2 — THE JEWISH NEWS

Stolarsky to Address Histadrut Rally
Jan. 19; Furniture Group at '49 Level

Friday, January •13, 1950

Lafayette College
Refuses $140,000
Bias Legacy

Guest speaker at the Histadrut Verein, Jan. ]7, Jewish Cultural Center;
Pioneer Women, Club Two, Jan. 17.
campaign workers' rally Thurs- Pioneer
Women's Headquarters ; Farband
day evening, Jan.. 19, at the La- Branch 552. Jan. 18. home of Nahum
Weissman, 4014 Duane.
bor Zionist Institute, will be I.
Other campaign reports given
Stolarsky, assistant national sec- include:
retary of the National Commit-
Gonitzer Aid Society. led by Mrs. A.
tee for Labor Israel, and a lead- Diskin, Philip Shkolnick ; Literary Club
12th St. Center; Qaroline Friendship
er in the Workmen's Circle of
Club, reported by Isabelle Brown ; Kadi-
movement.
mah Social Club, Harry Grossman: David
Independent Ladies, Mrs.
At the Jan. 5 rally, Morris Horodoker
Noiseev.
Lieberman, campaign chairman,
Branch 10, LZOA, led by Bill
Schumer, David Mondry, Sidney
Fields and Larry Nichamin, will
have a special brunch Sunday,
Jan. 15, to be followed by solici-
tation of prospects. Branch 156,
Workmen's Circle, has selected
Jake Keller, Jacob Percherer and
Max Shmuckler as its campaign
committee. Branch twdo has col-
lected $2,900 in cash and pledges.

NEW YORK. (JTA)—Trustees
of Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.,
have rejected a $140,000 bequest.
Its donor specified that if in-
come from the fund were used
for scholarship purposes Jews
and Catholics must be barred
froth. receiving such grants. The
board of trustees reversed. an
earlier decision of the college
authorities to accept the legacy.
The money was left ,by Fred-
erick F. T. Dumont, college al-
umnus and former member of
the United States displomatic
service, who died 10 years ago.
The terms of his will became
known when a court in Lancas-
ter, Pa., distributed the first in-
come from the bequest to the
college.
David Skillman, attorney for
the college, said that Lafayette
would accept the gift although it
did not like "string's that smack
of religious discrimination." He
said that refusal to accept the
money "w ould be depriving
other boys of the benefits." Col-
lege President Ralph C. Hutch-
ison said the money would not
be . used for scholarships, but
would be placed in the school's
general endowment fund.

Browdy New Head
Of Keren Hayesod

I. STOLARSKY

pointed out that at least $25,-
000 should be raised each week.
Only $15,000 was reported at that
meeting.
, Nathan H. Schecter reported
for the furniture division that
his team had already reached
last year's goal, with 25 per cent
of their cards still to be con-
tacted. Active workers include:

Jack Malamud, Louis Phillips, Aaron
Berg, Walter Rabinowitz, Max Brose,
Herman Gach, Maurice Levy. Morris Pais,
Leon L. Rives, Rudolph .Shulman, Charles
D. Solovich and Earl Weingarden.

A special gift of $1,000 from
Mlawer Umgegend Verein was
immediately forwarded to Ku-
pat HOlim to help build a clinic.
Special Histadrut evenings are
planned by the following groups:

Branch Six, LZOA, Jan. 13. home of
Morris Brose, 18100 Muirland; Pinsker

NEW YORK, (JTA)—Benja-
min G. Browdy, :1.cting president
of the Zionist Organization of
America, has been elected presi-
dent of the Keren Hayesod, suc-
ceeding Charles Ress. During
1949 the Keren Hayesod, a bene-
ficiary of the United Palestine
Appeal, spent $26,500,000 for col-
onization and resettlement in Is-
rael. Jacob Lukashok was elected
chairman of the board of the
Keren Hayesod.

Baruch Spinoza's Bible
Discovered in Netherland

Last Israel Prisoner
Released by Syria

TEL AVIV, (JTA)—The last
Israel war prisoner in Syrian
hands, Akiva. Feinstein of Rosh
Pina, was released after two
years of captivity, at an informal
meeting of the Israel-Syrian
mixed armistice commission at
the Syrian customs house near
Mishmar Hayarden.

Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

-

TEL AVIV, (JTA)-The Bible
used by Baruch Spinoza, the em-
inent philosopher, has been
found by Dr. I. Melkman, Neth-
erlands literary figure, according
to a message received by the
Tel Aviv branch of the world
Hebrew Union. Handwriting on
the margins of many pages has
been identified as Spinoza's, the
report stated.

Prof. they Guest of Detroit's
Technion at Dinner Saturday

Detroit Chapter of the Ameri-
can Technion Society, supporter
of the Haifa Technical Institute
in Israel, will honor one of the
world's greatest scientists, Prof.
Harold C. Urey, at the annual
dinner at Huyler's in the Fisher
Building this Saturday evening.
Benjamin Wilk is president of
the Detroit Technion and Har-
old Goodman is chairman of the

types of chain reacting piles for
the release of atomic energy, has
been in the public eye as one of
the outstanding scientists w ho
played important roles in the
development of the atomic bomb.
In recent weeks he has been ii.
terviewed on the radio numer-
ous times and has been asked to
comment on matters relating to
atomic energy.
Harold Goodman, chairman of
the dinner committee, and Ben-
jamin Wilk, president of the De-
troit Technion Society, will greet
the gathering.

Detroiter Heads
Legal Fraternity

DR. HAROLD C. UREY

dinner committee. Reservations
still are available by calling of-
ficers or members of the Tech-
nion.
An agreement for the inclusion
of the Technion in the Allied
Jewish Campaign obviates t h e
need for a fund-raising drive for
the engineering and nautical
school in Haifa, but the dinner
is being sponsored, as an an-
nual tradition, in order to en-
courage membership enrollment
in the society. Those attending
the dinner are asked to contrib-
ute the actual cost of the meal
in addition to a membership fee.
Dr. Urey, Nobel Prize* winner
in chemistry in 1934, discoverer
of heavy water used in certain

At its 30th annual convention
just concluded in New York,
City, Tau Epsilon Rho legal fra..-
ternity elected Albert J. Silber,
Detroit attorney, supreme exec-.
cutive chancellor for 1950.
Silber is a graduate of North!-
ern. High School and holds de-
grees from Wayne University,
and University of Michigan Law
School.
He is a member of the Mich-
igan State Bar, Detroit Bar As-
sociation and National Lawyers
Guild. Silber has for many years
been active in American Jewish
Congress activities. He is past
president of the Michigan Conn-
cil of the AJC and was a dele-
gate to the World Jewish Con-
gregs in 1948 at Montreux, Swit-
zerland.
Silber - and his wife, Merry,
have three children and live at
18655 Birchcrest Dr.

GENOCIDE' PACT APPROVED
JERUSALEM, ( ISI) — T h•e

Knesset has ratified t h e UN
Genocide pact. Ratification will
be filed with Secretary-General
Trygve Lie.

: Champions of Religious Liberty

America's Fighters for JustiCe

If this .Commentator were given the power to offer
ab award to a single group, for outstanding achieve-
ment in the battle for 'freedom in this country, he
Would assign it to the Religious Liberty Association
Which is conducting a valiant effort from its head-
quarters in Washington to keep state and church
separated and to protect the religious feelings of all,
irrespective of creed.
• This association's fourth revised edition of

"American State Papers and Related Documents on
Freedom in Religion" (published for this association

in 1949 by Review and Herald Publishing Assn.,
Takoma Park, Washington 12, D.C.) is so valuable
as a record of the passion for the justice and liberty
that was inherent in the hearts of the founders of
this Republic, that its importance deserves to' be
shouted from the house tops. This volume also exposes
the bigotries which constantly threaten our liberties
and which demand that libertarian ideas should be
repeated again and again and again. From this point
of view, too, "American State Papers" is valuable-
aS an instrument to keep us awake to our duties to
be on the alert and to continue to battle for freedom.
The basic aim of this volume, the first edition
of which was brilliantly compiled by William Addi-
son Blakely, is — quite evidently — to emphasize the
American ideal of separation of church and state.
The heroic efforts of George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, James Monroe and _: Benjamin Franklin
stand out as landmarks in the finest chapters of
American history. There were others:
President Grant, who declared in 1875: "Encourage
free, schools and resolve that not one dollar appro-
priated for their support shall be appropriated for
the support of any sectarian schools.
Elihu Root, President Theodore Roosevelt's Secre-
tary of State, who in 1894 urged the inclusion of a
provision in the New York Constitution prohibiting
use of public funds for sectarian education.
Judge Jeremiah S. Black, President James Buch-
anan's Secretary of State, who in 1854 said: "The
manifest object of the men who framed the institu-
tion of this country was to have a State without
religion and a church without politics—that is to say,
they meant that one should never be used as an
engine for any purpose of the other . .. Our fathers
seem to have been perfectly sincere in their belief
that the members of the Church would be more
patriotic, and the citizens of the State more re-
ligious, by keeping their respective functions entire-
ly separate. For that reason they built up a wall of
complete and perfect partition between the two."
Horace Mann , through whose efforts "all sectarian
teachings were barred from the common school to
save it from being rent by denominational conflict"
in. Massachusetts.
Mr. Justice Felix Frankfurter of the United States
Supreme Court who "deserves the high appreciation
of every lover of religious freedom for the careful
way he has presented the subject" in the decision in
the McCollum case in Champaign, Ill.
Senator (later Vice-President) Richard M. Johnson,
brilliant defender of religious liberty in the Sunday
mail controversy, in 1829, who ably proved that "our

Government is a civil and not a religious institution."

..stitution (providing that no religious tests shall ever;
These, are a few of our heroes. There also were— .. be required as. a qualification to any office - or public
and there still are — villains Whose machinations • trust under the United States), Mr. Caldwell said
must be watched vigilantly.
"there was an invitation for Jews and pagans i•of•
every kind to come among us . .1 think, then, that,
Those Who Would Curtail Our Liberties
in a political view; those gentlemen who formed this
•
It is important that we should remember those
Constitution should not have given this invitation to
who seek' to curb our liberties. In an introduction.. Jews and heathens." The editors of the state papers
to the section of "American State PaperS on Free-. on freedom in religion comment:
.-
dom in Religion" dealing with "Attempts to Inject
"The idea that Christianity, or any other re-
ligion, was intended to be either favored , or disc
Dogmatic Religious Teaching Into Public. Schools,"
the editor states: . --
countenanced; was entirely foreign to the inten-
tions of the framers of our government. Such
"Those who would curtail American liberties to
charges are the gratuitous inventions of the op-
accomplish their own ends are ever alert to find
ponents of the absolute religious equality provided
new ways to fetter the conscience. Laws compelling
for, by the Constitution—persons who desire to' have
the religiouS observance of Sunday have long been
THEIR religious belief, Christianity, or its insti ,
the favorite avenue of approach to the union of
tutions, FORCED UPON OTHERS. How different
church and state- in the United States. And it is
would be their tone - if some other persons' re-
evident that . these Sunday-law advocateS hope to
ligiOn.was being forced on them!"
see the church eventually dictate to the state in
'AS a record of absolute adherence to the principle
all matters of morals and religion.
of true religious freedom by Christians, this state-.
"Whether these zealous, though misguided, or-
ment serves as an encouragement to non-Christians
ganizations deem that they have accomplished
that the basic idea of American. liberty is not being
their object,. since there are now Sunday laws on
forgotten.
the statute books of a majority of the States; or
There are so many magnificent examples of fear•
whether they think they have failed -because these.
less efforts to perpetuate true liberty in this couni-
State Sunday laws are usually not strictly. .enforced,
try that a review can only scratch the surface. One
and because the National Government steadfastly
other incident deserves mention here. When the sup.
refuses to enact general religious laws, even for
porters of Sunday legislation pressed for a Sunday
the District of Columbia, we cannot say; but they
closing law: for the Chicago World's Columbian Ex
have been turning in recent years to an entirely
position of 1893, while considering a Federal appro-
different • method of committing our Government
priation for the Fair, a suggestion to the Hous'e of •
to legislation favoring certain religious sects above
Representatives on the utter impropriety of the ac-
the others. They endeavor to secure public funds
tion taken was made by Mr. Bowers of California in•'
to support .the teaching of sectarian religion . .
the form of a bill to force the Fair's closing "on .-the'
The defenders against these atttacks have had
Sabbath day, which is Saturday."
a hard fight to maintain the equality of all re-
In the course of debate in the Senate, the - Com-
ligions before the law, and to confine state aid to
mandment, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it
religion to protection only, and not to support."
holy . . . " was read. An amendment to make Sun.
The extent of Sunday law enforcement in Co-
day the closing day was adopted. The House vote
lonial times is indicated in the following quotation was 149 to. 11 against the Saturday-Sabbath closing
from the. Massachusetts Sentinel of Dec. 16, 1789, measure.
entitled "The .President and the Tithingman:"
To prove that the U. S. was not founded on the
"The President (George Washington), on his
Christian religion, the Volume under review quotes
return to 'NeW . York from his • late tour through
the following from the 1796 Treaty with Tripoli: "As
Connecticut, having missed his way on Saturday,
the Government of the United States of. America is
was obliged to ride a few miles on Sunday morning
not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion;
in order to gain the town at which he had pre-
as it has in itself no character of enmity against the
viously proposed to have attended divine service.
laws, religion, or tranquility of Musselmen; and as
Before he arrived, however, he was met by a tith-
the said States never have entered into any war or
ingman, who commanding him to stop, demanded
act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is
the occasion of his riding; and it was not until
declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from
the President had informed hint of every cir-
religious opinions shall, ever produce an interruption
cumstance and promised to go no further than the
of the harmony existing between the two countries."
town intended that the tithingnzan would per-
Thus, ad infinitum, we are offered proof that this
mit him to proceed on his journey."
is not a Christian nation; that the founders fought
This volume contains magnificent tribute to Roger
for total freedom for all; that there always were
Williams, founder. of Rhode Island and the pioneer
opponents of the principle of religious 'equality among -
fighter for religious freedom (not toleration—a term
bigots; that the battle for freedom never ends; that
which emerges berated in this significant book).
the strength to keep church and state separated con-
There are numerous references to Jews, especially
tinues as long as'there are threats to combine them.
by defenders of rights unhampered by religious re-
As a weapon in the fight for liberty and justice,
strictions. But during the Virginia Convention, in
"American State Papers on Freedom in Religion" as,.
the debate on the sixth article of the Federal Con-
sullies a place of first and major importance.

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