Page Two
THE JEWISH NEWS
Strictly
Confidential
Bosh Hashanah. Messages
"Upon this celebration of the New Year, I extend to my fellow citizens
of the Jewish faith most cordial greetings, mindful of the tragedy in which
so many of their faith still live and die abroad, and determined withal to
persevere until justice, tolerance and peace are re-established throughout
the world."
—FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT.
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
(Copyright. 1944, by Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate)
By S. M. DUBNOW
(In His "History of the Jews": Reprinted
from 5705 Calendar of the Jewish
National Fund of America)
The first part of Jewish history, the
Biblical part, is a source from which, for
many centuries, millions of human beings
belonging to the most diVerse denomina-
tions have. derived instruction, solace and
inspiration. ItS heroes have -long ago be-
come types, incarnations, of great ideas.
The events it relates • serve as living
ethical formulas:
But a time will come—perhaps it is
not very far off—when the second half
of Jewish history, the recorcl , of, the two
'thousand years of the Jewish people's
life after the Biblical period, will be
_accorded the same treatment.
The thousand years' martyrdom of the
:Jewish people, its unbroken pilgrimage,
its tragic fate, its teachers of religion,
its martyrs, philosophers, champions—
this whole epic will, in days to come,
sink deep into the .memory of men. It
:will speak to the heart and- conscience
:of men, not merely to their curious mind.
It will secure respect for the silvery hair
of the Jewish people, a .people -of think-
ers and sufferers. -
It is our firm conviction that the time
is approaching in which the second half
*of JeWish histOry will be to the noblest
part of thinking humanity what its first
half has long been to believing human-
ity, a source of sublime moral truths.
,
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1944, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
SUMMARIZING A YEAR
This being the season of confession
and penitence, let us confess to collective
omissions and commissions of which
American Jewry has been guilty.
A
great deal of money has been spent by
Jewish organizations during the year for
fighting each other. If a goodly portion
of that money had been diverted to the
rescue of the Jews of Europe, for "cor-
rupting" Nazi officials and satellite bor-
der-guards, for the chartering of addi-
tional boats, more Jews might have
been saved from Hitler's trap.
If some of the monies spent on so-
called public relations, which too fre-
quently consist of "building -gyp" person-
alities, had been spent for the rescue of
Europe's Jews, we would today be less
guilty before our own conscience and
history. But out Jewish communal life
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
By BORIS SMOLAR
has unfortunately become restricted to
(Copyright. 1944, JTA,
two functions—public relations and fund-
5705 PROBLEMS
raising—and more frequently than not
There will be no dearth of problems PERSONAL NOTES
The possibility of Herbert Lehman's while the public relations result in more
during 5705.
It may be a much better year than resignation as director of the UNRRA funds, the incoming funds result only in
more public relations.
any previous one since 1933, with higher is being talked about in Washington ... -.
Your columnist does not mean you or
The
former
Governor
of
New
York
seems
hopes for improvement of the status of
world Jewry as a result of the victory to be dissatisfied with the limitations you or you. , He speaks the word en
masse. And he" confesses on this occasion
that is certain to be won by the United under which the UNRRA is operating.
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Mor- his own guilt. He lacked the courage
Nations.
But that will not eliminate the prob- genthau Jr. may address a Jewish gath- and the alertness to do his full share
of brickbatting the guilty, and is there-
lems which are certain to plague us dur- ering in Chicago this month.
When Vice-President Henry A. Wal- fore parther to the sins.
ing the coming . 12 months and the years
* * *
lace was on his New England tour at
that are to follow.
A brief evaluation of some of the prob- the end of last month, he interrupted THEORIZING WHILE JEWS DIE
There were groups still engaged in
his trip in order to come to -Poland,
lems is in order at this time.
Maine, to visit Edmund I. Kaufmann, theoretical squabbles as to whether we
* *
former president of the Zionist Organiza- are a race, a nation or merely a religious
REHABILITATION
,
sect. And some of the hatred that should
Our major responsibility will be one tion of America.
have
been channelized for our enemies
The
memorandum
submitted
by
the
of rehabilitation.
and to assist their victims, was used
American Jews will have to unite their American Jewish Committee to the State against Kashruth - observing, Hebrew-
forces to guarantee- the collection of large Department asking that 'a United Nations speaking, Zionist-thinking Jews. Dele-
sums of money for rescue and reconstruc- Commission be sent to Majdanek, the gations rushed to Washington to produce
Nazi "extermination camp" where a
tion work.
before Congressional Committees the
Local and national groups should avoid million Jews were gassed, is lauded by "latest proof" that some Jews were plan-
no other than Samuel Margoshes in an
duplication of efforts.
ning a theocracy, an autocracy, etc.;
We dare not confuse the minds of Jews article in the Jewish newspaper The Day that some Jews were planning to
de-
and non-Jews with multifarious appeals. . . . This is the first time that Margoshes prive the Arab of his rights; that there
has praised the American Jewish Corn-
* * *
was an international Zionist conspiracy
mittee publicly.
PALESTINE
National Office of the Avukah, Amer- afoot to force dual allegiance upon the
Crucial days are facing Palestine. There ican Student Zionist Federation, asks me Jew. They feared lest the Allies have
is talk of plans to partitioh the •country to state that Seymour Melman, chairman too much compassion for the slaughtered
and to give the Jews a small slice for of the Council on Arab-Jewish Cooper- and actually, give the - survivors the se-
the settlement of the large numbers ation, has -not been in any way connected curity of a homeland.
whose one hope is to rebuild their bro- with Avukah . since 1942. The Avukah
* * *
ken lives in Eretz Israel. Jews are una- president, Sumner Alpert, informs me . AS MYOPIC AS EVER
nimous in their opposition to any parti- that Avukah is neither affiliated with
It seemed that there was potential
tion plan, and Jewish leadership hopes nor supports the Council on Arab-Jewish unanimity among Jews on a great many
to have the backing of all elements in Cooperation . . . He points out that the points with regard to the future of
opposing efforts to reduce the status of Avukah has on several occasions express- European Jewry, with regard to Jewish
our people in Zion.
ed itself in favor of the establishment of postwar demands. But some organiza-
In the meantime, activities for Pales-
tions, too interested in enhancing their
a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine ..
tine's redemption, through. the United Avukah's affiliation with the Zionist Or- own prestige to act in unanimity, drew
Palestine Appeal and' the United Jewish
of America dates back to up their separate peace-formulas and
Appeal,' must be strengthened. The poli- ganization
only contributed to, the* . confusion. Again
1925, he emphasizes.
tical work must be upheld and: the recog :-
* * *
the thought strikes us that the money
nized. Zionist bodies should be supported.
spent for this unnecessary separatist
BEHIND THE SCENES
* * *
activity could well have been spent more
Now
that
the.
Jewish
theatrical
season
ANTI-SEMITISM
usefully. To some, however, there is no
Only the ..totairy uninformed can poss. is opening in New York, it will be inter- higher aim than Jewish. disunity, that
ibly believe ,anti-Semiticm:
that
.on th e-- esting for many to know that the average being—to them—the spice of life. From
decline. It exists
; and
i
m.
tS'spr
ead as a re - Jewish theater has about $1,000 a day all the trials through which Jewry has
sult of Hitleris can not b e stopped s o expenses when , it plays . . . There will passed too many American Jewish lead-
be nine Jewish theaters this season in
easily.
ers have, with regard to thought and
In a sense, Hitler has. wo n a part o New York. The man who had the best action, emerged unscathed, unchanged, as
financial success last season in the Jewish
his battle—by pursuing
h
his devlis
myopic as ever.
scheme of exterminating Je ws. Million s theater was Maurice Schwartz . . . Never-
*
theless,, he decided not to have any
have already perished, at hi s hands an
CULTURE
theater`:this
season
.
.
:His
place
will
be
,
he has written the- blackest
_
chapter in
taken by Jacob Ben-Ami who, after, a
While some .were engaged in quarre1S-
Jewish history.
as-usual, - ,others went about their way
Ameriean anti-:Semites ha ve not stop long absence from the Jewish stage, took
ped their nefarious work. T he silencin g one of the largest theaters on Second building quietly, modestly, the more
durable things that are American Jewry.
of Coughlin has not stopped
the rabble - Avenue and will play with the best en- Dropsie -College and the Yeshiva College
semble the Jewish stage has' . . . Molly
rousing of G.L.K. Smith.
We must be • on guard to prevent the Picon, too, is - returning this season to announced new. scholarships. The Jewish
spread of- racial and religious hatred. the Jewish theatre after being away Publication Society added to the splendid
list of its published volumes. The Union
Whatever we do to prevent hatred of from it for quite a while • . . She will
Jew, Negrb- or anY.,.other oppressed group have her own 'theater, also on Second of American Hebrew Congregations and
in America is an effort to prevent the Avenue . . . The soul of the Jewish the-. the Central Conference of American
atrical profession is the modest Reuben Rabbis resisted efforts 'to "purge" Re-
'destruction of American democracy.
* * *
auskin, who has given so many years forth Judaism of certain new values it
of his life to protect the interests of Jew- has obtained during the past two dec-
INTERNAL FOES
Israel's external enemies are not the ish actors as the manager of the Hebrew ades as a result of reorientation and be-
only ones who present problems for us. Actors ,Union . . I was present at the cause of the growing number of men in
annual meeting this week of the members its Rabbinate alert to their responsibili-
We also have internal antagonists.
. Anyone who seeks to destroy the unity of this union and was greatly impressed ties and profoundly steeped. in Jewish
of our people hurts our cause, even by Guskin's report . . . It seems to me culture. The Vaad Hachinuch Hacharedi,
though he is a Jew who feels that he is that if not for Guskin's energetic activ- Jewish Religious Educational Council of
ities, the .entire Jewish theater would Mizrachi,. could proudly point to its
fighting a righteous -cause.
achievements in the field of Jewish Edu-
The Bergson Group with its . many- have long ceased to exist.
cation. The number of Yeshivoth Ktan-
named organizations holds first place in
oth, all-day or parochial schools, strongly
this category. It is true that it is getting and it. does not contribute towards con-
space in the Hearst press and in other structive work, to save the millions of supported by Mizrachi, increased during
the year. Bnai Brith was . 'there as usual,
newspaper§ and that it is successful in oppressed and dispossessed Jews.
active on many fronts—on the campus
*
*
*
arranging large public meetings and in
--
through.
the4.1 - Iillel Foundations, in the
presenting memoranda and resolutions to SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
effort—in manifota ways, at the
our government at Washington. But by
Your Commentator has only scratched
'undermining the existing .authoritative the surface. There are other problems Oswego "freeport" and everywhere show-.
organizations in American. Jewry it which will face us, and we are challenged ing its versatile interests in all that is
Jewish living. The Reconstructionist
harms our cause.
to preserve our unity for the sake of our Movement continued to progress, slowly
Eveh more evil is the work of the self-respect.
but Markedly. I speak only of culthral
American Council for 'Judaism. Its at-
May the year• 5705 find American Jew-
tempts to wean away from pro-Palestine ry- a realistic and practical community activities, and in this sphere,' too, there
movements outstanding Christians are that will not permit the destruction of were :Many remarkable achievements
whi'ch Z may have omitted. May He who
wicked. -Its propaganda campaign among unity in Jewish life.
forgives our bigger sin, forgive this
newspapers and radios is a dastardly job
A Happy New Year to ail!
minor sin.
HERE AND THERE
In case you overlooked it: Homer
Meratz, who at the Gerald K. Smith-for-
President convention introduced the res-
olution to sterilize Jews, is the same
Maertz who was the leader of the Dear-
born Crusaders and the Chicago Silver
Shirts.
We are interested to learn that Jewish
parochial schools are increasing through-
out the U. S. .. . This development re-
flects the growing tide of anti-Semitism
and of Jewish opposition to religious
release time in public schools.
Now it has been revealed, that the
Nazis ransacked Heinrich Heine's tomb
in the Montmartre Cemetery - in Paris.
. . . They dug up Heine's casket and
threw it on the rubbish heap . . . And
the street named after Heine had . its
appelation changed to the moniker of
some Nazi bigwig. '. . . De Gaulle has
promised to restore the tomb and the
street. .
LISTEN HERE
Guess - whom the grapevine has in full
command of the virtually defunct Luft-
waffe now? . . . Why, none other than
Gen. Erhard Milch, honorary Aryan by
grace of Adolf Hitler—who may be using
him as a springboard for the wail that
it's the Jews who are causing the current
defeat of Germany by the Allies. . . .
Which reminds us that Harry Hershfield
has sent a solemn warning to the - Fueh-
rer, to the effect that the handwriting is
on the Westwall.
READER'S GUIDE
The publication of the late Prof. Ismar
Ellbogen's. "A Century of Jewish Life"
by sthe Jewish PUblication Society . of
America has aroused heated controver-
sies . . . His chapter on Jewish 'life in -
Russia is full Of misstatements, a.n .d
charges the Soviet Union with pogroins
which were instituted by the enemies
of the Bolshevik - regime. . . These
"facts" were culled by Prof. Ellbogen
from a Jewish year book. - -
Don't miss Albeil Maltz's "The Arrow
and the Crewi" and Robert Pick's "The
Terhoven File". . . These books are in-
teresting novels with Nazism as their
main theme . . . Maltz's volume is a
masterpiece.
Howard Fast's best-selling n o v e 1,
"Freedom Road," may be a Broadway
offering soon.
Maxwell - Anderson is said to be work-
ing on- its dramatization.
•
A committee headed by Dr. Joshua
Bloch, chief of the Jewish Division of
the New York Public Library, will select
the 25 best Jewish books of the year . . .
The selection will have some surprising
inclusitns.
Ben Hecht, it is reported, has ordered
the destruction of the-:plates of some of
his early novels, to prevent their . re 7,
publication . . . Sinee one of those novrj-,
-"A Jew in Love,"-- has become a sort
of textbook of anti-Semitism in this
country, we agree With - Ben. that 'the-
:idea is good, if belated,
The Lessons of
Jewish History
"On this occasion of the celebration of the Jewish New Year, as I send
cordial greetings to all our citizens of Jewish faith, I should like also to
express my sincere hope that the coming months will bring to an end the
present devastating world conflict, and with it the solution to the tragic
problems that endure for others of your faith on the continent of. Europe."
—CORDELL HULL
*
*
•
I hope that you will, through your press Service, say to the Jewish people
of America:
"May the New Year bring to all people of the Jewish faith s greater happi-
ness and cause for hope in the future. The horrors in Europe have brought
great sorrow to the Jewish people evreywhere and all of us must join in that
•sorrow and hope for a better situation in the years to come."
—MRS. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT.
Friday, Sepfember 15, 1944
Purely
Commentary
.
,
.
.
.
Between
You and Me