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Page Sixteen
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Seder in India
Lt. Zletz Stationed
At California Base
Thrilling Story Related
By Sgt. Sanford N. Gordon
Passover Ceremony Presided Over by Chaplain Melvyn
Sands of Detroit, With Assistance of Sgt. Gordon
Who Describes Ceremony in Letter to Family
Scores of stories have come
here about the Sedorim arranged
for servicemen throughout the
world by the National Jewish
Welfare Board,
and among the
most interesting
descriptions i s
the one related
from India by
Sgt. Sanford N.
Gordon of 17192
Roselawn Ave.
His fascinat-
ing letter to his
family acquires
added import-
Sgt. Gordon ance because the
Seder he describes was directed
by another Detroiter—Chaplain
Melvyn Sands.
anyone can get it. I have two
pounds on hand and will eat no
bread, although I am forced by
circumstances to continue the
Army diet."
Sgt. Gordon, 32, a native De-.
troiter, is an attorney. He was
graduated from Northern High
and Detroit College of Law. He
is the son of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Morris A. Gordon. He has
eight brothers and sisters, Mrs.
Fred Harris, Mrs. Ben Gould,
Mrs. Jack Diamond, Mrs. James
Helfer, Lillian Gordon, Saul
Gordon and Aubrey Gordon, all
of Detroit,. and Harry J. Gordon
of California.
First Lt. Alex Zletz, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Julius Zletz of 2005 W.
Philadelphia, is a 1940 graduate
of Wayne University where he
specialized i n
chemistry. - He is
a graduate of .
Central High
School and stud-
ied in the Unit-
e d Hebrew,
Schools. He is
25.
In service
since Feb. 6,
1942, he was ad-
vanced to the
Lt. Zletz
rank of Second
Lieutenant in November, 1942,
and was made a First Lieutenant
in September, 1943. He is now
stationed at the Army Air Field
at Palm Spring, Calif.
Seder in N. Guinea Jungle
Staged. for 1,000 Soldiers
Every detail is outlined in this
descriptive letter. Sgt. Gordon,
a member of one of the best
know families in Detroit, tells
how six members of his outfit
—the Army Air Transport Com- Chaplain Gordon of Detroit Describes Celebration in Hall
mand attached to the India China
Jammed with Jewish Servicemen—How Aerial Gunner
Wing, which has received a high
citation from President Roose-
Chanted Kiddush on Day He Made 40th Mission
velt—secured 18 candles, made
Among Detroiters serving as Chaplains overseas who
18 candlesticks, scoured available
pots, cleaned the mess hall and have had the historic privilege of conducting Passover Se-.
made ready for the great event. dorim is Rabbi Albert A. Gordon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe
A Schochet From Brooklyn
A serviceman from Brooklyn
was the Schochet who slaught-
ered the chickens in traditional
fashion. The "cook for the
medics" did the cooking for the
boys, and the potato .kugel was
"the hit of the-meal." There was
not a thing missing—except the
Karpas which was reserved only
for Chaplain Sands who con-
ducted the Seder. The Char-
roseth "turned out fine" and it
was a touching event for the
group. There were 15 tables,
with six servicemen at each.
•
Gordon of Webb Ave.
Chaplain Gordon's most interesting story of the Seder he
directed in I\Tdw Guinea relates how he had requisitioned
Matzos, wine and Hagadahs
through the Army's Service of
Supplies.
When the time came for the
Seder, a steady stream of men
began to d e -
• scend on the
mess hall, and
by the time the
ceremony start-
ed, more than
1,000 service-
men jammed
the little hall.
Plans were at
first made for
Chap. Gordon only 500 men,
but the ingenuity of Rabbi Gor-
don and his associates made it
possible for them to care - for the
large group that came to cele-
brate the Feast of Freedom.
Sgt. Gordon was at the head
table with Chaplain Sands and
Post Chaplain Patterson who
helped in the arrangements. Sgt.
Gordon admits that he could not
suppress the tears when he made
the Kiddush. The cook, Brooks,
was chosen to ask "Die Fier
Kashes" because he is 5'5,"' is
2 Brothers in Army
"gelerent" and can tell oodles of
Chaplain Gordon, who has two
Jewish stories. He spoke the
Mah Nishtano in English, He- brothers in Service, had a trying
time securing supplies, getting
brew and Yiddish.
sufficient chairs for the men, ar-
A Cup for Elijah
ranging for the movies he had
The National Jewish Welfare promised the Jewish Welfare
Board shipped to this group, for Board and other details. Finally,
its Seder and Passover observ- he was able to call the men to
ance, 144 pounds of matzos, 18 order and to begin the Seder.
bottles of wine and the JWB Here's part of his story, as he
Hagadahs for all servicemen. wrote it for The Jewish News:
There was a pound of matzos and
"S/Sgt. 'Robert Blumstin of the
a paper cup of wine in front of
each serviceman, and a tradi- Bronx, our cantor, rose to chant
tional extra cup of wine for the traditional Kiddush. He was
an aerial gunner, and that very
Elijah.
day he had participated in his
"Literally," Sgt. Gordon writes, fortieth mission. But this did not
"they licked their fingers. Really phase him. His beautiful voice,
folks, it was the most delicious resounding through the mess
meal I have had since I left home. hall, quickly brought the men
We closed by singing Hatikvah into the proper spirit and frame
and the first and fourth stanzas of mind.
of America. The boys were all
A Reverent Silence
thrilled. ,There was plenty of
"A reverent silence swept over
matzo left and it was delivered
to the Chaplain's office where the audience. That was the same
Kiddush they had heard in their
fathers' homes. That was the
Cpl. Katz, Hero in Burma, Kiddush that signified the begin-
Not Dead ,• Back in Action ning of the Seder which every
Jewish lad looks forward to. The
Cpl. Werner Katz, 24, the men had indeed captured some of
German-Jewish refugee w h o the Passover spirit which they
killed the first Jap in the re- had always experienced in their
cently re-opened Burmese cam- own homes'. One thousand strong,
paign, has been returned to ac- they had assembled in the jungle
tive duty after spending a short of New Guinea to observe the
time convalescing from wounds. Passover as their ancestors had
done through the ages. Tears
Katz is the lad whose errone-
were shed from many an eye as
ous death report, following their thoughts turned to their
news of his action, hit the na- loved ones back home who were
tion's front pages recently.
reciting the same Hagadah.
Ever since, he has been re-
"A soldier from the Australian
ceiving hundreds of letters from
all parts of the country wishing army asked the Four Questions.
The Seder was in full progress.
him well.
"Bedlam again broke loose as
JACK D. STARMAN, stationed the time came to serve the meal.
somewhere in 1ndia, has been Though there was not sufficient
promoted to the rank of Captain, food to go around, every man at
Mrs. Starman was informed this least had a taste of all the deli-
week. Capt. Starman is the son cacies.
of Mrs. Rose Starman. of 9329
"Chaplain Will A. Sessions
McQuade Ave.
made a few remarks on behalf of ,
the large number of Christian
Chaplains present.
Moment Of Silence
"Just before we opened the
door to welcome Elijah, the eter-
nal harbinger of good tidings, I
called upon a French refugee
who is now in the U. S. Army. In
dramatic tones he reminded us
how fortunate we were to be
able to participate in a Seder as
free men in the great armies of
the American and Australian de-
Mocracies, while our brethren are
being cruelly persecuted in Eu-
rope. 'Let us have a moment of
silence for the martyred Jews of
Europe', he suggested in a thick
French accent. A hush swept
over the hall. Every man rose to
his feet and stood. at attention in
rapt silence. What as touching
spectacle! ' These men were in-
deed grateful for their democ-
racy.
Friday, May 5, 1944
`Why I Fight'
Knows Axis Victory Means
The End of Human Rights
Pvt. Harold Berry Writes Stirring Essay on What a Total
Victory for Allies Will Bring, Mainly to 'Preserve
My Life, My Family, My Heritage, Etc.'
.
Pvt. Harold Berry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Berry of 3239
Glendale Ave. knows why he is in the Army preparing for the great
battle against ' Fascism. He has stated his views in letters to his par-
ents and in essays.
Only a few days ago, Harold
wrote his parents:
winning this war, we will have
"Remember my telling you an opportunity to solve our prob-
what Ingersoll said in his book
lems through constitutional
about men who have felt fascist means. • I am fighting for a
day
might wanting to fight? Last when suffrage and education are
night, while talking to a fellow universal, unemployment no
who went through the blitz, I problem, and intolerance and
saw an excellent example of it. bigotry extinct
_ . I do not want to
He was on the `<>::v<:: '
help win this war and then re-
receiving end of
turn to a life that is filled with
bombs in Lon-
hypocritical contrasts between
don. Conse-
ideal and reality. I want a real
quently, the:
Democracy, a real peace, and real
thought of wast-
good will among • men.
ing time in col-
"After thinking it _ over, most
lege and missing
thoughtful servicemen will come
a chance at the
to the same conclusion. Prima-
Germans dis-
rily, we fight for our safety, se-
gusts him. He is
curity, and survival — for the .
one of those fel-
Pvt. Berry
lows who doesn't have to exert things dear to our hearts, large
his imagination. in order to be in- and small. Secondly, but not,
spired for the fight. I sometimes much less important, we fight for
wonder how many soldiers would a better world, a world where
vote to come home on a. negoti- everyone gets a fair deal,"
ated peace. We would then see
how much the cause 'means to
most Americans."
Passed Preliminary Tests
Pvt. Berry enlisted in the U. S.
Army Air Forces in October,
Pft. Milton Fonberg, son of
1943, at the age of 18. Recently,
he passed his preliminary tests Mr. and Mrs. Max P. Fonberg of
for pre-flight school. He is now 3311 Chicago boulevard, writes a
most enthusiastic letter about the
stationed at Bainbridge, Ga.
Harold attended the United He- Seder arranged
brew Schools and the Shaarey for servicemen
in Italy.
Zedek religious school.
In a letter to
He was graduated from the
Shaarey Zedek high school and his family Pfc.
delivered the valedictory address Fonberg states
at the commencement exercises. that the Seder
An active member of the Shaarey held in one o
Zedek Junior Congregation, he the big cities in
served as its president and par- Italy, was ad-
ticipated in planning its religious dressed by Gen-
activities. He has one sister, eral Clark who
was' one of the
Selma, 12 years old.
• In an essay contest conducted guests. The cere- P fc. Fonberg
recently, Pvt. Berry wrote as fol- mony was per-
lows on the subject "Why I formed in traditional style, • all
arrangements having been made
Fight",:
by the Jewish Welfare Board.
WHY I FIGHT
Fonberg Describes
JWB Seder in Italy
"The stress and compulsions of
"I really prayed and thanked
daily military life often cause the God for -taking care of my family
men in the armed forces to lose and keeping me in good health so
sight of our army's great purpose. that I can continue to do the job
The war becomes for us a per- I was sent here to do," he states
sonal matter of details, drill, and in his letter.
discipline. So it is well for us
Before entering the armed
who wear our country's uniform
forces on Dec. 8; 1943, Pfc. Fon-
to keep in mind why we are in
berg was a student at Wayne Uni-
the army and why we fight. We
versity. He is a graduate of
who know will not falter in our
Northern High school and is a
duties.
member of A. Z. A. He received
"We concluded the Seder with
"Answering the question with
the singing of the traditional a negative attitude, I find that I his basic training at Fort Leon,-
melodies, the Hatikvah and the" must fight. When someone and Wood, Missouri, and took
special training at the Signal
threatens your person and your Engineer College in New York
possessions as the Axis is doing City, before being sent overseas
to the world, you have only one to North Africa, later being
honorable and sensible choice— transferred to Italy.
to eliminate the threat. I simply
have to visualize an Axis victory
or look at defeated countries and
I know why I fight.
Bitter Experience
"The people of France, Bel-
gium, Holland, Norway, Greece,
and all the other conquered
Second Lt. Seymour B. Gold-
countries, who have lost their
Pfc. Gordon
A/c Gordon
precious liberty well know how man, A/C, now stationed at
National Anthem: That was Pass- valuable are the things for which Wright Field, Dayton, 0., writes
over in New Guinea."
I strive. Everyone has learned, The Jewish News the psycho-
Two Brothers Also in Service
they by bitter experience, I by logical reactions of a soldier
Last July, before leaving for their example, that Axis victory when he has time to think about
overseas duty, Chaplain Gordon means the end of personal safety, the new world we are fighting
was married to Miss Lenore. Co- financial security, equality under for. To quote from his letter:
hen of New York, secretary of law, human rights, and Demo-
"It may be the fact that I ant
Rabbi Jonah B. Wise, national cratic freedom. So, in short, I lying in a military hospital re-
co-chairman of the United Jew- fight to preserve my life, my covering from a rather serious
ish Appeal.
home and family, my Democratic operation that overcomes a ha-
Chaplain Gordon has two heritage, and all the things that bitual reticence. Whatever the
brothers in service.
constitute my way of life.
cause, the thought arose that the
Aviation Cadet Louis Gordon,
The question doesn't take much effect of your paper on my mo-
who was active in youth circles thought when viewed this way. rale might be of interest to those
here and in the Junior Service There is, however, a more posi- who guide and shape your
Group, is stationed with the tive and constructive aspect to journal. While performing the
Ferry Command in Nashville, my reason for fighting than this daily task of a soldier one can
Tenn.
"do or die" answer. Realizing easily become lost and lose the
Pfc. Milton Gordon is now sta- that the way of life which we are zest which only an ideal can in-.
tioned at Fort Leonard Wood, striving to preserve is far from spire. When the facts about the
Missouri. He is a graduate of perfect, I am fighting for a fate of world-wide Jewry, not
Central High School, studied for chance to improve it and to im- available elsewhere, are revealed
three years at Wayne University prove the lives of all our fellow to us, we are in a sense redi-
and studied military government men.
rected; a new feeling of deter-
at the University of Wyoming,
Constitutional Means
mination is born or reborn. One
specializing in Spanish.
"Much of today's strife and is reminded that even if he is
The three brothers were ac- sorrow has been caused by the not fighting for -a 'new' world,
tive in the Junior Congregation, shortcomings in our political, so- he is at least helping to keep
of Shaarey Zedek,
cial, and economic system. By a bad globe from further rotting." I
Lt. Goldman Tells
How Jewish Jews
Inspires Soldiers