Page Forty-four
57 German Papers
In U. S. Pro-Allied.
- NEW YORK (JPS)—Of the 67
German-language newspapers in
America which before Pearl Har-
bor were either "neutral" or
openly sympathetic to "the new
Germany," 57 are now pro-Allied
only to the extent of printing
Owl releases "but otherwise fail
to use their papers for mobiliza-
tion of German-Americans f o r
victory," it is reported in a study
is
Friday, April 7, 1944
THE JEWISH NEWS
Buy More
Bonds
Passover
Greetings
Safran
Printing Co.
6543 Sylvester
asomml.km
by the Victory Council of the
Foreign Language Press.
Only three of the newspapers
in this category have changed
policy and become "win-the-war
newspapers." Seven have ceased
Latest Addition to Jewish Community Series Published by
publication, it is stated.
Jewish Publication Society of America;
Before Pearl Harbor, it is re-
ported, there were 220 German-
Israel Cohen is the Author
language papers in the U. S.
Vilna, the famous city that lished by the Jewish Publica-.
Twelve w e r e opply pro-Nazi
papers. Of these, five have them- has become known as the Yeru- tion Society of America, depicts
selves 'ceased publication and shalayim d'Litta—the Jerusalem the epic story of this interesting
seven were supressed by the gov- of Lithuania—may now be a community.
community without Jews, if we
ernment.
Issued in small format as part
are to judge by reports of whole- of the Jewish Communities Se-
sale murders instigated by t h e xies, this volume, like its pred:.
Nazis. But the name will re- ecessors 'dealing with Rome,
main immortal among the great London, Frankfurt, Vienna, Co-
communities which have be- logne, presents the origin of the
come synonymous with Jewish community, its growth despite
culture.
hostility, its cultural influence.
If it were only for the Vilna
It is a colorful story that
Gaon, this city would be classed should be read widely by lead-
among the most important cen- ers and average laymen, for an
ters which had played a role understanding of one Of t h e
in Jewish history.
most important East European
A Colorful Story
sections and its people.
"The History of the Jews of
Spiritual Achievements
Vilna" by the eminent Jewish
One is surprised to find, in
scholar, Israel Cohen, just pub-
view of ' the subsequent influ-
ence of Vilna's Jewry, that the
city was founded only in the
14th century, and that there is
little trace of a Vilna Jewish
community until towards t h e
end of the 16th century. The
author devoted the first section
of the book to a discussion of
the relations between the Jews
and the Christian townsmen. It
is a rather involved story of
brutal infringement of the most
ordinary human rights and of
desperate, persistent s e 1 f-de-
fense. Vilna's Jewish population
was not blessed either with pro-
longed periods of peace or with
any accumulations of wealth.
1317 Gratiot
Both the material and spiritual
achievements of the first century
of the community's life were
swept away during the dreadful
period of the Hmelnitski and the
Russian wars: Yet, barely a cen-
tury later, the revived commun-
ity could produce that intellect-
ual and spiritual giant, the Gaon
of Vilna.
Israel Cohen's "Vilna" illu-
strates. once more the essential
nature of Jewish history. A •Jew-
ish community's external story
is a dreary tale of human wick-
edness; its economic history rep-
12231 Grand River
resents a series of efforts to rise
to the margin of bare subsist-
ence; but its spiritual history
tells of the unfolding of the
....asiagrallatIC AMEMtabil
human soul and the growth of
it Buy More
s' Bonds
Miller Bros.
Poultry
Passover
Greetings
* Buy More
Bonds
Passover
Greetings
Schecter
Furniture Co.
8928 Twelfth
`History of Vilna' Depicts
Story of Lithuanian Center
Passover
Greetings
American
Van Service
*
Buy More
Bonds
Buy More
Bonds
Parker's
Restaurant
intellectual power. From this
point of view the story of Vilna's
Jewish community is not only
thrilling in itself, but also en-
couraging for the Jewish future.
The Gaon Elijah
One cannot list here the many
subjects and phases of Jewish
life which the author covers in
the volume. The life of the .Gaon
Elijah, the struggle against Hasi-
dism, the nature of the corn,
munal leadership, The numerous
schools and synagogues, the' vari-
eties of philanthropy—all these
and more are given adequate at-
tention. The author quite prop-
erly devotes considerable 'space
to 19th and 20th century Vilna.
For the Jewish community of
Vilna led in the rise of the Hask-
alah and in the modern social
and intellectUal movements even
as it had led in manifestations of
Jewish life during the earlier
ages. An astonishing number of
contributions to Jewish and gen-
eral culture were made by nat-
ives of the Vilna Jewish com-
munity. An interesting item on
the periphery of Vilna's. Jewish
history is the story of the Kara-
ites who lived their quaint life
in Vilna and in its suburb of
Troki.
Sad as the fate of the com-
munity was in former centuries,
its fate during the past thirty
years has been nothing lesS than
tragic. The First World War,
that war's aftermath and the
double-dealing Polish govern-
ments are discussed in this vol-
ume. Mr. Cohen spent some time
in Vilna and saw with his own
eyes how the community was
ground under the oppressor's
heel. Will the community ever
be restored and resume its lead-.
ership in Jewry's spiritual pro-
gress? One mustildaelp, and wait,
and hope.
The Author
Israel Cohen, the author of
the "History of the Jews in
Vilna," was born in London in
1879. He was educated at Jews'
College and at University Col-
lege in London, taking his A.B.
degree with honors in Semitics
in 1904.
Cohen's connection with the
Zionist movement began in 1909,
when he was secretary of the
English Zionist Organization.
From 1910 to 1911, he was
English secretary of the Zionist
Organiaztion central office in
Cologne. After the War he re-
turned to Zionist activities when
the Zionist Organization sent
him to Poland to investigate
anti - Jewish outrages. Subse-
quently he visited India, Austr-
alia, the Americas and the Far
East, both as investigator and
lecturer for the World Zionist
Organization.
"The History of the Jews in
Vilna" can be secured as one
of the membership books of the
Jewish Publication Society of
America. Membership in the soc-
iety, for as little as $5 per year,
can be secured by writing to the
executive director, Maurice
Jacobs, 320 Lewis Tower Build-
ing, Philadelphia 2, Pa.
2nd Blvd., Cor. Canfield
Passover
Greetings
Passover
I: Greetings
Sam Granadier
Custom Tailor
5th Floor
United Artists Bldg.
4( Buy More
Bonds
.
Penobscot
Building
Thom. A; Fitzsimmons
Manager
Passover
Greetings
-twomffilM.-CAEAV IANI
Passover
Greetings
Wrigley
Stores, Inc.
Feigenson
Brothers Co.
Lurie Bros.
3579 Gratiot
•=111110=1,
•