mitzvah
heroes

HEI PFULNESS
DOCTOR
OF
From afghans to veterans, nothing's too difficult

for Oak Park's Dorothy Goldberg.

F ra
nkli n S e
ttlement
veloped in Palmerston, a poor Jewish fice manager. She learned through her
She is a board member of the Motion
work
that
there
was
much
to
do
and
section of Toronto. Growing up in a
Picture Council, a group that critiques
ome people are leaders, others house filled with the smells of her little time to do it.
"I'm very proud of the fact I'm current movies and sponsors high
are workers. It's not very often mother's fresh-baked bread and her
that you come across someone who father's barrels of pickling cucumbers organized. The key is to break jobs school classes at special film showings,
is both . . . Canada's loss was our gain." and sauerkraut, the youngest sibling into stages. Some people are very enabling students to evaluate the
movies as a class project.
—citation to Dorothy Goldberg,
of five brothers and two sisters learned disorganized and get very flustered
Ten years ago, she joined the Oak
when
they
have
jobs
to
do."
When
volunteer of the month in Oak Park.
early that helping others was a family
Park Senior Citizens Center, vol-
people
later
marvelled
at
volunteer
Some people Dorothy Goldberg just trait.
"We never sat down to a meal tasks she accepted, "I'd say, 'What's so unteering 10 hours a week to serve
can't abide.
without
having a number of strangers big about it?' I don't find anything too kosher meals, call bingo, prepare
"If you ask some people to go two
mailings for the Red Cross and help in
difficult."
blocks out of the way, they can't do it; in to eat with us. Nobody passed our
Between marriages, she helped es- a surplus food program.
house
without
dropping
in.
There
were
it's too much," said the Oak Park resi-
She plans and arranges many
tablish the Detroit Socialites, a singles
dent. "I know one girl, if you ask her always parties and dancing going on."
group later renamed the Rose Scherer outings for the Southfield AARP
Cousins
from
Buffalo,
N.Y.,
came
up
to do something that takes her two
Socialites. She served as president of chapter, and purchases and delivers
in the summers with their friends.
blocks off course, she refuses."
the group several times, including a refreshments for meetings.
The
Skopitzes
took
in
a
black
family
That's not Dorothy Goldberg's style;
As a member of Temple Emanu-El
as boarders. "People asked, 'How can stretch of seven consecutive years.
it never has been.
In 1961, Goldberg joined the JWV Sisterhood and its seniors group,
you
let
colored
people
move
in
with
Since growing up in Toronto, Gold-
Auxiliary, eventually becoming Goldberg serves coffee after Sabbath
berg has seen needs and done some- you?' and my parents would answer, chapter president and then state pres- services, collects supplies for nursery
`They're
people
like
we
are,'
"
Gold-
thing about them. Whether it's a
school craft activities and was in-
ident.
girlfriend's parents with a struggling berg said.
During the Vietnam War, she strumental in acquiring Torah covers
"We
had
an
exciting
life
for
poor
business, lonely young soldiers going
organized a USO unit at the Fort through the Bill Knapp's Community
people with no money."
off to war, veterans in hospitals,
Street Station, gathering volunteers Service Project.
At
age
8,
the
young
girl
was
helping
parents with seriously ill children or
to serve coffee and donuts to military
She also belongs to the Congregation
organizations needing funding, the her mother feed, bathe and dress a men and their families. At the USO at Beth Achim's "Young At Heart Pro-
brother
crippled
by
encephalitis.
It
in-
lady who calls herself "an organizer"
Michigan and Washington, she gram" and the Congregation B'nai
has been there to help, to perform spired Dorothy to read books about organized women to serve matzoh ball
David Pace Setters.
medicine;
she
dreamed
of
becoming
a
mitzvot for others.
soup, bagels and cream cheese on Fri-
Goldberg has "adopted" a struggling
doctor
or
nurse.
The little girl who dreamed of being
day nights. They packaged shower family — a mother and four children
But
family
finances
couldn't
permit
either a doctor or a nurse has made a
kits for army inductees and sent gifts ages 2 to 8 — and sees to it that they
commitment to caring that has spann- higher education. Instead, Dorothy to servicemen all over the world.
have food for holidays and clothing.
earned
money
after
school
by
busing
ed her 75 years. With her experiences,
An innovator in JWV fund-raising,
tables
in
a
delicatessen
weekdays
and
She drives seniors to medical ap-
she should be Dorothy Goldberg, Doc-
Goldberg was instrumental in the sell- pointment s , grocery shopping,
in a creamery on weekends.
tor of Helpfulness.
She helped outsiders in her own ing of Entertainment books, chairing meetings and entertainment. "She
Her willingness to help others —
way.
There was a girlfriend's parents the activity for 10 years. She set up never refuses any request for a ride,"
beyond caring for her family and
and ran the auxiliary gift shop for
holding down regular jobs — has seen who operated a struggling little several years, and for the last 15 years said Muriel Smith, president of Bloch-
grocery
store
a
mile
from
Dorothy's
Rose JWV Auxiliary.
her rise from project chairmanships to
house. Though a store stood on her has worked at least 15 hours each
"A lot of people go to Florida, taking
the presidencies of the Michigan Jew-
own block, Dorothy went through week running JWV bingo games.
ish War Veterans Auxiliary, the Past
trips
and cruises," Goldberg said.
Goldberg is a regular visitor to the
slush and rain to buy a bag of salt —
President's Club of B'nai B'rith Wo-
"People are getting more affluent and
VA
medical
centers
in
Allen
Park,
"to give them the nickel profit."
men and the Socialites singles group.
less concerned about others. But the
A visit with a Detroit cousin con- Ann Arbor and Battle Creek. In addi- needs keep getting greater and
She's also served as treasurer of the
tion
to
these
activities,
she
served
Motion Picture Council and has been a vinced Dorothy, then in her late 20s, three years as president of the Allied greater.
"Since I became older, I understand
board member of the Southfield to leave Toronto. "Detroit was glam- Veterans Council Auxiliary, doing
chapter of the American Association of orous than. Toronto was a hick town." hospital work and bringing the better about the elderly. There are
she recalled.
fewer people who care about them.
Retired Persons.
World War II was in progress. various veterans' groups together.
"I keep pushing," said Goldberg,
One of her more spectacular ac- Some don't have money. They're being
whose daily projects keep her going Dorothy joined B'nai B'rith Women complishments was the knitting of a forgotten. Nobody listens to them."
and began visiting the Veterans Ad-
from 9 a.m to 11 p.m. "If I'm home for
When Dorothy Goldberg hops up to
dozen afghans for families at the
a week, I have to be real sick. I just ministration Hospitals to cheer the Ronald McDonald House at Children's do something at a function, friends
servicemen. She eventually married
have to be moving along.
Hospital. The JWV had asked each will ask, "How come you're always
"I'd rather be doing something than an ex-serviceman, Al Farber. They chapter to donate two, but Goldberg pouring the coffee?"
had a son, Ronald, now married and
watching TV or taking a nap," she
Goldberg tells them, "When people
gathered the yarn and two blind
an importer in Ithaca, N.Y.
said, although she does admit a fond-
are happy and I can make them happy,
friends
to
do
the
work.
When Ronald was 1 1/2 years old,
ness for Denny McLain's talk show on
Goldberg also helps at the Oakland that's the important thing. Some peo-
Farber died. After 10 years as a
WXYT.
County
Children's Village and collects ple think money is everything. Well,
"I have to make an appointment widow, Dorothy married another ex- and delivers clothing for patients at the it's nice to have, but .. .
sometimes to see her," joked Betty serviceman, Sol Goldberg. He died in
To those a little harder to convince,
Northland Nursing Care Center. Prior
Stearns, the sister who lives with and 1979.
Goldberg
responds, "I need the exer-
Through the years, she worked in to that, she had regularly collected and
is cared for by her.
❑
cise."
delivered
clothing
to
the
Goldberg's "mitzvot ethic" de- furniture company offices, rising to of-

RICHARD PEARL,

s

72

Staff Writer

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1990