Another organization that looked after Windsor’s poor and needy Jews was the Hebrew Women’s Club. Its membership, about eighty strong, also gave money to the Hebrew Fund, the Red Cross, and, later, to the Palestine Fund. Mrs. M. Meretsky was the club’s president in 1916; her slate of officers included Mrs. Nathan Cohen, vice president, Mrs. Rae Kaplan, secretary; and Mrs. Simon Meretsky, treasurer. She and Mrs. Baum took food and clothing to those who had fallen on hard times, while Mrs. Samuels and Mrs. Janosky visited the sick, frequently bringing them flowers.40
In 1917, Windsor’s Young People’s Hebrew Association organized a tag day to aid Jewish war sufferers. Apart from the City Council, which contributed $300, some of the other donors were newsboys Archie Zeitlin, Leo Dropkin, and Morris Graber, as well as Abe and Sam Kovinsky. An editorial, published in the Border Cities Star solicited generous support for that particular fundraising drive:
Though it is not the custom of the Jewish people to go outside of their own race and ask aid for their suffering brethren, the need of relief for Jewish families in Europe suffering through the war has become so imperative that, in spite of the bountiful offerings that have been made since the outbreak of the war, they now find themselves unable to feed the hungry mouths of Europe who cry to their more fortunate brethren in America for bread and sustenance. The Jewish citizens of Windsor, under the auspices of the Young People’s Hebrew Association, have secured permission from the Council to hold a tag day on Monday. It is hoped there will be a generous response.41
Windsor Jews also were actively involved in the work of the Canadian Jewish Congress; as early as 1915, Shaarey Zedek had sent delegates to its conventions, and members again met in 1919 to elect those who would attend the upcoming Montreal meeting. Despite charges of irregularities involving ballots cast by students below the legal voting age of 18, the election was declared valid.42 Isidore Cherniak and Max Rappaport emerged as the delegates, having been chosen from a slate of seven candidates that included Miss B. Levin, Joseph Loikrec, Mr. Rosenberg, H. Zeitlin, and Simon Meretsky.43
In April 1920, another drive was organized to raise funds to aid Jews in Central and Eastern Europe. Chaired by Joel Gelber, the local Jewish committee included Samuel Schwartz, Joseph Becker, Michael and Simon Meretsky, Herman Benstein, Joshua Gitlin, Joseph Kovinsky, M. Cherniak, N. Benelya, and Hadassah president, Miss B. Levin.44 Prior to the selection of the teams who would canvass Jewish as well as Gentile citizens, local dignitaries — bank managers, ministers, Rotarians and members of the Chamber of Commerce — heard a stirring five-minute address by Herbert Jones, Toronto campaign director of the Canadian Jewish War Relief Fund.45 The campaign ultimately raised more than $9,000. In November 1920, a meeting was held to discuss another drive to raise $10,000 for the support of Jewish orphans. Chaired by S. K. Baum, who also took on the role of treasurer, it was attended by M. Rappaport, J. Kovinsky, and Simon Meretsky, as well as by representatives from various local Jewish charities.46 Tag days to collect money for starving Russian Jews were held again in 1921 and 1922.47
Among the numerous other charitable organizations active in the Border Cities were the Jewish Benevolent Society, which provided financial assistance to indigents; Junior Hadassah; the Young People’s Group; Aleph Zadik Alpha; and the Naomi Girls, who looked after the needs of the community’s younger members. They all sponsored the ever-popular dances and plays, as well as other social, cultural, and religious functions.48
The continuing desire of people to emigrate from Europe prompted a nucleus of Windsor Jews to engage in different kinds of philanthropic endeavours. They not only fixed papers for illegal aliens but, once permission had been obtained to remain in Canada,49 they were provided with initial living allowances, an action that resulted in the creation of a loan society that became the more formalized Essex Co-operative Credit Society Limited on February 8, 1929. From then on, the Hebrew Ladies Free Loan Association’s fundraising activities came under the jurisdiction of the new institution that, setting the maximum amounts of loans and deposits at $1,000, eventually helped the many newcomer families who required financial assistance.50
Resourceful Windsor Jews also participated in numerous underground operations. They smuggled immigrants across the Detroit River, frequently via Boblo Island, from where access to the United States was relatively easy.51 During the waiting period, they would provide these people with food and find temporary lodgings for them, sometimes in the basement of Shaarey Zedek or in the homes of local Jewish families. These covert actions went on for many years, their urgency increasing even further with the onset of World War II.52
Making Political Waves
During the war years, several Jewish businessmen became interested in politics. The first to declare his candidacy as alderman in the 1915 municipal election was Samuel K. Baum.53 Born in Austria in 1881, he had immigrated to New York in 1894. Only 13 years old at the time, he had made his living selling newspapers and shining shoes. He had then moved to Toronto and, in 1902, arrived in Windsor, where he peddled dry goods from door to door. He married Tilly Brody54 and two years later went into the carpet and house furnishing business with his brother-in-law, Ben Brody.55
Although Samuel K. Baum lost the 1915 election, he nonetheless found himself on Council, since he had been asked to fill the vacancy created by Alderman Frank H. Mann’s sudden death.56 Appointed to the finance, public works, market and property, and religious committees,57 Baum served on Council for the balance of the year, together with the indomitable Aaron Meretsky. Although he was subsequently defeated, he automatically assumed the seat left vacant by Alderman Frank Mitchell’s resignation in April 1915.58 Throughout their joint term in office, the relationship between these two Jewish aldermen was decidedly rocky.59 They clashed on numerous occasions, likely because Baum, who was in his thirties, appears to have been more progressive than the decidedly conservative and much older Meretsky, who was then in his early sixties. In 1916, after renewing their candidacies, they both competed vigorously, extolling their respective virtues and merits in a series of poignant campaign advertisements. Alas, Aaron Meretsky was the only councillor who was not re-elected.60 And, although Baum did win his seat on Council and even became chairman of the light committee, as well as a member of the market and property, parks and street opening committees,61 his participation gradually waned. He withdrew from politics before the next election was called, having decided to pursue various business interests in Windsor and Detroit.62
In 1917, David Meretsky, Jacob’s son, announced his candidacy for City Council.63 His aggressive campaign, mounted just a few days before the election, apparently paid off, since he not only won a seat, but was immediately appointed to the coveted light, parks, and street opening, market and property, and patriotic committees.64 However, unlike his uncle Aaron’s term in office, his was quite uneventful. His record showed that, apart from sponsoring one petition for a motor bus line,65 he backed only one other motion proposed by Samuel K. Baum: to hold a tag day to aid Jewish war sufferers.66
David Meretsky ran for re-election in 1918 and again a year later, but was defeated both times.67 However, his cousin Simon, eldest son of Aaron and Katherine Meretsky,68 gained a seat on Council in 1918, taking fourth place in the final tally.69 As an alderman he was anything but dull. In fact, he caused a great deal of controversy during the years he was in office. Although illiterate, this very enterprising young man, who had shined shoes and worked as a peddler to earn his own money, became a committee representative for the Third Ward