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Downtown Detroit in 1941 featured a variety of stores, but the streets closest to the waterfront (lower left) were shabby and unimpressive.

Summer Of ’41

Looking back at Detroit and the Jewish world of 75 years ago.

S

ome 75 years ago, in 1941, Detroit’s those clustered closer to 12th Street.
population was estimated at near-
Radio provided escapism from events
ing 1.7 million. Black residents
in Europe, and most Jewish males, like
numbered close to 10 percent.
most males in America, were fol-
A year earlier, in 1940, the
lowing the adventures of the Lone
42nd annual volume of the
Ranger.
American Jewish Year Book
After eight years via the local
issued by the Jewish Publication
WXYZ studios, the thrice weekly
Society of America, claimed that
Lone Ranger program was more
America had 4,771,000 Jews,
popular than ever. National sur-
or 3.69 percent of the country’s
veys indicated 63 percent of the
population.
listening audience was made up
Irwin Cohen
The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
of adults.
Special to the
estimated there were approxi-
The deep authoritative, vibrant
mately 85,000 Jews in Detroit in Jewish News
voice of Earle W. Graser was per-
1941.
fectly suited for the Lone Ranger.
As few Jewish residents remained in the After a long evening of giving voice to the
Oakland Avenue area east of Woodward
masked hero in the three usual rehearsals
and north of Grand Boulevard in 1941, a
prior to the program, which ran in three
Federation study concluded that about 80
time zones, a drowsy Graser fell asleep at
percent of Detroit’s Jews lived in the 12th
the wheel in the wee hours of the morn-
Street and Dexter neighborhoods. These
ing on April 8, not far from his home in
two districts were almost one continu-
Farmington.
ous area as six blocks separated 12th and
His automobile veered into a parked
Dexter, with Linwood three blocks east of
trailer, silencing one of the most popular
Dexter. However, the Jews living closer to
radio voices in America. He was only 32.
Dexter were in streets further north than
America mourned. National publica-

tions from the New York Times to the
Los Angeles Times carried obituaries and
editorials on what the masked man meant
to teaching truth and fair play. Time maga-
zine called the Lone Ranger, “the most
adored character ever to be created on the
U.S.A. air.”
The Lone Ranger galloped into
America’s homes the following evening
from Detroit. Station announcer Brace
Beemer assumed the role of the masked
hero and would continue for the next 13
years from the WXYZ studios.
Two days after Graser’s death on April
10, 1941, Henry Ford finally signed an
agreement with the United Auto Workers.
Union persistence resulted in a 10-day
strike before Ford capitulated. The UAW
had kept public opinion on its side ever
since the severe beatings its leaders took
by goons connected to Ford’s security
chief four years earlier.

SLAUGHTER IN EUROPE
Eight days later, on April 18, Yugoslavia
surrendered to Nazi Germany. German
bombing squadrons soon targeted

Belgrade, causing 700 Jewish casualties.
A German bomb completely demol-
ished a synagogue where several hundred
men, women and children had taken
refuge during a raid. The bombing mis-
sion also destroyed every other synagogue
and the Jewish Community Center in
Belgrade. Several hundred Jews who sur-
vived had been afforded protection during
the air raids at the American consulate.
Six days later, Dr. Chaim Weizmann,
president of the Jewish Agency for
Palestine and the World Zionist
Organization, addressed a meeting
under the auspices of the Jewish Welfare
Federation at Cass Technical High School
in Detroit.
The well-attended meeting served as a
forerunner of the Allied Jewish Campaign.
The following day, the Jewish quarter of
London was destroyed by German air
attacks. Many women and children were
buried under tons of debris from what
had been homes, apartment buildings and
shops.
More than 700 Jews were killed and
over 2,000 wounded during a five-day

continued on page 22

20 August 11 • 2016