Assessing The Mission
involved itself with African
American/Jewish relationships and
with support for Israel in the non-
Jewish community, but there was also
internal strife within the Jewish com-
munity.
In his history of the Detroit Jewish
community, Harmony and Dissonance:
Voices ofiewish Identity in Detroit,
1914-1967," author Sidney Bolkosky
described the early competition
between the fund-raising oriented
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit and the public-voice oriented
Council as "philanthropy versus
democracy" The Council, with lands-
manshaften and the Workmen's Circle
as part of a large and powerful delegate
assembly, was viewed as "overtly
Eastern European-Yiddishkeit in its
cultural programming," while
Federation was "aristocratic," based in
German Jewry
"In those days, there was a much
greater dichotomy between
Federation and the Council," said
U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn.
"Council felt that Federation was
controlling its budget, and attempt-
Mg to limit its range of
activities by using the
approval of line items.
In retrospect,
Federation was probably a
bit overbearing and
Council was a little
impolitic, but that's all in
the past."
The Council moved
into the Federation's
Butzel Memorial Building
in downtown Detroit in
1955, Cohn recalled, and
Council officials "were
Idele Ross of Israel Radio gives her opinions
extremely tense, feeling
via speaker phone at the Council's
that if they were in the
Israeli election watch last month.
same building as
Federation, that it would
the ground floor of the Max M.
increase the domination."
Fisher Jewish Federation Building in
Federation holds the•purse strings
Bloomfield Township and relies on
— it raised close to $30 million dur-
Federation
for all but $15,500 of its
ing the Alliediewish Campaign this
current
$520,000
annual budget.
year — and its budgetary decisions
While
the
Council
lists nearly 250
impact day schools, synagogues, the
affiliated
organizations,
about 100 are
Jewish Community Center and scores
local chapters of the same umbrella
of social service agencies.
groups — and only about 100 of the
The Council now works out of a
total donate money. For example, the
simply furnished suite of offices on
Conunitted To Detroit
IC
athleen Straus is one
Jewish grandmother not
afraid to live south of
Seven Mile Road.
The newly elected president of the
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit has lived
among minorities since she was born
in her grandmother's house in
Harlem. She has remained a support-
er of liberal causes her whole life, fol-
lowing her parents' footsteps.
At 75, Straus is soft-spoken and
firm in her commitments. Raised by a
mother who volunteered in Jewish
women's organizations, and an attor-
ney father who never concerned him-
self with making a lot of money, she
learned about giving time and effort to
people by following her parents' lead.
"Both were very kind, loving peo-
ple and everybody came to them for
help," she said.
By the time Straus moved to Detroit
with her husband, Everet, in 1952, she
was already active in political issues.
She quickly started volunteering with
the League of Women's Voters and the
Jewish Community Council. In those
days, she said, Council discussions were
focused on education, civic affairs and
urban issues.
6/4
1999
16 Detroit Jewish News
Jewish War Veterans of the USA list-
ed 22 separate posts and auxiliaries
under its own umbrella; two donated
money to the Council.
With a staff of eight full- and part-
rime employees, the Council could
easily be mistaken for a public affairs
department within Federation. But it
isn't going to be that, said Robert
Aronson, Federation executive vice
president.
To go through the motions here to
bring the Cduncil into the Federation
will not result in anything better than
what we have now," he said.
With Federation concerned with
fund-raising from all facets of the
Jewish population, allowing a separate
Council to talk issues is better.
"Sometimes, they have to take posi-
tions that are unpopular to
Federation," Aronson said. "It's better
to have an arm's-length relationship, so
you don't get creamed."
Building Consensus
A year and a half ago, amid a sharp
national and local debate over affirma-
President Kathleen Straus wants Council to increase inner-city effort.
She recalled some members would
ask the question, "Was it good for the
Jews?'' But then-Council president
Dr. Shmarya Kleinman, who Straus
admired as "a real old-fashioned liber-
al," felt the concerns of the Council
should be more universal.
Interested in domestic and urban
affairs, Straus worked on committees
with African American groups before
and after the riots, and doled out small
but important grants to non-profit
groups that helped the community.
After her husband's death in 1968,
she began working full time in such
posts as lobbyist for the Michigan
Association of School Boards and
divisional director of the Michigan
Council of Governments. She was
director of Pro Detroit, a temporary
organization that put together a
coalition of business, labor and civic
groups to work for a peaceful solu-
tion to desegregation.
Straus wanted to sell her house,
but didn't see how she could not live
in Detroit.
"I felt really committed," she said.
"I really wanted to keep the city an
integrated city and I just thought it
was right for me to stay."
When her two children left for
school, she moved from her house to
of getting volunteers, especially for
an apartment near Seven Mile Road.
projects in Detroit.
"I'm not suffering for it," the
"People say Jews don't go south of
grandmother of four said. "I have a
Seven Mile Road," she said. "I think
gorgeous apartment, and my neigh-
that people will be surprised when
they go into the city. It's not as bad
bors are very nice."
as they think it is." She is hoping to
As a former president of the state
attract volunteers from the "core of
board of education and strong sup-
porter of public schools, Straus filed
people who don't give (going to
an unsuccessful lawsuit against
Detroit) a second thought. They go
to the symphony, they go to the
Governor John Engler in 1997, hop-
museums, so they can go
ing to prevent him
from transferring the
to the schools."
Volunteering in general
board's authority to the
g isn't the same as it once
state superintendent of
was, she acknowledged.
public instruction.
It s not like 30 years ago
She is also past presi-
where there were lots of
dent of the American
women looking for these
Jewish Committee and
kind of opportunities.
a life member of the
Now that there are as
National Council of
many women in the work-
Jewish Women.
Incoming Council
force
as men, there aren't as
In her new role as
President Kathleen
many volunteers," she said.
president of the Jewish
Straus
Straus expects that word
Community Council,
will spread once the benefits to the
Straus wants to keep strengthening
volunteers are felt. In volunteering
its role in the community -- espe-
"you're doing good for somebody
cially in Detroit — by continuing the
else, but you're really doing good for
programs set up by the Detroit
yourself, too."
Initiative and the Detroit Jewish
Coalition for Literacy.
— Harry Kirsbaum
Straus understands the difficulties
"
'