metro Vibrant Jewish Life Detroit's Chene Street comes alive through a tragic love story, photos and audio interviews. Linda Ashley Special to the Jewish News S he sometimes was called the "Mayor of Chene Street," an inde- pendent Jewish woman who ran a wallpaper and paint store on the once- bustling Detroit commercial corridor from the 1930s to the 1980s. She was single and ran her business longer than most other store owners. She knew everyone. What many never knew, however, was in the years leading up to World War II, Jennie Levenson went to Poland, married the love of her life and returned to the States, never to see her husband again. Jennie Levenson was my aunt. My favor- ite aunt. I always wondered why she never married, never imagining the secret she held. When she died in 1993, I discovered bits of her past through the hundreds of beautiful love letters exchanged between Jennie and her love. And that's how I came in contact with Marian Krzyzowski and the Chene Street History Project in Ann Arbor. He was instrumental in getting the letters translated. My aunt's amazing story is just one of the many riveting tales that are part of his presentation, "The Jewish Presence on Chene Street," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. The event is sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. After Jennie's death, inside of a carefully preserved Winkelman's box, my sister, Cindy Daitch, and I found 105 letters written to her by Joseph Perla, the man she fell in love with and married in Poland. Jennie was in Poland in 1939, but, with war fast approaching, the American was instructed to leave the country immediately. The couple made plans for Joseph to follow his wife soon after. Over the course of the next two years, he penned more than 100 letters to his love, letters Jennie carefully — and secretly — preserved. When we found them though, we were stumped because they were all in Yiddish, Polish or German. A Jewish News story published in 2003 put me in touch with Marian and his Chene Street History Project. He took an imme- diate interest in Jennie's story and, using his own expertise and calling upon the resources of Yiddish-speaking students from the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, we were able to get the letters translated. The story emerged, and I learned this tale of my aunt's life that I never knew before. Jennie spent all those years working on 20 May 30 • 2013 ZG697 11 COLLECT=CD N J A/ 6/j- C ",e iced . These collaged photos represent research done on Jennie Levenson, her life on Chene Street and her Polish husband, Joseph Perla, whose letters revealed a tragic love story. Chene Street, once one preserving the material and the of Detroit's most vibrant spiritual world that was Chene commercial corridors Street Jewry. In 1951, Marian Krzyzowski and the heart of fam- ily, work and social life came to Detroit from a dis- for hundreds of Eastern placed persons camp in Munich European Jews. Although as a young boy and settled with his family on Chene Street. virtually no sign of that neighborhood remains He grew up in this working- today, Marian, a U-M class neighborhood, anchored researcher and director of by the Chene-Ferry Municipal the Institute for Research Market, spending his days play- on Labor Employment ing with a myriad of kids from Jennie Levenson in and the Economy, created a variety of cultures — mostly 1960 Polish and African-American. the Chene Street History Project more than 10 years Businesses, owned by first- ago. Since then, he has devoted hundreds of and second-generation Polish and Jewish hours recreating and researching that once- immigrants, lined the street. It was the kind lively area. In the process, he has uncovered of place where no one locked their doors; a vivid picture of the active Jewish life that everyone was family. existed there. Marian, now 64, never imagined that That bustling life comes alive when those youthful days were the end of an era. Marian gives his presentation replete By the time his family left the area in 1972, with live audio interviews culled from an Chene Street was fast becoming one of the archive of nearly 30 recorded oral histories most blighted areas of the city. of neighborhood Jewish families, precious In 2002, Marian decided to capture and photographs, historical records and, of share the stories of those families who made course, Jennie's letters. He first presented his their home on Chene Street. It was, he says, remarkable findings at the Frankel Center "The neighborhood where I 'learned' to be in Ann Arbor. Recognizing the value of his an American, and I wanted to give voice to research, the Jewish Historical Society of the people who helped make that happen Michigan invited him to the Detroit area. for me and for so many others:' You Can Help The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan continues to help Marian Krzyzowski in his work regard- ing Detroit's Chene Street. If you remember the area, had family there or other memories, come to the lec- ture or contact Krzyzowski at mjsk@ umich.edu or call (734) 998-6236. He is trying to connect with these families: • Max and Sam Rosenbaum fam- ily: The owners of Max's Jewelry stores on Chene, in Hamtramck and other locations. The manager of the Chene Street location was Charles Ross. There was also an Oscar Rosenbaum. • Jacob and Emil Loewenberg: Bustling Chene Street Doors open for the lecture at 6:45 p.m. at Owners of the Loewenberg Brothers Furniture store at 6137 Mount Elliott, which opened in 1916. There may have been a daughter named June Loewenberg, who attended Northeastern High School. • Samuel Schwartz: Schwartz Department Store at 6329 Chene, an upscale store in the northern end of the neighborhood. Samuel had at least one son, Julius. • H. & Jack Bookstein: Bookstein Furniture Store at 6207 Chene. • Dr. Abraham Bloch: Obstetrician at 3023 and 2935 E. Grand Blvd. The project team includes several U-M Jewish students interested in social history, some of whom I've met and worked with. They have devoted hundreds of hours to Shaarey Zedek. Coffee and cookies follow. • Drs. David and Irving Bittker: Admission is $5. RSVP to (248) 432-5517 or Dr. David Bittker was a dentist; Dr. Irving Bittker was a physician. They had offices at 6484 Chene. ❑ www.michjewishhistory.org. Linda Ashley has a public relations firm in Ferndale.