There are 34 graves of men, women and children whose families have long since left the area.
Grabowsky's death, in 1916,
Verdun had been the site of one
of the most horrendous battles
of World War I, where more
men died per square yard than
ever in history.
Less than two weeks after Mr.
Grabowsky's death, on Nov. 11,
1918, the Armistice was signed.
bership has dwindled to about
5,000.
In Detroit, the Free Sons of
Israel was represented by the
Montefiore Lodge, Number 12,
founded in 1864.
Although several longtime
members are still alive, the De-
troit chapter of the organization
disbanded years ago.
Soon after its founding, Mon-
ounded in
1849, the Free Sons of tefiore Lodge established a
cemetery on the
, Israel was a
northeast corner of
Jewish frater-
Mack and Mt. Elliott
nal order comprising
on Detroit's near
mostly German im-
from the
east side. Then, the
migrants. Its head-
site was still rural;
quarters were in
today, it is a neigh-
New York, and its
borhood of burned-
main benefit was
out houses and
burial, though it also
illegal dump sites, a
maintained an in-
dry wasteland that
surance and schol-
this is the first
looks like a scene
arship fund as well
in a series on
from a movie about
as a credit union.
Detroit's Jewish
life in the city of
The organization
oemetcries.
hard
times.
is still extant today,
On the grounds of
but national mem-
F
STORIES
G \RDENS
STO\
the former cemetery there is a
two-story brick building paint-
ed yellow, the downstairs of
which is a nameless grocery
store, with upper floors serving
as apartments. Next door is the
Canton China and Equipment
Co.
The Montefiore Lodge com-
prised mostly Temple Beth El
members. Many had family, or
were themselves, businessmen
and leaders who figured promi-
nently in Detroit's early Jewish
history. Among them were
Henry Krolik, who in 1902 gave
money to purchase land for the
Hannah Schloss Building, De-
troit's first Jewish community
center; Simon Cohen, who
owned a millinery store on
Woodward; Herman Freedman,
who, with his wife, Clara, had a
dry-goods business on Madison
Avenue; Herman Freund; Hugo
Hill; Moses Marx; Morris S.
Myers, a cigar manufacturer
whose shop was on Michigan
Avenue; Louis Rosenfield, a
clerk; Louis Sussman, a furrier;
Emanuel H. Van Baalen; and
Philip Weiss, a salesman.
By the early 1880s, members
discussed finding a new burial
ground, as the Mt. Elliott site
needed drainage, connection to
city sewers and a constant
watchman. On Aug. 19, 1883,
an incident occurred that would
further spur their interest in
moving: drunks entered the