Page Two

Purely
Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

STATUS QUO OF CONFERENCE
Delegates to the American Jewish Con-
ference, held in Pittsburgh last week,
acted, to retain the status quo of the
movement which was expected to grow
into the great protecting arm of the Jew-
ish people.
Your,, Commentator sincerely believes
that the majority of the delegates favored
the inclusion of the American scene in
the Conference program. But a large sec-
tion of the • onference preferred to as-
sure the existence of the movement to an
extension of its activities.
This can mean neither one of two things:
the Conference may die a natural death
after it will have sent a delegation to
speak for American Jewry at the peace
conference; or something may happen to
compel the inclusion of ALL Jewish af-
fairs in an extended Conference.
Our readers will recall the charge
made by Sidney Hollander of Baltimore,
at the East Central States Conference
held in Detroit, that "millions of dollars
worth of confusion" reigns in Jewish
ranks on the civic-protective front. This
confusion could have ended by proper
action at the Conference to include the
American scene in the Conference pro-
gram. It was not done. Some day it will
have to be done.
When that time comes, American Jews
also will demand a democratically elect-
ed Conference. There will then be an end
to confusion and we may at last have a
movement like the Jewish Board of
Guardians in England or the Vaad Leumi
in Palestine to speak for the entire peo-
ple, without danger of duplication of ef-
fort or the creation of confusion in. the
minds of Jews and non-Jews.
*
*
*
"TO DIFFER" AND "TO SINK"
At the Pittsburgh Conference, Alexan-
der L. Easterman, secretary of the British
Section of the World Jewish Congress,
made this statement:
"Jews and Jewish organizations must
sink their differences or they will be in
danger of sinking with the differences."
It is a well-sounding statement with
which we can not agree in its entirety.
We Jews and our -organizations ought to
have the right to differ. That is a -basic
principle in our democracy. But when our
differences are based on "vested inter-
. ests" and on desires to hold on to power
which interferes with co=operation, the
warning is valid.
An excellent example is provided by
the "membership appeal" now conducted
by the American Council for Judaism.
This Council, its president, Lessing Ro-
senwald, and its secretary, Rabbi Elmer
Berger, are free to solicit support, and
the liberty possessed by Americans gives
Mr. Rosenwald the right to go on the
radio in an attack upon the movement for
the creation of a Jewish Commonweaah
in Palestine.
But when such an appeal interferes
with efforts to rescue Jews from the hell
of Europe, their campaign should be ex-
posed for all it is worth.
All men and women who are in posi-
tion to know the facts—Jews and non-
. Jews, have stated again and again and
again in the past year that only Palestine
is able and prepared to welcome tens of
thousands of Jews for whom homes must
be provided at once. Ira Hirschmann of
the War Refugee Board has said so, and
so have Dr. James G. McDonald and for-
mer Gov. Herbert H. Lehman, director
of the UNRRA.
But whenever doubts are created in the
minds of people, as is the case with the
American Council for Judaism's program,
the good that is attempted in rescue ef-
forts is destroyed.
Therefore, all who are in position to
expose the American Council for Judaism
program should do so energetically. It is
the responsibility of all Jews to work
unitedly for the program of saving lives.
- Anyone who interferes with such work
should be repudiated. The Council for
Judaism has been and must continue to
be repudiated.
* *. *
THE END OF THE COURIER
Chicago's Jewish Daily Courier, one
of the oldest Yiddish daily newspapers
in this country, has suspended publica-
tion after 57 years. •
Its demise must meet with deep regret.
This newspaper has rendered important
service to American Jewry. It has been
recognized as one of the pillars in Jewish
j ournalism.
What are the reasons for the suspen-
sion of the Courier?
A statement made by the publishers,
announcing the end of the publication,
declared:
"Constantly rising costs, irreplacable
personnel losses, curtailed business due to
war condiacws and mounting losses, 81.1

Friday, December I5, 1944

THE JEWISH NEWS

Quotation of the Week

"They (Roosevelt and Churchill) with Marshal Stalin are settling the
future of the world on the basis of enduring peace, but there will be no
world peace unless the peace of Israel is assured and its place is made certain.
"From the heights of Jerusalem, let Knesseth Israel (Jewish Community)
send its greetings to the great leaders in whdse hands was placed the vision
of the latter days, the vision of a world of peace which must spell the re-
demption of Israel. We need foremost the understanding of Great Britain.
We shan't be able to attain it by displaying hostility, but only through the
force of conviction and the positive side of our endeavor.
"Knesseth Israel also places its hope in the friendly influence of America;
influence, however, cannot suffice, for we also need economic assistance. We
must gird all our strength to take a • worthy part in the system of postwar
world' reconstruction. -
"Jewish Palestine is the foundation for the rebuilding of the Jewish
people as a whole. The eyes of the world are turned on it. Jewry is ap-
proaching a decisive turning point and must be united and cohesive. The
hour wherein Jewry would pose its great demands to the world must be a
time for concessions within."
DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, President Jewish
Agency for Palestine and World Zionist
Organization, in an addreSs before Assephat
Hanivcharim in Jerusalem.

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

(Copyright, 1944, by Seven Arts
Feature Syndicate)

LISTEN HERE
No. 1. -E. 65th St., New York City, is
one of the most popular recreational
- centers for soldiers and sailors on leave
. . . It gives them a club atmosphere plus
dormitory 'accommodations . . . But the
most important thing that 1 E. 65th is
accomplishing is this: It is helping to
destroy anti-Semitism . . • The place is
run by volunteer director Mrs. Ely
Jacques Kahn and 3,000 junior hostesses
in the basement of Temple Emanu-El,
with the help of the Jewish Welfare
Board . . Its non-sectarian character,
plus the wonderful spirit of the girls
who are acting as hostesses there does
a lot to puncture the anti-Jewish preju-
dices that some of the boys bring there.

Now they're saying that the Shakes-
pearean play Paul Muni is planning to
appear in. on Broadway this season is
"The Merchant of Venice" . . . If true,
this would . -be unfortunate indeed . .
No acting triumph can compensate for
the .revival of Shylock at a time when
anti-Semitisni is being fostered for serv-
'aftet the war.

*

* *

YOU SHOULD KNOW
The rumors that Governor Thomas E.
Dewey is to replace the Rev. Everett
Clinchy, who is a paid official, as presi-
dent of the National Conference of
Christians and Jews, cannot be verified,
but we have - it on good •authority that
they are more than rumors . . Mr.
Clinchy would, it is said, remain on as
the executive chairman, and Dewey
would become the head of the Confer-
ence—without pay, of course.

We want to call your attention to the
excellent work being done by the Union
of Russian Jews, Inc., with headquarters
in New York, toward bringing Ameri-
can Jews in contact with their relatives
in Russia, so many of whom have been
beyond the reach of ordinary communi-
cation channels since the outbreak of
the war . . . In the two years that the
organization has been active some 5,000
families in this country have reestablish-
ed contact with their relatives in Rus-
sia.
* * *
ABOUT PEOPLE
. Washington rumors that Secretary of
the Treasury Morgenthau may resign
after the Sixth War Loan drive has been
successfully concluded . . . But that's
just the old anti-Ivlorgenthau campaign,
which won't succeed.
French playwright Henri Bernstein,
out of touch with his family since the
fall of France, has learned that not only
are his wife and daughter safe, but his
daughter is now married and has made
him a grandfather.
1945 will welcome to the ether waves
none other than Dorothy Parker, that
queen of wit, who will have a regular
radio program.

brought about a situation which led to
this decision."
What about the decline in the number
of Yiddish readers? -
Your Commentator is convinced that
this is the chief reason for the hard-
ships suffered by the Yiddish press—
and also by the Yiddish theater.
It is a most regrettable situation, but
we must recognize it as the truth. It
would have been better to have the
Yiddish language flourish. But there is
no denying that English has become the
medium of expression of American Jews,
the stoppage of immigration being pri-
marily responsible for the decline in the
number of persons using Yiddish.

Heard in
The Lobbies

By ARNOLD LEVIN

(Copyright, 1944. Independent Jewish
Press Service. Inc.)

HADASSAH JRS.
At the convention of Junior Hadassah,
President Naomi Chertoff delivered a
sizzling address on the Palestine' terror
in reply to Churchill. It was so sizzling
that it caused a temporary crisis, but did
not affect Miss Chertoff's unanimous re-
. . The Hadassah Jr.'s Presi-
election
dent is quite erudite in Hebrew, even
to the extent of possessing more than a
superfluous familiarity with the Talmu-
dic folios.
* * *
CITATION TO THE CONCIERGES ,
The Parisian concierge (building su-
perintendent) is gen€.rally described as
an amusing but not .unbaneful individual,
with definite police tie-ups, being the
finger-man for the cops in -annoying not
criminals alone but aliens, members of
political minorities, etc. But according
to the testimony of French Jews who
lived in France during the German occu-
pation, the concierge has emerged in a
By BORIS SMOLAR
new light as a hero and humanitarian.
(Copyright. 1944, JTA, Inc.)
The concierges in Paris and other cities
THE ZIONIST FRONT
of France have to their credit the saving
The lraqui Premier, who claims to be of thousands of Jewish children from
the spokesman for the Arabs of Pales- deportation by the Germans. Learning
tine, is due to arrive soon in Washington of a Gestapo raid on Jews in his build-
... And Prof. Selig Brodetsky, president ing, many a concierge immediately
of the Board of Deputies of British Jews rounded up the children of his Jewish
and a member of the executive of the tenants and claimed them as his own,
Jewish Agency for Palestine, is also due sharing with them his meager rations
and his children's threadbare clothes.
in the United States soon.
* *
Zionist • leaders in the United States
have received a letter from Dr. Weiz- MORE ON FRANCE
There is one man in France who will
mann containing the gist of his latest
talk with Prime Minister Churchill .. . go the full hog in any fight in behalf of
the Jews. He is the Colonel who has
The letter is very reassurng.
been in charge of the Free French secret
Congressman Sol Bloom, chairman of
service headquarters in London through-
the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
admits that he did not consult the State out the German occupation of France.
Department on whether it was desirable This man has in his possession folios
that his Committee recommend the pass- with the real names of the French un-
age of the Palestine Resolution to the derground workers (they operated, un-
Congress . . Nor did he consult the der assumed names) and he finds that
the percentage of Jews was astounding,
State Department on whether the charges
he made in the text of the resolution from the lowest ranks to the highest,
and the higher the rank—in the under-
should be made
ground—the more hazardous the work.
* * *
* * *
THE JEWISH FRONT'
FROM PALESTINE
Negotiations between the Joint Distri-
Some of Europe's great masterpieces
bution Committee and the United Pales- are in the possession of private collect-
tine Appeal for the renewal of a joint ors in Jewish Palestine. The Bezalel Mu-
drive through the United Jewish Appeal seum has been borrowing- these for ex-
for the coming year are now going on hibition. Among them is a landscape by
. . And plenty of bargaining is being Paul Gauguin, probably the only one of
done by both sides . . . Zionists demand Gaugin's early, French period . . . Among
a larger share of the funds and the JDC the collections of specific Jewish inter-
is definitely opposed to. this . . . Both est are old English engravings illustra-
sides are threatening to break the part- ting Jewish festivals.
* * *
nership, but it is logical to assume that,
despite the present friction, the partner- AU REV OIR
ship will continue since the Federations
Dr. A. Leon Kubowitzky, Chief of the
and 'Welfare Funds throughout the coun- Rescue Department of the World Jewish
try would not like to see the United Congress, will leave shortly on a mission
Jewish Appeal liquidated.
to the liberated areas. By constantly,
Leaders of the Joint Distribution Com- consistently, persistently i n t e r v en ing
mittee had a very interesting conference with foreign diplomats in Washington, he
in New York with the delegates of the has accomplished as much as any single
Latin-American countries who came to person in the United States in the sphere
this country to attend the session of the of rescue.
World Jewish Congress.
* *
Members of the American Jewish Con- CAPITAL NOTE *
ference are determined to see to it that
There is a new job under way for Ben-
their next session does not coincide with jamin V. Cohen, formerly of the Cor-
conferences of other central Jewish or- coran-Cohen New Deal Brain Trust. It is
ganizations . . . The reason is a simple his long-rumored appointment to the Cir-
one . . . The World Jewish Congress cuit Court of Appeals.
which concluded in Atlantic City a few
days before the American Jewish Con-.
ference opened in Pittsburgh overshad-
owed the latter as far as publicity in the
By MARGARET HERZ
EDITOR'S NOTE: This poem was written
general press is concerned . . . There was
for The Jewish News by Miss Herz, an 18-year-
also a great similarity in the texts of old refugee from Germany who came to this
country four and a half years ago. She has
the resolutions adopted by both bodies..

Between
You and Me

.

Hanukah 1944

*

* *

THE RESCUE FRONT
The War Refugee Board, which some
people have feared might be prematurely
abolished, is going to stay on the job as
long as there is a war on in Europe . .
The Board's request for $150,000 has
been approved by the House . . John
W. Pehle, executive director of the War
Refugee Board, estimates that this
amount will be sufficient to meet the
administrative expenses of the organi-
zation through June . . . It is now re-
vealed that the decision to give informa-
tion to the. American people on the mass-
slaying of Jews in Oswieciem and Birken-
au resulted in part from the fact that it
was sponsored by a special assistant to
the American Minister in Switzerland,
Roswell D. McClelland, a Philadelphian
engaged in relief and rescue work in
Europe for several years for the Ameri-
can Society of Friends . . . It was he
who received the report on the German
extermination camps which the War Ref-
ugee Board made public in Washington.
He checked the information, concerning
the dates and the points of origin of con-
voys of Jews arriving at the camps and
supervised the translation of the report
from German into English.

since graduated from high school here. In sub-
mitting the poem she stated: "I hope it (the
poem) will inspire some of your readers to
help those who need help in Europe."

This is Hanukah nineteen-forty-four
It is the third, no the eleventh year of
war,
Or has it been more?
Hanukah symbolizes to us
A holiday of festival and lust,
And though we are safe in this precious
land
There are still many who need our
helping hand.

So this year instead of our usual gifts
and charms,
Let's give to those in Europe with out-
stretched arms,
Let's give them food, clothing, and
money
So they, too, may soon return to their
land of milk and honey.

But let us not only give to our Jewish
brothers,
Let us not forget there are millions of
others
Who are fighting for us, too.
Who are fighting that Christians and
Jews alike
May enjoy that precious right
Of being an upright American.