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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Friday, January 5, 1951

Ben Gurion as a Soldier Inspired His Comrades

By PII1NEAS J. BERON
A NUMBER of columns ago, strolling down memory
" lane, we recalled the impression David Ben Gurion
made on us when we served with him in the Jewish
Legion during the first World War.
It was by no means our intention
to belittle the Israeli Premier, whom
we consider the George Washington
of the Jewish state. But we thought
that an unretouched portrait of the
Ben Gurion of 1918 would be of in-
terest to our contemporaries.
To have painted Ben Gurion of
those days as a glamorous, martial
figure would have been a falsification.
Nevertheless, one of our readers,
Biron
Meyer Ben David Bereskin of Sioux
City, Iowa, objects to our description of D. B. G. and
has sent us a letter, which in all fairness to him and
B. G., we present to you. Writes Mr. Bereskin as
follows:

"Phineas J. Biron gave a character sketch of David
Ben Gurion as he remembered him from the days he
served in the same battalion in the Jewish Legion. In
this article, he describes him as 'an undersized, un-
military-looking young man, with a protruding chin
and a disagreeable, aggressive voice.'
"I am not going to repeat all the epithets Biron
used to belittle'the person of David Ben Gurion, such
pearls as 'the sloppy caricature of a soldier pushed
around by arrogant corporals and sergeants' and
'ackshan and nudnick.'
"I want to present my own description of D. B. G.
as I remember him not only from serving in the same
battalion, but also serving in the same company, the
same platoon, and for a time, sleeping in the same
tent.
"While in camp at Windsor, Nova Scotia, before
we were shipped overseas, Ben Gurion was a corporal.
Of course, the corporal's badge was given him not
for any soldierly skill or military art, but for his
participation in recruiting and organizing the Legion.

"It is true he was not the ideal British soldier, the
'Tommy' type; he could not give a smart snappy salute
to a superior. But he was the prototype of the future
Jewish soldier and fighter who was fighting for the
creation of Medina Israel.
"Maybe Ben Gurion's intense Jewish patriotism
suggested arrogance to the British; maybe it was his
short stature or his dark complexion; maybe all of
these combined. But to us Zionists, it did not matter
what color and shape the shell was.
"What was respected in Ben Gurion was his vision,
his ideas. His 'ackshanat' was not the caprice of a
spoiled baby, but the high principles of a man who
refuses to sell his birthright for a mess of pottage.
He was always on the watch to emphasize to the
Legionaires that we were Jewish soldiers, not British.
"While in camp, he taught Hebrew, lectured on
Jewish history, kept up the Jewish national spirit. In
Camp Tel-Kebir, Egypt, he and Berl Katznclson or-
ganized the Achdut Heavoda, the predecessor of the
Histadrut."

JWF Women to Hear Actor

,J,S,SB to Honor Staff Members,
Foster Mothers on Silver Jubilee

Edward Arnold, star of stage, honor at a luncheon being co-
screen and radio, will be guest sponsored by the Detroit Round
Table and the Variety Club of
speaker at the joint breakfast Michigan at 12:15 p.m., Jan. 9,
meeting of the office and promo- in the Statler Hotel. This affair is
tion committees of the women's to be the kickoff for the Broth-
division, Jewish Welfare Federa- erhood Week celebration.
Edgar A. Guest will be toast-
tion, at 10:45 a.m., Tusday, Jan.
9, at the Dexter-Davison Center. master with John J. O'Brien pre-
The office committee, under siding over the luncheon.
the chairmanship of Mrs. David
Pollack, has ben making a study Community Council
of population movement by Jew-
Leaders to Give Talks
ish families in Detroit.
Women who are unable to
Rabbi Julius Weinberg, the
come to the division office to Jewish Community Council's in-
work or attend frequent meet- ternal relations director, will be
ings help the year-round pro-
gram of the women's division the moderator at a symposium on
by serving on the promotion "The Gentleman and the Jew," on
committee. Responsible for much Jan. 5 at the Young Israel Cen-
of the personal contact work ter. On Tuesday Walter Klein,
necessary to the operation of the assistant director of the Council,
women's division, members of will speak to the Charles and
the committee attending the Aaron Kogan Post of the Jewish
breakfast meeting will plan their War Veterans on "Anti-Semitism
and the
participation in the annual in- —The Picture in Detroit

Honor will be paid to staff
members who have been with
the Jewish Social Service Bu-
reau fur 25 years and to the
foster mothers who have given
longest service to the com-
munity, when the agency cele-
brates its silver anniversary at
1:30 p.m., Sunday, at the Jew-
ish Community Center.
Henry Feinberg, staff psycholo-
gist, and Doris Sperling Markel,
secretary to the director, are the
staff members who will receive
citations of merit. The presen-
tation will be made by Dr. Law-
rence II. Seltzer, president of the
Jewish Social Service Bureau.
Mrs. John Farkus has been a
foster mother since 1928, while
Mrs. Jennie Masserman has been
giving foster children a home
Jan. 31 Vsiation."
since 1931. Both Mrs. Farkus
stitute scheduled for
Tiavria 30ftft. director est ti"
eve
ra 1SaarVim "L-e-kry. chnivrns.,
and Mrs. Masserman, in addition Citations of merit will be presented to (left to right) Mrs_ Jennie
commatee, urged Council, will anuress tne rontiac
the
promotion
Dialmenramasn maul Dirs. pairs D'azimaas asi ••NIA IMOD visaaStIrsinsaur. seas-
of
their
-Irw.
two,11.
raising
to
as foster that women interested in doing Jewish Community Council and
own, accepted more than 20 Ioa-
bration of the Jewish Social Service Bureau on Sunday
work for the division from their Federation on Jan. 11 on "Work-
who
needed
a
home.
the
community.
ter children
mothers who have given longest service to
homes call the office, WO. 5-3939. ing of a Jewish Community Colin-
•
Rabbi Morris Adler, chairman of
•
•
ell," and on Jan. 20 he will ap-
• • •
the children's case committee,
elude Mrs. Lakoff, program; Mrs.
Samuel
Levin,
George
M.
Stutz,
pear before the Nacirem. Club, a
ARNOLD
TO
ADDRESS
will present them with the cita-
Mrs. Melville S. Welt, Benjamin Harold Schakne, registration; ROUND TABLE LUNCHEON
of Negro business leaders,
group
Jo-
tions.
E. Jaffe and Mrs. Charles Lakoff. Wilfred B. Doner and Mrs. Mrs.
the and talk on the subject of civil
Edward
Arnold
will
be
seph
Geschelin,
publicity;
celebration
will
feature
The
Mrs. John C. Hopp is chairman
four simultaneous group discus- of the committee on general plan- Benjamin Shwayder, presidents; principal speaker and guest of rights.
sions.
ning for the celebration, while and Mrs. Samuel J. Greenberg,
Dr. Irving Posner, vice-presi- other committee chairmen in- reception.
dent of JSSB, will lead the ses-
sion on Child Placement and
Mary Gerstein will make the case
presentation.
The discussion on Problems of
Adolescence will be led by Hul-
IMPORTERS
dah Fine, principal of Hampton
CLOTHIERS
Arditi is known as "the pioneer
Isaac Arditi, the pioneer of the
School, while the case presenta-
of the automotive trades."
tion will be made by Goldie automotive trade in Israel, will
All contributions of machinery,
speak at the luncheon meeting
Goldstein.
Presiding at the meeting on of the Michigan Board of the tools, and equipment, regardless
Problems of Family Living will ZOA at noon, Sunday at the of size or cost, should be sent to
Ben Weiss, 2665 Michigan ave-
be Mrs. Theodore Bargman, JSSB Belcrest.
nue, who has voluntarily con-
treasurer, and Rachel Manela
Zionist leaders in Michigan
tributed his warehouse as the
will present the case study.
communities have been sum-
At the fourth session, From moned to the conference to hear regional collection station. A list
DPs to New Americans, Mrs. the plans for the establishment of the necessary equipment may
Julian H. Krolik, chairman of the of the Region's Automotive be obtained from Jules Doneson,
case committee of Resettlement Training School in Israel, which director of the project, 1031
Service, will preside and case will be the first of its kind in Penobscot Bldg.
presentation will be made by the new state.
Anna Rose Hersh of Jewish Vo-
Prescriptions and Repairs Called
Custom Quality
At the same time, the Chrysler
for and Delivered
cational Service, Mrs. Helen B.
For Service at All Times
Corporation
has
lent
its
expert
Lewis of Resettlement Service,
Phone WEbster 3-3332
Frank Loewenberg of Jewish advice on administrative, aca-
Community Center, and Eva demic, and technical matters and
Ravnitzky of North End Clinic. has expressed its support of the
Following the discussion meet- project. Chrysler has stated that
ings, greetings will be brought it intends to make a substantial
by Richard S. Bachman, manag- contribution to the school once
EDWARD PEVOS
ing director of the Council of the campaign gets under way.
OPTICIAN
Social Agencies, and Isidore So-
Arditi is the Chrysler agent in
Quality Eye Glasses
belofT, executive director of Fed- Israel in addition to being the
Made from Your
Also TOPCOATS and SPORT COATS
Eye Doctor's Prescriptions
eration. Harold Silver, director field representative for U. S.
Sun Glasses - Safety Lenses
of the Jewish Social Service Rubber, Auto-Lite, Carter and
Mooern names
3216 Ewald Circle at Buena Vista
Bureau, will speak on "The JSSB DuPont.
Detroit 4. Michigan
and the Community."
Throughout the Middle East,
A 'reception will be held in
of
past
presidents
of
JSSB.
honor
Those to be honored include
Melville S. Welt, Abraham Srere,
Judge Theodore Levin, Prof.

•

Israeli Automotive Pioneer
to Address Local ZOA Board

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