JDC Relief Holds Promise
Of Lite to North African Jews

By DR. JOSEPH J. SCHWARTZ
Director-General, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

"How do they live? They don't live: they die."
Two years ago, a Joint Distribution Committee worker
in the mellah of Casablanca posed that question—and ans-
wered it—in the first paragraph of a rz ► ort on the condition
of Jews in North Africa.
Today a network of JDC milk stations, clothing depots,

medical dispensaries, nurseries,Ct'
summer camps, canteens and
Although JDC has already
schools, supported by United helped more than 20,000 Libyan
Jewish Appeal funds, is writing Jews leave for the Holy Land,
a new answer to the question of the 15,000 .who have trooped into
how North Africa's Jews live.
As the New Year 5711 nears,
it holds the promise of lifefor
the first time in more than a
thousand years—for large num-
bers among the 500,000 Jewish
men, women and children of
North Africa.
The history of the Jews of
North Africa is the story of a
people who have maintained
their beliefs and traditions in
the face of centuries of perse-
cution, disease and poverty. As
far back at 2,500 years ago, a
Jewish community had estab-
lished itself in the Moroccan
city of Kairouan, maintaining
its traditional culture and reli-
gion in the midst of primitiVe,
illiterate tribes.
Before Columbus discovered
America, thousands of Jews—
victims of the Spanish Inquisi-
DR. JOSEPH J. SCHWARTZ
tion—had fled to the relative
safety and security of North the city of Tripoli from the hin-
Africa. Even today, Jews iso- terland in search of shelter, pro-
lated from modern civilization tection and the JDC ship that
in the recesses of the Atlas will take them to Israel, call out
Mountains of Morocco live side- for special consideration. Be-
by-side with primitive hill hind them is a past of pogroms,
tribes,. yet observe their religion persecution and poverty; before
with all the grace and dignity them is the hope of a new be-
of the ancient Hebrew tradition. ginning in Israel. For them, JDC
To bring these people back to maintains shelters, schools and
a level of health and produc- clinics.
tiveness that will enable them
Two years ago, half of all the
to create a strong community
where they now are, or con- Jewish children born in the
tribute to the upbuilding of Is- niellah of one North African city
rael, is the purpose of JDC's were dead before their 13th
birthday. Today it is a matter
North African program.
With a watchful eye on the of rejoicing and pride that we
future, JDC is concentrating Jews of America, through the
United Jewish Appeal, have
most of its program on the care
of children. In more than 30 been able to lower this frightful
mortality rate.
special canteens throughout Mo-
Shall this fight for life go on?
roCco's cities, towns and vil-
lages, thousands of youngsters When we celebrate Rosh Hasha-
are receiving the kind of food nah 5711, let us remember that
aimed at producing a strong hundreds of thousands of our
and healthy generation. For Jewish brethren it the lands of
most of these children, JDC North Africa who, like ourselves,
lutich is their only hot meal of will be greeting the New Year,
the day; for many, it is the only look to us for the answer.
decent meal they haVe ever
eaten.
Israel Plans to Open
This noontime nourishment—
Consulate
in Cyprus
which accounts for half the
agency's expenditures in Mo-
rocco—is augmented by JDC's
TEL AVIV, (JTA) An Israel
medical aid program, operated Consulate will be opened soon
by OSE, in clinics, dispensaries at Nicosia, Cyprus. Yerachmiel
and health centers throughout Yaron (who changed his name
the country. Here come moth- from Robert Lustig), a high-
ers and mothers-to-be, for spe- ranking police official, was ap-
cialized care for themselves and pointed Israel Consul for Cy-.
their infants, for instruction in prus.
new methods of health and hy.
111111111111111111:11=111111
giene. Here JDC is fighting tu-
berculosis and malaria, has
found new ways of overcoming
tinea, favus and sores, the pla-
guing skin diseases which afflict
tens of thousands of North
African Jews.
Similar programs are in oper-
ation in other countries along
the south shore of the Mediter-
REPAIRED
ranean. In Algeria, JDC has
succeeded in helping the com-
for the price of ONE
munity reach a self-supporting
basis.
GUARANTEED
In Tunisia, JDC's program is
"Watch
Master
almost as large as in Morocco.
Here large numbers of the Jew-
Service"
ish population, numbering close
To Be Sure for Tomorrow
to 100,000, need food, medical
CALL TODAY
care and educational assistance.
As in Morocco, the list of JDC
TY. 8-8080
expenditures in Tunisia is head-
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ed by a feeding program for
IL Trade-In Watches Used As
children which in an average
month supplies more than 4,000 IWHILE WE
SERVE YOUR
youngsters with hot luncheons
each day.
Your Old Watch has
Perhaps the most desperate
a high Trade-in Value
situation in North Africa con-
A Call Will Convince You
fronts the Jews of Libya. Now
a British Protectorate, Libya
(which includes. Tripolitania and
Cyrenaica) will revert to Arab
rule next year under a . recent
decision of the United Nations.
The Jews of this area look to-
AND APP ANCAra
ward this day with fear in their
4829 GRAND RIVER
hearts, and they are pleading
(Opp. St. Leo's Church)
frantically for help to emigrate.

Watches—Clocks
Jewelry Repaired

TODAY'S SPECIAL
Two Family Watches

THE JEWISH NEWS— 9 Anti-Semitic Markings in Independence Hall

Friday, September 1, 1950

U.S. Food Surpluses
Are En route to Israel

NEW ORLEANS—(JTA)—The
SS Atlantic Ocean, chartered by
the American - Israeli Shipping
Company of New York, will sail
from here shortly carrying 4,-
400,000 pounds of surplus U. S.
butter and cheese in Israel.
The vessel is expected to un-
load its cargo in Haifa in time
for High Holy Days.
The butter and cheese, valued
at $2,310,000, were turned over
to Hadassah for distribution to
the needy in Israel by the Com-
modity Credit Corporation of
the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture.

Turks Crack Down
On Literary Jew-Baiter

ISTANBUL — (JTA) — Turkish
authorities seized all copies of
an anti-Jewish and anti-Israel
book entitled "Zionism—A Dan-
ger for Islam," wl- itten by Cetat
R. Atilhan, a notorious anti-
Semite.
The book, published several
months ago, passed unnoticed
and its few readers were chiefly
Jews curious to see .what Atil-
han had to say. Atilhan was
active in World War II in try-
ing to spread Nazi ideas in this
country through his German-
s p onsor e d but unsuccessful
weekly publication.

•

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COMPLETE LINE OF
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ALSO REPAIRING

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PHILADELPHIA, (JTA) — The
Philadelphia Police Department
joined with the Jewish Com-
munity Relations Council in ef-
forts to apprehend the person
or persons responsible for anti-
Semitic markings that have
been appearing in recent weeks
on the outside walls of Inde-
pendence Hall, the national
shrine located here.
As fast as the markings, in
black crayon, are washed away
from the walls, they appear

again with such defamatory re-
marks as "Kill the Jews," "Don't
Buy from Jews" and "Jews are
Communists."

Acting on complaints from the
Council, Superintendent of Po-
lice Howard P. Sutton issued an
order calling for "an immediate
investigation into this matter
and to make every effort to ap-
prehend the person or persons
responsible for these unlawful
acts."

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