Amb'assidor of Israel's Art' Holy Land Scenes Portrayed by Rivkah Rieger • By HAROLD STEIN . (Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) Israel is now sending to the United States all kinds of representatives—diplomatic, political and commercial. Rivkah Rieger is not one of these official representatives. However, in the opinion of many American art lovers she is the "ambassa- dor" of Israeli art in this country. An exhibition of her art work in. New York is now attracting a good deal of attention. Rivkah Rieger, the wife of Dr. Eliezer Rieger, pro- fessor of education at the Hebrew University, has been painting for many years. She studied in Paris, Vienna, and at the Bezalel School in Jerusalem The Riegers have three gifted daughters, one of whom, Sholomit, is an artist of • great promise who w i 11 continue h e r art studies when she is released from the Is- raeli Army. Dr. and Mrs. Rieger are now in the United States. Rivkah Rieger uses several media to ex- press her art—oils, watercolors, pastels, tempera, woodcuts. She uses all of these media extremely ef- fectively. Her style RIVKAH RIEGER is serene yet bold, vivid and colorful yet quiet and peaceful, dynamic and moving yet sensitive and modest. It is evident that the artist loves to paint and that she paints surely and swiftly with broad strokes and deep vision. Her work is expressionistid and modern and each picture bears wit- ness to the artist's, complete absorption in her subject. Those who have watched Rivkah Rieger paint have said that at such times she is recognizable, "as one possessed." Proof of this lies in the fact that several of her pictures to be shown were painted while the bombs were falling during the siege of Jerusalem. The works being exhibited here are, for the most part, landscapes, floral pieces, and portraits. The land- scapes are in oils and water colors, the subjects are views of Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias, Haifa, Galilee, Ein Hashofet, and other points of interest in Israel. Anyone who has visited Israel will have no dif- ficulty in recognizing and naming the scenes. For one who responds to the scenic beauty of the country, it will arouse nostalgia to view the scenes of Jeru- salem, particularly the panoramic views from the top of Mt. Scopus. There, at one's feet, lies the City and its environs,—City of Joy, and City of Sorrow. The picturesqueness of the terrain and the incongru- ity of the old,. old land crossed by modern motor roads are brought out with quiet strength in the views of the Tiberias and Safed sections. And the old crooked streets of Safed seem to invite the onlooker to take a walk and lose himself in memories. Rivkah Rieger's views of the Old City of Jerusalem, the bazaars, the streets, the Hurvah Synagogue, the ancient homes, are priceless now, not only intrinsically, but sentimentally, for most of these have been destroyed. •The portraits are exceedingly lifelike; The artist catches both the likeness and the personality and, it would seem, the mood of her subjects. It is in the floral pieces that the colors run riot. Always luminous and excellently blended, the bril- Mrs. Rieger's "JERUSALEM" liant hues and vivid greens and reds melt into .a neu- tral but never somber background, with telling effect. Yet the artist understands the use of subdued color- ing also. When she had no flowers to paint she used the thistles which grow' in profusion in and around Jerusalem. Rivkah Rieger paints out of 'love for her subjects. .There is no sadness in her work. 'There is a gentle strength and dignity which impress the viewer with the feeling of wishing -to own pictures_lt is said that the test of a picture is a favorable response to the question: "Can you live with it?" One can live with any of Rivkah Riegers pictures. Schary's Films Israel Government Takes Steps Finest Jewish Craftsmanship Leave Imprint Shown in Ancient Seder Dishes On Life in U. S. To Help Insure National Security By ERNEST ASCHNER (Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) When Seder night comes, ushering in the eight-day Passover festival commemorating _the exodus of the Jews from Egypt under Pharoah, millions of Jews throughout the world sit down at elabor- ately-set tables to say their traditional prayers and to partake of the symbolic food, recalling the fate of the Hebrew people in Egypt and the original Pesach meal on, the eve of their liberation. The food includes the three Mazoths—Cohen, Levi, Israel—the bitter herb (Moror), Haroseth, a mone, an egg and wine. After the ceremony, the meal proper is served. The Seder night ends with songs and the reading from the Hagaddah, telling the Passover story. Throughout the centuries, Jews have observed the Seder rites in the same manner every year, using special dishes and plates in setting the tables in the most festive way, and observing the ritual laws. A comprehensive collection of such dishes and plates is on exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York. AmOng many antique pieces it features a Haggadah written and illuminated in Spain before the expulsion of the Jews in the 15th century. This Haggadah, belonging to the Library of the Jewish Theo- logical Seminary of - Arherica, is one of a number of beautiful, handwritten and illustrated Haggadahs which include one from Mantua with woodcuts from the year 1561, another from.. Prague from 1526, and one from- Darmstadt from 1693. Among the plates and dishes, collected from many European Countries, is a large multi-colored Faience Seder Plate with Hebrew inscription, floral - designs and pictures illustrating the Seder meal, coming from Pesaro, Italy. This plate is over 300 years old. There are others in pewter from Germany from the 18th cen- tury, displaying beautiful craftsmanship. Other 18th century pieces comprise a silver Cup of Elijah from Russia; a silver con- tainer for Haroseth in the form of a wheelbarrow—recalling slave labor in Egypt—and various silver dishes, in different shapes and forms, for the bitter herbs, the egg and other symbolic food. There are also cups in BOhemian cut-glass and silver with in- scriptions and decorations of Passover motifs. Three-tier Seder trays in silver for the three matzoths, colorful porcelain platters for the Seder meal and embroidered covers, for the matzoth complete the interesting exhibition which can be Seen at the Jewish Museum in the former Warburg mansion on 92nd St. and Fifth Ave., New York. , By LEON GUTTERMAN (Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) HOLLYWOOD — Among great producers and creators of success- ful motion pictures, handsome, energetic Dore Schary occupies a distinguished position: Recently elevated to the position of vice president in charge of production of the fabulous Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer studio, his executive genius and clear cut decisions are of considerable importance in the production of motion pictures. A gifted writer, a bright pro- ducer, a great executive, Dore Schary, beginning in the most humble way 43 years ago, has today revolutionized the motion picture , industry and buttressed the whole psychological structure of Hollywood. His contribution to the happiness and security of his own generation is a thrilling tes- timony to the role of motion pic- tures in the solution of modern problems, for he combines shrewd practicality with idealism;- a blend that represents American citizen- ship at its best. Whether or not you have seen a motion picture written or produced by Dore Schary, you must be familiar with his name, for he leaves a deep imprint on American life. Dore Schary is a curious mix- ture. No one in Hollywood has produced more popular and en- tertaining films ("Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer", "F a r m e r 's Daughter"): yet he has one of the most keenly analytical minds mong filmland's creative artists. Schary has approached his great responsibility with a care- fully premeditated purpose — to produce and release only good, entertaining, intelligent films. A genuine artist, and a man of first- rate education and culture who. is thoroughly familiar with, even thoroughly saturated with, liber- al human values, he is a cease- less crusader ("Crossfire") against those features of our social and political life which he considers vicious. An utterly unselfish man, who affects no poses, whose cheerful countenance is eloquent testi- mony of faith in life, whose clear eyes flash wisdom and sympathy, whose voice is pleasant and earn- est, Dore Schary, whose spirit is not likely to ever grow old, con- ceic-es it to be his business in the world not 'especially to'malce mo- tion pictures, but particularly to spread ideas and good thinking lightenment. 8 - THE JEWISH NEWS THE FAIENCE SEDER PLATE Friday; April 15, 1949 BY ADA OREN -- (JTA Correspondent in Israel) (Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) - The Israeli Army builds its own armored cars with revolving turrets, it was recently announced here, The builders are young graduates of the Haifa Technical Institute, the materials are scraps, partly armor plate blown to pieces and buried by the British when they found they could not evacuate all their heavy armament. The first designs were tested a year ago when the importation of armor was impossible because of British supervision. Because of the initial shortage of arms of all descriptions every available piece had to be re-conditioned and pressed into service, and a number of improvements on foreign types resulted. Locally made ammunition had already reached a high standard. Many of the experts in this field are women. One of. the problems en- countered by Israel's armorers is the finding of Hebrew names for the hundreds of small parts found in modern arms. The Israeli Army information office is conducting a campaign to impress the need for secrecy on the local population because of the growing• number of foreign residents and visitors in Israel School children will receive special instruction on this subject in order to counteract the local tendency of regarding-every fellow- resident as a fellow-citizen who can be trusted implicitly in every- thing -related to public safety. - The Israeli police, who decided at first not to organize a political investigation service because of the infamous reputation of the Bri- tish C.I.D. in Palestine, has now found it necessary to revert to normal methods in this field. Part of the army security service, which grew out of Haganah intelligence, will be transferred soon to police administration for the purpose of supervising the activities of political organizations in Israel. The administration of prisons in Israel is being overhauled comPletely. Prisons will no longer be administered by the police —as in the days of the British--and various other improvements will be introduced. None of the Mandatory Power's prisons were found - suitable for use, with the single exception of Jaffa. The Tel Mond police- fortress has accordingly' been adapted to serve as a new central prison, and other modern prisons will soon be opened in Jerusalem and Haifa. The Acre fortress is also •being used at present. A committee representatives of - various public health and welfare agencies' is is soon to be appointed to advise the government on the administration of .prisons and to inspect these 'institutions. -Special measures are contemplated for the care of mentally ill prisoners. • A new - wage' scale for policemen, which is urgently required in order to rid of corruption this chronically under paid service, is now awaiting the approval of a, committee of Ministers. The. new wage scale for other government employees will also come into force only after the Knesseth approves it. . Soldiers discharged from the Israeli armed services are entitled to the following benefits: Six days' paid leave for the first three months of service and, an additional day for every additional month of service. Twenty dollars for the first five months of service, and no more than $44 per year. Together with compulsory savings -re- funded by the army pay' office, every. released veteran may get as much as $140 in cash. All immigrant soldiers, and such volunteers from abroad who are in 'need, get an allbwance of $40 per person and $20 for each child—but no more than $160 in all. All families of immigrant soldiers continue to draw their allowances until their breadwinners find regular employment. - Lbcal veterans who fail to get employment immediately are entitled to $2.00 a day for a Period of two months, and their families continue to receive allowances for the same period. Employers are liable to heavy fines if they refuse to reemploy drafted employees. A 'grant of $1,200 will be available for every veteran. whom suffered financial losses by joining the Army. Veterans will be received into existing cooperative enterprises under exceptionally favorable conditions. Students who interrupted their studies will be helped to complete them. The Government considers itself responsible for the -housing of immigrant soldiers and volunteers from abroad only, as well as for invalids and their families. Regulations for the safeguarding of veterans' rights in the al- location of work have been promulgated by the central administra tion of all public labor exchanges. These regulations guarantee a number of priorities to all veterans and in the first place to invalids. •