Look to the rock from which you were hewn Vol. 31, No. 4, Fall 2007 chicago jewish historical society chicago jewish history Henry Horner, “The Real Goods” BY EDWARD H. MAZUR Governor Henry Horner, trade, on November 30, 1878, he Chicago Politics, and the Great managed to skillfully straddle the Depression. By Charles J. Masters. divide between the respectable good 2007, Southern Illinois University government crowd and the rough Press, 245 pages. Cloth $24.95 and tumble ward politicians of Chicago during the World War I Henry Horner and his Burden of era, the Roaring Twenties, and the Tragedy. By Thomas B. Littlewood. Great American Depression. 2007, Author House, 314 pages. Attorney and author Charles J. Paper, $12.20 Masters in his important mono- he story of Henry Horner, graph reveals that at various times in the first Jewish Governor of his political career, Horner found T the State of Illinois, from himself an ally of Chicago’s powerful January 9, 1933 until his death in Democratic Machine—founded by office on October 6, 1940, holds Irish politicos Roger Sullivan and Henry Horner (1878-1940) many contradictions. George Brennan, perfected by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Born Henry Levy into a family Bohemian Anton “Tony” Cermak, of successful Jewish entrepreneurs in and managed by Patrick Nash, legendary First Ward duo of “Hinky the retail and wholesale grocery Edward Kelly, and the 24th Ward’s Dink” Kenna and “Bathhouse John” Jacob Arvey. At other times, Horner Coughlin—decidedly not good found himself to be the object of the government types! IN THIS ISSUE Democratic Machine’s wrath. While Henry Horner was the third son remaining a staunch Democrat, of Dilah Horner and Solomon Levy. Jewish Book Month: Horner nevertheless found himself His parents’ relationship was Published Works by at loggerheads with the adminis- anything but harmonious, and in CJHS Members tration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1883 they were divorced. Afterwards Terminiello vs. Chicago: His rise to power and struggle to his maternal grandmother, Hannah The Free Speech Case remain in the leadership of Illinois Dernberg Horner, invited Dilah and government is a dramatic tale, full of the children to move in with her, Symbol of The Society: political intrigue and twists of fate. but only on the condition that they Remembering Artist For example: Horner, elected change their surname to Horner. Rose Ann Chasman Governor in 1932 as the candidate The future governor would be a of “good government,” received his lifelong bachelor, who enjoyed the SPECIAL SECTION: political start with Chicago’s continued on page 4 “The Jews of Hyde Park High School”—Report on The Society has 10 copies of our 1990 reprint of the classic reference book Our Oct. 28 Program H.L. Meites: History of the Jews of Chicago A drawing will be held. Winners may purchase the books. Details on Page 23. 2 Chicago Jewish History Fall 2007 President’s Column Look to the rock from which you were hewn chicago jewish historical society NOVEMBER IS JEWISH BOOK MONTH, and this Fall (November) issue of our quarterly Officers 2007 publication is dedicated to Jewish books. Walter Roth By way of coincidence, on October 16, my President wife Chaya and I had the opportunity to attend a Burt Robin luncheon downtown in the Sheraton Hotel and Vice President Towers to celebrate the coming 15th anniversary Dr. Carolyn Eastwood of the United States Holocaust Memorial Recording Secretary Walter Roth. Museum. Elie Wiesel, the founding chairman of Dr. Edward H. Mazur the museum, was guest of honor. It was Treasurer estimated that about 3,000 persons came to see and hear him. Directors Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, writer and recipient of the Nobel Leah Axelrod Peace Prize in 1986, continues to be a powerful spokesman for the Harold T. Berc victims and survivors of the Holocaust and a moral voice for peoples Charles B. Bernstein around the world who are facing persecution today. Rachel Heimovics Braun* In a moving message to the audience, he stressed the need to Dr. Irving Cutler remember and teach the facts surrounding the Jewish genocide. Herman Draznin Asked how to best accomplish this, Wiesel answered, “Books, books, Herbert Eiseman and books” —meaning that through reading history we remember Dr. Rachelle Gold our past, and hold onto our faith, and learn from it in dealing with Clare Greenberg present injustices, such as Darfur. “The Darfur Holocaust occurred Dr. Adele Hast* [and continues]—not because the killers killed, but because others Janet Iltis let them do the work and did not protest.” Melynda Lopin He stressed that anti-Semitism is still “a plague” and defined an Seymour H. Persky anti-Semite as “a person who hated me before I was born.” Muriel Robin Rogers* Norman D. Schwartz* CHICAGO, IN PARTICULAR, HAS BEEN CAPTIVATED Dr. Milton Shulman by Elie Wiesel. Night, his memoir of his youth in the concentration Dr. N. Sue Weiler camps, was the “One Book, One Chicago” selected by Mayor Daley *Indicates Past President and the Chicago Public Library in Spring 2002. A specially priced Chicago Jewish History paperback edition was featured in retail bookstores, Night discussion is published quarterly by the groups met at branch libraries, and the book was assigned for Chicago Jewish Historical reading in local high schools. Wiesel came and spoke to the young Society at 610 S. Michigan Ave., people of our city. Each fall and spring, an important “One Book” is O Chicago, Illinois 60605. chosen, but none has quite had the impact of Elie Wiesel’s story. Phone (312) 663-5634. [email protected]. Single copies $4.00 postpaid. Successor to Society News. Editor-Designer Bev Chubat Editorial Board Burt Robin, Walter Roth, Norman D. Schwartz, and Milton Shulman Send all submissions to: Editor, Chicago Jewish Historical Society. 610 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 or e-mail: http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/onebook_night/resources.html [email protected] Chicago Jewish History Fall 2007 3 New Office, New Board Member The Society is in the process of moving into our new office in the magnificent new building of the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies at 610 South Michigan Avenue. In our new room, with computer, phone, and files at hand, we will be able to manage the business of the Herbert Eiseman and the Chicago skyline. CJHS more efficiently. We look forward The Society extends a warm welcome to Herbert to continuing our Eiseman, the newest member of the Board of Directors. working relationship Herb is a certified member of the Chicago Tour-Guide with our colleagues at Professionals Association (CTPA). He was elected to a the Asher Library and three-year term at our October 28 business meeting. the Chicago Jewish Carolyn Eastwood, Clare Greenberg, Ed Mazur, Packed and stacked Tyga-Boxes. Archives. and Burt Robin were re-elected to a three-year term. From the CJH Summer 2007 Issue — Corrections, Clarifications, and Additions Beatrice Michaels Shapiro. In the article “CJHS several abandoned coal yards, and a railroad right of Member Among Jewish Chicagoans of the Year way. The address you have listed is the Horace Mann 2007” on page 6, we misstated her husband’s name. Elementary School.” The late Mr. Shapiro’s name was Larry. The Chicago Park District website lists two contact Berger Park & Cultural Center. The correct addresses for Rosenblum Park: (A) 7547 South Euclid address is 6205 North Sheridan Road. In the article and (B) 8050 South Chappel—neither one at the park. “Chicago Park District Facilities Named for Jewish Bidwill Stadium—often misspelled as “Bidwell”— People” on pages 8-9, we listed a wrong address. was the home field of the Bluebirds of the All Rosenblum Park. Another error in the Chicago American Girls Professional Baseball League Park District article is the location of this park. (AAGPBL), founded in 1943 by Chicago Cubs CJHS member Jerry Levin corrected us: owner Phillip Wrigley in the belief that Major “Rosenblum Park is at the southwest corner of 75th League and Minor League baseball would be Street and Jeffery Blvd. The park is one block long suspended during World War II. N-S and one and a half blocks E-W. When President Roosevelt gave the order to continue “I spent many days and nights playing baseball there men’s pro baseball to keep up the morale of the from 1954 through 1960. The park served as the nation, Wrigley wanted to fold the AAGPBL. But athletic field for South Shore High School, which at attendance continued to grow, and the women’s that time was across 76th Street on Constance league continued to operate until 1954. It was made Avenue. In the late 1960s, the Chicago Public famous again in the movie “A League of Their Own.” Schools constructed a second high school building The owner of the Bluebirds, Charles Bidwill, was on the west side of the park. The new building is on better known as the owner of the Chicago Cardinals the 7500 block of Constance. The park land was NFL football team. The Bidwill family still owns the assembled from the old Bidwill baseball stadium, team, now the Arizona Cardinals. 4 Chicago Jewish History Fall 2007 Henry Horner continued from page 1 Throughout his career, many around him— Democrat and Republican, Jew and non-Jew—thought that Horner lacked “toughness.” Masters’ book conviviality of the Standard Club, good whiskey, and a convincingly dispels this characterization and serves to fine cigar. He was a member of two Reform congre- remind us not only that the first Jewish Governor of gations, Sinai and Kehilath Anshe Maariv (KAM). Illinois was tough, but that he was a deeply principled Throughout his career, Henry Horner was extremely man, committed to practical common sense politics.