Albert (Fanya) Green
and Mrs. David (Molly)
Ruby.

Stephen Barber
Canadian Leader

TORONTO (JTA) —
Stephen Barber, the
Czech-born founder of the
Canada-Israel Chamber of
Commerce, has died at age
"In a letter from his sis- 72.
ter, Molly, to The Jewish
Mr. I3arber, who immig-
News, some interesting
facts about the nonagena- rated to Canada in 1954,
was also executive director
rian were recently revealed.
of the Canadian Society of
"According to his sister,
the Weizmann Institute of
Newman counted enter-
tainers Ted Lewis and Fred Science and a co-founder of
Allen among his friends in the French Canadian-Israel
Friendship Society.
show business.
He fled Czechoslovakia at
the start of World War II for
England where he later
joined free Czech forces that
moved from Geneva to helped liberate Prague in
Paris.
1945.
The WJC believes that
Mr. Barber organized
these changes will enable it the first Jewish religious
to play a stronger role in the services in Prague after
European community and its liberation and helped
will increase its effective- resettle death camp sur-
ness in the U.S.
vivors.
While in England during
the war he was active in the
Seaside Music,
British section of the World
Jewish Congress. After set-
Sports Featured
tling in Canada he served
at Galilee Fest
for a time as national
JERUSALEM — Tens of chairman of the archives of
thousands of visitors and Is- the Canadian. Jewish Con-
raelis are expected to con- gress.
verge on northern Israel
July 20-30 for the 1983 Sea
Harry Gertz
of Galilee Festival, a 10-day
celebration of music and
Harry Gertz, a home
dance.
modernization salesman,
died July 4 at age 65.
A wide spectrum of Israeli
A native Detroiter, Mr.
dance ensembles, chorales,
Gertz owned Harry Gertz
popular music groups and
Supermarket Supply Co. in
individual entertainers will Oak Park until 1969, when
be joined by Country Music he went into home moderni-
USA froth Nashville for the
zation.
event.
He is survived by his wife,
The festival will also fea- Frances; a son, Steven; a
ture a wind-surfing compe- daughter, Mrs. Melvin
tition and water-sports ex- (Loretta) Cooper of
hibition, arts and crafts Lakewood, Calif.; three
fairs and an amusement brothers, Sidney Cooper,
Louis Gertz of California
park near Tiberias.
and. Saul Gertz; a sister,
Mrs. Saul (Irene) Minzer of
Veil Rules Out
Beverly Hills, Calif.; and
four grandchildren.
Campaign Bid

WJC Changes Its Structure

LONDON — At the end of
a two-day meeting of the
World Jewish Congress
Executive President Edgar
M. Bronfman announced
that Dr. Gerhart M.
Riegner, who for two de-
cades has been secretary-
general of the WJC, was
elected co-chairman of the
WJC governing board along
with Lord Lever of Man-
chester.
The election of Dr.
Riegner to a lay leadership
position will enable him "to
continue to make his signal
contributions to contem-
porary Jewish Life,"
Bronfman said.
Bronfman announced a
series of changes in the
structure of the WJC de-
signed to "streamline oper-
ations and make it a more
tightly knit political organ-
ization responsive to exist-
ing conditions."
The headquarters of
the organization has
been moved from Geneva
to New York under the
control of Israel Singer,
its executive director.
The European branch
headquarters have been

Accused Nazi
Apparent Suicide

LYNN, Mass — A 63-
year-old Ukrainian, ac-
cused last week by the Jus-
tice Department of conceal-
ing his collaboration in Nazi
atrocities when he applied
for U.S. citizenship, was
found dead in his apartment
Wednesday.
Michael Popczuk appar-
ently committed suicide
with a .22 caliber rifle.

PARIS (ZINS) — French
Jewish politician Simone
Veil has turned aside a
suggestion that she make a
bid to succeed Yitzhak
Navon as Israel's next
president.
The suggestion that she
run for the largely ceremo-
nial post was made by Israel
MK Jacques Amir.

"Over 65 years of traditional service in the Jewish community with dignity and understanding."

HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL

Mrs. Torczyner

NEW YORK (ZINS) —
Rachel Torczyner, mother of
Jacques Torczyner,
president of the World
Union of General Zionists,
and Harry Torczyner,
chairman of the editorial
board of the American
Zionist, is dead at age 95.

543-1622

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26640 GREENFIELD ROAD
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