af.10.1.1.:ZOta

Purely
Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

THE $170,000,000 UJA GOAL

Many Jews are bewildered by the
quota of $170,000,006 set for relief and
reconstruction work by the United Jew-
ish Appeal conference held in Atlantic
City. Chicago's delegates at the confer-
ence, apparently affected by the strain of
raising a large current goal which that
community finds it difficult to attain, led
the fight against the vastly enlarged
- quota for the corning year. But the great
goal of $170,000.000 was adopted by a
two-to-one vote in committee and by an
overwhelming decision of the delegates.
Is this goal attainable? Was it wise
to set so large a quota? Will American
Jewry be able to raise it?
Your Commentator took pains to speak
with many representatives at the confer-
ence from cities in at least a dozen states,
and there was not a person in the lot who
was skeptical, who was either angered
by the decision or frightened by it.
On the contrary, the concensus of
opinion ran something like this:
"Last year, when we decided on a
$100,000,000 goal, there were murmur-
ings. Delegates said it would be diffi-
cult to secure that amount. Now, as we
approach the end of 1946, we are cer-
tain of oversubscribing that goal by
$5,000,000. We are in the same predica-
ment—but we can do the job again.
American Jewry is stronger than its
jittery minority."
A group of middle-western delegates
were discussing the quota, and several of
the men said they would proceed to ask
those whom they solicited last year to
give $1.70 for every dollar they con-
tributed last year.
It was a heartening experience to hear
fellow-Jews speak so gallantly. It was
proof to us that American Jewry won't
let the unfortunate Jews of Europe go
clown to oblivion.
Michigan Jewry can take heart from
this. Perhaps, in the coming year, we
shall be able to duplicate the efforts of
Boston's community and secure at least
50 gifts in the amount of $25,000 and up.
Surely, our people will learn to give
from capital, without figuring on tax re-
ductions. It is much better to live here
and to give, than to struggle in Europe
and to receive.
•
•
•

CHRISTMAS vs. HANUKAH
At least one reader is dissatisfied with
our viewpoint that we can not divorce
ourselves from the non-Jewish commu-
nity during the Christmas season. This
dissenter believes that we should place a
ban on all references to Christmas. He
especially resents the emphasis that is
placed on Christmas observance in the
schools.
Therefore we are impelled to call at-
tention to some basic issues involved in
the observance of Christmas in our pre-
dominantly Christian community. Every
year, without exception, protests have
been heard against the singing of Christ-
mas carols in schools where religious in-
struction traditionally is banned. Invari-
ably, the concluding decision has been
that the established traditions of the
overwhelming majority of our neighbors
can not be ignored or pushed into the
background, that the most we can ask
for is that Jewish children be excused
from singing strictly Christian - spirited
songs. Rabbis in some communities found
it necessary to join in sponsoring joint
Hanukah-Christmas programs as an en-
couragement of mutual understanding of
Judaea-Christian ideas by children of all
faiths.
We would like to remind those who
protest too much that there is nothing to
be done about a spirit surrounding
Christmas which comes from homes, the
department stores and the street, and
that the major complaint we may be able
to 'register is against public schools em-
phasizing religious teachings during
Christmas time. Since nearly every one
of us is a member of an organization or
a congregation, and since all organiza-
tions and congregations are affiliated
with the Community Council, how about
testing our strength through our Rabbis
and Council representatives, in a battle
against the singing of religious songs and
pursuing other religious practices during
the Christmas season—or at any other
time—in the school system? Our advice,
however, is that they do not waste their
time. It has been tried before and the
predominant influences in the schools are
too strong to be overcome by a minority.
Therefore we return to our original
thesis: that it is our responsibility so to
strengthen the spirit of Hanukah in our
homes that there will be a compensating
satisfaction for our children in their be-
longing to the Jewish minority.

Friday, December 20, 1946

THE JEWISH NEWS

Page fwo

The Heroism of the Maccabees

By LOUIS D. BRANDEIS

Hanukah, the Feast of the Maccabees, celebrates a victory—not a mili-
tary victory only, but a victory also of the spirit over .things material. Not
a victory only over external enemies—the Greeks; but a victory also over
more dangerous internal enemies. A victory
of the many over the ease-loving, safety-
playing privileged, powerful few, who . in
their pliancy would have betrayed the best
interests of the people, a victory of democra-
cy over aristocracy.
As part of the eternal world-wide strug-
gle for democracy, the struggle of the Macca-
bees is of eternal world-wide interest. It is
a struggle, of the Jews of today as well as of
those of 2,000 years ago. It is a struggle in
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 re-
Louis D. Brandeis
juvenate itself through courage, hope, enthusiasm, devotion and self-
sacrifice of the plain people. This will bring again a Jewish Renaissance.

Strictly
Confidential

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

,Copyright, 1946, Seven Arts)

ATTENTION—J. EDGAR HOOVER
The "German Communist Organiza-
tion" operating in the United States is a
gigantic canard blown up by notorious
hate-mongers who intend to use it as the
spearhead of the "Judeo-Bolshevik Men-
ace to the United States of America."
You, as chief of the FBI. should make
doubly certain that your prestige is not
being made a tool of those men whom
you should expose as Enemies No. 1 of
Democracy . . . We mean the "gentle-
men" who escaped the sedition trials and
who consistently violate post office regu-
lations by sending their filthy propagan-
da through the mails . . . Mr. Hoover,
why don't you get some of these Amer-
ican ideological satellites of Hitler and
shut them up once and for all? . .. They
represent a real danger to our country.
•
•
•

BROADWAY GOSSIP

Milton Berle, currently brightening
Nicky Blair's after-dark spot in New
York, may cancel a $15,000 a week Miami
club date . . . A coast-to-coast hookup
offered by one of the big-four cigarette
companies is the reason. .
Al Jolson is also considering a radio
show; he wants to transcribe it, a la
Crosby . . . Maybe something in the
Winchell report that Al has been clawed
by Wall Street bears.
Eddie Cantor is offering $500 for a
caricature of his "son," Kilroy Woje-
wowski Cantor . • . Kilroy, who sprang
fully grown from his "father's" head is
a 200 pound football player, and is said
to have Eddie's pop-eyes.
Johnny Garfield, who started his ca-
reer ten years ago as Julie Garfinkel of
the Bronx. is slated for the lead in War-
ner Brother's "Rebel Without Cause" .. .
The title is a summary of all the mis-
casting that has so completely "typed"
Garfield, who might be a good actor if
he could get out of his rut.
•
•
•

UNIMPORTANT

There is a tendency on the part of cer-
tain groups to minimize the importance
of Columbians Inc. . . . The fact is that
the Columbians are in line for big finan-
cial subsidies from a group of indus-
trialists who intend to use its anti-
Negroism and anti-Semitism in their
fight against organized labor's drive to
unionize the south.

•

•

•

SANCTUARY

Leonard Lyons, N. Y. Post columnist,
reports that William Helis, head of Greek
Relief in the United States, and Dean
Alfange, ex-gubernatorial candidate in
New York, will urge the Greek govern-
ment to invite 50,000 Jewish displaced
persons to settle there and help rebuild
the country . . . Your columnist recently
reported an appeal by Elian Barzalai,
Chief Rabbi of Athens, for "moral and
material aid to assist the democratic
peoples of Greece" . . . Rabbi Barzalai
reminded us that Greek democratic
forces, who saved thousands of Jewish
lives during the Nazi occupation, are to-
day being persecuted and terrorized by
the Greek government ... A government
that is using the same police force the
German Fascists used during the war ...
Jewish DPs can expect no sanctuary from
such a government.

Heard in
The Lobbies

By ARNOLD LEVIN

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

BASLE LINE

Too many shibboleths were voiced at
the World Zionist Congress. It was sad
to hear Berl Locker imply that Revision-
ists were "fascists" in his statement that
Palestine Jewish Labor, unlike' one-time
German Social Democracy, will not sub-
mit to intimidation . . . It was sad to
hear Meir Grossman, Revisionist, repeat
some of the pat phrases of Revisionism
while accusing others of being stragglers,
"who still flounder in 1939." It was sad to
hear Dr. Chaim Weizmann, master of
phrase and epigram, compare some of the
aggressive resistance against Britain to
"Masada," the last battle of Judea. He
warned against reckless historical anal-
ogizing, and yet fell prey to it himself
. . . It was sad to hear Dr. Abba H. Silver
recapitulate the details of internal Zion-
ist battles of a year ago.
• •

WASHINGTON-LONDON

The headlines beat our scoop last week.
Even as our report that Byrnes was using
pressure to have the Zionists join the
London conference was in the mails en-
route to editors. Mr. Byrnes released his
correspondence with Bevin and his own
statement urging the Jews to participate
in the London conference. Actually, Mr.
Bevin offered the Jews no more than
Colonial Secretary Hall had offered them
sometime earlier in his correspondence
with Weizmann, and at that time, you
will recall, Dr. Weizmann and the entire
Jewish Agency Executive turned down his
non-offering offer. Mr. Byrnes obtained
nothing, yet pretends he did obtain con-
cessions and urges the Jews to partici-
pate. Is he seeking to force the Jews in-
to a dead-end? We wonder, especially in
views of an AP dispatch from London
quoting "an authoritative source" to the
effect that the U. S. will behave from
now on, and make no unilateral state-
ments or take actions with regard to
Palestine without first consulting Britain.
It behooves Mr. Byrnes to make a state-
ment now as to whether the AP report
is based on fact or fiction. It strikes us
that the AP knows what it's talking about
. . The latest Byrne's statement, ac-
of the
companying his publication
Byrnes-Bevin correspondence, seems to
bear out the AP.

•

•

MAGAZINES

Jewish organizations would be render-
ing a great service if they would desist
from issuing magazines. Reports, bulle-
tins on their activities are quite in order.
But why publish new magazines, filled
with articles repeating and restating all

that articles in all the other magazines

have stated and are stating? Why, gen-
tlemen? Have you no concern for the
taxpayers' money? For surely, your con-
stituents deserve as much consideration

as any taxpayer.

have produced many upsets in past sea-
sons.

It's good to have Carl Alpert back in
the New Palestine . . . Don't miss, in the
Dec. 13 'issued the prophetic voice of Max
Nordau speaking from ' the past into the
very acute present.
Judge Sam Leibowitz will return from
the 22nd World Zionist Congress at Basle,

POT POURI

Switzerland, in time to preside at the
Nickel-Mergenthaler trial.
Ben Cohen, legal aide to Jimmy Byrnes,

Brooklyn College . . . The future rabbis

of the artist."

•

•

•

Yeshiva College, New York Rabbinical
Seminary, will play a 21-game basketball
schedule this year, opening against New
York University and closing against

is livening up Big-Four conferences with
doodled sketches of the conferees . .
He presents his models with the com-
pleted sketches, with "The compliments

Between
You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

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

POLITICAL NOTES

What is going to happen to the Jewish
Agency? . . . Many a well-read reader
frequently confuses the Jewish Agency
executive with the executive . of the
World Zionist Organization under the
misapprehension that they are the same
body . . . Actually they are two separate
bodies . . . While the world Zionist
executive is composed of Zionists only,
the Jewish Agency executive is nominal-
ly composed of an equal number of Zion-
ists and non-Zionists . . . Usually the
non-Zionists in the Agency meet imme-
diately at the conclusion of the World
Zionist Congress — at the same place
where the congress has taken place—and
name their members of the executive
. . . However, there will be no meeting
of the non-Zionists in Basle after the
conclusion of the current Zionist Con-
gress . . .How then willl the executive of
the Jewish Agency be -fOrmed? . . . Who
will name the non-Zionist members? . .
This question was discussed in New York
long before the Zionist Congress opened
. . . The non-Zionists, though entitled to
50 per cent of the seats in the executive,
never bothered to utilize this right . . .
Nov the Zionists are insisting that their
non-Zionist partners be more active in
the Agency . . . And they suggest that
the non-Zionist members of the Agency's
executive be selected by Jewish organi-
zations not affiliated with the Zionist
movement . . . Specifically, they want
organizations like the American Jewish
Conference, the American Jewish Com-
mittee. the Bnai Brith, the Board of
Deputies of British Jews, the Alliance
Israelite to send a representative into the
Jewish Agency executive to make up the
non-Zionist membership . . . This is a
departure from the traditional form of
selecting non-Zionist members which hi d
been in force since the days of Loins
Marshall and Felix Warburg . . . The
American Jewish Committee, with whom
the leaders of the world Zionist move-
ment are negotiating or. this matter. is

opposed to the change.
The American Jewish Committee, it
can be predicted, at its annual meeting

next month will announce a change in
policy on Palestine . . . The change will
bring it very close to Zionism.

1

•

•

DIPLOMATIC NOTES

The decision of the Council of Foreign
Ministers that the governments of Hun-
gary and Romania turn over heirless
Jewish property to local Jewish organi-
zations is quite a feather in the cap of
the Jewish groups who worked hard be-
hind the scenes to secure this ruling .
Now these Jewish groups are beginning
to prepare for the next session of the
Council of the "Big Four" at which the
peace treaty for Germany will be taken
up . . As far as Germany is concerned
it will not only be a question of securing
heirless Jewish property for Jewish •elf-
rehabilitation, but also real reparations
for looted Jewish belongings . . . For
example, Goering imposed a $400,000.000
"contribution" upon the Jews in Ger-
many after the assassination of the Ger-
man diplomat Ernst Vom Rath in Paris
. . . Not to speak of confiscated Jewish
enterprises and the burning down of
synagogue buildings, the value of which
runs into billions of dollars . . . The right
of Jews to ask reparations from Germany
has been acknowledged by the fact that
the Allies allotted $22,500,000 from Ger
man reparation funds to the Intergovern-
mental Committee on Refugees for the
work of resettlement of displaced Jews

•
•
•
THE INSIDE STORY
The inside story of the "tight-rope
walking" which Jewish leaders had to do
and Western
between rival Eastern
blocks at the Paris Peace Conference in
their effort to secure the "Jewish
clauses" in the peace treaties with Hun-
gary and Romania is told in the current
issue of New Palestine by I. L. Kenen,
executive director of the American Jew-
ish Conference . . . As between the
Anglo-Saxon powers on the one hand
and the Slavic countries on the other,
"the Jews were in a no-man's land" ..
However, Soviet Foreign Minister - V.
Molotov solved the problem during the
meeting of the Council of Foreign Minis-
ters which_ has just concluded meeting in
New York . . . He had the Slav Bloc
agree to a compromise under which heir-
less Jewish property in Romania and
Hungary would be turned over to local
Jewish communities rather than to the
proposed International Refugee Organi-
zation of the United Nations . . . This
compromise was acceptable to the Jew-
ish, leaders in the .United States, since it
was in line . with their original .demandi
at Paris.

