In the Bolkosky compila-
tions are the analyses of the
anti-Semitic occurrences af-
fecting our history. The
definitive approaches make
his study one not only of
local interest but a part of
the national treatment of
prejudices. After all, the
Ford-Coughlin leaderships
were in our midst.
The expose of the extent of
anti-Semitism in Detroit
shows how the Ford apology
for his hatreds was not
adhered to; anti-Semitic
advertisements gained pro-
minence in Detroit news-
papers; the Black Legion
became the counterpart of
Nazi activities and pro-
paganda in our community.
It will continue to amaze all
of us to learn the extent of
the anti-Semitic hatreds de-
scribed in the following:
In 1936 Michigan's Black
Legion commander devis-
ed the grandiose plot to
murder one million Jews
by planting bombs in every
synagogue across America
on Yom Kippur.
Along with the activities
of the KKK and numerous
other newly formed groups
like the Silver Shirts,
echoes of European-style
anti-Semitism could be
heard in Detroit. Gerald L.
K. Smith, the "Dean of
Anti-Semites," carried on a
surprising correspondence
with Fred Butzel in which
he urged Butzel and other
Jewish leaders to "devise
ways and means of disown-
ing, criticizing, or (making)
it plain" that "certain
Jews" are not the "true
spokesmen of American
Jewry."
Henry Ford instructed
his secretary Ernest
Liebold to allow Smith in-
to his inner sanctum at any
time. There, they
presumably discussed The
International Jew and
Smith's insistence that
"Christian character is the
true basis of real Ameri-
canism." Americanism,
therefore, by definition
could not apply to Jews
who thus bore "the burden
of proof" on their own
shoulders.
By 1944 Smith declared
that "if someone will figure
out the best way to handle
the Jews, he will go down
in history as the wisest per-
son in all the centuries." He
seemed to find no con-
tradiction in calling the
Anti-Defamation League a
"Gestapo organization:'
rightist
Protestant
groups and demagogues
did not reach the populari-
ty of their Catholic

counterpart. While the
Silver Shirts and others
clearly emulated the Nazis,
the infamous Royal Oak
radio priest Father
Coughlin advocated a form
of fascism and a corporate
state; he praised Hitler and
looked to a "benevolent
dictator," to "save"
America. As early as 1933,
Detroit confronted its
homegrown Nazi groups.

The Bolkosky chronicle of
Jewish divisiveness must
not be ignored. It must be
recalled as a warning
against repetition of "slow
action."

Jews disagreed about
how they ought to react to
these new revelations.
Some advocated a low pro-
file while others, following
Philip Slomovitz's confron-
tational policy, demanded
outspoken exposure of the
rising tide of fascist anti-
Jewish groups and actions.
Many Detroit Jews recall-
ed the fear inspired by
Father Coughlin (whose
anti-Semitic rhetoric
escalated in 1937-1938) and
the anger aroused by the
"Gentile only" ads and "no
Jews" barriers in houses
and apartments. In spite of
the anger and the fear,
however, one Jewish
lawyer noted, "We were so
Jewish that we wanted to
live in a Jewish neighbor-
hood anyway?'

That "luxury" of main-
taining a degree of indif-
ference and chosen sepa-
rateness seemed to be
dissolving in the 1930s.
Most Jews may not have
been aware of the signifi-
cance of events like the
Friends of Germany meet-
ing or the escalating
violence of anti-Semitic
groups. But an increasing
number expressed grow-
ing concern over local, na-
tional and international
events that seemed about
to reach into Jewish lives.

There is much in the text
that needs earnest study and
factual criticism. There is a
duty to do some correcting.
The reader must be prepared
to approach and treat this
historiography challenging-
ly.
Some of the pictures are
not elating, but we must
know the facts of our past as
a guide to the future. Dr.
Bolkosky performed this
task. Community agencies
did well to enable him to
provide the historiography
that functions as harmony
and dissonance. The achiev-
ement will serve to direct us
to self study. ❑

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