e
1993 Campaign Challenge
Aims For $27.5 Million Goal
50 YEARS AGO...
War Chest Drive
Aids Three Causes F
PHIL JACOBS
Managing Editor
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
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o help make more real
the aid that our contri-
butions would bring
about, the front page was
made up of a collage of pic-
tures, representative of the
three areas the War Chest
Campaign would serve: our
fighting men, our allies and
the home front. The photos
were of Jewish children
dumped in a Polish border
town, an air raid nursery in
Tel Aviv, displaced residents
of Chunking after an air raid
and a soldier in a USO club-
house.
Elsewhere in the world
news, Britain was called upon
to make a new Palestine pact
since it had made agreements
with other allies for the post-
war period. For the first time
in 41 years, the city of London
elected a Jew, Sir Samuel
Joseph, as its Lord Mayor.
Nazi authorities in the
Ukraine issued an order for-
bidding intermarriage be-
tween Jews and Ukrainians.
Inventiveness is never at a
standstill, and two new items
attested to that fact. From
Palestine came a report that
the manufacture of soap from
milk had been developed in a
settlement in the Upper
Galilee district. Locally,
Supreme-Aire, Inc., owned by
George Wise, produced anew
type of furnace grate that
would enable every owner of
a gun-type oil burner furnace
to change to coal in 10 min-
utes.
The Detroit area was host
to several important people
who brought words and mu-
sic to audiences. Dr. Arieh
Tartakower, author and Pol-
ish-Jewish refugee, addressed
the Federation of Polish Jews
banquet; pianist Sergei Rach-
maninoff was set for a concert
at Masonic Auditorium; Car-
men Amaya, flamenco dancer,
was to appear at Detroit Town
Hall. In addition, the first
unit of a newly organized
USO Red Cross vaudeville
caravan was scheduled for a
rally to be held at Temple
Beth El. Max Osnos, presi-
dent of Sam's Cut Rate, Inc.
concluded arrangements for
the presentation of 21 con-
certs by the Detroit Sympho-
ny Orchestra.
Always concerned about
deadlines but desiring to get
local news in the paper in
timely fashion, The Jewish
News printed a reminder to
readers about the curtail-
ment of mail deliveries and
urged that publicity be
mailed earlier or brought in
to the offices in person.
There was special reason
for pride on the part of fami
lies of two servicemen. Sgt.
Sheldon Zuieback reported
that his studies at United He-
brew Schools helped him con-
duct a Friday evening service
"somewhere at sea" since his
squadron did not have a Jew-
ish chaplain. Pvt. Abraham
I. Cohen sent a check, saved
from his army pay, for the
War Relief Fund.
Before CDs and tapes,
there were phonograph
records; remember? In 1942,
an ad by Dexter Radio Co. in-
formed readers that the com-
pany carried the largest
selection of Jewish records in
Michigan. Fashion-conscious
women were being urged, in
an ad by Himelhoch's, to try
sheer rayon hose, a product
of "months of research." The
men, not to be left behind in
dressing up, were attracted
to an ad from Brothers Shirt
Makers that offered made-to-
measure shirts for $2.50 and
up. And if you are still reel-
ing from your latest bank
charges, you can appreciate
the five cent per item charge
that Industrial National
Bank was making available.
Several future readers
were born and joyfully record-
ed in this edition. Frances
Janet was born to Mr. and
Mrs. James Aftel; Morris was
born to Dr. and Mrs. Joseph
G. Weiss; Alan Michael was
the new arrival at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel. ❑
ollowing what Jewish
Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit
officials deemed a "flat"
1991-92 Allied Jewish Cam-
paign of $26 million, a 1992-
93 goal of $27.5 million was
announced at a Sunday
night meeting of donors.
To help reach that goal,
the Campaign, which is be-
ing chaired by Doreen
Hermelin and Norman
Pappas, is going to start a
special Challenge Fund. The
concept, which has been
implemented successfully in
Philadelphia, Houston and
Montreal, will have a mat-
ching fund add a dollar to
each additional dollar do-
nated over last year's Cam-
paign. For every dollar con-
tributed by a new donor, the
matching fund will add $2.
The funds will be provided
by a special group of donors
in addition to their regular
annual gift.
Both Mrs. Hermelin and
Mr. Pappas underscored the
Campaign's sense of urgen-
cy. Even with a $26 million
Campaign, local agency di-
rectors were faced with cut-
backs while still being asked
to provide a high level of
services due in large part to
the recession.
Also, Campaign was hurt
in a different, more ironic
way. Because Israel seems to
be living more at peace with
its Arab neighbors instead of
war, the urgency to give
seems to be less. The Cam-
paign leaders said a quiet
time in Israel does not lessen
the immediacy of its needs,
especially with a continuing
flow of immigrants from the
Soviet Union.
"There is still a possibility
that conditions for Jews in
the former Soviet Union
could worsen and result in a
million more leaving for
Israel," said Mrs. Hermelin.
Mr. Pappas said the influx
of former Soviet Jews into
the Detroit Jewish commun-
ity has also taxed Federation
constituent agencies. Yet, he
added, everyone is being
helped. History, he said, will
show this to be a time of the
miracle of the Soviet Jewish
exodus, but it will also show
that the exodus came at a
time of world recession.
"Our agencies are working
hard without increases,"
said Mr. Pappas. "We have
New Federation president David Page, Butzel Award recipient Wiliam
Davidson and outgoing president Mark Schlussel.
people out of work, people
who can't pay their rent and
people who can't buy food.
Our local community is
under a lot of pressure to get
the dollars to help our peo-
ple. And that's not just here.
A lot of people don't realize
that we're helping Jews in
Yugoslavia, in Israel and
other parts of the world as
well as here in Detroit."
Both Campaign leaders
stressed the need for new
volunteers and new con-
tributors. They also said
that more people, especially
those who have not given in
the past, have to better
understand the community's
needs.
Mr. Pappas pointed to the
successful Miracle Mission
as a way to educate the
community to the needs of
Israel. Miracle Mission's in-
itial goal was to fly one El Al
plane from Detroit
Metropolitan Airport with
perhaps 200 community
members aboard. The April
1993 trip has grown to three
planes and over 1,100 peo-
ple. It's that sort of excite-
ment that the Campaign
leaders are hoping to ge-
nerate on a more domestic
level as well.
"We are all challenged,"
said Mr. Pappas. "If Jewish
people don't care for other
Jewish people, others
won't." ❑
Vandals Attack Cars
During High Holidays
LESLEY PEARL
Staff Writer
w
hile Dr. Alan Bellen
was celebrating
Rosh Hashanah,
some people made sure he
did not have the happiest of
new years.
Vandals spray painted
several cars outside Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah during the
Jewish New Year. Mr.
Bellen's minivan was one of
the vehicles hit.
Dr. Belen parked his van
at the Yeshiva Sunday, Sept.
27, and planned to pick it up
Tuesday night. Tuesday
morning, on the way to ser-
vices, he and others found
their vehicles emblazoned
with anti-Semitism —
swastikas and obscenities.
According to Sgt. Ted
Quisenberry of the
Southfield police, four
reports were filed Tuesday
evening, following the end of
the holiday. He said police
are investigating the case
but have no leads at this
time.
In addition to vandalizing
the cars with swastikas and
obscenities, the individuals
painted the surrounding
fence and deck behind
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. The
building was not damaged.
"This is just a reminder
that anti-Semitism still ex-
ists," Dr. Bellen said. "Do not
think because you live in
Southfield you are immune
to it." ❑