State. Jewish National Fund Conference Sunday
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Rep. Dingell, Governor-Elect Williams,
Commander Goldberg Principal Speakers
Delegates From Entire State of Michigan Expected at Annual
Sessions Arranged by Detroit JNF Council; Local
Leaders to Participate in Sessions
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Representatives of Jewish communities throughout the
state of Michigan will gather Sunday at the annual conference
of the Jewish National Fund at the Detroit-Leland Hotel.
Arthur Shutkin, executive director of the JNF. Council,
reported this week that more than 100 organizations already
have selected delegates to the conference. Names of selected
representatives will be accepted s>
at the JNF Council office, 11816
Dexter, TO. 8-7384, all day Fri-
day, and additional delegates will
be registered prior to the confer-
ence on Sunday morning, at the
Detroit-Leland Hotel.
In addition to local -partici-
pants, three distinguished speak-
ers are announced for the Sun-
day afternoon session:
Hon. John Dingell, Member
of Congress from the 15th Mich-
igan District one of the staunch-
est supporterS in Congress of
efforts to establish and protect
the State of Israel;
Hon. G. Mennen Williams,
Parely Commentary
,By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Romantic Story of Henry Wentworth Monk, Great Christian Zionist
Zionist history is replete with fascinating stories about great
Christian supporters' of the movement-to, restore the Land of Israel
to the People of Israel. Many of the great Christian Zionists pie,
ceded Theodor Herzl: in efforts to re-establish, the Jewish State as
an act of justice to Jewry and in the best interests of the peace of
the world.
Among the great Christian "Zionists was the Canadian Henry'
Wentworth Monk, whose activities are recorded in a fascinating
biography, "For.the Time Is At Hand," by Richard S. Lambert,
published by Andrew Melrose; Ltd., London.
Thanks to our good friend Herbert Mowat, of Toronto, director
of the Canadian Christian Palestine Committee, your Commentator
has an advance copy of this excellent book which throws light on
early Zionist activities among Christians and shows that non-Jews
recognized the need for a restored Israel a century ago. Biographer
Lambert took the title for his book &dm this quotation from the Book:
of Revelations: "And he said unto me, seal not the sayings of the
prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." He describes Mr.
Monk as a Prophet, as a man who abandoned worldly goods for
Prophecy.
There are some errors in the babk.: For instance, the founder
of the:Red Cross, the eminent Swiss leader, Jean Henri Dunant, who
.was one of the early. Christian Zionists, is referred to • as a - Jew.
.Dunant Was a Christian. But in the main, the book - is an excellent
interpretation of reality and of prophecy, of a great movement that
has caught the irnagination of all mankind.
Coined Term 'United Natione
—
Pleaded With Lincoln for Israel
Henry WentWorth Monk was an individualist. He was a vision-
ary. He was the first to coin the term United Nations in 1880. Like
other visionaries, he paved the way : . for the thinking of other min
along lines of world peace and justice.
He worked in a Jewish farming colony in Palestine and showed
the way to the liberation of Israel not only with words but with deeds.
He traveled far and wide to plead the Zionist cause. He worked
with Holman Hunt, the great, artist; John Ruskin, the noted critic;
Lawrence Oliphant, the. eminent Christian Zionist; Warder - Cresson,
American Consul in Jerusalem who abandoned Christianity for
Judaism and worked ardently for the Zionist ideal; and found en-
couragement in the activities of Maj. Mordecai Manuel Noah, the
American Jewish 1:: -.Ler who undertook to establish a_ Jewish colony
—Ararat—near Butialo.
One of the more interesting episodes in his career occurred
during the Civil War, when he went to Washington to plead with
Abraham Lincoln in behalf of "the emancipation of the Jew." Presi-
dent Lincoln Said to him: "The Jew—why the. Jew? Are they not
free already?" The Lambert biography at this point records the
following Monk-Lincoln conversation:
"Certainly; Mr. President, the American Jew is free, and
so is the English Jew—but not the European. In America we
live so far off that we are blind to what gees on in Russia and
Prussia and Turkey. There can be no permanent peace in the
world until the civilized nations, led, I hope, by Great Britain
and the United States, atone for what they have done to. the
Jews—for their two thousand years of peksecution, by restoring
thein to their national home in Palestine, and making Jerusalem
the capital city of a reunited Christendom."
"That is a noble dream, Mr. Monk," said the President, "and
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one shared by many Americans. I myself have a regard for the
Jews. My chiropodist is a Jew,'atid he has so many times 'put
me upon my feet' that I would haVe no' objection to giving his
countrymen 'a leg up.' But the United States is, alas, at this
moment a house-divided against itself. We must first bring this
dreadful war to .a victorious conclusion, which no compromise
can do—and then, Mr. Monk, we may begin again to see visions,
and dream dreams. Then you will see what leadership America
will show to the world!"
Monk's biographer writes that Monk was satisfied, that he left
his book, "Simple Interpretation," with President Lincoln, and pro-
ceeded with his -task of dreaming dreams and striving to press them
into' reality.
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newly,elected..Govetnor --of the
State of Michigan; and
Commander Joshua L. Gold-
berg, nationally prominent
speaker and highest ranking
OW. Williams Rep. Dingell .
Jewish naval chaplain who has
been honoted with high awards
by the United States Govern-
ment.
Sessions of the conference will
commence at. 11 a.m. There will
be an intermission for lunch and
for committee meetings from 1 to
2 p.m. and the afternoon session
will take place from 2 to 5 pail.
The 'conference will hear re=
ports on the accomplishments
of the Jewish National . Fund
during the past year and will
outline the existing needs for
land redeniption in Israel in
years to come, in order to pro-
vide for the, settlement of hun-
dreds of thousands of neWconi-
ers to Israel.
William Hordes, chairman of
the_board of the Jewish National
.Fund . Council, of Detroit, will
open; . the Conferences morning
SeSsiOn..With a brief address after
:the kinging' of the national an-
thems; The morning program will
be -addressed by the following: -
, Osear Cohn, executive di-
rector, Jewish Community:
Council; Sidney Shevitz, presi-
dent, Zionist Council of De-
troit; Mrs. Jack Rosenthal, pres-
ident, Ladies!' Anxiliary of the
JNF; a report on:the JNF ac-
complishments" durirYg the past
' year by Mr. Shittkiii; Rabbi
Joshua: S. Sperka and Yechiel;
Hetbert HOrdes, student dining
the past year at the Haifa Tech-
nical Institute; . who two weeks
• ago returned from Israel.
Committees for . the conference
will , be selected- during the morn-
ing session, which will close with
the showing of the latest Pales-
tine movie.
Irving W. Schlussel, president
of the Detroit JNF Council, will
preside at the afterncion session
at which, in addition to the ad-
dresses by Congressman Dingell,
and
Governor-Elect Williams
Commander Goldberg, there will
be a brief address by Rabbi Jacob
Segal and reports of committees.
The entire community is invit-
ed to partiCipate in the confer-
ence and to hear the addresses of
the guest s7- 7-
Federation Consolidates Budgeting,
Planning for Beneficiary Agencies
Appointmept of chairmen of
the budget and•planning diVisions
of the'Jewish Welfare Federation
was announced Monday by Julian
H. Krolik, president.
United Hebrew Schools, .United
Jewish High School, Workmen's
Circle SchooTh, Yeshivath Beth
Yehudah, Jewish Community.
The division leadership is as
follows: Educational and cultural,
Henry Meyers, chairman, Louis
Robinson, co-,chairman; health
and welfore, Maurice A. nggass,
chairman, Milton K. Mahler, . co-
chairman; community relations,
Mattis Garvett, chairman.
Each of the three divisions will
be responsible to the executive
committee and the board of gov-
ernors of the Federation for ,plan-
fling and budgeting recommenda-
tions regarding the national and
local agencies in their particular '
fields of service.
In approving the new structure,
which replaces the social plan-
-nirig, educational planning and
budget committees of the Federa-
tion, the board of governors
stressed particularly the import-
LOUIS ROBINSON
ance of bringing the planning and
financing functions of. the Federa- Council and Jewish Comm:unity
tion into closer harmony. - The Center.
board .recognized, too; that the
Thd health and welfare divisiOn
new structure will make possible intrudes Fresh Air Camp; JeWish
continuous year-round contact Social Service Bureau, JeWish
with the beneficiary agencies of Community Center„JewiSh 1 - tOme
the Federation by, the same com- for the Aged, Jewish Vocational
mittees which will review and Service, North; End Clinic, House
recommend their budgetary of Shelter, Hebrew Free Loan
allocations.
Association, Resettlement SetViee
The personnel of each of the and Jewish Hospital Association.
budget and planning divisions
The community relations divi-
will include the 'executive direc- . sion.- includes the Jewish Com-
tor of each member agency of the munity Council as well as repre-
Federation as an ex-officio meni- sentation from each of the fol-
_ber, a lay representative from lowing membership organizations
each of the agencies and repre- active in the community relations
sentatives at - large.
field: Bnai Brith, American Jey-
American - Jewish
The educational and cultural ish
division includes the Jewish Folk Congress, Jewish Labor Com -,
School, Jewish People's School, ..mittee and Jewish War Veterans.
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Between
You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright. 1948, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
born esfic Issues
Interest of numerous Jewish leaders in this country is now
centered on the behind-the-scenes activities in Jerusalem . . . He was
man of the Jewish Agency executive in Jerusalem . . . He, was
sent here from Israel to look into the conflict in the United Pales-
tine Appeal and to see that under no- circumstances shoUld a
separate drive be launched for Israel• outside of the UPA . *. He
is also supposed to settle other. grievances which members of the
American branch of the Jewish. Agency executive 'have recently
developed against the Jerusalem branch of the- executive . . . These
grievances have reached a point where some leading members of
the American branch indicated that there is no _.se in, their serving
on the executive if matters will not be properly adjusted ... Know-
ing Locker as one of the best mediators which the Zionist movement
haS, I have no doubt' that he will succeed in straightening things
out . . Otherwise, the Council. of Jewish Federations and Welfare
Funds, which is scheduled to :hold its General Assembly in the
middle of January, maybe compelled to have a strong say in the
UPA issue . . • The policy of leaders of the Council is to promote
and cement unity- in American Jewish communal life . . • If the
pro-Montor group should really carry out its threat to launch a
separatist drive for Israel in competition with the UPA, then the
General. Assembly of CJ-FWF may become the most stormy Jewish
gathering of the- year . . Already, there is a proposal to revolu-
tionize the entire system of allocations by the Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds to -the various national organizations and agen-
cies . . This proposal recommends the establishment Of a National
Jewish Welfare Fund to became the 'central allocation body on
behalf of all the federations and welfare funds in the country .. .
At present, UPA leaders are conferring with the Council of JeWish
Fedetations regarding the 33 per ' cent representation which UPtA.
is ready to give on its governi: :bodies to Jewish communities.
. . . However, the same leaders' refuse to negotiate directly on the
same subject With the group of community leaders which is sup-
porting Montor . The argument advanced is: "We do not see our
way Clear to negotiate with a group which threatens to establish
a separate drive to compete witli the 'United Palestine Appeal."
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Detroit Women Aid
Windsor Campaign
The Women's Division of the
Detroit Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion sent a group of its seasoned
campaigners across the border
last week to help their Windsor
neighbor's launch their 1948 Wel-
fare Fund Drive.
Wednesday, Nov. 10, a "De-
troit Caravan," members of the
speakers' bureau of the Women's
Division of the Detroit Federation
journeyed to Windsor to lend
Mrs. Norman Ramm and her
Windsor Women's Division a
hand. Headed by Mrs. Alexander
W. Sanders, chairman; and Pearl
Devenow, co-chairman of the
Speakers Committee, the caravan
included: Mesdames Julius
Chajes, Leonard H. Weiner, and
Harry , L. Jackson, director of the
Detroit Women's Division.
The. meetings were held at the
-homes of Mesdames Harry Vex-
ler, Ben Matthews, Wolf Goldt
stein, Rose Wunder, Harry Chet-
niak. " Windsor women continued
their campaign with a. series of
10 simultaneous luncheons
Nov. 17.
Sought a 'Palestine Restoration Fund' and a 'Jewish National Fund'
Monk called meetings ; conferred with Christians and Jews,
sought support from governments. He met with, the John Meshul-
lams in Jerusalem, with Chief ;Rabbi Hahn David HaSsan, with Rabbi
Haim Zwi Sneersohn. His articles were published at great length
in the now defunct London Jewish World. He collaborated with the
industrialist, then the outstanding Zionist, Edward Cazalet. In 1776
he received encouragement from the appearance of George. Eliot's
"Daniel Deronda." He began a campaign for the Palestine Restora-
tion Fund and advertised his appeals widely. It was a crusade for
Israel' that ' attracted wide attention, but had little support—less
assistance from Jews than from Christians. For a time he was given
courage by the Jewish philanthropist and bullion broker, Frederick
David Mocatta, but even that ended in discouratement. He spoke
of a Jewish National Fund, but the Palestine Restoration Fund and
the Jewish National Fund were destined to materialize many years
later.
His last manifesto was entitled: "Stand Up, 0 Jerusalem, that
the Land of Israel may soon become like the Garden of Eden, 'The
Joy of the Whole Earth,' now that the 'Federation of the World' and
`Parliament of Man' has at last become an Imperative Necessity."
These dreams date back eighty years ago. Today, they are reality.
There is no doubt that such groundwork helped assure the realization
of Prophecy in our day. Blessed be the memory and the name of
Henry Wentworth Monk. Thanks to Richard S. Lambert; we are
privileged to have a full-length biography of this great precursor 2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, 'November 19, 1948
of Herzl and Wolffsohn and Weizmann.
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I sraeli Trends
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Israeli negotiations with the Export-Import Bank in Washing-
ton for a loan have now reached a technical level . . . Oscar Gass,
well-known economist, is handling these negotiations on behalf of
the Israeli Government ... James G. McDonald, U. S. Special Rep-
resentative in Israel, is quietly carrying out a policy designed to
bring about direct peace talks between the Jews and the Arabs.
. . There is no doubt in •Washington that Truman will take early
steps to implement the pledge3: of the Democratic Party -With re-
gard to Israel . . . But some feel that this move may be delayed
pending important changes in the State Department . . Mean-
while, all kinds of driVes will be started soon in this country for
priVate loans for various projects in Israel . .. The Israel Corpora-
tion of America will seek $3,000,090 in the United States- which
will be matched with another $3,000,000 by the Israeli Government
for the purpose of housing construction in Israel . . Eliahil Ep-
stein, Israeli Representative in 'Washington, is now summoning a
conference of prominent Zewish: builders' in this country to discuss
housing - onstruction plans for Israel . . . These plans may involve
$100,000,300 in investments expected to come from privaie Ameri-
can investors . . . Other commercial projects for Americans Who
may be :nterested in investing money, in Israeli enterprises are now
in the 'making, -since the Israeli Government is preparing to attract
as much foreign capital as possible. to strengthen the economy of
the Jewish state.