JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

4t il

LETTERS

QUESTIONABLE

from page 34

Join the

acc Summer

Swim Club

Fam i ly Swim ale mbership

Only $365 for June,
July & August

Get a full year JCC
Fitness & Family
Membership for only
$52 more!

Health Club Giembership for
Ages ss et• Op

Only $340 for June,
July & August

Get a full year JCC Health
Club Membership for only
$309 more!

Young Adult Health Club Giembership

for Ages 25-34

Only $265 for June,
July & August

Get a full year JCC Health
Club Membership for only
$198 more!

To join, or for membership specials in other
categories, please call JCC Membership Services in
West Bloomfield (248) 661-7621
or in Oak Park (248) 967-4030.

Sign-up begins May 1- Application fee will be waived!

Omni' tot hove been c IC

5/29
1998

36

•
•

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT CC

D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building • 6600 W. Maple Road • West Bloomfield, MI • 48322
Jimmy Prentis Morris Building • A. Alfred Taubman Campus • 15110 W. Ten Mile Road • Oak Park, MI • 48237

ADL is busy conducting field trips for
black kids to Washington, D.C., and
planning another field trip to Israel.
Would someone in the ADL please
list the names of any black people in
the wonderful coalition that they have
created who have condemned this latest
incident of black on Jew bigotry. Which
leaders, which parents of field trip par-
ticipants, have stood up to be counted
against bigotry?
Which member of the ADL (unless
Howard Stern is a member) has said
anything?

Joseph Zaffem
Southfield

Detroit's 100th
Stirs Memories

The celebration of 100 years of
Detroit's organized Jewish community
has aroused a flood of memories.
What is so remarkable is the Judaic
concern among children born here of
immigrant parents. Everything ethic-111y
worthwhile in lessons of giving, of
closeness and of help to those in need
was passed down to the youngsters.
Herein is a story illustrating that bit
of history:
After World War I, many industries
involved in war supplies slowed down
or were entirely shut by 1919. Men
were out of work and many fathers
never returned from the front, result-
ing in desperate financial straits for
their families.
Living in the Hastings enclave, three
of us young girls, aged 10 years, were
fully aware of life around us and in our
own families. Yet, we viewed the exem-
plary acts of mitzvah in helping a newly
arrived immigrant or an unemployed
friend find shelter and share in our
meager food supplies.
We three young girls formed the
Progressive Children's Charity Club. All
along our path, we encountered the
help of our Families, shopkeepers, syna-
gogues and other adult sources. The
Hebrew school housed our meetings,
free of charge, and we commenced the
collection of 10-cent dues.
Since we felt our meager dues were
insufficient to provide the aid for the
poor, we sought an appointment with
lawyer Fred Butzel, the great philan-
thropist leader in our Jewish communi-
ty. It's hard to relate the awe we felt in
viewing the elegant furnishings of his
office, with its deep-piled rug, beautiful
lamps and polished shining furniture.
Most of all, we were almost speech-
less seeing this gentleman's sculptured-
granite, strong face with the most gen-

tle-looking kindly eyes, encouraging us
to reveal our needs.
Our proposal to raise money for
charity by having a tag day, such as the
pushka collectors we witnessed on the
main streets, was kindly vetoed by Mr.
Butzel. He explained that it would be
unwise for children to be on street cor-
ners.
Instead, he advised us to contact the
synagogues to sponsor our public under-
takings, such as auctions or bake sales,
with the help of our mothers and
fathers. Likewise, he suggested we make
contact with shopkeepers willing to
make material contributions for our auc-
tions. Thereafter, our club developed
and accomplished various methods and
affairs, raising increased revenues for our
purpose.
Our first venture in charitable giving
was memorable. A shul furnished us the
name of a poor widow with three chil-
dren in need of help. One of our fathers
provided transportation for us, driving
us in his horse and wagon to visit the
poor family.
How would we determine the
woman's needs in our investigation? Our
mothers advised us to look into her ice
box and we would be able to determine
how needy she was. Indeed, her ice box
was bare of food. Politely and most dis-
creetly, we gave the widow the magnifi-
cent sum of $10, a generous amount in
those days.
In time, our group of young girls
increased to a membership of 60. It
flourished for over three years until high
school studies and, later, our teenage
years demanded more of our time and
energies. The lessons learned in this early
experience were evidenced in our mature
years; a majority of the members took
leadership roles in communal organiza-
tions.
From the early role of the Hannah
Schloss Center, where free medical ser-
vice was given to poor Jewish families,
to the present-day network of Jewish
communal organizations, there continue
to be signs of tremendous involvement
and commitment.
These organizations stand as a true
tribute to be celebrated for our centen-
nial. May we continue our efforts —
onwards in the coming years.
Duva Tate

West Bloomfield

Arabs Aim For
All The Land

The front cover of the May 22 Jewish
News, "Will Land Bring Peace?", is

wrong because it implies that 13 percent

,__\