Melba Winer
Interviewed by Wendy Rose Bice
December 10, 2003
Max M. Fisher Federation Building, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Melba Winer
Video 01:15:50
Melba Winer
Audio 01:15:50
Abstract
In this oral history interview, Melba Winer talks about her mother and her influence on her while growing up. She touches on her grandparents for a moment, as her grandfather, Jacob Sklar was a leader in the Jewish Community as well. Mrs. Winer speaks about her childhood memories involving the organizations that her mother was a part of, including the Shaarey Zedek Sisterhood, Hadassah, and a founding member of the Music Study Club.
Because her mother never drove, Mrs. Winer remembers driving from the age of 14 for her mother to solicit for Federation door to door. She then talks about her early involvement with the community by joining the Little Women of Hadassah around the same time. Later, she became involved with the National Council of Jewish Women, Shaarey Zedek, Hadassah, Federation, and the Sinai Women’s Guild.
She speaks about her Yiddish speaking grandparents and remembering attending Yiddish Theater as a child. She talks at length about the Jewish Community Center Theater and her involvement with it. She mentions that at the time of the interview, she was currently involved with reading programs with Detroit Public Schools. From here, she mentions her marriage to her husband Sidney and his achievements in life.
When asked about her fund-raising style, she talks about teaching within programming. She touches on the uniqueness of the Jewish Community compared to others and the evolving role of women volunteers.
The interview concludes with Mrs. Winer speaking about her travels to see synagogues around the world.
History of Narrator
Melba Winer was born in Detroit in 1917. She was a passionate theater enthusiast who earned a degree in speech and theater from Wayne State University. She was responsible for creating and perpetuating a variety of theater, dance, music and visual arts programs.
The first plays for the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit’s Center Theatre were performed in her living room. She also directed shows for numerous organizations including National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah and Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County, where she was a third-generation member. She was always generous in her support of the artistic venues such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Hilberry Theatre in Detroit, Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET), Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario and others.
In addition to the arts, Mrs. Winer was involved in a myriad of philanthropic and social service organizations and activities such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Holocaust Memorial Center, where she helped train volunteer docents. She received honors from groups throughout the community including JET, Jewish Women in the Arts, the ADL, Federation, Jewish Senior Life’s Eight Over 80 and State of Israel Bonds.
Melba Winer died on April 23, 2010.
Transcript
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Credit as: Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives. Melba Winer Oral History Interview, December 10, 2003.