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THE JEWISH NEWS

Non-Jews Honor Rogvoy's Memory

Pershing High Faculty, Students
Plant Garden of Trees in Zion

Nobel Prize Asked
For Rescue of Jews
From Hungary's Nazis

STOCKHOLM, (JTA) — A
in behalf of a Jewish teacher. movement to award the 1943 No-
The Pershing faculty perSonnel bel Peace Prize to Raoul Wallen-
is overwhelmingly non-Jewish berg, young Swedish diplomat,
for his work in rescuing thous-
ands of Jews from the wartime
Nazi terror in Hungary in 1944
was launched at a mass meeting
here Sunday.
Wallenberg, who disappeared
from Hungary after the Red
Army entered the country, is be-
iieved to be alive and in Russian
custody. He reported to the Rus-
sion conqueror in Budapest, Mar-
shal Rodion Y. Malinovsky, on
Jan. 17, 1945, and has not been
seen since by Swedish officials.
Some Russian authorities insist
he was murdered by Hungarian
Fascists, but his friends and rela-
atives are convinced he is still
living, somewhere in Russia. His
mother, Mine. Maj von Dardel of.
LATE JACOB ROGVOY
Stockholm, had assurances to this
effect from Mine. Alexandra Kol-
and there are no Jewish students lontai when she was Russian
in the school.
Ambassador to Sweden.
The late Mr. Rogvoy was active
in the Jewish community and was
one of the main factors in the
advancement of the educational
system at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek where he taught and was
principal for many years.
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
Jewish Agency executive voted
to postpone the scheduled meet-
Yugoslavia Bans Movie
ing of the Zionist Actions Com-
Unfavorable to The Jews
mittee from the beginning of
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia, February to the , middle or the
(JTA)—A Czech-made film en- end of the month, depending on
titled "N kola Suhaj" has been when the UN Implementation
withdr awn from circulation fol- Commission is due to arrive here.
lowing a protest that it portrayed
The executive, after hearing a
a Jewish character in a manner
tending to arouse anti-Semitism. report from Eliezer Kaplan,
Agency treasurer, and discussing
the security situation, proclaimed
a drive to raise an additional $12,-
000,000 within Palestine for de-
fense purposes. It also set up a
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
"shadow executive" to function
in Tel Aviv, in the event that
Simeon Strunsky on the Crusades: True to Form
Simeon Strunsky, brilliant author of the "Topics of The Times" Jerusalem is cut off from the rest
column in the New York Times is true to form in his article on of the country.
Palestine, the UN decision and the Crusades.
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, chair-
Mr. Strunsky wrote: "One of the few important questions the man of the American section of
United Nations has been - able to unite on is the question of Pales- the Agency, arrived here for on-
tine. Going back to history about 800 years we firid the nations of the-spot observation of the cur-
Europe similarly united. The important question which brought rent situation. He told the Jew-
them together was again the question of Palestine. Quite a differ- ish Telegraphic Agency that he
ent form of problem, quite a different solution agreed upon. But plans to remain in Palestine for
there was a common decision and joint action. The Crusades were
a united-nations action on a scale that the world has not seen since. two months, after which he will
They were supported not only by all the governments from London inspect DP camps in Europe.
In Syria, the government has
to Constantinople but by all the peoples in their many different
tongues. In the 12th and 13th centuries there was no United Nations issued an order prohibiting Jews
but the nations were united in a faith that on occasion transcended from leaving the country as well
politics."
as from changing their residences
Mr. Strunsky thereupon _proceeds to give an historical analysis within the country. The Syrian
of the Crusades, as cold as the foregoing, and, as in the foregoing,
government also ordered the dis-
scrupulously avoiding mention of Jews.
missal of all musicians of "Jew-
Just as he fails to mention the important role of Jewry in
ish origin" from the'- Damascus
in the UN decision on Palestine, so does the eminent Simeon
broadcasting station.
Strunsky avoid referring to Jews when speaking of the bloody
Crusades whose "heroes" vent their spleen upon the Jews. Tens
of thousands of Jews lost their lives at the hands of the Crusa-
ders whose holy mission was not only - to capture Jerusalem from
the Mohammedans but also to exterminate the Jews in their
tracks. In some cities Jews were gathered in synagogues and
burned alive.
Not a word about these occurrences from Mr. Strunsky! For that
LONDON (JTA) — A deputa-
matter, not a word ever about Jews either from Mr. Strunsky or
such of his colleagues of the Jewish persuasion as Walter Lippman! tion led by Prof. Selig Brodet-
After all, why disturb the status quo?
sky, president of the Board of
- Mr. Strunsky's conscience will have to remain his guide and, Deputies of British Jews, which
recognizing that you can not change a leopard's spots especially was received by Home Secretary
'when those Vitebsk-born spots are nearing their 70th year, this James Chuter Ede, expressed con-
Commentator must limit himself to regrets that some among the
large number of Strunsky's readers may be misled into believing that cern over the emergence of the
the Crusades were a sort of unity-building phenomenon instead. of new Mosley Party. The delega-
tion urged that measures be
what they really were: hate-breeding holocausts.
It was during the Second and Third Crusades that the ritual taken to curb publications and
murder libel found its origin against the Jews. It did not matter statements encouraging racial
that the origin of this libel was in the accusation of the Romans that discrimination. Mr. Ede promised
Christians used pagans' blood in holy communion celebrations. Dur- to consider the proposals, but
ing the Crusades Christians began to charge that Jews were using
Christian blood at Passover. The first accusation arose at Blois stressed that the question might
where a farm laborer accused a Jew of flinging the body of a invoke interference with the
rights of free speech and public
Christian boy into the river.
Rivers of Jewish blood flowed during the Crusades. Yet we are assembly.
presented with a cold-blooded account of the period and are asked
by a: Jewish, Vitebsk-born writer to accept it as unity-building on a
par with the UN decision which ordered the reconstitution of the New Assembly Needs
Jewish state! It is not that we can't take it, but that it is difficult to
refrain from- pointing out to a Jewish confrere that there are certain $300,000 for Activities
sufficiently important historical events which call for acknowledge-
ment of background and heritage, and for expose of events like the
NEW YORK — Edmund I.
Crusades during which human lives were cheapest if they were KaUfman of Washington, D. C.,
Jewish.
will head a campaign for $300,-
Josef Kastein, in his "History and Destiny of the Jews" (which
your Commentator recommends as the best one-volume Jewish 000 to finance the organization of
history ever written), in his analysis of the period of the Crusades, the proposed American, Jewish
asks the question: "How could .a people, suffering from such funda- Assembly and to carry on the
mental spiritual depression, make any contribution to culture or current work of the American
prodate anything new or original?" He points to the creation by Jewish Conference, which the As-
Jews of that time of the "Tosaphoth" but declaring that "in a secret sembly will succeed. Kaufman as-
corner of their hearts they nursed a grudge against God" he relates
sumed the chairmanship of the
this anecdote:
committee on ways and means of
"In the hymn Who is like unto Thee. 0 God, amongst the
the preparatory committee for the
Gods? they altered the word ba elim in the phrase 'amongst the
gods' to ba ilmim, so that the line ran 'Who is like unto Thee,
American Jewish Assembly, es-
0 God, amongst the dumb?' "
tablishment of which was author-
Recognizing the truth of what we have just outlined with refer- ized at the Conference in Chicago
ence to the god among the N. Y. Times classicists, we trust that our
readers will condone our own substitution of item for el when deal- last month. The Assembly is to be
organized by Dec. 3L
log with Simeon Strunsky's Jewish loyalities.

The high esteem in which the
late Jacob Rogvoy, head of the
social studies department at Per-
shing High School from 1930 to
1947, was held by his students
and colleagues, was graphically
evinced on Saturday night, Jan.
17, when his widow, Mrs. Rose
Rogiroy, was presented with a
Jewish National Fund certificate
denoting a $1 .50 contribution to
purchase a garden of 100 trees
in Palestine in his memory.
Leo Flack, who represented the
Pershing Alumni Association and
faculty, -made the presentation to
Mrs. Rogvoy.
The Alumni Association, spon-
sored by Mr. Rogvoy for upwards
of 15 years and consisting of close
to 10,000 graduates of Pershing
High_ School, appropriated part
of the sum from its treasury. The
balance was contributed by the
late Mr. Rogvoy's fellow-teachers
in a special drive last week, held
at the suggestion of Loren C.
Bow, Pershing principal, and
Verne Smeltzer, present sponsor
of the alumni group.
A similar honor — the planting
of a garden in Mr. Rogvoy's,mem-
ory — was sponsored by the
Chess Club which he helped or-
ganize.
The occasion of the presenta-
tion of the Pershing High School
certificate of tribute to Mrs. Rog-
voy was the semi-annual dance
held. in the Fountain Ballroom of
Masonic Temple.
This is the first time in the his-
tory of the Detroit public schools
that a contribution of this nature
has been made to .a Jewish cause

ActiOns Committee
Meeting Postponed

Purely Commentary

-'

Jews Urge Britain
Curb Anti-Semitism

-

-

Friday, January . 23, 1948

Proskauer Refutes Charge
Of Dual Political Loyalty

Re-elected President

of American Jewish Committee
Views Partition as End to Zionist Bickering;
Truman Greets Conimittee Parley

NEW YORK (JTA)—Although organized anti-Semitism
is decreasing in the United States, latent anti-Semitism, vague
as yet, exists in too large a number of "our fellow-Americans,"
Jacob Blaustein, chairman of the executive committee of the
American Jewish Committee, reported at the 41st annual
meeting of the Committee. or

"Eternal vigilance and all the ' creation of a United Nations con-
techniques at our command must stabulary.
be employed to keep it from flar-
Judge Proskauer's address made
ing up to dangerous proportions three other major points:
when and if the current economic
(1) That one of the great con-
situation changes," Blaustein
temporary problems of American
warned.
Reviewing the activities of the life is to close the gap in civil
American Jewish Committee dur- liberties "between our principles •
ing the past year with regard to of freedom and our practice. The
Palestine, Blaustein declared that stamping out of anti-Semitism is
the Committee "played a signifi-
cant role in the United Nations one step in that direction, and a
partition decision." American great step."
(2) That the creation of a
Jewish Committee concern for
finding homes for DPs, he said, Jewish state in Palestine raises
has not been limited to Palestine. no problem for the American
Social discrimination in Amer- Jew "between our obligations
ica of the "Gentleman's Agree- as Americans and as Jews."
Stating that there is no issue of
ment" variety is rampant and far
in excess of what might be ex- "double loyalty," despite the
pected in a democracy, Dr. John feelings of a small minority of
Jews, Judge Proskauer contin-
Slawson, executive vice-president,
declared. "It must be stamped ued: "The Jews of America
out," he said, "because otherwise suffer from no political schi-
it becomes a festering sore which zophrenia, politically we are
ultimately can grow into a deep not split personalities.- I speak
wound in the body of the Ameri- what I believe to be right for
Zionist and non-Zionist alike.
can democratic structure."
Indeed, I pray that the day has
President Harry S. Truman,
come when the bitterness and
in a message of greeting to the
controversy and backbiting,
meeting, declared:
which was born of the dissen-
"Civil rights are not easily
sion between Zionist arid non-
attained, but once attained they
Zionist, have all run their
are easily lost. The preserva-
course. I hold the faith that
tion and extension of civil rights
when the United Nations in its
will depend in a large measure
wisdom decreed partition as the
on such organizations as the
settlement of the Palestinian
American Jewish Committee,
problem, one of its beneficent
which throughout its history
results was to mitigate the rig-
has championed the cause of
ors of this bitter schism in Jew-
tolerance and in so doing has
ry caused by emotional defense
contributed to the strengthen-
of Zionism and emotional op-
ing of American democracy."
position to it."
The lifting of the United States
(3) That the attempt to create
on
arms
to
Palestine
un-
embargo-
an over-all organization as
til a United Nations constabulary
"spokesman for American Jewry"
is created, and the early creation
is doomed to failure because
of such a United
"there is—and there can be—no
Nations constab-
spokesman for American Jewry."
ulary, was urged
by Joseph M.
Proskauer, whc
Enroll Counselors
w a s re-elected
For Fresh Air Camp
president of the
American Jew-
Fresh Air Camp is now ac-
ish Committee
cepting applications for coun-
for a sixth term.
sellorship and other camp po-
H e explained
sitions for the 1948 season. Ap-
that "responsible
plication blanks may be ob-
Proskauer
Jewish leader-
tained at the information desk
ship asks for nothing except that
of the Jewish Community Cen-
the Mandate of the United Na-
ter, Holbrook at Woodward,
tions be executed" and that, there-
and in Room 306 of the Com-
fore, American Jews "have a clear
munity Fund Building, 51 W.
right and duty" to urge both the
Warren.
lifting of the embargo and the

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1948 Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Zionist Moods

Economic plans for Palestine are being negotiated in New York
by interested groups, to be put into effect as soon as the Jewish
State is formally proclaimed . . . One of these plans provides for
the building by American private investors of a town in Galilee in,
the Huleh area . . . Dr. Emanuel Neumann, president of the Zionist
Organization of America, is busy with the formation of a $12,000,000
investment corporation for Palestine .. . It is becoming clear that
American Zionist leaders will not seek a plac6 in the cabinet of the
Jewish State ... Dr. Abba H. SilVer aspires to the presidency of the
World Zionist Organization, rather than to a post in the Jewish gov-
ernment . . . He believes that the Jewish State will depend greatly,
for at least 10 years, on financial and political support from Jews
abroad, especially from American Jewry • . . Here is where the
World Zionist Organization can be of great help to the strengthen-
ing of the Jewish State . .. There is agreement among all Zionist
leaders that the World Zionist Organization should not go out of
existence • after the establishment of the Jewish , State . . . The
president of the world organization therefore will play no small role,
event though he will not be a member of the cabinet of the Jewish
State.

*

*

*

UN Talks

Members of the UN Implementation Commission are far from
impressed by the "advice" of the British government that they
should not come to Palestine before May 1 . . . They are interested
in the security angle of the Palestine problem . . . Some of them are
determined to call upon the Security Council for military aid in
carrying out the implementation decision . . . Attention is being paid
by the commission to the examination of legal issues of the Pales-
tine case prepared by Prof. Clyde Eagleton, New York University
professor of international law . . . According to Prof. Eagleton, - no
state is legally bound by the General Assembly resolution on parti-
tion .. . . But if any states or individuals use force, and thus cause
what the 'Security Council decides is a threat to peace, the Council
could establish its own police force to watch over the area . . . It is
up to the Assembly to appropriate the money to maintain this force
. If it should take the method of'calling upon members for armed
forces, the Security Council would have to obtain the consent of the
members upon whom it calls.

