ANCriCall

Thursday, August 4, 1949

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page Four

Histradurs
Role Praised
by Potofsky

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
2827 Barium Tower, Detroit 26, Michigan

Ay A sit1,2,;UPuitat
EN WAS
atcstssES
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lacy AND

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— -
GEORGE WEISWASSER
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
Editor-in-Chief
President

Thursday, Aug. 4, 1949

(Ab 9, 5709)

CebilUtbel

Detroit 26, Michigan

o..

By ESTELLE BRAND
WASHINGTON -- Organized
labor has become a major factor
in Israeli life according to the
report brought back by Jacob
Potofsky, president of the CIO
Amalgamated Clothing Workers.

The JTA Stands Accused

•

Serious charges have been leveled against the Jewish Tele-
graphic Agency in an article in the last "Menorah Journal."
Allen Lesser, managing editor of the periodical, accuses the JTA
of bias and suppression of important Jewish news; of untruth-
fully representing itself as a non-profit community organiza-
tion; of collecting huge subsidies from the United Jewish Appeal
and other welfare funds which advertise that they collect money
exclusively for relief purposes; and of "conducting its affairs in
a manner unbecoming a communal organization."
The Jewish Chronicle hesitated in publishing these charges
when a telegram from the JTA, dated June 20, alleged that the
"Menorah Journal" article contained "numerous gross misstate-
ments, malicious innuendos and libelous distortions" and prom-
ised to send us "documented refutations." We have as yet not
received those refutations.
The Chronicle's own experience with the JTA tends to
support some of the charges in the magazine. At a time when
the JTA was receiving $7,500 from Detroit's Allied Jewish
Campaign, its editor, Boris Smolar, refused to sell the Chronicle
any of its features because he had already given "exclusive
rights" to those features to the Jewish News. We protested to the
Jewish Welfare Federation that a communal agency should not
establish a monopoly but we received no relief in the matter.
Lesser reveals that the JTA received $150,000 and $165,000
respectively in 1947 and 1948 from the UJA of Greater New
York alone. The article tells also of secret deals of the JTA
with the American Jewish Committee and of attempts by the
JTA to suppress other Jewish news agencies, including the
Jewish Agency's Palcor, in order to keep a monopoly on Jewish
news.
Finally, Lesser points out that the JTA, despite these huge
subsidies, is "a poor imitation of Reuters" and other news agen-
cies. It does not cover American Jewish news at all, he says,
and covers foreign news not as well as the New York Times and
other metropolitan newspapers.
The "Menorah Journal" revelations should not be ignored.
The least that the American Jewish community can do is ap-
point a committee to probe the charges. It is the duty of the
Jewish press which is directly affected to see to it that such an
investigation takes place. Otherwise, faith in Jewish communal
agencies will be irretrievably uyermined.

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2 Loyalties Find Jew
Liberal and Reactionary

Potofsky reported to CIO head-
quarters here on his two months
of conferences with union leaders
in Israel. Ile and President Jo-
seph Curran of the CIO Mari-
time Union constituted a CIO
committee to develop friendly re-
lations with the Histadrut, the
Israeli federation of labor.
"They really laid out the car-
pet for the CIO delegation," Po-
tofsky said. "It's amazing how
closely they follow news of the
American labor movement. They
like us and respect us and they
deserve our affection and fra-
ternal feelings."
• • •

SOCIAL PIONEER
HISTADRUT IS a labor organ-
ization that has branched out in-
to a dozen types of "social pio-
neering," Potofsky reported. "It
writer, Leo Koenig of London, acts as a traditional labor organ-
By WILLIAM ZUKERMAN
(Jewish World News Service) England, has written a book, ization, signing collective bar-
NEW YORK—The question of "Blasphemies" in which he ad- gaining agreements and fighting
double allegiance is a frequent vanced the not very novel idea grievances—but its interests go
subject for discussion in . the that the terrible tragedy which far beyond that.
American Jewish press and plat- has befallen the Jews with the
Histadrut controls a very large
emergence of Nazism was not en-
form. But it almost invariably
tirely a tragedy of the Jews, as percentage of the Israeli econ-
revolves around one aspect of
is almost universally proclaimed, omy," Potofsky said. "It has
the problem, that of allegiance to
but a tragedy of humanity and of formed cooperatives which func-
the United States.
our civilization as a whole, of tion in all sorts of enterprises.
This creates an erroneous im-
which the Jews are a part with For instance, every bus and
pression, for in reality, this par-
street car line in Israel is owned
other people.
ticular aspect of dualism, al-
Nazism should, therefore, not and operated by a Histadrut co-
though it is being discussed most be considered merely as an out- op.
widely, is least significant. The burst of savage anti-Semitism,
"Many cooperative farms were
overwhelming majority of Amer-
gen- created and administered by the
ican Jews, native born and im- but of human savagery in
migrants, are so much in love eral. It should be treated as a trade union. Histadrut coopera-
with, orgrateful to, the U. S. that cancerous growth in the body of tives are building homes and
c double allegiance offers humanity as a whole, as a result warehouses; they run 300 clinics
patrioti gr
of the decay and disintegration and 12 hospitals throughout the
very little danger. But dualism of our entire civilization for country. And they're doing a
in Jewish life goes much deeper which all people, including the
wonderful job."
and further. It affects many oth-
Jews, are responsible.
Potofsky pointed out the close
loyalties
and
presents
many
er
The author, therefore, suggests ties between Histadrut and Ma-
more
dangerous
problems.
We are amazed at the sneering, contemptuous tone of an
that instead of constantly la- pai, the labor party. "Sometimes
• • •
article entitled "The New Apparition: Nativist Zionism," used
beling themselves as innocent it's a little difficult for the outside
NEW
LIBERALISM
by the writer Eleazer Lipsky in discussing a review by an "an-
ONE OF these was highlighted victims and blaming the Christ- observer to see where Histadrut,
onymous columnist" of the Rifkind Report presented at the
this week in a rather striking ian world for the crime of Nazi- the labor union stops, and Mapai,
Zionist convention.
fashion. It is the duality which ism by also cleaning up their own the political party begins."
exists in liberalism among the system.
If a writer is not gentleman enough to discuss an article
Jews should look into their
Jewish, particularly the Yiddish-
with which he disagrees without using such terms as "illiterate
SPUR IMMIGRATION
speaking intelligentsia. That Jew- own deficiencies as well and
nonsense," "emotional irnbatance" and "sniveling journalism,"
POTOFSKY CONFERRED with
sh group, which two generations help to clean the world of the
then he ought to be barred by the ZOA which commissioned him
leaders of the government and
so- poison of lit , saa
ago
was
most
radical
in
its
write
the
articles
as
a
person
who
must
rely
on
abuse
to
put
to
• • •
was given a frank. clear outline
sial outlook and ideas, is now
over his points and accordingly has little valid to say otherwise.
SELF-CRITICISM
of Israel's economic and social
mostly
liberal.
But
there
is
some-'
SUCH BOOKS of self-criticism problems. Israel leaders, he said,
We bring this to the attention of the ZOA administrators
thing strange about that liberal-
with deep concern and a strong protest.
decided dualistic are not new among free-thinking, are anxious to receive into the
ism. It has a
Western civilized people. Hund- country as many Jews—particu-
appearance.
It is liberal In everything that ! reds of them are appearing in larly from eastern Europe — as
applies to the non-Jewish world. every democratic country and, wish to immigrate. There are
although they usually hurt, no hundreds of thousands of Jews in
Emma Lazarus, whose centenary we celebrate, has become
and conservative, even reaction-
ary, in matters concerning Jew- free people thinks of supressing Romania, Bulgaria. and Hungary
an American immortal mainly because of her poem "The New
average Jew- them for they are a healthy spir- who want to go to Israel.
Colossus," which is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in New
ish problems. The
itual manifestation and they fer-
harbor.
The
latter
part
of
it
is
often
quoted:
Many Israeli policies, Potot-
York
ish liberal is strongly opposed to ' ment much that is good and pro-
bias
sky observed, are shaped with
bias and discrimination; he is for gressive in a community.
"Give ale your tired. your poor,
the goal of making possible con-
tolerance and freedom of thought
In English-speaking countries,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
tinued immigration from these
and conscience, and he is the
particular, self-criticism is the
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
In
countries. American democratic
sharpest critic of social evils and I
me.
homeless,
tempest-tort
to
favorite
occupation
of
the
intelli-
Send these, the
ideals are strongly admired and
injustices.
But whenever the same paob- gensia. In England, the grand old financial assistance from this
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
lems arise within the JewishIGeorge Bernard Shaw made his country is an absolute necessity
It is a touching tribute to the American spirit of freedom,
community, the same liberal reputation by exaggerating the
to the welcoming hand that the United States had always
if Israel's growth is to continue,
stretched forth to the victims of persecution and poverty. The
turns reactionary; he becomes a faults of the British. In this he said.
rasping,
hysterical
fanatic;
he
!country,
a
generation
ago,
Sin-
Statue of Liberty to Emma Lazarus symbolized America. the
"Capital is a prime need, and
for
"Mother of Exiles," from whose "beacon-hand glows world-
loses all sense of fairness and be-Iclair Lewis prepared the way
leaders of almost every phase of
comes perfect material for a the New Deal with his "Main
wide welcome."
Street" and "Babbit." Jewish in- Israeli life, are willing to make
lynching party.
But to us Jews Emma Lazarus will also remain enshrined
tellectua4s are, as a rule,'the most adjustments in order to encour-
•
•
in our hearts because she was the gifted protagonist of her
enthusiastic supporters of such age economic help from the rest
UNIVERSAL TRAGEDY
people, because toward the end of her short life she dedicated
books
of criticism of other people. of the world." •
INCIDENT
which
A CURRENT
her great poetic and literary gifts to the service of Jewry.
• • •
But when, once in a generation,
graphically describes this para-
Stirred by the Russian pogoms during the eighties, Emma
something
similar
appears
in
doxical duality is worth men-
RATIONING NEEDED
Lazarus abandoned her Hellenistic view of life and art and
(Cont. on Page 11)
tioning. A well-known Jewish
HE TOLD OF the need for the
turned to ancient Hebraic sources and to modern Jewish life for
austerity program recently start-
inspiration. She wrote poetry of Jewish content, she translated
ed. "But they realize the need
the great medieaval Spanish-Jewish poets, she published maga-
for price-wages-profit stabiliza-
zine articles defending Jews against their calumniators. she
tion, in order to build their de-
helped the impoverished Russian-Jewish immigrants establish
mocracy, to build their economic
themselves on the new soil through the acquisition of technical
system, and to make Israel a safe
education and she became interested in the restoration of
of
a
good
Jewish
weekly
should
ASSAILS SEMINARY
haven for oppressed Jews from
Palestine as the Jewish Homeland.
be fooled into thinking that the
Dear Editor:
many lands.
Concerning your comment on Jewish Theological Seminary of
"The spirit is not dead, proclaim the word.
"Israel is a citadel of democ-
men
stand!
America
is
anything
but
a
center
host
of
armed
a
bones
dead
the
establishing
of
another
cen-
Where lay
racy in the Middle East. Its
the
Lord,
of
"assimilation"
and
their
pro-
graces.
mg
people,
saith
ter for the "study of Torah, Tal-
I ope your
people, its government and its
mud and the wisdom of Israel," ducts, preachers for the cause of labor organizations need our
And I shall place you living in your land."
assimilation.
It
is
about
time
that
it is very true that there isn't
These last four lines of her poem "The New Ezekiel"
help—and I think the American
any need for another one because we stop trying to fool God and people will continue to be as gen-
should remind us that Emma Lazarus was a modern prophetess
start being honest with ourselves.
there
are
enough
Yeshivas
in
to her people as well as a contributor of fine verse and prose to
GEORGE SCHULTZ erous and friendly as they have
New York already. But, I am
of
9690 N. Martindale in the past."
her country. Her name should endure as long as the name
surprised that even the editor

- `Sniveling Journalism'

• • •

Emma Lazarus

•

Letters to the Editor

Israel

