DETROIT
A New Year:
Hopes For Peace
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 Jewish News devoted
the front page of the Rosh
Hashanah issue to a
drawing depicting the figures
of Justice and a man with a
Torah looking to clouds in-
scribed with the words "Peace
Through Victory." This was
truly the wish in all minds as
the High Holy Days ap-
proached, just as it is a con-
tinuing wish today.
This edition brought the
words of many famous writers
to the Jewish community.
There was an article on the
role of Jewish agencies by.
Stephen Wise; Eddie Cantor
offered some personal obser-
vations on the importance of
the UJA; Sholem Asch con-
tributed a prayer for Palestine.
In addition to the greetings
from members of the commu-
nity, there were formal greet-
ings from Governor Murray
Van Wagoner and Mayor Ed-
ward Jefferson.
Local Detroit groups were
busy planning for a new sea-
son of activities. Ben F. Gold-
man was named chairman of
Pisgah Lodge's 85th anniver-
sary celebration to take place
in November. The sale of
bonds and stamps was aided
through funds raised at a par-
ty given at Schiff and Moss
Hall on Joy Road; Roseeta Co-
hen and her music pupils pro-
vided the program. An
Avukah conclave in Chelsea
honored four Detroiters: Eve-
lyn Sislin, Shirley Sleeper, Ed-
ward Goldfarb and Elise
Zeme.
A man whose architectur-
al genius is seen throughout
the area even today was hon-
ored by a citation from the
American Institute of Archi-
tects. Albert Kahn was recog-
14
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1992
nized as a master builder.
It was nice to know that
readers recognized the effort
put forth by our paper in fair
reporting. A letter to the ed-
itor from Mrs. S. M. Shorr
commended the paper's
"diplomatic and impartial
stand" on reporting the prob-
lems faced by the Jewish The-
ater Guild.
As the community looked
forward to the year 5703, the
paper took space to remind
readers of events that were in
the news 20 years previously.
Among the items noted were:
the publishing of the Pales-
tine constitution led to the or-
der for a census of all
inhabitants of the country;
anti-Jewish riots were taking
place in Budapest; a procla-
mation issued by the Soviet
Ministry of Foreign Affairs de-
clared that people should ad-
just themselves to Jews
playing an active part in the
government; the Cable Act,
which provides that Ameri-
can women would not lose
their citizenship when mar-
rying citizens of other coun-
tries and that alien women
marrying Americans will not
automatically receive citizen-
ship, was passed by the Sen-
ate and sent to the president.
For those who are enjoy-
ing the new Hillel building in
Ann Arbor, we would like to
recall that it was in 1942 that
B'nai B'rith auxiliaries out-
lined plans for a new Hillel
building at U-M. It was to be
furnished in Swedish Modern
Motif and would include an
auditorium reading room,
large social lounge, music
rooms, ping pong rooms and
a chapel. Living space for 10
young men was also to be con-
structed.
To leave readers on a
sweet note for the new year,
there was a favorite recipes
column with details on
preparing a honey cake with
honey icing: 35 minutes of
baking led to an all-time fa-
vorite .
❑
Hillel Teachers Strike
Ends After Compromises
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Assistant Editor
A
week-long teacher
strike that delayed
opening day at Hillel
Day School ended on Mon-
day, with both school admin-
istrators and teachers mak-
ing compromises.
School opened on Wednes-
day after the two groups set-
tled on a 16 percent raise
over three years. School offi-
cials at first proposed a 12
percent raise over the same
period; teachers originally
requested 30 percent, then
said they would settle for 20
percent.
Hillel President Martin
Gene described the talks as
amicable. He said officials
agreed to the 12 percent in-
crease "because we wanted
to bring the kids back to
school. The compromise
means it will be better for
the school, better for the
teachers, better for all those
involved."
During negotiations, some
thought was given to con-
sulting a bet din, a religious
court, to settle the issue.
"But it wasn't anything we
followed very far," Mr. Gene
said. Both parties were
eager to settle the matter on
their own, he added.
Hillel already has raised
this year's tuition from
$4,875 to $5,300. Admin-
istrators said the move was
necessary to maintain
upkeep on the building and
to continue speciality
courses and small classroom
size, as well as to accom-
modate an increase in stu-
dent population, including a.
number of new scholarship
families.
Mr. Gene said school offi-
cials will "look to different
avenues" to find money for
the teachers' raises. "We'''
need community support
and will have to place a
higher focus on fund rais-
ing."
Teachers could not be
reached for comment. They
were back at work in the
classroom. ❑
MetroHillel Hires
A New Director
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
he B'nai B'rith Hillel
Foundations of
Metropolitan Detroit
have found a replacement
for former director Rabbi Eli
Finkelman.
Miriam Starkman, a
former youth director at
Adat Shalom Synagogue and
assistant director at Camp
Ramah in Canada, will
commence working on Mon-
day. Ms. Starkman, 26, is a
native Detroiter.
Rabbi Finkelman resigned
at the beginning of the
summer, after 14 years as
Hillel director, to take a
pulpit position near the
University of California —
Berkeley. His resignation
came while MetroHillel was
struggling with a $40,000
budget deficit caused by the
cessation of funding from the
national Hillel Foundation.
MetroHillel includes pro-
gramming for Jewish
students at Wayne State
University, Oakland Uni-
versity, Lawrence Techno-
logical University and
Oakland Community College.
Kurt Singer, president of
the MetroHillel board, said a
fund-raising campaign to
make up the deficit is in its
infancy, and selection of a
new director will help the
campaign.
Mr. Singer could not say
how much of the deficit,
which amounts to 25 percent
of the MetroHillel budget,
has been made up. He said
fund raising fell behind after
Rabbi Finkelman left and
the office secretary had
vacation and surgery.
"But we are still receiving
payments on pledges made
at our annual spring party,
and a mailing will go out
soon to our Friends of Hillel.
We will be able to do much
more fund raising when our
new director has found her
sea legs," Mr. Singer said.
Ms. Starkman spent last
year at the University of
Michigan. She earned a
Master's in social work and
is completing a certificate in
Jewish communal service
through Project STaR. While
at U-M, she did a field
placement as a school social
worker at Hillel Day School.
She also assisted Harlene
Appelman with the Giles
Commission study of Jewish
education in the Detroit
area.
Miriam Starkman:
At MetroHillel.
Ms. Starkman has no
plans for sweeping changes
in the MetroHillel programs.
"Right now, I'm just learn-.
ing what it's all about," she
said. "I plan to look at staff.
ing and program and talk to
the students." ❑
Walk-a-thon Aids
Changing Families
LESLEY PEARL
Staff Writer
ne in four children
live in a single-parent
family, according to a
1990 Newsweek study.
Rainbows For All Chil-
dren, a support group offered
through the National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women's
SPACE program, addresses
the loss and special needs
children experience through
divorce, separation or death
•
of a parent.
The 12-session program,
beginning again Oct. 28,
serves as a peer-support
group for children ages 5 to
16. During the 40-minute
sessions parents attend
positive parenting meetings.
SPACE and Rainbows For
All Children is just one of
many programs offered by
NCJW.
Sept. 20 at 10:15 a.m.,
local residents can join t
walk-a-thon at the South-
field Civic Center to