ABRAMSON page 8

man also confided that he found it
hard to form friendships because
he didn't know if people were in-
terested in him or his money.
As .Mr. Abramson's health de-
teriorated, Dave Orzechowski, the
hotel manager, offered to help him
get nursing care from the state.
"No," Mr. Abramson said sim-
ply, "I like it here."
On April 3, his 82nd birthday,
Irvin Abramson was rushed to the

hospital with chest pains. Dehy-
drated and gaunt, he had lost
nearly 70 pounds. Before he died
that evening, he told a nurse that
he had no loved ones, that they
were all gone.
A search of his junk-filled car
turned up piles of mail, as well as
$8 in cash, some apples, corn
flakes, stale boxes of Ritz crack-
ers, soiled clothing and $580 in
1985 travelers checks.

Sifting deeper, police found the
millions in securities and a sim-
ple two-page will, drafted a decade
ago.
He had given 10 percent of his
fortune to the yeshiva that served
him hard-boiled eggs. The rest
went to the New York City or-
phanage and rabbinical school.
He had not burned his assets
after all. Yet he had left his fam-
ily nothing. ❑

A Closer Look

Women's Division celebrates 50 years of service.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

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THE

JEWISH NEWS

(810) 354-6620

by Women's Division volunteers
who combed through a mountain
of archival photos and documents
during the past eight months.
"We wanted it to be inspira-
tional and archival and encom-
passing and as educational as
possible," Ms. Klein said. "And
we wanted it to be fun."
Women's Division also plans a
musical revue, including singing
and dancing numbers performed
by members, to take place May
29 at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield. A lun-
cheon will follow.

❑

PH OTOS BY DANIEL LI PPITT

T

he small group of women reach and education. Addition-
who founded the Women's ally, photos also document lun-
Division of the Jewish Fed- cheons, performances and
eration of Metropolitan De- retreats the division has spon-
troit couldn't have imagined that sored.
50 years later there would be
While the sections attracted
such a celebration of the organi- attention, many gathered at dis-
zation's work.
plays of hats, gloves, purses and
But an opening of an archival handkerchiefs worn or used by
exhibit this week at the Jewish members at earlier meetings and
Community Center kicked off a gatherings. They marked great
commemoration of the accom- changes in fashions from the
plishments of the division since
1940s through the 1990s.
that first meeting.
Another display showed the
"This is a wonderful way to transformation of telephone tech-
capture all that the Women's Di- nology from the post-war era to
vision has done for the Jewish the current
community," said Linda Z. Klein, pocket-sized
Women's Division president.
cellular mod-
The exhibit, attracting more els.
than 100 people to its opening
The display
Monday night, covers the entire was assembled
floor space of the JCC's
lobby and is separated
into sections for each Right: Norman Naimark looks
of the decades. The
at the section covering the
sections are broken
1970s.
down further into the
Below: About 100 people
work that has been
attended the opening of the
done locally, national-
exhibit documenting
ly and internationally
in fund-raising, out- Women's Division's 50 years.

