A merican Pal ish Periodical Cotter CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, 01110 qt• DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle Friday , June 7, 1946 199[91FERD 'BOX The Voice of the Man in the Street Page Five MAN CIF THE "Music has been the governing factor of my whole life, particu- larly Hebrew music," said Julius Chajes, who has been selected by the Chronicle to be accorded honor as the Man of the Week. "I have always wanted to create a new kind of music. LIKES EDITORIAL... Time: Sunday afternoon. Dear Editor: Let me commend you on the very appropriate editorial on the Place: Congregation Shaarey 7.(•- front page of your last issue on the Golden Jubilee. "There is a renaissance in Jewish music now with a complete It Is very expressive of present day sentiment interwoven with dek, Chicago at Lawton. school of musical artists. This school consists of two branches. The Detroit's progress and history. Question: Do you believe there first is the modern style coming out of Palestine and influenced by I agree very much with the hope you express for the use of our oriental music. It is an expression of the life in Palestine with all its will be another world war? Yours of mankind. t industrial ability to the ultimate betterment gaiety and the hope of the pioneers. (Photos by Eric Bennett) truly "The second is the traditional style using liturgical chanting as MIRIAM G. SLOBIN. IRVING ZEFF, 1861 °skillet) it basis following the school of Ernest Bloch who is recognized to- day as the greatest Jewish composer alive and one of the world's Dear Editor: Blvd. In behalf of the Ladies Auxiliary of Congregation Beth Shmuel, Yes. In twenty to twenty-five greatest. take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude years there will be another world "I use both styles," he continued, "depending on what I happen for your help to make our Fourth Donor Luncheon a success. to he writing." ti Articles appearing in your paper, prior to our affair, were a con- war. The line- h. , willI be stant reminder and inspiration to our friends and followers, whic'i up Chajes was born in Lwow, in Poland, where he lived until the something like r ive greatly appreciate. age of ten. this. China, Thanking you again for all your past favors, we are, Russia, Germa- 1101'1100D UNHAPPY Respectfully yours, ny, a complete- LADIES AUXILIARY OF CONGREGATION "My boyhood was very unhappy," he said sadly. "My life during ly rebuilt Ger- BETH SHMUEL the ages of seven, eight and nine was lived in constant terror of po- m a n y, by the MRS. B. BABCOCK, President groms. I never suffered physically myself but I had terrible expe- way, and pos- riences. I remember once looking across the yard and seeing hun- sibly Japan will CONDEMNS O'BRIEN be on one side. dreds of Jews burned alive. Dear Editor: This is a copy of a letter sent by the United Progressive Demo- The U. S. and "I can still hear in my dreams the shrieks of the dying and cratic Club to Congressman George D. O'Brien. The letter is self. all the Ameri- the- sharp explosion of the machine guns mowing down the ones by cas and all the explanatory. The thirteenth Congressional District represented who tried to escape from the burning buildings. That memory will O'Brien extends from the river north to the end of Detroit and from rest of Europe will ,re on the be with me all my life and it has made me very' Jewish con- Hastings west to Lawton. The population consists largely of minority other side. cions." I sincerely hope I .am a false groups and in particular contains large centers of Jewish population Chajes started his musical career at the age of seven when his prophet and that nothing like The letter follows. May 23, 1946 my prophecy will ever come true. mother, a concert pianist, taught him to play. At nine, he was al- But the outlook is very bad from ready composing music. Before he was ten, he was a musical pro- Hon. George D. O'Brien, Member of Congress, my point of view and in the light digy', giving public concerts. House Office Building, Washington, D. C. of present circumstances, I don't From Lwow, he went to Vienna, where he finished high school Dear Sir: At a special meeting of the Board of Governors last night, we see any way to prevent what will and attended the University of Vienna. He gave concerts and sm.- discussed your vote to continue the Fascist Rankin "UN-American" probably be the greatest catastro- ceeded in winning a prize at the first international competition for Committee. The unanimous feeling of the members was that by your phe ever visited on mankind. pianists in Vienna. inexcusable action you are no longer entitled to the support and con- FEELS IIITLERISM MIRIAM SCHWARTZ, 1496 W'. fidence of the people who elected you to Congress. You are advised therefore that your candidacy for re-election to the Congress of the Euclid. In 1933, Chajes began to feel the pressure of Hitlerism in Vienna U. S. will be actively opposed. You are further advised that your life No. But we have to watch and a year later, he went to Palestine, where he became the head things very carefully. For in- of the piano department at the Tel Aviv Conservatory. membership in this organization has been revoked. stance, Great UNITED PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC CLUB For the first time in his life, he enjoyed freedom. For the first Britain c o u l d Samuel Panzer, President s tart another time in his life, he felt neither fear nor shame at being Jewish. Arthur L. Robbins, Chair., Board of Governors war very easily (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Detroit Jewish Chronicle does not enter into "It was a wonderful feeling," said Chajes with a smile. "It if s h e follows the field of politics and hence does not endorse candidates. However, inspired me to start .ts new Palestinian style of music. Some of out her gener- we feel it is well known that the work of the Rankin committee has my songs became a 'part of the folk song of Palestine and are a I practice o f been a stench in the nostrils of all decent-minded, liberal Americans. now in the repertoire of every anti - Semitism Since Jewish people are inclined to be progressive and liberal, and concert art ist who deals with in the Palestine since Rankin himself is a notorious anti-Semite as well as being un- Jewish music. situation. American on other grounds, we feel it is important for Jewish voters "I have always been a student None of t h e of the Bible and I felt that Pales- to be aware( thatoa Congressman from their district supports the kind nations want tine was so near to me that it con- of bigotry that Rankin stands for. When they go to the polls, all war and they nected the past and the present. I Americans who have a thought for the fine traditions of their country all realize i t s felt that the 2,000 years of Jewish should be aware of this Congressman's support and should act ac- dangers. I think the United Na- absence from the land was short cordingly. tions organization will help a and unimportant. As I walked great deal to prevent another war. through the city, I felt that every house in Palestine was open to me. It was the kind of feeling I had R U T 11 RABINOWITZ, 3'2 3 4 never had before." By LEON SAUNDERS Webb. For two years he stayed in Pal- No. At least I hope not. I think estine and then in 1937, he came to the world has learned its lesson PAUL N'ERLA1NE America, to New York. There he JULIUS CIIAJES Fifty years ago a remarkable personality and a great poet ended and that every- continued • to give concerts and one can under- his existence. The important events, the terrific problems with which played in a coast-to-coast radio hookup. He also worked as professor the world is preoccupied today leaves little time and less interest in stand that the of musical composition at the New York College of Music. the anniversary of the death of a man like Paul Verlaine. He did not next war means belong to the pleiad of stars, like Victor Hugo or Malarme, whoss practically the ('OMES TO CENTER names were known throughout the world, but to the world of "dis- end of civiliza- cernment," where exclusive. intimate hooks like "Jadis et Naguere," tion. In 1910, he was brought to the Jewish Community Center in De- The hope of "Dedications," "Liturgies Intimes," were gems to be treasured. In seta. troit, where he is now still working. In 1942, he was appointed mu. lion to the world, to everyday life, he was a "true poet" in the ac- the world and sic director of Temple Beth El, where he stayed until 1945. cepted sense of the word. The French expression, "Je m'en fiche" tI particularly n f "There is a great deal of musical talent in this city," he en- don't give a hoot) was his label. He, the "terrible Verlaine, the mourn- peace in t h e thused. "We teach many youngsters and give them a chalice to ful Socrates, the dirty Diogenes," as Jules Renard called him, really world rests in perform in actual concerts. My wife, 31arguerite Kozenn, a con- cared very little for the opinion of his contemporaries. His verses, his U.N. We have cert singer, works with me. We organized the Detroit Friends of inevitable glass of absinthe were all that he cared for. To the average to make this Opera, whose chairman is Fred M. Butzel, and I am the musical person, he was a mystery, like Sapho or Lucretius. The author of work. I don't know enough about director." "Romances sans Paroles," "Poems Saturniens" was all wrapped up in details to know what to suggest. However, the framework of U.N. Chajes is chairman and one of the founders of Hashofar, society the music of words. in moods and nuances. is the kind that can be made to for the advancement of Jewish music. He is also the Jewish CO. At 15 years of age he delivers himself of such a marvel:* work if the nations will get be- chairman of the musical committee for the Round Table of Catlin- Une ache affaiblic Verse par le champs hind it. lies, Jews and Protestants. For a year, he taught at the Detroit In- La melancolie . stitute of Musical Art affiliated with the University of Detroit. (A dawn enfeebled pours over the fields of melancholy) MEYE It ZEFF, IN'yandotte Le vent dans la plaine He is on the hoard of the Detroit Musicians League and also on Mich. the board of the Music Committee of Detroit Social Agencies Next Suspend son haleine Maybe. If England doesn't Sunday, he. will conduct a chorus of 3,000 voices of all ereeds and The wind in the field suspends its breath Verlaine was born in the epoch when symbolism began to spread change her attitude on foreign nationalities at Briggs Stadium which will mark the closing affair policy a n d if its wings. Member of the Parnasean Circle, among which were Ca- of the Automotive Golden Jubilee. the United tulle, Mendes, Francois Coppe, Sully Prudhome, he was credited with States doesn't IN CHARGE OF PIANO the invention of blank verses which he himself denied. A poet who stop letting eared little for world events, he got mixed up during the Commune In the Center, he is in charge of the piano department and of England lead with some revolutionaries and was compelled to leave France. In Ens. the orchestra. He arranges the Center concerts. Since his marriags, her around h y landhe wrote "Art Poetique," "Languer" and "Luxures" in which his t h e nose, then he has not had time to do much in the way of hobbies but nt one vigor and a finesse of nuances, now tragic, now burlesque and cynical, V . I . w a r is certain time. he was a champion ping pong player and won many awards. are mixed. In no other volumes does he give it better impression in less than one He was in the habit of entering and winning in chess tournaments the complexity and the profound dualism of his nature. m ore genera- and plays an expert game of bridge. As if nature were not satisfied with the "complexity of this na- tion. He writes articles for papers, and magazines on music and on ture," he fell under the strange influence of Arthur Rimbaud. Hi'. CAP Our own fo- general cultural subjects. He speaks Polish, German, Italian. French •;''' biography does not disclose the nature of this relation. unless one reign policy i s Russian, Czech, Hebrew and Yiddish as well as English. presume from the fact that Verlaine inadvertently shot Rimbaud and almost com- was sent to jail for two years. f On the wall of his office, he keeps a large map of the United pletely muddled. England's policy He then turned to religion and wrote "Sagesse." a collection o reli is definitely geared toward her States dotted with red pins showing where he has played- in his mu- religious poems. which are ranked among the highest poems on Rion. His only attachment was to his mother. When she died, his last own preservation and that of her sical tours. This year, he performed in twenty different cities, play ins; three times in New York's Town Hall. link and tie with the world of "respectability" or society were broken ruling class. off. He spent his time in cafes where, sustained and inspired by his One of his relaxations is to go almost every Sunday to the home A little while ago, Churchill urg- ed that America should take a of Fred Butzel, where he plays the piano with Butzel accompanying beloved absinthe. he wrote his poems. Officially he belongs to the Symbolists. But no one could put s positive stand against Russia him on another piano. label. on Verlaine. His poetry is a mixture of worship of God and of Now the situation has changed. Chajcs has just completed his own Friday evening service which Was not rich in ideas, he was only a master of words. Bevin is saying that England sensuality. He will be given its world premier in Temple Emanuel of New York. and out of words he created music. But must take a stand where she can Two of the prayers are dedicated to the memories of Judge Harry Alas, his fame and glory came at the time of his decadence. act as arbitrator between Russia B. Keidan and Isaac Shetzer, two outstanding Jewish citizens of Do. even in this state his songs of "fin de siecle," of the mivture of fra- and America. We were the ones troit. He is now working on a Hebrew opera. grance and "argot" touched on the sublime in the world of words who were leading the show. Now "I feel," he concluded, "that there is a strong need for organ- turned to music by the magic of his great talent. we've been maneuvered int9 a He was not born to fight for humanity like Victor Hugo. He was be izations in Detroit to work for the advancement of Jewish culture fo where we seem not a great thinker. He was a musician whose instrument was poetry. position held back from a war with Hits- in this city. Our youngsters ought to have more of an opportunity And the world of art has a place for all kinds of expressions of this sia only by England's cleverness. to benefit from music and art. The organizations which raise funds Unless we are very careful, Eng- should turn some of them in this direction so our youngsters can as long as it is art. (•The blank translation by the reviewer land Will lead us Into a war of profit from it. I hope that the immediate future will see a lot more of this than there has been In the past." Hebrew, English and Jewish books available at the Zion Book Store, disaster with Russia. . , Book Review I 9008 12th Street, near Clairmount.