Sol Drachler (Part 2)
Interviewed by Stephen Sadis
October 28, 2011
Seattle, Washington
Sol Drachler (Part 2)
Video 00:48:01
Sol Drachler (Part 2)
Audio 00:48:01
Abstract
In this continuation of Sol Drachler’s interview, he speaks about some of the things he went over in the last interview, such as his involvement with the centennial celebration of United Jewish Charities. He goes over the work done to preserve Jewish Community history.
Drachler talks about the growth of the Jewish Federation and the changes over the years. He goes into the outreach Federation has done over the years and speaks highly of the Junior Division and the Women’s Division. He talks about the importance of education and fundraising done by both divisions.
He talks about the Federation as it related to a changing community in Detroit in the 1970s and 1980s, leading into the Jewish Family Apartments. He also mentions the importance of the Yiddish language.
Drachler then speaks about Israel, immigration and Project Renewal. He mentions the relationship of Orthodox community to Federation and Detroit Synagogues and how the relate to Jewish education.
Finally, Drachler speaks on interfaith marriage and then on endowment funds.
History of Narrator
Sol Drachler was born on February 27, 1927 in New Jersey. He came to Detroit at the age of 2. Drachler began a 26-year career of fund-raising and community organization in 1956 when he joined the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit as director of the Allied Jewish Campaign’s Mercantile and Real Estate and Building Trades Divisions. He was later promoted to assistant campaign director, campaign director and associate director, prior to being named executive vice president, a position held from 1976 to 1982.
Nationally, Drachler served as a chairman of the United Jewish Appeal Campaign Director’s Institute and was a member of the Council of Jewish Federations’ Campaign Services Committee. He held memberships in the Labor Zionist Alliance and the Association of Jewish Community Organization Personnel (AJCOP) and was a director of the Irwin and Bethea Green Foundation. Upon his retirement from Federation, he established a consulting service to a variety of philanthropic organizations and non-profit institutions. In recognition of his achievements,
the University of Michigan School of Social Work, with the support of the Metro Detroit Jewish commu-nity, created an endowed chair in his name.
Sol Drachler passed away on September 27, 2016 in Seattle, Washington.
Transcript
Important Subjects
Important Names
Credit as: Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives. Sol Drachler Oral History Interview, October 28, 2011.