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THE JEWISH NEWS
Foiday, February 14, 1947
UJA Aids Vets Building Settlement IAnti-Semitism's Actress Portrays Role of Her Aunt
Rise in Germany In Eternal Light's 'Mark of Cain'
f t.
Financed by the United Palestine Appeal with funds raised
through the $170,000,000 campaign of the United Jewish Appeal,
three new veterans' settlements are nearing completion, demon-
strating the unflagging determination of the Jewish community of
Palestine to wprk and build the Jewish Homeland in the face of
all obstacles. 'Here in Irgun Regba, on 950 dunam of Jewish
National Fund land near Shavei Zion in North Palestine, 50 for-
mer servicemen are breaking ground fpr their new cooperative
village. Above a veteran mixes cement for the houses nearing
completion, while children play in the improvised "sandpne".
What's Become of King Kalakaua's
Torah?
19th Century Pacific Ruler
Was a Student of Judaism
•
By JOE
Somewhere in the Pacific there
lies a dusted, worn Torah, • the
possession of the late King David
Kalakaua, 19th century ruler of
the Hawaiian Islands. Versions as
to the manner in which the
Scroll found its way to the king
are numerorm -Its present owner
remains a mystery.
According to "old-timers" here,
the Holy Scroll was presented to
King Kalakaua by a Rabbi Klein,
who was passing through Hono-
lulu en route to China and the
Far East. The story tellers relate
the rabbi tutored His Majesty
in the rituals of Judaism and
taught him Hebrew. King Kala-
kaua was interested in religion,
as were his parents who had
named him in honor of the bib-
lical Hebrew King David.
Displayed in Palace
The Hawaiian Archives disclose
during the reign of King Kala-
kaua the Holy Scroll was display-
ed among his personal belongings
at the royal palace in Honolulu.
An Ark was constructed at the
King's insistence. Islanders came
from far and near to view the
precious scroll.
At the time King Kalakaua
came into possession of his Torah
there were few Jews in the Ha-
waiian Islands. It was the late
1800's.
Around the close of the first
World War the Jews had organiz-
ed sufficiently to hold Rosh Has-
hanah and Yom Kippur services,
but the Jews found themselves
without a Scroll. And so it was
not strange that one morning in
September the successors of King
Kalakaua were approached by
Jewish residents. Old-timers say
the residents were granted per-
mission to use the Torah for sev-
eral years.
Another Version
There is another version of
King Kalakaua's Torah. Some
say he received the Scroll in
the 1880's while on a trip to the
U. S. where the king drew up
the important Reciprocity Treaty
with America.
The famed Hawaiian Archives
Institute, which • is responsible
for preserving records and docu-
ments, confirms the story of King
FRIED
Kalakaua's Torah. What has be-
come of it, they don't know.
For 30 years the Torah remain-
ed in the royal palace. Officially
it was last observed during the
administration of Gov. George
Carter, 1903-1907. The Archives
officials state that an employe
of the governor, now deceased,
reported the Holy Scroll as hav-
ing been stolen. Nothing more is
contained in the official records.
(Copyright. 1947. JTA. Inc.)
Refugees Arrive
On Mercy Ship
By ROBERT GARY
MUNICH—The slimy specter of
anti-Semitism is again on the rise
in Germany—slowly but surely.
Still unorganized and some-
what spasmodic, anti-Semitism in
the American occupied zone man-
ifests itself in conversation among
the Germans, in the letters they
write each other, and occasion-
ally ki vile and anonymous
threatening letters to German-
Jewish officials in public office.
Whereas a year or so ago the
German often went out of his
way to make Jewish friends and
perform special favors for Jews,
the German today, in most in-
stances, is again hostile. The Ger-
man, in the months immediately
following the end of the war, felt
that the Jew would - be the
"teacher's pet," and often showed
exaggerated kindness and friend-
ship.
Restrictive Regulations
In the intervening months, the
German has seen the "teacher,"
in the form of the Allies, kick
around the Jew, refuse him emi-
gration, place him in uncomfort-
able camps, force him to adhere
to all kinds of restrictive regula-
tions, and even physically 'man-
handle him.
There occasionally pops up a
case where a German claims he
is a Jew, "seeks" a Jewish mother
or grandmother, or tries to be-
friend some Jew. But it is soon
established the German does this
to obtain emigration papers or
an affidavit from a Jew swearing
the German is a fine, upstanding
citizen and should not be pun-
ished.for his past Nazi affiliations.
These cases are rare. In the main.
the German studiously avoids the
Jew like a plague.
Pre ss' Flands Clean'
Occasionally an anti-Semitic
article appears in the German
press, but military government
generally is swift to reprimand.
and the German press, on the
whole. has clean hands—at least
in the negative sense it refrains
from printing anti-Semitic arti-
cles.
Military government and Ger-
man-Jewish officials fear anti-
Semitism will increase greatly in
the coming months. A key reason
will be the implementing of the
forthcoming property restitution
laws, which will force a great
number of Germans to either sur-
render or pay fairly large sums
for Jewish property seized in one
form or another under the Nazis.
These officials point out even
in Poland, Hungary and Romania
—countries with leftist govern-
ments and occupied by the Soviet
Union—there have been many
instances of violence and po-
groms because of property resti-
tution. These officials, however,
don't feel German opposition to
restitution will take any violent
form because of the occupation
forces, but they do feel it will
take some form, probably more
openly made remarks and at-
tempts at inserting anti-Semitic
articles in newspapers.
Dr..._Philip Auerbach, head of
the Office for Politically and Ra-
cially Persecuted Persons in the
Bavarian government, stated
that curiously enough his own
Social Democratic Party was aid-
ing the growth of anti-Semitism.
More open manifestations of
anti-Semitism are expected in
the near future.
(Copyright. 1947.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Inc.)
German Refugee's Torah
Finds Home in Ecuador
Above an ex-GI welcomes his
refugee fiancee. Below a father
greets the son for whom he has
waited and prayed for seven years.
Pictures were taken at pier on ar-
rival of mercy ship from Germany.
NRS services began even before
this, when agency gave its corpo-
rate affidavit as basis for visas for
most of the Jewish immigrants.
Agency's program, with coopera-
tion of local communities through-
out country, will continue to aid
them until they are well-adjusted
Americans.
NEW YORK—A Torah, which
was spirited out of Germany by
a German refugee, entrusted to
the National Jewish Welfare
Board, for safekeeping, and later
served at religious services of
Jewish chaplains on Pacific battle-
fronts, has finally come home to
stay in the German-Jewish com-
munity of Guayquil, Ecuador,
where it was used recently at the
first Bar Mitzvah held in the
community it was disclosed here
by the JWB. The Torah had been
gent to the Communidad de
Culto Israelito in response to an
S.O.S. from its chairman, A.
Jamszon and secretary, A. Bern-
stein.
ALINE MacMAHON, stage and screen actress, discusses with
radio writer MORTON WISHENGARD the script of "The Mark
of Cain," a recent production on NBC's Eternal Light series.
She portrayed ber aunt, Sophie Loeb, crusader for social justice.
When Aline MacMahon played
Sophie Irene Loeb on the Eternal
Light NBC radio program, "The
Mark of Cain," recently, radio
folk regarded the event as a
"natural".
Miss MacMahon's performances
in roles calling for -warmth and
maturity now are regarded as a
standard of excellence—and So-
phie Irene Loeb was just such a
part.
But there was something more.
Aline MacMahon, it turned out,
was the niece of the woman she
portrayed.
"Doing the role was almost an
act of devotion," Miss MacMahon
remarked -afterward. "I know
she.would have loved having me
play it."
"The Mark of Cain", broadcast
under the auspices of the Jewish
Theological Seminary, told the
story of the struggle by Sophie
Irene Loeb, a New York`reporter,
in getting humane laws on wid-
ows' pensions and similar prob-
lems, passed by the New York
State Legislature.
Aline MacMahon's mother was
the sister of this fighter for jus-
tice and Mrs. MacMahon was lis-
tening to the broadcast in Cali-
, fornia. as were other members
of Aline's family.
Baruch, the Blessed
Spinoza's Life and Works
Reviewed in Fine Biography
Much has been written about
Spinoza. Philosophers and theo-
logians have debated over his
ethical ideals and have either
paid tribute to him or have ex-
coriated him.
Few works on the Spinozian
subject, however, are as fascin-
ating as the latest biography of
the great Jewish philosopher of
the 17th century—Rudolf Kay-
ser's "Spinoza: Portrait of a
Spiritual Hero," published by the
Philosophical Library, 15 E. 40th
St., New York 16, N. Y., in
translation by Amy Allen and
Maxim Newmark.
While Kayser's biologital work
is a true account of the life of
the great philosopher, the author
speaks of Spinoza as "a legend,"
—so deeply has Spinozian phil-
osophy become rooted in the pro-
gress achieved by thinking men.
"His legend," his biographer
writes, "is that of a faithful
servant of God. It is as painful
and as pure as the human mind
itself. It renews our heritage and
prepares our way. It sanctifies
the ground on which dreams and
struggles have taken place in
every age. It allows those hands
which have suffered martyrdom
for the sake of ideas to fold them-
selves in prayer. Then they
spread themselves out wide and
implore the love of God for all
men."
• • •
Kayser's "Spinoza" in reality
is two books in one. Its review
of the history of the arrival of
the Jews in Holland, supported
by a background of a fascinating
fering at the hands of an intol-
erant attitude in which Christ-
ians and Jews had joined hands,
is duplicated for Spinoza. But
Spinoza was able to make real
for himself his own axiom: "One
wins men's hearts not by arms
but by love and magnanimity."
He won the friendship of a small
group who stuck' by him, assist-
ing in the perpetuation of a
great Idea enunciated by the frail
and sick man who earned his liv-
ing as a lens grinder.
• • •
Spinoza's life, indeed, was one
of struggle. But it was a creative
life. His "Ethics", to quote his
biographer Kayser, "more than •
ani other philosophical work laid
the foundation for the force of
reason."
Kayser's "Spinoza" is a master-
ful biography, an able analysis
of the philosopher's works and a
splendid book from the historical
viewpoint. It deserves a very
large circulation.
Efficacy of Prayer
By Benjamin Franklin, 1787 •
The longer I live, the more
convincing proof I see that God
governs in the affairs of men . .
I firmly believe that except the
Lord built the house, they labor
in vain that -build it. Without
His concurring aid we shall be
divided by our little interests,
succeed no better than the build.
ers of Babel and become a re-
narrative of the history of the proach and a byword in future
Marranos of Spain, could well be ages. What is worse, mankind
incorporated into an independ- may hereafter, from this unfor-
tunate instance, despair of estalr
ent volume.
The story of Uriel da Costa is
told in masterful style, transmit-
ted to the reader in a very able
translation.
Da Costa's experience of suf-
listing government by human
wisdom .. . and leave it to chance
-nd, war. I propose, gentlemen
that the convention be opened
every morning with prayer.