Page Two
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
THE NEW ZOA PRESIDENT
Turn back the pages of this column for
the past two years and you will find our
predictions, coupled with our proposals,
that Dr. Abba Hillel Silver of Cleveland
will be named president of the Zionist
Organization of Americca and that he will
eventually be called upon to assume the
post of president of the World Zionist
Organization.
The first prediction is now reality. To
lead to the second, the highest honor that
can be accorded any Jewish leader any-
where, Rabbi Silver will have to travel
along a tough road. It will take a big
man to fill the shoes of Dr. Chaim Weiz-
mann, when the eminent scientist decides
to retire from Jewish leadership. This
evaluation of Dr. Weizmann's abilities
must be recognized even by those who
choose to criticize him and who accuse
him of being too soft because he happens
to be a British subjecct. His address at
the ZOA convention proved that he does
not bend and give in as easily as is
charged. He just has a hard wall to crash.
Dr. Silver, if. he is to succeed, as we
feel he must, will have to abandon all
obligations other than his Zionist duties.
He may even be called upon to give up
his pulpit. You can't deliver sermons Sun-
day in and Sunday out and at the same
time fulfill the great obligations of nation-
building.
Time will tell whether Rabbi Silver is
powerful enough to accomplish the great
task of removing the-obstacles in the path
of nation-builders. As a protesting voice
he is the most powerful man on the
Jewish platform. Whether he will be able
to do more than was done by Dr. Weiz-
mann remains to be seen. We must never
forget that the great beginnings for Jewish
nationhood in Palestine were made under
Dr. Weizmann's leadership.
May Dr. Silver's achievements be even
greater. He has our support and our
good wishes. And the record shows that
he will have the wholehearted support of
at least 90 per cent of the Jews of Amer-
ica and possibly the backing of 99 per
cent. of the Jews in other parts of the
world.
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JEWS AND ZIONISTS
There are many things to disturb us, in
addition to the plight of our people in
displaced persons' camps. A man like
John S. Knight, overlooking the fact that
a cynic can say much about "British con-
trol," makes the statement in the Free
Press that Palestine belongs to the Arabs.
Perhaps he meant that it was the privi
lege of the Arabs to make of Palestine a
desert.
And Ernest Bevin did the damaging
job of trying to divide Jewry by dif-
ferentiating between Jews and Zionists.
Mr. Bevin has had his reply in the form
of the poll conducted by opinion-sampler
Elmo Roper, for the Hausman Foundation
of New York, proving that 80 per cent
of those polled are for a Jewish State,
10.5 per cent comprise the opposition and
9.4 per cent are undecided.
What do you say to this, Mr. Bevin? It
won't be so easy to divide the Jewish
population. The divide-and-rule policy
will have to be applied elsewhere.
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COMFORT FROM ROSENWALD
Mr. Bevin does, however, receive en-
couragement from one Jewish source—
the American Council for Judaism, spear-
head for anti-Zionism, of which Lessing
Rosenwald is the head.
Mr. Rosenwald has informed President
Truman by telegram that he endorses his
and Mr. Bevin's views.
What do you know about that?
Perhaps Mr. Rosenwald does not know
that tens of thousands of displaced Jews
have something to say about, further
delay in providing homes for them in
the only spot they will accept on the
globe—Palestine. If he does not believe
it, let him ask Chaplain Herschel Schach-
ter of Stamford, Conn., who made this
report to the Jewish Welfare Board in
New York last week, after personally
witnessing the horrible status of Jews in
Buchenwald.
But Mr. Rosenwald again dissents, as
he always does whenever there is an op-
portunity to be of help on the Palestine
question.
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SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE
The Committee to Maintain Separation
of Church and State, headed by Henry
S. Sweeny, has undertaken an extensive
job of enlightening the Detroit community
on the necessity for maintaining our free
democratic schools and of opposing the
plan to introduce "released time" of re-
ligious instruction in the Detroit schools.
Those interested in the opinions of this
committee are advised to secure a copy
of the pamphlet from this committee's
THE JEWISH NEWS
The Victory of the Spirit
From an Address Delivered in Boston in 1912
By LOUIS D. BRANDEIS
Hanukah, the Feast of the Maccabees, celebrates a victory—not a military
victory only, but a victory also of the spirit over things material. Not a
victory only over external enemies — the
Greeks; but a victory of the many over the
ease-loving, safety-playing, privileged, power-
ful few, who in their pliancy would have
betrayed the best interests of the people, a
victory of democracy over aristocracy.
As part of the eternal world-wide struggle
for democracy, the struglle of the Maccabees
is of eternal world-wide interest. I t is a
struggle of the Jews of today as well as of
is of eternal world-wide interest. It is a
which all Americans, non-Jews as well as
Jews, should be vitally interested because
they are vitally affected.
The Maccabees' victory proved that the
Jews—then already , an old people—possessed
the secret of eternal youth; the ability to
rejuvenate itself through courage, hope, en-
thusiasm, devotion and self-sacrifice of the
Late Justice Brandeis
plain people. This will bring again a Jewish Renaissance.
Between
You and Me
Strictly
Confidential
By BORIS SMOLAR
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
(Copyright, 1945, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency. Inc.)
"HERO" TURNS BEGGAR
Gerald L. K. Smith has run out of
money and faces the "danger" of not be-
ing able to continue his anti-Jewish
America-First activities This
... i is what
he himself says in a four-page letter under
his own signature . . He relates with
great gusto how Jewish organizations "fi-
nanced and aided" the fight against him
in the West . . . And how "a mob of
20,000—mostly young Jews—was organ-
ized" in Los Angeles to break up his first
meeting there . . . To make himself even
more important, he tells a story of how
he was about to be kidnaped before the
meeting started . . "Every evil thing
imaginable had been planned," he boasts
. . . And, of course, something over 200
Jewish organizations — no more and no
less—were among the planners . . . Oh,
yes! Eddie Cantor, that "rich movie and
radio star," was responsible for all the
commotion . . He is supposed to have
put up "a large sum of money" to make
Smith's life miserable in Los Angeles .. .
And there were over 5,000 picket signs
which must have cost at least $10,000 .. .
Prior to the meeting, a "threatening dele-
gation, led by Eddie Cantor, tried to in-
timidate the Los Angeles school board"
to prevent Smith from holding his meet-
ing in a local high school . . . But the
"brave" Gerald L. K. Smith got what he
wanted . . . He risked his life and held
his meeting "in spite of virtual threats of
bloodshed" . Is this not worth even $1?
. . . Must a crusader like Gerald L. K.
Smith be confronted with failure through
no other cause than the lack of sufficient
money? . . . "What a tragedy and what a
shame!" Smith complains in his letter
. .. Surely if a "hero" like Smith is will-
ing "to face these mobs" and to deny
himself "the comforts of home," any
America Firster should be willing to give
him a dollar donation . . . This is all Mr.
Smith appeals for . . . Just $1 for his
treasury . . . Or, if you contribute $5, you
will get a nice anti-Soznitic book on the
Goldsmiths and the Rothschilds . . . To
think that America may no longer hear
Gerald L: K. Smith because he has no
funds . . . What a calamity!
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ZIONIST TRENDS
One of the important sidelights at the
ZOA convention was the discussion on
what General Zionism stands for in the
world Zionist movement . . . If sentiments
expressed at this discussion prove any-
thing, we may expect a serious fight be-
tween American Zionists and the Labor
Zionist movement at the forthcoming
World Zionist Congress . . . Leaders of
the ZOA seem definitely determined to
strive for World Zionist leadership, which
is now practicially in the hands of the
Laborites.
headquarters, at 963 Penobscot Bldg.
It is interesting to note that the fly-
page of the pamphlet carries the slogan:
"Don't let the church bells divide those
whom the school bells would unite."
Those who are supporting the parochial
school idea will undoubtedly take excep-
tion to this slogan.
But we strongly endorse this viewpoint,
as we have in the past, in spite of en-
dorsement of the "released time" re-
ligious instruction plan by leaders of all
faiths, because we believe that there ought
to be one democratic, community-con-
trolled school system for all children of all
faths.
.
It 0(4 44 MIS 114 kr-41%01SW w IF110/01114.4*t lie dig "
Copyright, 1945. Seven Arts
Features Syndicate, inc.
Friday, November 30, 1945
Heard in
The Lobbies
By ARNOLD LEVIN
(Copyright, 1945, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Inc.)
INQUIRY
Persistent rumor has it that the Anglo-
American Inquiry Committee to deal with
the Palestine problem is protective cam-
ouflage for the initiation of an Anglo-
American partnership in the Middle East,
aimed at oil monopolization, and at keep-
ing Soviet Russia out . . . You will recall
that on returning from Potsdam, Presi-
dent Truman said he discussed the Pales-
tine question with the British, but not
with Stalin, because Russia was uncon-
cerned. Molotov, however, revealed later
that Russia was very much concerned
with the Middle East . . . Any open and
direct intervention by America on the
side of British imperialism, would have
boomeranged against the State Depart-
ment and the Administration. Isolationists
would not have been the only ones to yell
holy murder . . . So, our State Depart-
ment decided to exploit the widespread
sentiment for a Jewish Palestine and took
steps ostensibly to inquire into Jewish
homelessness. This muzzled even isola-
tionist Senator Taft, because of his com-
mitments and unreserved sentiments re-
garding Jewish statehood in Palestine .. .
Rumor has it, furthermore, that the White
House was not too unhappy when Attlee
turned down the request for 100,000 cer-
tificates . . . By making such a request
our Government appeased the Jews and
prepared the ground, psychologically, for
the Inquiry Committee. The granting of
the request, however, would have embar-
rassed our State Department, intent on
playing the game of oil imperialism and
Arab feudalism . . . Some will tell you
that the whole thing was conceived, with
callous intent, back in Potsdam .. . It is
appropriate for a cruel hoax to have had
its inception on German soil.
WISH DEPARTMENT
California 'Relocation Agency of the U.
S. Government recently published a set
of rules for fighting racial bias, and we
wish that every Jew would take them to
heart and follow these rules in his_ fight
against anti-Semitism ... Never be afraid,
the government says in essence, to expose
bias .. . Though it may give some pub-
licity to the professional hate-mongers, it
will wake up America's decent people
. . . We also wish it were true that a
powerful combine of movie producers has
organized to produce anti-bias and anti-
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discrimination films ... We wish, further,
DETROIT
FLASH
that it were true, as reported, that the
There are rumors that the Habimah
New York Daily News lost 250,000 read-
ers and $6,000,000 in advertising contracts wants Julius Chajes, the well-known
since it published that outrageous O'Don- composer of Palestinian music, at pres-
nell column . . . And we wish that Phil sent music director in Detroit, to write
Slomovitz, editor of The Detroit Jewish the music for one of their next season's
News, would reprint his column of Nov. 9 productions.
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and send it to every English-reading Jew
ATTENTION: PENTAGON BUILDING
in this country.
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Story about town: that your radio com-
BERGSON AND STERN
munications room is so poorly guarded
It is still a mystery to Zionist leaders that anyone in a signal corps officer's uni-
how the Bergson group succeeded in get- form can just walk right in and put
ting David Stern, publisher of the Phila- through a long-distance call to Germany.
delphia Record, to go to England on a Ideal set-up for Werewolf calls home to
Zionist mission . . . Stern has been known Das Reich.
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to the big Zionist leaders as an anti-
THE GOLDWYN RUMORS
Zionist.
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Winchell reports: "The recent rumor
EINSTEIN AND FLEXNER
that Sam Goldwyn. (film magnate) might
Albert Einstein is still one of the active change his faith was explained by Mrs.
consultants of the group of scientists who Goldwyn, who was observed taking kin's
are working on the perfection of the tots for religious instruction . . . One wag
atomic bomb . . Which reminds us to said that if Sam ever changed his faith
be to chiropractor.
relay a story Leonard Lyons tells of a it very likely would
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conversation Dr. Abraham Flexner, di-
CRACK
OF
THE
WEEK
rector of the Institute for Advanced
Judge Samuel Rosenman is resuming
Studies, had with Prof. Einstein . . . Dr.
Flexner was complaining that Einstein private law practice. Asked what he
was forever lending his name to various missed most about Government service,
causes . . . "Political refugees have a he said: "Two eyes in the back of my
problem—they come to you, and you lend head."
your name," he pointed out . . . "Soviet
relations committees, Palestine commit-
tees, atomic bomb committees—every-
body comes to you . But do you always
have to say yes? . . . Why don't you do
what I often do—say no?" . . . "But if I
did," Eintein retorted, "your name would
be Einstein and mine would be Flexner."
Hanukah commenced on Thursday eve-
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ning at sundown, Nov. 29. The festival
ON OUR SHORES
is celebrated with lighting of lights from
Orchids to courageous, stubborn Dr. Nov. 29 through Decc. 6 in commemora-
Adolph M. Koch of New Jersey, who suc- tion of the rededication of the Temple
ceeded in organizing the Essex College of at Jerusalem by the victorious Macca-
Medicine and Surgery in Newark, prob- bees, 165 B.C.E.
ably the only medical school in the
The Maccabean , struggle was against
United States that has no quota on any the Syrian Greek King Antiochus who,
race or creed . Catholics, Protestants with the aid of the Quislings . of those
and Jews are equally divided among the days, tried to destroy the Jewish religion
125 students.
and the worship of one God. So im-
Henry Ford II has a much better pub- portant was this struggle that ethical
lic relations counsel than his grandfather monotheism owes its existence to this
. . . It is reported that Henry II will spon- historic event. The festival is one of the
sor a "very liberal" radio program star- most beautiful and most significant of
ring John Garfield, Hollywood's Jewish festivals of any faith. Without this victory
star.
neither Mohammedanism, Judaism or
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Christianity could have survived. In
IRONY OF FATE
recognition of this fact, the Catholic
The late Col. Joel E. Spingarn, founder church celebrated Judas Maccabeus day
of the National Association for the Ad- on Aug. 10 for several centuries during
vancement of Colored People, had as his the Christian Era.
aim the abolition of all discrimination
Hanukah is mainly a home festival.
against Negroes, and was particularly Services are held in synagogues and re-
concerned about doing away with segre- ligious schools. There is the exchange of
gation of Negroes in separate schools .. . gifts, and children are presented with
So now Washington, D. C., is planning to Hanukah Menorahs br eight-branched
honor Col. Spingarn's memory by nam- candlestick so that they may light one
ing a school after him—and it is being candle each night until there are eight
planned as a high school for Negroes to recall the eight days of rededication.
only.
of the Temple.
The Significance of
Hanukah Festival