THE JEWISH NEWS COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE 1 9 42-1 9 92 Making Their Marks Some of the men and women who helped shape Detroit's community. BY ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM Assistant Editor I n 1919, a young Lithu- anian Jew arrived in Detroit for a job inter- view. Only after super- visors opened his suit- case and saw that he carried a tallit and tefillin was Ber- nard Isaacs hired for the position, heading the new United Hebrew Schools. A man dedicated to Hebrew literature and language, Mr. Isaacs introduced a high school program and numer- ous biblical, history and Talmud courses at the UHS. Ever since Chapman Abraham, Detroit's first Jewish settler, landed here in 1762, the city has produced hundreds of men and women who have shaped the character of the Jewish com- munity. In the past 50 years, they have included ardent Zionists like industrialist Max Fisher, innovative Jewish program specialists like Harlene Appelman and passionate educator Bernard Isaacs. Working with historian Sidney Bolkosky, Jewish News Editor Emeritus Philip Slomovitz, and others, The Jewish News has compiled a list of some of the Jews who have influenced this corn- munity from 1942 to the pre- sent. The list is not meant to be a total compilaton, but rather to serve as an introduc- tion to the many diverse and influential figures comprising Detroit Jewry. Max Fisher: Born in Ohio, Max Fisher was the child of East European immigrants. Though raised in a gentile neighborhood and with little Jewish education, Mr. Fisher always was interested in 12 THE JEWISH NEWS COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Jewish causes, especially the State of Israel. Mr. Fisher traces his in- terest in Israel to his first visit there, in 1954. By then an established businessman, he was one of three Detroiters invited to join the first United Jewish Appeal mission to Israel, where he met with David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. Mr. Fisher made his first contribution — $5 — to the Allied Jewish Campaign in influence in maintaining sup- port for Israel. Fred Butzel was a German Jew involved in numerous social and civic causes from the early 1900s to his death in 1948. Committed to child care, he helped establish the local Boy Scout chapter and the Detroit Boys' Home. He was active in civil rights and interfaith relations, helping create the Detroit office of the National Conference of Chris- tians and Jews. Dora Ehrlich helped organize local war efforts, including a drive that raised $360,000 toward the purchase of a B-29. 1932. After his trip he became a dedicated Zionist, donating and raising literal- ly millions for Israel. He also mustered support for the state among both Jews and gentiles including Henry Ford II, who, after a Fisher appeal, once wrote a check for $100,000 for Israel. Mr. Fisher has served as president of the local Federa- tion and chairman of the Allied Jewish Campaign, as well as head of the national United Jewish Appeal, and the Jewish Agency in Israel. Also a leader in secular organizations including the United Way, Mr. Fisher has been active in the Republican Party, where he has wielded But his first love was the Jewish community. Mr. Butzel was president of the Jewish Children's Bureau and the United Jewish Charities, and served as honorary president for life of the Jewish Community Coun- cil. He also was a longtime supporter of the Fresh Air Society and the Federation. In the 1930s, Mr. Butzel dedicated himself to helping East European Jews fleeing the Nazis. To that end, he helped found the Resettle- ment Service, which to this day continues to aid new Jewish immigrants in Detroit. In addition to his public ac- tivities, Mr. Butzel made countless private gestures, such as giving donations toward the college educations of young Jewish men and women. When Mr. Butzel died, the Federation and the United Jewish Charities placed a full-page memorial ad in the Detroit Free Press. Among the diverse signatories: represen- tatives of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and the Sholom Aleichem Institute. Leon Fram was a native of Lithuania who first served in Detroit as assistant rabbi and director of education at Tem- ple Beth El. His work there began in 1925 and ended when he left to start his own congregation, Temple Israel, in 1941. Rabbi Fram was not the typical Reform rabbi of his day. Most temples in the 1930s and 1940s embraced classical Reform Judaism, which opposed the use of religious items like kippot and talleism, and did not sup- port Zionism. Rabbi Fram, however, was a fervent Zionist who believed congregants should make their own decisions about religious practice. Under his leadership, Temple Israel became the first Reform con- gregation in Michigan to hire a cantor and introduce b'nai mitzvah. Today, Temple Israel is the largest synagogue in the state and one of the largest Reform temples in the country. In addition to his work at Temple Israel, Rabbi Fram was a founder of the Detroit Jewish Community Council; the Detroit Round Table of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; and the League for Human Rights in Michigan, a leading anti-Nazi group.