An Expose of
E JE ISH NEWS
False Peace
Appeals to
World Jewry
A Weekly Review
Read Commentator's
Column on Page 2
VOLUME 17—No. 21
of Jewish Events
Issues Facing
the World Today
and the Roots of
Anti-Semitism
Review on Page 4
708-10 David Stott Bldg.—Phone WO.. 5-1155 Detroit, Michigan, August 4, 1950.**0
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
Korean War. Scare Creates Rush
For Refugee Visas
Some Enlightening Facts
Interested in Israel?
Direct ETA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
By GEORGE MARC IA
EDITOR'S NOTE: The author of this article is a Christian
Detroiter who is making his home in Jerusalem, Israel, where
he is sharing the fate of the builders of the Jewish state. The
following interesting article is one of a series he is writing
for The Jewish News.
—Jerusalem.
Are you interested in Israel ? Then maybe you know:
That Israel has the largest ghost population of any
country in the world. You don't believe in ghosts ? Ask
Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics. Roving Bedouin,
crossing and recrossing the country's long, irregular bor-
ders, constitute one of the census-takers' biggest headaches.
*
*
That venerable Jerusalem is the site of a sanctified booby-
trap. No, we're not deriding anyone's religion; but we're told
that Israel authorities, discovering a certain Jerusalem cem-
etery to have been intricately mined by the retreating enemy,
promptly posted the spot "Holy Place—Forbidden to Enter."-
They'd have done so anyway, under the policy of protection of
all areas of religious significance, but in this case the danger to
wary civilians speeded things up.
*
*
*
That diamonds are not mined, but are "manufactured,"
in Israel. We don't yet know why, but representatives of
Nathanya's Diamond Manufacturers' Association insist
that their diamond-polishing firms are "diamond factories"
--and no amount of argument will prevail.
*
*
That the supposedly unique pronunciation, in Hebrew,
• of the Sephardic "chet" and "ayin" is the prized possession
of an entire Ashkenazic community—simply because of a
preponderance of Sephardic instructors in the schools of
that city. Linguists with doubts about this should purchase
tickets to Tiberias.
*
*
*
That because of "Operation Magic Carpet", world
Jewry's lifeline to the Jewish community of Yemen, more
Yemenite Jews have ridden in airplanes than have
travelled by automobile.
*
*
That when left to decide their own destinies, Jews and
Arabs are eminently successful in living as neighbors in the
best sense of the word; and that if all the muftis, kaclis and
Assorted gentry who make_ it their business to stir up com-
munal strife were laid end to end., it would be a darned good
thing.'
*
*
*
That Persian carpets are a necessity, pot a luxury, in
Israel. At least, they become such to Persian Jews wishing
to immigrate to Israel. The Iranian authorities will allow no
cash, and only a few personal and household effects, to be
taken out of the country by persons whom they suspect of
Zionism.
*
*
*
That it costs less to bring glassmakers' sand from Belgium
to Haifa than to "import" it from the Negev, though the
Negev product is fully as good for glass. Until improved roads
are pushed south from Rehovoth to the Negev, Israel's high
transport costs will sustain the flow of sand from Europe.
* *
That Israel's newspapermen are prone to blush in the
presence of foreign publishers. The Israelis are always
asked about their circulation figures, and are, always un-
able to oblige. It's not a business secret; it's just that so
many readers are either members of settlements which
subscribe for one or two copies for the entire settlement's
library, or customers of cafes, hotels or pensions which fur-
nish newspapers to be read along with the breakfast eggs.
*
That you, too, can conquer the Hebrew language. In Is-
rael, government-sponsored courses for adults have converted
lubbers into linguists, and require no prior knowledge of He-
brew at all. Graduates of the first experimental classes gave
speeches in fluent, and even idiomatic, Hebrew; and some re-
cited original poetry in a tongue which, six months earlier,
they had never heard.
That Kol Yerushalayhn, the Voice of Jerusalem, has
its new station almost within shouting-distance of that
of Radio Ramallah.
*
*
That Israel is a fine place to go skiing—about once
every thirty years. One of the most striking beautiful
photographs that's come to our attention depicts a young
lady skier gliding down the center of King George Street,
Jerusalem. In the background, the surprisingly severe
winter of 1949-50 is silently witnessed by the graceful,
snow-covered silhouette of a palm,
-
VIENNA—Fear that the conflict in Korea may spread into a war between
the Western democracies and the Soviet countries, and convert Austria into one
of the battlefields, has prompted more than 2,000 Jewish refugees here to regis-
ter during the last month for immediate emigration. About 1,000 of them applied
for emigration to Israel and the remainder are seeking entry into other countries.
This was revealed here Tuesday by Mordecai Yoffe, director of the immi-
gration office for Israel in Austria. There are now approximately 12,000 Jewish refu-
gees in Austria, half of this number living outside refugee camps. During the last two
years more than 22,000 Jewish refugees emigrated from Austria to Israel.
The Jewish refugee camps in the British and French zones of Austria have practic-
ally been liquidated already, but there are still 4,300 Jews in the refugee camps in the
U. S. zone and about 1,300 in camps in Vienna. In his statement o n Tuesday, Mr.
Yoffe praised the role played by the Joint Distribution Committee and the Interna-
tional Refugee Organization in organizing aid and transportation for the Jewish refu-
gees. He emphasized that the major part of the cost
of transportation and maintenance of the refugees
Absentee Voters'
was covered by JDC.
The shrinking number of Jewish refugees resulted
Ballots Available
in
the
closing this week of the Linz headquarters of
Copies of the application
the
Israel
immigration office. The Linz office was the
blank for the absentee vot-
ers' ballots, available to Jew-
fourth closed in Austria since the beginning of this
ish voters who will be unable
year as the number of Jewish refugees continued to
to go tc. the polls on Sept. 12
decrease
during the year.
on account of Rosh Hashan-
ah, now are available at the
A survey made by the Israel immigration office
office of the Jewish Com-
here established that one quarter of the total of 12,-
munity Council and from
000 Jewish refugees still living in Austria will leave
City Clerk Thomas D. Lead-
for Israel. The remainder has registered for emigra-
better. The application blank
reproduced on Page 16 of this
tion to the United States, Canada, Australia and other
issue of The Jewish News also
countries where they have relatives. A small but con-
may be used to secure the
stant influx of Jewish refugees from east European
absentee ballot.
countries into Austria is still noticeable.
Council Reports to the Community: Cultural
Program Enlarged, Anti-Semitism Increases
The results of 13 years of growth and
achievement of the Jewish Community Coun-
cil of Detroit are graphically portrayed in
"Profile 1950" the annual report of the Jew-
ish community released this week by Dr.
Shmarya Kleinman who has just completed
his first year as president of the Council.
The work of the Council in combating
the anti-Semitic and anti-minority groups
infesting certain segments of the community
is a fascinating story illustrated by facts,
figures and photographs.
To aid in helping Jews become more
aware of and better equipped to deal with
problems of discrimination and anti-Semitism,
the Council has continually emphasized that
the finest community relations job is done
by the Jew who is Jewishly self-respecting
and aware of his heritage.
The cultural commission of the Council
in implementing this viewpoint has continued
to increase its services in programming for
the community and its organizations. The
report tells the story of an eight-fold increase
in program service in three years and an 18-
fold increase in the number of people these
programs reach.
The other side of the picture is shown
by the chart depicting the number and dis-
tribution of cases of discrimination and anti-
Semitism in 1949-50. These indications of
festering sores in our daily life are being
constantly watched, evaluated, and worked
on by the Council. To the extent that a wider
reporting has taken place, and that such in-
cidents are more numerous, the total for this
year is larger than in previous years. The
implications of such an increase are shown in
the intensive activity reported by the Council
discussing its activities in the field of civil
rights.
Cultural services, arbitration, consumer's
problems, etc., are discussed in detail in
"Profile 1950," the annual report of the
Council. To secure copies, call or write the
Jewish Community Council, 803 Washington
Boulevard Building, Detroit 26, telephone
WO. 3-1657.
(Editorial, Page 4; Charts, Page 16)
Employment
Discrimination
Anti-Semitic
Incidents
Disc rimination
and Anti - Se-
mitism C a s es
reported to the
Jewish C o m -
munity Coun-
Discrimination
cil during
in Housing
949-50.
Resorts
Discrimination
Religion
in Schools