Juniors Cover 350 Slips in Clean-

'The Judge' Reaches 50

Charles Rubiner Wins Respect
Of Civic, Jewish Communities

In a one-day clean-up campaign, "Operation
Completion," workers in the Junior Division of
the Allied Jewish Campaign conducted a "cam-
paign on foot," Sunday, June 27, and covered
350 slips, bringing in nearly $600. Working on

preparations for breakfast, which preceded the
leg work are, left to right: TILLIE FEINBLOOM,
SHIRLEY GOLDMAN, DOROTHY LIEDERMAN,
LILO FAUMAN, RUDY SIMON and WILLIAM
FITZERMAN.

Purely Commentary

By PHILIP sLomovia
Island of Rhodes—Ifs Importance in Jewish History
The interest of the entire world is focused on the Mediterran-
ean Island of Rhodes where the UN Mediator Folke Bernadotte is
negotiating for a permanent peace in Palestine.
Encyclopaedias published prior to 1940 list the number of Jews
in Rhodes as 4,000 out of a total population of 40,000. Actually, as
indicated recently in Boris Smolar's column, only 60 Jews remain
on that island today. There were more than 2,000 Jews there before
World War II. This community suffered the fate of other Jews who
fell victims of Nazism. They were deported to Poland, Rhodesia,
South Africa and the Belgian Congo. Only about 30 Jews remained
there, 30 more had returned since the end of the war and the 60—
surviving out of a total of 4,000 who lived there at the beginning of
the twentieth century—are destined to carry on the uninterrupted
activities of a community whose existence dates back to Biblical
times.
In Genesis (x.4), this island in the Aegean Sea is referred to as
"Dodonim." In the Book of Maccabees we learn that Jews dwelt
there in the year 140 B. C. The famous Jewish traveler, Benjamin of
Tudello, found 500 Jews on the island in the twelfth century. Jews
are repeatedly mentioned in Rhodes historical records. Jews who
were forced to embrace Christianity, returned to their faith upon
the capture of the island by the Turks.
The debris of the famous Colossus of Rhodes, which was destroy-
ed by earthquake in 282 B.C., was bought by a Jew from Emesa in
the year 656.
One of the saddest chapters in the history of the Jews of Rhodes
involved the ritual. murder libel charge in the year 1840. Josef Kas-
tein, in his "History and Destiny of the Jews," wrote that "once again
the Catholic Church proclaimed her belief in ritual murder and the
usefulness of such a belief for supplying her with martyrs, by the
premature erection of a monument in the Capuchin church in Rome
to commemorate the martyrdom of the 'victims of the Jews'."
Accused of having abducted a 10-year-old Greek boy, who ac-
tually had hanged himself, the Jews of Rhodes suffered persecution
and an accused Jew was tortured with the approval of the consuls
from England. France and Sweden. The historian Heinrich Graetz
charged that "it was a sort of conspiracy of the Christians in Turkey
against the Jews, to bring them to the edge of the precipice, perhaps
due to envy, because the young Sultan, Abdul Meg'id, on ascending
the throne, in his congratulatory address had conceded equal priv-
ileges to all subjects of his kingdom, Jews included."
Adolphe Cremieux, Sir Moses Montefiore, Nathaniel de Roths-
child and Count Camondo interceded, a tribunal was set up, the
innocence of the Jews was established and a firman of the Sultan
declared the ritual murder charge null and void, thus ending a
tragedy that threatened the entire Jewish community in Rhodes.
Marvin Lowenthal, in "A World Passed By," refers to the syna-
gogues in Rhodes—the Great Synagogue and the Shalom Synagogue.
Jewry hopes that from that historic community, which has been
reduced to a handful of Jews, will come decisions that will lead
to permanent peace for Israel—the People and the State.

Pearl S. Buck's 'Peony'—An Intolerant Navel
Since 1931, when Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize for her
great novel "The Good Earth", she has been recognizedrightfully-
among the very great writers of this century. A great story-teller,
her genius was rewarded with the Nobel Prize for Literature
in 1938. She is without doubt one of the great authorities on China
where she spent most of her life.
Her qualities, however, do not make her an authority on Jews
and Judaism and her latest novel, "Peony," (published by John Day
Co., New York) proVes that she has used one-sided and limited
knowledge as a basis for a story dealing with Chinese Jews.
Miss Buck has been a consistent advocate of tolerance and good
will and has fought for justice for mankind, regardless of the race
or creed of thote whose right she defended. Which makes her
"Peony" all the more disappointing from the point of view of her
approach to issues involving Jews and Judaism.
The bondmaid Peony, in love with the young master David in
the household of Ezra ben Israel, plots to have him marry a Chinese
girl rather than the Jewess Leah. The latter, in the course of a mild
argument with David who is torn between two loyalties, ends her
life by cutting her throat with a dagger. David marries the Chinese
girl whom he believes himself in love with and Peony, who finally
. emerges as the only one whom the Jewish hero loves, becomes a nun
to avoid complications of being her master's concubine.
It is a pretty story, and the author's brilliant style is earning
for "Peony" tremendous popularity. It is regrettable, therefore, that
a book which has gone into the best-seller list should carry with
it elements of intolerance. The dying Jewish community of China
described by Miss Buck could be interpreted as having embittered
the spokesman for the disappearing people—the old and aged rabbi,
and his daughter Leah. There is danger, however, that the impres-
sion of the ,average reader will be that the intolerance of the Rabbi
in "Peony" is the intolerance of the Jewish people, that the yearn-
ing for the promised land is an urge of all Jews to crave to leave
their habitations. By inference, the Jewish liberation movement is
described as fanaticism, and Miss Buck has missed a good opportun-
ity to show the strength of a cause ,which seeks to liberate the op-
pressed rather than perpetuate "a jealous God" and ae "covenant"
which is thoroughly misinterpreted through the repelling figure of
a bigoted "Rabbi.''
There is injustice in the approach of "Peony." The perverted
view of a dying community must be differentiated from ,the true
traditions of the people from which it sterns. Miss Buck has failed to
acquire the true facts about a Judaism which she describes as
bigoted. She may have passed on to her many readers false and
unjust ideas about Jews. When a fairy tale spreads prejudice it be-
comes a most threatening weapon for injustice. Miss Buck's intoler-
ant Rabbi and bigoted Madame Ezra are media or the spread of
bias and her "Peony" destroys much of the tolerance which the
author had preached and written about in the past.

2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, Sully 9, 1948

Palestinian Tells
Of Israel Heroes

A stirring letter. from Israil
Stuchiner of Tel Aviv, Israel, to
his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs.
M. Peintuch of 8984 Otsego, De-
troit, decribes the heroism of
Haganah and the manner in
which the British sought to
sabotage Jewish efforts and to
destroy the Jewish State.
The Tel Avivian, writes that
the British were arming the
Arabs, that they resorted to ev-
ery means of depriving Jews of
weapons for self-defense, that
photographs taken by British
fliers of Jewish strategic posi-
tions later were found in the
possession of Arab fliers who
were shot down by Israeli.
"Jewish heroism is amazing,"
Stuchiner writes. "Hundreds of
Jewish fighters are defeating
overwhelming numbers of Arabs
running in the thousands. If it
were not for British soldiers who
are directing Arab troops our
forces would long ago have been
in Egypt. The British were un-
der the impression that with five
Arab nations attacking us we
will be pleading for mercy and
for retention of British armies
in Israel. They were fooled. Our
fighters are too brave, our cause
too sacred, and we shall surely
win the fight for freedom."

UHS Alumni Complete
Activities for Season,

The alumni association of the
United Hebrew Schools closed
its formal sessions for the sum-
' mer June 24.
Through the cooperation of the
Women's Auxiliary, a program
of Jewish. books, radio programs,
records, periodicals and news-
papers was presented by Mes-
dames Gertrude Moss, Abe Katz-
man, Harry Oberstein and Paul
Carpenter.
President Allan Weston and
Sol King were/appointed to the
board of the' Hebrew Schools.
Special bulletins containing cur-
rent news and activities of af-
filiated organizations will be pub-
lished during the coming year.
UHS graduates desiring infor-
mation regarding membership
can call Ruben Isaacs and Max
Chomsky, executive chairman.

Czech Grant Will Aid
Kfar Masaryk in Israel

PRAGUE, (JTA)—A grant of
$70,000 was made by the Min-
istries of Education and Infor-
mation toward the construction
of a school to be established in
Kfar Masaryk in Israel, a Hash-
omer Hatzair settlement named
for the founder of the Czech Re-
public, Thomas G. Masaryk.
The school willeoffer academic
and vocational training to ap-
proximately 200 - Jewish orphans
from Czechoslovakia. Under the
terms of an agreement worked
out by government officials and
'S. Ailon, a representative of the
settlement, all equipment for the
school will be purchased in this
country from the subvention
funds granted the school.

The major milestone of a 50th birthday will be marked this
Saturday by one of Detroit's leading civic and Jewish communal
leaders, Charles Rubiner.
Although he has been in private practice as an attorney since
1939, his dispensation of justice as judge of the common pleas court
for eight years made such a lasting impression that he is still
known almost exclusively as ∎
"Judge" Rubinere
and now an honorary board mem-
Born in Traverse City in 1898, ber, of the Jewish Community
the son of the late Abraham and
Center; vice president of Congre-
Mary (Shetzer) Rubiner, he was
educated in the Detroit public gation Shaarey Zedek; a former
schools and the University of De- member of the Board of Gov-
troit Law School. He was class
orator of the class of 1919 at
U.' of D., graduating cum laude.
Later, he lectured to post-gradu-
ate law classes at the university.
Rubiner practiced law in De-
troit until 1928, when he was ap-
pointed assistant attorney-general
for the state of Michigan. Later,
he became counsel to Governor
Wilbur M. Brucker.
The governor appointed him to
fill a vacancy on the Common
Pleas bench in 1931, and he was
elected for a full term in 1933.
In 1939 he returned to private
practice, but has remained prom-
inent in civic life as chairman of
the Mayor's City 'of Detroit
Youth Committee; chairman of a
World War II draft board for six
years, and a member of the board
of the Detroit Round Table of
Catholics, Protestants and Jews.
The roster of liis positions in
CHARLES ,RUBINER
the Jewish community is an in-
dication of Rubiner's deep con- ernors of the Jewish Welfare
cern with every phase of Jewish Federation, and a member of the
life. He is a former president, boards of the United Hebrew
Schools, United Synagogue of
Am e r i c a, Jewish Community
Council and the Zionist Organ-
ization of Detroit. To each of
these he lends graciously his wise
counsel and untiring efforts.
In 1925, Rubiner was married
Limited mail service to the to Selma Zechman. They have
state of Israel already has been two sons, Arthur James and
inaugurated h e r e, Postmaster Walter Jerome, both of whom are
students at the University , of
Roscoe B. Huston announced.
Only ordinary letters and post Michigan.
cards will be accepted at present
for mailing by air or surface U. S. Authorities Prohibit
means to Israel. No parcel post
DP Military Training
will be accepted until further
notice.
FRANKFURT (JTA)—An .or-
The postage rate on letter mail
der prohibiting displaced persons
or post cards by air mail is 25
from engaging in surreptitious
cents per one-half ounce or frac-
military training activities within
tion. By surface means the letter
the American zone of Germany
rate is five cents for the first
has been issued here by U. S.
ounce and three cents for each
additional ounce or fraction. Post military headquarters. •
The order stated that reports
cards sent by surface means are
three cents. Letter mail may have been received that male
weigh up to four pounds and six DPs between the ages of 18 and
ounces, but may not contain mer- 35 were "allegedly engaged in
military exercises."
chandise.

U. S. Rules for
Mail to israei

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright. 1948, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

UN Sidelights
A campaign to obtain for UN mediator Count Folke Bernadotte
the Nobel Peace Prize is now in preparation ... Behind it are influen
tial elements in the United Nations who speak of Bernadotte as
"Peacemaker No. '1," because of his efforts to bring about an Arab-
Jewish understanding . . . All kinds of stories about Bernadotte's
humanitarian activities are in the meantime being circulated at Lake
Success ... One of the most interesting of them is how he succeeded,
during the war, in rescuing 7,000 Jewish women from Nazi camps and
bringing them to Sweden ... The average weight of the Nazi victims
did not exceed 90 pounds when they were taken out of the camps in
Belsen and Buchenwald . . Negotiations for their release started
between Bernadotte and Walter Schellenberg, head of the Gestapo's
Forign Intelligence . . . Schellenberg soon arranged a meeting be-
tween Bernadotte and Himmler in the presence of a Swedish-Jewish
merchant, J. Masrur . At this meeting, which took place at Gestapo
headquarters in Luebeck, Himmler claimed that he himself "knew
nothing of the atrocities committed in the concentration camps" . . .
Negotiations with men like Himmler and Schellenberg required i tn-
finite tact, great caution and diplomatic flair . . . As a result of pos-
sessing these qualities. Bernadotte is said to have succeeded in saving
approximately 20,000 Nazi victims through his
e negotiations.

Over There
A survey made by the Institute on Overseas Studies on the situa-
tion of the Jews in Eastern Europe, establishes that the majority of
the Jews in Europe will have to remain in the countries where, they
Eve, whether they want to or not. . • The Institute, working under
the auspices of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds,
says that certain favorable developments seem to offer .hope for these
Jews ... The first is the decline of anti-Semitism ... Experts of the
Institute who made the on-the-spot survey emphasize that there has
been a striking change in the attitude of the East European GoVern-
ments toward Jews. . . The official policy Of each of theSe govern-
ments today is to prohibit and punish overt anti-Semitic activities.
. . . Jews now have prominent posts in the governments of Poland,
Romania and Hungary and these governments are doing all they can
to eradicate anti-Semitism among the masses . . . On the other hand,
the nationalization of commerce and industry in these countries ad--
versely affects an important part of the Jewish population. . . How-
ever, this is being compensated for by the fact that accelerated indus-
trialization programs now being pushed in these countries haVe
created new opportunities for the employment of a large number
of Jews. . . The agricultural prospects for all of Eastern Europe
this year are extremely good, the survey established. . . -Bute there
is a growing dollar shortage in the Eastern Eunropean countries, and
all of these countries place increasing importance on the value. of
the dollars brought in by the JDC.

