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More To Our Story
Bound volumes of the Jewish News rescued from
publisher's office represent our shared history.
hat about the bound volumes of the Jewish News?
In the aftermath of the devastating Jan. 27 fire that ruined
our offices, that question has been asked by friend and
stranger, Jew and non-Jew. There is something about shelves
of yellowing newspapers that has placed their well-being above
all of our other damaged possessions.
While many libraries place their collections in secure, climate-controlled envi-
rons, the history of the Jewish News
from its inaugural issue of March 27,
1942 through the end of 1999 — was literally an open book.
On a typical day, a historian, community member or reporter could be found
leafing through the bound volumes located in our front conference room. Want
an obscure fact? The announcement of a loved one's engagement? A clear picture
of what and when America knew about the Holocaust? It was in the books.
When a reconfiguration of our conference room resulted in the bound vol-
umes being moved into my office, I found myself face-to-face with our history,
our community's history ... and a steady stream of visitors who politely inter-
rupted me to fetch a copy of a Jewish News from a particular month and year.
What about the bound volumes of the Jewish News?
While standing on the curb with colleagues, family and friends, watching the
enterprise burn almost to the ground, the questions started. Could the fire be
contained to the back section of the building?Would the bound volumes, situat-
ed in the front, be spared? Southfield firefighters, aware of the location of the
books, were hopeful. However, the cover of the Feb. 1, 2002, issue of the Jewish
News shows fire and water converging on the spot where the books were located.
Working with an architect's blueprint of the building, the following morning I
huddled with Paul Schwartz of Belfor-Inrecon, the salvage company that would
be sifting through the rubble and debris. Here is where the fireproof safe is
located. Here is where my file cabinets are located. Here is where the bound vol-
umes are. As long as I was marking up the blueprint, Paul asked me to mark
which doorposts contained mezuzot.
Later that day, the official word: The bound volumes were water-damaged,
but, miraculously, not burned. They were being stored in a refrigerated tractor-
trailer at Belfor-Inrecon's warehouse along with other documents, awaiting word
—
on how they would be restored.
What about the bound volumes of
the Jewish News?
The newspapers and television
stations were crackling with stories
about thefire. The timing made it
suitable for the 10 and 11 p.m.
news broadcasts and provided
ample time for the dailies to write
extended stories and receive pho-
tographs for their Monday edi-
tions. Many of the reports referred
to the "leather-bound" volumes of
the Jewish News and questioned
whether they were spared.
"You'd think this was a rescue of
Torah scrolls from a burning syna-
gogue," a friend commented after
seeing one of the media reports.
Arthur Horwitz at home with his own partial
From a Detroit communal per-
set of bound copies of the Jewish News.
spective, it was.
While the Torah tells us of
Creation, the Patriarchs and
Matriarchs, the Exodus, the acceptance of the Commandments and the entrance
into the land flowing with milk and honey, the bound volumes of the Jewish
News tell us the history of the Detroit Jewish community. From the depths of
the Holocaust to the founding of Israel, from Dexter-Davison to Maple-
Orchard Lake, the Jewish News has recorded our successes and shortcomings,
simchot and tragedies.
Those bookshelves in my office were filling up, but there was still room for
more. We have created and stockpiled communal history for 60 years, and
despite the devastating fire, we're still doing so every week. As we celebrate the
60th anniversary year of the Jewish News with the issue in your hands, we are
humbled by your tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement.
We are challenged and excited about the community's future — and ours.
0
B'shalom,
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher
3/29
2002
11