Yemenites to Celebrate in Israel
' 7 '
Jews' Farming Interest
Shows Great Increase
in '48, Society Reports-
20—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 8, 1949
Dresden Jews Buying
Ship for Israel Travel
BERLIN (JTA)—The Jewish
community of Dresden has de-
cided to sell a plot of land re-
stored to it by the provincial
government of Saxony and to use
the proceesd of the sale, together
with donations from other Jew-
ish communities in Germany, to
purchase a ship for Israel. Dres-
den is in the Soviet zone.
Three Yemenit. Jews, among file hundreds now being transferred
to Israel via "Operation Magic Carpet," are shown studying the Pass-
over Hagadah at the Hashid Jewish Refugee Camp in the British
Crown Colony of Aden shortly before they were moved to the Jewish
State. Their transfer to Israel by airplane was made possible through
American Jewry's $250,000,000 United Jewish Appeal campaign.
The Jews of Iran
By PIERRE NATHAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Correspondent in Paris
(Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
* * *
but it was directed against Zion-
ists "who threaten the Arab," and
not against the Iranian Jews,
whom he described as "our
brothers."
An important factor in the
political and social life of Iran
that cannot be disregarded is the
influence and physical presence
of Great Britain, In the southern
section of Iran, Great Britain
holds concessions to valuable oil
lands. This sector of the country
is, to all purposes, a state within
a state. The Iranian Government
has little or no say as to what
transpires in that area, although
Iranian and Indian workers live
under a system of virtual peon-
age, on sub-standard wages. Po-
litically, Great Britain supports
the Moslem religious faction
which was weak until 1941.
The former ruler of Iran had
sought social reforms, and had
taken measures against the ris-
ing tide of Moslem religious in-
fluence. This influence still re-
mains, however. Last year, the
new Shah, Mohammed Riza Pa-
levi, instituted measures aimed
Of all the Jewish communities
in the Moslem countries of the
Middle East, the Jewish popu-
lation of Iran, works and lives
under comparatively favorable
conditions — particularly when
viewed in the light of what is
happening to Jews in the other
Arab states.
Many reports have been re-
cently published on the persecu-
tion inflicted on and political dis-
crimination practiced against the
Jewish minorities living in the
Arab states. But the status of
the Iranian Jew has not been
violently attacked nor restricted.
About .80,000 Jews live and
work in Iran, with 30,000 of them
residing in the capital city of
Teheran. The social status of both
the Jew and the Iranian is on
about the same level. There are
very rich Jews in Iran, although
there is a small community of
Iraqi Jews, mostly wealthy indi-
viduals who fled their country.
The members of the Jewish
community live under the same
deplorable housing conditions
and lack of sanitary and educa-
tional facilities as do the poorer
Iranians. Most of the Jews are
artisans or merchants.
There is a complete lack of
Jewish social institutions, and
very little Jewish cultural life.
In Teheran, a Jewish Youth Cen-
ter teaches religious courses to
approximately 350 young men
and women. Other Jewish institu-
tions could eventually be or-
ganized, but the lack of leader-
ship in the community is a major
handicap.
A reason for the Iranian Gov-
ernment's tolerance of its Jewish
minority may be found in the
attitude of the local Jews toward
the state of Israel. Very few of
them migrate there, although
most of them are pro-Zionist.
However, there is an almost com-
plete absence of Zionist litera-
ture in the country.
On the political scene, the Jew-
ish community has not been af-
fected, at least momentarily, by
the Palestine conflict. There are
no government edicts against the
Jews, not even racial propaganda.
The Iranian press is, of course,
pro-Arab on the Palestine ques-
tion, but editorially it only seeks
to help the Arab refugees affect-
ed by the war. Even this cam-
paigning for funds has not been
very successful. The nation-wide
appeal in their behalf has re-
sulted in total contributions
amounting to less than $5,000.
However, there is one group
in Iran whose policy is directed
against the Jews—the Moslem re-
ligious element. The Iranian Jew
has presented strong opposition to
anti-Semitism when the occasion
warranted it. A few months ago,
a Moslem leader delivered a
strong anti-Jewish speech, which
almost amounted to an appeal for
a pogrom. But after a visit from
some of the leading members of
the Jewish community, the Mos-
lem leader delivered another
speech the following day. It was
as strong as his previous tirade,
Weizmann Institute Forms
Latin American Department
NEW YORK (JTA)—Establish-
ment of a Latin American de-
partment by the Weizmann Insti-
tute of Science, which will be
headed by Dr. S. Tocker, who
formerly directed a similar de-
partment for the Palestine Foun-
dation Fund, was announced here,
at reinforcing this influence. For
instance, the observance of Ra-
madan, the most important and
lengthy Moslem religious holiday,
is applicable to non-Moslem, even
to foreigners. People who smoke
during Ramadan are arrested,
public restaurants are closed, and
similar restrictions rigorously
maintained during the holiday.
Also, thanks to a subsidy froi -n
the British government, a school
was opened last year for the
training of Moslem religious
leaders.
Up to the present time, these
governmental measures have not
been as successful as had been
hoped, but they may result in
a threat to the minorities, includ-
ing the Jewish community.
During 1948 more Jewish fam-
ilies were settled on farms in the
United States than in any but
three of the previous 48 years.
ThiS fact is pointed out in the
49th annual report of the Jewish
Agricultural Society, just re-
leased by Dr. Gabriel Davidson,
the society's executive head. The
report deals with the society's
work to encourage and advanbe
farming among the Jews in the
United States. It stresses the so-
ciety's efforts to establish on
farms ex-service men, DPs, work-
ers, white collar men and others
who look to farming both as a
means of livelihood and a more
desirable way of life.
The report discloses that the
society has granted close to $11,-
000,000 in ldans to Jewish far-
mers in 40 states since the so-
ciety's founding in 1900: that it
has secured farm employment
for 20,266 Jewish young men
since the setting up of its Farm
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