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JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR

Special to the Jewish News

B

oats and Jews go back. Way,
way back. Noah, first men-
tioned in Genesis, is noted
as much for his ark building
skills as for his devotion to God and
wrangling of animals. Baby Moses and
Jonah both had memorable and life-
altering experiences on the water.
So it is not all that surprising that
Jews have used boats throughout gen-
erations as a means of travel, escape,
sport and pleasure. Some sailed into
history.
Christopher Columbus, often pur-
ported to be Jewish, is credited with
running into America during a mis-
sion to sail around the world. In

7/17
1998

84

Michigan, the first.Jew to set foot in
the state, Ezekiel Solomon, sailed his
way from Germany through the Great
Lakes to settle in the northern lower
peninsula.
In more current times, Jews also
founded one of the key area yacht
clubs and continue to be a driving
force in local sailing and boating.
So the question is not whether they
do it but rather why? What is it that
pulls these men and women to the
open waters not once, not twice but
most of their adult lives?
"You don't realize the beauty of [sail-
ing]," said Cornell Janeway of Bloom-
field Hills. "It is absolutely quiet. There
is no sound but the boat moving
through the water and the wind. It is
different every time you go out."

Naomi and Mar-
The dozen or so sailing
Janeway began sailing in
shall
Schwartz-
clubs
that already existed
the Navy during the end of
man
take
to
the
did
not
admit Jews As
World War II. Upon his
water every sum-
members. Wanting to sail
return, he, his father and the
mer.
competitively and recre-
rest of his family bought a •
ationally, several local Jews
boat and taught themselves to
formed another club that has become
sail, an experience fraught with fear
one of the area's most prestigious
and laughter.
yacht
clubs, a move that also pressed
"We had to learn together. All we
for
greater
acceptance of Jews in soci-
had was boat-handling experience in
ety in general.
the Navy. That was it. Nobody knew
U.S. Federal Judge Avern Cohn
anything else," he said.
recalls being summoned to a meeting
As they quickly became more
in the early 1950s at the home of Ivan
adept at technique, they found oth-
Shalit where talk centered on the for-
ers who, like themselves, enjoyed
mation of a boat club at the foot of
being on the water. Banding togeth-
Beniteau on the Detroit River.
er in 1948, they started a nonsectari-
To be called the Island Boat Club,
an club, North Star Sail Club in St.
the physical structures included a dock
Clair Shores, to pursue their passion
that was partially submerged and a
collectively.