Meeting at Spertus
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Look co che Rock CFo,n .Dhich Uoo .t eee ,re.rt', DFJan'rlJ-9t l9'rtil FORMERLY SOCIETY NEWS cbrcoco Je(Drsl.) l.:rst<tnrcol socrc,tJ volumexiii. no.2,January. 1990 ffi tuffi A CandidAssessment of Jews Hold Exhibit-Related In ChicagoPolitics Since 1920 Meetingat Spertus A VeteranIndeoendent Looks Back OnJanuary 14 At VariedAchievements, Shortcomings PanelWill Discuss by Leon M. Despres LandsmanshaftenRoles n opportunity to hear ( ( ewsin ChicagoPolitics" is a fascinatingsubject. A completeand about lands- f manshaftenas well as view an I accurateaccount would requirethe carefulattention of a histori- U^ extensiveexhibit about them will an.assisted by severalstud;nts. At best,I am preparedto sketch be affordedmembers and friendsat the someaspects in the hopeof inspiring someoneto carry the subjectfurther. Societymeeting set for Sunday,January I havetaken the period from 1920on becauseit coverspart of my lifetime 14,at SpenusCollege. The aftemoonwill and providesme with a frame of referencefor the material.I think I can providean in-deptheducation conceming dealwith it moreaccurately than if I tried to go backto the Civil War. fhe nurturing and acculturatingroles Since about 1920,there has been a Jewishpopulation base in assumedby thesefriendly societiesfor Chicagolarge enough to encourageambitious Jewish people to become (ontinuedon ru!:( 2 candidatesfor public office. I havegone through the recordsof local alder- men,congressmen, state representatives, state senators, city officialsand Although it is well over a hun- stateofficials and compileda list of Jewsamong them. You are not inter- dred years since the first local Jews estedin the detailsof that list-how many aldermenthere were, how many attainedpolitical office, the real heydayof senators-but it is importantto notethat therewere a greatmany. Jewishpoliticians was the decadesfollow- Nevera Chicagomayor, however. There were two Jewishcandi- ing World War L As the Jewishpopulation datesfor Mayor, BernardEpton and Bill Singer,but nevera Jewishmayor. dispersesirself more widely throughthe Therewere many staterepresentatives and statesenators, and severalJew- mefopolitan area, there are signs that that heydaymay drawing ish congressmen,but no U.S. senator.There was one electedgovemor of be to a close. Illinois, Henry Horner;and a lieutenantgovernor, Samuel Shapiro, who The writer of the adjoining arti- cle, Attorney Leon Despres, Decameacung governor. has been active in politics for over a half-century, most prominently as an independentand Many JewishJudges fearlessalderman for two decadesbefore There were many, many Jewishelected judges becauseour tradi- retidng undefeated. He here providesan tion hasattracted Jews into the legal profession. A studyof Chicago'sJew- assessmentof "represeotative"local Jewish ishjudges could yield an interestinganalysis of their contributionto the politicianssince 1920 as ivell as thoughrful law. Among distinguishedjudges, I mentiononly Arthur Goldberg,the insightsinto recantpolitical history. This Chicagolawyer who becamea justice of the United StatesSupreme Court; paper was adaptedfrom an addressgiven at and SeymourSimon, a Chicagolawyer who becamean outstandingIlli- a recentSociety meeting. onnntrcd otr Pag? o new book titled N.1.1onAl.grt tt A LiJi,ott tht lliltl SiJt.b,v Bcttina Drcw. Thc book ii a lirscinatingaccount ol lhis Chicrgo icono- clasl who *as born ol Jcwish patrcnts.Hi\ piile fn aI glrndpirrenls !\crc orig in d11y Exhibits,Books Chrislian Srvcdcs\\ho convc(ed to Orlho d()x Juclilisn'lilnd chlngcd thcir n{Inc lionl Providelmportant AItrrcnlo Abrahlrn. A{icr hc bcganwriting. Nelson chonllcd his nilmc brck lo Algreu Insights and rarcly relclrcd lo this Jcrvish bacl ground. xhibits antl books ar-ctwo ol lhc Thc Ch icago Jcwish Historical cuslonraryvehicles uscd lo fcmind Socictl is gralilic(l thrl its Landsrndn- us of our past hcrilagc and hist(r'y. President shi!ltcnexhibit sharcslhc spotli-qhlwilh lhc We hnve rccenlly been li)rlunlle lo be ben- Walter Both olhcr cxhibils which rre bricfly clcscribc(l eliciariesol a nunrbcrol cxhibils rnd b(x)ks abovc.All arc wcll wo h vicwing as ollcr' lhal aclllc to us rs Amcrican Jcw\ living in ry of lhc Jcws ol Alncricil. ittr.:r p.rrrorurtticvrcu ul nur lilc irt Chi.rrg,' Chicago. He has jusl wrillen r book. 711 and ol our Europcanhcritlrgc. On Wcclncsclav.Novenrbcl 15. .l?$.\ in Ant(riru Fout- C(ntut l(s o.l un Wrlrcr Rorh I h,rnl. 191i9.our Chicrgo Jcwish Hisloricrl Soci ttnt\\ I-tIIt'uIt|,t- In lrr. H,.r'tzh..r'.: Prcsiclcnt ety opened Lrmajor cxhibit at Spcltus r.\,Irnl, rhc Ili.t,,f) ,'l rlr\ Jiw.,'l Arrre|ir.r Muscum ol Juclaicl on Landsmxnshlltt'll lronr carlicst coloniill li es through the in Chicrgo." Despile cold irnd bluslcfl It,rtl:rr ',1 lll( Ccrr||iltrJ($r.h nnrrlr!r'irlr',n wcathcr. (hc opcniDg.undc.thc chdir rrn in thc rriJ l,{{Yl\ t'\ thf trir\. inllur,,l J',','r ship ol Jrnet Hagerup. was well attcDdcd inmigr{nts tion EaslcrnEuropc. dncllhcn SpertusMeeting and warnrly acclaimed by lll who wcre to lhc posl wdr movenrenlsol Jews 1()thc thcre.The l'estivilicsincludcd brief talks by sLrburbs.Whilc nol lbcusctl on Chicago OnJanuary 14 Adele Hast. Sol Brandzcl and Sidncy Jewry as such, Hertzberg s book drarvs it t atltt ttl ltr)rt t)trt l Sorkin. Their presentationsincluded the number of controvcrsial conclusions on history of landsmanshaftenin Chicago by Amcrican Jewry's present strtus and its Jewislr and other immigrants to Amenca during the piLst Adcle, personalmemories of one of these continuingstruggle to integrateinto Amefl- cenlury. groups by Sol and a fascinatingaccounl of can culture. A panel discussionleaturing Dr. how many of the pictures and artif'actswere Adelc Hast, David Passman, Maynard located by Sidney.All werc splendid.The Deutth E.rhibit,Algren Biography Wishner, and Sidney Sorkin will be the cxhibit will be on display at Spertus Not tar fiom the SpertusMuseum main event of the day. Among them they through January and all members and thereis anotherfine exhibit on the rrrarr will discussthe formation ol lriendly soci friend\ are urged to r iew this unique floor of the ChicagoPublic Library Cultur- eties, the nature of the interrelationships glimpse of communal life of Jewish in al Center,featuring the photographsof that brought individuals together.the soci Chicagoa few decadesago. StevenDeutch, "From Paristo Chicago, eties'functionsboth socialand service,and 1932-1989."A bookbearing the sametitle the activitiesin which they cngaged. ViennaExhihit, HertzbergHistory and featuringthe black-and-whitepho- The fbllowingnight the Museum tographswhich made Deutch famous as a Exhihit Reinforce s Prcgram hostedthe opening of anotherexhibit high-stylecommercial photographer as well Thepresentation by thepanel will alongsideours on "The Jewsof Vienna." as an artistic photographerof everydaylife be vividly reinforcedby the exhibitju.l Thisexhibit, on loanfiom theJewish com- in Chicago(and elsewhere) is on saleat the outsideBederman Hall, wherethe program munity in Vienna,Austria is a pictorial Cenler.ll notesthal Deurchwas born in will be held.The exhibit,which includes accountof what was onceone of the most Hungaryof a very religiousJewish father. photos.ceremonialobject.r und insigniaas "enlightened"Jewish communities in West- Nothingfurther is saidon this subjectin the well as the music of variousJewish and ern Europe.It depictsthe history of the bookexcept that Deutch'smother and her non-Jewishfriendly societies,has been Jewsof Viennafrom earlymedieval times sonsdid not sharehis religiousfervor and mountedby the ChicagoJewish Historical untiltheir destruction by theNazis in l93lt. this "cul a deep chasmin the family." Societywith theaid of a grantfrom theIlli- ll .hor^\ u\. for erample.lhal at onetime Deutchand his family movedto Parisand nois Arts Council and the NationalEndow latein thenineleenth century there lived on then left Europein the early 1930'sas mentlor the Humanities.Janet Hagerup i. one block in ViennaSigmund Freud, Gus- Hitlerrose to powerin Germany. generalchairman. tav Mahlerand Theodore Herzl. Deutch'sphotographs of skid-row Contributionscame from many At the openingnight of the Vien- denizensand other scenesgive us an sourcesincluding the Czechoslovakian na exhibit,the principal speaker was Rabbi unusualphotographic glimpse of Chicago. HistoricalMuscum in Berwyn.The exhibit Arthur Hertzberg, known to many Deutch was a close friend of Nelson remainson displayat Spertus,618 South Chicagoansas pastpresident of the Ameri- Algren.the Chicagowriter who wrote of MichiganAvenue, through January. canJewish Congress, and now a professor the boozejoints and the poor who drank and lhought-provoking Jewish political themselvesinto oblivionalong Divrsron Panel Has VariedExpertise leader Hertzberg'sspeech compared events Street.Pictures of Algren are includedin Dr. Hast, pasr presidentof the in the historyof the Jewsin Viennawith theDeutch exhibit. Societyand a historianassociated with the supposedlycomparable evenls in the histo- Algren himself is the subjectof a Newberry Library, played a major role in 2 mounling the exhibit. Mr. Passman.a Soci- ely Board member.is l membcr ol a Ilnrily long promincnt in r particular landsnran- shali, lhe Marir'rpolel Aid Socicty.Sidncy Sorkin. another Board member. hrs been collecling dala on Iandsmanshaflcn lor decrdesrnd is currently conrpiling a book ( lhc subjcct.Mr. Wishncr will discussthe Bielolzerkover.rn oulgrowlh ol lhe work men s circ lc. 'fhc panel presentalion at 2t00 PM will bc prccccicdat l:00 PM by a social