DETROIT
Consul General For Midwest
Is A Victim Of Labor's Victory
50 YEARS AGO...
Infantry Battalion
Approved By Britain T
AMY J. MEHLER
Staff Writer
This column will be a week-
ly feature during The Jewish
News' anniversary year, look-
ing at The Jewish News of to-
day's date 50 years ago.
SY MANELLO
Special to the Jewish News
T
he front page news
described a real
breakthrough. For the
first time since the war be-
gan, Palestine Jewish vol-
unteers in the British army
were formed into a battal-
ion. Jewish groups felt it
was a definite advance in
Jewish claims to recognition
as a fighting force in the
Middle East.
Throughout Europe, sto-
ries came in about the plight
of the Jews. In Germany, a
large auction was held in
Cologne, offering goods con-
fiscated from deported Jews.
Polish Jews in a forced-la-
bor camp were used to drain
and reclaim a stretch of
marsh near Lublin. Hun-
garian authorities reported
great difficulties being ex-
perienced as Jews were
ousted from positions of au-
thority in the economic life
of the country.
Our neighbors to the
north, specifically in Crys-
tal Beach, Ontario, experi-
enced the ugliness of a riot
when a Jewish-owned store
and hotel were damaged by
an anti-Semitic mob.
For those who are literary
minded, there should be in-
terest in the report of three
books that were named
among the outstanding re-
ligious volumes of year.
They were The Jew Faces a
New World by Rabbi Robert
Gordis, In the Years of Our
Lord by Manuel Kamroff
and The Universal Jewish
Encyclopedia.
In synagogue news, there
was mention of a new post-
ing, a school opening and
holiday services planned.
Rabbi Herschel Lymon was
named minister of religious
education at Temple Beth
El; Temple Israel opened
school registration and Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek
14
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1992
announced special supple-
mentary High Holiday ser-
vices with Rabbi Hershman
and Rabbi Adler alternat-
ing the delivery of sermons.
If you were planning a
simcha, you would have
welcomed the news that
Hary Barnett and his or-
chestra returned from a
month's stint in South
Haven and had several
booking dates available.
The Metropolitan Detroit
office for the sale of U.S.
War Bonds and Stamps
urged women to purchase
victory corsages. They were
sold for $1 each and came
with nine 10-cent war
stamps.
For those with money to
invest, apartment proper-
ties in Detroit were being
touted as sound invest-
ments. Practically no new
apartments had been built
since 1929, and 1942 prices
were seen as less than half
of those of the 1920s; taxes,
operating costs, deprecia-
tion and interest were all
allowable income tax de-
ductions.
In case you were worried
about the war coming right
to our doorsteps, Fred A.
Ginsburg and Company, a
local insurance firm, was
advertising war injury in-
surance available for civil-
ians. It covered injury or
death resulting from enemy
attack or as a result of ac-
tion taken by the armed
forces of the U.S. in resist-
ing attack. The total cost
was $5.
Also for the price con-
scious, Scholnick's on
Washington Blvd, was hav-
ing a shirt sale, $2.15 each.
Sax-Hay, also downtown,
was offering dresses at $10 -
and $15; coats and suits for
$20.
Several couples added to
the population. Mr. and
Mrs. Nathan Slawin had a
daughter, Babette Berg;
Rabbi and Mrs. Max Weine
had a daughter, Judith
Hadassah; Mr. and Mrs.
William Weinberg had a
daughter, Elizabeth Ann.
❑
he Israeli consul gen-
eral to the Midwest
has been dismissed,
the apparent victim of dip-
lomatic rivalry and post-
election shuffling.
Yitschak Ben-Gad, a
Likud Party member, was
recalled from his post by the
new Labor government of
Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin. In his place will be
Arthur Avnon, 46, a veteran
of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and a former consul
general in Houston and
Boston. A former deputy
mayor of Netanya and the
author of Politics, Lies and
Videotape, Dr. Ben-Gad was
appointed consul general in
July 1991 by former Foreign
Minister David Levy, a close
friend. His term was not due
to expire until next spring.
The consul general to the
Midwest is responsible for
representing Israel to 11
central states, including
Michigan.
Dr. Ben-Gad was in Israel
when news of his recall was
leaked. to the independent
daily newspaper Ha'aretz.
Stories in the Israeli press
reported Foreign Ministry
criticism of Dr. Ben-Gad's
job performance. Articles
said Dr. Ben-Gad was un-
suitable for his post.
Israeli Consulate sources
say somebody may have fig-
ured the Chicago assign-
ment was open now that Yit-
zhak Shamir's Likud-led
government was out, and
that a carefully planted leak
in the right newspaper
would enhance an oppo-
nent's chances of becoming
Dr. Ben-Gad's replacement.
"What happened to Dr.
Ben-Gad isn't so unusual,"
the consulate worker said.
"Political appointments are
apt to change with a shift in
governments. What was
unusual was the under-
handed way it was handled."
Word that Dr. Ben-Gad
was dismissed triggered a
backlash within the Chicago
Jewish community. A rally
was held Aug. 5 in Chicago,
and Rabbi Michael Azose, of
the Sephardic Congregation
of the Portuguese Israelite
Fraternity, wrote a letter to
Shimon Peres, head of the
Foreign Ministry of Israel.
In his letter, the rabbi
criticized the ethics of the
leak and suggested that Dr.
Dr. Yitzhak Ben-Gad:
Out of a job.
Ben-Gad might have been
shifted because of his
Sephardic background.
Dr. Ben-Gad is the son of a
former chief rabbi of Libya.
Dr. Ben-Gad would not
comment on the rumors sur-
rounding his dismissal. All
he would say was how much
he enjoyed being consul gen-
eral and working with Jew-
ish community leaders.
"I think this year was very
hard for Israel," Dr. Ben-
Gad said. "We did every-
thing to promote the inter-
ests of Israel."
In the last year, Dr. Ben-
Gad made more than 400
media appearances in the
Midwest, answering ques-
tions dealing with the
aftermath of the Gulf War,
the Middle East peace con-
ference, loan guarantees and
the political ramifications of
Israeli elections.
Ezekiel Leikin, executive
vice president of the Detroit
chapter of the Zionist Organ
ization of America, said the
Israeli government is mak-
ing a mistake.
"He was a good man," Mr.
Leikin said. "He was alway.s
knowledgeable, intellectual
and not too partisan. Eve
his bulletins, which I receiv-
ed from time to time, did not
advocate Likud party lines.
He concentrated on defen
ding Israel."
"Ben-Gad has made a deep
impression on the Jews in
Detroit," said David Gad-
Hart executive director of
the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan
Detroit. "He was particular-
ly effective on a one-to-one
basis and in small groups. It
seems like only yesterday we
were throwing him a
welcome reception."
Mr. Gad-Harf said the con-
sul general was equally
effective with the news
media. "He spoke to the
news media from a person
point of view, sharing vi-
gnettes of his life."
Sivan Maas, of the Israel
Desk at the Jewish Corn-
munity Center, said the
decision to recall Dr. Ben-
Gad was internal andp
happens with changes in
government. "I am sorry to
see Dr. Ben-Gad go," she
said. "He was always ac-
cessible and we've had
wonderful cooperation with
the Israeli Consulate ill,
Chicago." ❑
Temple Israel Continues
Ties With Former Guests
DAVID KOTZEN-REICH
Staff Writer
T
he neat rows of beds
that lay last month on
the Temple Israel so-
cial hall floor are gone. But
the ties made between tem-
ple members and their
homeless guests continue.
A man who stayed at Tem-
ple Israel during the week
the congregation par-
ticipated in the South Oak-
land County Shelter pro-
gram now works at a temple
member's supply house. And
another young man who
stayed at Temple Israel now
works in the office of a prop-
erty management company
after a temple member ar-
ranged the job interview.
Members of Temple Israel
were surprised when, on the
Saturday night before the
shelter closed, they were
presented with a large
thank-you card from the
visitors.
"They walked in and
handed us this card that
talked about friendship and
being supportive," said Pam
Haron, chairman of the
shelter committee.
"Everyone had signed it."
Individual guests also
have sent separate cards. "I
just received one that says,
`Thank you for your help
during this difficult time,' "
Ms. Haron said. "A lot of
these people just needed