7.- '‘$ • -• -7°T • Page Six THE . JEWISH NEWS The Jewish Welfare Board Serves USO and on War fronts Report of The National Army and Navy Committee HE ARMY AND NAVY Committee of the Na- tional Jewish Welfare Board, which represents 37 national Jewish agencies, has marshaled the personnel and resources of the Jewish communities throughout the country to serve men and women in uniform. It has in addition sought to minister to the particular needs of members of our faith in conformance with the stated policies of the Army, Navy and. USO. To that end, there haS been. 7. formulated and conducted . on all fronts where Jewish men and women serve with . the colors an extensive program of recreational, religious, spiritual and cultural activities, both within and outside the general USO program. T • The National Jewish Welfare Board, in its annual report describing the record of Jewish contributions to America's military program and civilian morale in the global war, has presented an outline of services rendered to the armed forces. • Frank L. Weil is president of the National Jewish Welfare Board. Walter Rothschild, one of the vice-presidents, is chairman of the national Army and Navy Committee. • Henry Wineman of Detroit is the representative of Michigan and the Eastern Ohio area on the National Finance Council, the budgeting and allocating body of the National Welfare Board. • Mrs. Samuel R. Glogower, president of the Jewish Community Center of Detroit, is chairman of the Jewish Center Division of JWB. • Fred M. Butsel and Henry Meyers of Detroit are members of the national executive committee. • Detroit Army and Navy activities will be. reviewed at the annual meeting next Wednesday at the Jewish Center. CANRA and Dr. Barnett R. Brickner is administrative chairman. THE CHAPLAINCY In December, 1941, there were 25 WITHIN THE USO Jewish Chaplains on active duty in the U. S. Army. One year later there This was the second year in which were approximately 100. the National JWB represented the Jewish community in th.e USO, a year The Jewish chaplain renders un- of growth and expansion, not only in usual service, for he is most often the •numbers but in standards of service only Jewish chaplain in a large army and maturity of work. . camp or naval station In co-operating effec- and must serve men tively, the six agen- who are scattered cies that constitute over great areas. His . the U S 0 have lost NV o r k includes the nothing of their in- conduct of religious tegrity—on the con- services, often at sev- trary, each was eral places in the strengthened. Chester camp in succession, Barnard,• president of hospital visiting, visits the - USO, Pointed this to the guard house, out, when he said: consultation with men "The agencies that on their personal came together and problems, relation- founded the USO . . . ships with nearby said more than the communities, and mil- Constitution of • the itary duties which he U. S. said when it has to perform in the established religious same manner as other freedom. Each agency chaplains. said, 'We insist on our The first Jewish • right not only to chaplain in the history practice our faith but of America to sacrifice on the right and his life for God' and obligation to see that country was Rabbi those . of your faith FRANK L. WEIL Alexander D. Goode also are served; that who was reported you of a different race are adequately missing in action when a transport on cared for; and that you of no faith which he was aboard was sunk. shall be respected in your independ- Chaplain Goode was one _ of four ence'." chaplains aboard an American trans- With the expansion of the armed pOrt torpedoed early in March, "some- forces and USO activities, the number .where in the North Atlantic." As the of local JWB Army and Navy Com- ship started to •go down, they noticed mittees more than doubled in the past four enlisted men in the crew who did year; from 200- to 480, representing not have lifebelts, and insisted that • 544 Jewish communities. the sailors take their own life pre- servers. The Purple Heart was award- NATIONAL WAR FUND ed to Chaplain Goode posthumously. Funds for the USO will be derived in 1943 from the National War Fund OBSERVANCE OF HOLYDAYS Campaign. Walter Rothschild, Chair- The task of organizing and corn :- man of the Army and Navy Conimit- pleting arrangements for observance tee of JWB, is on the Board of Direc- of the High Holy Days of the Jewish tors and a vice7president of the year 5703 by men in the armed forces National War 'Fund. Frank L. Weil,. assumed tremendous proportionS President 'of.. JWB, serves as a vice- greater than ever undertaken by the president of the USO and both he National JWB. Religious services were- and Mr. Rothschild are members of held in more than 400 military posts the Board .of .DirectorS and Executive and stations in the U. S., as well as 25 Committee of that organization, Also overseas points. Even ships on the high representing. the Jewish Welfare seas, maneuver areas, post hospitals, Board in .the.-USO are Louis Kraft, remote outposts in the Pacific; were in- member of the Board of Directors cluded' in High Holy Day arrange- and Executive Committee and the fol- ments. The staff was assisted by local • army and navy committees, JeWish lowing' members of the Board of Directors: Mrs.' Walter E. :Heller, Mrs... chaplains, numerous non-JeWish chap- Ely Jacques Kaha'and. Dr. David de- lains, lay leaders, volunteer workers. Solo. Pool. - and service men. 31 civilian rabbis. were sent by the JWB to those places RELIGIOUS; SPIRITUAL NEEDS where none were available locally, Responsibility for the JWB religious and where need for service was in- program for the men • and women of dicated, including island bases. Jewish . faith in the armed forces rests Large subsidies to cover expenses with the Committee on : Army and involved in the High Holy Days effort Navy Religious Activities (CANRA). were advanced by the National JWB. The Committee discharges its respon- Local Communities were cooperative sibility (1) by recruiting and giving and gave of their efforts, goods and ecclesiastical endorsement to rabbis hospitality. In cases where Jewish com- who are candidates for the chaplaincy, munities were small or non-existent, and (2) by supervising the supple- and home hospitality was not feasible, mentary religious program and pre- emphasis, of necessity was placed on paring the devotional material pro- community observances for the vided by the JWB. During the year an soldiers, sailors, marines and war work- internal reorganization of the Commit- ers. For those who could not get away tee, leading toward greater depart- from. their duties arrangements were mentalizatioM and division of function, made to have services conducted at was necessary. stations, on posts and in the field, at The reorganization maintained the hours most convenient to the men. basic principle. of the Committee that Large supplies of religious material it represent the whole of the American were made available to camps and rabbinate—Reform, Conservative and other military establishments, both in Orthodox. On the Committee sit of- the U. S. and abroad, through em- ficial representatives of the Central barkation points to ships at sea, to Conference of American Rabbis, the station hospitals, Veterans' facilities, Rabbinical Assembly of America, and ROTC units at universities, and gen- the Rabbinical Council of America. Dr. erally wherever supplies or services David deSola Pool is chairman of were needed, Religious - materials were also., sent to such ,overseas : points as , Alaska; Puerto RicO, . Bermuda, Cuba, New . Caledonia, - Newfoundland,. C e n. . t r a 1 America, canal Zone,„ - Atralia, iis Ha- waii, Netheylands West Indies, Antigua, Canada, arid the British West Indies. PASSOVER; OBSERVANCE . • - In 1942, ..pa..sgbyer . was observed by thousands of Jewish servicernen star- tioned at 280 home and overseas' posts. They attended traditional Sedarim through arrangernents made by the Board in cooperation with the Corps of Chaplains of the Army and Navy. The Board sent civilian rabbis to overseas points, including Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Trinidad, Newfoundland, Alaska and Cuba, to conduct services in the abSence of regular Army chap- lains. Other rabbis were assigned to cantonment areas in the United States. These were in addition to 29 Jewish chaplains then in active service. Troop transports leaving posts of embarkation were supplied with mat- zoth, Haggadath, other Passover sup- plies and specific suggestions for Cath- olic and Protestant chaplains aboard relating to the conduct of Passover . services. PUBLICATIONS Close to two million pieces of re- ligious literature were printed and distributed by the -JWB during the past year. - A revision was made of the Abridged Bible, originally prepared during the first - World War, and it has been of- ficially accepted by the War Depart- ment for publication and distribution to Jewish members of the Army. The National JWB Abridged Prayer Book has been revised so as to satisfy the needs of Jewish men, and women not only for private devotion and field use but also for chapel services. For the guidance of Christian chap- lains, Jewish Welfare Board repre- - • Fricky, 'Novemher 26, 941 sentatives, civilians and erviceme Who :are called 'upon to conduct Je ish religious services in the absen of Jewish chaplains, the Board di tributed Weekly Religious Message a manual entitled, "Ministering to t Jews in the Armed Forces," an "Notes on the Conduct of Jewis Services." In addition to the above publicatio issued by the Jewish Welfare Boar books, pamphlets and periodicals pu lished by other Jewish organizatio were distributed. FIELD OPERATIONS The USO field staff of the .JW during the past year has more tha doubled in size. One year ago numbered 97 full-time profession workers operating from 72 Unite Service Organizations clubs and co operating facilities. Today there ar 284 field workers functioning in 18 facilities throughout the country in eluded in which are government buil USO clubs, USO rented building Jewish Community Centers, Youn Men's Hebrew Associations, and othe JWB constituent society facilities. Of the 186 USO facilities in .whic JWB operates, 50 are wholly JW operations, 20 are directed by JW with one or more of the other agencie cooperating, and 116 are directed b one of the other agencies with th JWB participating jointly in admire istration and program. OVERSEAS SERVICE Not only did the JWB expand it services during the past year to cove the entire country including isolate men on maneuvers and on guard duty but it extended its operations acros the seas to reach our fighting men an women on all five continents. Throug the USO Overseas Division, the JW serves in Panama, Hawaii, Bermuda Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Alaska, Brazi and at several other points in Centra and South America. At overseas points of this hemi sphere, where the USO by agreemen with the Red Cross and the militar authorities is not permitted to operate the JWB organized Army and Nav committees, representing the loca communities, along the lines followe in this country for service to men o Jewish faith. Committees were forme in England, North Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, Pale- stine and Egypt. The work in combat areas and for- eign theaters of operation is a coor- dinated effort of the National JWB local committees and the Jewish chap- lains in overseas service. The Jewish chaplains receive co-operation from the local Jewish communities wherever there are resources. The JWB furnishes supplies to the chaplains and continues to send them funds to enable them to provide necessities and to aid in com- munity hospitality. The number of Jewish chaplains assigned to overseas duty is constantly increasing, there (Continued on Page 16) 111)r Glazer Tells of Holy. Day Hospitality for Servicemen HundredS .- of Jewish - men . and women serving in the U. S. armed forces were provided with hospitality during the recent High Holy Days, and provisions were made for them to attend services . in Detroit and in communities near camps, according to a report released by Dr. B. Benedict Glazer, State. Chairman for Religious Services of the Jewish Welfare. Board. The report shows that the number of Jewish men served during 1943 in Michigan was 810, compared with 218 in 1942. During 1943, 432 men were provided with home hospitality, compared with 44 in the previous year. Get Religious Passes , Holy Day arrangements for men in Michigan cantonments which granted re- ligious passes for Jewish men to attend religibus services, according to Rabbi Glazer's report, included the following: Selfridge Field, River Rouge, Romulus, Fort Wayne, State Fair Grounds; . AAFTT Headquarters in Detroit, U. S. Coast Guard, Willow Run, Detroit Induction Center, Grosse Ile Naval Air Station, Ford Motor Navy School, Naval' Armory in Detroit, Air Products Co., Chrysler Tank Corp., Fort Brady, Fort Custer, Oscoda Army Air Base, Camp Grayling. Home hospitality was arranged for servicemen by the following synagogues: Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, Shaarey Zedek, Bnai David, Bnai Moshe, Beth Tefilo Emanuel. More than 155 families provided hos- pitality for servicemen and servicewomen during the Holy Days. Dr. Glazer reports that religious serv- ices are being arranged for serv- icemen at Fort Custer, Fort Brady and Selfridge Field, and at the Hillel Foundation at Ann Arbor for the ASTP School. At Selfridge Field, laymen as well as rabbis alternate in delivering the weekly Friday evening ser- mons. DR. B. BENEDICT GLAZER State Chairman for Religious Services of the JWB, reports on provisions made for serv- ices at camps, communities near .camps and in Detroit.