America lewisk Periodical Cotter
May 29, 1942
CLIFTON AVENUE CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
PLAIN - TALK
by
U AL SEGAL
"Axis Baby"
In our Jewish Hospital an Axis baby was born
the other week. All over our town people chuckled
at the mordant irony of the matter of an official
Axis baby being born at the hands of Jews.
It so happened that in one of our hotels some
500 Axis — German and Japanese — diplomatic
agents from Central and South America were tem-
porarily interned pending arrival of ships to take
them home, and one of the Axis wives—a Japanese
—came there to the moment of giving birth.
And when such a crisis occurs in human affairs,
what is the first thing done? The first thing, of
course, is to summon a doctor. The Axis diplo-
matic set took hurried steps in that direction .. .
"Send a doctor quick, please. One of our ladies
••
A doctor was close at hand : The hotel's own
physician, in fact, and in no time he, Dr. John
Falk. was upstairs in Axis territory without any
passport, except the common credentials of human-
ity which were generally respected until the Axis
changed the rules.
The doctor ministered to the Axis lady, doing
everything that is done in such cases before it is
time to go to the hospital. It is related that in
the course of his visit to the Axis reservation he
fell in with a German diplomat who, noticing
something German in the doctor's accent, asked
him as landsmann to landsmann, "Ah, doctor, and
how do you happen to be here?"
"Oh," the physician replied, "I had a disagree-
ment with Hitler."
The embarrassed German did not pursue the
matter any further. In the German diplomacy
there seems to be no protocol to tell a German
diplomat just what to say or do in the mortifying
moment when he meets a German Jew cone to
serve an Axis lady lady in distress.
Yes, Dr. Falk was indeed a Jew from Germany,
a young man who had come to America to finish
his medical course.
His attendance on Mme. Butterfly—if that was
her name—was brief. Dr. Falk had another date:
The same evening he was leaving to join the U. S.
Army as a medical officer. Deeply grateful to the
United States, he had taken up the service of his
adopted country as soon as he could.
lie sent - his patient to the Jewish Hospital.
The news of an Axis baby about to be born among
them was cause of congratulatory felicitations
throughout the Axis reservation in the hotel's five
upper stories. The pleasurable thought of one more
individual being victoriously added to the Axis
population of the world might have been vitiated
ay dismay had it been known that the Axis child
was to come into the world by the generosity and
loving-kindness of Jews in their Jewish Hospital.
I know very little, if anything, about the me-
chanical process by which an infant is brought
into the world. My knowledge of this is chiefly
poetic: The gates of life are thrown open to the
newcomer. The masked people in white stood
about . . . the obstetrician, the anaesthetist, the
interne, the two nurses. It is a solemn moment
in any case when a new life enters the world, but
this meant something more to the Jewish attend-
ants at the Axis mother's side.
This looked like the exquisitely perfect fulfill-
ment of ideals they had received in their child-
hood . . . "The stranger that sojourneth with you,
shall be unto you as the home-born among you,
and thou shalt love him as thyself: For ye were
sojourners in the land of Egypt" • . • Not that
they remembered this commandment by word.
They probably couldn't have told where in the
Old Testament it was to be found, but it was
deep in their social idealism. They were privileged
to bring to life the stranger from among the
enemies of Jews.
Nor do I know exactly what occurs at the
moment an infant, enters into the light of day,
except that I hear it said that the newborn
gives out a shout; though why he should come
shouting into this sorry world I can't understand.
The Axis child came shouting into the welcoming
hands of Jews—Dr. Edward Friedman, obstet-
rician; Dr. Jack Solway, interne; Miss Doris Haas,
nurse. (The anaesthetist, Dr. IV. S. Kautz, and
the supervising nurse, Mrs. Brock, were non-
Jews.)
Later another Friedman—Dr. Lee Friedman—
came into the case as pediatrician to guide the
infant in the first days of its course in a horribly
difficult world;
Mother and child did very well, and at the end
of the two weeks Mme. Butterfly and her husband
were eloquently grateful . . . "It was all so tine,"
said Mr. Butterfly who spoke the better English.
The Jewish Hospital people were grateful too:
Their hands had been privileged to do this good
in return for all evil. In Axis countries Jewish
babies were being ushered out of life by lingering
exit of death by starvation. The bodies of Jewish
mothers were in the immense holocaust of Jews
the Nazis had piled up marching into Russia.
The bodies of Jewish babies in Poland were being
carted by the hundreds to over-crowded cemeteries
while grateful Nazis counted every death a victory
unto the day when there would be no more Jews.
Infants that survived would live for the doom of
a rickety, stunted life.
The Japanese had taken up the manners of
Nazis though they scarcely knew Jews. They knew
Jews only as their prisoners in places they had
occupied—Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila, Thail-
and, Burma, Singapore. They were all refugees
who had fled from Hitler only to find themselves
later entrapped by his Japanese imitators. Jews
are people for Japanese concentration camps,
humiliation and starvation.
The Jewish Hospital people could exult; they
were like people high on a hill in the bright light
of civilization, above an immense darkness. They
had given a full devotion to the Axis child. I
hope, though, that the taste of the divine sweet-
ness of being kind was seasoned for them by the
spice of sardonic satisfaction. It was the perfec-
tion of poetic justice at which the gods like to
laugh.
•
Mrs. Charles A. Smith Ben Gurion to Open
Chosen Shaarey Zedek Pioneer Convention
Sisterhood Head
Ben Gurion, noted Labor Zion-
Mrs. Charles A. Smith was
elected president of the Sisterhood
of the Congregation Shaarey Zedek
at their annual election and straw-
berry festival held on Monday,
May 25, in the social hall of the
Shaarey Zedek.
Other officers elected were First
vice-president, Mrs. Leonard Sid-
law; second vice-president, Mrs.
Herman Wetsman; third vice-
president, Mrs. Morris Blumberg;
recording secretary, Mrs. Carl
Schiller; corresponding secretary,
Mrs. Samuel Weisman; assistant
corresponding secretary, Mrs. Sam-
uel Eder; treasurer, Mrs. Moe S.
Dann; financial secretary, Mrs.
Nathan Scholnick; auditor, Mrs.
Ralph Davidson; parliamentarian,
Mrs. A. B. Strasler.
New members elected to the
board are the following: Mes-
dames Herman Schmid•, George
Bremen, Thomas Marwil, Charles
Rubine•, Robert Loewenberg, Moe-
! Is Seiden and Monty Weston.
Continuing members of the
' , oard are the following: Mesdames
:tarry Dunitz, Max Hayman, Jo-
. -.ph Horwitz, David Diamond,
Ldiph Davidson, Abe Gordon, Sam-
, I Wittenberg, Reuben Allender,
.dvid Feinberg, Harry Cohen,
Sonenklar, Leon Zechman,
. Gilbert, Jack Berger, liar-
: Sklar, Harry Z. Brown, Louis
. 1. Tobin, Richard Cott, Joseph
1.,,, idan and Moses Lipton.
Prenzlauer Aid to Hold
installation
The Eva Prenzlauer Maternity
A 1 Society will hold their in-
stallation of officers Wednesday,
June 3, at 12:30 p. m. at the Bel-
crest Hotel. The outgoing presi-
d,nt, Mrs. Joseph H. Siegel, will
preside as chairman. Call Mrs.
Siegel at Townsend 6-0132 for
reservations.
5
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle
ist will open the 8th annual con-
vention of the Pioneer Women's
Organization to be held June
10-14, at the Book Cadillac Hotel.
The national office announces that
Chaim Greenberg and Yehudith
Simichonit will be guests at the
convention.
Recent contributions to the U.
S. 0. include $50.00 from Club
No. 1; $25 from Club No 2; $25
from Masada, and $15 from He-
dera.
Great Lakes Greyhound
Lines Schedules Affected
Conditions imposed by wartime
restrictions on vital materials
will affect the schedules of all
Great Lakes Greyhound Lines
buses June 3, P. L. Radcliffe,
general traffic manager of the
company declared.
In co-operation with the Office
of Defense Transportation, Mr.
Radcliffe said that a speed limit
of 40 miles an hour would be in
effect and it will be necessary to
curtail service where there is the
least •demand for it to release
buses for heavily travelled lines
since additional buses cannot be
purchased.
He added that second sections
of regular schedules will not be
operated unless there is a suffi-
cient number of passengers to
justify it, and charter coaches
are available only for movements
authorized by the war depart-
ment. Unless on business or in an
emergency people are asked to
travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
and Thursdays.
Mr. Radcliffe also expressed the
hope that passengers will re-
member that wartime travel can-
not be "travel as usual," and that
they would make allowances if
inconvenienced, crowded or de-
layed.
Novel Entertainment
At Club Three 666
Setting a fast pace for novel
entertainment is Charlie Morri-
son's new "Derby Day" revue,
current musical hit at Club Three
666. Morrison has gathered an
impressive roster of sepia stars
for the production and has cre-
ated several striking ensemble
numbers, featuring the eight at-
tractive sepia-dorables, one of
which is a precision tap routine
in abbreviated snow-white formal
costumes, added to which are im-
provised ears and feathered tails
to convey the idea of the annual
turf classic for which the revue
is labeled. Peck and Peck, "two
ambassadors of rhythm," appear
in jockey dress. The entire cast
is featured in the finale in a
musical panorama of the complete
production. Others featured in the
revue are Johnnie Hopkins, ex-
ceptional ventriloquist, rarely
found among sepia entertainers;
Flash "Killer" Lawrence, jive tap
dancer; Bea Booze and her
"blues" songs; and Sam Fouche,
Three 666 master of ceremonies.
"Lanky" Bowman and his or-
chestra highlight the dancing ses-
sions and provide the musical
score for the show.
Temple Israel Sisterhood
To Hold Elections
Temple Israel Sisterhood will
hold its final meeting of the sea-
son on Monday, June 8, at 2:00
p. m. at the Jewish Community
Center. Officers for the coming
year will be elected and a sum-
mary given of the past year's
activities. The program for the
afternoon will be a "Take it or
Leave it" novelty arranged and
presented by the Drama Group
under the chairmanship of Mrs.
Julian Tobias, with various mem-
bers of the sisterhood participat-
ing. A social hour will follow
the program. Mrs. Bayre Levin,
president of the sisterhood, will
preside.
Return Engagement of
Ben Zion Witler at
Littman's People's Theatre
Isaac Green Wins
Philomathie Gold
Medal in Debate
Isaac V. Green, Philomathic's
versatile orator, captured the
Gold Medal, best speaker award
in debating, at the Fortieth An-
nual "Model Meeting" of the
Philomathic Debating Club, held
Monday, May 18 at the Shaary
Zedek. The topic of the debate
was resolved: "There should be
a union of the English speaking
nations."
The Silver Medal award went
to Bernard Q. Rosenberg, whose
excellent vocabulary elicited laud-
atory comments from the audi-
ence, while Lawrence J. Wein-
ga rd en r e c e i v e di the 11 mit ze
Medal. Dr. A. M. Hershman,
Honarary Alumni; Benjamin J.
Sidir and Wm. Shapero judged
the speakers.
The affirmative team consisting
of Norman Z. Milan, Lawrence J.
Weingarden and Bernard Q. Ros-
enberg, was adjudged winner by
a vote of the organization's mem-
bership. The negative was upheld
by Isaac V. Green, Albert C.
Kramer and Lawrence R. Herz-
berg.
Irving Siden, speaker, pre-
sented the gavel to past speakers,
Samuel E. Hertzberg in absentia.
It was accepted by Ernest J.
Schwartz. Mr. Siden also acknowl-
edged his appreciation to the ar-
rangements committee, consisting
of Ernest J. Schwartz, chairman,
Myron Rosenthal, Isaac V. Green,
Sian
Niln.
and Norman Z.
Milan.
At the meeting on May 24, a
At
Round Table discussion was held
on the pertinent topic, "America's
Battle Against Inflation." Par-
ticipants were Morton Zeive, mod-
erator, Samuel Schwartz, Sheldon
Selesnick, Louis Silverstien and
Myron Rosenthal.
Meetings are held every Sun-
day at 3:00 p. m, at the Shaary
Zedek. Boys who are interested
in speaking and debating are
urged to attend.
The famous Jewish star from
Vienna, Ben Zion Witter, will
play a return engagement at
Littman's People's Theatre Fri-
day evening., Sunday matinee
and evening., May 29 and 31,
and Tuesday evening, June 2.
Inc will be featured in Henry
Kahnanowitz's new musical pro-
duction, "Home Sweet Home."
Co-starring with Mr. Witter will
be other members of the original
Chicago company including Rose
Wallerstein, Sam Gertler, Hen-
rietta Jacobson, Julius Adler,
Ola Schlifko, Sarah Feller and
Herman Sheratzky. Mr. Wider
was the guest star at Littman's
id few weeks ago and was a tre-
mendously big hit. Appearing
now with the Chicago company
under the direction of Oscar
Ostroff he is expected to be at
his best.
SWIM • GOLF • RIDE • PLAY TENNIS
BOATING • BADMINTON • HIKING
LAIN( PO SS LA6
USKONA CANADA
M
KOSHER FOOD • OUTSIDE ROOM
For descriptive folder T9, writs
II. Shopsolvita
295 Spadina Ave. Toronto, Can.
akiteatre •Czelk Alftl
CHARLES MORRISON'S
Derby Day Revue
star: lug
40
JOHNNIE A,
HOPKINS 1" OTHERS
"LANKY" BOWMAN'S MUSIC
2—Complete Shows Nightly-2
ANDREW H. SNEFO -...`GR ,
• 666
. 2673 • ,;
Special Meeting of the
J.W.E.W.O. June 1
An important special meeting
of the Jewish Women's Euro-
pean Welfare Organization will
be held Monday, June 1, at 1
p. m. at the Congregation Bnai
Moshe, Dexter and Lawrence.
At this meeting investigat'on
committees reports will be heard
in regard to id few applications
received from orphaned families
asking relief for support also
other relief. A report will be
heard in connection with the mem-
bership paid-up complimentary
luncheon held jointly with the
North Woodward Branch last
Monday.
Plans will be made for future
affairs for the coming summer
months.
All members are requested to be
present at this meeting.
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