I PURELY COMMENTARY

Jack Yellen:
griddishe Momme' Fame

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor Emeritus

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54

FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1991

A

uthors of popular
lyrics often acquire
recognition as history
makers. This is the recogni-
tion well earned by Jack
Yellen, who died in late
April at age 97 after being
bed-ridden for 15 years. His
"Happy Days Are Here
Again" acquired political
connotations as a Democrat-
ic party hymn when he
wrote it in 1929; he himself
was a Republican. His "My
Yiddishe Momme" was
written in 1925 and added to
the popularity of Sophie
Tucker, who sang it for
decades.
It is not only because Jack
Yellen was a 1913 Univer-
sity of Michigan graduate
that he is listed among the
notables in our area. His
musical creation was an in-
spiration to the philan-
thropy in Detroit in the ear-
ly 1930s. That's when suc-
cessful Allied Jewish Cam-
paign workers cheered their
triumphs in fund-raising.
It was in those early years
of 1931, '32 and '33 that vol-
unteer workers meeting for
campaign luncheons, with
Phyllis (Mrs. Sidney Allen)
at the piano, rejoiced in their
successful efforts. It was
when the then executive di-
rector of the Jewish Welfare
Federation, Dr. John
Slawson, announced that the
campaign goal was over-
subscribed. That's when
Detroit Jewry established
the existing record of having
raised more than $300,000.
Doesn't this make history
for our time when we recall
how much we raised and the
song that inspired us? Those
were the happy days that
made Jack Yellen a
historian.
Jack Yellen is a name long
to be remembered and
cherished. ❑

Perpetuate Roots
Preserve History
Historiography can never
be fully attainable without
philology. We are guided
toward it by a distinguished
Yiddish scholar. Dr. Heshel
Klepfish, is a series of two
articles in the Yiddish Jew-
ish Forward, makes a very
impressive study of the
meaning and development of
the word pinkoss.
The distinguished scholar,
who is a regular weekly

Forward feature writer, de-
velops his articles "Der
Pinkoss" as an influential
instrument in tracing Jew-
ish experience. Dr. Klepfish
goes deep into Jewish histo-
ry recording and defining
the roots of this theme .
Pinkoss becomes a
challenge to us at this time
when the non-Yiddish
speaking generation is being
awakened to the need for the
preservation of documents
about our very existence.
At a time when we recog-
nize our debts to the Ameri-
can Jewish Archives in Cin-
cinnati and the Jewish
Historical Society in
Waltham, Mass., we should
admit that whatever is in-
volved in archival achiev-
ements owes its origin to
"Der Pinkoss." Dr. Jacob
Marcus and Dr. Abraham
Peck of the Cincinnati Ar-
chives and Bernard Wax in
Waltham will surely share
recognition and appreciation
of the contribution made to
the subject by Dr. Heshel
Klepfish and the Jewish
Forward.
This is how history is
preserved by establishing
archives. That's how we
reach out for the roots.
Meanwhile, we continue
love and respect for the
Yiddish that enriches us. ❑

Border City
People, Stagecraft
A delightful introduction
of Border City present-day
activists described in the ar-
ticle on Windsor by a Jewish
News staff writer rein-
troduces interest in an ad-
miration for notables of
earlier generations. There
emerges also a reacquain-
tance with their important
youth activities and vitality
including stagecraft.
There is no way of speak-
ing of Windsor without em-
phasis of the name David
Croll. He was a highly pop-
ularized mayor of Windsor
who created wide attention
in Canada and in the United
States in the way he tackled
human needs during the
Depression of the late 1920s.
There was a need for soup
lines but at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m.
he was present at the soup
kitchens to comfort the
needy.
Eminent personalities
were among early Wind-
sorites. Especially mem-
orable is the name Levin.
Two of the brothers-in-law of
David Croll, who became the

first Jewish senator of Ot-
tawa and still retains that
post, were Theodore and
Saul R. Levin. Their family
lived in Windsor when they
were teen-agers. Theodore
was named federal judge by
President Truman. Saul, the
father of Senator Carl Levin
and Congressman Sander
Levin, was Honduran consul
and was among the early
leaders in the Young Judea
movement.
Mike Summer, who re-
tains a community role in
Windsor where he went into
the printing business with
his father, had a remarkable
share in his city's major
movements. He was one of
my chief associates in the
Young Judea ranks and in
that capacity he cooperated
with me and helped in
stagecraft. The very mention
of Windsor turned to resear-
ch that resulted in the
reminder of this activity.
That's how I rediscovered
that Windsor Young Judea
under the leadership of Mike
Summer was the first to
stage a play I had written for
Purim.
It was in 1932 and the
Seven Arts Feature Syn-
dicate released my play de-
scribed by their editors as
"a novel feature that will
delight your readers, young
and old." The note to the
editors of newspapers using
Seven Arts Features also
stated:
Purim is the season for
spontaneous hilarity. On
this holiday every Jew
learns to laugh in the face
of danger, and the "Purim
Shpieler" rules the day.
The following play is ideal
for presentation with a
minimum of preparation.
It is suitable for every
Purim party ____ for both
young and old and is
especially recommended
because it requires few
characters, little if any
rehearsing and tells the
story of Purim.
This playlet was produced
many times and appeared in
the Detroit Jewish News,
Feb. 16, 1945. Here we have
another revelation. While
many stories for children
carried the byline "Uncle
Judah," the playlet re-
produced in these columns
was by "Uncle Daniel."
That's how I am rediscover-
ing myself. I was never
bylined "Pete," the moniker
I was given as a greenhorn
upon arriving in this coun-
try.

❑