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Huff's 'Charlie Chaplin'
The Magic Carpet
Valuable Biography of
Film's GreauComedian
Staggering Figures
In the coming four months, Israel awaits
the entrance of an additional 100,000 new
settlers—mostly from Iraq and other coun-
tries whose persecuted Jews must find refuge
in the Jewish state else face starvation and
possible extermination.
Every day witnesses the arrival of hun-
dreds of Jews via the Baghdad-Lydda air-
lift, on planes from Basrah on the Persian
Gulf and from other ports of exit.
In a single day last week, 650 Jews ar-
rived from Iraq, 100 from Basrah and 1,260
came from Romania on the liner Transyl-
vania to Haifa. It was reported that 8,000
Jews will be permitted to go to Israel_ from
Romania every month.
These are staggering figures. It must be
remembered that Israel is a small country,
that her people are struggling to create a
sound economy, that vast sums are needed
to integrate newcomers in the new land.
It stands to reason that large contribu-
tions will be needed to finance the large-scale
immigration. The United Jewish Appeal
plays the most important role in providing
transportation for the immigrants—through
the Joint Distribution Committee—and in
caring for them in transit camps, with funds
of the United Palestine Appeal.
In the meantime, the most serious prob-
lem—of creating opportunities for self-sus-
tenance for the newcomers—remains un-
solved. The solution is to be found in invest-
ments, and the major investment plan is the
$500,000,000 Israel Bond Issue which will be
floated within three weeks.
Unless the bond drive is turned into a
great success, Israel's problems v -ill multiply.
It is of the utmost importance that the nec-
essary sums for the development of Israel's
industries, which were described in special
articles in our last week's issue, should come
forth through investments in bonds.
Detroit's bond organization is nearing
completion under the chairmanship of Max
Osnos. It will require the encouragement of
every Detroit Jew. Every man, woman and
child should be included among the bond
purchasers. It may not be an easy task, but
it is a most necessary one. The great project
must not fail. The time to plan for partici-
pation in it is NOW. None of us is immune
from this great responsibility.
George Bernard Shaw called Charlie Chaplin
"the only genius in motion pictures." This un.-
doubtedly is an exaggeration, but from. the
Chaplin biography by Theodor Huff, just pub-
lished by Henry Schuman (20 E. 70th, N.Y. 21)
the noted comedian certainly emerges.,as one
of the great geniuses of our time.
-
The Annual Federation Meeting
Ample notice has been given the entire Jewish commu-
nity about the agenda of the annual meeting of the Jewish
Welfare Federation of Detroit, to be held on Monday evening
at the Woodward Jewish Center.
Our readers will recall that last year's meeting developed
into a contest for membership on the board of governors of
Federation, resulting in the election of two men who were
nominated by petitions. Last year, also, a proposed amend-
ment to the constitution to give life membership on the board
of governors to former Federation presidents and chairmen
of Allied Jewish Campaigns was defeated for the lack of a
two-thirds majority.
While the experiences of 1950 in no sense affected the
functions of the community organization, the contests were
not "tempests in a teapot," since the interest that was stirred
up by nominations-by-petitions served to attract a much
larger attendance than at any other time in the history of
Federation meetings. Thus, a specific benefit was in evidence
from the competitive spirit that developed.
At next Monday's meeting, in addition to the balloting
that will be necessitated by entrance in the field of petition
candidates, amendments will be voted upon for the expansion
of the composition of the Federation Executive Committee
and for extension of membership on the board of governors
An old tradition awaits action on the eve to Federation presidents and campaign chairmen. The first
of Passover.
amendment shows a tendency to democratize the Executive
Mo'os Chitim, the fund' for aid to needy Committee. The proposal to grant five-year memberships on
families, again is functioning in behalf of the the board to Federation presidents and campaign chairmen
less fortunate who must be provided with differs from last year's life tenure plan, thus, apparently, re-
Passover necessities. -
moving objections that were raised in the past.
There are hundreds of Detroiters who
The plans as formulated for Monday's meeting indicate
depend upon this fund to be in position to a sincere effort to follow democratic lines in the choice of a
observe Passover in dignity.
governing board and in proposals to extend it. It remains to
It is hoped that the Detroit Mo'os Chitim be seen whether sufficient interest exists in the community
fund will be provided with all the necessary for ever-increasing numbers of campaign contributors to
means.
attend the annual meetings and to participate in discussion
At the same time, Jews everywhere must of community plans.
remember that Mo'os Chitim also embraces
Last year, less than 600 members of Federation—out
large projects to aid needy throughout the
of
a
total of more than 30,000 contributors to the Allied
world whO will not be in position to celebrate
Jewish
Campaign—participated in the meeting. It was a
the Passover properly . without assistance
good turnout, yet it represented less than two per cent
from the JDC and its fund-providing agency
of our constituency. Nevertheless, the arrangements for
—the UJA. In Detroit, the Allied Jewish
the meeting were thoroughly democratic, since every De-
Campaign raises the necessary means for
troit Jew who is eligible for a share in community planning
this purpose. This is the time to strengthen
was invited to the annual deliberations.
this cause in support of a great tradition,
Apparently, the best that the leaders can do is to strive
to create interest in Jewish affairs. If they fail in doing that
the lack of a better response does not make them anti-demo-
Distinguished national leaders, headed by cratic and their actions un-democratic. There undoubtedly
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Dr. Solomon Free- are many ways for further democratization of our campaign
hof, are coming here next week to join Rabbi structure and the Federation agencies, but these do not apply
Leon Fram in the ceremony dedicating the to the Federation's annual meeting and its selection of a
board of governors.
new Temple Israel structure.
The immediate hope is that ever increasing numbers of
The events marking the dedication of the
new Temple symbolize the enrollment of our people will show an interest in community affairs—by
hundreds of families as active participants attending the annual Federation meeting, by enlisting as
workers in the Allied Jewish Campaign and by sharing in
in an important religious effort.
We join in greeting Temple Israel on this the functions of our important agencies.
historic occasion.
Mo'os Chitim
Temple Israel
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
"rapers. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publisbing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1156.
Subscription 83 a year; foreign 84.
Entered as second cIass matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 8. 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAR. Advertising Manager
Vol. X_IX—No.
Page 4
April 6, 1951
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Roth Hodesh Nisan, 5711, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions—Lev. 12:1-13:59; Ex.
12:1-20; Num. 28:9-15.
Prophetical portion—Ezek. 45:16-46:18.
An Excellent Campaign Begining
Tuesday evening's response to the call for contributions
to the Allied Jewish Campaign, at the impressive dinner
meeting at which Mr. Justice William 0. Douglas was the
quest speaker, marked an excellent beginning for the 1951
drive.
All indications have been, since the inauguration of the
1951 United Jewish Appeal—the major beneficiary of the
Detroit drive—that there will be an increase in giving over
last year. Detroit Jews proved the truth of that prediction at
Tuesday's meeting.
There is an old saying that "all beginnings are hard."
The 1951 Allied Jewish Campaign began in a good mood and
not so hard. Now it is the duty of each one of us to prove
that the ultimate result can be as easy as the beginning. Let
us work together to that end.
There is much about Chaplin that has been
unsavory. Public opin-k,:z/ %
,Ne
ion certainly has wav-
ered about him. H i s
biographer, who has
been a professor of mo-
tion pictures at severall
universities and has
been called "the arbiter
supreme of all film
facts," vindicates h i m
of the major charges
heaped upon him. In-
sofar as the man's art is
concerned, there is no
disputing the fact that
he has givem the world
the greatest acting in
pantomime and some of
the outstanding films.
Charlie Chaplin
Chaplin's "father, bearing the same name,
came of an Anglicized French Jewish family.
His mother Hannah (last name unknown) was
said to be of Spanish and Irish origin . . . One
of Charles' half-brothers, Sidney, four years his
senior, was the son of a former marriage of
Hannah's to Sidney Hawkes, a Jewish book-
maker. After her divorce from Hawkes, Sidney
entered her new household and also took the
Chaplin name."
Chaplin often has been accused of leftist
leanings.
But when Chaplin was accused of being pro-
Communist he rebelled. To quote his biogra-
pher:
"Chaplin continued to issue statements such
as: 'I am not a Jew, I am a citizen of the
world!' and 'I am an internationalist, not a
nationalist, and that is why I do not take out
citizenship.' When informed that he might be
called to Washington to appear before the House
Un-American Activities Committee, he asserted,
'I am not a Communist, I am a-peacemonger.' "
Huff's "Charlie Chaplin" is a magnificent
work which throws much light on the entire
movie industry. Aside from the fact that it
reviews in every detail the activities of the great
comedian, this biography is valuable also be-
cause of the author's knowledge of the film-mak-
ers.
All the Chaplin pictures are thoroughly re-
viewed and are described in every detail in this
fine book. In addition, there is an index of all
the Chaplin films and there is an especially
valuable set of biographical sketches of the peo-
ple who were associated professionally with
Chaplin.
Readers of the Huff book will shed many of
the prejudices they held against Chaplin. They
will be enlightened and entertained by the vol-
uminous facts about a great actor and a great
industry.
Ethel Rosenberg's Brooklynese
`Uncle Julius and the Angel
With Heartburn': Fine Novel
Ethel Rosenberg made a hit with her first
novel, "Go Fight City Hall." Now s1-1 recaptures
the limelight with another book, "a sort of
novel," under the title "Uncle Julius and the
Angel With Heartburn," in which she continues
the story of Julius, (young at 81) 4 his wife Frieda,
his niece Susie, brother Max and others who
form an interesting cast of characters.
Julius has a heartbUrn, gets up at 2 a. m. to
take bicarbonate and finds a guest—the angel—
who promises him rebirthof important incidents
in his life. As a result Julius again experiences
what his wife calls dreams—the courting of
Frieda, the birth of their son Sammy and other
nostalgic occurrences in their wholesome exist-
ence.
Even without these dreams, the new novel
is most interesting. Life in the Catskills resort,
Susie's romance with George, George's million
dollar ideas as an inventor, Susie's temporary
break with George because she does not want
Uncle Julius to finance the inventions, contri-
bute to the wholesomeness of the story.
It is a Jewish story, with a minimum of dialect
(painter being the only dominantly corrupt term
in the entire story), with lots of action.
In the final chapter, "This is Really Good-by,"
Julius again meets the angel—again when he
gets up to share with him bicarbonate. The
angel says it is the last- visit, but promises "one
more dream." Julius haS to choose what it is
to be and "he tells himself .. . for the last one
.. let the last one be the best one of the lot.*
And the reader will wonder—and hope—whether
it means another novel. If it does, another good
story is assured.