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, •