cause of its close relationship with the Workmen's Circle and its resort, the Colony. Lifelong summer residents believe the Workmen's Circle brought an air of co- operative, left-wing Judaism to the sub- division. One member recalls that "it got so socialist in the 1930s that they wouldn't fly the Jewish (later Israeli) or the American flag." Another says that "most of the original members were so- cialists or Bund members back in Eu- rope. During World War II, we got into Bond drives and other patriotic things. There was even a Russian relief party, and (U.S. Socialist Party founder) Nor- man Thomas spoke here." The Colony also provided a Jewish cul- tural presence on the shores of Lake Michigan: Yiddish music, theater and book clubs, communal meals, bonfires, group sings and softball games. "There were extremely talented peo- ple at the camp — Shendel Kalish, a well- known radio soap-opera actress in the 1940s, and Shimon Rabinowitz, who was the head of one of the major Jewish- American organizations," Mr. Shochet says. Sophie Germaine cites similar "touch- es with greatness." "We've had our share of famous peo- ple — Michael Filoman, Aaron Ruben, Henry Sharp, all Hollywood writ- ers and producers, and Leo Rosten, the author of The Joys of Yiddish, used to come here as a child, too." The first generation re- flected the working-class roots of American Jewry: plumbers, carpenters, painters, tailors, factory workers, storekeepers, salesmen. Escaping the summer heat, families originally took trains or boats (Mr. Shochet re- members shipboard gam- bling that lasted into the 1960s). Until the completion of the interstate high- ways, driving to South Haven could be a six- to eight-hour ordeal. "In the 1920s, there were only dirt roads," Ms. Germaine says. Ultimately, what brought them to the Mt. Pleasant subdivision was not political idealism but relief from the heat. "Everything was social. It was before TV and air conditioning, and most of us lived in stifling apartments," says Sophie Germaine's son, Jerry Wretzky. From the 1920s through the 1960s, families came to Mt. Pleasant shortly af- . ter the end of the public school year and stayed until Labor Day. Wives and chil- dren were there all summer. Husbands commuted on the weekends. Before World War II, few cars were available during the week and, as a re- sult, Mt. Pleasant relied heavily on "the Store," a small grocery in the subdivision that closed in 1977. The gathering of household essentials reflected much of the way life was lived in the early part of the century: an ice man went from house to house; a local baker took orders; milk was delivered di- rectly to the doorstep; area farmers vis- ited Mt. Pleasant and sold produce from their carts. Mr. Shochet remembers that his moth- er only bought meat during the week- ends — when his father could drive her into town. Life in the subdivision was simple. For many years, there were no televisions, washing machines or furnaces, and the only phone was in "the Store." Surprisingly, the women preferred this surfeit of modern conveniences. Right: Milton and Rochelle Shochet Below: Jocelyn McCoy (Sophie's daughter), Stefanie Roznowski (Sophie's great- granddaughter), Sophie Lipshutr Germaine and Dick McCoy (Sophie's son-in-law). "And they wouldn't speak Hebrew — only Yiddish." Mt. Pleasant also had Saturday morning services (which the social- ist members would not attend), bridge tournaments that raised money for Jewish charities and Fri- day night campfires with tea and Hebrew singing. During the polio scares of the 1940s and 1950s, families would stay through the High Holidays and conduct their Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services at Mt. Pleas- ant. Residents describe childhood summers at Mt. Pleasant as the happiest days of their lives: softball, Ms. Germaine explains that appliances trips to the beach, picnics, rowdy games "would have been too much like 'back of cowboys and Indians. A community bus drove to South Haven several times home,' too much work." While the Colony next door provided a day where there were movies, stores, Yiddish culture, adult life at Mt. Pleas- and "the Corner," a favorite teen-age ant also was thoroughly Jewish. Com- hangout. Jocelyn McCoy, Sophie Germaine's munity meetings were held in Yiddish, which assured that the leadership of the daughter, recalls going every night for subdivision remained firmly in the hands ice cream and pinball. "We played cards and mah-jongg and socialized and lis- of the founders. 'When I was a boy, it seemed that Mr. tened to the radio." Mr. Shochet speaks fondly of his nights Tankus was always president (of the sub- division). I always thought Roosevelt, at the budke (Russian for "little house"), (Chicago) Mayor Kelly, and Mr. Tankus a gazebo near the beach where 30 to 40 would last forever," Mr. Shochet says. teens would gather after dark. "Ultimately, what brought them to the Mt. Pleasant subdivision was not political idealism but relief from the heat."