Aummim
2—THE JEWISH NEWS..
Anglo-Israel Finance Talks Conclude
With Agreement on Blocked Assets
LONDON, (JTA)—The finan-
cial talks conducted here be-
tween Britain and Israel for the
release of frozen sterling assets
were successfully concluded with
a speed which evoked surprise
even in British Treasury circles.
Under the terms of the new
agreement, Israel will receive ap-
proximately $30,000,000 in Brit-
ish pounds which will be released
by the end of this year, when it
is anticipated that another
agreement will be necessary to
clear the balance of the block-
ed assets. It was- estimated that
the balance amounts to about
13,000,000 pounds.
British officials attribute the
speedy settlement of the talks
largely to the business-like and
forcible manner in which the
negotiations were conducted by
David Horowitz, the head of the
Israel delegation. Progress also
was reported on the Anglo-Israel
talks dealing with the liquida-
tion of the claims of the Manda-
tory regime in Israel. The agree-
ment has to be approved by the.
Foreign Office.
'Hard Core' DPs Leave
Germany For Israel by Air.
LONDON, (JTA)—The , first
transport of "hard core cases"
—Jewish DPs who are ill or in-
firm—will leave the British zone
of Germany for Israel by air
during the first week of March,
it was announced by the Jewish
Committee for Relief Abroad.
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Is Russia Anti-Semitic?
Friends of Soviet Russia for 30 years held to the view that the
Communist regime was not—because it could not be—anti-Semitic.
It had been asserted that the USSR was persecuting Zionists whom
it considered British agents and imperialists, but that Jews, gen
erally speaking, were treated on a basis of equality with other
elements in the Russian population. The Jewish faith, defenders
of the USSR believed, suffered no more and no less than other
faiths and that Russia, in the main, was the only country on the
face of the globe that went so far as to make a crime of anti-
Semitism.
The expose by Dr. Sergius Yakobson, Chief of the Foreign Af-
fairs Section of the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of
Congress, which was published in the Congressional Record as a
special article inserted in the Record's Appendix on Feb. 6 by
Congressman Abraham J. Multer of New York, completely dis-
proves these contentions. Prof. Yakobson's article - quotes attacks
on the Jewish Bund by Nikolai Lenin as far back as in 1903 and
condemnations of the Bund written earlier but published as late
as 1946 by Josef Stalin. "
Dr. Yakobson declares that "it may be said that the current
attitude -of the Soviet Union toward the Jews has many of the
characteriStics of traditional anti-Semitism which hardly can
encourage or terrify the Russian Jews into 'resigning them-
selves to spend the rest of their days in the Soviet Union under
a dictatorship,' as pointed out by Joseph Newman in his recent
series of articles. on Soviet Russia which were published in the
New York Herald Tribune."
One the qutstion of the Soviet's attitude towards Zionism and
the state of Israel, Prof. Yakobson has this to say:
"With the advent and establishment' of a Jewish state in the
Near East, Soviet warnings against Zionism became strong and
explicit. During 1948 articles began to appear in the Soviet press
warning Soviet Jews that their future lay in the Soviet Union
and not in Israel. The famous journalist Ilya Ehrenburg, him-
self a Jew, repeated in the Communist Pravda of Sept. 21, 1948,
the old Communist concept that the fate of the Jews lay in their
being assimilated in the countries in which they were living and
that the idea of an international Jewish culture was mystical.
And a month later the Jewish newspaper Einikeit reminded the
Jews that while their sympathy should be with the Israeli pro-
letarians struggling against capitalism, they should not 'con-
sider Israel their homeland.' In short, although it has recog-
nized and entered into diplomatic relations with Israel, the
Kremlin is determined not only to prevent the Jews in the
Soviet Union from emigrating to the new state but even from
supporting or manifesting their sympathy with their friends in-
Tel Aviv.
"Coincident with this opposition to Zionism within the
Soviet Union has appeared a chauvinistic prejudice against 'in-
ternational bourgeois culture' or 'cosmopolitanism' which is, to a
large degree, identified with Jewry."
The myth of Russian "friendship" for Israel and Jewry thus
is completely debunked. But it is not with regard to Soviet Russia
alone that the Communists emerge in their true nakedness as an-
tagonists of Jewry—Prof. Yakobson's interpretation would label
them anti-Semites. Declarations made recently by leaders of the
Polish government show a similar trend in the Soviet-dominated
Polish regime, as well as in Communist-ruled countries like Ro-
mania and Hungary. That is why Zionist leaders and spokesmen
for the state of Israel have been so anxious in the past few months
to rescue Jews living behind the Iron Curtain and to facilitate
their transfer to Israel. The more Israel favors the oppressed in
Cmunist lands, the more antagonistic the Communist leaders
appear
ear to become toward the state of Israel and incidentally also
to world Jewry which supports Israel's aspirations to become self-
sustaining as a democracy in the Middle East.
Prof. Yakobson has rendered an important service, in the in-
terest of truth, in exposing the Soviet's attitudes on Jewish mat-
ters. It now should be much easier to judge the USSR in relation
to Israel and therefore to be on guard when dealing with the needs
of Jewish communities that are encased in Iron Curtain countries.
*
*
Entering upon the 62nd year of its existence, the Jewish Publi-
cation Society of America again is meeting with financial diffi-
culties. Like other cultural movements—and the JPS m -ist be
considered as a movement in Jewish life rather than as a mere
book-publishing business—the society is finding it difficult to
secure the large funds that are needed for the publication of im-
portant books.
It is to be regretted that the JPS may find it necessary to
publish fewer books in 1950 than in the past decade. Rising costs
of production may force a policy of entrenchment, and if the so-
ciety's activities are curtailed the harm which comes from reduc-
tion of cultural activities will react upon all of American Jewry.
The Jewish Publication Society remains an important force in
Jewish life. If not for this society, we might never have been
blessed with the great literary contributions which emanated from
it. The translation of the Bible, Graetz's History, Zangwill's works,
the literary creations of many great writers, the encouragement
that was given to young men who appeared on the Jewish cultural
horizon, might not have seen the light of day if not for JPS.
These well-known facts are repeated here in order to remind
cur people of the value of this important society which has
earned our support and encouragement.
.
.
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•
• 7,
Women's Leadership
Training Sessions
Set for This Week
Members of the Sisterhoods
of Cong. Shaarey Zedek, Bnai
Moshe and Northwest Hebrew
Congregation will attend a
leadership course Monday, Feb.
20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
Shaarey Zedek, Synagogue, un-
der the sponsorship of the
Michigan region of the Central
Branch •of the National Wo-
men's League of America, Mrs.
-Charles Robinson, chairman.
Reservations for the luncheon
should be made immediately
with Mrs. Max Green, TO.
8-5635.
On Tuesday, the women will
meet at Bnai Moshe Synagogue
at 1 p.m. for a dessert luncheon
at which Mrs. A. H. Vixman will
be guest • speaker. A musical
program will be offered by the
choral group of the Northwest
Hebrew Congregation. Mrs. Vix-
DR. BERNARD WESTON, (right) outgoing president of
Nordau Chapter, Zionist Organization of Detroit, and MAX
CHOMSKY, (left) newly-elected president, presented a mem-
bership citation to MRS. ALBERT FELDMAN (center) at the
chapter's annual meeting Jan. 25.
Elected to serve with Chomsky are: Rubin Gold and Mur-
ray Selborn, vice presidents; Joseph Hersch, recording secret •
tary; Albert Feldman, treasurer; Elaine Hersh, corresponding
secretary. Dr. Weston was appointed honorary member- of
the board. The following committee chairmen were appointed:
Membership. Dr. Weston; program and educational, Selborn;
social and phone, Mrs. Feldman; finance, Sherman Shapiro. •
Israel Buys U.S. Cows to Ease MilkShortage
MRS. A. H. VIXMAN
.
The Jewish Publication Society
Max Chom4y Elected Head of Nordan
Chapter ZOO; Dr. Weston n Board
Friday, February 17, 1950
man has been director of Young
Judaea; national .executive vice-
president of the Women's Divi-
sion of the American Jewish
Congress; national chairman of
various committees of Hadassah
for many years and on %non-
sectarian boards.
Mrs. Vixman is now serving in
a voluntary capacity as nation-
al chairman of the organization
and extension committee of the
National Women's - League.
NEW YORK—With the aid of
funds raised in this country,
I s r a el is currently importing
cows from the United States,
Austria and Holland to ease the
drastic milk shortage caused by
the rapid increase of population
and the loss of livestock during
the Arab w a r, JUdge Morris
Rothenberg, national chairman
of the United Palestine Appeal,
disclosed at an executive com-
mittee meeting.
A total of 3,150 cows and 355
calves have been imported since
the beginning of this year, in-
cluding 2,860 from the United
States. The cost of these cows
totals over $2,600,000. The bulk
of them afe being distributed to
settlements in the Negev, south-
ern Judea and the Jerusalem
corridor.
Due to the shortage, Judge
Rothenberg disclosed fresh milk
is given only to children, nurs-
ing mothers and invalids, while
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — For the
first time since Israel was estab-
lished, the death sentence was
imposed on a Jewish citizen.
Joshna Danokh, a 50-year-old
Yemenite butcher, was found
guilty by the Tel Aviv district
court of murdering another
Yemenite butcher, ostensibly to
be rid of competition on the
black market.
The court, however, recom-
mended that President Weiz-
mann commute the sentence to
life imprisonment in view of the
fact that Danokh is the father
of 13 children.
4 P
.• ti xh•dat.
'1
LAKE SUCCESS, (JTA) — A..•
petition asking the UN Econom- •
is and Social Council to place .on , ..,,
the agenda of its tenth session .
the plight of the Jews in Iraq.
and. other Moslem lands was :
submitted by the World Jewish .
Congress to Trygve Lie, UN Sec-
retary-General.
:
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Military Affairs:
Many leading organizations in
the Jewish community are co-
operating with Hashofar,
ciety for, the Advancement of
Jewish Music, in presenting the
concert of music by noted Jew-
ish composers at the Scottish
Rite Cathedral of Masonic Tern-
ple, Sunday, March 5.
Mrs. Robert S. Drews is gen-
eral ticket chairman. Tickets
are also on sale through the
following chairmen for organi-
zations: Mrs. L. Tatken, Sister-
hood, Shaarey Zedek; Herbert
Harris, Men's Club, Northwest
Hebrew Congregation; M r s .
Theodore C urtis, Sisterhood,
Bnli Moshe; Mrs. Sam Schnei-
der, Sisterhood Beth Aaron; J.
Goreman, Men's Club, Bnai
David; Mrs. Sidney Solomon,
Detroit Section, National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women; Mrs. M.
Wiser, Young Israel; Mrs. Ger-
ald Levitt, Sisters of Zion, Miz-
rachi Council, and Mrs. S. Zel-
des, Women's Auxiliary, Jewish
Home for the Aged.
Israel Imposes First
Death -Sentence on Jew -
Ask UNESCO to Review .,
Plight of Jews in I raq
Between .You and Me
Organizations Aiding
Hashofar for Concert
.
adults receive powdered milk..
M i 1 k production by imported ,
cows will add an estimated six
million quarts to the current
annual -yield.
Judge Rotherberg also dis.7
closed that some 3,000 goats
had been imported from Ro..
mania and 250 from Switzer
land at a cost of $182,000. They ' •
will be used to improve local
herds and in the development'
of auxiliary •farms for new im- -
migrants.
Although the State Department thinks that the danger of -
war in the Middle East is over, the Israel government does not
think so . . . Israel's chief worry is the fact that Britain has
supplied Egypt with about 100 jet planes and no less than seven ,
late model destroyers . • . Nothing that Israel can muster in men.'
or money can offset so dangerous, a stockpile . • . Not to speak
of the fact that Britain is continuing to reorganize and reequip
the Jordan and Iraqi armies with British arms . • Since the ..
Arabs are still smarting over their defeat in Palestine Awo years
ago, and because they talk openly of "a second round" of war-
fare, the supply of arms by Britain spells danger to the Jewish
state . . . That is why Israel's leaders are now grimly watching
developments . . . It will not be revealing a military secret to
say that Israel's arms industry is working at full speed, and that
research into new methods and weapons is proceeding all the
time . . . Yet, it is considered doubtful whether Israel can count
upon "superiority of arms," as she could in 1948, unless she is
given equal access to the new products of international military
industry . • . That is a matter of money and politics, and. not
one of training or valor . ...Therefore Premier David Ben Gurion
has decided not to give up, for the time being, the post of De-
fense Minister, although the fighting. ceased over a year ago.
.*
*
Inside Israel
-
Don't be surprised to see Golda Myerson soon in the post of
Deputy Premier of Israel . • • Her post as Minister of Labor may
be taken over by a member of the left-wing , Socialist Mapam
party, should the Mapam decide to join the Cabinet . . . Other-
wise, her present post will be given to David Remez, the present
Communications Minister . . . In the forthcoming Cabinet re-
shuffle, the Ministry of Social Service will be abolished, since
there is dissatisfaction with Rabbi I. M. Lewin, who heads it ..
Its functions will be absorbed between the Ministries of Justice
and Labor . . . A definite change is noticeable in the strength of
the various political parties in Israel now, a year after the par-
liamentary electiOns • White collar and industrial workers,
all of whom grumble over wage cuts, are in part drifting toward••
the Mapam and Herut groups . .. Herut might poll about 80,000
votes now, as comp,n'ed with the 49,000 it received in the elec-
tions last year ... . The Progressive Party has dwindled greatly
. .. The Orthodox groups probably gained a , certain following
since there is, no doubt, a return to religion . . . The strength
of the various parties may -be reflected in the coming municipal
elections . . . It is unlikely that, under the new municipal law,
the center parties will. obtain a majority anywhere, particularly
not in Tel Aviv . . . the parties now -in power in most areas—
either the middle-of-the-road parties or the Mapai—may not
regain their seats . . . As matters look, Mapai can maintain
municipal control only if it establishes a common front with
Mapam.