as museums, theaters, administrative
offices, libraries and archives. These
institutions and agencies continue to
flourish, assisted by a veritable army of
community volunteers and professionals,
one more source ofjustifiable pride.
"I look around this community, and
I knell," says Pola Friedman, former vice
president for development at the
Orchards, a child welfare agency
founded by the National Council of
Jewish Women. "I see a flourishing,
thriving community rich in legacies. In
the fund-raising community, we Jews
are known for giving disproportionately
to our number. But we really do want
to repair the world. We know we've
made it in this community, and we
know we have to give back."
Rick Goren, Fresh Air Society
development director, marvels at our
Jewish community's generosity. In
1996, for example, his agency began a
capital/endowment campaign, hoping
to raise $2.7 million. "We raised $4
million," he says.

Nearly every Jewish News issue
announces more generous Community
contributions, such as D. Dan and Betty
Kahn's endowment to the Jewish
Community Center and Dr. Milton
and Lois Shiffinan's to Jewish education.
"Detroit is unique," reflects Sissi
Lapides, formerly with the United Jewish
Appeal in Chicago. She and her husband,
Max, returned here after 22 years. "My
heart was in Detroit," she says. "It's warm.
Everyone knows everybody. Everyone
cares for everybody.
"I don't know what makes us unique,"
muses Barbara Stollman, whose family is
among active supporters of Jewish
institutions here and in Israel. "There isn't
a recipe for this, but it's there."
From a young age, we know tzedaka
is part of our Jewish tradition. Remember
those charity boxes in the kitchen?
Many in our community made
fortunes as builders, manufacturers,
merchants — and they made a point of
giving back. Some among them are such
generous benefactors as Maurice

"

Aronsson, Al and Tom Borman, Irwin
I. Cohn, Israel Davidson, Aaron and
William Gershenson, Sam Hechtman,
Edward C. Levy, Nate Lurie, David
Mondry, Meyer Prentis, Phillip and Max
Stollman, Henry Wineman, Isadore
Winkelman, all deceased; and Peter and
Dorothy Brown, Bill Davidson, Maurice
Cohen, Alfred Deutsch, Sid Forbes, Sam
Frankel, James Grosfeld, David
Handleman, Irving Nusbaum,
Edward Rose, Florine Mark Ross,
Jerry Schostak, Robert Sosnick, George
Stutz and George Zeltzer.
Numerous charitable foundations,
such as the Applebaum, Bargman,
Cohn-Haddow, DeRoy, Imerman, Maas
and Teitel, perpetuate the tzedaka
commitment of their founders. In effect,
they serve as guardian angels, bestowing
far-reaching grants that meet the changing
needs of our community.
Yet wealth alone does not explain
why our community is exemplary.
Perhaps it's the way the mantle of
responsibility has enfolded each succeeding

DETROIT JEWISH
HISTORY TIMELINE

s

ome historical milestones in the
Detroit Jewish experience are
highlighted here. They represent
events and trends that had lasting impact.
For more information, refer to "The
Jews of Detroit" by Robert Rockaway
and "Harmony & Dissonance: Voices
of Jewish Identity in Detroit, 1914-
1967" by Sidney Bolkosky. Both books
form the basis for this timeline with
additional help from Heidi Christein,
director of the Leonard N. Simons
Jewish Community Archives; the
Temple Beth El archives; Judith Levin
Cantor, past president of the Jewish
Historical Society of Michigan; and
David Gad-Harf and Allan Gale of the
Jewish Community Council.

Suzanne Chessler

JNSourceBook

1850: Bet El Society, the
first Jewish congregation
in Michigan, is formed.

1850s and 1860s: Jews
begin to establish
significant businesses
and enter civic and
political offices.

timeline continued on page 22

1762: First-known
Jewish settler arrives
in Detroit and, over
the decades, is
followed mostly by
German Jewish
immigrants.

1857: B'nai B'rith
organizes first
local chapter.

1861: Shaarey
Zedek Society
is established.

21