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Page Two

THE JEWISH NEWS

Purely
Commentary

The Epic of the Einek

In 25 Years the Famous Valley Has Been Transformed from Miasmic
Swamp to Belt of Flourishing Settlements

• • •

THAT TERM "ILLEGAL"

One of the issues which we shall have
to understand will be the problem affect-
ing Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Even some Jews. unfortunately, are
falling victims to the misnomer "illegal"
in referring to the newcomers to Palestine
who are risking their lives on boats that
have with tragic accuracy been called
"floating coffins." in order to crash their
way into Palestine.
More than two years ago, before his
death, the eminent Palestine labor lead-
er. Bert Katznelson, made this statement:
"There is a certain kind of immigra-

tion which is termed. illegal. Everything
is legal in a lawful world: lawful gov-
ernments. lawful conquests, lawful doc-
uments, the breaking of lawfully given

premises. Only Jewish immigration.
which is based on the ancient mandate
of the Bible.-1S-illegal.

"What migration anywhere in the
world is in order and legal if this immi-
gration of ours is not legal? What laws
anywhere in the world are legal and
binding if the very right to live is de-
nied to the Jews and branded as ille-
gal?
"Whether you like it or not. whether
you assist or obstruct. Israel's sufferings
will continue to send the ships across
the sea.

"It is not the fault of the Jewish peo-
ple, nor of the refugees. that we have
become lawbreakers. Those who have
taken it upon themselves to disregard
the fundamental provisos of the consti-
tution of Palestine have forced us to
become lawbreakers. We had hoped to
be able to work within the confines of
the law and to respect it. We even ac-

cepted the most unfriendly laws. But
there can be no acceptance of a law
which denies man's right to live. We

denounce the moral principal on which
the immigration restrictions are based.
We declare that the Jewish right to set-
tle in Palestine is not dependent on the
agreement of the British or of the
Arabs. It is oar fundamental right, of
which only force can deprive us."

The "fundamental right" of which the
eminent leader spoke is recognized by all
who understand the situation, by Chris-
tians as well as Jews. Nevertheless • there
are too many. especially newspapermen
and radio broadcasters, who have fallen
victims to propaganda which insists upon
labelling the newcomers to Palestine as
"illegal" entrants.
One of the injustices we must battle
against is the use of this term and we
must strive for recognition of the estab-
lished fact that. Jews go to Palestine as
of right and not on \.sufferance.

Don't Embarrass

"I have never been able to enjoy jokes
about Negroes. My father in many ways

was not what would be known as a liberal
today, but I have always remembered one
thin* he said to me when I was very
young, 'Nothing that embarrasses any-
body is ever tunny.' "—Mark Ellridge.

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Copyright, 1946. Seven Arts

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
THE POWER OF PRAYER

This is the most solemn season of
prayer.
Jews everywhere will pray more fer-
vently than ever, upon the advent of the
Bolydays, for justice. for understanding,
for fairness in human relations.
It is tragic to be compelled to admit
that today, more than a year after the
end of the worst decade in history for the
Jewish people, our people are not yet free
and millions of our kinsmen continue to
live under conditions of insecurity and
oppression.
Our prayers this year will be marked
by an expression of deep-rooted hope that
the New Year 5707 will be marked by an
awakening of conscience among the states-
!rant of the world towards our people and
the problem of the survivors from Nazism.
We pray, also. that there will be under-
standing in Jewish ranks. so that we may
eliminate ultra-emotionalism and deal
with facts and figures as bases for firm
action in defense of our just rights In
Palestine and in liberal European coun-
tries.
We are ushering in a crucial year. May
it prove to be a year of honor for Israel
and of sets of atonement by those states-
men who have been blind to reality in
dealing with human problems affecting
Israel.

Friday, September 20, 1944

Feature Syndicate. Inc.

INSIDE STORY

Dr. Nahum Goldmaian will not ret
to the U. S.. . . He will carry on his poll
ical - diplomatic work for Zionism in
ope . . . Dr. Silver, head of the Ameri
Zionists, is very outspoken in his
demnation of Dr. Goldmann's recent a
terference" in American Zionist affairs •
Dr. Silver contends that Dr. Goldm
advised by misled Zionist conferees in
country. kept them in the dark about
plans and actually "lied to them" . . .
Dr. Weizmann should back Goldman
Rabbi Silver said he would publicly at
Weizmann's appeasement policy w
jeopardized White House support for
Jewish State in Psi...sine.

• •

WHAT'S THE

Preoccupation with the political struggle for the future of Palestine has
overshadowed a significant anniversary which, as a Milestone of uninterrupted
Jewish progress despite all difficulties, merits wide interest and celebration.
The 25th anniversary since the acquisition by the Jewish National Fund of the
Valley of Jezreel and the founding there of the first modern Jewish village,
Nahalal, occurred on September 14 (18th day of Hebrew month Elul).
The picture above graphically illustrates the great transformation which
has been wrought by Jewish pioneering in the Emek ( as the Valley of Jezreel
is affectionately and briefly referred to by Palestinians). Prior to its acquisition
by the Jewish National Fund the historic and strategic valley was a miasmic
swamp and had only a few Arab hamlets with a population of 1,800 poverty-
stricken and disease-ridden souls.
Today the Emek, transformed into a belt of flourishing settlements, con-
stitutes a Jewish Commonwealth in miniature. These swamp lands, reclaimed by
the Jewish National Fund and restored to fertility by the toil and sweat of the
Jewish pioneers, have become the testing ground for new social forms of settle-
ment. Today the Emek is a - garden spot where 16,000 sturdy pioneers (13,800
are engaged in agriculture, 2,200 in oths.r pursuits) till the soil of their model
KVUTZOTH and MOSHAVIM. Here the pattern for cooperative living and
for a firmly rooted Jewish agricultural development has been created.
The negotiations for the acquisition of the Valley of Jezreel began as far
back as 1890. They were successfully completed by Menahem Ussishkin, the late
President of the Keren Kayemeth Leisrael, 25 years ago, when large-scale Jewish
colonization started after World War I. At the approach of the year 5707, the
number of Jewish agricultural settlements in Palestine exceeded the 300 mark.

Heard in
The Lobbies

By ARNOLD LEVIN

(Copyright. 1946. Independent Jewish
Press Service. Inc.)

PUBLIC RELATIONS

We wish to devote our column this week
to a matter of Jewish public relations

which deserves serious consideration . by
the Jewish community. It is the problem
of the superfluity of Jewish political agi-
tation and fund-raising advertisements in
the general press. This kind of advertising
should have its limits.
The United Jewish Appeal has every
right to use this medium to reach those
scores of thousands of Jews in the metro-
politan area who are unaffiliated with
synagogues, do not read Jewish publica-
tions and cannot be reached otherwise
than through advertising in the general
press. Besides, the United Jewish Appeal
seeks the support of gentiles as well as
Jews, for it is a great philantrophic
cause. The same applies to separate ap-
peals by JDC and each of the major Zion-
ist funds. As for political advertising, if
it is restricted to an appeal to all Ameri-
cans on really vital issues for which all-
American support is required, advertise-
ments in the general press are in order.
But we do not think it was quite proper
to deluge the general press with advertis-
ing relating to Zionist Congress balloting
which exposed to the world all the intrica-
cies of internal Jewish factionalism and
helped confuse, rather than enlighten,

public opinion. That advertising is detri-
mental to the Jewish cause. Matters be-

come worse by the day.
Individuals with money to spend

have
placed advertisements in the press ex-
pounding their own particular brand of
Jewishness, religious, cultural or national.

adding to the confusion of the unlettered
in Jewish affairs; persons with no money
to spend have invested none-the-less. see-
ing what the little "please send in your
contributions" box at the bottom of ad-
vertisements has done for others. The
"little box around the corner of the ad"
has become a shrine which does miracles
for paupers and unknowns.
What is most dismaying in this mess,
is the irresponsibility of legitimate organi-
zations. We refer to distinctly sectarian
groups in Jewish life, although their mem-
bership is decidedly within the orbit of

the Yiddish press, and reachable through
that still powerful medium, they carry,
none - the - less, their "pushkas" into the
avenues of America by means of the gen-
eral press. Their cause may be a good one,
but it is of limited appeal and must not
compete with UJA in the columns of the

Between
You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1946. Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)

"INTELLIGENCE" AND INTELLIGENCE

British Intelligence Service is now work-
ing hard to establish how coded military
messages sent to Palestine in connection
with the raids on Jewish settlements fell

into the hands of the Jewish resistance
movement there . . . Army code experts

fear that the Haganah succeeded in
breaking "top secret" British ciphers . . .
The secret service in Palestine is embar-

rassed over the fact that Jewish extremists
succeeded in getting into the office of the
Palestine High" Commissioner despite all
precautions . , . This is how it happened
. . . The lights suddenly went out one eve-
ning in the High Commissioner's office
... An urgent telephone call was made for

electricians . .. Within a few minutes two

electricians appeared and fixed the lights
. . . When they left, the High Commis-
sioner found on his desk a note revealing

that they were members of the Irgun Zvai

Leumi . . . The note said that the Irgun
only wanted to show the High Commis-
sioner how easily his office can be invaded
by terrorists even though it is heavily
guarded . . . It explained that the Irgun
had cut off the electricity and at the same
time had the telephone wires tapped . . .

As soon as the call for electricians was
made, the two Irgun members appeared
and, presenting themselves as the sum-
moned electricians, encountered no diffi-
culty whatsover in being admitted to the
High Commissioner's office.

general press whose readers are not as
skilled as those of the Yiddish press in es-
timating the relative importance of the
funds. But what is even worse, is that
America will soon have a perverted im-
pression of Jews and Jewish living; Amer-
ica will think of us as the great pushka-
vendors, the people of the "big ad and the
little box," the "send your contribution
please" race. We shudder as the High Ho-
lydays approach, that we may wake one
day to see the general press cluttered up
with ads for all and sundry Jewish causes,
institutions, yeshivahs, kitchens, for the
poor. The ad may have as destructive an
effect on Jewish life, as the atomic bomb
had on Hiroshima, if nothing is done about
it soon.

•

HURRY?

There are a number of deceived libe
on the executive and national commit
of the American Association for - a
cratic Germany .. . The statement of
icy of the association is an appeal I
Germany to be permitted to join the U
test Nations Organization . . . The
criminals responsible for the extermi
tion of six million Jews are still alive ..
Countries raped by Germany are still
side of the - United Nations .. . So wh
the hurry. gentlemen? ... Germany
prove herself before she can aspire to
considered a member of the family of
tions.

•

•

•

GOOD LUCK, BARNEY

Barney Ross. who gave himself up as
drug addict. will head a large youth moat
merit after his cure . . . Barney, the
boxing champion wants to devote his
to social work . . . That is why he is
ing a public example of himself in
fight against the dope habit . . . As
know Barney is a casualty of the war .
He started to use drugs against the ma
laria he had contracted in the Pacific ..
Good luck, Barney.
•
•
•

THINGS WE DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT PALES'TTNE

Ben Hecht's "A Flag Is Born."
grand spectacle sponsored by the
can League for a Free Palestine snubs
Chinese .. Ben just forgot that they
members of the U. N. Organization.
The Lenin Library in Moscow subscri
to the Mishrtiar. daily Hebrew paper
ltshed by the Hashomar Hatzair in Pal
tine.
Pre-fabrieated wooden houses, contai

ing three rooms each and all convenie
are being purchased by the Jewish Age
to combat the housin
from Sweden

shortage in Palestine . . . In the midst
the present acute crisis, Jewish Palestin
managed to be represented at the rece
International Fair at Lyons, Prance.

•

•

•

MUSICAL NOTES
Nehamal Bloch, daughter of Joshi

Block, the scholar and librarian, has
appointed to the faculty of the Mus
School of the Henry Street Settlement ..

Nehamal is a graduate of Radcliffe Col

lege.

Violinist Heifetz and pianist Artu
Rubenstein will be featured in a fit
"Carnegie Hall," now in production i
New York City . Pianist William Kape
on his recent Pan-American clipper trip
South America carried along a 16-pou
portable piano made of tubular alumin
and fiber glass to practice on while

route.

Front Page Photo

The special Rosh Hashanah ph

on the front page of this edition ill

traces one phase of the important
cational program of the United H
Schools, the instructing of our

in the sacred traditions of Ju
The photo shows an inten

of students preparing for the
ance of Rosh Hashanah.

The New Year greeting a
instriptions on the
blackboard
drawn by Michael Michlin, pr.
of one of the UHS branches.
Isaacs is superintendent of the .
The students are, from left to

Harold Mathis, Gerald Freeman,
Gutman, Fay Mathis, Leonard
(acting as instructor), Helen Feld
Eugene Zweig and .Roy Gealer.
The line above the blackboard
in the regular class instruction, lists
brew months.
The lower two lines read: "
the old year and its evils end, may
New Year and its blessings begin.'

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