7
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
April 7, 1944
THE PALESTINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
same as of the leaders in all and held auditions for some 200. lost his temper was when we tried
walks of life. One of the elements Sometimes I had to be cruel when with great sublety to raise the
is the glorious past of the coun- in order to select the cream of the questions of his fees. He simply
By BRONISLAW HUBERMAN
try and the prophecies linking it available musicians I had to re- refused even to touch the subject.
Editor's Note: This is the text of an address delivered by Bronislaw with the future. For many people, fuse some three-quarters of the And he is not a Jew and yet
Huberman, world famous violinist, on the occasion of the even amongst the most incredu- applicants. But the result was rendered Palestine the greatest
celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Jewish National lous, that future seems to have amazing. Phad reached my goal service possible. I call this a mir-
Alliance, a fraternal order with a nation-wide membership of come in our days. Now can you to assemble one of the grandest acle.
Apart from the artistic prob-
more than 30,000 men and women, functioning through 400 imagine what it means, for ex- orchestras for the smallest coun- lems there were financial prob-
branches in 100 communities in the United States and Canada. ample, to a bricklayer when that try in the world. Toscanini was lems to be solved. Not only the
so filled with enthusiasm for both
In 1936 Mr. Huberman organized the Palestine Symphony man's simple job is glorified by the orchestra and the audiences of salaries of the musicians had to
Orchestra whose first concert—a grand cultural and musical the awareness that he, too, is Palestine that after his last con- be ascertained for a long period,
event in Jewish life—was held on December 26, 1936, under giving his share with the work of cert of the inauguration series he but also the tremendous expenses
his hands to the realization of
the baton of Arturo Toscanini. Mr. Huberman's address is a the prophecies several thousand exclaimed spontaneously: "Oh, for fares, visas etcetera had to be
vivid portrayal of the agonies of the Jewish artists whose years old? And what is true of Huberman, I am so sad to leave taken care of. For this purpose I
careers were so brutally shattered by the black forces in the bricklayer is true of the con- this wonderful orchestra, these founded in the United States an
Europe. It is also the story of the Jewish artist finding solace, tractor and the architect, the unique audiences! I shall come Association of Friends of the Pal-
consolation and fulfillment in a new life, a new home— tiller of the soil and the agri- mck next year!" And he came estine orchesrta, with Professor Al-
Palestine.
cultural research worker, the sol- back. So he conducted in the two bert Einstein and Judge Mach as
seasons twenty concerts in Pales-
There was once an orator who cutions who consciously or sub- dier and the general, the poet and
the
reader,
the
artist
and
the
au-
tine and Egypt. And, mind you, the chairman. You must not think
was asked whether he could play consciously believed in the possi-
dience.
The
immediate
result
in
th
e only moment when he nearly
See ORCHESTRA—Page 10
the violin. His answer was he did bility and necessity of performing
not know, he had never tried it. the miracle of the rebuilding of every day life and in the mo-
ments
of
holidays
and
festivals
I as a violinist have not even this Palestine. Other victims of anti-
excuse when I talk to you today Semitism preferred to go to other is that in Palestine there is
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because I did try a few speeches countries with the prospect of an never such a thing as sophistica-
in my life, and I know I am not easier life and easier money-mak- tion, never a matter of cause.
a speaker. But I hope you will ing. So the Palestine emigrants Even the highest, the most sublime
not feel disappointed by this dec- who came not by their own choice. symbols of religion, of art are
laration. I am sure you did not but because Palestine by that stripped of their inevitable crust
come to hear an Orator but a time was the only haven open to of stagnation and of sometimes
musician who has gone through them, already found that peculiar meaningless figurativeness and be-
—DAVID GOLDBERG, Pres.
the experience in life of the re- atmosphere as created by the come a living thing. In this re-
building of Palestine. I cannot spirit and work and labor of their spect I shall never forget a con-
"A FUEL WITHOUT A FAULT"
help thinking of these events oth- predecessors and so they also got versation with the teacher in the
erwise than in terms of a miracle, contaminated by this spirit. Now agricultural collective colony of
PLAZA 9200
The miracle starts right from the what is this spirit of Palestine Ain Hared. He explained to me
first moment of your landing in which gets hold of you no matter how the daily lecture of the Bible
INSTANT SERVICE ON FUEL OIL
Palestine or, I daresay, it starts whether you are religious or not, serves him to imbue the children
even before. One must not forget Jew or Christian? I admit it is with the glorious history of their
that until Hitler came to power next to impossible for me to give forefothers, with the virtues and
the natural selection of the emi- you even a remote idea of that wisdom of their spiritual leaders
gration to Palestine resulted al- thing which emanates in Pales- as immortalized in the narratives
ready in the essence of the most tine from the soil, from the peo- of the Holy Scriptures. Children
idealistic and strongest elements ple and their work. It is a sort brought up in this way in the
PASSOVER GREETINGS TO ALL!
of Jewry. Who went to Palestine? of an all-embracing mysticism surroundings of the historical
places of the Biblical events are
Mostly those amongst the victims which permeates the activities of bound to carry in their hearts the
of European anti-Semitic perse- the most humble worker just the ethics of the Bible as a living
reality.
Now imagine the reaction of a
European violinist, more Euro-
pean than Jewish, and if anything
PASSOVER GREETINGS TO ALL!
rather anti-Zionistic, when on a
sort of routine concert tour he
8335 ST. AUBIN AVE.
MADISON 4465
is faced for the first time with
this unexpected kind of electric-
illy charged atmosphere. That was
I in the year 1928. Perhaps a few
concrete facts will better explain
Commercial Leases—Improved Property Managers
to you that state of mind of the
Palestinians. The responsiveness
of a concert audiences at that
.RAndolph 1515
901 Detroit Savings Bank Bldg.
time. But what enthusiasm! What
expression of eagerness reflected
on the face of each listener to
receive the messaete of eternal
beauty in music! Where the halls
proved to be too small to seat all
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY PASSOVER
the applicants for tickets, some
of them climbed on water-pipes
and barbed wire up to the roof
STORE AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT
to try to listen from there. A
typical example: the cook of the
In Spite of Advanced Prices We Are Still Cutting Prices
boarding house where I stayed
asked me if as a great favor I
For Service call
would accent a cold dinner so she
could go to the concert. As a
whole. one cay say that the work-
ing class has the greatest share
10217 LINWOOD, cor. GLYNN CT.
in the development of Palestine.
T mean not only the material
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but also the cultural development.
I returned to Palestine for con-
certs in 1930 and 1932. Each time
I was amazed by the progress
attained since my last visit. This
progress covered all ways of life,
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY PASSOVER
education. art. science. hygiene.
housebuilding. let alone the tre-
mendous development of the farm
settlements. By 1932 I had the
vision of a Symphony Orchestra
worthy of these wonderful audi-
ences. But it seemed a long road
to achieve this goal. Then came
Hitler. Now the orchestra dream
suddenly acquired a second angle.
What for Palestine meant a cul-
tural institution of the highest
importance, because a rescue em-
ergency for the Jewish orchestra
members of Central Europe. So
I went to work, and in December,
1936, the inauguration of the
ORIENTAL RUGS — GIFTS — ART OBJECTS — LAMPS
Palestine Symphony Orchestra
I took place under the baton of the
- greatest living conductor, Arturo
Toscanini. It was not an easy
task for me. In order to select the
75 musicians for the orchestra
corresponded
with many hundreds
PASSOVER GREETINGS TO ALL!
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CENTRAL SERVICE COMPANY
KAMIL MANAGEMENT CO.
Health, Happiness and
a Joyous Passover with
MAX H. GOLDHOFF
Best Wishes to the en-
tire Jewish Community
of Detroit.
SEASON'S GREETINGS .. .
To Win the War . . . .
We All MUST BUY MORE
War Bonds and Stamps.
S. G. GULIAN CO.
•
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DON CARTAGE CO.
MOTOR CITY TOOL CO.
Incorporated
MACHINERY MOVING
Safes — Laundry Machinery
Real Estate Offices
FRED C. KRAFT, Pres.
TANKS—BOILERS
ARTHUR F. TOTZ, Sec.-Treas.
Stacks Moved and Erected
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