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Award-winning Musical Comedy

Philanthropist Teitel
Had 'Touch Of Class'

DANNY RASKIN

Local Columnist

I

"The music, costumes, the set, the
performances were out of this world."
Steve Hartz The Jewish News

875-8284

Final week — Don't Miss the Fun.
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can't believe this is me,"
he said as his 80-foot
"Touch Of Class" yacht
anchored alongside the
Statue of Liberty.
His father had come to
America from Russia in
steerage many years ago .. .
and here was Ben Teitel at
the statue where his dad,
among so many refugees,
thanked God for the tears of
joy at seeing America's
welcome sight.
Benny's $1.3 million
"'Much Of Class" was all that
with it's captain, mate,
stewardess, $30,000 couch,
$40,000 all-plexiglass stair-
case, etc.
This was the same Ben
Thitel who worked in his
father's store at the Gratiot-
Central Market, selling
groceries and calling it a good
day when they took in $10 or
$15 . . . The same Benny who
then worked at Lipson
Market, operated Mandel-
son's Resort with wife Harriet
in South Haven, and then put
his hand in the building
business.
When Ben passed on about
four years ago, he had amass-
ed a $10 million fortune.
Of a large alloted amount,
Ben's will had one-half to be
spent in Israel and another
one-half for Jews in our
community.
Last September, one-half
milion dollars was given at
the Jewish Federation Apart-
ments dedication.
Attorney Jerry Cook is ex-
ecutor of Ben's will . . . with
consultants Harold Haas,
Phil Bittker and Ben's sister,
Jeanette Cook, Jerry's
mother.
Harold and Ben had gone to
Northern High School
together and were close
friends . . . Few people knew
Benny better, so when Jerry
suggested setting up a
scholarship fund in the Ben
and Harriet Thitel Founda-
tion name, Harold said, "How
about getting some Jews out
of Russia, Jerry? That's what
Benny would have loved." .. .
Jerry mulled over the idea
and next day called Harold
with approval, telling him of
there being such a thing as
chartering a plane for this
cause . . . and that $250,000
would get 250 Jews out of
Russia and to Israel.
And so, Operation Exodus,
headed locally by Dave Mon-
dry for the Jewish Welfare

Federation, will use some of
the money in putting this in-
to motion.
"Don't ask me why. Ask me
why not," used to be a favorite
expression of the always tann-
ed Ben Teitel . . . In other
words, Ben's way of thinking
was not to say it couldn't be
done when it could.
This is how Benny Teitel
lived . . . and the taking of
250 Jews from Russia into
Israel would be just another
way of his saying, "See! I
knew it could be done!"

CONGRATS ... to Larry
and Jane Wanitz . . . on their
45th anniversary.
CONGRATS ... to Elaine
Medwed . . . on her 65th bir-
thday . . . Recent celebration
by hubby Joe was with out-
door party at home of niece
and nephew, Mary and
Seymour Ross.
TYPO, ERRATA, ETC.
DEPT. . . . The name is
Mickey Shapiro, not Michek
Shapiro, one of the guests at
Excalibur 12th anniversary
party . . . Victor Dazbaz is Ex-
calibur's fine general
manager.
CONGRATS ... to Pearl
Sax . . . on her 70th birthday
. . . to be feted with 45 people
at Southfield Marriott Hotel.
MINI GRAND PRIX par-
ty is tomorrow, 6:30 p.m. by
Radisson Plaza Hotel, Town
Center, in conjunction with
the Arthritis Foundation,
Michigan Chapter . . . Will be
atop the Radisson parking
structure . . . Night of fun for
$10 includes Dixieland music,
magicians, mimes, balloons
for the kids, Southfield's
noted fireworks display
around 10 p.m., etc. . . . Plen-
ty of hamburgers, hot dogs,
bite-size pizzas, popcorn and
ice cream for sale . . . plus
cash bar.
CONGRATS ... to Phyllis
and Stan Satovsky . . . on
their 20th anniversary.
RECENT SHOWING of
the great 1965 film classic, Dr.
Zhivago, which runs thru Ju-
ly 1 at the Fox Theatre,
brought many sighs, "I
wonder why they don't make
movies like that anymore?"
The gold Star of David
shone near the front ceiling
at the magnificent Fox as this
excellent film was witnessed
on the large screen in highly
improved 70 millimeter
viewing.
People like Marilyn Spoon,
Mark and Sue Sherbow and
others walked from
"snow"outside in the high 70s
degree evening into the

elegant Fox Theatre with
ushers, usherettes, etc. in
Cossack, and peasant garb
and Russian uniform.
Then next door to the color-
ful America's Pizza Cafe for
another Mike Ilitch enter-
prise . . . his gourmet pizzas
and pasta dishes.
RON CODEN SHOW
moves to Windsor for a two-
week engagement at Top Hat
Supper Club . . . He'll perform
Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays starting July 5 .. .
It will be one of the few club
dates the Ron Coden Show
will be doing this summer .. .
concentrating mainly on
private parties and outdoor
concerts.
THE MUSIC HALL
Center is happy with the
$228,000 it raised from recent
annual Valvoline Detroit
Grand Prix Ball at the Westin
Hotel, but not everybody was
happy with the Music Hall
. . . Centered around changes

When Ben passed
on about four
years ago, he had
amassed a $10
million fortune.
Ben's will had one-
half to be spent in
Israel and another
one-half for Jews
in our community.

in this year's pre-ball events
. . . Seems the organizing tea
excluded men, there was no
silent auction and no patron's
party before the ball . . . In
short, no "perks" for those
working on the event.
But Kim Johnson, Music
Hall director, told Jewish
News staff writer Richard
Pearl that each year's
chairmen (this year it was
GM Chairman Roger Smith
and wife Barbara) do it dif-
ferently . . . For example,
Johnson said, the auction was
done as an experiment last
year under chairfolks Gerald
and Glenda Greenwald, he
currently of Chrysler . . . that
Glenda last year asked that
men be involved in the tea .. .
and that the patrons' party
was held just prior to the ball
at the Westin (instead of
weeks earlier at another site,
as it was last year) to keep
numbers to allow patrons to
mix more leisurely with the
Grand Prix drivers . . . "next