The Vaad Vetoes Registration
Letters For Tzedakah Solicitors
Federation Calls
To Detroit Jews
This column will be a week-
ly feature during The Jewish
News' anniversaiy year, look-
ing at The Jewish News of to-
day's date 50 years ago.
SY MANELLO
Special to The Jewish News
I
n response to a call for ser-
vice in behalf of our allies,
The Jewish News devoted
the front page to a letter from
Federation president Abra-
ham Srere, explaining the
fund-raising for the War
Chest. Readers were asked to
base a pledge on funds nor-
mally directed to the Allied
Jewish Campaign, USO, Com-
munity Fund and other war
relief appeals. The letter urged
readers to consider our re-
sponsibility as Jews, citizens
and humanitarians in an-
swering the expanded needs
the times presented.
In world news, the plight of
Jewry continued to be bleak.
France deported 500 children
from institutions; Jewish
refugees from Poland who
were stranded in Russia were
working on farms; Nazis exe-
cuted 95 Jews in Toropetz,
Russia; Jews who were being
driven out of Poland were no
longer sent by train but had to
make the several hundred
mile journey on foot. ,.
Locally, several prominent
names were in the news. Nate
Shapero was honored by De-
troit and Michigan leaders on
his 50th birthday. Julius Cha-
jes' cantata Zion, Rise and
Shine was published by the
Transcontinental Music Corp.
Henry Meyers was selected for
the presidency of the Metro-
politan Detroit USO. United
Hebrew Schools set a mem-
bership goal of 500 as a trib-
ute to Aaron Silberblatt,
membership enrollment chair-
man, on his 50th birthday.
Many of the area congrega-
tions were sponsoring varied
activities. Temple Israel was
to convene a youth symposium
to discuss problems discussed
in Rabbi Fram's sermon-re-
view of the book Washington
Is Like That. Young Israel of
Detroit, as part of an adult ed-
ucation program, was hosting
Rabbi Benjamin Groner,
speaking on "Anti-Semitism
After the War." Commence-
ment exercises for 8th grade
students were set at Congre-
gation Shaarey Zedek; Ber-
nice Adler, Shirley Dunitz
and Ruthven Simons were to
speak for the graduates.
For those who were seek-
ing entertainment, the field
of choice was wide. Kurt
Baum of the Metropolitan
Opera was scheduled to sing
at a concert at the Jewish
Community Center. Anoth-
er concert was set at the Art
Institute to mark the 17th an-
nual celebration of the
Sholem Aleichem Folk
Schools; Joseph Strughach
would entertain. Moses J. Sil-
verman, a cantor from Chica-
go, was to appear at a concert
on Jewish themes at the JCC.
If you sought to better your-
self through study, you could
have been among those who
signed up for one of the many
classes that the Center was
offering: first aid, nutrition,
Morse code, home nursing,
home craft and consumer
problems.
One prominent advertise-
ment made a direct appeal to
the indirect consumer. It was
addressed to "War Workers'
Wives" and urged them to
help lift the spirits of the hus-
bands coming home from the
war plant or office by serving
a cool glass of Schmidt's beer.
The women were reminded
that "A Lot Depends On You."
Among the many births re-
ported in the community at
this time were Sandra Elaine,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Max Prog; Renee Frances,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Samuel B. Wasserman; Don-
ald Melvyn, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Meyer Nadler. ❑
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Assistant Editor
A
plan by the Merkaz,
the laymen's associ-
ation of the Council of
Orthodox Rabbis (Vaad
Harabonim), to register
tzedakah (charity) solicitors
was cancelled last week
after the Vaad refused to en-
dorse the idea.
For the past year, the
Merkaz had been working on
a program that would re-
quire mishulachim, tzeda-
kah solicitors, to secure
a letter of approval before
seeking donations from
Detroit-area residents.
The letter, to be issued by
members of the Merkaz,
would have served a twofold
purpose, according to
Merkaz head Rabbi
Mordechai Wolmark. It
would stop fraudulent
solicitors and, at the same
time, enhance the status of
legitimate mishulachim.
The Vaad disagreed. In
what one member described
as "not a landslide vote by
any means," the Vaad opted
not to support the Merkaz
program out of concern it
could cause embarrassment
to those seeking donations.
"Some of us were concern-
ed about the potential in-
dignity," said Rabbi
Elimelech Goldberg, a mem-
ber of a three-man presidium
representing the Council of
Orthodox Rabbis since the
recent death of Vaad presi-
dent Rabbi Leizer Levin.
"The individual already has
to meet with great indignity
because he has to ask for
charity."
But members of the Jewish
community also are at risk.
Halachah (Jewish law)
asserts that a Jew must give
tzedakah to any fellow Jew
in need who requests assis-
tance. Observant Jews are
unlikely to turn away any-
one who comes to their door,
though they have no idea of
whether the mishulach is le-
gitimate.
A number of cities, in-
cluding Baltimore, Chicago
and Los Angeles, have in
place a mishulach program
such as the one the Merkaz
proposed for Detroit. Rabbi
Wolmark said the plan was
suggested locally after in-
cidents of fraud were re-
ported.
Furthermore, fraudulent
solicitors tend to cast a doubt
on all mishulachim because
the community becomes un-
sure of who to trust, he said.
The Merkaz's plan called
for meetings with the
mishulachim to verify their
affiliation with the institu-
tion they claim to represent.
Those individuals collecting
privately would be required
to provide references.
Because it already had es-
tablished a network of con-
tacts, the Merkaz would be
able to furnish letters of ap-
proval within about two
hours, Rabbi Wolmark said.
"We didn't plan to make
any recommendations about
how much people should
give" as is done in some
other cities, he added. "We
just wanted to know if the
person was legitimate and in
need of help."
The Vaad already requires
mishulachim representing )
institutions to secure a letter
of approval, though Vaad
members agree the policy ism
rarely enforced. "It's not
well publicized," Rabbi
Goldberg said.
For now, the Merkaz plans
to set aside its plan for a()
community-wide mishulach
program. However, some in'--
dividual rabbis who feel
strongly about the matter
plan to issue their own_
letters of approval.
Students Protest
Quizzes On Holidays
JENNIFER FINER
Special to The Jewish News
ewish students at Mich-
igan State University
are fuming because
their exams fall on the Jewish
holiday and they feel some
professors are not being
accommodating.
Although the university is
sending out messages to
students telling them it's OK
to miss class for the Jewish
holidays, many students will
still tell you they have exams
scheduled during the
holidays.
Some students have said
their instructors have been
very cooperative and
understanding, but still they
believe they should not have
to go through a hassle.
Amy Klein, a junior from
West Bloomfield, is furious
about her situation. She has
exams scheduled the day
before Yom Kippur, the day of
Yom Kippur and the day
after.
"The whole thing is
frustrating because I will be
missing class. Even if my pro-
fessors let me make up these
exams it is still a major in-
convenience," she said.
"These are the holiest Jewish
holidays; it's not like we are
talking about Chanukah or a
less religious holiday.
"They know when Easter
and Christmas are and they
do not make exams around
those days but my exams are
right on the holiday. It's fun-
ny that the day before
Thanksgiving one of my
classes was cancelled," she
added.
Dr. Mark Finkelstein, the
j
executive director of B'nai'
B'rith Hillel Foundation at
MSU, has listened to a hand-
ful of student complaints.
"The university knows the
problem exists and I am not
concerned about the outcome
of the situation," he said.
"This is not a new problem; it_
is a routine problem and
it is frustrating it
can be solved. I believe most I
of the faculty are sensitive to
general needs of students," he
said.
Some students
feel they are being
penalized.
Dr. Finkelstein attributes
this year's problems to the
turnover in the provost job
and in other areas through-
out the university as well as
_
the switch to a semester '
system.
Most students believe the
problem should not exist.
Memories of last year's-
Rosh Hashanah are still very
vivid in the minds of some
MSU students. The first day.`"
of class was also the first day
of Rosh Hashanah.
Heidi Brode, a senior from
Farmington Hills, feels she is's
being penalized because she
is Jewish and that makes her
angry. She has several quizzesci
on the holidays.
"I have one class where we
are allowed two absences
before we are penalized, but 72 _ - ;=
will be missing three for the
holidays. Even if my professor
does excuse my third absence: :
I will not be able to miss class'
for the rest of the term. It's
just not fair. I deserve to skip