donated by Philip and Anna
Slomovitz.
jews d
in
the
continued from page 42
Carmi Slomovitz and former
JARC Executive Director Joyce
Keller affix a mezuzah to the
door of the Beit Chana Home
As one of the founding
families of JARC, Philip
and Anna Slomovitz
played an integral role
in the foundation and
future success of the
organization. For many
years, Philip and Anna
generously donated their
time and financial support
to JARC, which included
the donation of the Beit
Channa Home in 1986.
Still today, JARC
employees are reminded
of the positive influence
that the Slomovitz family
had on the agency, with
the Anna Slomovitz
Memorial Award
presented annually to a
JARC home staff member
for exemplary care.
Jew. In another editorial, Abe Srere reminded readers the
Campaign was a weapon in the fight for freedom. Isadore
Sobeloff warned readers to guard against becoming so
absorbed in the war that “we fail to keep our own house
in order.” He admonished readers the Campaign was not
just a Jewish cause, but also an American cause, a demo-
cratic cause and humanity’s cause. Even guest editorials
not directly related to the Campaign were tied to the
cause. At the end of a guest editorial about a European
Jewish leader who had died in prison, Fred Butzel added
the tag line, “Is there any limit to our obligation to help in
this emergency?”
The hard work of Campaign volunteers, combined with
the urgent needs of various agencies, resulted in the most
successful Campaign ever held in Detroit to that date —
22,000 Detroiters contributed more than $885,000 (almost
$14 million in today’s value), breaking not only local
records, but also topping all other campaigns in the coun-
try that year. The Jewish News had played an important
part in that success by publicizing events, urging readers
to contribute, echoing the strategic views of the Campaign,
and providing Federation leadership a forum to express
their views and reach a large audience.
The Chronicle also covered the Campaign, but its cover-
age was not nearly as broad or as sustained. Where the
Jewish News devoted an attractive full page to listing the
division heads and other officers of the Campaign, the
Chronicle merely ran the names in an article, one after the
other. The Chronicle did not publish (or possibly have) any
of the guest editorials or articles written by Federation
leadership, nor did it devote full pages to the Campaign.
In general, Chronicle coverage was skimpier and lacked
the grandeur of the Jewish News coverage. The Jewish
News continued to feature the Campaign even after the
Campaign was over for the year. The back pages of two
issues urged contributors to pay their pledges.
The Dec. 25, 1942, issue included a prominent article
urging readers to donate to Federation to commemo-
rate happy occasions, as well as for sadder events, and
also contained advertisements urging readers to donate
before the end of the year for tax purposes, but the
Chronicle contained no such article and did not mention
Federation at all.
The Jewish News proved an effective communication
tool for two other fundraising events in 1942. Jewish lead-
ers were active in the sale of war bonds, and Slomovitz
proved a valuable partner in making the war bond drive a
success, urging readers to buy as many war bonds as pos-
sible, even during Campaign season. He urged readers to
buy, claiming that “the eyes of the Axis are upon us — we
dare not fail.” War bond leaders (many of whom were also
Federation leaders) wrote guest editorials, including one
by Nate Shapero warning readers it must never be said
the Detroit Jewish community was not doing its part to
win the war.
In fall 1942, Federation leaders merged the Campaign
with the “War Chest,” an umbrella organization consist-
ing of many of the various war relief and other charitable
organizations in Detroit created to efficiently streamline
and maximize fundraising efforts during the war. Jewish
leadership in the War Chest relied on the Jewish News to
educate the Detroit Jewish community about the War
Chest and how it related to Federation and the Campaign.
Federation leaders elected to make the War Chest the focal
point of the first Jewish News Federation issue. Most of the
issue focused on the War Chest, much in the same manner
as Slomovitz had covered the Campaign.
The Chronicle also carried the War Chest as front page
news the same week, but the Chronicle article was laid out
in typical fashion while the Jewish News coverage was laid
out with boldness and grandeur; and neither that issue,
nor future issues of the Chronicle, included the type of
extensive coverage found in the Jewish News in the follow-
ing weeks. Slomovitz wrote numerous editorials urging
participation in the War Chest and calling the War Chest
the greatest mercy campaign on record.
When some in the community worried that participa-
tion in the War Chest might have a negative impact on
Jewish/non-Jewish relations, Slomovitz wrote that the
drive was “certain to bring us closer to our neighbors.”
When the drive fell behind its goals, Slomovitz admon-
ished his readers that because the Campaign was a partner
in the War Chest, Jews had an increased responsibility to
ensure its success. In the end, the War Chest was highly
successful, exceeding its goal and raising more money than
any other War Chest city to date.
ANTI-SEMITISM AND ZIONISM
In addition to fundraising, Slomovitz used the Jewish
News to continue his campaign to eradicate anti-Semi-
tism. Detroit had become a focal point for anti-Semites,
from Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic rants in the Dearborn
Independent to Father Charles Coughlin’s radio broadcasts
and Social Justice newsletter. Slomovitz was deeply invest-
ed in the war against anti-Semitism and his advocacy
strengthened once he had his own newspaper.
Federation leaders believed that educating readers
about anti-Semitism was part of their core mission and
fully supported Slomovitz. He tied anti-Semitic activity
to an anti-American alliance with the Axis powers and,
in one editorial, he bluntly stated that pro-Axis meant
anti-Semitic. Many Jewish leaders believed it was better to
work “behind the scenes” to fight anti-Semitism and not
air grievances in public, but Slomovitz believed in aggres-
sive action. “Action is more often correct than a policy of
‘hush-hush’,” he wrote. “Wake up!” he quoted from a press
release in an editorial praising another periodical known
for its aggressive action: “This is the age of fighting — not
whining — Jews.”
Slomovitz was a passionate Zionist at a time when,
before WWII, a majority of American Jews did not support
Zionism. Many Jewish leaders and institutions believed
that America was the new Jewish homeland and none
other was needed, and support of Zionism would exac-
erbate anti-Semitic assertions of dual loyalties. Slomovitz
was instrumental in Sen. Vandenberg, chair of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, embracing the Zionist
movement, and he often served as an intermediary when
Zionist leaders wanted to meet with Vandenberg. Zionism
was a repeated theme in his editorials and reporting,
including editorials urging readers to not only donate
to a Zionist cause but also to join a Zionist organization
because the vitality of the movement could not be taken
for granted.
Slomovitz’s passion for Zionism, though, revealed a
weakness — despite his pledges to present all sides of an
issue, he was reluctant to include opinions about Zionism
that differed from his own. He refused a request by one of
his investors to change the words “Jewish national home”
to “Jewish homeland” in an editorial reviewed by the inves-
tor. When the president of Hebrew University formed a
movement supporting a bi-national solution in Palestine,
Slomovitz demanded his resignation and blasted the
movement, calling its members appeasers, escapists and
“defeatists.”
A year later, a group of Reform Rabbis (including Dr.
Leo Franklin, rabbi emeritus at Temple Beth El) formed
the non-Zionist American Council for Judaism. Slomovitz
continued on page 46
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