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Anti-Semites and
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Pa lestine and
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VOLUME 15—No. 14 2114 Penobscot Bldg.--Phone WO. 5-1155 Detroit 26, Michigan, June 17, 1949
ciigeo7
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
Cairo Intransigence Halts Peace
UN Commission's Fact-Finding
ove Delays Refugee Solution
Charts Indicate
Ctuncirs Growth
Daring Past Year
/Slumber of Persons Served by Programs ?rovided
by the Jewish Community Council
June 1, 1947-June 1, 1949
Vb. of Porsanc
I r
%roctun; by
P ggeTcT
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
3-500
3000
'
tscro
poo
1500
1000
500
J J A S O N D J F M AM
erograms Provided Monthly to Organizations by
the Jewish Community Council
June 1, 1947-June 1, 1949
No. of
Programs "
Direct JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
LAUSANNE.—Unless the Arab states and Israel agree among themselves to settle the Arab refugee problem,
there no longer is any prospect of a solution based on recommendations of the United Nations Conciliation Commission
before next winter. The Commission intends to await the report of the three-man expert committee which is leaving
this week-end for the Middle East. A spokesman for the new committee said he thought the fact-finding report on the
refugee situation could be ready by mid-September if full cooperation is received from all local authorities.
Only after the receipt of technical and statistical information which the three experts are to gather will the Com-,
mission itself make its own definite recommendations. The Commission's earliest possible date for last word on refl.'w
gees would be next October, if the agreement between Jews and Arabs is not sought. , Thus, a second winter of privation
faces refugees and relief organizations concerned with them—unless a short cut resettlement is found by direct agree-
ment between Arabs and Israel.
It is pointed out, however, that the key to that solution lies in Cairo and not in Lausanne. Abdel Moneindey, the
very able head of the Egyptian delegation, has his functions rigorously circumscribed. He is not authorized to enter
into any negotiations whatsoever and his veto prevents the two Arab delegations most concerned with the refugee
problem—Jordania and Lebanon—from following their inclination to hasten the settlement of refugees, even if that
involves direct talks with Jews.
W. J. Porter, Adviser on Arab Affairs to the American Representative of the Commission, who is leaving for the
Middle East, is reported to be favorable to the Egyptian attitude. If the Egyptians can be persuaded to agree to gen-
eral peace talks the conference can get somewhere with the proposals presently before them. If they refuse, then
the commission may decide to exercise its right to deal separately with each Arab delegation.
Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and head of the Israeli delegation to• the con-
ference, proposed that the armistice agreement concluded by Israel with Egypt, Transjordan and Lebanon should be
taken as a working basis for the next stage of talks. Without new orders from Cairo, however, this proposal will not
be considered by the Arab delegations.
Bunche Did Not Authorize British Arms Shipments
LAKE SUCCESS. (JTA) —A spokesman for Dr, Ralph J. Bunche, UN acting mediator for Palestine, made it clear
(Continued on Page 24)
40
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Community Council's Annual Report Reflects
Impressive Growth of Its Numerous Activities
90
so
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J):A SONDJF M A M
'Types of Programs Furnished by the Jewish Congo
Homl,of
of
munity Council Program Service
June 1, 1947-June 1, 1949
rw.wons.
180
El 1947.48
El 1948-49
160
140
120
100
00
60
40
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4=1,
Community
Pro,ornt.
N,om
Civil
Procoorr,
Incidents Reported to the Jewish Comrntiiiii -
Council for Action
June 1, 1948-June 1, 1949
Employment
Religion and
discrimination
the Schools
Miscellaneous
Incidents
Housing
DiscrlinIne loft
Community Calendar
Number of
Dotes Cleared
rattagA
WOUSIXI07 ./'
Number of Organizations
Using the Calendar
offima
40%
Increase
roteumnittft
Released this week under the title "What Has Been
Done . . . A Report to the . Jewish Community," the strik-
ingly illustrated annual report of the Jewish Community
Council of Detroit reflects an impressive growth in the
activities and prestige of this communal body. The report
demonstrates that the Council, on the eve of its 13th
birthday, has achieved the maturity necessary to qualify it
for its communal "bar mitzvah," and reveals that the
Council, in its day-to-day job, has busily engaged in many
vital areas of Detroit Jewish and civic life. _
Outstanding, in that it represented a pioneer job that won
national recognition, is the work that Detroit's Council did in
cooperation with the Zionist Council in interpreting Jewish
aspirations in Israel to the general community. The report
describes press conferences and radio appearances arranged for
visiting Israeli personalities, a large number of programs with
films and speakers before non-Jewish groups, and a "Fact Book
on Palestine," prepared by the local Council and later adopted
by national agencies for distribution. The report concludes that
this phase of Council work "resulted in a much better communi-
ty understanding of the situation in Israel and in vastly im-
proved press notices locally."
In his foreword, Boris M. Joffe, executive director of the
Council, alludes to the program service of the Community Coun-
cil, and to the Council's interest in stimulating more organiza-
tional programs with a meaningful Jewish content. The foreword
includes charts, reproduced here, showing the operation of this
phase of the Council's function. The illustrations indicate ap-
preciable increases in the number of programs which were
arranged by the Council office, and in the numbers attending
such programs. The subjects dealt with in these programs are
also graphically demonstrated in the report, and include Pale-
stine, community relations, internal relations, Jewish culture,
civil rights. During the twelve months covered by the report.
316 programs were arranged for constituent organizations of the
Council. The programs were attended by over 32,000 people. In
addition, over 28,000 persons attended programs which were
sponsored directly by the Council, either itself or in cooperation
with other organizations; notably, the May 15 observance of
Israel's anniversary at the Coliseum, the Israel Exhibit at the
Michigan State Fair, and the observance of Jewish Music Month
were attended by vast segments of the community.
The work • of the Council's standing committees is des-
cribed in the balance of the report. These committees are
Community relations, headed by Harry Yudkoff and Morris
Zwerdling; internal relations, Dr. Shmarya Kleinman and
Morris Lieberman; culture commission, Rabbi Morris Adler
and Lawrence W. Crohn.
In the arena of its relations with the non-Jewish communi-
ty, the Council, in its account to the Detroit Jewish Community,
lists some of the events of major importance of the past year
and evaluates on the basis of the year's experience the status
of prejudice in the community. The professional hate mongers
visited. Detroit less frequently in the past year, and there was a
decline in reports of overt anti-Semitism. Incidents of employ-
ment and housing discrimination and assaults averaged more
than one per week. Of concern is what the report characterizes
as the area of "politer prejudice," and special mention is made
of some "so-called property owners groups," who "perhaps by
more than coincidence have seemed to attract some of the old.
Gerald Smith following" in their efforts to resist sale of property
to Negroes. The report takes to task "those who would keep the
community in a constant sickly state of fear of an iminent
`rising tide of anti-Semitism'." The Council's efforts on behalf
of FEPC and other civil rights legislation, its close liaison with
veteran, labor, nationality and racial groups, and its work with
radio stations, the public schools, etc. are described. The ob-
jective, this section of the report concludes, is "the conscious
effort of Detroit's Jewish community to express its interest in
and support for genuine, practicing democracy."
The section of the report devoted to the Council's cul-
ture commission defines the aim of this committee as making
"available to all groups in our city whatever assistance is
necessary to participate more fully in the cultural life of
our people." The culture commission has sought to give em-
phasis to community observances of Jewish Music Month,
Jewish Education Month, Jewish Book Month. A series of
four Yiddish programs, arranged by the culture commission
in cooperation with the Jewish Community Center, attracted
over 300 persons each. A . program planners' institute was
held at the beginning of the season.
Another phase of the Council's work is described in the
section "Intra-Jewish Community Relations." This section deals
with the work of the Council's internal relations committee
which has concerned itself, among other issues, with the prac-
tices of the kosher butchers. In the Twelfth Street area, in
cooperation with the Midtown Neighborhood Council, this com-
mittee has sought to do whatever is possible to assure that any
change in the character of the neighborhood be a "peaceful,
painless and constructive one." Through this committee also is
handled the conciliation and arbitration functions of the Coun-
cil under the guidance of A. C. Lappin and Louis Rosenzweig.
The arbitrators have successfully kept out of the secular courts
many matters of a communal nature.
Aaron Droock, who has just concluded four years as presi-
dent of the Council urges in his message that constituent
organizations intensify their interest in their Council, -
Dr. Shmarya Kleinman was elected president
of the Jewish Community Council at the
annual meeting on Tuesday evening.
Story on Page 5