e a/ f .,/e,t
t t
dE (Unique 66neept
an 41derk Pare
We offer Assisted Living through a carefully structured
and comprehensive program. Personalized care and
activities designed to stimulate each resident to maxi-
mize their social, intellectual and physical capabilities.
By focusing our efforts in small groups in our residential
setting we are able to accommodate Active/Alert,
Memory Impaired, Frail/Recovering, and Alzheimer's
residents.
Servicing Oakland, Wayne and Macomb Counties:
Auburn
Hills
Livonia
FaiNit .9n
Sterling
Heights
Wixom
(810) 926-2920 Ext. 202
Detroit's Premiere Custom Clothier Since 1949
• Benchmade Suits
• Custom Alterations
• Accessories
• Custom Made Shirts
au, wavier
fr
Custom Made Suits
from $525
Cud= CLathter
271 litettiff • 91,tatiaatcatt • (810) 646-0535
Complete
Financial
Services
PaineWebber
Invest With More Intelligence
Gerald E. Naftaly
Vice President-Investments .
32300 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 150
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
(810) 851-1001 or (800) 533-1407
GRAND OPENING
THE DETRO
New Location
38
Class Tailors
• Custom Clothes & Alterations for Men & Women
• 20%-50% OFF all ready designer clothes. •
32508 Northwestern Highway • Farmington Hills
626-6565 • • Fax: 626-6866
Love Story
The legend of a Polish prince and his Jewish sweetheart -
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ongratulations to...
the many brilliant men
and women who sent in
the correct answer to Tell
Me Why's first readers' challenge
question, "Which Jewish actress
was behind the voice of E.T.?"
The answer: Debra Winger.
Those who correctly identified
Ms. Winger:
Michael and Phyllis Bernstein,
Sheila Freedman, Shirley Jonas,
Melissa Kalman, Larry Kaplan,
Lynn Kasmer, Michael Mervis,
Mike Levich, Neal Levine, Mar-
ty and Elise Levinson, Linda
Rosenbaum, Sherrie Rott, Nor-
ma Schey, Sally Shapiro, Susan
Si:porin, Rebecca Sykes, Dr.
Melvin Wasserman, Gerald
Ziskind, Jack Zwick.
C
daughter of a tailor in Opoczno,
a town in south-central Poland
between Lodz and Radom. Es-
terka bore the king two sons
and two daughters. The sons
were raised Catholic and the
daughters were brought up
Jewish. After 1370, Esterka
was killed during a pogrom. .
Beyond their religious train-
ing, nothing more is told of Es-
terka's children. The sons did
not ascend to the throne; in fact,
Casimir stated that he had no
male children, and in 1339 he
recognized Louis, son of Charles
I of Hungary (Casimir's broth-
er-in-law), as successor to the
Polish crown.
There is no solid historical ev-
idence to confirm the veracity
of the story. Some scholars be-
AND NOW! Another thrilling lieve it is entirely fictitious, a
question:
reworking of Megillat Esther,
This country-and-western the Purim story of the original
singer's real name is Judy Cohen. Esther married to a gentile
Two of her biggest hits, released king.
in the 1980s, were "The Queen of
Anti-Semites used the Ester- •
Hearts" and "Angel of the Morn- ka story to explain Casimir's
ing." What was her stage name? friendliness to Jews. Nonethe-
Send answers to Tell Me Why, less, the tale was widespread
The Jewish News, 27676 and gave rise to other legends
Franklin Road, Southfield, MI (especially regarding the royal
48034, fax (810) 354-6069.
palaces in Cracow) and was used
throughout Polish literature.
Q: Several months ago Tell Me
Q: No way! A friend told me the
Why enlightened us about a Jew-
ish woman who allegedly was the first left-handed boxer to win a
mistress of a Spanish.king. I have world title was a Jew named Mc-
heard similar stories involving a Coy?
A: Yes, way — though that
Jewish woman and a Polish king.
wasn't
his real name.
Can you elucidate?
Al McCoy was born Al
A: You probably are thinking
in 1894 in New Jersey.
of Esterka of Opoczno, leg- Rudolph
was Middleweight Cham-
endary mistress of King He
of the World from 1914-
Casimir III "The Great" (Kaz- pion
1917, the first left-hander to
imierz Wielki) of Poland (1310- capture
1370; king of Poland from in 1966. a world title. He died
1333).
Adept in diplomacy as well
Q: I recently saw a documentary
as war, Casimir made peace
with Poland's worst enemy, the on the life of two great "robber
Teutonic Order, and wrested barons" of the 19th century: An-
Silesia from Bohemia. He uni- drew Carnegie and his associate,
fied Poland, established Henry Clay Frick. One section of the
Poland's first university, put
down aristocratic oppression, film recounted the horrible Home-
founded towns and developed stead steel strike of 1892. Carnegie
architecture.
and Frick vehemently opposed
Casimir also encouraged the workers' demands and violence
immigration of Jews to Poland,
confidant their artisan and broke out between the company's
business skills would benefit private guards and the strikers.
During the strike, an attempt was
Poland's development. He ex-
tended rights to Jews through- made on Frick's life by a man the
out Poland and cultivated close documentary called a "revolution-
relationships with the Jewish ary," Andrew Berkman, who had no
banker, Lewko of Cracow.
According to legend, Casimir connection to the workers. I have
took as his mistress Esterka (a the feeling he may have been Jew-
diminutive of Esther), the ish; was he?
A: Your intuition is correct.
Berkman was born in 1870
in Vilna, Russian Lithuania. In
his youth, he joined the revolu-
tionary movement in Russia.
His immigration to the Unit-
ed States in 1888 did not
change his radical attitude. He
joined the Pioneers of Freedom,
an anarchist group founded by
Russian-Jewish immigrants.
Later, he was associated with
other anarchist groups and ul-
timately with the mother of all
anarchists, Emma Goldman. .
A fanatic and believer in anti-
capitalist terrorism, Berkman
in 1892 made his way to Home-
stead, Penn., to demonstrate
his solidarity, with the steel
workers and his hatred of the
bosses — especially Henry Clay
Frick, general manager of the
Homestead Company. Berk-
man burst into Frick's office, _._
stabbed and shot him. Amaz-
ingly, Frick survived the attack.
His enraged office workers were
ready to tear Berkman to
pieces, but Frick saved Berk-
man's life by commanding his
employees to "leave him to the
law."
Berkman was arrested, tried,
convicted, and sentenced to 25
years in prison. He was re-
leased, after 14 years.
Berkman's imprisonment did
not temper his radicalism. For
several years after his release
he co-edited, with Emma Gold-
man, the anarchist monthly
Mother Earth. He later moved
to San Francisco and published
his own anarchist periodical,
The Blast. .
Berkman spent two years in
the Atlanta penitentiary for
propagandizing against mili-
conscription in World War
I. After his release in 1919, he
was deported to Soviet Russia.
Like a true anarchist, he could
not live under a Bolshevik
regime and left Russia in 1922.
He settled in Germany, and lat-
er in Nice, France, where he
worked as a translator and
writer. In 1936, he committed
suicide. ❑
Send questions to Tell Me Why,
The Jewish News, 27676
Franklin Road, Southfield, MI
48034, or fax to (810) 354-6069.
All letters must be signed and in-
clude the writer's address. Ques-
tions answered in the column Will
feature only the writer's initials
and city of residence.