DETROIT
Finnish Exchange Student
Seeks Detroit Jewish Home
50 YEARS AGO...
Nazis In Caucasus
Threaten Palestine F
LESLEY PEARL
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
A
t this point in the
war, the steady ad-
vance of the Nazi
armies in the Caucasus
posed the greatest threat to
Palestine. Our readers were
apprised of the dangers
posed by the proposed pin-
cer drive that would endan-
ger Syria, Palestine and the
Suez Canal. The lull in
fighting in Egypt had every-
one holding his breath.
On the American front,
there were heartening sto-
ries of efforts to aid Euro-
pean Jews. In New York, 15
synagogues and churches
planned a national cam-
paign for financial assis-
tance. Mass meetings were
planned to ask to have mer-
cy food shipments made to
the starving Jews in the Pol-
ish ghettos.
The Jewish News' Philip
Slomovitz prepared a spe-
cial page for this issue. It
was a short history of the
Jews of Detroit. Among the
facts reported were several
firsts: the first Jewish con-
gregation in Michigan —
Beth El founded in 1850; the
first communitywide drive
of the Jewish Welfare Fed-
eration in 1926 — 3,000 con-
tributors.
Camp was not just for
children this August 50
years ago. Farband Camp
at Chelsea presented a
week-long seminar for
adults which featured
among the speakers Abe
T-wersky and Rabbi Morris
Adler. Two of the lectures
dealt with Yiddish theater
in Jewish life and the role of
Shabbat. A Palestinian pro-
gram was planned to end
the seminar.
Two new clergy in the
area were preparing their
debuts. Rabbi Herschel Ly-
mon, the new minister of ed-
14
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1992
ucation, was readying his
first Shabbat sermon at
Beth El while Cantor
Moshe Ber Gordon was tun-
ing up for the High Holy
Days at B'nai David.
Members, then as now,
were the mainstay of any
organization; and so drives
were on to recruit. Isidore
Sosnick was named chair-
man of the membership dri-
ve launched by the Detroit
Mizrachi Zionist Organiza-
tion. Mrs. Jerome Kanter,
chairman of the Temple Is-
rael Red Cross Unit, issued
an appeal for workers. Ja-
cob Meyer of Pontiac was
heading a drive to enroll
members in the Zionist Or-
ganization of America from
the Pontiac Jewish corn-.
munity.
Tradition is always an
important part of Jewish
community life. In 1942,
the Jewish National Fund
Council of Detroit was con-
tinuing a year-old tradition
of sending a scroll of names
of Detroiters as a message
of cheer to the Jews of
Palestine. William Hordes,
president of the council, re-
ported that nearly 1,000
names had been appended.
What makes you think
that a health-conscious at-
titude is a product of the
'90s? Our paper carried an
ad from the Spa Baths on
Library for six treatments
to lose pounds and inches
for only $9. For the young
men who were planning
back-to-school wardrobes,
Sam's Cut Rate, Inc. was of-
fering novelty sweaters for
$1.69 and fancy dress shirts
for $1.09. Robinson Furni-
ture Company offered to
light up our lives with crys-
tal table lamps starting at
$13.95.
Bar mitzvahs of note this
weekend were listed for
Henry Lonn.erstater and
Gilbert Gibbs. Betty Craine
announced her engagement
to Arthur L. Benson. Wed-
ding vows were exchanged
by Pearl Schlussel and Ben-
nie Mirkin; Muriel Gesche-
lin and Alexander Seskin.
❑
or several years, Sha-
ron Hemmermann
dreamed of coming to
the United States to study.
Last summer she convinc-
ed her mother she was ready
for the adventure. However,
upon arriving from Finland
one week ago in Michigan,
Mrs. Hemmermann's fears
of sending her youngest
daughter abroad alone were
verified.
Sixteen years old and
alone in Detroit, Miss Hem-
mermann found herself
without suitable living ar-
rangements for the next
year.
Miss Hemmermann ap-
plied last summer for
overseas studies with Youth
"Cultures are
different but we
would have the
common tie of
Judaism."
Sharon Hemmermann
For Understanding, an
organization matching
students with host families
around the world.
One month before her
departure for the United
States, Miss Hemmermann
visited her grandparents in
Israel, where she received
her housing assignment
from a Michigan field officer
for Youth For Understan-
ding.
Miss Hemmermann was
bound for Grand Rapids to
stay with a family that
neither smoked nor had pets,
necessary because of her
allergies and asthma. In ad-
dition, Miss Hemmermann
was to attend an arts school.
A few days later, Miss
Hemmermann received a
letter from the Finland office
of Youth For Understanding
contradicting the previous
letter. It said no match home
had been found, but that
upon arrival she would stay
with a gentile family for a
few weeks until a suitable
home could be located. The
family offered accommoda-
tions for six months.
According to Barbara
Nelson, Youth For Under-
standing field manager for
Oakland County, the art
school in Grand Rapids did
not have any available open-
ings for Miss Hemmermann.
Ultimately the decision is up
to the school, Ms. Nelson
said.
Confused and unsure, Miss
Hemmermann packed her
bags and headed for the
United States. Her file was
transferred to the Detroit
area in hopes of finding a
Jewish family.
A Youth For Understan-
ding field manager con-
tacted David and Judy
Goldis in Farmington Hills,
following the suggestion of a
Jewish family in Trenton.
Both families are members
of Congregation Beth
Achim. Mr. and Mrs. Goldis
were not looking to host an
exchange student, but
agreed to have Miss Hem-
mermann stay temporarily.
The working schedules of
Mr. and Mrs. Goldis make it
impossible for Miss Hem-
mermann to stay longer.
A gentile family in Port
Huron has offered Miss
Hemmermann their home,
but neither she, her family,
nor the Goldis family feel it
would be the proper envi-
ronment.
"Before I left, my mother
insisted I stay with a Jewish
family. Cultures are diff-
erent but we would have the
common tie of Judaism,"
Miss Hemmermann said.
Although Youth For
Understanding will attempt
to fill requests for specific re-
ligious and cultural
backgrounds, nothing is
c±,
Miss Hemmermann:
An 11-month home.
guaranteed, Ms. Nelson
said. Their main concern is
getting Sharon settled with
a family before school
begins.
Miss Hemmermann is not
concerned about the obser-
vance level of her host fami-
ly. She refers to herself as a
"traditional Jew" — abs-
taining from both pork ands -
the mixing of dairy and
meat. She is fluent in Heb-'
rew in addition to English,
Swedish and her native
Finnish.
Anyone interested in hous-
ing Miss Hemmermann,
through July 1993 should
contact her and Judy Goldis
at 626-1181, or Barbara
Nelson, 852-7804.
❑
Bar-Ilan U. Celebrates
Its Detroit Founding
JENNIFER FINER
Jewish News Intern
A
group of Detroit-area
Jews shared a vision
of establishing a
major university in Israel.
Now, they are celebrating
the 40th anniversary of Bar-
Ilan University's Detroit fi-
nancial founding.
On Sept. 9, a dinner at
Adat Shalom Synagogue
will honor that event.
The focus of this year's
dinner is to acknowledge the
Detroit area Bar-Ilan
Friends group and to raise
scholarship money for the
large number of Russian and
Ethiopian immigrants at the
university.
This scholarship money
will help as many of the uni-
versity's 700 Russian and 35
Ethiopian students as possi-
ble. Detroiters have already
adopted 130 of these-
students.
The history of Bar-Ilan
stems back to Professor Pin-
chas Churgin from the
Yeshiva University in New
York. He envisioned estab-
lishing a university in the'
Tel Aviv area and thought it
should make Jewish studies
an emphasis for all students.
Professor Churgin met
Detroiter Phillip Stollman
and the idea took root.
In 1952, the first parlor'
meeting took place in the
Detroit home\of the late Ab-
raham and Laura Nusbaum.
In the fall of 1955, Bar-Ilan
University opened its doors.
Some 15,000 students now
attend Bar-Ilan.
❑