Interview with Mike Ades, June 22, 2016

CRANE: For official purposes, today is June 22nd, 2016. My name is Janice Crane, and I am part of the interviewing team for the Jewish Kentucky Oral History Project funded by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence. I'm honored to be here today with Mike Ades, a long-time resident of Lexington, Kentucky, and both an active member in its Jewish community and the community at large. I know Mike, and I value his opinions, appreciate his knowledge of the community, and I look forward to hearing his personal and family history and the stories he has to share. So let's begin, Mike. Uh, we're going to establish some general information first. What was your full name at birth?

ADES: Michael Lederman Ades.

CRANE: And when and where were you born?

ADES: I was born March 1st, 1940, at, uh, Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.

CRANE: And what is your wife's full name, and where was she born?

ADES: My wife is Harriet Fleischmann Ades. She was born November 13th, 1940, in Anderson, South Carolina.

CRANE: And what is your wife's occupation?

ADES: Uh, she is a, um, chemistry teacher and has been on the, uh, staff of the University of Kentucky teaching chemistry to, uh, basic, uh--basic chemistry courses.

CRANE: I know that neither of your parents are alive, but, for the record and because they were clearly a large part of your history and your stories, what were their names and where were they from?

ADES: My, uh, mother, uh, was, uh, Francis Lederman. She was from, uh, Louisville, Kentucky, and my father, uh, was Louis--L-O-U-I-S--Ades 00:02:00from Lexington, Kentucky.

CRANE: Will you spell "Lederman", because I have noticed in some places it is not spelled correctly, and, for the record, I think it should be?

ADES: Lederman is L-E-D-E-R-M-A-N.

CRANE: Thank you. What were your parents' occupations?

ADES: Uh, my mother was, uh, actually just a housewife. Uh, my father went into the wholesale dry goods business, uh, with my grandfather, uh, and that was his entire, uh, career.

CRANE: OK. And since I know that your grandfather owned and operated the business before your father was a part of it, what was your paternal grandfather's name, and where was he from?

ADES: My, uh, grandfather, uh, David Ades, uh, was born in 1882 in Lithuania--I think in the province of Kovno, uh,--and came to this county, uh, 00:03:00approximately around the turn of the century, maybe a little before. It's a little uncertain exactly when he came, probably between 1895 and 2000, um, and came initially to Louisville, then moved to Lexington and lived the remainder of his life in Lexington until he died in 1965.

CRANE: And what was his wife's name, and where was she from?

ADES: Uh, his wife was Sarah Fox Ades from Baltimore, uh, and, uh, she passed away in 1958.

CRANE: We are also going to talk some about your maternal grandparents, so, for the record, what were their names and where were they from?

ADES: My, uh, maternal, uh, grandfather was Isaac Lederman, who I believe was born in Louisville and lived his entire life in Louisville, died 00:04:00in--I think in the '20s. Uh, he was a, uh, eye, ear, nose, and throat physician. My, uh, uh, maternal grandmother was--was that Mina?

CRANE: I--from the record, I have that he was married to Hallie Str--

ADES: Hallie Streng, S-T-R-E-N-G.

CRANE: Yes.

ADES: Um, and, uh, as far as I know, she was a housewife, and--and she lived her entire life in Louisville as well. That's right.

CRANE: I know you have siblings. What are their names and ages relative to you?

ADES: I have twin sisters, uh, Carol and Claire Ades. Uh, they are three years younger than I am. Carol lives in Lexington, and Claire, uh, lives in Las Vegas.

CRANE: And do they still go by "Ades"?

ADES: No. Uh, Carol is, uh, married to, uh, Robert Case. Uh, they live together here in Lexington. Uh, Claire is married to Jared Shafer, S-H-A-F-E-R, and they live, uh, in, uh, Las Vegas.

CRANE: OK. And what are the names and ages of your children and your grandchildren?

ADES: Oh, God.

CRANE: It's a test.

ADES: My, uh, oldest is, uh, Sarah, S-A-R-A-H, uh, Ades--Sarah Ellen Ades. Um, she was born in, um--on, uh--she was born on May 7, I believe, in 1966. She was born on, uh, Derby Day. Uh, she is, uh, married, uh, to, um, uh, Ken 00:06:00Keiler, although Sarah has kept her maiden name, Sara Ades. They have, uh, three, uh--two--they have two children, two boys. Uh, one is, uh, Samuel or Sammy, who is now sixteen years old, and Walter, who is fourteen years old. They live in State College, Pennsylvania. My younger daughter is Anne, A-N-N-E, Molly, M-O-L-L-Y, Ades. Uh, she was born in 1968. Uh, she is a, um, neonatologist and, uh, lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My son is David Ades, who was born in 1970. Uh, David married Laura Leventhal of Lexington, uh, about nine or ten years or so ago. They have two children. Uh, 00:07:00the oldest, uh, is, uh, Rachael, R-A-C-H-A-E-L, Ades, uh, who is ten years old, and, uh, Jonah, J-O-N-A-H, Ades, who is eight years old. Jonah was, uh, adopted when he was one year old, uh, from, um, Ethiopia, and they live in Durham, uh, North Carolina.

CRANE: I'm thinking that in order to really understand what it was like for you being Jewish in Lexington, Kentucky, it may be helpful to understand how deep-rooted your family was in not only the Jewish community but the community at large. According to the Ohavay Zion Synagogue website, there were 00:08:00two Ades listed as original founders, one of which was your grandfather David Ades, and the other Max Ades. What can you share about your grandfather's role in the founding of the synagogue? And, if you were related to Mi--Max Ades, um, how are you related, and what do you know about him?

ADES: Max Ades was a brother of my grandfather, David Ades. Uh, I think Max Ades died before I was born, and I really don't have hardly any information about Max Ades as to what his occupation was. Uh, I believe he did marry. I don't--I--I don't believe he had children. Um, my, uh, grandfather, uh, was instrumental in the, uh, creation of the, uh, synagogue. Uh, he was one of the original either five or six incorporators of the--of the Ohavay Zion, uh, 00:09:00congregation, I believe, in 1910. And, uh, I believe, uh, over the years, he was probably on and off the board, uh, for, uh, numerous, uh, times. Uh, I don't believe he was ever an officer of the, uh, congregation. Uh, I think he played a, uh, significant role in, uh, the financial affairs and financial support of the synagogue over the, uh--over the years. Uh, when the, uh, synagogue, uh, was on Maxwell Street, sometime in the '50s or '60s, um, a, uh, basement room was, uh, named in honor of my grandmother Sarah Ades as a, uh--I think as a, uh, children's, uh, room, uh, and I'm sure my grandfather had a hand 00:10:00in, uh--in that.

CRANE: I remember that room.

ADES: Yes, so do I. --(laughs)--

CRANE: Uh, what stories did your family share with you about the beginnings of the synagogue?

ADES: Hmm. Uh, they really didn't share many stories with me. Most of what I know is, uh--just come about from what I've learned from other people and delving into the, uh, various histories of the synagogue that have been, uh, written over the, uh--over the years. But I don't recall anything specific that, uh, my grandparents, uh, or my parents passed on to me.

CRANE: I've personally heard many stories about your paternal grandfather and his kind and generous spirit. My mother, when speaking about the old days at the synagogue, would always bring up the fact that whenever there was a 00:11:00need and she was already established in the, um, uh, little kids' room, uh, David Ades was always graciously and willing to help out. In fact, I read an article written in the Herald-Leader that expressed the same generosity he showed to the Jewish community was also shown toward the community at large. When he died, the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote that his, your grandfather, was a career marked by many unpublicized instances of helping people bring their families from Europe, of bailing out and flagging charity drives and other good works. What can you tell us about your grandfather's role and generosity in both the Jewish community and the greater Lexington community?

ADES: Well, I'm not sure I can tell you anything specifically. Um, when he, uh, passed away in--in, uh, uh, 1965, I was already twenty-five years 00:12:00old, but he--he rarely talked about, uh, what he might have done. Uh, I remember specifically in about the middle '50s he --(clears throat)-- received what w--what was, uh--what was called the Optimus Cup, which was, uh, presented to a citizen of Lexington, uh, for service, uh, over the years, over the--over a lifetime, really, for the recipients--in both, uh, the, uh, uh, civic, uh, organizations and service organizations in--in Lexington. I--I--I have been told that, uh, by a, um, uh, W.T. Young, Jr., that my grandfather was a 00:13:00very close friend with W.T. Young, Sr., who was a major Lexington, um, businessman who became very successful. And at one point in time, uh, I've been told, my grandfather served for many years on the board of the--for--then First National Bank and Trust Company, which later now has become a part of Chase. But, uh, at the time, apparently, uh, Mr. Young, uh, was considering going into business, came and talked to my grandfather about the bank, uh, uh, making a loan for him. And my grandfather encouraged him to go into this new endeavor, and, um, uh, it turned out to be a very, uh, beneficial, uh, investment and--and career for, uh, Mr. Young, Sr. This was when he was, uh--Mr. Young, 00:14:00Sr., was relatively young as well. So I remember that specific, uh, instance, um, but my grandfather, uh, just didn't talk about what he had done along the way, and I just know in general, as you've indicated, that, uh, uh, he was, uh, apparently very, uh, charitable and, uh, was very interested in helping people in many ways.

CRANE: In that same article, it said that David Ades was thirteen in 1895 when he left what is now Lithuania, as you said, and he arrived penniless in Baltimore, Maryland. What do you know about why or how his family left their home in Lithuania and immigrated to the US?

ADES: Um, I wish I knew the, uh, details, but I don't. Uh, he never talked about it, and unfortunately I, uh, at the time, uh, didn't, uh, inquire about it. Um, and I believe he had an older brother who, uh, had, uh, 00:15:00immigrated to--to Lexington by the name of Simon Ades, and I--I--I don't know how many years he may have spent in Baltimore or whether he came straight from Baltimore to, uh, Lexington to join his older brother, uh, Simon. Uh, and then, after a number of years, Simon moved to, uh, Louisville, and my grandfather stayed in Lexington where he was, uh, uh--spent his entire life and eventually established a busi--uh, a wholesale dry good business.

CRANE: In that same article, it does mention Simon, um, and that he was--when he was living in Lexington, your grandfather came and work for him in, I guess, a dry goods business here.

ADES: I think that's right. I think, uh, Simon had established a 00:16:00business, and I think it was called Simon Ades Dry Goods Company. Uh, and then, when, uh, uh, Simon moved to Louisville, he established a dry goods company in Louisville called Simon Ades Dry Goods Company in Louisville. --(clears throat)-- My grandfather, uh, then, uh--and I don't know about what time, probably when he was in his late teens, early twenties or so--uh, established, uh, his own, uh, dry goods--wholesale dry goods company here in Lexington. I do have a picture of my, uh, grandfather --(clears throat)--, uh, on a, uh, horse-drawn wagon where apparently he would have goods and merchandise in the back of the wagon, and he would travel around to, uh, sell, uh, 00:17:00various dry goods to, uh, small country stores, uh, uh, initially, of course, in the central Ken--in Lexington and in the central Kentucky area. And then, eventually, he, uh, purchased, uh, some buildings on East Main Street and esta--uh, in the late '10s, early '20s, and, uh, the, uh--I think the name of the business at that time became Ades-dash-Lexington Dry Goods Company, and it was located at 249, 255 East Main Street in Lexington. And, uh, my grandfather conducted the dry goods business there, the wholesale dry goods business there, until he passed away in 1965. My dad operated the business another five or six years before, uh, uh, he closed it up.

CRANE: What exactly is dry goods, a dry good?

ADES: --(laughs)-- Uh, dry goods, um, essentially means just--just, uh, that. Uh, it--as I knew it, growing up in the, I guess, '40s and '50s, um, it consisted of, um, tobacco cotton, uh, work clothes, uh, work shoes, uh, towels, sheets, uh, wash clothes, um, uh, linoleum, uh, hard, uh, and tile. Uh, they were a distributor for Armstrong Linoleum, uh, Company. Um, toys, uh, and, uh, they would, uh, purchase goods from, uh, manufacturers, uh, and 00:19:00either arrange for them to be shipped directly to retail stores, or, uh, they would bring them into the, uh, company, uh, buildings, their warehouse buildings, essentially, on East Main Street, and, uh, place them in stock. And then, as um, retail merchants would place orders for them, uh, they would ship them out, uh, by truck to the retail establishments. Um, at its height in the '40s and '50s, the, uh--(clears throat)-- they sold to--generally to small country stores, general stores in--in cities throughout--pretty much throughout Kentucky, uh, and also into parts of Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia. Uh, and there were as many at one point in time as probably twenty-two or 00:20:00twenty-three or so, uh, salesmen who worked full-time, uh, for the, uh, business. Uh, they would travel generally in station wagons. They'd have assigned territories, and they would visit stores and take orders, and, uh, then they'd be filled back in Lexington and shipped out.

CRANE: From previous interviews and research and conversations that I've had with, um, other members of the Jewish community, it's clear that there were small--some of these small general stores, um, both in Lexington and some of the surrounding counties that were owned and operated by members of the Jewish community. How did the Ades dry goods business interact with these Jewish-owned stores?

ADES: Uh, well, the--uh, I really don't know, because I, uh, uh--my guess is that there was probably not a whole lot of difference in how they, 00:21:00um, interrelated with the, uh, Jewish-owned stores versus non-Jewish-owned stores. They probably--you know, they may have known, you know--they certainly would have known the, uh, uh, Jewish-owned store owners through the synagogue or the temple or the Lexington Jewish community. Uh, my guess is they, uh--you know, whether that would have made any difference in the terms of sale --(laughs)--, who--who knows. --(laughs)-- But, uh, uh, I--I don't recall any specific, uh, uh, instances of dealing with Jewish-owned stores.

CRANE: What was the competition like in Kentucky for wholesale dry goods?

ADES: Well, there was, uh--there was another smaller, uh, dry goods company in Lexington, Pennington Dry Goods, that I was aware of in the '40s and '50s. I--I don't have any idea what competition may have been like in the '20s 00:22:00and '30s, but there were wholesale dry goods, uh, businesses, uh, throughout the country, and I'm sure there were several in Louisville in addition to Simon Ades Dry Goods. There were probably some in, uh, Knoxville, Nashville, Charleston, Cincinnati, you know, Dayton, and Columbus. Uh, and there was probably some overlap in territories where some of these other business--businesses would try to sell to the same merchants that my, uh--that Ades Lexington would sell to. Uh, but that's the--the wholesale dry goods business, uh, essentially in the '60s and '70s, uh, basically, uh, went--went out of business because the, uh--the Kmarts and Walmarts and big, uh, discount stores like that 00:23:00were starting to come in, and they would buy directly from, uh, manufacturers rather than going through wholesalers. So, gradually, the--the wholesale business just dried up as a wholesale business and--and truly, uh, many of the--those wholesale businesses, including Ades Lexington, did not have a going business, uh, you know, value. And--and most of them would just sell their remaining goods out and close the business, and their buildings would become, uh, uh, used for other purposes, and that's what happened to Ades Lexington Dry Goods Company in the, uh, very early '70s.

CRANE: What was your, um--you said that your father worked there for five or six years after, um--

ADES: Yes.

CRANE: --what was his role in the business? Obviously, he worked there before.

ADES: Well, my--my father, uh, went to the, uh, uh, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania--that was the business school--and graduated in, I think, 1933. And he came directly back to Lexington and worked for, uh, my grandfather in the, uh, business. They were essentially partners, uh, as a father-son. And when my, uh, grandfather passed away in 1965, my, uh, uh, father continued the business for another six or seven years or so, and then, as I mentioned previously, the business just did not have a, uh, real future as a wholesale dry goods business. So he, uh, really ceased the wholesale dry goods business, sold his remaining inventory, and, after that, my, uh, uh, 00:25:00father basically managed the buildings as, uh, kind of, uh, warehouse buildings for whoever wanted to, uh, store, uh, inventory or items or furnishings or equipment, uh, in it for a number of years until he sold the, uh, buildings in, I think, about 1987.

CRANE: Occupied by a restaurant and a few other businesses, the building that once housed the Ades Dry Goods, uh, still stands. What kinds of feelings or memories do you have when you patronize the restaurant in the building or you walk or drive by the building?

ADES: Well, I have a very--I still have a very strong attachment, uh, to the--uh, to the buildings. Uh, when I was young, um, you know, growing up in the, uh, '40s as a boy, I would, you know, be down there from time to 00:26:00time, particularly in the, uh--on the, uh, third floor that housed the toys. And, uh, then, when I was, uh, I think in my, uh, junior or senior high school years, I would work there during the summers, uh, unloading trucks and stocking the shelves and shipping things out and so forth. Uh, so I--I have a, you know, very strong, uh, impression of what the store was like when it was an operating business, and, uh, even now, when I, uh, go there, uh, primarily for the, uh--the restaurant from time to time, uh, the building, the first floor, where the restaurant is, is, uh, very much the, uh, same. The ceilings are, uh, the same. The floors are the same. Uh, the, uh, major walls are still 00:27:00there, and I have, um, a little--uh, some real nostalgia about it every time I go in that building or pass it when I'm driving by.

CRANE: Let's leave Lexington and the '80s for a bit and talk some about your maternal grandfather, Dr. Isaac Lederman, from Louisville. I found several interesting articles about him dating back to the late-1800s. I know that he graduated from Male High School in Louisville in 1890 and the University of Louisville Medical School in 1896. You've already mentioned that his specialty was eye, ears, nose, and throat. What else can you share about your matern--your maternal grandfather and especially, um, his connection with the Louisville Jewish Hospital, uh, the Louisville Hospital, or the medical school?

ADES: Um, of course, I--I did not know him, because he passed away 00:28:00long before I was, uh--I was born. In fact, he passed away when my, um, mother, I think, was in her, uh, twenties. Um, so really, all I--I know about him is what little my mother would talk about him, but, uh, what I've read in--in articles about him. And, uh, apparently, he was, uh, a, uh--a--a very, uh, capable and--and well-recognized, uh, physician. Um, the, uh--when he, uh, uh, was practicing at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, uh, he may have been one of the first people. I think the Jewish Hospital in Louisville opened in 1905, and I'm not exactly sure, uh, when he, uh, began to practice there after 00:29:00medical school and--and residencies and so forth. Uh, but apparently, he was on--a physician at that hospital, uh, until he, uh--until he passed way, and, uh, was well regarded as a physician in the Jewish community. I really don't have any information about his role outside of being a physician in the Louisville Jewish community.

CRANE: I think he was also--I had read that, um--and you may know more about this--that he was also a professor at the medical school.

ADES: Uh, he may have been. I--I just don't recall, uh, being told anything about that, but, um, uh, there--there are some other family relationships with, uh, uh, Jewish Hospital. Uh, we've talked about earlier my dad's brother, uh, Simon Ades. One of his children was Saul Ades, S-A-U-L, who lived in 00:30:00Louisville, who also worked in, uh, the Simon Ades Dry Goods business all his life. So he was a first-cou--Saul Ades in Louisville was a first-cousin of my, uh, dad, Louis Ades. They were sons of brothers. Saul Ades, uh, for a number of years was very active and was on the board of Jewish Hospital in Louisville and at some point in time, I think in the late '40s, was actually the chair--chairman of the board of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, so there was that second connection. And then, a third connection is, uh, my association as a board member of KentuckyOne Health, which, uh, uh, took over and is 00:31:00really now the owner of Jewish Hospital in--in Louisville. It's still called Jewish Hospital, but it's owned by KentuckyOne Health, and I'm on that board, so there's really kind of a three-generation--

CRANE: It goes back a long way.

ADES:--follow-through of, uh--of Jewish Hospital in Louisville. And my--

CRANE: From what I read--

ADES:--my grandfather, I--I may also mention--I understand was, uh, uh, maybe on that board and was very active in fundraising for the Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, I think, in the early, uh, '50s when--when, uh, Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington moved from, uh, I think it was on Second Street and built a new hospital on Harrodsburg Road in--in Lexington. My grandfather was fairly active in that, uh, move and--and, uh, raising funds for it.

CRANE: Grandfather David Ades.

ADES: Grandfather David Ades here in Lexington, yeah.CRANE: I also 00:32:00read that your maternal grandfather was equally as altruistic and civic-minded as your paternal grandfather. Um, I don't suppose you have any stories you might want to share that you've heard from your mother, um, about your grandfather's participation in the Louisville community?

ADES: Uh, unfortunately, I don't have any information about that. I wish I had, uh, inquired more of my, uh, mother, uh, about it, but, uh, I do not have any information.

CRANE: Um, I've known that there were Jews in Kentucky in the 1800s, but it's so hard for me to imagine, um, Jews--Jews in Kentucky that early on. Um, what do you know of the circumstances of your maternal grandfather's family or, uh, grandmother's family coming to America and settling in Kentucky?

ADES: Uh.

CRANE: Because they were both born here.

ADES: Yes. Uh, I really don't have any specific information. My--my 00:33:00impression is that my, uh, mother's grandparents, uh, either emigrated here, uh, from somewhere in Germany. I don't know, uh, exactly where, but they immigrated to Louisville, uh, in the, uh, middle-1800s, or their parents did, and they were born then. I'm--I'm--I really just don't have much information about my maternal, uh, grandparents.

CRANE: Mike, you have a strong Kentucky background going back to the 1800s on both sides of your family, and your family history, especially here in Lexington, is clearly rooted in the Jewish community. So what was Judaism in your family like growing up?

ADES: Well, my, uh, uh, grandfather and--and grandmother, uh, here in 00:34:00Lexington, uh, David and Sarah, uh, were, uh, you know--basically, when they came over in the '10s and '20s, they, they were, uh, Orthodox Jews. The--the, uh, Ohavay Zion congregation at that time was basically an Orthodox, uh, congregation. Uh, over the years, uh, it basically transformed into a kind of a mainstream Conservative, uh, congregation. My, uh, grandparents kept a, uh, kosher home, uh, and we would, uh, eat, uh, uh, Shabbos dinner there every Friday night, uh, growing up and as long as, uh, they both were living. And, uh, uh, they were--they were, you know, very much involved in all aspects 00:35:00of the Jewish community. My grandfather, uh, was also, uh, a member of Temple Adath Israel, and, uh, I don't believe he served on the board there. I think my dad served on the board there from, uh, time to time, but he was, uh, a very, uh, strong supporter of the temple, I think, as a member and also, uh, financially over the--over the years, although, uh, he would probably rarely go there except maybe for a special, you know, occasion.

CRANE: And are you speaking about your grandfather or your--

ADES: My grand--my grandfather.

CRANE:--your father?

ADES: I'm speaking of my--of my grandfather still.

CRANE: OK, OK.

ADES: Uh, and I do recall my--my grandfather, uh, because of his--basically, his Orthodox background, would close the, uh, Ades Lexington Dry Goods 00:36:00business on the high holy days, both days of Rosh Hashanah and, uh, Yom Kippur. And when he was, uh, younger, he would walk to, uh, the, uh, synagogue on high holidays. He would not, uh, ride. Uh, I don't know how, oth--I don't think he was totally Shabbat observant, uh, but, um, uh, it was obviously--you know, his religion was very, very, very important, uh, uh, to him. My, uh, uh, father, um, uh, actually, uh, grew up in both the temple and the synagogue. My--my father, I think, was, um--since my grandfather David was a member of both, my 00:37:00father, I think, went to Sunday school at the, uh, temple and, uh, uh, and had a bar mitzvah at the synagogue. And, uh, when my father, uh, married, uh, my mother in 1937, she came from a Reform background in Louisville, and, uh, they--my father and mother then, uh, when they married, uh, uh, joined both, uh, congregations also, uh, uh, kind of out of a family tradition as my grandfather had. Uh, but they were mostly active in the, uh, temple, the Reform congregation. Uh, they would, um--on holidays would often split times so they would be part-time with my, uh, grandfather on the high holidays and part-time at the temple services, but they were, uh, uh, more active in the, 00:38:00uh, temple than they were in the, uh--in the synagogue. They did not--my parents did not keep a, uh, kosher home. Um, and, uh, uh, but my father was, uh--as I say, was, uh, active, I think, on the board of the, uh, temple from, uh, time to time. He was also active, as was my grandfather in other, you know, Jewish organizations, B'nai B'rith and what was then UJA, which is now Federation, uh, and I'm sure in other Jewish, uh, organizations and activities. And I think--I'm sure both my grandmother Sarah and my mother were active in Hadassah and the Sisterhoods of the congregations.

CRANE: How did the dual membership between the temple and the synagogue, uh, impact your growing up or Carol and Claire's, your sisters?

ADES: Well, uh, that's interesting. Uh, I, um--I grew up going to 00:39:00cheder, or afternoon Hebrew school, at the synagogue, uh, four days a week for an hour, uh, every afternoon. Uh, but then, on Sundays, I would go to the temple, uh, Sunday school or religious school. Uh, then, uh--so I was, uh--did have a bar mitzvah in 1953, of course, uh, in the synagogue, and, uh, then, uh, a couple years later, uh, had a--was confirmed, uh, in the, uh, uh, Temple Adath Israel. Uh, I was very active in the temple youth group, uh, called 00:40:00NFTY, National Federation of Temple Youth, uh, was not active at all in the synagogue, uh, youth or Conservative youth movement, but I was the, uh--in NFTY for a number of years. I would, uh, you know, go to conclaves with other congregations, went to summer camps, NFTY summer camps. I think I was a regional officer even, uh, in OVTA, Ohi--Ohio Valley Temple Youth. Uh, I was also a member of the, um, uh, temple--the, uh, temple sponsored a Boy Scout troop that I was, uh, active--active in. So I, uh, you know, truly grew up in both, uh, congregations and, you know, at that time had a, uh, you know, just kind of a--probably an equally, fairly equally, strong attachment to, uh--to 00:41:00each. On high holidays, I would go with my parents to--when they went to the synagogue to be with my grandparents, uh, or--and at other times I would go to the, um--to the temple. Uh, on Passover Seders, we always went to the Reform, uh, uh, Seder at the, uh, temple for second night. We--the first night Seders were always at my grandfather's house, so, um, I--I grew up with a very strong attachment to both. My sisters had some--had a different experience. They, um, uh--of course, at the, at the time, growing up, the, uh, uh, synagogue was not having bat mitzvahs for girls, uh, but they went to, uh, Sunday school at the temple, were confirmed at the, uh, uh, temple, and they would occasionally, I guess, go over to, uh, the synagogue, uh, with the rest of the family on high holidays. But they would--they basically grew up almost totally, uh, 00:42:00in the, uh, temple.

CRANE: What can you tell me about the challenges of staying involved in both the temple and the synagogue activities for you growing up?

ADES: I don't think I--growing up, I don't--I don't remember really any challenges or--or conflicts. Uh, as it turned out, most of my, uh, close friends were temple, uh, friends, uh, that I was with at Sunday school, but probably, uh, that was more a reflection of--my parents', uh, social friends were primarily temple members, so, uh, I would, you know, know the, uh, uh, temple children much more closely just because my parents were--were close friends with them. So, uh, most of my close friends growing up were, uh, temple 00:43:00members. I--you know, I wouldn't--I knew the synagogue kids from, uh, going to Hebrew school, and, uh--but, uh, uh, there really wasn't any conflict or challenge about that. It's just the way it worked out.

CRANE: Who--um, who were some of your friends growing up?

ADES: Well, my closest friends, uh, were probably, uh--I can name three or four of them. Um, two years older than me was, uh, Bobby Miller. Bobby was a--his folks were, uh, temple people, and, uh, in fact, for a number of years we both lived on Holiday Road. And, uh, uh, I--I ended up being, uh, uh, uh, involved in, uh, uh--I was an usher at his wedding. He was a best man at 00:44:00my--at my wedding. He was, uh, an attorney, and, um, we crossed paths in a--in another way, although he was several years older than me. Um, I spent a junior year abroad at Edinburgh University, and that year Bobby was, uh, doing a, uh--was on a, I think, Fulbright scholarship at Oxford University in England, and we--we traveled together for about three weeks before our universities, uh, started, all over England and--and Scotland and saw each other a couple times. And then, of course, uh, uh, Bobby ended up practicing Lexin--law in Lexington as did I, so we stayed friends, and our families were close, uh, throughout the years.

Um, my next two best friends were, uh, Dick Mutick (??) and Walter Weil. Uh, they were each a year older than me. Their folks were very close friends with my folks, and, uh, we were together a, uh--a lot, uh, growing up. And, 00:45:00uh, they each, you know, ended up going away to college. Uh, Dick became a psychiatrist. Walter, uh, ended up on, uh, Wall Street in securities work, and I have, uh, kept in touch with them over the years. We see each other from, uh, time to time, and, uh, even now we're in email contact, uh, every week or two or three weeks or so. And, uh, they visit Lexington from time to time, and we always get together, and, uh, I see them when, uh--one of them is living in--Dick is living in New York City. Walter lives on Long Island, and we occasionally, when we're up there, we always, uh, arrange to see them.

And then, I had--another good friend was William Whinicker (??), who 00:46:00was basically a--another, uh, temple, uh, member a year younger than me, Stuart Lowenthal (??), who was a year younger than me, Paul Levy, uh, a year younger than me, and--and, you know, others that I was, uh, friendly with, all as an outgrowth of the, uh, temple, uh, relationship. And then, uh, uh, William and--and Stuart, uh, you know, lived in Lexington. Stuart is still here. Unfortunately, William died about ten years ago, and I've stayed friends with them and still see Stuart from time to time.

CRANE: What did your parents teach you about Judaism?

ADES: I don't, uh--I don't think they taught me anything. It was more a question of them serving as an example of, uh, kind of living a Jewish life, uh, their respect for, uh, my grandparents, their, you know--their membership 00:47:00and--and--in both congregations, and their - - their--you know, were very actively involved in, uh, primarily the temple, you know, activities of all--of all kinds, and then, uh, their ensuring that my sisters and I, uh, you know, went to, uh, Hebrew school and--and religious school. Um, I think it was more by example than teaching me. Uh, they certainly encouraged, uh, you know, my participation in, uh, --(clears throat)-- uh, all kinds of Jewish activities and Jewish summer camps and so forth, so it was just something that I think by, uh, osmosis it just kind of developed.

CRANE: And the same for your grandparents?

ADES: Yeah, I think so. My, you know, uh--I always thought of my 00:48:00grandfather as a, uh, you know--a very strongly traditional religious man, uh, and, uh, you know, I can remember and--and, you know, still being impressed by the way other people would talk about my, uh, grandfather, how, uh, active he was and how, uh, generous he would be to people in--in the Jewish community, and, and I think that always--you know, that has remained a--something that's, uh--made a very strong impression on me.CRANE: Where did you attend elementary school, junior high school, and high school?

ADES: Uh, I think when we were born, uh, my parents lived on Chenault. And then, the first school that I attended, uh, we had moved to a house on, uh, 00:49:00Kingsway in Lexington. And, uh, I went for a year or two at, uh, Kenwick, which is now--which then later became Julia Ewan Elementary School, and, uh, now has become the Lexington Deaf Oral Center. Uh, from Kingsway I think we moved to Goodrich, and, um, while at Goodrich, uh, when we were living there, uh, I think I attended, uh, Max--Maxwell Elementary School for a year or two. Uh, and then my parents moved to Chenault, back to Chenault, a different, uh, house on Chenault. And, uh, at that point in time, I ended up at Ashland 00:50:00Elementary School for, I think, maybe the third, fourth, fifth, sixth grades. Um, and then, uh, after, uh--after elementary school, uh, we were still living on Chenault. Uh, I attended, uh, Morton Junior High School for seven, eighth, and ninth grades. It was a couple blocks away, so I'd always walk back and forth to, uh--to Ashland. And then, uh, after that my parents moved to, uh, um, Holiday Road, uh, and, uh, they lived on Holiday Road when I was, uh, at Henry Clay High School, which was the old Henry Clay, now the administration building for, uh, the board of education.

CRANE: As we both know, there were only a handful or two of Jewish students at any school in Lexington during the years that you were in school and, I guess, still now. What was it like for you as a young Jewish male during your school experience? Describe the impact that being Jewish had on your school years.

ADES: Well, there--there were only, you know--there would only be one or two other Jewish, uh, students in--in, uh, one of my, you know, classes. And--and many of the classes, particularly in elementary school and probably in junior high, there--there might be no Jewish students. Um, there were a couple of other, uh, Jewish students, uh, in high school that I--that I would have classes with. Nancy Schreiberg (??) was one. Jim Michelhelm(??) was one. Bobby Kanerack (??) was--was another. Uh, they were all in my confirmation class at 00:52:00the temple but were also at Henry Clay with me. Um, thinking back, um, I don't--I don't recall really any real issues with being Jewish in--in elementary, junior high, or high school. Uh, I don't recall any anti-Semitic, uh, um, incidents. The, um--you know, I would--I would miss school for the high holidays. I'd miss both days of Rosh Hashanah and--and Yom Kippur, uh, but that was, you know, never a problem, uh, at all. Uh, and then, you know, I was active in a number of organizations and things at high school and just never 00:53:00seemed to experience, uh, uh, any issues related to my Judaism, so I--I just don't recall anything specific. I mean, I had a circle of close friends and other friends and, you know, as far as I--you know, they'd be at my house, and I'd be at their houses and parties and social life, and everything was--uh, they just, uh--fortunately for me, there, uh--there, you know, was--was really no, uh--no real issues or problems.

CRANE: What is your most vivid memory of Jewish life and ritual growing up?

ADES: --(laughs)-- Uh, well, that's--that's hard to, uh--hard to think of the most vivid, uh-- vivid memory of Jewish life, uh, growing up. Uh, I 00:54:00mean, I--I--I recall very strongly, uh, you know, whenever I would be at my grandfather's house for meals, not only Shabbat meals--there were occasionally, um, other occasions, uh, you know, than keeping a--a kosher house, but I, you know, didn't keep kosher outside. My parents, uh, uh, didn't. Uh, you know, I've got some vague memories of my, uh, bar mitzvah, uh, vague memories of, um, uh, Hebrew school, of, you know--

CRANE: Who was the rabbi at the synagogue that taught you Hebrew?

ADES: Uh, I think that was Rabbi Frankel. Uh, I was bar mitzvahed in 1953, and I think he had come in the late '40s, um, and he left, uh, Ohavay 00:55:00Zion, I think, some months--three, four, five months before my actual bar mitzvah to take a job at another, uh, congregation. And, uh, but they immediately hired another, uh, uh, rabbi, and I'm thinking it was Rabbi Pappenheim. I'm just not quite sure, so the--there was, you know, a rabbi at my, uh--at my, uh, bar mitzvah. Um, I'm not--you know, and I think in most of--the--the most vivid memory, Jewish memories, uh, growing up, uh, you know, I remember--well, I had lots of, uh, friends and good times through my, uh, uh, NFTY involvement, because I was very active in it, and, uh, you know, 00:56:00summer camps and conclaves and things of, uh--of that nature.

CRANE: Before we get into your adult life--

ADES: Um-hm.

CRANE:--is there anything else unique or that you'd like to share about your family background and your childhood years? And this might be a good time for you to share some of the, um, historical documents that you brought.

ADES: Well--

CRANE: The picture--

ADES:--I, uh, did bring, uh, with me my, uh--just to give you a little bit more family history--my, uh, father, uh, was one of, uh, four children. Uh, David and Sarah Ades had four children. Um, there were, uh, three girls and--and my, uh, father. Uh, Grace Levy, Helen Benjamin, and Shirley Platt (??) were--were his sisters. They all married, and they all had, uh, children. Uh, Grace 00:57:00Levy had three children, uh, two of whom are still living. Um, all of my, um, dad's sisters- and brothers-in-law are deceased except for one. My dad's sister Helen, uh, who married, uh, John Benjamin, she is still living, uh, and I believe she's ninety-four or ninety-five, living in Cincinnati. And, uh, I last saw her several weeks ago. I was in Cincinnati and visited with her for about an hour and a half, and I keep in touch with her. Uh, of the four children of David Ades, uh, they produced, uh, thirteen grandchildren, uh, of which I am the oldest, and, uh, uh, one of--one of them, uh, passed away, uh, seven 00:58:00or eight years or so ago, so there's twelve of us. And we, uh, uh--we generally, uh, keep in touch. Uh, about five years ago, we had an Ades family reunion in--in--here in Lexington, and I think all but, uh, one of them were able to, uh, come in, and some of the children of their children, uh, uh, came in. Uh, what I have here is--one of my first cousins, uh, Jimmy Platt is a kind of an amateur, uh, genealogist. And he did an Ades--an Ades family history. Um, this picture, uh, was taken at the wedding of, uh, Shirley Ades, my dad's 00:59:00sister, and her husband, uh, William Platt. The wedding took place in the backyard of my grandfather's house at 1644 Richmond Road. And, uh, my dad, all my aunts and uncles on my dad's side were there at that time, and all the children are in the, uh--are in the picture.

CRANE: Point yourself out, just so--

ADES: And I am, uh, this fellow right here on the, uh--that's my, uh, mother and father, uh, next to me. And this is a--oh, I don't know. It must be a forty-five, fifty-page, uh, family history that actually starts with--I think it would be my grandfather David's grandfather, who was, uh, named 01:00:00Meier, M-E-I-E-R, Boruch, B-O-R-U-C-H, Eidesh, E-I-D-E-S-H, which apparently at some point in time became Ades, A-D-E-S. Uh, but Meier Boruch Eidesh was born in Svanig, S-V-A-N-I-G, we think, Lithuania, and married a woman by the name of Dora Karp, K-A-R-P, who was born also at some point in Lithuania. And then, uh, one of their children was an Eleazer (??) Ades, um, who was born in, Shvoi Nikai, S-H-V-O-I, N-I-K-A-I, we think, Lithuania. Uh, he died in 01:01:00about 1885. He married a Gertrude or a Gitta Bass, B-A-S-S, who had been born in 1837 in Chesnan, C-H-E-S-N-A-N, Lithuania, who died in ninetee--1895 in Lithuania. And, uh, they were the parents of my grandfather David Ades.

CRANE: So your name did change.

ADES: So it changed from Eidesh to Ades, but at the--the point at which it changed is unknown, whether it changed when my, uh--maybe my, uh, uh, grandfather's brother Simon came over here, uh, whether they changed it after they were here or, uh--is--I really don't know.

CRANE: Where did you go to college, and what did you study?

ADES: Well, uh, the story is, at the, uh, uh, time, I, uh--when I was 01:02:00a, uh, uh, senior in--in high school, at that point in time, I was convinced that I was, uh, going to go into the family business, Ades Lexington Dry Goods Company, as my dad had. So, uh, it, uh--I ended up going to the, uh, Wharton School of Finance of the University of Pennsylvania, where my dad had gone, because it was a, uh--recognized as a very good, uh, undergraduate business school. So I, uh, uh, went there, and I had a little bit of a different history at--at the University of Pennsylvania, at the Wharton School. Uh, at that point in time, the, uh-- the first two years of college, uh, at the Wharton 01:03:00School, you took about two-thirds, three-quarters of your courses in, uh--were all business courses, finance and economics and insurance and marketing and accounting and statistics and so forth. And, uh, for whatever reasons, I kind of, uh, uh, rebelled against that for--and, uh, decided I wanted to do something different. So I, uh, ended up, uh, doing my entire junior year, uh--I took a junior year abroad program at Edinburgh University in Scotland, and, there I, uh--I took, uh--I only took three courses the whole year round. I took a course in, uh, philosophy, a course in, uh, English literature, and a course in, uh, European history. --(coughs)-- The, uh--Edinburgh at the time 01:04:00had--you--you went for three, uh, semesters, and you had about a five-week break between each of the three semesters. So on the, uh, first break, I, uh, traveled with a group of eight or ten other, uh, uh, students from the US, and we traveled through, uh, France and Austria, uh, as a group, and, uh, uh, attended midnight Christmas mass in a, uh, cathedral in, uh, Vienna, which I remember very vividly. Uh, and then, on the spring vacation, I and two other fellows, another American and a--a friend from, uh, Holland, uh, piled in a car and drove through, uh, France and Spain, and we went to Gibraltar and took a ferry across to Tangiers and back up, had a wonderful time, slept in the car most 01:05:00nights. Uh, and then I came back that summer.

In any case, when I, uh,--in Wharton, when I came back to, uh, Penn for my senior year, uh, uh, Penn gave me full credit for the three courses I had taken, so I was still able to, uh, graduate in four years. And at that point in time, I, uh, started thinking of changing my major from what would have been a business major--probably finance or something--into, um--and did change my major into political science. I had always gotten interested in government and, uh, so I changed my major to political science and then started thinking, uh, uh, during that year and probably it started the year before when I was in Scotland, whether I really wanted to go into the family business. And sometime in the fall of my senior year, I decided that, uh, I might want to try something 01:06:00different and--and thought about going to law school. So I ended up applying to law school, uh, and, um, uh--and ended up going to law school, and, um--and then ended up becoming an attorney instead of going into the family business.

CRANE: And you went to law school at--

ADES: I went to Yale Law School in New Haven.

CRANE: OK. While you were in college, describe any affiliation you had with the--any Jewish organizations such as a fraternity or Hillel.

ADES: When I, uh, uh, went to Penn, uh, I ended up rooming with a, uh, Jewish friend from Nashville who I met at a NFTY camp that previous summer. We had both discovered that, uh, --(clears throat)-- we were going to Penn, so we 01:07:00arranged to room together. Uh, at that time, uh, Penn had six or seven Jewish fraternities, three or four Jewish sororities. Uh, I ended up, uh, joining, uh, Phi Epsilon Pi. Uh, my friend, uh, and roommate ended up, uh, joining ZBT, Zeta Beta Tau. We remained very good friends. Uh, the two fraternities were very, very, uh, close, and there were a lot of mutual friends, uh, between the, uh--the two. Um, aside from, uh, being involved in--in the, uh, fraternity, the fraternities at that time were all Jewish. Uh, so my--you know, the social life generally totally revolved around, uh, fraternity life. Um, and I--I 01:08:00really was not involved, uh, outside of the fraternity in other Jewish activities or organizations at, uh--at Penn. Uh, uh, I think I would occasionally go to--to, uh--they'd have university-wide Jewish high holiday services that I would go to, but I--I didn't belong to, uh, Hillel or didn't participate in any other specifically Jewish activities at Penn.

CRANE: How did you meet Harriet, and when did you all get married?

ADES: My, uh, third year of law school, uh, the first week or two, uh, there was a, uh, football game coming up. My roommate, uh, at--my third year, 01:09:00we lived in a law school, uh, dorm room. My roommate was from, uh, New York City, and he had a--a very strong, uh, girlfriend from New York City, so she was coming up for the weekend. So I, uh, uh, wanted to have a date as well to, uh, be with them, so I asked around, and one of my friends said, "Why don't you call, uh, Harriet Fleischmann, who," you know, she's a, uh, uh--was working on her second year of a master's, uh, degree in chemistry. So I called her and, uh, initially asked her if, uh, she'd like to meet for a coffee. This was early in the week, just so we could kind of get acquainted before I invited her for the weekend. --(laughs)-- And, uh, she said, well, that wasn't going to work out. She was busy. I said, "OK." So, uh, by Friday, I still had not, 01:10:00uh--didn't have a date, so I called her back and said, "Would you like to go to the football game the next day with me and my roommate and his date, and then we'd have some dinner afterwards?" And she said, "Yes." So, uh, we, uh, picked her up. I had a, uh, Fiat at that point in time, uh, an old--it was about an eight- or ten-year-old car. And we picked her up and stopped at a deli and picked up, uh, some sandwiches and went to the football game, the four of us. Uh, after the game, uh, we, um, stopped at a grocery store, picked up some, uh, food, went back to our dorm room where we had some hotplates, and fixed, uh, dinner. And, uh, Harriet and I just got along fine, and, uh, so we started dating pretty, uh, regularly, uh, through the fall semester, uh, and 01:11:00through January and--and February, and, um, got engaged in March and married, uh, on July 11 of, uh--just shortly after I graduated.

CRANE: And how long have you been married?

ADES: Well, we were married in 1965, and in about, um, three weeks from now we will have been married fifty-one years.

CRANE: Wow. Mazel tov.

ADES: --(laughs)-- Thanks.

CRANE: Describe any major differences or similarities that you and Harriet had growing up Jewish that might have impacted how you raised your kids?

ADES: Harriet grew up in Anderson, South Carolina, which had a, uh--probably had at that point in time twenty-five or thirty Jewish families. There 01:12:00was a, uh, small temple that, uh, did not have a regular rabbi. A rabbi would come by once a month on Sunday nights for services, --(clears throat)-- uh, but, uh, during the, uh, week on Sundays, they had a Sunday school, uh, that members of the congregation would--would teach the children, and Harriet, uh, grew up going to Sunday school there, as did her, uh, younger--she had a younger brother Michael who still lives in Louisville. Um, so Harriet grew up, uh, you know, in a, uh, Reform congregation, although there was, uh, um--her--her father and mother who had come there from Baltimore, there was a--they had come to join another, uh, brother of--of Harriet's father who had come there and had, uh, founded a, uh--a, uh, nickel and dime store in, uh--in Anderson, uh, 01:13:00that my--uh, Harriet's father worked in. And then, uh, uh, his brother also had a liquor store that my father, uh--my--Harriet's father worked in. Uh, Harriet ended up going to Vassar, uh, where she studied chemistry and then to, uh, Yale.

When we, uh, came back to Lexington, um, you know, we had talked about, um, you know, whether we wanted to join the temple or the synagogue or--or both and, um, decided, I think, through my influence and because of the family tradition, to join both congregations. But then, as it turned out, uh, most of the friends that we met early on the first year or so that we were here, uh, 01:14:00happened to be synagogue members, so we ended up, uh, being, uh, almost--you know, mostly active in the synagogue, although we retained our, uh, temple membership, still do, as kind of a supporting member of the, uh, temple. Uh, and at the time, Harriet really had a--she probably had a--she had a stronger feeling towards, um, Conservative Judaism than I did. I--I could have been very comfortable either being much more active in the temple or much more active in the congregation, but she had a kind of a stronger feeling towards the, uh, uh, synagogue, so, uh, that, as it turned out, was the congregation we ended up being most active in.

CRANE: Describe what Judaism in your home was like, um, as a parent.

ADES: Well, with our, uh--with our personal backgrounds, uh, growing 01:15:00up here, uh, and--and then with both our parents, uh, you know, having, you know, pretty strong, uh--we, both Harriet and I, had grown up--grown up in--in pretty strongly religious families. Uh, we felt strongly about our children, uh, having a Jewish up--upbringing. So, um, we, uh, uh, had them just pursue, uh, from--from the start, uh, Jewish education at the, uh, synagogue, at Oha--at Ohavay Zion. Uh, it didn't seem to make sense to have them split between the temple and the synagogue and, since Harriet and I were almost totally 01:16:00active in--in the synagogue. Uh, that's the path that our, um, uh, children took. Uh, and they were all, um, uh--both girls had, uh, bat mitzvahs in the, uh, synagogue, and, uh, then David had a, uh, bar mitzvah in the, uh, synagogue. Uh, none of them were particularly active in--in, uh, synagogue youth groups or, um, any Jewish, uh, youth groups. Uh, uh, they went to Jewish camps in the summer, but they were, uh, uh, not, uh--they weren't Jewish, uh, youth organization, uh, camps. Um, Sarah actually, after her, uh--in her, uh--after her senior year of high school, Sarah went on a five-week trip to, 01:17:00uh, Israel, uh, that was--I'm trying to remember. I'm not sure which Jewish organization sponsored it, but it was a--you know, a, uh--an Israel trip for, um, uh, high school, uh, seniors and toured all around Israel, spent a little time on a kibbutz, etc. And, uh, one, uh, very vivid memory I--I have is she came back, and, uh, since it was a Conservative, uh, group, they kept kosher during the trip. She came back and--and, uh, told Harriet and I that she was going to, uh, start, to, uh, keep, uh, kosher. Um, and at the time, uh, I think by then we were keeping a--a, uh, kosher house. Uh, Harriet and I 01:18:00didn't start out keeping a kosher house, but when we--actually, in 1974, when we moved into our current house, we started to keep kosher then, but we didn't keep kosher out, neither Harriet nor I. So Sarah came back and said, "I'm going to start keeping, uh, kosher when I eat out also," and I said, "Well, Sarah, I'll, uh, I'll do the same, and we'll just see how far we get." So, uh, she went away to college, and about a week after she had been at college, we were talking to her on the phone, and she said, "Dad, I've got a confession to make. I had a cheeseburger today." And I said, "Well, you know, OK." And, uh--

CRANE: --(coughs)--

ADES: --as it turned out, I just sailed on, and I still keep kosher out, uh, to this day--of course not strictly kosher, because that's hard to do, but I generally do. Uh, Harriet, uh, of course, will not--she doesn't keep 01:19:00kosher out, but she won't eat, uh, you know, pork products and--and things of, uh--of that nature. Uh, another connection, uh, that Sarah had, uh, is, uh, after she graduated from college, she took a year off before going on to get a, uh, uh, PhD in, uh, biochemistry, which she eventually did. She took a year off and spent it at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, doing, uh, research at Hebrew University. And, uh, she spent about the first six weeks before she went to Hebrew University on a kibbutz, uh, to get some, uh, very basic Hebrew, uh, language. Uh, but she did spend a, uh--a year in, or ten months--ten or eleven months in Israel, uh, before she went away. Uh, when she married, uh, 01:20:00Ken, Ken had a, uh--Ken's father was Jewish. His mother was not, but, uh, he and his sister, uh, had not been raised in any religion, either Jewish or Christian. Uh, and, uh, Sarah just kind of drifted away from Judaism, and their two kids are not being brought with any--brought up with any religion whatsoever. Uh, they do have Hanukkah, and we do, of course--they know how strongly we feel, but, uh, they, uh, uh--Sarah has not been active, uh, at all in--in, uh--in religion, in Judaism.

CRANE: And your other children?

ADES: Uh, Anne, uh, is, uh, you know--while she's very conscious, you know, of her Judaism, is not active at all, has never joined a congregation, 01:21:00does not go to services, does not go to Seders un--unless she's in Lexington. She, of course, would, uh, with us, and, um, just has not, uh, uh, you know, been active at all in, uh--in Judaism. Um, David, on the other hand--of course, David, after graduating college, came back and was living in Lexington, uh, and joined Ohavay Zion as a single member. And then, about, uh, ten years ago, David, uh, married Laura Leventhal, who is, uh, the daughter of John and Connie Leventhal, who are long-time temple members. And, um, uh, they were, of course, uh, uh, you know, married, uh, in a--we had a very--there was a very small family, uh, wedding and a Jewish, uh, ceremony, and they have, 01:22:00uh--you know, they joined Ohavay--uh, Ohavay Zion, um, and then they, about six or seven years ago, moved to Durham, North Carolina, and have joined a, uh, Reform congregation in Durham. And the, uh, uh--Rachael and Jonah are--are going to, um, Sunday school at the temple, so they're being raised in a Jewish life. They do not keep a kosher home, uh, although it's close to kosher because, um, Laura is a vegetarian, and, uh--

CRANE: That's pretty kosher.

ADES:--I don't think they have pork or bacon in their--in their home, but, uh, so...

CRANE: As long as I've known you, you've been such a constant and critical piece of the fabric of the Lexington Jewish community, Mike. You've been an active member of both the temple and the synagogue. You've been a past president of the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation and the--and the Ohavay Zion synagogue. You've served as a trustee and officer of the synagogue and other 01:23:00Jewish organizations over the years, and, um, you're presently the treasurer of the synagogue. I know that you attend B'nai B'rith activities even though I don't know what your exact roles have been, and I know that you were key in ensuring that the synagogue actually moved from Maxwell Street to its present location on Alumni. Why? What is that--what is it that motivates you to take on these leadership roles in the Jewish community?

CRANE: Well, I, uh--I guess it just goes back to, uh, the influence of, uh, probably primarily my grandfather David and his, uh, uh, connection with the Jewish community and--and my parents', uh, very active role. And then, um, the other main connection I think was me growing up and having a 01:24:00bar mitzvah, having a con--confirmation. And then, uh, my, uh, uh, activities in--in NFTY, I know, played a major role, uh, in--in kind of my feelings, strong feelings, towards, uh--towards Judaism. Um, so I just, uh, you know, made a lot of--of good friends outside the Lexington, uh, Jewish community, and it made a major impact. It was probably solidified some by, uh, then, uh, you know, being in a Jewish fraternity. Uh, and then, uh, after Harriet and I came back here, there was no question that we would, uh, you know, join congregations, and there was no question that we would raise our children Jewish. Uh, and then 01:25:00I think it was just the influence of, uh, joining, um, uh, you know, a Jewish community where there were a, uh--a bunch of, um, Jewish couples the age of Harriet and I the first couple of years here, and they all seemed to be active primarily in the synagogue. Some were active in the temple, too, and so our whole--you know, just about all of our social life revolved around Jewish friends and, uh, temple and synagogue, uh, activities and events.

CRANE: Who were some of these Jewish couples?

ADES: Well, uh, the ones who are still around are, uh, uh, Susan and 01:26:00Steve Koehler and Karen and Steve, uh, Edelstein. Um, uh, slightly older couples we were very, very friendly with from the start were, uh, Harriet and Leon Cooper and, uh, Barbara and Shelley, uh, Derr and, uh, Earl and Sarah, uh, Levy, uh, you know, just lots of other, uh, uh, friends that we were very, uh, you know, very close with both at the synagogue and the, uh--and the, uh, temple. Uh, a number of the synagogue, uh, uh, people have, you know, moved to other cities because they were here--they may have been here attending, uh, uh, you know, medical school or doing medical residencies here at the time and, you know, moved--moved away. Uh, but we remain, uh, you know, in touch 01:27:00with some of them, but I think the answer to your question is just this entire--being immersed in kind of a Jewish life, uh, into my, uh, you know, mid-twenties just set the stage for staying involved in activities.

CRANE: Mike, you, um, are also involved in the Spinoza Society, which I know very little about other than it's connected to the Lexington Cemetery, and you are the go-to guy for a Jewish burial plot. What can you share about its origin and its continued existence?

ADES: The, uh, Spinoza Society was formed, uh, in about 1880 by a number of, uh, Jewish men, uh, who decided, uh, that it was--you know, they wanted 01:28:00to have a, uh, Jewish cemetery just for Jews. These--you know, back then, they were probably all fairly, you know, religious, and so they initially purchased a plot of land, about an acre of land, on Tates Creek Pike, and I'm told it's approximately in the area where Morton Junior High School now is. About twenty years later, around the turn of the century, uh, there had been about twenty burials of Jewish people in this, uh, initial cemetery plot, but the story is, uh--there's a little history of the Spinoza Society that was written forty or fifty years ago, but the story is that the families decided that this cemetery was too far out of town, and the roads were too bad to easily get to 01:29:00it, especially in the winter and bad weather. So around the turn of the century, they made an arrangement with the Lexington Cemetery Company on, um, Leestown Road to have a section of the cemetery, uh, devoted just to, uh, the burial of--of, uh, Jewish people. And, uh, so that arrangement was made.

Um, the Society, the Spinoza Society, when it was initially formed in 1880, named itself the Spinoza Society, I guess out of--because of, uh--Spinoza was a famous Jewish philosopher. Um, so in any case, uh, that became the primary place for Jewish, uh, burials and still is. The Spinoza Society, uh, is 01:30:00basically, uh--at this time, there are four, uh, members of the society. We're like a board of directors or trustees of the Spinoza Society. Uh, at this time, uh, in addition to me, there is Joe Rosenberg, Simone Solomon, and Ben Baker, and I happen to serve as the, uh--the chair. I became a member of the Spinoza Society, I think, in the early or mid-1980s. Uh, uh, other members at that time were Harold Baker, who is Ben Baker's father, uh, David Weil (??), who is now deceased, uh, uh. Jimmy Frankel, uh, was a member. Uh, over the years, they were primarily, uh, Reform, uh, or Temple Adath Israel, uh, people who 01:31:00were on the board of the society. Um, I don't--my guess is I was probably not the first from the synagogue, and, in--in any case, uh, the--the way it's operated now is, uh--it is for, uh, the burial of--of any Jewish persons, but it's also a burial place for non-Jewish spouses or parents, children, close relatives of Jewish persons. So it is not a--an Orthodox Jew would not be, uh, buried there, because it, uh--Orthodox Jews would want to be in an Orthodox cemetery, where there are not, uh, non-Jews buried in the same area.

CRANE: So were these people dug up, ones buried over at the Morton School--

ADES: Yes, yeah, well, I--I should have mentioned that.

CRANE: --were dug up and moved?

ADES: When the, uh, arrangement was made, uh, with Lexington Cemetery, the, uh, graves of the twenty or so that had been buried on Tates Creek Pike were actually, uh, moved and reburied in the Lexington Cemetery Jewish section, and the one-acre tract was sold, but I've never delved into the history of it all.

CRANE: And we don't know who was moved, or did we?

ADES: I--probably in, uh, the--the--there are very early records of the Spinoza Society minutes through the years, uh, and of--uh, with records of who is buried there, who some of the, uh, uh, trustees were, and of course the cemetery company itself has records going back. And I suppose it could be traced, but I--I--I don't have a knowledge of, uh, those early ones that were 01:33:00buried and then whose graves were--gravesites were moved.

CRANE: What was the--what has been the role of Israel and Zionism in your activities and of your identity as a Jew?

ADES: Well, I think pri--you know, so I went through Sunday school, of course, and--and then, um, through, uh, uh, NFTY. Uh, you know, I became aware of--of Israel and the significance of, uh, Israel and the Holocaust and--and so forth. Uh, fortunately, neither of my parents had relatives who perished in the Holocaust that I, you know, was aware of, because they'd come 01:34:00generations before. Um, uh, NFTY, I think, had a s--had a, um, you know--a lot of activities and focus on--on Israel. --(coughs)--When I, uh--I mentioned before that I did a junior year abroad. Uh, during the last, uh, uh, couple of months, I wa--I was in Edinburgh, I, uh--I had a very, very strong feeling that I wanted to go to Israel for two months over that summer before I came back to Penn and, uh, had made some contacts with some kibbutz that I might--you know, that, you know I could go to for six weeks or two months or so. And, uh, for whatever reasons, my parents were strongly against that and 01:35:00wanted me to come back to, uh, Lexington, so I, uh--I did. I did not then go to, um, to Israel. But then, after, uh, uh, coming back to, uh, Lexington and, uh--I think I got involved, uh, you know, within the first few years I was here in UJA, which is the United Jewish Appeal, which, at that time--this was before there was a Federation, uh, as such, really, uh, that--that focused on Israel. But, uh, uh, UJA at the time was basically just a fundraising organization, and all the funds went to, uh, charities in Israel, and I became active in that, and I think that kind of reinforced, uh, my feelings about Israel. And then, in 1972, I think, I went on a UJA mission to Israel. Uh, that was 01:36:00a--I think an eight-day trip to Israel with several other, uh, uh, people from Lexington, and we joined some oth--uh, uh, uh, couples and--and singles from other communities and--and toured Israel for--for about seven or eight days.

And then, I think, four years later, Harriet and I went back on a couples, uh, mission that started first in Poland. We went to Warsaw and, uh, uh, went to, uh--visited the, uh--some, uh, concentration camps, death camps at Auschwitz and Birkenau. And so we were in Warsaw, visited the ghetto area, uh, for 01:37:00three days and flew to Romania, uh, spent a couple of days there, one day of which we, uh--they flew us to, um--I've gone blank on the--the city in, uh, uh--in Russia we flew to where the, um, uh--to visit, um--I'm going blank on the, uh, name. Uh, we visited an area in the city where--where over a weekend something like 30,000 Jews were, uh--were killed. So we flew into Russia in the morning, flew back to Romania in the afternoon, and then we flew to Israel and spent a week in Israel, Harriet and I, uh, doing kind of the standard tour to Israel. And then, I went once, uh, more to Israel in about 1992 on a trip sponsored by, uh, Hebrew University that I had a connection with through a charitable trust, and that trip was focused, uh, primarily in 01:38:00Jerusalem and Hebrew University, so, um, uh, that just--you know, it was just kind of a part of my life, I guess, through, uh, uh--through these various, you know activities, and then, uh, Federation, of course, ha--has a very strong Jewish, uh, you know, program and--and focus as well as, uh, Jewish activities here.

CRANE: Mike, let's talk about your work as an attorney for a little bit. What area of law is your specialty?

ADES: Well, I came back in 1965 and joined the law firm of Stoll, Keenon & Park here in Lexington. --(clears throat)-- At the time, Stoll, Keenon & Park was the largest law firm in Lexington, and I was the twelfth member of the firm. I was the only Jewish member at that --uh, of the firm at the time. And, 01:39:00uh, my, uh, law practice, uh, for about the next fifteen years was about half in commercial real estate and about half I did, uh, just a lot of other general, uh, legal work from, uh, litigation to corporate work, estate planning, bankruptcy, etc., a little of everything. And then, I became a partner in the law firm after, I think, six or seven years. Uh, and then, in 1980, I was contacted by--initially by Harriet's younger brother, who I mentioned before, Michael Fleischmann, who was at the time an attorney with a Louisville law firm call Greenebaum Doll & McDonald. Uh, that firm had merged with a 01:40:00small Lexington firm in 1979, and, uh, Michael Fleischmann asked me if I would be, uh, interested in, uh, switching firms and going with the Lexington office of the Greenebaum firm, and I--I said, you know, "Thanks very much. I don't think so. You know, I've been with this firm for fifteen years and so forth." Uh, but they persisted. I met--you know, met with him and some other people, and, as it turned out, a couple of months later I ended up joining the Lexington office of Greenebaum, uh, Doll & McDonald. Um, the Lexington office at that time had, uh, about, um, nine or ten attorneys, and, uh, one of the attractions, I think, for me switching law firms is they, uh, wanted me to, um, 01:41:00specialize just in commercial real estate. And that was interesting and attractive to me because I--I liked that area of the law and, uh, was feeling increasingly kind of uncomfortable in practicing all these other areas of law.

CRANE: Mike, have--I don't know if you've ever Googled yourself.

ADES: No.

CRANE: But when you Google "Mike Ades" and "Lexington, Kentucky," it's pretty interesting. There's a litany of board and director positions that you have filled over the years. Uh, while I was unsuccessful in learning much about your grandmother's roles in the Jewish community or the communities at large in which they lived, I did learn about your grandfather's and your father's civic responsibilities like we've sort of talked about, and it's been clear that you have been and continue to follow in their footsteps. As my mother would say, you grew up to be a real mensch. One of the associations I found was the 01:42:00treasurer of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission. What can you share about your role with this organization? When were you involved, and what was its purpose?

ADES: It started when I --(clears throat)--retired from, uh, Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, uh, at the end of 1909 (??). December 31st, 1909, was my last year. And, uh, I was, uh, you know, kind of footloose and wanted to be involved in--in, uh, things, and, uh, I had been, uh, active over the years from time to time initially in the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and then--which, uh--which was a--an organization that would--had been 01:43:00formed for many years to combat, uh,--initially to combat religious discrimination, but then had developed into an organization to, uh, oppose, uh, discrimination in other facets of life. Uh, in any case, uh--and I--I had--was no longer of the board of, of NCCJ. I had been for many years, but, uh--so I thought the Human Rights Commission might be, uh, an interesting, uh, organization. Uh, the Lexington Fayette County Human Rights Commission was formed in the early '60s, and it's a, uh, uh, board appointed by the, uh, mayor and the Urban County Council, and it's role is to, uh, fight discrimination in all aspects of the, uh--of the community. And--and actually, it has a 01:44:00full-time staff. They investigate complaints, hold hearings, try to resolve, uh, uh, issues of discrimination. So, um, I ended up being appointed to the, uh, board, this--it's been about seven years ago, I think. And, uh, uh, within a year or two, I ended up being treasurer of the, uh, organization. It's, uh, supported by the Urban County government and then their grants from, uh, the federal EOC and HUD, Equal Opportunity Commission and--and, uh, the Housing and Urban Development, so I've been, uh, active in the organization, uh, for the last seven years or so.

CRANE: In an article I found mentioned--um, and you spoke a little bit about your position with both the Saint Joseph healthcare system and the KentuckyOne Health. Uh, describe your role with both of these healthcare institutions, and, um, were these past responsibilities, or are you presently 01:45:00involved with them?

ADES: Uh, actually, in the, uh, mid-1980s, I served for three years as a--on the local advisory board of, uh, the Humana Hospital in Lexington. The Humana Hospital in Lexington, uh, uh, was the last Humana Hospital, and then it was sold in, I think, 1998 or 1999 to Jewish Hospital of Louisville. And I was asked to serve on the advisory board, the Lexington advisory board for Jewish Hospital in Louisville along with, uh, Marilyn Moosnick and Alan Stein and some others. Uh, within a year, the Jewish Hospital of Louisville sold the--the 01:46:00Lexington Humana Hospital they bought to Saint Joseph Hospital system. And I was asked to, uh, then be on the Lexington board of the Saint Joseph Hospital system, and there had been Jewish, uh, members of that Saint Joseph Hospital, which is a Catholic system, uh, for some years before. And in years past, uh, I think, uh, Norman Weides (??) had served on it. Warren Rosenthal had served on that board. Steve Koehler had served on that board.

So, in about 2000, I became a member of the board of Saint Joseph Hospital system. Uh, Saint Joseph Hospital system at the time was wholly owned by a national Catholic hospital organization called Catholic Health Initiatives, CHI, headquarters out of Denver. They also had a--Catholic Health 01:47:00Initiatives had about a, uh, forty-nine percent interest in Jewish Hospital in Louisville, so they owned part of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, owned all of the Saint Joseph Health system. So I stayed on the Jew--Saint Joseph Hospital system board, um, uh. In about 2007, 2008, uh, there were several other Saint Joseph hospitals in, uh, London, Berea, and Mt. Sterling, which became part of the Saint Joseph Hospital system, so I continued on as part of the board for--for five hospitals instead of just the Lexington hospitals of Saint Joseph.

And then, in, I think, about, um, 2012, um, Catholic Health 01:48:00Initiatives, CHI, bought out the remaining interest in Jewish Hospital in Louisville. So, at that time, they owned all of Jewish Hospital in Louisville and owned the Saint Joseph Hospital system. And I was asked to go on the board of KentuckyOne Health, which was the board that then had the Jewish Hospital in Louisville plus the Saint Joseph hospitals as part of it. And I have--I served an initial three-year term on that board and was just, uh--that term was just renewed for another, uh, three years. And then, a couple years ago, the KentuckyOne Health reached a, uh--an agreement to manage the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville and have an affiliation and agreements to cooperate on a lot of things with the U of L medical school. So, now, KentuckyOne health, uh, manages Jewish Hospital in Louisville, the 01:49:00University of Louisville hospital. There's a hospital in Shelbyville, Elizabethtown, the Saint Joseph hospitals, and I continue on that, uh, board. Uh, but, uh, prior to this, I had no hospital experien--board experience, but it's been very interesting--

CRANE: I guess you're learning a lot on all of those, uh--

ADES: Yes, yeah.

CRANE: --healthcare facilities.

ADES: Yes.

CRANE: Explain what the Plantory is, and tell us what your role with the relatively new nonprofit has been and what you know about its beginnings and its relationship to the Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice.

ADES: Okay. The, uh, Plantory is an outgrowth of what back in the--in the late '20s was founded as the National Conference for Christians and Jews, which was to combat, basically, religious discrimination against Jews and 01:50:00Catholics and other religious groups. That was a national organization, and it had local chapters throughout the country, and there was a chapter in Lexington. And, uh, shortly after I came back, uh, to practice law, I was asked to be on the board of, uh, NCCJ and served for a number of years there, and, uh--and then I went off the board. Uh, in the '80s, I think, or '80s and early '90s, the National Conference for Christians and Jews, uh, just was not, uh, a sustainable organization on a national basis and, uh, shrunk and kind of dropped all their--many of their--their local, uh, affiliates, including the one in Kentucky, which was in Lexington at the time.

So the Lexington board, not wanting to go out of business entirely, 01:51:00reconstituted itself or renamed itself as the Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice, KCCJ, and I wa--I was not on that board at that, uh--at that time, uh, but there were a number of Jewish, uh, members of the community who were very, very active in KCCJ, Sue Ezrine-----------(??), uh, Simone Solomon, uh, Marilyn Moosnick, Joe Rosenberg. Uh, KCCJ kind of followed and did a number of--of activities and community relations as NCCJ had done. But gradually, uh, it too kind of fell away from the--the, uh, uh, programs and activities that it was doing, and, uh, uh, a number of the members then discovered the 01:52:00concept of a--of what then became a Plantory, a Plantory, uh, which--which then it morphed into. KCCJ has--has morphed into the Plantory. And the--basically, the only activity of--of the Plantory at this time is it, uh, uh, leases space on West Sixth Street, and it's a co-working space for--basically for, uh, nonprofits and civic organizations and so forth. And, uh, the concept is that you rent a desk there. There could be four or five people in your group that would have an area where all your desks are there. You have your own computers. You share, uh, you know, services. Um, there's conference rooms that are available, uh, to you, you know, kitchen facilities. You can have meetings there of groups and so forth. And, uh, uh, the--the--the primary people 01:53:00who--who really, um, created this concept, uh, Marilyn Moosnick was involved in it. Joe Rosenberg was involved in it and, um, several other people, and, uh, Joe--Joe was very--(clears throat)--and Marilyn before her death were very active on the board of the Plantory. And then, Joe went off the board, and I was asked to join the board. This is three or four years or so ago, so I've been on the Plantory board since.

CRANE: And is the intended purpose somewhere down the line for the Plantory to take on some of the responsibilities or visions of KCCJ or NCCJ? Or is it just--

ADES: Uh, yeah, that's a--

CRANE:--morphed into something else?

ADES:--yeah, it--it--it might expand its kind of purpose and 01:54:00activities into those sorts of areas, but, uh, when it was really transformed into the Plantory from KCCJ, basically all the--the activities that NCCJ and then KCCJ had been involved in just kind of fell away, and many of those activities are being undertaken by other groups in the, uh, community.

CRANE: Okay. You know, we've probably barely touched on all your civic leadership roles. I know that you were also involved with United Way, but I suspect we could be here all day if we talked about everything you volunteered for or every board you served on. Instead, why don't you tell real quickly what your favorite or most rewarding--your most challenging leadership role has been--ADES: --wow--

CRANE: --if you can?

ADES: I think the most challenging role I had, uh, occurred in the, 01:55:00uh, mid-1980s when I was, uh, president of, uh, Ohavay Zion. And at the time, um, Rabbi Schwab was seriously ill with diabetes. He was--lost a leg below the knee. He was blind. Kind of coincidentally but not related to his illness, there was a, um--a sizable group of members of the synagogue who believed that, uh, Ohavay Zion should become, um, uh, more, uh, gender-friendly and--and 01:56:00have more wo--women participation. That was a--a growing movement around the country in many Conservative congregations to allow women to, uh, uh, participate in the services, be counted as a minyan, have bat mitzvahs, uh, and--and, uh, they were just beginning to even, uh, be considered to become admitted to the Conservative theological seminaries to become rabb--rabbis.

Well, this, the--this group felt that it was time for Ohavay Zion to, 01:57:00uh, welcome women into, uh, you know, religious roles in the congregation equal to men. Rabbi Schwab was--had basically grown up as a Con--as a, uh, Orthodox rabbi and could not, because of his own beliefs, accept, uh, that. And the, uh--there was, uh, actually, uh, uh--within the congregation, there were movements for the--the board to, uh, adopt, uh, practices that would, uh, allow women to, uh, be active, uh, in--in the, uh, congregation's Jewish life. And it was a huge problem because of the rabbi's illness and his very strong beliefs, and, uh, uh, there were many meetings over a year or two, uh, uh, 01:58:00congregational meetings and, uh, meetings with the rabbi, and there were some very small concessions made at the time. Uh, and the group actually just about this time kind of formed a--a--what they call the Chavarah -----------(??), kind of a separate group, but kept--they--they all kept their membership in the synagogue. Uh, and then, Rabbi Schwab passed away, uh, and, uh, that, uh, uh--we--we--we were able within a year or so to hire a, uh--another rabbi, Rabbi Smith, who was open, and that was, you know--when we were looking for a rabbi, we wanted somebody who was probably open to having women 01:59:00participation. So, uh, uh, that change was made in the congregation, and, uh, there were a few members of the congregation who were probably not in favor of that, but, uh, not a single member left the congregation because of that, uh, change, and, uh, it became a, uh--as far as I'm concerned, a, uh, much more vibrant and, uh, uh, healthy congregation, uh, uh, with that change.

CRANE: But those were some challenging times.

ADES: Yes, yes.

CRANE: What role, if any, has your faith, your Jewishness, had on your work as an attorney or as a civic leader?

ADES: Well, I--I think that's, uh--just goes back to some of the, uh, 02:00:00elementary, uh, Jewish, uh, ethical values of, uh, uh, being involved in the, uh, community to, uh, uh, help other, uh, uh, other persons less fortunate, uh, and to, um, you know, basically do the right things, try to encourage other people to do the right things. And I think some of this, uh, of course, I'm--I'm sure it came from my, uh, grandparents as well as my, uh, parents and their, uh, ethical views and--and, uh, feelings, and, uh--but I think a significant part of that probably just came from my, uh, Jewish heritage and growing up and being active and so forth.

CRANE: Well, Mike, thank you so much for taking the time to share 02:01:00your story. I will be forever curious to know how you have the energy to do so much for both the Jewish community and the community at large. It has been fascinating listening to some of your tales, and I'm going to go back and see who those people were that were buried at Morton.

ADES: --(laughs)-- Okay. Thank you very much.

CRANE: Thank you.

ADES: I've enjoyed it.

[End of interview]