Peace Reigns in ZOA Under
Daniel Frisch's Presidency

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

convention
that commenced in the spirit
of rancor and discord and was
marked by numerous outbursts
of bitter personal attacks end-
ed in peace. The desired achdut
and shalom (unity and peace)
has been achieved by the Zionist
Organization of America. But its
emergence was marked by
enigmas and contradictions. The
opening sessions of the 52nd an-
nual convention of the ZOA
were full of bitterness and for
a while it appeared as if another
Serious rift would be created in
Jewish ranks. The major ad-
dresses of Dr. Emanuel Neumann,
retiring persident, and Dr. Abba
Hillel Silver, whose mere gesture
was sufficient to dominate the
actions of the more than 1,000
delegates, were threatening, ac-
cusatory, full of resentment over
recent occurences in the United
Jewish. Appeal and the Jewish
Agency. Then came the decisions
for the creation of a coalition
administration, the conciliatory
actions of the opposition, the
handshakes, and. the sighs of
relief over the end of the battle.
The elevation of Dahiel Frisch
to the presidency of the ZOA, by
common consent of both factions
in the movement, climaxed the
sealing of the peace pact. The
first three days of the conven-
tion were consumed by prolonged
negotiations in the interest of
the established peace. They fol-
lowed the many weeks of bar-
gaining conferencees during
which the foundation was laid
for the formation of the coali-
tion executive.

NEW YORK—A

In spite of the effected
peace, however, there is every
indication that the battle for
control of Zionist funds and
for leadership will be taken to
the forthcoming World Zion-
ist Congress. The demand was
made by Dr. Neumann that
."the Zionist movement shall
retain ultimate control of
Zionist funds, and that the
representation of the ZOA, the
parent organization, shall not
be substantially reduced," was
the first warning of the im-
pending fight for power.
Dr. Silver's 105 - minute speech

at Sunday afternoon's session
was a bitter recapitulation of
the recent controversy. It con-
tained an attack on Dr. Nahum
Goldman, now chairman of the
American Section of the Jewish
Agency, and of HadaSsah, to
whom he referred as "the second
women's auxiliary of the Poale
Zion." (The first, of course,
would be Pioneer Women).
While he affirmed friendship
for labor, Dr. Silver's address
contained open and veiled ref
ences and attacks an the Mapai.
Although he expressed the view
that everyone of the 250,000 ZOA
members must also become an
investor in Israel, he made the
following statement in his ',ad-
dress.

"Private capital, which is so
desperately' needed in Israel
today, will not be coaxed into
the country when one set of
government officials promises
it security in law and welcome
concessions, while at the same
time another set of government
officials of equal or greater
authority speaks of establish-
ing Socialism in Israel in our
time. A strong General Zionist
party in Israel .would heighten
the confidence of those who
are being invited to invest
their money in the economic
life of the country.

The major convention battle
broke loose during the debate on
the resolution which demanded
autonomy for the ZOA. Louis
Lipsky, veteran Zionist who was
counted among the opposition
to the Neumann-Silver admin-
istration, asked that the resolu-
tion on autonomy be referred to
the incoming administration.
The fact that a motion to table
Mr. Lipsky's proposal was de-
feated gave courage to the op-
position that there might be a
change in the- delegates' attitude
relative to the grievances of
the present administration. But
when Dr. Silver made a personal
plea for the resolution and in-
terpreted it as a test of confid-
ence-in him, there was an over-
whelming vote for the proposal

and in opposition to Mr. Lip-
sky's request. The vote was an
eloquent demonstration of the
power Dr. Silver wielded over an
audience which was ready to
defer action—until he gave the
signal for an immediate vote.

The adopted resolution apr
proved of the resignations of
Drs. Neumann and Silver from
the Jewish Agency Executive;
asks for the preservation of
the influence of the ZOA 'in
fund-raising and for the safe-
..guarding of the administrative
authority enjoyed by American
Zionist bodies.

A statement by Ezra Shapiro,
on behalf of the Committee of
Progressive Zionists, that it will
continue the battle against this
assertion of autonomy at the
next World Zionist Congress
threatened to disrupt the plan-
ned unified slate of offficers. A
delay of several hours was nec-
essitated in convention proced-
ure for further negotiations dur-
ing which Mr. Shapiro consented
to modify his statement and to
have it read that individual
Zionists reserve the right to act
without instructions and to fol-
low the dictates of their con-
science at the forthcoming Con-.
gress. Then came the election
of Mr. Frisch and the lighting
of the pipe of peace.
In the course of the delibera-
tions, Judge Morris Rothenberg,
acting chairman of the United
Palestine A p p e a 1, again out-
lined the background of the
events which led to his assuming
this post. Dr. Israel GoldStein,
treasurer of the Jewish Agency,
in one of the best speeches
heard at the convention, not
only outlined the needs in Israel
but also indirectly replied to
those who are protesting against
the authority of non-Zionists in
fund-raising , and pleaded , for
strong effort in support of the
UJA, to elimination of rancor.

At only one other point did
it appear that the controversy
might flare up anew— when
Dr. Nahum Goldmatin was an-
nounced as speaker at one of
the closing sessions. Instead of
replying to Dr. Silver's charges,
Dr. Goldmann delivered an in-
nocuous address and, asked
that the final decision be left
to the World ZioniSt Congress.
Hii appearance on a ZOA plat-
form—the first occasion of the
sort in several years—was an-
other peace gesture in the
movement that had bled so
much from strife.

The internal battle relegated
to a position of secondary im-
portance the reorganization re-
port submitted by Judge Simon
Rifkind. This report, which calls
for moral and . material assist- .
ance to the State of Israel, re-
affirms the basic ideals of Zion-
ism and provides for autonomy
for individual territorial organ-
izations, was declared in a, con-
vention resolution to require
further study and was ordered
widely circulated for public dis
cussion.

One of the mot significant
statements heard at the con-
vention was made by Israeli
Ambassador to the U. S. Eli-
ahu Elath. It served as a reply
to those who have begun to
believe that Zionism can be
liquidated. Ambassador Elath,
whose views were echoed by
Dr. Silver, stated: "Zionism is
as necessary_ today as it was
in .1897. Zionism is essentially
an idealistic movement and its
main force lies in its moral
and spiritual values. Ids pur-
poses as a national and dem-
ocratic movement are towards
progress and creation. Its ob-
ject in the establishment of a
Jewish State was not solely for
the conveniences derived by
its citizens from statehood,
but for what must be termed
the more noble purpose of re-
storing to Judaism the tradi-
tions of its 4,000-year-old his-
tory, and the universal sig-
nificance of its prophets."

Convention sessions *ere de-
voted to a review of progress. in
fund-raising and to youth activ-
ities. Mendel Fisher reported on
activities of the Jewish National
Fund. Judge Rothenberg that
the income of the UPA is
slightly below the amount for

N EWS-3
THE JEWISH
Friday, June 3, 1949

Smolar, JTA Editor,
Given Award by NCCJ

NEW YORK, (JTA)—The Na-
tional Conference of Christians
and Jews presented an award to
Boris Smolar, Jewish News col-
umnist and editor-in-chief of
the Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
in recognition of
outstanding as-,
sistance in the
furtherance of
b r • o therhood.'
T h e document
was signAd by
President Tru-
man, honorary
president of the
NCCJ; Nelson A
Rockefeller, na-
B. Smolar
tional c h a i r-
man; Everett R. Clinchy, presi-
dent; T. E. Braniff, C. E. Wilson
and Roger W. Strauss, co-chair-
men.

Truman's Message
Praises Blaustein

BALTIMORE— (J T A)—Vice-
President Barkley was the prin-
cipal speaker at a dinner tender-
ed here to Jacob Blaustein,
president of the American Jew-
ish Committee, attended by 600
prominent Jews and non-Jews.
The guests included Gov. Lane,
Mayor D'Alesandro, members of
the U. S. Senate and members
of the U. S. mission to the
United Nations.
President Truman sent a per-
sonal message to Mr. Blaustein,
praising his activities "in the
cause of charity and philanthro-
py, in the field of education and
in the promotion of internation-
al justice and good will." °
Mr. Blaustein reported on his
trip to Israel. He emphasized
that "one of the most encourag-
ing things, about Israel is that
the people earnestly solicit con-
structive criticism and ideas."
Simon E. Sobeloff spoke at the
dinner on behalf of the Balti-
more Jewish community.

the similar period last year. It
was. reported that 42,000 young
people are functioning in activi-
ties sponsored by the Zionist
Youth Commission. Joseph I.
Yanich of Detroit was an-
nounced as one of the winners
of Israeli scholarship awards.
Rudolf G. Sonneborn, a lead-
er in the opposition, whose
movement was dissolved after
the election, was named chair-
man of the national adminis-
trative committee. Mortimer
May of Nashville was chosen
chairman of the national execu-
tive committee. Morris Jacobs
and Leon Kay are the two De-
troiters who were elected mem-
bers of the national executive
committee.

First Book of English Transtation
Of Maimonides Code Published

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The
first volume of an English trans-
lation of the Code of Maimon-
ides—ofter called the "father of
modern Judaism"—published by
Yale University Press, marks the
first time any part of the famous
encyclopedic Code ever has been
translated into any language
from the original Hebrew.
Publication of the book in-
augurates a projected 15-volume
translation of the entire medie-
val Code that is being prepared
under the auspices of Judaica
Research at Yale University.
The first volume is "The Book
of Civil Laws," Book Thirteen in
the Maimonides Code. It has
been translated by Jacob Rabi-
nowitz, New York attorney.
Other books are being prepared
by a number of distinguished
scholars in this country and
abroad.

Moses Maimonides, who gave
the Jews their code of religious,
moral, and civil conduct, was
born in Cordova, Spain, in 1135
A.D., but spent most of his life
in Cairo. His fame and authori-
ty was held in high honor by
Moslems and Christians. His in-
fluence has long been recognized
in the leading works of medieval
and even modein philosophy, in-
cluding those of Thomas Aquin-
as, the Catholic medieval phil-
osopher, and the Jewish philoS-
opher, Spinoza.
By using Hebrew for his Code,
he recreated and rejuvenated
the language of the Bible that
had long fallen into disuse.
In his translation of Book
Thirteen, Mr. Rabinowitz aimed
at offering a precise and under-
standable English version of the
Hebrew original.

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