Obituaries

Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com

would often see three of his letters on
the same editorial page. The friends
were proud to have their names .
attached to the views of Zeke Leikin."
Joseph Savin of West Bloomfield,
president of the ZOks Michigan
son, George, of West Bloomfield, but
Region for the past three years, called
was taken to the hospital Yom Kippur
Mr. Leikin "a poet, a reporter, a linguist
morning and remained there until his
and a humorist ... who was deeply
death.
committed to the Zionist cause."
"He was a lover of Israel by every
"Regrettably, Zionism often is deni-
possible definition ... a Zionist through
grated," Mr. Leikin once said, "by peo-
and through ... a real mentsh," said
ple both outside and inside
Shir Shalom Rabbi Dannel
of the movement — and
Schwartz at the funeral
that is one of our biggest
Sept. 26. "He was one of
challenges. There are some
the great persons of our
disagreements on certain
community [and] an
philosophies, but, mainly,
incredibly bright human
we are all committed to
being who could really
the survival of Israel."
write. He had an excellent
Another challenge to
command of the English
Zionism, he asserted, is the
language."
Mideast peace process
Rabbi Schwartz mused
itself, which, he feared,
that Mr. Leikin could "tell
had too many irreconcil- _
a joke at the drop of a hat,
able differences that thwart
and always told me at least
success.
seven jokes when I visited
Ezekiel Lei kin
Mr. Leikin grew up in
him in the hospital. Besides
Lithuania and Russia. His
Israel, he was passionate
mother was a dentist and his father was
about three things: the Detroit Tigers,
a rabbi, whose anti-Bolshevik views and
dogs and his friends."
sermons forced the family to flee to dif-
Slowed and sometimes hospitalized
ferent cities during the Russian
by his ailments, Mr. Leikin had a
Revolution. They eventually came to
reduced schedule in the past few years,
and spent most of his time writing arti- North America, living in Canada and
Cleveland, then in New York City,
cles and speeches for ZOA leaders.
where
he attended City College of New
"He knew that newspaper and maga-
York.
zine editors limited the length and sub-
He first got interested in Zionism
jects of letters — and he had a lot of
while a student in Lithuania when he
things to say on many issues," said his
joined Betar, the Zionist youth-move-
son. "So he got friends to agree to let
ment founded by activist Ze'ev
him write letters using their names. I

Jabotinsky. "He electrified young peo-
ple, and instilled in me a feeling we
belonged to an elite nation," Mr.
Leikin recalled in a Jewish News inter-
view two years ago. "He transferred
his deep love for Israel to all of us."
Mr. Leikin fulfilled his Zionist
dream of making aliyah to Israel in
1936, meeting his wife there and stay-
ing for 10 years. Although working as
an assistant citrus inspector, he also
served in the Haganah, and once
smuggled arms in a vehicle disguised
as a Coca-Cola truck. He later did a
stint in the U.S. Army and served in
Europe.
In a ZOA career that began in 1946,
he was regional director in Chicago,
Minneapolis-St. Paul and Philadelphia
before coming to Detroit. Mr. Leikin
went back to Israel in 1982, but
returned to the United States when his
wife became ill.
"He was a great guy," said his son.
"A pillar of the community."
Mr. Leikin is survived by his son
and daughter-in-law, George and
Celia Leikin; grandchildren, Andy and
Lisa Leikin, Ilyssa Leikin and finace
Noel Cimmino; great-grandson, James
Meyer; and sister Rebecca Mullen.
He was the brother of the late Yulla
Leikin.
Interment was at Machpelah
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Zionist Organization of
Detroit, 7001 Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield 48322, or Temple
Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, MI 48323.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel. El

Taxay, Zachary Smagacz; sister and
brother-in-law, Gertrude and Irving
Migdal of West Bloomfield; sister-in-
law, Maxine Gregory. She was the
beloved wife of the late William
Auster; dear sister of the late Jack
Gregory.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, the
American Diabetes Foundation or
the Rose Cancer Center.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.

RUTH COOPER, 74, of Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla., formerly of Detroit,
died Oct. 3, 2002.
She is survived by her sons and
daughters-in-law, Dr. Sanford and
Cynthia Lax of Huntington Woods,
Howard and Joanne Lax of
Southfield; daughter, Sherryl Lax of
Southfield; grandchildren, David
Michael Lax, Rebecca Carolynn Lax,
Ari Michael Lax. Mrs. Cooper was
the beloved wife of the late Fred Lax.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Interment at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.

Zeke, The Zionist

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

iv

ith the death of Ezekiel
Leikin, not only did
Israel lose one of its best
friends, but the Detroit
area's Jewish community lost one of its
most articulate and eloquent spokes-
men.
Mr. Leikin, 89, of Southfield, was
hailed as "Mr. ZOA" during his long
career with the Zionist Organization of
America, but was affectionately known
as "Zeke" to his friends and colleagues.
He spent more than a half-century in
various capacities with the national
organization, ending as executive vice
president of the Z0A's Michigan
Region in Southfield. During his career
he worked closely with the great Jewish
leaders of Detroit.
The ardent Zionist was a prolific
writer — on an old typewriter — and
wrote countless newspaper articles and
letters to newspapers and magazines,
espousing the causes of Israel, Judaism
and topical political issues. His 1993
book The Beilis Transcripts: The Anti-
Semitic Trial That Shook the World told
of a notorious blood-libel trial in
Russia.
Mr. Leikin, who had suffered from
heart problems for several years, died of
congestive heart failure Sept. 24, 2002.
He had attended Kol Nidrei services at
Temple Shir Shalom Sept. 15 with his

ESTHER AUSTER, 84, of West
Bloomfield, died Oct. 1, 2002. Prior
to retirement 20years ago, she was a
Detroit public school teacher, taught
at Yeshivat Akiva and was a teacher
for unwed mothers. She also was a
volunteer for the Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation and William Beaumont
Hospital.
Mrs. Auster is survived by her sons
and daughters-in-law, Dr. Miles and
Diane Auster of West Bloomfield,
Lawrence and Cookie Auster of
Ohio, Robert and Tamara Auster;
grandchildren, Shelly Auster and
David Gross, Jennifer and Marc
Taxay, Carrie and Gregg
Hammerman, Brandon and Allison
Auster, Martin and Jennifer Auster,
Cheryl and Matthew Smagacz, Jamie
Auster, Kayla Auster, Savannah and
London Auster, Brittany Miller;
great-grandchildren, Samuel Will

HYMAN BROWN, 83, of
Farmington Hills, died Oct. 3, 2002.
He graduated from Wayne State
University School of Pharmacy in
1940 and was a sergeant in the Army
during World War II. He went on to
become the owner-operator of Sam
Brown Co.

Mr. Brown was an active member
of the Jewish War Veterans, Shriners,
B'nai B'rith, Young Israel of Oak-
Woods, Bar-Ilan University,
Hadassah, Machon ['Torah, Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah and Yehsivat Akiva.
He is survived by his wife, Dolores
Brown; son and daughter-in-law, Dr.
Larry and Helen Brown of
Southfield; daughter and son-in-law,
Lynn and Warren Silverman of
Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren,
Nathan, Jessica, Rachel, Tamar,
Esther; brother-in-law, Melvin Moss
of St. Cloud, Fla.
Contributions may be made to
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, P.O. Box
2044, Southfield, MI 48037, Yeshivat
Akiva, 21100 W. 12 Mile Road,
Southfield, MI 48076 or to a charity
of one's choice. Interment at Hebrew
Memorial Park. Arrangements by
Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

LEON DREYLINGER, 87, formerly
of Southfield, of Altos, Calif., died
Oct. 1, 2002.. He was a truck driver.
He is survived by his daughters
and son-in-law, Carol and Hal

10/11
2002

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