DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page 4
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
Putrid Tobacco, Ernie
Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
1827 Cadillac Tower, Detroit 26, Mi':higan
SUBSCRIPTION:
$3.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c; Foreign, $5.00 Per Year -
Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Thursday, Oct. 27, 1949
(Cheshvan 4, 5710)
Detroit 26, Michigan
The Aaronsburg Story
The picturesque town of Aaronsburg, Pa., lies in a lush valley
between the Seven Mountains and Shriner Mountain in the
Alleghenies. Geographically it does not perhaps even merit a dot
on the map. Its existence and history is most likely known to few
Pennsylvanians and to still fewer people outside the state. Yet
its 400 residents this week basked in a glory that is as truly
American as it is human.
The story goes back to colonial days. In the year 1760, a
certain Baron Levy, a Jewish immigrant, arrived from Amsterdam
on American. shores. Before many years elapsed he became a
merchai t of great eminence and esteem. During the Revolutionary
War, besides furnishing supplies to the regular army, he lent large
sums to our Continental Congress, money only partially repaid.
Twenty years thereafter, finding himself one of the largest
land proprietors of this state, Aaron Levy decided to found Center
county's first town, Aaronsburg. This town, he hoped, would
someday grow to become Pennsylvania's capital city.
•
•
It was from the Aaronsburg acreage that Aaron Levy deeded
two lots to the Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, one on which
to biuld the church and cemetery, the other on which to build
the Lutheran school.
Insisting always on religious tolerance, Aaron Levy stipulated
in the agreement from the very first, that the use of the church be
also granted to the Reformed parishioners, whose own church had
burnt down.
In commemoration of the church's first service, the Jewish
immigrant presented the Lutherans with a pewter communion set
fashioned by the finest metalsmiths in Philadelphia. The set,
though lost for many years, is now in a glass covered vault kept
in the church vestibule.
Aaronsburg, as we know, never became Pennsylvania's capital.
Its founders hopes never bore fruit. But it is questionable whether
Aaronsburg didn't become something even more important. For
today, Aaronsburg is a symbol of religious brotherhood and good-
will, a symbol urging that all faiths regard each other with the
tolerance and graciousness that is expected of religious convictions.
It is also a symbol of how such brotherhood and goodwill can be
realistically implemented.
•
By celebrating the 150th year of the existence of a church made
possible through the charitable contributions of a Jew, the town
of Aaronsburg has placed itself in the forefront of the struggle for
those principles of brotherhood which are inherent in all great
faiths.
We hope that among the lofty speeches that were delivered at
the occasion a pause was taken to remark that Aaronsburg remem-
bers Jewish bounty even though only one Jewish family now
remains in that town.
The Little Symphony
The sad state of the musical situation in Detroit is something
that concerns the Jewish population of this city deeply.
Jews always have had a sizable part in the promotion of the
arts, especially music. Jewish composers and Jewish musicians
have been in the forefront for decades to raise the standards of
music to heights previously unknown to this country.
Moreover, the lack of a symphony orchestra in Detroit is not
a matter that concerns the musicians alone; it is a matter of civic
pride and cultural maturity.
'
Music is, of course, outside the realm of. religion, race or color.
It is a universal language easily understood by everyone who has
still preserved a taste for the finer things in life. But as an
integral part of this city, we Jews should make it our buiiness to
help Detroit find ways to keep music alive.
The Little Symphony of Detroit which was formed a short
while ago, has received the acclaim of the public. All of its con-
certs were sold out. But it is a matter of record that musical
organizations cannot break even; they need continued financial
support in their endeavors. No way has been found so far to make
orchestras a paying proposition. .
We urge our readers therefore to join the ever widening circle
of friends of the Little Symphony. In supporting this organization
they will bring joy and happiness to this city—the type of happi-
ness that only music can impart. It is good Jewish tradition to give
cultural institutions a helping hand.
The deepest feelings of mankind are expressed in music, and
the beauty it brings into our hearts deserves our fullest financial
backing.
Israel and American Jewry
Israel's critical needs are no secret. But the revelations made
at the Washington conference of the United Palestine Appeal
placed the situation in a perspective from which there is no es-
cape, except for those whose hearts have been hardened beyond
hope.
It was not a happy picture that was painted at the confer-
ence. Judge Morris Rothenberg's report of the UPA deficit shocked
even those who have long been aware of the fact that the cam-
paign was lagging woefully behind that of the preceding year.
Nor was it pleasant to hear Henry Morgenthau's statement that
"we have only done fairly well" and that we haven't begun to
match the sacrifices of the Jews of Israel even in terms of mere
dollars." But the truth, however painful, had to be told.
The responsibility of American Jewry toward the tens upon
tens of thousands of Jews who found shelter in Israel after escap-
ing Hitler's hand of death was stated recently with characteristic
frankness by President Weizniann when, on receiving a UJA
delegation at Rehovoth, he declared that the problem of absorb-
ing an enormous immigration at this time was insoluble "without
toniinued help from America through the UJA."
Letters to the Editor
REBUKES TEACHERS
Dear Editor:
I wish to call your attention to
the meeting at Cass Tech on Oct.
28 of the Detroit Teachers Asso-
ciation. At this time Detroit
teachers will be given the oppor-
tunity to hear Senator Karl
Mundt who will speak on the
subject, "The America I Want."
As a member of the Jewish
community, as a parent and a
teacher. I want to point out that
this choice of a speaker is a dis-
tressing one.
"In Fact," Oct. 17, 1949 (No.
471-Vol. XX No. 3) devotes con-
siderable space to the relation-
ship of Senator Mundt and a Mr.
Allen A. Zoll, whom the news
weekly calls "an old-time
Coughlinite, Jew-baiter, apologist
for fascist causes and the master
mind behind a new organization
seeking to censor text and library
books in schools and colleges and
decide what students all over the
country should read."
He has just emerged as ex-
ecutive vice-president of the Na-
tional Council for American Ed-
ucation, an organization, accord-
ing to "I'n Fact," devoted to ''the
solicitation of funds by using a
mailing list of various hate or-
ganizations."
I believe that Mr. Mundt is
unqualified to speak on educa-
tion and since this day is an en-
lightening one for the educators
he is definitely out of place.
I think that Detroit's school
teachers could have used much
better judgment in picking a
speaker.
AN INTERESTED OBSERVER.
REFUTES STEINGI.ASS
Dear Editor:
The statements in the letter of
Mrs. Meyer F. Steinglass (in your
issue of Oct. 6) on the relations
of the United Jewish Appeal with
the JeWish Telegraphic Agency
are not correct.
For the information of your
readers the facts are that JTA re-
ceived $150,000 in 1949 from the
national United Jewish Appeal,
allegedly as a "service fee." It
received $75,000 in 1947 and the
same sum in 1948 from the na-
tional United Jewish Appeal.
These figures were revealed by
the Council of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds in its report
on JTA to local welfare funds.
Also Mr. Steinglass is wrong in
asserting that the New York UJA
actually operates like a local Jew-
ish welfare fund or federation.
The fact is that the New York
UJA is not and never was in-
tended to operate as a great
Federation of Jewish Philanthro-
pies quite independent of the
New York UJA.
• . •
The new York UJA is a tax-
exempt New York State member-
ship corporation, organized to
raise funds for the same three
beneficiaries as the national Unit-
ed Jewish Appeal. It may well be
a matter for the courts to decide,
if necessary, whether the New
York United Jewish Appeal le-
gally has the right to share funds
with the tacked-on non-relief
agencies. Morally it has no such
right.
Moreover, since JTA does not
enjoy a tax-exempt status in New
York State, the New York UJA
may well be endangering its own
legal staus by granting it tax-
exempt funds, which amounted to
$201,000 in 1948 and $275,000 in
1949.
Recent developments in the
management of JTA have re-
vealed—as I originally pointed not
in my study in The Menorah
Journal for Spring, 1949—that
JTA is and always has been a
private corporation, the majority
of whose shares are owned per-
sonally by Mr. Jacob Landau.
Certain steps to change JTA's
status may now be under way,
but this development does not
absolvC the UJA from its effort to
conceal facts and mislead the con-
tributing public.
ALLEN LESSER
Managing Editor
-
-
BNAI BRITII TIIANKS
Dear Editor:
The enclosed resolution was
unanimously passed at the last
meeting of the Greater Detroit
Bnai Brith Council held on Oct.
19, 1949.
We can only add our personal
gratitude resolution.
DR. LAWRENCE I. YAFFA,
President
JULIUS DEUTELBAUM
Assistant District
Executive Secretary
• • •
WHEREAS, the Detroit Jewish
Chronicle has extended itself in
an effort to publicize and to pop-
ularize the Bnai Brith program
through its editorial and news
columns on the accasion of the
106th anniversary of Bnai Brith
on Oct. 13, 1949, and
WHEREAS, such presentation
of Bnai Brith services has creat-
ed a favorable impression among
its thousands of non-member
readers, and
WHEREAS, this publicity has
been of great aid to us in keeping
our own membership informed
of plans incidental to house par-
ties and the radio program,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLV-
*Continued .. Page SJ
1949
Refugees Get{
Help from
N.E. Clink
D ESPITE
EMILY SOMLYO
Business Manager
SEYMOUR TILCMN
Publisher
Thursday, October 27,
THE RIGORS they
have suffered, refugee fam-
ilies coming to Detroit are gen-
erally in surprisingly good health.
That is the finding of North End
Clinic, one of the member agen-
cies of the Jewish Welfare Fed-
eration aided by the Torch Fund,
The clinic, which had a total of
3,000 visits from refugees in the
first eight months of this year,
gives every new Detroiter a corn..
plete physical examination, in-
cluding chest X-rays, blood tests,
urinalysis and examination for
parasitic infestation.
This last is especially import-
ant, according to Selma Samplin-
er, clinic director, because inade-
quate sanitary facilities in DP
centers such as Shanghai often
resulted in contraction of anme-
bit dysentery.
• . •
EAGER TO WORK
"OUR MAIN PURPOSE in this
examination," Miss Sainpliner
said, "is to find out whether these
people are employable. Most of
them are eager to begin earning
their own living and our medical
checkup discovers what kind of
work they are physically able to
do and makes possible the correc-
tion of minor conditions which
may interfere temporarily with
their working."
The finest in medical service is
available to the refugees, since
the clinic offers every department
to be found in a modern out-
patient clinic and the staff of 100
—all volunteers—include some of
Detroit's foremost physicians and
dentists,
Although the clinic is operated
under Jewish auspices, the med-
ical staff open to every quali-
fied physician, regardless of creed
or color, and several of the phy-
sicians who donate their time are
Christians. There is no restric-
tion, either, as to color or creed
of patients.
• • •
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
VOLUNTEERS ALSO A R E
needed by the clinic in registra-
tion and other phases of work.
Anyone interested in giving a
few hours a day or week is in-
vited to call the clinic, TR. 5-5:163.
One important source of volun-
teer service, Miss Sampliner said,
has been the Neugarten Medical
Aid Society, whose members are
helping to purchase costly med-
ications for the clinic's pharmacy.
Although their experiences
have been harrowing, the refu-
gees are in a generally hopeful
frame of mind, and the incidepre
of psyschosomatic illnesses is no
higher than among our native
population. One discovery has
been a few cases of syphilis—
cured quickly at the clinic with
modern short-term treatment—
in men and women who may
have been. inoculated by the
Nazis with the disease.
• • .
27,000 IN 9 MONTHS
NOT ALL OF THE clinic's pa-
tients are refugees, of cows*
since the total of visits from Jas
uary through August of this year
was 27,000, but it is the refugee
case load that has been showing
a marked increase and it is ex-
pected to continue heavy, with
200 families to come to Detroit
under the DP law in the coming
year.
The clinic's deficit for its en-
tire program is financed by the
Torch Fund, with a special hos-
pitalization fund furnished by the
Allied Jewish Campaign.
David Wilkus is president of
the board of trustees of North
End Clinic. Other officers include
Sylvan S. Grosner, vice-presidenk
Mrs. Abraham Cooper, secretary,
and Miss Edith S. Heavenrich,
treasurer.
The clink's various depart-
ments are headed by Drs. S. G.
Meyers: James R. Rogin, M. P.
Meyers, Irving Posner, A. A. Gil-
bert, L S. Schembeck, and A. R.
Bloom, with Dr. I. S. Schembeen,
chief of staff, and Dr. S. Rosow-
zweig, clinical director.