30th Year
F Detroit
ot Service to Detroit Jewry
Jewish Chronicle
and The Legal Chronicle
VOL. 47, NO. 37
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1945
I
Soviet Jewry Calls
For Rebirth of Israel
Jews Throughout the World Observe
First Peace-Time Rosh Hashonah
10c Single Copy, $3.00 Per Year
David Cohen
Elected Head
of Bnai David
5,700,000 Jews
Slain by Nazis,
Survey Shows
Stalin Interest
In Yishuv Told
1)1 1 1 0
L' Spirit of Hope Pervades Jewry
With Advent of New Year 5706
NEW YORK (WNS) — As the
Jews throughout the world ob-
served the New Year, the year
5706, Jewish leaders everywhere
expressed the hope and certainty
that the new year would find
greater amelioration in the Jewish
tragedy in Europe.
Declaring that the end of
World War II has raised high the
hope s
of surviving Jews for
speedy rehabilitation overseas and
large-scale Palestine settlement,
Rabbi James G. Heller, Rabbi Jo-
nah B. Wise and William Rosen-
wald, national chairman of the
United Jewish Appeal, issued a
High Holiday message to the Jews
of the United States in which
they emphasized that mass need,
distress and homelessness in the
wake of war's destruction threat-
en the survival of the remaining
Jews of Europe, unless American
Jews embark immediately on a
trem".'idous overseas relief and
rehabilitation and Palestine up-
building program to assure for
the Jewish survivors a place of
dignity and security in the post-
war world. They stressed the fact
that the agencies of the United
Jewish Appeal—the Joint Distri-
(Continued on Page 9)
Incidents on Dexter
Jewish Council
Issues Statement
MOSCOW—Determination to rebuild Jewish life in
Europe was the sounding key of Soviet Jewry as it con-
gregated to observe the Rosh Hashonah holidays.
On the eve of Rosh Hashonah, the Moscow Jewish
Community issued a proclamation "To the Religious Jews
All Over the World" in which it was urged that the Jews
of the world dedicate themselves to the task of rebuilding
Jewish life in Europe. The proclamation read :
"The war has ruined and dev-0
astated our people. Now all our
strength should be directed
towards the rehabilitation of all
that has been destroyed. We must
concentrate on the rapid rebuild-
ing of a new life for the Jewish
people who have lost a third of
their number.
"We, the religious Jews of
NEW YORK — Based upon
the USSR, fervently desire that
our brothers and sisters who were statistics gathered from all avail-
under the suppression of the Ger- able sources on the number of
man monsters and cannibals Jewish civilian casualties during
should rebuild their lives as rap- Axis domination in Europe, the
idly us we, the Jews of the So- Institute of Jewish Affairs, re-
viet Union, are doing it with the search affiliate of the World Jew-
assistance of our government. ish Congress and the American
Our continuous prayers and fears Jewish Congress, concludes that
have reached the Almighty and the actual number may be "very
He has given us victory over the conservatively" estimated at 5,-
fiendish enemy who was already 700,000, or 60 percent of the to-
at the gates of our capital. We be- tal Jewish population in Europe
lieve that the Almighty will now when the war began.
also hear our prayers of thanks-
In Russia the Jews fared a
giving and bestow upon the sur- little better than elsewhere for
viving Jews a happy and joyous the report indicates that if Rus-
life."
sia is excluded from the count the
Reports reaching here from all percentage of Jews killed or miss-
Parts of the country indicate an ing would reach 68 percent. None
unprecendented attendance at the of these estimates, it is pointed
Rosh Hashonah services.
out, takes into consideration the
miiltary casualties among Jews.
(Continued on page 9)
The 5,100,000 does not include
persons labelled Jews by the Axis
but only those who, by their own
Jewish communities, were regard-
ed as Jews. Also, whereas the
TEL AVIV (WNS) — Marsha Polish Government put the num-
Stalin declared at a reception in ber of Jews killed in Poland at
the Kremlin for members of the more than 6,500,000, the Insti-
Polish Government that the So- tue believes the number to be
less than 3,000,000.
viet Government is "seriously" in-
80,900 IN POLAND
terested in an international solu-
On the other hand, the number
tion of the Palestine question, it
was disclosed by M. Kleinman, of Jewish survivors in Poland,
leader of Polish Jews in Pales- Hungary and Germany is smaller
than had been supposed. Poland,
tine.
for example, according to the re-
Mr. Kleinman said the disclo- port, has not 200,000 Jewish sur-
sure was made by Dr. Emil Som- vivors as was supposed in prior
merstein, leader of Polish Jewry, estimates, but no more than 80,-
who attended the Kremlin fete. 000; Hungary has between 160,-
Dr. Sommerstein was quoted as 000 and 170,000 and not 200,000,
having said that when Stalin was and Germany does not have even
asked whether he knew what the the 10,000 recently estimated.
Germans did to Polish Jewry, he
Latvia and Lithuania hold the
replied: "Yes, and we shall record with 95 percent of th•ir
avenge." When Dr. Sommerstein Jewish populations slain by the
asked the Soviet Generalissimo Nazis. Latvia lost 90,000 of its
whether the Soviet Government prewar 95,000 Jewish population
was interested in an international and Lithuania 143,000 of its for-
solution of the Palestine problem, mer 152,000 Jews. Casualties
he replied: "Certainly and seri- among Jews reached 83 percent
ously."
(Continued on page 9)
Rumors Exaggerate
DAVID J. COHEN
David J. Cohen was elected
president of Congregation Bnai
David at the annual meeting held
Wednesday. He succeeds Joseph
Block, who served three years
and refused to be a candidate for
reelection.
Joseph Gorman was chosen vice
president, Mendel Shifman, trea-
surer and Dan Otis was named
secretary.
Mr. Cohen previously served
four years as president of Con-
gregation Bnai David and four
years as secretary. For more than
a decade he has been one of the
most active workers in the Con-
gregation and he has been given
a great deal of the credit for
the growth and prosperity of
Bnai David. Mr. Cohen, an attor-
ney, is one of the most active
younger leaders in Detroit Ortho-
dox Jewish circles.
Zion Solution
Seen Imminent
LONDON (WNS) — The offi-
cial announcement last week by
the British Foreign Office that
British diplomats in the Arab
countries had been summoned to
London for a conference on the
situation in the Middle East is
being viewed here in authorita-
tive circles as evidence that the
solution of the Palestine problem
is imminent.
Following the disclosure by a
spokesman for British Foreign
Office that the Arab-Jewish ques-
tion would be a major issue in
the conferences which Foreign
Minister Ernest Bevin is to hold
with the diplomats, it was report-
ed that Abdul Rahaman Azzam
Bey, secretary general of the
Arab League, was on his way to
London where he expects to pre-
sent the Arab position on the Pal-
estine question.
Indicating that a solution, or
attempt at solution, of the Pal-
estine problem was imminent was
a report reaching here from Jeru-
salem in which Prince Feisal of
Saudi-Arabia was reported as
having asserted at a press confer-
ence that an agreement on the
Palestine question "will shortly
be reached."
Some circles here, however, be-
(Continued on Page 3)
Many disturbing rumors have
been circulating in the commun-
ity about alleged anti-Jewish oc-
currences in Detroit. The Jewish
Community Council acted imme-
diately and vigorously as soon as
the first rumors and reports
reached the administration. All
preventive measures were taken
without delay. The complete co-
operation of many elements in
the non-Jewish community was
immediately enlisted. The muni-
cipal authorities are on the alert
maintaining law and order, and
the Community Council has given
them every assistance possible.
There is every reason to be
confident that the situation, while
it required the strong action
which the Community Council
took, does not warrant any alarm
or panic. All reports have been
thoroughly investigated and
traced to their original sources.
Thus the organized Jewish com-
munity was able to act on the
basis of facts, and not on the
basis of rumors and allegations.
The rumors are grossly exag-
gerated. If they are not stopped.
they may cause undue and dan-
gerous alarm and even hysteria.
All responsible individuals and
organizations in the Jewish at
munity can help by vigorously
discouraging rumors, by prevent-
ing irresponsible acts, and by
communicating with the Com-
munity Council office to obtain ac-
curate, reliable information.
A full report on the situation,
and on the Community Council's
action with respect to it, will be
presented to an early meeting of
Community Council ,delegates.
Jewish Community Council
Terrorists Kill
128 Lodz Jews
GENEVA (WNS) — The wave
of terrorism against the Jewish
population in Poland is still gain-
ing momentum and in Lodz 128
Jews were slain in July, accord-
ing to information from Poland.
In the small towns of Poland,
where there are only few Jewish
survivors, the situation is even
worse, the report disclosed. Many
Jews who only recently returned
to their home towns are reported
fleeing in the hope of finding shel-
ter. Bands of organized terrorists,
often stronger than the local po-
lice authorities, are rounding un
Jews, terrorizing them, beating
them and stealing their property.
In some towns the terrorists were
reported to have issued ultima-
tums to the Jewish residents,
warning them that unless they
leave they would be killed. In sev-
eral towns the terrorists are re-
ported to have slain the surviving
Jews who failed to heed the
warning.
In Radom, a comparatively
large city, the Polish terrorists
posted notices that unless the
Jews leave the city within 24
hours they would wipe out the
entire Jewish population. Most
Jews fled.
The plight of the Jews through-
out Poland, the report disclosed,
is desperate. Jews are afraid of
speaking Yiddish in public for
fear of being attacked by the ter-
(Continued on page 16)
*Police Guard
All Synagogues
The Detroit Jewish community
last week was stirred up by some
incidents which occurred on Dex-
ter. These were exaggerated by
rumors, and might have had ser-
ious repercussions but for the
prompt action of city and police
officials and the Jewish Commun-
ity Council.
The incidents had their origin
on Tuesday night Sept. 4 in the
area on Dexter between Burlin-
game and the Bowlodrome but
centering on Dexter and Richton.
Some non-Jewish youth abused
Jewish boys. This drew passers-
by who drove the intruders away.
On Wednesday night, Sept. 5,
between 25 and 30 non-Jewish
youths came on Dexter and Rich-
ton looking for a fight. They beat
up a few Jewish boys but were
driven off by a group of Jewish
youths who came from the Bowlo-
drome and had heard that Jews
were being beaten.
On Thursday night, Sept. 6,
about 500 Jewish boys gathered
on Dexter from Elmhurst to Rich-
ton waiting for the hoodlums to
return. About 75 of the Jewish
boys wanted to invade the terri-
tory from which the hoodlums
came but were restrained. Police
in large numbers were dispatched
to the Dexter area to guard
against violence. They dispersed
the Jewish groups. One policeman
is said to have become abusive
and to have made derogatory re-
marks against Jews. He has been
reported to the commissioner.
As a result of these incidents
police are guarding the syna-
gogues during the holidays and
are especially watchful of the
Dexter area patrolling it con-
stantly.
Clergy Cooperate
Clergy of other faiths are co-
operating to quiet the situation
and police officials of the Petos-
key precinct have called in about
a dozen of the non-Jewish youths
involved and have, warned them
that if violence continues they
will be arrested and a grand jury
called. The youths disclaimed any
organized violence and said they
looked on the incident as just a
fight between boys.
At present there is no sign of
(Continued on page 2)
$I oo,000 Load
Of Supplies Sent
To Birobidjan
NEW YORK—An electric pow-
er unit and various supplies val-
ued at $100,000 have been ship-
ped to Birobidjan, by the Ameri-
can Birobidjan Committee (Am-
bijan).
The shipment which was load-
ed on a Soviet boat for transpor-
tation directly to Birobidjan, con-
sisted of a Diesel generator and
other machine parts, as well as
many cases of clothing, blankets,
shoes and various other articles.
It was part of the materials which
Ambijan is now regularly sending
for the maintenance of 3,500 Jew-
ish war orphans who were settled
in Birobidjan.
Ambijan is now seeking to
settle in Birobidjan 30,000 Jewish
war orphans who escaped Nazi
persecution and who found ref-
uge in Soviet Russia. An "Ein-
stein Fund" is now being raised
for this purpose.