years (of volunteering),"
said Harvey Bronstein,
who also serves on the
/\- board of Hebrew Free
Loan. "I'm really happy.
I'm getting some healthy
increases."
Super Weeks, an exten-
sion of Super Sunday,
\ ends today after a two-
/
week push for pledges.
Super Weeks involved 19
• congregations, as well as
youth and adult organiza-
tions, who volunteered to
make calls. Like the
Challenge Fund, Super
Weeks was designed to
combat the ailing econo-
my. It extended the time
during which potential
contributors could be so-
licited for money. Or-
ganizers say they are
encouraged by the number
of people donating time, as
well as money, to the
Campaign this year. The
Campaign continues
through the end of May.
Preparing to begin a
three-hour phone-calling
marathon, Tanya Ep-
shteyn smiled and said: "I
feel that this is very
important. People helped
me when I came, so now I
have to do something to
help others." ❑
Book Helps Parents,
Children Discuss Death
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSISTANT EDITOR
eventy years ago,
Louise gave her
father a drink of
water.
What happened immedi-
•
ately afterward cost her
immeasurable agony and
10 years of therapy.
Louise was 7 at the
time. Her father was hos-
pitalized, with medical
direction specifying "No
food or drink." But as her
father lay suffering,
Louise could not ignore his
plea for a glass of water.
He died minutes later.
Hoping to shield the
children, Louise's mother
did not discuss death in
her home.
So only when she was in
her 60s, and finally sought
therapy after years of
depression, did Louise
learn the truth: her fath-
er's passing was inevitable
and had nothing do with
the drink of water.
Robert Bodzin was trou-
bled by Louise's story and
by similar accounts he has
heard as funeral director
of Hebrew Memorial
Chapel. A new book he
wrote, Why Is Everyone
Crying?, is designed to
prevent such incidents.
The book is a guide to help
families talk with children
about death.
A Detroit native and
member of Temple Israel,
Mr. Bodzin studied psy-
chology at Oakland
University and mortuary
science at Wayne State
University.
In his work at Hebrew
Memorial — which in-
Robert Bodzin
cludes making funeral
arrangements and shiva
calls, and facilitating
bereavement groups —
Mr. Bodzin continued to
hear the same questions
from parents.
"They wanted to know,
`Should I let my boy come
Telling children
`You don't need to
know' can be
damaging.
to the funeral?' and
`Should he be allowed to
see Grandpa? (the
corpse)' "
So Mr. Bodzin began col-
lecting written material
about children and funer-
als which he would pass
out to parents — but
always with a disclaimer.
"It's a good article," he
would say. "But there's a
lot of information here
about cremation." Crema-
tion is not permitted under
Halachah, Jewish law.
Finding no books specifi-
cally addressing children
and death in the Jewish
community, Mr. Bodzin
decided to write his own.
He worked on Why Is
Everyone Crying? for about
a year, with the assistance
of his wife, Linda. It was
published by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel, where it
is available at no charge.
Keys in helping children
deal with death are listen-
ing and being ready to talk
about the issue, Mr.
Bodzin said. "Giving sup-
port and just being there
for the children also is one
of the most important
things a parent can do."
Children must not be
forced to do anything, but
neither should they be
excluded from a funeral if
they express interest in
attending.
Telling children, "You
don't need to know" or "It's
better if you stay away"
can be damaging.
"Children have imagina-
tions," he said. "Try to
imagine what they are
visualizing when they
hear that Grandpa is dead,
and they see everyone in
the family crying."
Like Louise, most adults
today were shielded from
death in their youth. "You
sheltered the children and
didn't let them go to funer-
als," Mr. Bodzin said. "And
HEBREW page 16
50 YEARS AGO...
An Eye-Opening
Psychological Study
SY MANELLO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
he Jewish News de-
voted a two-page
spread to a study of
an American Jew's
reactions to anti-Semitism,
an analysis by Marie Syr-
kin. The essay studied an
"average" American Jew
who is confused by anti-
Semitic blasts and articles
as he tries to do his duty
as an air raid warden.
In England, at a meeting
of the Board of Deputies of
British Jews, a delegation
urged a follow-up to the
Allied declaration to the
Germans and their satel-
lites of their responsiblity
for the lives of Jews in
their countries. At the
same time, Lord Halifax,
British ambassador to the
United States, spoke at a
temple in Rochester, N.Y.,
appealing to Christians of
the world to aid persecuted
Jews.
A Jewish Argentine
businessman lodged his
protest against Nazi bar-
barism by outright donat-
ing his farm of 50 acres for
the care of Jewish orphans
and aged people.
Locally, the Jewish
Center facilities were
made available to men of
all faiths wearing the uni-
forms of the United States
and Canadian armed
forces. A program of so-
cial, cultural and athletic
activities was provided at
all times, free of charge. At
the USO lounge at the
Center, some of the host-
esses were asked to shop
for the servicemen; and a
sewing service was imple-
mented with buttons and
chevrons being first and
second in priority.
President Roosevelt cele-
brated his 61st birthday
this weekend and the
event was marked by a
stage show at the Fox
Theater with the proceeds
donated to the President's
Fund for the relief of infan-
tile paralysis. A birthday
message to the president,
sent by Dr. Israel Gold-
stein of the Synagogue
Council of America, ap-
peared as an editorial in
this issue of the paper.
The names-in-the-news
items included the follow-
ing:
William Hordes, Detroit
T
Zionist leader, was elected
a member of the national
board of YIVO, headquar-
tered in New York. Isaac
Franck, director of the
Jewish Community C01111-
cil, was named one of the
judges of the second annu-
al literary competition for
the Tompkins Memorial
Awards at Wayne Univer-
sity. Harry Yudkoff pre-
sided at the B'nai B'rith
Million Dollar War Bond
Rally at Temple Beth El.
The Jewish Community
Center held its annual
meeting and new posts
were announced. Mrs.
Samuel R. Glogower was
reelected president; other
officers were Mrs. Joseph
M. Welt and H.C. Broder,
vice presidents; Daniel G.
Cullen, secretary; Samuel
H. Rubiner, treasurer.
New members of the board
of directors were Edward
Rose and Saul Saulson.
Our servicemen always
were of interest as they
defended us abroad. The
community was, therefore,
deeply saddened by two
losses. Cpl. Max Bern-
stein, a tank technician,
was killed in North Africa;
Theodore Houseman of
Muskegon, a U.S. Navy
ship's cook, lost his life in
enemy action.
And what were readers
learning about news 20
years prior? The anti-
Jewish movement in
Rumania was under the
protection of Crown Prince
Carol; Vladimir Jabotin-
sky's letter of resignation
from the Zionist organiza-
tion was made public in
London; thousands at-
tended the Paris funeral of
Dr. Max Nordau, veteran
Zionist leader; the Soviet
government approved the
establishment of a net-
work of Jewish credit
institutions in the Uk-
raine and other parts of
Russia; and professor
Albert Einstein was sched-
uled to tour Hebrew Uni-
versity in Jerusalem.
Of course, there were
several young men who
entered into the covenant
as bar mitzvah boys. This
week the list included
Richard Irwin Kurland,
Burton Sheldon Rissman
and Hillel Sloan. ❑