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Zangwill's Melting Pot
A Test For Prejudice

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor Emeritus

I

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36

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1992

(313) 338-9400

n the early part of this
century, the famous
British-Jewish author
Israel Zangwill (1864-
1926— made interesting
comments on immigration
developments in Jewry.
With reference to many
areas where multitudes
assembled, he described the
developing American Jewish
community as the " melting
pot." The very theme
resulted in debatable com-
mentaries and differing
views.
Perhaps the melting pot
title could be applied to

Detroit Perspectives:
Crossroads and Turning
Points (WSU Press). In this
amalgam of experiences,
Wilma Henrickson,
historian, reviews the roles
of groups in the making of
Detroit.
The black-white relation-
ships should not be ignored
in judging the less happy
occurrences. It is important
to note that there was
slavery in our state. It was
introduced by the French,
not the British, although it
was retained by the British
when they occupied Detroit
in 1760. It was finally
abolished by the first state
constitution.
The Jewish role, in the
Henrickson book, is the re-
production of a chapter from
The Beth El Story by Irving
Katz, who was one of our
community's earlier Jewish
historians and an archivist.
The brief quotation deals
with the early Jewish set-
tlers in Detroit who came
from Germany.
Of particular interest are
Ms. Henrickson's introduc-
tory comments that have re-
lationship to Jews and the
developing discriminations.
We must view these with in-
terest because they reject
earlier prejudices while
acknowledging later anti-
Semitic trends. Ms.
Henrickson writes:
From the Beth El Story, I
have selected a section
that not only tells of some
of the early arrivals but
puts into sharp focus the
state of Central Europe at
that time, when Germans,
Hungarians, and
Austrians came to
America to avoid the
shadows of repression.
The section will serve
not only to sketch in the

background particular to
German Jews, but also to
our understanding of
other Germans, such as
the socialist Dr. Herman
Kiefer, who pioneered in
public health, the farmers
of Frankenmuth and
Saline, and the
storekeepers, craftsmen
and brewers (over fifty of
them by 1860) of Detroit's
East Side.
From various sources
we gain the impression
that there were many
cheerful social blendings
among Jews and Gentiles
in this early period. Anti-
Semitism came later to the
area, though it definitely
came.
It will always be well to
turn to Jacob Marcus and his
immense works on early
American Jewish history
where there are evidences of
prejudices. They were not
always called anti-Semitic,

Of particular
interest are Ms.
Henrickson's
introductory
comments that
have relationship
to Jews and the
developing
discriminations.

but rather anti-Jewish
elements. Take, as an exam-
ple, the educational trends
at the University of Mich-
igan.
There were times when in
certain departments Jews
were admitted as faculty
members or as students on a
percentage basis. There
were years of limited Jewish
admissions to the medical
school. At one time Jews
could not secure admission
to the faculty in the English
department although its
head was a Jew. But the
road was wide open for them
in such departments as
German and French, both of
which were administered by
Jewish academicians.
There were always pre-
judices and references to
them were a part of the cam-
paign against discrimina-
tion. The anti-Semitic label
had become the applicable
one in dealing with Ford,
Coughlin, Gerald L. K.
Smith, et al.
The Henrickson book will
fascinate readers because it

is sort of a melting pot on a
high level. Our fellow
Detroiters will find much
value in this book.

The Zangwill Epic

Having referred to Israel
Zangwill, it will be worth
encouraging readers to con-
tinue to remember him and
to become re-acquainted
with his writings.
In another recovery of
some of my earlier writings,
I found "The Epigrams and
Wit of Israel Zangwill,"
published Sept. 7, 1945
•In the interest of encourag-
ing knowledge about Mr.
Zangwill and his works, let
me share a portion of that
article:
Zangwill's
Israel
writings reflect the soul of
his people. He was one of
the great interpreters of
Jewish traditions to the
vast audience of his
readers Jews and non-
Jews alike.
He was also one of the
great humorists of his
day. All of his works are
replete with anecdotes
and humorous stories.
Even the most serious of
his novels abound with
wit and humor.
He was a master of coin-
ing epigrams, for in-
stance:
Discussing the ethical
wills that were left by
pious Jews in the Middle
Ages, he said: "Having no
money to leave to their
children, they left them
good advice, which has at
least the advantage that
there is no legacy duty on
it."
Referring to the univer-
sality of the Jewish peo-
ple, dispersed over the
earth, he said: "One touch
of Jewry makes the whole
world kin."
Chiding those who were
disregarding the dietary
laws, he remarked that
perhaps it is better to " eat
oysters openly that open
oysters secretly."
Although he was the
founder of the Jewish
Territorialist movement,
he was one of the pioneer
Zionists and was among
the first to encourage Dr.
Theodor Herzl and to
become one of his
followers. He had said
that Zionism substituted
the old policy of "lie low
and say nothing" for the
new one "fly high and say
everything."

❑

