Swiss Jew Directs UN Inlerpreters

By DAVID NUSSBAUM

(Copyright. 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

LAKE SUCCESS—George S. Rabinovitch, a small,
shy, handsome man who heads the United Nations
interpreters staff, generally regarded as the UN'S
elite group, is not certain now whether it was the
pogroms in pre-Revolutionary Russia which sent his
family packing to Germany, where he was born 40-odd
years ago.
But he remembers that pogroms were going on
at the time. And he is certain that his family's sub-
sequent peregrinations and his up-bringing in the
cosmopolitan atmosphere of Switzerland, of which
country he is a citizen, account for the fact that to-
day he is one of the world's outstanding interpreters.
An interpreter is not necessarily a linguist, though
Rabinovitch is fluent in five languages and can get
along in several others. An interpreter is a'person ac-
complished in the fancy art of simultaneous, or off-
the-cuff, transposition from one language to another,
an art that Rabinovitch is chiefly responsible for
building into a full-fledged profession since the rise
of the United Nations.
The interpreter keeps up a running translation
a sentence or so behind a speaker, sometimes for sev-
eral hours on end, or in consecutive . interpreting as
used in the Security Council—and this is even fancier
—he listens to a speech, no matter how long, swiftly

taking notes on it, and then immediately delivers an
Rabinovitch got this way by plugging along with
oral reproduction of it verbatim. Called upon to simu-
the International Labor Office in Geneva for 18 years,
late every aspect of the original.speaker's perfOrmance
where - he was first engaged in research and gradually
and to invoke identical emotions and response in the
began doing interpretation in his spare time because
listeners, the interpreter's array of skills consists of it was so badly needed.
far more than a tight grip on two or more tongues.
During the war, after putting in his allotted time
According to Rabino- at military service in Switzerland, Rabinovitch lit out
vitch, who has trained for South America. Eventually he became director of
the labor movement for the Ford rubber development
and tested more inter-
program there.
preters than anyone else
When the UN came into being, however, his former
in the world in the pro- talents were recalled and he was sent for to put into
1 full swing the newly created interpretation depart-
cess of building the
present UN staff of 74, ment. Today the interpreters, heard through an elab-
orate microphone system, attract considerably more
the interpreter must
have a complete and attention from UN- visitors than the delegates who
make the original speeches.
instantly obedient vo-
Rabinovitch and his interpreters, who represent
cabulary in each of his
languages, a keenly an- 16 different nationalities and among whom are eco-
alytical mind that can nomists, lawyers and artists, are generally agreed on
several things they have learned from practicing their
absorb the structure of
trade. One is that UN oratory in gereral rarely rises
a speech in progress, an
almost photographic above the mediocre, or even to the level of the Old
memory and something League of Nations, and that the American representa-
of the qualities of an tices are very much among the dull ones, the Latin
actor, a public speaker Americans among the hardest to follow, and that the
French spoken by the Haitians is about the most bea-
GEORGE RABINOVITCH and a politician.
utiful prose the UN hears.

Lehman Heads Group of Eleven
Jews in United States Congress

By MILTON FRIEDMAN

(Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

WASHINGTON—The 11 Jews in Congress are perhaps
the most overworked men in Washington. Not only do they
continuously battle for liberal legislation to benefit their
constituencies and their country but many labor late into the
night in efforts to aid Israel.
The most recent arrival here, but certainly. one of the

most distinguished, is. Senator •
Herbert H. Lehman of New bly" by reporters whci covered
York, who was seated last Jan- his two terms t h e r e. The
uary. While Lehman is the only "Judge" has devoted his prin-
Jewish Senator, 10 Jews are to cipal attention to his choice as-
be found in the House of Repre- signment on the House Foreign
sentatives.
Affairs Committee.
Jews, of course, led many of
Rep. Isadore Dollinger has in-
the battles in the House for troduced a flock of civil rights
FEPC and civil rights. Rep. measures. He is generally cred-
Emanuel Cellar, chairman of ited with having done much to
the House Judiciary Committee, promote the $100,000,000 Export-
was responsible for passage of Import Bank loan for Israel.
the so-called "Cellar Bill," a
Rep. Sidney Yates, a former
step in the direction of the lib- assistant attorney general of
eralization of displaced persons Ilinois, has a long record of par-
legislation.
ticipation in Jewish communal
While none can be considered affairs. A young Congressman-
"left-wingers," Jewish Congress- 39—Yates has aided the Israel
men have affiliated themselves cause.
with the most. liberal elements
Perhaps the most effective
of their parties, providing a spokesman-for Israel and a fear-
balance to those on the ex- less critic of adverse State De-
treme opposite fringe—the out- partment policies, Rep. Jacob K.
spoken reactionaries who are Javits, of New York, is one of
often anti-Semitic.
the best known of the Jewish
representatives. He is the only
Jewish Republican in Congress,
but is generally considered more
liberal in his outlook than most
members of t h e Democratic
Party. Javits is credited with
exposing the flow of British
munitions to the Arab states.

-

In Near East Work

Javits is a member of the Near
East subcommittee and the
Foreign Affairs Committee. His
voice is heard almost daily in
the House, demanding fair

SENATOR LEHMAN
A man of intelligence and
quiet dignity, Sen. Lehman has
been appointed to the Commit-
tee on Interior and Insular Af-
fairs. Many of his colleagues
continue to call him, "Gover-
nor," recalling his four terms in
Albany.
Washington knows that Leh-
man has given much to his
country. No newcomer to the
capital, Lehman was appointed
director of foreign relief and
rehabilitation in 1942. In 1943
he was unanimously elected di-
rector general of UNRRA.

Aid to Jewry

Despite the fact that Lehman
has been involved in politics
since his election as lieutenant
governor of New York in 1928,
he has always found time to aid
Zionism and other Jewish com-
munal and philanthropic causes.
The five newest members in
the House are Representatives
Heller and Dollinger of New
York, Ribicoff of Connecticut,
Yates of Illinois, and Chudoff of
Pennsylvania.
Judge Abraham A. Ribicoff
was noted "the most able legis-
lator in the Connecticut Assem-

.

treatment for the Near East's
only democracy.
One of the best liked of the
Jewish group is good-humored
Arthur G. Klein, of New York.
A sharp critic of the Adminis-
tration's bungling of denazifica-
tion in Germany, Klein also
keeps a watchful eye on the
home front.
Abraham J. Multer, of New
York, has taken an interest in
Israel. He is also known for his
investigation of the c i r c u in-
stances of the Jews in Spain.

Jewish Players Loom
On Baseball Horizon ;
Rogovin with Tigers

By SAM SPATTER

Jewish baseball fans will be scanning
major - league rosters this spring with the
hope that some six minor league players of
the Jewish faith will stick in the big leagues.
These six rookies, if they remain in the
majors, will help bring_ to an end a shortage
of Jewish talent in the majors, for currently,

Sid Gordon of the Boston Braves.
is the lone major leaguer of 1942 with Thomasville, North
Jewish extraction. Carolina State League, Rosen
High hopes, however, are held did not play long as he soon
out for rookies Al Rosen, Hal entered the Navy. He was signed
Saltzman, Cal Abrams and Saul by Cleveland after his discharge.
Dean of the House
Another player to return to
The Dean of the House, the Rogovin to remain in the ma-
venerable Adolph J. Sabath, is jors. Although Myron Ginsburg the big leagues is Cal Abrams,
chairman of the important Rules and Emil Moscowitz are also an outfielder with the Brooklyn
Committee. He has worked un- scheduled for t r y out s, their Dodgers. While with the Dod-
tiringly to keep the promise he chances of remaining appear gers in spring tryouts in 1949,
Abrams proved the "talk of the
made to President Roosevelt slim.
Perhaps the most promising camp" from his brilliant batting
that he. would try to get action
of the group is Cleveland's Al- exhibitions.
on the FEPC bill.
Louis B. Heller, of New York, bert Leonard Rosen, a third - An inroad among major
and Earl Chudoff, of Philadel- baseman who was born in Spar- league pitching staffs is ex-
phia, both able men, complete tansburg, S.C., 24 years ago. En- pected with the arrival of Saul
tering professional baseball in Rogovin and Hal Saltzman. Both
the Jewish group.
men have e x c e 11 e n t minor
league records.
For Rogovin, this will be a
second try to gain a berth with
Detroit. Rogovin's history is
By RABBI SAMUEL FOX
(Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
somewhat unique. He began his
Why are the first-born traditionally required to fast on
baseball career as an infielder
the day before Passover?
but finally gave up his position
This fast has been traditionally handed down as a re-
and decided on pitching. Fol-
minder that it was just before the Exodus that the first-
lowing his decision, in the win-
born of the Egyptians were slain as the last plague that was
ter of 1947-48, he went to Vene-
zuela.
executed by God against the oppressor, Pharoah. At this very
same time the first-born of the Israelites were saved from
In 1948, back with Buffalo -
the plague by the same miracle.
as a pitcher, Rogovin chalked
Tradition has it that each Jew is to consider himself as
up a record of 13 wins and 7
having been released from Egypt together with his ancestors.
losses. The Tigers gave him a
This means that the first-born are made to feel the danger
they faced when the first-born were slain. They are there-
tryout, but optioned him back
fore asked to fast and pray to God that they are worthy of
to Buffalo. During 1949 he
being saved with their Israelite brethren.
continued his exceptional

Passover. Query

Call Hebrew World Congress to Secure
Unified. Culture for Israel, Diaspora Jewry

By PROF. JOSEPH KLAUSNER

(Copyright, 1950, Jewish. Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

A vision of nearly 40 years is being realized
in our day and before our very eyes. It has
brought in its wake two extraordinary phenom-
ena in the life of Israel=the ingathering of the
exiles and the revival of the Hebrew language
as a living and ruling tongue: These factors are
strongly bound up with each other.
Communities of various categories of citizen-
ship and political status, possessing a high stan-
dard of varied cultures; brethren who have gone
far from each other in the course of hundreds of
years have come to live in the same village,
Kibbutz and city. What will unite them?
Formerly, the Jewish religion united the body
of Israel. Today religious customs vary greatly
in the different Jewish communities. It is diffi-
cult for a Yemenite or Afghanistan Jew to pray
in the synagogue of the Polish Chassidim or in
that of the disciples of the great Vilna Gaon,
Rabbi Eliahu.
What will unite these many and various ex-
iles? What will mould them into one people in
Israel and with Jews outside of the State of
Israel?
Certainly a unified education in Israel. Those,
however, who have lived with sections of our
people in the immigrants' quarters in Jaffa and
Jerusalem, or who have visited the deserted Arab
villages (in which are being settled the cap-
tives Of the ghetto) find themselves inwardly
weeping in their souls. All about them is heard

a babel of scores—and more—of tongues, so

that one Jew is-unable to understand the lang-
uage of his neighbor.
If we assume that the Hebrew school will
bring one language to the coming generation,
born or brought up in Israel, what about those
outside of Israel?
The "Hebrew World Union"—"Brit Ivrit
Olarnit"—took a stand on this great and serious
problem many years before the State of Israel
was established. The Hebrew World Union has
endeavored to unite the various Jewish groups
abroad through the ties of the Hebrew language
and culture.These belong to the Jewish people
in Israel and outside, without distinction of
gratip or political party.
Only the Hebrew World Congress will be able
to muster the choicest cultural forces of the
people of Israel. In the first place, the Hebrew
World Congress will make clear the cultural
position of the Jewish groups throughout the
world. It will give enlightenment on the necessi-
ty for a common language and a common cul-
ture for all sections, so that the Hebrew nation
shall not be divided into two peoples. The Con-
gress will study the means for strengthening our
language and culture in every corner of the
earth where a large or small Jewish group is to
be found.
Without wishing to exaggerate, the Hebrew
World Congress can bring about a national rev-
olution today in the same manner as the Zion-
ist Congress caused a national political revolu-
tion in its time.

mound work by finishing with
a 16 and 6 record. He is again
set to try out with the Tigers,-
this time with a better. chance
of staying.

A newcomer to the loops this
season is a promising 24-year-
old former University of Oregon .
hurler, Hal Saltzman of the
Cleveland Indians. This young
Jewish pitcher, who the Indians
purchased f o r an estimated
$100,000, accomplished a remark-
able feat last season with Port-
land of the Pacific Coast League.
Hurling for a sixth place club,
Saltzman was able to gain 23
victories—a feat not often ac-
complished by first place team
hurlers.

Expected to return for an-
other spring session with De-
troit is Catcher Myron Gins-
burg. A native Detroiter, Gins-
burg led the Eastern - League
batters in 1948 with a 335
average. He was optioned to
Toledo last season after a
brief tryout with the Tigers.

A relative newcomer to the
majors is Emil Moscowitz, a
hurler last season with Stam-
ford of the Colonial League.
Pitcher. Moscowitz, who was a
former New York Yankee bat-
ting practice hurler, is tagged
for a trial with Cleveland this
spring.

8 — THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, March 31, 1950