William S. Paley

Look to the rock from which you were hewn Vol. 30, No. 1, Winter 2006 chicago jewish historical society chicago jewish history IN THIS ISSUE Sunday, March 26—Save the Date! William S. Paley— Director of New Illinois Holocaust From Cigars to Museum and Education Center to Broadcast News Katharine Kuh— Speak at CJHS Open Meeting Her Love Affair “History in the Making: the New Illinois Holocaust Museum and with Modern Art Education Center” will be the subject of the talk presented by Richard Hirschhaut at the next meeting of the From the Archives: Chicago Jewish Historical Society, on Cousins Remember Sunday, March 26. The program will begin Cong. Kesher Israel at 2:00 p.m., after a social hour and refreshments at 1:00 p.m., at the present Oral History: facility of the Illinois Holocaust Museum Educator, War Hero and Education Center/Holocaust Mem- David H. Heller Z”L orial Foundation of Illinois, 4255 West Main Street, Skokie. Admission is free and open to the public. Mr. Hirschhaut, the Project and Greenleaf Executive Director of the new Illinois . Evanston E V Holocaust Museum and Education Center Golf Club A since July 2004, will discuss the history of D R O the Foundation since its founding in 1981, Lee F and the planning and development of the W A Richard Hirschhaut R new museum and center. Designed by HMFI C 4255 MAIN ST. noted Chicago architect Stanley Tigerman, the museum and center will be constructed at 9603 Woods Drive, on the northwest corner of Golf Road and the Edens Expressway (I-94), in Skokie. I K e T e r r e i a Richard Hirschhaut brings to this challenge over twenty years of p l d e p l i r experience as a senior staff member of the Anti-Defamation League, most K recently as the Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Regional Director. He is a L frequent consultant to law enforcement agencies, municipalities and profes- SKOKIE N sional associations on issues of extremism and the impact of hate crimes. He has brought anti-bias training to prisons, police and fire departments, churches, and schools. Under his direction, ADL’s Chicago office created the PARKING at HMFI: there are parking National Youth Leadership Mission, an award-winning initiative that brings spaces in front and back of the building, diverse high school students to Washington, D.C., to visit the U.S. and ample street parking. (Please DO Holocaust Museum and meet with civil rights leaders. NOT use the parking lot east of HMFI.) For further information phone the CJHS office at (312) 663-5634. 2 Chicago Jewish History Winter 2006 President’s Column Look to the rock from which you were hewn chicago jewish historical society EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EVE LEVIN has retired after many years of superb, devoted Officers 2006 service to the Chicago Jewish Historical Society. Walter Roth President Fortunately, she will continue to assist us on Burt Robin Vice President special projects. Thank you, Eve! Dr. Carolyn Eastwood Secretary Dr. Edward H. Mazur Treasurer “HOW THE SON OF ULYSSES S. GRANT Directors Leah Axelrod Walter Roth HELPED A GALITZIANER.” I saw this headline while I was perusing a recent issue of Harold T. Berc The Galitzianer, the quarterly newsletter of Gesher Galicia (Bridge Charles B. Bernstein to Galicia), the special interest group for Jewish families from Rachel Heimovics Braun* Galicia, a province of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. My Dr. Irving Cutler wife Chaya and I belong to this genealogical society. Herman Draznin The subject of the Dr. Rachelle Gold article was Charles Clare Greenberg Pitzele, who had lived Dr. Adele Hast* Janet Iltis in Chicago. The Marshall D. Krolick author was Ben Roslyn Lettvin Weinstock of New Melynda Lopin York. I sent Mr. Mark Mandle Weinstock an e-mail Seymour H. Persky expressing my interest Major towns in Galicia. Muriel Robin Rogers* in his article. He Gesher Galicia web site. Norman D. Schwartz* replied that his own Dr. Milton Shulman interest in the incident Dr. N. Sue Weiler arose because it concerned a member of the Pitzele family, of which *Indicates Past President he thought he was a descendant. Chicago Jewish History The Pitzeles had been one of the wealthiest families in Galicia. Their descendants immigrated to America in the 19th century. Ben Chicago Jewish History is published Weinstock’s article notes that Charles Pitzele was among the family quarterly by the Chicago Jewish Historical Society at 618 South members who came to Chicago in the 1870s. Later, when Charles Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois returned to Galicia for a visit, traveling to Cracow and other places, 60605-1901. (312) 663-5634. he was arrested for not having done his required service in the www.chicagojewishhistory.org. Austrian military. Charles was rescued from imprisonment only with Single copies $4.00 postpaid. the intervention of the son of President Ulysses S. Grant. Successor to Society News. Mr. Weinstock had spent over a decade researching the Pitzele family in America. Records at the New York City Public Library led Editor-Designer him to Illinois and Chicago. The Grant story appeared in an edition Bev Chubat of the Chicago Tribune dated November 23, 1890, reporting that a Editorial Board case had just come to light involving the arrest of an American by Burt Robin, Walter Roth, Norman the Austrian government. The person named was Charles Pitzele, a Schwartz, and Milton Shulman resident of Chicago and a naturalized citizen of The United States. He was arrested by a Polish officer on the grounds that he had left Send all submissions to: Galicia without serving in the Austrian army. He was “thrown in Editor Bev Chubat jail” and kept there for nearly a week. Chicago Jewish Historical Society Charles Pitzele appealed to Frederick Dent Grant, the U.S. 618 South Michigan Avenue Minister to Austria and the son of the former President. On the Chicago, IL 60605-1901 or e-mail: [email protected] continued on page 15 Chicago Jewish History Winter 2006 3 Notable Cultural Events: Spring, Summer & Fall Nextbook Program: Newberry Library Seminar: Barney Ross: Not Without A Fight Sex, Politics, Murder, and Genealogy Thursday, March 9, 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 5:45–7:45 p.m. Martyrs’, 3855 North Lincoln Avenue The Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Street A conversation between Douglas Century, author of a “Local Chicago historian Walter Roth narrates the new biography (Barney Ross, published by Schocken), sensational story of Dora Feldman McDonald who, in and Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune. 1907, made headlines when she shot her lover. “At 13, Chicago’s own Barney McDonald’s subsequent trial and acquittal turned her Ross saw his father murdered, into a public figure. When the historical trail ran dry his mother suffer a nervous soon after the jury’s verdict, however, Roth turned to breakdown, and his three genealogist Mike Karsen to investigate McDonald’s younger siblings sent to an later life. Learn how the genealogist then traced what orphanage. Determined to make happened to McDonald and her family after the trial. enough money to reunite the What he turned up surprised both of them.” family, he became a petty thief, a — Newberry Library gambler, a messenger boy for Al Walter Roth’s account of Capone, and a professional the trial appears in his boxer. In his new book, Douglas book Looking Backward: Century tells how Ross went True Stories from from being the ‘Jew Kid’ from the West Side to winning Chicago’s Jewish Past, the lightweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight published by CJHS titles. He also describes his heroic actions at Guadal- and available at local canal, his addiction to morphine, and his covert bookstores and online. missions to run guns to Palestine.”—Nextbook Registration fee $40. Tickets $8. Order by phone (312) 747-4074, Discounted rate of $36 online at www.nextbook.org,, or purchase at the door. is available for seniors, students, Friends of the Nextbook Program: Newberry Library at the Are We There Yet? Jewish Playwrights Dora Feldman McDonald Author level ($100) and above, current Newberry and the American Dream Library Associates, and current members of the Tuesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m. Newberry's Friends of Genealogy. Register online at Alliance Française de Chicago www.newberry.org or phone (312) 255-3700. 54 West Chicago Avenue continued on page 14 Steppenwolf Theatre Artistic Director Martha Lavey and Director of New Play Development Ed Sobel discuss Jewish striving in American theater. Not in Time for Hanukkah— “From Arthur Miller’s salesman to Becky, the widowed Publication of CJHS mother of three in Sylvia Regan’s Morning Star, to Louis Chicago Jewish Time Line Ironson in Angels in America, to Richard Greenberg’s Delayed until Passover 2006/5766 Darren Lemming in Take Me Out, the creations of We announced the publication and distribution Jewish American playwrights are often desperate to of an illustrated Chicago Jewish Time Line arrive. But each time they shake off one sign of as a Hanukkah gift to our active members. difference—religion, ethnicity—they confront another (The project was undertaken in association with the nationwide celebration of 350 years of Jewish —class, gender, sexual orientation.”—Nextbook life in America.) Instead, it will be sent as a Tickets $8. Order by phone (312) 747-4074, Passover afikomen gift. Apologies for the delay. online at www.nextbook.org, or purchase at the door. 4 Chicago Jewish History Winter 2006 William S. Paley: Good Night, and Good Luck BY WALTER ROTH n the recent film “Good Night, and Good Luck,” a family and cigar business to Detroit when William was docu-drama about the Ed Murrow television show, four years old, only to return to Chicago a few years I the enigmatic figure of William S.

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