THE JEWISH NEWS

Page Six

Friday, January 31, 1947

Morgenthau's Stirring Appeal on Behalf of UJA
Launches Detroit's Campaign to Raise $5,335,000

Community's Obligations
Shown in Analysis of Quota

(Continued from Page One)

accompanying analysis of needs, in the chart on Page One,
represents the community's obligations to the local, national
and other overseas causes normally supported by Detroit's
Allied Jewish Campaign.
Mr. Morgenthau, in his impressive address at the dinner
meeting, pointed out it was his hope that upon retirement
from the Cabinet, his sons having returned from service with
the armed forces, he would be able to return to private life
and to family affairs. But having received reports of the inde-
scribable sufferings among the Jewish survivors, whose
plight continues even after the unbelievable atrocities they
experienced under the Nazis, he found that he would never
again be able to go to sleep peacefully without thinking of
the 6,000,000 Jews who were murdered.

"1,500,000 Survivors Want to Live"

"Strangely enough," Mr. Morgenthau said, "the
1,500,000 survivors want to live. They want once more to
become self-respecting citizens of a community. Cities
like Detroit have the rare opportunity of keeping them
alive. The war is over, but the atrocities of Hitler go on.
1 can't sleep and you can't sleep'as long as we know that
the responsibility for these people rests upon us."

Left to right: FEDERAL JUDGE THEODORE LEVIN, Michigan Supreme Court Justice HENRY M.
BUTZEL, FRED M. BUTZEL, ISADORE LEVIN and MAURICE ENGGASS.

deductions were made for other incomes expected this year

for relief and reconstruction activities."

"We affirm a debt of gratitude

to the American army which pro-

_food for the survivors.
Mr. Wollheim, only survivor of his entire family, who vided
Without this aid the problem

escaped the gas chambers and crematoria, delivered a moving

would have been unsolvable. But
with the end of UNRRA and the
uncertainty of IRO, the only help
"We expected the world, after all we have suffered, to give
us peace, to dry our tears," he stated. "The bitter truth is the
that can be given these people
world has failed to do justice.
henceforth . must come through
"What do the survivors want? They desire to get out of Germany the United Jewish Appeal."
as quickly as possible. No one wants to stay in Germany. We refuse
"The problem of the UJA is an
to build anything on the soil that is soaked in Jewish blood.
act of mercy and of statesman-
'The DP camps are old soldiers' barracks. The world powers ship," Mr. Montor continued.
who promised us so much have failed. and our people continue to "The tragedy in Poland is horri-
live the unhealthy life of Auschwitz and Dachau and Bergen-Belsen ble. More Jews died at the hands
and Buchenwald.

address.

Asserting Detroit Jews must make up their minds as to
the share they will take in the great relief and reconstruction
effort, Mr. Morgenthau assured local leaders that the decision
for the national $170,000,000 goal was not arrived at lightly.
"In Romania, due to inflation and the scarcity of food,
25,000 Jews had to be scratched off the relief rolls," he pointed
out. "It meant death sentence for these people. We must
make certain that every needy person is provided for and is
not subjected to suffering.
Our minimum goal is intended not only for the sufferers
in Europe but also for the Palestinian Jews who are building

Majority Want to Go to Palestine

"The vast majority of the survivors want to go to Eretz Israel,
to our country. I was asked if this is propaganda. My answer is that
for our people you do not need propaganda. There is a real natural
feelingoto want to reconstruct our land. That's why we are unafraid
of British destroyers and that's why we consider every way of get-
made to go unbelievably far. We have to carry on. We must ting to Palestine a legal way. There is no other choice.
"In Bergen-Belsen, where 30,000 Jews met death after liberation,
provide larger sums because inter-governmental agencies are we were
questioned by Judge Hutcheson, American chairman of the
abandoning the help, the UNRRA having gone out of exist- Anglo-American Palestine Committee. He asked a young boy. with
ence. We must provide havens for the homeless. So far a tatoo on his arm, whether he does not know that Palestine is closed,
and the boy replied, 'then you had better send us back to Ausch-
witz.' Another survivor told him emphatically that the reason for
insistence upon going to Palestine is 'because I am wanted there'.
"We know the Yishuv is fighting for us and we know there is no
other solution than the immediate admission of 100,000 to Palestine
and thousands more thereafter. We will wait. But help must come so
that the survivors should not die while they wait. We must not con-
tinue in a position of saying there is no bread when a child pleads
for food. We have organized ourselves in the camps with the help
of the United Jewish Appeal. This work must go on, otherwise a
catastrophe will happen. When I return to my people in Europe
within a few days I want to bring to them your message that you
are with us and that we are one people."
The most comprehensive presentation of Jewish needs was made
ABRAHAM SRERE
by Mr. Montor who declared the fate of 1,500,000 survivors rests of Poles than at the hands of the
upon the decisions reached by American Jewry in support of the
Gestapo. Anti - Semitism there
United Jewish Appeal.
Describing his experiences in Europe and Palestine. Mr. Montor now is at its height. I was in
declared the DPs are human beings whose sufferings have not Kielce during the pogrom and the
trial of the pogromists and I can
diminished in spite of the end of the war. -
"1 have seen 2.000 human beings crowded into a barn intended attest to the horrors that are
to accommodate 160 people." he said. "They live in bunk next to faced by Polish Jews.
bunk, without blankets. or linens. A boy of 8 sleeps next to a preg-
Flee In Desperation
nant woman of 22. and next to them is a bearded patriarch mumbling
"That's why Jews flee in des-
his prayers. All are herded together in the indignity of concentra- peration and fear and are on the
tion camps.
"We speak of them as the dregs of the last 7,500.000 Jews who march hoping that somewhere
formerly lived in Europe. But they are cultured people who are there will be peace and sanctu-
being abused. It is unjust to charge them itrith black marketeering, ary for them. On this basis, YOU
for to them the black market means only a fight for a crust of bread. can decide on a budget; YOU try
thought their problem would be solved and that Jews would be to cut a budget for help to these
Left to right: HOKE LEVIN, MELVILLE S. WELT, ISRAEL'HIMEL- We
restored to their brothers on a status equal to their brothers. Instead, people."
HOCH and JUDGE WILLIAM , FRIEDMAN.
we must predict blackness. We thought their problems would be
Mr. Montor painted a glorious
picture of Jewish achievements in
Palestine is the only place that is opening its arms in welcome
Palestine. He declared there is
to these people. We must strengthen this position."
peaceful and routine activity in
Speaking again briefly at the Rackham Center, Mr. Mor-
the colonies, in spite of talk of
genthau emphasized, in his outline of current needs, that "all
terrorism, and he said it is as
we here, who live in comfort and prosperity, are asked to do
just to speak of endless terrorism
is to give our money."
in Palestine as it would be to
speak of endless strikes in the
"I am thoroughly satisfied, after deep study of our
U. S.
needs, that the United Jewish Appeal needs 5200,000.000
He told of the heroic efforts of
this year," he declared. "The $100,000,000 raised in 1946
17 and 18-year-old youths who
did not begin to take care of the needy. Only half the
overnight established 12 colonies
necessary funds were secured last year. The $170,000.000
in the Negev--a far-away sector
goal is an irreducible minimum."
where a truck has to travel 24
hours to bring a barrel of water
to the settlers—and asserted that
"if there is any hope of survival
Mr. Rosenwald spoke feelingly of the work of the Joint
right:, LOUIS ROBINSON, LOUIS BERRY, MAX ZIVIAN and for the Jewish people, it is in
Distribution Committee, United Palestine Appeal and United Left to
these youngsters in Palestine."
Service for New Americans. He described the work of reha- ABE KASLE.
Spirits Revived
bilitation, the economic adjustment of the survivors, emigra- solved in a few months, but now we know that it can not be solved
"In a world enwrapped in de-
than three to five years.
struction, our spirits are revived
tion difficulties, and called for unstinted effort to keep the in less
"We have the problem of training these people wherever they
Mr.
remaining Jews in Europe alive.
may be and whatever country may have compassion to welcome by these heroic settlers,"
Montor said. "There is a better
"In this country," he said, "we can be proud that we have them.
relationship between Arabs and
carried oil the traditions of creating an asylum for the op-
Jews in Palestine than there is
pressed and that the work of taking care of newcomers to this
between Christians and Jews in
land is so well fulfilled by the United Service for New
"Those who say. that local needs come first must learn the mean- America."
the
status
of
250,000
people
who
are
Americans."
Among the experiences de-
ing of the present situation; of
up in camps in Germany and Austria. It is not infrequent for scribed by Mr. Montor was his
At the evening meeting, Mr. Rosnwal.::4eclared that the bottled
American young men, serving in the army, fraternizing with frau- story of the arrival of the former
national goal "was not pulled out of a hat . , the $170,000,000 leins, who refer to these people as 'Brooklyn kikes,' who never knew
quota was decided upon after it was ascertained that the why their country' fought a war, and whose attitude can not be Canadian corvette Balboa, in-

homes for the survivors. I assure you that the National $170,-
000,000 quota is a minimum need.
The money raised last year was well spent and was

Describes Work of Rehabilitation

Acts of Mercy and Statesmanship

actual needs for UJA this year will be $215,000,000 and after

tolerated by the Jewish survivors.

(Continued on Page 8)

