Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
86 | AUGUST 25 • 2022
A Great Jewish Archivist
Will Be Missed
I
n my career at the JN, Wayne State University and the University
of Michigan, I’ve met a lot of archivists from around the globe.
In Michigan, I’ve worked closely with great Jewish archivists
such as Sharon Alterman and Robbie Terman at the Leonard N.
Simons Jewish Community Archives; Laura Gottlieb at Temple
Beth El; Aimee Eras at the Walter Reuther Library at Wayne State;
and Olga Virakhovskaya at U-M’s Bentley Historical Library.
All of them are smart, dedicated archivists who
work extremely hard to preserve the history of
Michigan and of its Jewish community.
Sadly, we recently lost another colleague whom we
knew well: Judy Cantor, longtime archivist at Shaarey
Zedek. Judy went well beyond that role. When it
came to the history of Jewish Detroit, Judy was a
force of nature.
My first encounter with Judy was at the Reuther
Library when I was sitting at the Reference Desk.
After introductions, it went something like: “I need this, this and
this for my research. Oh, and how about, this, too. And maybe this.
Could you find this as well.
”
My head was spinning. To be sure, she wasn’t really asking for
herself. She was asking on behalf of her lifelong historical client, the
Jews of Detroit.
To be frank, I wasn’t sure what to make of this Request-o-Rama,
but I soon learned that Judy was on a noble quest to preserve Jewish
history. Over the years, I also learned that I had a steadfast partner
in the community.
Judy’s repertoire was not limited to doing a bit of research, writ-
ing or archival work. If one reads just a few of the 123 stories in
the William Davidson Digital Archive that mention Judy, it soon
becomes apparent that she possessed a vast range of passions and
causes. The stories about her work include phrases like “she was
instrumental,
” “she was the leader of …
” or “Judy Cantor is speak-
ing” here, there and everywhere!
Judy was indeed everywhere. Need help restoring the Fred M.
Butzel portrait, which hangs in a conference area that bears his
name at Max M. Fisher Federation building? (Sept. 1, 2016, JN).
Or need a historical marker for Michigan’s oldest Jewish cemetery,
Beth El, located within the grounds of historic Elmwood Cemetery
in Detroit? (Oct. 29, 1999). Or need a speaker for your Hadassah
meeting? (Aug. 31, 2001), or maybe one for Detroit’s Tricentennial
at Temple Emanu-El? (“Jews in the Automobile Industry,
” Feb.
9, 2001). Or maybe an article, say a special to the Jewish News?
(“Historical Society Touches the Past,
” Sept. 18, 1998). In all cases,
Judy was a “go-to” person.
Sharon Alterman told me a story that is a fair summation of the
force that was Judy Cantor.
“Judy’s passion was contagious. She saw an
exhibit about Jewish women at the Chicago Historical Museum that
impressed her, so she organized a trip to Chicago for a group of
10 women to see it. We all returned committed to the project. Not
only did Judy succeed in bringing the exhibit to Detroit, she also
developed and curated a segment about Michigan Jewish women. It
was a great success.
”
It was all in a day’s work for Judy Cantor. She will be missed.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free
at www.djnfoundation.org.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair