'`"
• "i
_Ase:
Purely
Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
THE BIRTH OF A FLAG
In The Jewish State," written 52 years
ago by Dr. Theodor Herzl, consideration
was given by the founder of the political
Zionist movement to the selection of a
banner for the Jewish people. Dr. Herzl
wrote:
"We have no banner, and we need
one. If we desire to lead men forward,
we must raise an emblem above their
heads.
"I would suggest a white banner,
bearing seven golden stars; the white
field symbolizing our pure new life;
the seven stars, the seven golden hours
of our working-day. For we shall, march
into the Promised Land carrying the
badge of labor."
This proposed badge was in evidence at
the First World Zionist Congress in Basle
in 1897. But the Blue and White with the
Shield of David (Magen David), generally
accepted as the banner of the Jew, was
first designed in i880.
Now, we have a new element in Israel—
a political party which assumes that it is
giving birth to a flag for a people, thus
indicating that it is unfamiliar with the
background of Zionist history.
Ben Hecht was a few months old when
Ilerzl wrote his famous call for the crea-
tion of a Jewish State and suggested a
banner for the state's builders. The design
that was accepted for the Flag that is now
in use by Jewry was conceived 14 years
before Hecht was born. But Hecht heralds
the idea of a flag's birth as if it has just
been discovered.
To which there can be no objection.
After all, drarftatic license is law unto
itself. But the original idea, which de-
veloped into a powerful ideal, was, in the
words of Herzl, that "we shall march into
the Promised Land carrying the badge of
labor." Ben Hecht's idea is that we shall
march into the Land of Promise at the
point of a gun. This, t, us, is intolerable.
Iferzl may have been ahead of his
time in developing the ideal of a seven-
hour working-day in an era when men
worked 15 and 16 hours a day, when
women slaved in factories for as many
hours and child labor was a part of
legalistic barbarity. All the more rea-
son, therefore, for rejecting the new
Torah that is being handed to us by
Hecht—in the form of a gun.
For 50 years, we have thrilled at the
idea that Palestine will and must be built
on principles of social justice, of creative-
ness, 44-aelf-emancipation. We accepted
the views of Herzl that in Palestine shall
be created a great cultural center. indus-
try and commerce, farming settlements
which will rebuild Jewish bodies and
will re-establish Israel as a very whole-
some national entity.
These dreams have become realities,
and we are, actually, on the verge of
witnessing the re-establishment of the
Jewish Commonwealth. A despairing ele-
ment, having introduced terrorism in the
land, is proving a stumbling block in the
path of Zion's builders. We can not pos-
sibly endorse their programs. We reject
Irgunism, Sternism and their counter-
part in this country—Ben Hecht's League
for a Free Palestine.
Your Commentator knows that many
people have fallen prey to the new idea
of Force, and it is not easy to buck pre-
valent opinion that it is justifiable to
fight the British by blowing up hotels,
railroads and bridges and by holding up
merchants in order to secure funds with
which to carry on Irgunist activities. But
it is a deep-rooted Zionist conviction with
this writer that Palestine can be built by
adopting the moderate resistance meas-
ures of Haganah; that "Zion shall be built
with justice," ("Tzion be-Mishpat Si-
podeh"--Isaiah); that, while we insist
upon the right to use the gun in self-
defense, our weapons are the plows and
the pruning-hooks and the industrial
machines.
We insist that the Banner of the Jew
shall be the one designed by Herzl and
by 50 years of creative Zionist ideology,
not the destructive ammunition of a
handful of despairing Jews.
*
WASTE OF NEWSPRINT
Several weeks ago, Arnold Levin, writ-
ing on this page in his column "Heard in
the Lobbies," issued a challenge to or-
ganizations on the question of the mul-
tiplicity of Jewish magazines. He stated:
"Jewish organizations would be ren-
dering a great service if they would de-
sist from. issuing magazines. Reports,
bulletins on their activities are quite in
order. But why publish new magazines.
filled with articles repeating and restat-
ing all ttiat articles in all the other mag-
azines have stated and are stating? Why,
gentlemen? Have you no concern for the
taxpayer's money? For, surely, your con-
recoaciv.i •,1
Friday, January 17, 1947
THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Two
I
Portrait of the New Jew
Enzo Sereni-Scholar, State -Builder
By WILLIAM B. SAPHIRE
A large museum to preserve the religious, artistic and literary heirlooms of the
now extinct Jewish communities of Europe and to display at the same time the
cultural achievements of Jewish Palestine, and its war effort, will rise shortly in
the Judean hills in the memory of one of Jewish Palestine's outstanding heroes of
World War Two, the late Enzo Sereni. Scholar, scientist, tiller of Palestine's soil
and later a soldier in the service of his country, Sereni epitomized the many divers
elements composing the Jewish National Home.
Enzo Sereni was the son of an old Jewish family of Rome, whose record of
service to Jewish life in Italy and to the Italian community goes back for centuries.
His father was a professor at the University of Rome and a personal physician to
the King. Sereni, as a youth received the traditional classical education of an Italian
aristocrat. After receiving his doctorate in philosophy, he embarked on a career of
scientific research.
Overcome by a growing passion to identify himself with his people, he left the
luxury and security of his patrician Lie in Rome to become a pioneer in a strange
rugged land where insecurity lurked behind every rock and disease festered in
humid swamps.
In 1926, when Jewish minutemen were mounting mud' and brick ramparts in
defense of their homes, Sereni settled in Palestine. He became a day laborer in the
fields and olive groves of Palestine and was one of the founders and first leaders
of Givat Brenner, in southern Judea, on the fringe of the Negev, then a vast
forbidding wilderness.
Restless even in his rugged pioneer existence, Sereni set out to create new
links between Jewish communities abroad, like the one in which he was born, and
the rising Jewish nation in Palestine. His influence brought a sizeable group of
Italian Jews to his settlement. But Sereni's mission centered around the youth
movements of Eastern Europe, America and the Near East. He inspired and
organized the migration of youth groups into Palestine. In America he was one
of the chief guides of the Hechalutz (Pioneer) Organization.
In World War Two, Sereni became the leader of Jewish parachute platoons,
the roughest branch in any nation's service, which were preparing to drop singly
or in small groups behind Nazi lines in Europe in attempts to rescue as many of
their people as possible from death in Nazi murder camps.
Despite arguments that he was- too valuable a figure to risk, Sereni took off
one day in 1944 on a military mission for the Allied High Command.
He parachuted over northern Italy and tried to make his way to the ghettos
and concentration camps where tens of thousands of Jews were awaiting death.
But he was captured by the enemy. He was hauled to Dachau where he was
tortured and finally murdered by the Nazis. The day of his death is given as Nov.
18, 1944.
The Sereni Institute, or Bet Sereni, will be established in Givat Brenner, a
flourishing colony of 1,300 and the home of Sereni's widow and son.
The sum of $68,000 has been contributed for Bet Sereni, Working for the project
in America is the Palestine Committee for Bet Sereni, 16 E. 66th St., New York
City, of which Dr. Chaim Weizmann is honorary chairman and Eliezer Gravitzky,
a member of Givat Brenner and colleague of Sereni, is secretary. The cornerstone
of the new museum was laid by Dr. Weizmann. last April 2.
By BORIS SMOLAR
• (copyright,
1947, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
WASHINGTON AND PALESTINE
The big question mark in Zionist
circles today is how will Gen. George G.
Marshall, our new Secretary of State,
react towards the Pal-
estine issue . . . The res-
ignation of James F.
Byrnes came at a tittle
when, due to his many
talks with British For-
eign Minister E r n est
Bevin, as well as with
American Zionist lead-
ers, Byrnes had complete
inside knowledge of the .
problem and of all its
Gen. Marshall intricate sidelights . . .
Now everything will have to be started
anew with Gen. MarshalL
It is still remembered in Zionist circles
that it was Gen. Marshall who prevented
Congress from passing the Palestine res-
olution introduced by pro-Zionist mem-
bers of Congress ... But this was during
the war when his objections to the reso-
lution supporting the demand for the es-
tablishment of a Jewish Commonwealth
in Palestine, were based on military
strategy ... 'Whether he has changed his
mind since remains to be seen.
It is known that American oil interests
in Arab countries played an important
role in influencing Gen. Marshall to voice
objections to passage of the Palestine
resolution . .. These same interests have
since grown more powerful ... America's
growing stake in Middle East oil fields
was increased this month by the deal con-
Copyright. 1947. Independent Jewish Press Service, Inc.
eluded by the Standard Oil Company of
New Jersey and the Socony-Vacuum Oil
Company with the Anglo-Iranian Oil
Company to purchase large quantities of
Iranian and Iraquian crude petroleum
over a ten-to-twenty-year period . . .
The new American interests in Arabian
and Iranian oil make some observers be-
lieve that before long there will be a
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
By ARNOLD LEVIN
strong United States military base some-
(Copyright.
1947,
Seven
Arts)
I copyright, 1947, Independent Jewish
where in the Middle East . . . This, in
Press Service, Inc.)
turn, makes British circles hope that "in
JUST ASKING
REMEMBER THE PRINCE?
The group of Nazi scientists working due course the United States may be pre-
Jewish centers throughout the country for the U. S. Army's research projects pared to assist Britain in a solution of the
should blush, as should some Jewish lead- will be made citizens of the USA, not- Palestine problem" . .. one time Britain
ers, for having coddled in the •years of withstanding protests from liberal or- requested the United States to send troops
the emerging Hitler menace, a surprising- ganizations . . . Does the U. S. govern- to Palestine in order to be able to enforce
ly Jewish-looking, mild-speaking, Cath- ment have the illusion that it can make a British-American decision on the Holy
olic German by the name of Prince Hu- these key cogs in Hitler's machine of Land.. . . Palestine is definitely involved
in the new oil deal . . . The Arabian pipe-
bertus Von Loewenstein who delivered destruction into loyal democrats?
line is already envisaged as 1,200 miles
insipid, dull, anti-Hitler and love-thy-
• • •
long and terminating in Haifa . The
neighbor-as-thyself talks for which he
A
VOICE
FROM
THE
DEAD
projected Persian pipeline may be of
was well paid. Persons who knew the
nearly equal length, and it is hard to see
An eyewitness story of how the re-
Prince's background charged that he was
where it could terminate except in Pal-
vered Jewish sage, the historian and
a ruthless opportunist who had private
philosopher, Simon Dubnow, met his
estine . . . These two pipeline projects
scores to settle with Hitler. Having fat-
seem certain to become the biggest factor
death at the hands of the Nazis in Riga,
tened on earnings from lectures before
in Palestine politics . . . For the U. S.,
Latvia, in 1941 has just reached these
Jewish audiences and having, finally,
though many Americans fear the political
shores. . . "Towards the end of the
landed a job with an American Univer-
involvement, the oil and its pipelines
year the Nazis began to kill all the
sity, the Prince began to revert to type
represent too big a stake to be lightly
Jews in the Riga ghetto . . . Dubnow
and to spout, during the war, a new kind
abandoned . . . The Arabian pipeline
was in bed with a fever on the evening
of line—namely that the poor Germans
alone is exnected to cost more than $120,-
of Dec. 7, the day of Pearl Harbor, but
had been misled by Hitler. Back in Ger-
000,000, but this is a minor item . . The
the Nazis forced him out of the house
many now, the dear little Prince is busy
big thing for the U. S. is not the pipe-
and into a bus with the aged and the
as a bee spreading pan-German venom.
lines, but the oil itself.
women who were pregnant ... Dubnow
Why must Jews compensate everyone
•
•
.
stumbled, climbing into the bus, and
who shows some sort of decency, com-
HERE AND MERE
fell to the ground . . . A drunken Lat-
pensate them without investigating into
American Jewish organizations inter-
vian policeman ran up to him and shot
the real thing or something spurious, as
ested in the fate of the displaced Jews in
him in the back of the head as he lay
an opportunist's bait to catch Jewish lec-
Germany and Austria should be on the
on the sidewalk" . .. The great chroni-
ture fees?
alert . . . There is serious danger that the
• • •
cler of Jewish history died thus among
supplementary food ration which Jewish
his people, and was buried in a mass
ORCHIDS
DPs recive in the American zones in
grave in the Riga ghetto.
Our orchids go to the original distribu-
Europe will be eliminated . . . The ques-
•
•
•
tor, Walter Winchell, for his campaign
tion may be raised in Congress when the
against race and dialect comedians. Win- PREDICTION OF THE WEEK
request for a $100,000,000 supplementary
chell reports that Harvey Stone, Jackie
Pierre van Paassen predicts that Franco
War Department
Miles and Billy Vine have conferred with of Spain will play a very influential role appropriation for the It is high time that
Congress ...
others of their trade and decided to give in the Arab League . . . "It would not reaches
organizations investigated why
gags "straight," without dialect. We hope surprise me," the distinguished author Jewish
even one house has been returned to
that Fred Allen, otherwise a good enter- told us, "if Franco will become the head not Jewish community in Berlin whose
tainer, drops Mrs. Nussbaum, and Jack of the League . . . van Paassen's record the
property amounted to 12 million marks
Benny, who should know better, drops for forseeing international events is such
the war.
Rochester . . . We don't think either that we must take his prediction seriously. before
More and more reports are now reach-
Rochester or Mrs. Nussbaum are partic-
• •
•
ing this country of increased anti-Jewish
ularly funny, but that is a matter of per-
propaganda in "de-Nazified" Germany
sonal taste in humor. Whether funny or BROADWAY GOSSIP
.. ". After laying low since the downfall
Rank,
the
British
cinema
mo-
J.
Arthur
not, we don't like fun at other people's
of -the Nazi regime, the followers of Hit-
gul,
will
import
the
Marx
brothers
to
expense.
England . . London Times' editorials ler who can still be found in the thou-
sands in Germany are beginning to spread
stituents deserve as much consideration have been crying for Marx brothers anti-Semitic leaflets and stickers printed,
films . . . Groucho Marx, by the way,
as any taxpayer."
grandfather of course, illegally ... Many officials ia
It is our guess that this paragraph fell will be cast in the role of
Arthur in Germany receive threatening letters for
son
visits
his
when
Sir
Stork
on deaf ears, and we doubt whether it
being "servants of the Jews" . . . On the
April
or
May.
will do much good constantly to remind
other hand, German anthropologists who
fighter
with
gallant
Barney
Ross,
responsible organizations that they are
preached the Nazi doctrine of "Aryanism"
gloves
or
gun,
has
licked
the
demon
dope
abusing valuable services to our commu-
and German racial superiority have been
from
a
pri-
-
.
.
.
He's
slated
for
discharge
nities by publishing too many periodicals.
returned to influential posts in. GerMan
vate
sanitarium
any
day
now.
.
The fact remains that every little lodge,
universities.
The
Great
White
Way
is
wondering
every congregation, every national or-
how
a
great
actor
like
J.
Edward
Brom-
ganization, insists upon having its own
He claims, and we agree with him, that
organ. The result is that these groups add berg got stuck with the vaguely distaste-
Jewish , comedians are the chief ..culprits.
ful
dialect
role
of
Toplitsky
in
the
stage
scarcity
of
the
to the severe problem of
Oscar Levant will face the White
newsprint and duplicate the efforts of play "Toplitsky of Notre Dame" . . . House piano for President Truman's din-
established Jewish periodicals which Friends who made the blunder on open- ner to the Supreme Court . . . Gagsters
should receive the wholehearted support ing night tell us that this "comedy" will say the Chief Executive is taking Up the
of our communities. We agree with our make you wince.
Walter Winehell has started an all-out violin . . he's getting tired of those' -stale
confrere that such a practice means a
campaign against dialect comedians . . piano jokes
waste of Jewish taxpayers' money.
Strictly
Confidential
Heard in
The Lobbies
r" i •tIrrerr•lOr•,1:.ftr lr I.
Between
You and Me
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r a.a r»raaY
ias.et es
Wahl
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