942

September I I, 1942

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

15

American Jews on the Rescue Front

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By WILLIAM ROSENWALD
ent day dwarf the crises of the to rebuild and build better what
Th e year now ending will be
bitterly remembered in Jewish
last war. But we are no longer has been destroyed in the war,
EDITOR'S
NOTE:
This
past
year
has
brought
suffering
and
tragedy
annals for the immeasurable
to countless Jews throughout the world. Yet, amidst the bitter dealing with them on an im- and when we come face to face
suffering which it has brought
scenes of anguish which remembrance of this year brings forth promptu basis. The response to with the grave problems and
to countless of our people. Yet, •
there hos also been cause for hope. Mr. Rosenwald, national the United Jewish Appeal in Fright opportunities for recon-
without the aid of any rose-
this first year of war for Amer- struction of Jewish life, we shall
lasses, it is possible to
chairman of the United Jewish Appeal. points out the truly
colored g
ica has demonstrated that be- have been prepared.
discern. timid the scenes of an-
hopeful portents which distinguishes this year from the last:
yond all question. Out of the
-It thlt
guish
, cover more than half tounities throughout the coon- nothing less than remarkable. fire of Jewish suffering has been
ul
the world, sonic truly hopeful
try in dealing with this prob. The wholesome spirit and sound forged a mighty instrument for
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
portents.
lent. Thanks to the enlightened thinking, that quickly prevailed the alleviation of suffering;
The outstanding fact that dis-
amid
devastation
we
have
built
attitude of the government auth- were especially apparent to na-
tinguishes this New Year from orities and to the groundwork tional officers of the United Jew- a sound and enduring structure
the last is that it finds practic- laid by the NRS before Pearl ish Appeal, who had occasion to for security. For the duration
ally the entire democratic world Harbor and its effective efforts visit all parts of the country of the war we must perforce use
a ctivity in arms for the protec- subsequently, the refugees, aid- immediately after Pearl Har- these assets to save those who
12228 LINWOOD
tion of a civilization which, for ed by community leaders, are
boy and to revisit the sante have been visited by disaster and
the first time in human history, discharging their responsibilities. places a few weeks or a few to prevent disaster for others.
TR. 7.9856
had room for the decent exist- Instead of constituting a "prob- months later, conferring with But when ' mankind undertakes
ence of minorities — religious, lem ," they have proved to be the leaders and sounding out the
cultural, national or political. an asset. To this end the NRS saute of mind of the commun
i-
Of immense significance to the was also able to contribute by ties.
future •ell-being of Jews every- channelling refugees into occu-
A
climax
has
now
been
where is the awakening of man- pations contributing directly or reached in a development
which
kind—for many, a rude awaken- indirectly to the war effort. It began in the last war, when
COMPLIMENTS
ing—to the realization that the
was soon apparent that immi- American Jews first were con-
"gang" which started by killing
gration would continue on a fronted with a problem of sup-
an d looting Jews, intends, as diminished but still substantial porting emergency relief and
the final objective of the same
scale, and, in fact, during the constructive aid on a worldwide
program, the enslavement of first half year after we entered scale. The generosity of their
every inan, woman and child an
•
the war, approximately 4,000 response made history. Most of
earth.
refugees reached the United their work was done on an
But in speaking of hopeful States. The NRS was charged emergency basis and in a white
signs for the Jewish future, I with the responsibility for meet- heat of emotion. There were
do not refer only to this great Mg the needs of these immi- probably few at that time who
awakening. It is because the grants, as well as with the con- realized the full import of their
free Jewish communities have tinued burden of assistance to undertaking. The type of think-
demonstrated clearly that they many of the 5,000 refugees who ing that prevailed then, con-
understand their own particular arrived in 1941 and many of tinued to color our approach to
communal tasks and are willing those who had come here Pre - the communal tasks of American
to fulfill them, that we can now viously. Jews for many years, even
say that this New Year, grim
The need for fullest support after it had become clear that
as it is, is, nevertheless, one of the JDC also became quickly we had enduring responsibilities.
of hope.
evident. The largest part of that The emergencies of the pres-
Certainly the future of Jews agency's work continued after
for generations to come, depends December 7th, as it had before :
on democratic victory. - That Aid to the 50,000 refugees in
American Jews are giving them- unoccupied France, to many
selves wholeheartedly to the thousands in such neutral or
service of our country in the allied territories as Switzerland,
war need hardly be emphasized ; Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Mor-
nothing less is expected of any occo, Tangiers, Algiers, Iran ;
American, whatever his faith or and assistance in the adjust-
ancestry. Fortunately, American ment of the 13,000 new immi-
Jews have not fallen into the grants in Latin American coun-
dangerous error of assuming that tries. M or e o v e r, emigration,
victory, in itself, will solve all which many thought would be
the problems besetting us. It is completely halted, continued in
becoming daily clearer that they a very substantial degree, and
are, at the same time, upholding this was made possible largely
their Jewish obligations. This by the intensive and ingenious
is perhaps the brightest circum- efforts of the JDC in arranging
stance in the present-day Jew- for transportation on neutral
ish situation.
Portugese ships. Even on be-
One yardstick for measuring half of Jews trapped in Axis
the response of the American territory, such as Poland, Ru-
Jews to their war-time responsi- mania and Shanghai, the JDC,
bilities is the success of the before this country entered the
national campaign of the United war, was able to assure a con-
Jewish Appeal for the support tinuation of at least a mini-
of the work of the Joint Distri- mum amount of assistance, with-
bution Committee in aiding vic- out aiding the enemy, through
tims of Nazism in many lands the network of local committees
overseas, of the United Pales- which it had fostered for more
tine Appeal in the defense and than a quarter of a century.
upbuilding of the Jewish home- Simultaneously, it was called
land, and of the National Refu- upon to open a vast new life-
gee Service in helping newcom- saving front on behalf of Polish
ers to adjust themselves to life refugees in Siberia. There it is
in America and to do their share collaborating with the Polish
Government-in-exile for relief to
in the war effort.
True, the amounts realized 9 ,000,000 uprooted and destitute
from community drives held so - Poles, of whom 600,0000 are
far this year fall short of filling Jews. Within a matter of weeks,
the needs of the JDC, UPA and in fact days, after Pearl Har-
NRS. But the same thing was bor, there was no room for any
unfortunately true of UJA cam- doubt that the JDC had huge
paigns in previous years. The wartime tasks.
fact remains that the results
It was likewise almost imme-
in practically every one of the diately clear that there would
hundreds of communities which be no breach in the channel
have held their 1942 campaigns, through which the UPA supplies
with few exceptions, have been financial support for the work
equal to and, in many cases, far of Jewish construction and de-
better than in the past. This fense in Palestine. There had
in itself is an impressive demon- never been a moment's doubt as
stration of the underlying vital- to the importance and urgency
ity and strength of the Amer- of this program. It was brought
ican Jewish community organi- home with compelling force when
lot ion. In the weeks immedi- the Axis armies unleashed their
ately after Pearl Harbor, amid drive toward the Nile, when
the then prevailing lack of in- thousands of additional Jews
formation and confusion of coun- from Palestine rushed into the
sels, there were many who had Allied forces holding the desert
gloom y forebodings about the front, and Palestine's war pro-
outcome of the campaign. But duction of food and military
t h e confusion quickly cleared supplies. stimulated and bolstered
IT. The voices of pessimism died by the UPA, reached unprece-
down.
dented dimensions. Under the
In the first place, it became very nose of the enemy, the
evident immediately that the Jews of Palestine coolly con-
work of the NRS in wartime was tinue their upbuilding work,
more vital than ever ; that this founding new colonies and ex-
agency, in fact, was a front panding
existing ones. Immi-
line of defense for our essen- grants continue to arrive ; the
tial national unity. Many of requirements for American .kw-
the 200,000 refugees in the ish support through the UPA in
United States, loyal as they these fields and for till the nor-
were to the democratic cause mal needs remain undiminished.
and victims though they were
Main Mike... Griswold at State
If the flexibility with which
of totalitarianism, were never- the JDC, UPA and NRS adapt-
t h el e s s technically classified ed their work overnight to the
among aliens of enemy nation- exigencies of war was notable,
Member of Federal Deposit Inisaranee Corporation
ality. The NRS therefore had the speed and unanimity with
A tremendous new task laid on which the Jewish communities
its doorstep : That of interpret- throughout the nation grasped
ing the "enemy alien" regula- the situation, saw their respons-
tions to the refugees and of ibility and rallied to the support
ddvising local refugee aid com- of these agencies through the
mittees in hundreds of coin - United Jewish Appeal, wet e

BEATRICE BEAUTY
SALON .

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The CHICAGO, DULUTH and GEORGIAN

BAY TRANSIT CO.

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Best Wishes

for

A Happy and Prosperous

New Year

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