A merica *with Periodical Carter

CLIFTON AVENUE • CINCINNATI 20, OHIO

S

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

November 21, 1941

Purely Commentary •

J. N. F. Auxiliary
Membership Tea
By Philip Slomovitz
Next Thursday

Jews in the U. S. Senate

Even Socialists Turned Anti-Semites

The death of former United States Senator
Simon Guggenheim, who represented Colorado in
the United States Senate from 1907 to 1913,
revives interest in the fact that very few Jews
have held similar positions in the highest legis-
lative body in the land.
Other Jews who have served in the United
States Senate, which has not had a Jewish mem-
ber in many years, are:
Judah Philip Benjamin (1812-1884), who rep-
resented Louisiana from 1853 to 1861, and who
was one of the outstanding leaders of the Con-
federacy.
Benjamin Franklin Jonas, (1834-1911), also
from Louisiana, who served from 1879 to 1885.
Isador Rayner (1850-1912), Maryland's Sena-
tor from 1905 to 1912.
Joseph Simon (1851-1935), Oregon's Senator
from 1897 to 1903.
David Levy Yulee (1811-1886), Senator from
Florida from 1845 to 1851 and from 1855 to
1861.
Of the six who served in the Senate, two were
from Louisiana, and only one, Yulee, served two
full terms.
•

Arthur Koestler's story Is disturbing because
he reveals that even most outspoken liberals and
Socialists in France began to speak in anti-
Semitic terms. For instance, Jubert spoke to him
of "those German film yids". He mused about
this expression: "I could not see that an Aryan
member of the film racket was much more at-
tractive. It was a sad symptom that this young
spokesman of the Left, member of numerous
comites against racial persecution, should be at-
tainted by the general contagion".
It is no wonder that Koestler painfully records
that "the tide of Xenophobia spread over France
with morbid rapidity".
Koestler reports another experience. In a can-
tonment, as recorded in his diary under date of
July 7, 1940, after evening supper, "sitting
around in the garden in front of barn, and all
competed in admiring the Boches and villifying
the French. Masochism of the defeat. All unani-
mous that 'nous etions vendus'—have been be-
trayed. Betrayed by the generals, by Fifth Col-
umn— 'there was a Fifth Columnist in every
company staff'—and by politicians. No distinction
between Left and Right, Reynaud and Laval. Ac-
cusations against Jews and refugees. Sergeant
Lepetit says his company was attacked by 'a
column of Jewish refugees' near Longwy; all
believe it, including Jules and Gillevic, who are
Socialists. No attempt to discriminate, to dis-
cover political motive-patterns 'everything is
merde and pourriture, one ubiquitous, all-embrac-
ing conspiracy of betrayal. When the wine began
to act, all spoke at the same time, accusing all
and sundry—the routed army playing blind man's
bluff".
In reality, the concluding words of this heart-
breaking record in Koestler's diary explain many
other manifestations of fear and hatred and the
search for a scapegoat in time of defeat. When an
army is routed it often plays a blind man's bluff
—and in the present crisis the crushed elements
—whether they are the socially morbid or the
politically disillusioned or the economically bank-
rupted—manage to distinguish the Jew and to
make of him the object of their bitterest hatred.
Our battle, therefore, is in no sense unlike the
battle of France; and the Jew's battle is severe
wherever it manifests itself.

Anti-Semitic "Mothers" on Rampage

When Mayor Edward J. Jeffries of Detroit
apologized to Viscount Halifax, the British Am-
bassador, for the action of a group of women
who first picketed the meeting of the Economics
Club and then pelted him with eggs and tomatoes
at the Catholic Chancery Building, he echoed
sentiments shared by most of Detroit. Remember:
it was on the eve of election, and Mayor Jeffries
risked a few votes by rebuking the so-called
"mothers".
The important things about the Detroit anti-
Halifax incidents are the following:
The outburst was pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic.
Those who formerly condemned Halifax, and
those who to this day look upon him as a former
pro-fascist—whether the charge is justified or not
—consider him today a representative of the
great British Empire and regret that outrageou's
discourtesies should have been resorted to. Fur-
thermore, this country is today engaged in a
partnership with Britain for the destruction of
Nazism, and to attack a representative of a
friendly foreign power is indecent and un-Amer-
ican.
Mostortant of all is the fact that two
groups wer involved—so-called "American Moth-
ers" and so called "Mothers of the U. S. A.",
and each blamed the other for resorting to egg-
throwing.
May the anti-Semites continue to fight among
themselves.
But even if they do—that is no reason why
we should keep our eyes shut and ignore the fact
• that the attackers were anti-Semites and pro-
Nazis.

•

Exiles in Palestine

It is now a well-established fact:
Royalty and military leaders, from Poland,
Yugoslavia, Greece, Czechoslovakia and other
lands, are exiles from their homelands in Pales-
tine. They have found refuge in the "Jewish
National Home".
But outstanding Jewish leaders and scholars
are wandering throughout the world in search
of homes.
Is it impertinent to ask whether the good deed
in creating havens for Christian notables was
vitiated by the exclusion of Jews on order from
British officials?
•

Addenda: On the Wise Family

on our recent item
Valuable as an
on the leading Jewish community firm in Amer-
ica—the family of Dr. Stephen S. Wise—is the
following fact:
To our knowledge, this family is the only one
in America all of whose members are included
in the American Who's Who. They are: Dr. Wise
himself, his wife, Louise Waterman Wise, his
(laughter, Judge Justine. Wise Polier, and son,
James Waterman Wise.
' Because American Jewry shares in their glory,
this fact should be known.

addendum

•

Xenophobia—French Variant for
Anti-Semitism

One of the most touching personal experiences
in the collapse of democratic France is Arthur
Koestler's "Scum of the Earth" which Macmillan
Publishing Co. just issued.
It is a tale of concentration camps in France,
of people and events, of human reactions and
hatreds.
Jews are constantly referred to, because Koest-
ler had occasion, so often, to hear the reactions
of all classes to our people. He learned the
meaning • of Xenophobia—the dislike of the unlike
—which was given as the prime reason for anti-
Semitism by Max Nordau.
Koestler personally experienced the hatred that
was shown for foreigners, and he declares in his
memorable book that "French xenophobia was

but a national variant of German a nti-Semitism."

It was this sad experience that kept him at
first from enlisting in the Foreign Legion in
France.
His entire story is of being trapped in a con-
centration camp, tjie struggle to escape, his as-
piration to join ,iii the battle against Nazism.
Word comes from London that he has enlisted
as a private in the British Army.
His escape from the claws of Nazism is re-
corded in graphic form, in straight narrative as
well as in reproductions of insertions in his
diary.

will be the speaker of the after-
noon.
Dec. 16, is the date set for the
paid-up membership luncheon.
For information, call Mrs.
Hordes at To. 8-1957 or Mrs.
The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Klafer at To. 6-5537.
Jewish National Fund held a
regular meeting at the Rose Sit-
tig Cohen Branch of the United
Hebrew Schools on Monday, Nov.

•
A Tribute to Jabotinsky

It is impossible to speak of Arthur Koestler's
"Scum of the Earth" without making reference
to a notation about Vladimir Jabotinsky.
An item quoted by the author in this book
from his diary, under date of Aug. 8 (1940) reads
as follows:

"Jabo is dead. Notice in Depeche de Tou-
louse: 'Vichy, Aug. 7. M. Vladimir Jabotinsky,
journalist and author, Chairman of the New
Zionist Organization, died in New York at the
age of 59. He had gone to America for the
purpose of raising a Jewish Legion which
was to fight on the side of England.'
"Exit one of the great tragic figures of
this century, unnoticed. Adored hero of the
Jewish masses in Russia, and Poland; creator
of the first Jewish Legion which helped con-
quer Palestine; sentenced to 15 years' hard
labor for organizing Jewish resistance against
Arab pogrom in Jerusalem; translated Dante
and Shakespeare into modern Hebrew; wrote
and spoke eight languages; most fascinating
orator I ever heard. Striking resemblance to
Radek—both Jews from Odessa. One great
friend less—there are not many left, at lib-
erty, undamaged. First wondered why Vichy
Press agency cares about a dead Jew; re-
reading obituary noticed propagandist aims
of emphasizing that Jews are on England's
side, i. e. anti-French."

1.

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MRS. WILLIAM KLAFER

17. Mrs. A. Smilo was hostess to
the executive board meeting pre-
ceding the afternoon meeting.
John A. Otten, director of the
Northwestern High School a Ca-
pella Choir, presented a delight-
ful selection of choir and solo
numbers. Dr. Clarissa Fineman
spoke on the life of Moses Hess,
a scholar and socialist leader of
the early 19th century who rec-
ognized the need for • coloniza-
tion of Palestine as a solution
for the Jewish problem long be-
fore the formation of organized
Zionism.
Mrs. William Hordes, chairman
of the membership drive, an-
nounced the second prospective
membership tea to be held at the
home of her co-chairman, Mrs.
William Klafer, at 1886 Oakman
Blvd., on Thursday, Nov. 27, at
2:30 p. m. Miss, Zelda Rosenthal

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Louis Lipsky and His Mother

•
Cantor Sonenklar's Services

After ten years of services in Detroit—an anni-
versary which he has observed a few weeks ago
—Cantor Jacob H. Sonenklar of dongregation
Shaarey Zedek boasts of an enviable record.
He is a part of everything important in the
community. He trains choirs for Hebrew schools
and directs the Joseph H. Ehrlich Singing So-
ciety. He serves Hadassah and the Zionists, re-
sponds to calls from all elements in the com-
munity, and is cosmopolitan in attitude.
In a word, he is a good Chazon, co-operative
and communally-minded in every respect, and a
swell fellow.

DEXTER BLVD.

NOrthlawn 9786

This item must be read in the light of the
fact that it was penned by an author and jour-
nalist who had visited Palestine; who knew and
admired Jabotinsky; who had respect for the
courage of a Jewish leader. And upon reading it,
bear in mind the fact that it was written in a
French detention camp—and that a man eager to
escape and to enlist as a private in the British
army took time out to pay homage to a friend
he admired, later using his tribute as a page in a
great book.
•

As Louis Lipsky stepped off the plane that ar-
rived at the Detroit airport on Nov. 13, he was
handed a telegram informing him that his mother
had passed away, in Rochester, N. Y., at theitge
of 90.
But Lipsky went through with the schedule of
addressing the Menahem Ussishkin memorial meet-
ing in Detroit, leaving immediately thereafter for
Rochester.
He spoke with deep reverence and marked feel-
ing about his aged mother. There are 11 brothers
and sisters, but giving all of them a good Jewish
training was an easy task or the mother who was
spry and in the best of spirits until two months
ago when she began to show signs of declining
health.
Lipsky's father died in 1920.

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