1900-2000

JEWISH DETROIT from page 5

some of the more significant events
heading HIAS's nationwide effort to
that broadened and set the direction
bring relief to the Jews of the Soviet
of Jewish Detroit.
Union in 1925, a harbinger of things
As almost always in Jewish history,
to come.
non-Jewish history intertwines and
the confluence of local with non-local
THE EMERALD CITY
subtly appears. Here, then, are some
Origins define the nature of things.
thoughts on those
Yet, to depict the
histories in the 20th
century as purely
century.
one of violence and
In many respects,
misery would be
the century began 14
misleading. Unlike
years after its chrono-
the European
logical beginning.
malaise, the
The so-called "Spirit
American spirit car-
of Aug. 4, 1914," the
ried irrepressible
start of World War I,
buoyancy that
would quickly deliver
seemed to challenge
a new world.
the meaning of the
Violence beyond
recent, depressing
compare entered
past.
European life; a gen-
Few cities are
eration was virtually
closer to that spirit
sacrificed and,
and those changes
according to Elie
than Detroit, often
Before Henry Ford unleashed his
Wiesel and others,
a vanguard for
virulent antisemitism in 1920, he
the psychological
American, and later,
groundwork was laid collaborated with Rabbi Leo
global culture. And
Franklin on efforts to Americanize
for Auschwitz.
in its midst were the
immigrants. (Photo, circa 1938)
Detroit's Jewish
Jews of Detroit,
Chronicle newspaper
shaped by and shap
reported intensified anti-Jewish vio-
ing the urban lifestyle of middle
lence on the Russian fronts early in
America. Assimilation and religious
the war. The plight of European Jews
tumult remained constant questions,
assumed top priority for their
and Detroit quickly became one of
brethren in America as word of the
the crucial American centers for sup-
increased murder of Jewish innocents
port of Israel, although Zionism
filtered to the west.
found no greater welcome here at firs t
In November 1914, this violence
than it had in most American cities.
prompted the founding of the
Detroit's economy was the first to
American Jewish Joint Distribution
emerge as distinctly 20th-century
Committee. The Joint, along with
American — that is, mobile —
HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid
grounded in automobiles, roads and
Society), formed an informal network
related industries, and leading to sub
of local, national and international
urbs, shopping centers and massive
emergency relief organizations chan-
industrial complexes like the Ford
neling assistance of various sorts to
Rouge Plant.
Jews in Europe.
By 1920, the number of Jews in
In 1916, Jewish Detroit began to
Detroit had reached almost 35,000, a
establish its reputation of generosity
247 percent increase in 10 years whil e
by raising $100,000 for both those
the general population of Detroit
organizations. A year later, with the
increased only 114 percent. One
U.S. a combatant in the Great War,
author has dubbed Detroit "the
Detroit's David Brown led fund-rais-
Silicon Valley of the teens and '20s, a
ing for the Joint and achieved pledges
kind of Emerald City."
of $100,000 in half an hour. That
Presumably, Henry Ford would be
amount was tripled within two
the wizard. He revolutionized the
months, when Henry Morgenthau
industrial world in January 1914,
spoke at a Detroit rally on behalf of
when he announced the eight-hour,
the Jewish War Sufferers Relief cam-
$5 workday. Ford confronted prob-
paign.
lems of labor retention with these
The hopes embodied in the
remarkable departures. He next had
Russian Revolution transformed into
to assuage the antagonisms, including
further anti-Jewish pogroms and per-
antisemitism, that clung to Old
secution and the terror of Stalin.
World ethnic identities within his fac-
Brown continued his earlier work,
tories. Americanization, it seemed,

and Women's

Previous sales excluded

We carry a large selection of leather coats and jackets.

DATES:

PLACE:

TIME:

January 5th or
I 2th, 2000
West Bloomfield High
School Cafeteria
6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

For More Information Call

NFWB hotline

(248) 865-6392

or Visit Our Webpage at: http://www.nfwb.com

un

for a

Shoot to page 121 in the
JN SourceBook for a cornucopia
of caterers (including kosher catering).

Jewish Living In Met

You'll be amazed
what you'll find.

12/31

1999

17