Look to the rock from which you were hewn Vol. 28, No. 3, Summer 2004 chicago jewish historical society chicago jewish history IN THIS ISSUE Ed Mazur to Speak on “Politics, 1654-2004: Celebrate Jews, and Elections, 1850-2004” 350 Years of Jewish Save the Date: Sunday, Oct. 31 Life in America! What’s Doing at Edward H. Mazur, Ph.D., nationally recognized authority on Other Jewish Historical politics and the Jewish voter, will be Societies in the USA the featured speaker at the next Isaac Van Grove— open meeting of the Chicago Jewish Chanukah, Romance, Historical Society on Sunday, and The Eternal October 31, at Temple Sholom, 3480 North Lake Shore Drive. [Rail] Road The program will begin at 2:30 From the Archives: p.m., following a social hour with (Left) Jacob Arvey and Abraham Skokie’s Cong. Bnai refreshments at 1:30, a brief review Lincoln Marovitz, important Jewish Emunah, 1953-2004 of the year’s activities by CJHS figures in Chicago politics. President Walter Roth, and the Undated. Chicago Jewish Archives. Report on June 27 election of Board members. Meeting: “History of Author of Minyans for a Prairie Chicagoan, born and raised in Cong. BJBE/Jewish City: The Politics of Chicago Jewry, Humboldt Park, who has resided in Issues and Chicago 1850-1940, and contributor to Rogers Park, Hyde Park, New Town Ethnic Chicago and The Dictionary and the Gold Coast. He is a tour Jews in the Civil War” of American Mayors, Edward Mazur guide for the Mayor’s Office of Author! Author! CJHS has written more than fifty articles Cultural Affairs. Writers: See Page 15 on urban affairs, politics, ethnicity, Admission to the meeting is, as and transportation. He is a native always, free and open to the public. Six Chicago Jewish painters are Terra Museum to Close; Last Show represented: Emil Armin, Aaron Includes Six Chicago Jewish Painters Bohrod, Raymond Breinin, Fritzi Brod, Samuel Himmelfarb, and “Chicago Modern, 1893-1945: Among the paintings are mild William Schwartz. Their depictions Pursuit of the New” is the final Midwestern attempts at Impression- of our city and of themselves are exhibition at the Terra Museum of ism in landscapes and portraits, but highlights of the exhibition, and American Art, 664 North Michigan the real treasures are the cityscapes. echo “Engaging with the Present,” Avenue. The show will continue The earliest of these spirited the 75th anniversary retrospective of until the Terra closes its doors on paintings are scenes of the Chicago the American Jewish Artists Club October 31. Admission is free. River by James Bolivar Needham. recently at the Spertus Museum. 2 Chicago Jewish History Summer 2004 President’s Column Look to the rock from which you were hewn chicago jewish historical society MY FIRST TRIP TO ISRAEL WAS IN 1952 after I graduated from law school. I participated Officers 2004 in a year-long work and study program at Ma’ale Walter Roth President Hachamisha, a kibbutz in the Judean Hills near Burt Robin Vice President Jerusalem. I have been to Israel many times since Dr. Carolyn Eastwood Secretary then, often with my family. Herman Draznin Treasurer Earlier this summer, my wife Chaya and I Directors Leah Axelrod Walter Roth spent three weeks in Israel. We were accom- panying one of our daughters, Miriam, her Harold T. Berc husband Mark Raider, and their three young children. Miriam and Charles B. Bernstein Mark are professors at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Dr. Irving Cutler Dr. Rachelle Gold Albany. They and the children would be spending the rest of the Clare Greenberg summer on sabbatical at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba. Dr. Adele Hast* Returning to Israel this time was somewhat different for Chaya Rachel Heimovics* and me. For the first time we were traveling with three of our grand- Dr. David H. Heller children, so we were apprehensive about the grave political and Janet Iltis security situation. We were surprised by what we encountered. Marshall D. Krolick Our stay did not include visits to Gaza or the West Bank, so I Roslyn Lettvin do not have first hand observations about the situation there. We Michael Lorge drove over 1400 kilometers, from north to south and all around, Mark Mandle and except for the presence of the security fence (or “the wall” as Dr. Edward H. Mazur some call it) in some areas, little military personnel or equipment Seymour H. Persky was visible to us. The country looked superb, with an enormous Muriel Robin Rogers* amount of ongoing construction. Throughout Israel, the roads have Norman D. Schwartz* Dr. Milton Shulman been rebuilt, and are in extraordinarily good condition. Dr. N. Sue Weiler WE STAYED IN A GUEST HOUSE AT KIBBUTZ SASSA, *Indicates Past President located north of Safed, near the Lebanese border. Sassa was Chicago Jewish History established by a group of young chalutzim (pioneers) from America Chicago Jewish History is published after the 1948 War of Independence. We found that, by sheer quarterly by the Chicago Jewish coincidence, there was a reunion of vatikim (original settlers) in Historical Society at 618 South progress. Among the old-timers were a number of Chicagoans, some Michigan Avenue, Chicago, still living on the kibbutz, and others who had come from Chicago Illinois 60605. (312)663-5634. and elsewhere for the reunion. Single copies $4.00 postpaid. Among the Sassa kibbutzniks was our friend, Lynn, a woman Successor to Society News. who, when she was a student almost 40 years ago, lived with us in Editor/Designer Chicago, helping to care for our children. Lynn had taken our belief Bev Chubat in Zionism seriously and had immigrated to Israel. She now has five Immediate Past Editor grown children, some already married, and is a teacher and writer. Joe Kraus We had a reunion on a grand scale, and toured together in the north Editor Emeritus of Israel—to the Banyas Waterfall, the Hula Valley, and of course, Irwin J. Suloway Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), where, if you go to the right Editorial Board place, you can walk on water. David Heller, Burt Robin, Sassa now faces a problem pervasive in the kibbutz community. Walter Roth, Norman Schwartz, The old communal way of life is undergoing privatization of both and Milton Shulman its social and economic life. Children live at home with their Send all submissions to: parents; the communal dining hall is available, but most families eat Bev Chubat in their own houses. Sassa is economically prosperous today. Its 415 Fullerton Parkway, #1102 Chicago, IL 60614-2842 continued on page 12 E-mail: [email protected] Chicago Jewish History Summer 2004 3 (Left) Chicago Tribute Marker of Distinction: Ben Hecht, 5210 South Kenwood Avenue. Photo by Norman D. Schwartz. (Right) Honorary Ben Hecht Way street sign, corner of West Walton and North Clark Streets, dedicated June 29, 2004. Photo by Michael Zimmerman. New Signs of Ben Hecht in Chicago On Tuesday morning, June 29, Natarus initiated the required city about a hundred people gathered council resolution, but the impetus under the trees of Washington came from Dr. Rafael Medoff of the (Bughouse) Square Park to dedicate David S, Wyman Institute for Honorary Ben Hecht Way, the Holocaust Studies. block of West Walton Street, Ben Hecht established his between Clark and Dearborn, in literary reputation in Chicago as a front of the Newberry Library. young newspaper reporter. His Local politics determine the papers are housed at the Newberry names that appear on the city’s Library, donated by his widow to ubiquitous brown “honorary way” this respected research institution in signs. In this case, Alderman Burton continued on page 13 HYMIE WEISS—WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dan Sharon, Senior Reference Librarian of the Asher Library at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, asked CJHS President Walter Roth this question: Why did a Polish American gangster in Chicago, who supposedly 3760 served as an altar boy in a Catholic church, change his name to the The address of Anshe stereotypically Jewish one, “Hymie Weiss”? I’ve looked in book after Q Emet Synagogue is book that mentions Weiss, and no one answers this question. Indeed, 3760 North Pine no one even raises it. Grove Avenue, Walter Roth’s answer is based in part on research by Norman D. Schwartz. Chicago, Illinois. Hymie Weiss was machine-gunned to death on October 11, 1926. What is the relationship of He was a notorious Chicago mobster, successor as gang leader to Dion the number 3760 to the O’Banion. He was shot down on almost the same spot where O’Banion secular and Jewish calendars? had been killed—Schofield’s Flower Shop, at 738 North State Street. When you add the Although his nickname suggests a Jewish connection, there is no number 3760 to any evidence of it. His death certificate states his name as “Earl J. Weiss”. A secular year, the total He is listed as “single” and “white.” Date of birth is “unknown.” equals the Jewish year. Records indicate that his family members had changed their surname 2004 + 3760 = 5764. from Wojcieckowski to Weiss. His tombstone in (Roman Catholic) (Remember, in the period Mount Carmel Cemetery bears the inscription: “In Loving Memory of between Rosh Hashanah and Earl J. Weiss.” Underworld nicknames are never subtle, clever, or kind. January 1, add 3761.) Since Weiss is usually a Jewish name, Earl was probably called “Hymie” only because that epithet matched his chosen surname. — N.D.S 4 Chicago Jewish History Summer 2004 Isaac Van Grove—Chanukah, Romance, and The Eternal [Rail]Road BY CURTIS L. KATZ “…if music alone could stir the soul, It was in that year in connection with the Civic what would it not do allied with drama and Opera that Isaac Van Grove became associated with spectacle?…what could not one do with a Meyer Weisgal, the indefatigable Zionist activist who would later become secretary to Chaim Weizmann.