Catholic Book Praises Jewish Efforts
In the Rebuilding of the Holy Land
NEW YORK, (JTA)—A warm courses in medicine, arts, scien-
tribute to the Jewish upbuilding ces anil archaeology. A lively ex-
of the Holy Land is contained port trade has been established
in a' book published under the and the fame of Palestinian
aegis of the Catholic Church citrus products• has spread
and the imprimatures of Arch- through Europe and the British
bishop Patrick D. Boyle of Isles. What the future holds for
Washington and of Hyacinth, the new state of . Israel no one
Faccio, Custos of the Holy Land. can predict — these Jews love
The volume, "The Catholic the land are dedicated to it by
Shrines of the Holy Land," by their lives and labors.
the Very Rev. Paschal Kinsal, of . "Long ago the plaintive song
the Commissary of the Holy
Land, and Rev. Leonard Henry of the Jewish captives in Baby-
of the Commissariat of the Holy lon sounded the keynote: Jeru-
Land at Jerusalem, is profusely salem, if I forget thee, perish
illustrated with photographs by the skill of my right hand! Let
Arthur W a g g , and includes my tongue stick fast to the root
many scenes of Jewish life in
of my mouth if I cease to re-
Israel.
After referring to places holy member thee . . . the fountain-
to the Jews, the authors declare: head of my content.' This could
"The Jews, however, do not be the motif of the present day
remain
idly
gazing
upon
the builders of Israel as their work
past.
Israel
has
come to
the land
with well - planned scientific goes on in the twentieth cen-
methods and now the desert tury."
blossoms like the rose. Trades.
have been revived, new indus-
tries have appeared. The Jew- 2—THE JEWISH NEWS
ish university offers advanced
Friday, August 31, 1951
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
`The Troubled Air'—A Lesson in Courageous Americanism
"The Troubled Air" by Irwin Shaw (Random House) is all the
reviewers say about the novel. It is one of the outstanding works
of fiction of our day. The two extremes of pro-Communism and
violent conservatism are echoed in the exciting story brilliantly
told by the able narrator.
Shaw succeeds in every detail—in the brilliance of his style,
in the weaving of his plot, in the expose of the reactionary atti-
tudes of Americans who become frightened by the very sound of
a liberal word—especially if they ‘Can trace it to Truman—and in
the indictment of the ruthlessness of the Communists who even
abuse lifelong friendships to accomplish their ends.
The hero of the story, Clement Archer, is confused. A former
university professor who has become a director of a radio program,
his chief aim is to judge talent on its merits. But the red-baiting
scare has brought him into the center of a move by the -sponsor
of his program to weed out Communists. Archer defends the able
actors, at the cost of his own position. He defies the program's
booking agent by going directly to the sponsor, and the agent
vows vengeance. Archer's telephone is tapped, he gets abusive
calls compelling him to disconnect the phone, but he carries on
the struggle for "principle,"—only to learn that his best friend,
whom. he had defended, really was the leader of a Communist cell.
Thus misled, Archer learns the truth: how he was used as
a tool by a friend for whom he vouched that he was not a Com-
munist but who turned out to be his betrayer; how" his career
was destroyed by an agent he dared defy; how his family life was
nearly ruined.
His friend, the betrayer, had led him to believe it was the
FBI that had tapped his phone. When Archer learned the truth
he was relieved. "At least it wasn't the government." Faith in
America is restored.
Thus, there are victims of reactionaries as well as of red-
baiters. The first casualty is the able musician Pokorny, the
Viennese-Jewish composer who was a Communist 25 years earlier
for two months but whose American wife admittedly was- a Red.
Pokorny finally committed suicide, unable to risk the strain of
threatened deportation. So, there are Jewish angles in this novel.
The particularly important Jewish reaction, to the ideological
struggle involving Communism—since undeniably there exist such
attitudes—is expressed in the opinions of the drug manufac-
turer who sponsored Archer's program. When Archer went to
Philadelphia to plead in defense of his actors with Robert Sand-
ler, the wealthy sponsor, he first was taken to lunch at the club.
At the serving of the drinks, this conversation ensued:
"Didn't drink until I was fifty," Mr. Sandler said. "Then I
heard a hotel owner at a summer resort say he didn't like Jews
to come to his place because they didn't drink, and all his profit
came from the bar. Thought that was a reasonable enough at-
titude. Promptly went to the bottle. Haven't stopped since."
He smiled briefly. "Pleasantest way of combatting anti-Semi-
tism yet devised. You knew I was Jewish, didn't you?"
"Yes," Archer said, feeling uncomfortable.
"The nose." Mr. Sandler tapped his nose vigorously. "Gets
longer every year. Never stops growing. Hell of an imposition
on the chosen people. . ."
Here you have another expose—the fright in some Jewish
ranks, the panic that is aroused when a bar-operator tells you
Jews are bad customers because they don't drink—the weak thus
being terrorized into drink.
More: Sandler was frightened by "all those Jewish names you
see on the Communist lists," calling it "ammunition for the ene-
my." And in the same breath he becomes his own worst enemy
by telling the non-Jew Archer this joke: "A typical Jewish joke.
Cohen is angry. He can't get into a hotel. He tells Levy, 'You
know what we are—we're second-class citizens in this country.'
Levy thinks for a minute and he looks up to Heaven. 'God for-
bid,' he says, 'it should ever change.' "
Relates the novelist: "Mr. Sandler looked fiercely at Archer.
Archer didn't laugh. He was sorry he had heard the joke. Its bitter
lilt, he knew, would echo and re-echo in his brain whenever he
talked to a Jew from now on."
Irwin Shaw, in brilliant style, thus unclothes in all their
nakedness those Jews who, out of fear, become self-hating and
panicky. This is a point we have failed to see recorded in the
numerous good reviews of Shaw's "The Troubled Air." It is one
of the most significant elements in his great novel. It should
serve as a lesson to all Americans that the best principles of our
heritage need not be sacrificed to terror; that you do not have
to interpret basic ideals with crude jokes. This applies with equal
force to the Jewish legacies.
"The Troubled Air" is one of the very great novels of our
time, from the point of view of story as well as moral. Let it be
included in our Americana—and as a lesson to panic-stricken
Jews, let it also be a part of our Judaica. It'll do the reader a lot
of good in bolstering his courage and in guiding him away from
vulgar judgment when seeking a guide to true Americanism.
H istorical Sea rch?
elvish Mom Bids for 'Mrs. A' Title
Studio 'Hunts' Kin
Of David and Bathsheba ;
20 Claim 'That's Me !'
NEW YORK, (AJP)—Whether
it's a gimmick or for real re-
mained an unanswered question
as a top flight Hollywood studio
sought descendents among the
city's 2,500,000 Jews of the
famed Biblical characters David
and Bathsheba.
Press agents for the 20th Cen-
tury-Fox film, "David and Bath-
sheba," scheduled for release in
September, inserted advertise-
ments in newspapers requesting
descendents to write-in. By the
week's end a spokesman for the
film studio estimated' that "20
odd letters were received here."
The "descendents" listed their
hereditary line dating back to
the Biblical characters and film
spokesmen said that Facts, Inc.,
had been engaged to check the
validity of the "heirs."
One of the contending "heirs"
is attractive Ethel S. Ginther, of
Brooklyn. Movie spokesmen
failed to indicate whether the
—American Jewish Press Photo
woman claimed a link with
Flanked by her little daughter, who admiringly toys with the
David or his alluring Biblical trophy awarded mom as the winner of the "Mrs. Brooklyn" title,
girlfriend.
attractive Mrs. Blossom Kagan has her eye on the "Mrs. America"
Legacies to the JNF
Pass $4,000,000 Mark
The head office of the Jewish
National Fund in Jerusalem an-
nounced that monies deposited
with the JNF in the form of
Living Legacies have passed the
$4,000,000 mark. While most of
the Legacy Fund has come from
residents in Israel, a substantial
part of it was made possible by
legacies set up by Jews in Eu-
rope and in the United States.
The Living Legacy is an an-
nuity form through which
money is invested with the Jew-
ish National Fund for which the
investors are paid a rate of in-
terest in the form of an annuity.
These provide an income during
the lifetime of the investor, and
establish a residue which is ul-
timately used to create projects
in Israel honoring the memory
of the investor.
A department for these activi-
ties has been set .up by the Jew-
ish National Fund in New. York
at 41 E. 42nd St.
Two Israel Surveyors
Slain by Arab Infiltrees
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—The Is-
rael government submitted a
strongly worded protest to the
United Nations Mixed Armistice
Commission following the killing
of two Israeli surveyors by Arab
infiltrees near Sodom. Two other
Israeli surveyors were wounded
by the -Arabs.
The Israel protest says that
the Jordan authorities are "fully
responsible" for the attack. The
Jordan government, the protest
points out, has not taken strong
enough action to 'secure its bor-
ders and prevent armed bands
from crossing and attacking Is-
raeli points. British-made cart-
ridges were found at the spot
where the attack took place.
British Arm's, Leader
Praises Israel Forces
LONDON, (JTA) — Gen. S i r
Brian Robertson, British com-
mander-in-chief in the Middle
East, is voicing warm praise of
the Israel Army of Defense, the
London Daily Mail reported.
"Sir Brian has seen Israeli
soldiers first hand," the paper
said today, "and he has formed
a high opinion of their fighting
qualities. His advice has gone a
long way in persuading the For-
eign Office to adopt a more
friendly attitude towards Israel.
"Sir Brian's opinion is more
than usually important at this
moment," the paper said, "be-
cause he is to be head of the
new North Atlantic Treaty Or-
ganization Middle East Defense
Organization with which he
hopes both Israel and the Arab
States will be associated."
Gen. Robertson visited Israel
last Spring on a courtesy tour of
Middle East countries and in
addition to conferring with Is-
rael government heads, visited
the General Staff of the Israeli
Army and watched troop man-
euvers.
title in competition late this week. Should she win, Mrs. Kagan
would be the nation's first Jewish "Mrs. America" titleholder.
ZOA's Economic Mission Reports
Israel Ripe for Foreign Investment
JERUSALE M, (JTA)—The I The ZOA leader reported that
Zionist Organization of America's American businessmen will soon
economic mission which h a s ; help establish three new com-
been studying industrial and mercial and industrial ventures
business conditions in the Jew- in Israel. They will be: a 3,000,-
ish state will, upon its return 000-pound cement factory which
to the United StateS, report that will produce 20 per cent of the
conditions are "excellent" for country's domestic needs;
a fac-
n
private investments in Israel.
toring corporation to furnish
Isador Turover, of Washing- raw materials for local industry
ton, D.C., chairman of the com- and market Israeli products in
mission, told the press that after the United States; and, a com-
a determined investigation of pany which will rent farm ma-
rumors of discrimination against chinery to private farmers.
private investors, the group was
"convinced that there is no Former Nazi Acquitted
truth that such a policy exists."
PARIS, (JTA)—A French mili-
He said that "some minor of- tary tribunal has acquitted Ger-
ficials might have been over- hard Utikal, former chief of the
zealous in pushing the Socialist Nazi office for requisitioning art
Party's philosophy in the grant- works in France during the Ger-
ing of import licenses and for- man occupation, of responsibil-
eign exchange requests." But ity in the seizing of art works
this situation was "always cor- and valuables owned by French
rected."
Jews.
On the Record
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
(Copyright, 1951, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate)
Odd But True
Dublin, Texas, is one of the Irish strongholds in America. In
fact almost all the 3,000 residents of the town are Irish. But it is
ruled by a Jew, Mayor Morris. Hoffman, the only Jew in the town.
Hoffman defeated his Irish opponent in 1948 and has repeated the
performance ever since. One of the town's wits ascribed Batman's
victory to the fact that the Irish consider themselves descendants
of the lost Israelite tribe. Dublin's mayor, incidentally, is an immi-
grant from Russia.
Picturesque Paris has a suburb called "Ville Juif," so named
probably because it had many Jewish residents. It seems the
Frenchman of the suburb took a liking to Jewish melodies and re-
tained them long after the Jewish community of "Ville Juif" was
gone. Passing the suburb one frequently hears busy housewives
humming almost forgotten Jewish tunes. And in the cafes it is
not unusual to see couples dancing to the fiddling of Jewish
melodies. -
An American Jew is the dean of the law faculty of Oxford
University. He is Arthur Goodheart, nephew of Senator Herbert H.
Lehman. He is the second 'American Jew to hold the title "King's
Counsellor." The first one was Judah Benjamin, who served as
Secretary of State under the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Of the approximately 24,000 Jews in France who applied for
naturalization papers in the past five years, about eleven thousand
assumed French-sounding names. In Israel, where thousands of
Eastern European Jews have assumed Hebraic names, a Yemenite
Jew recently applied for permission to change his name to Gold7
berg.
About People
Sholem Asch recently complained to friends that he was not
having "naches" from his children. His son Nathan, himself an Out-;
standing writer, was thrice married and on each occasion the
bride was Christian. Finally Asch senior lost patience with 'his
son's marital proclivities, declaring that he didn't so much Mind
his son's affairs 'of' the heart as the fact that he didn't even once
give him a Jewish daughter-in-law.
The late William Randolph Hearst once published a Yiddish
paper in New York and almost wrecked a number of Yiddish
publishers. It was in 1909. Hearst at that time posed as a great
liberal -and he realized that he must have the Jewish vote if he
were to attain his political ambitions. He was running for Gover-
nor on. his own ticket with Democratic endorsement. A number
of Jewish public relations men he consulted advised him to put out
the Yiddish paper, the - Jewish American. Hearst was defeated, but
the paper reached such vast circulation that his business man-
agers thought it advisable to keep it rolling even after the election.
The paper lasted about a year and it was given up, it was said at
the time, only after a number of prominent Jews pled with Hearst
that his venture was wrecking the legitimate Yiddish press.