Conservative Rabbis' Convention
Deplores :Suppression of Criticism

CLEVELAND — The greatest • bassador Abba Eban of Isra ,:l
''threat facing our democracy is told the convention.
"Israel is the country in which
from within in suppressing the
qualities of the Jewish mind
honest criticism of ideas and are expressed in political and
social institutions," the Ambas-
sador continued. "This in itself,
quite apart from the many lin-rs
of pride and humanitarian soli-
darity, would require Jewish
communities the world over to
assume the most active and vig-
ilant responsibility for Israel's
success."
Proposals for establishment
of organic Jewish communities
to meet the needs of each Jew
which arise "as a result of his
being a Jew," were advanced
during the convention by Rab-
bi Eisenstein who presented a
paper prepared by the com-
mittee on Jewish Unity which
recommended establishment of
"pilot plants" in a few Jew-
ish communities to test the
feasibility of the organic com-
munity idea.
RABBI IRA EISENSTEIN
The organic community con-
cept, advanced by Rabbi Morde-
institutions," the Rabbinical chai
M. Kaplan, was endorsed
Assembly of America. the Con- by the committee. The plan for
servative rabbis' organization, pilot plants provides for their
unanimously asserted at the an- supervision by national lay and
nual convention here last week. religious organizations in co-
operation with local communi-
The convention called upon ties. The needs to which such
the major political parties to an organic community must
include recommendations in minister. according to the corn-
their platforms to guarantee the mittee report, are "fellowship
tradition, education,
civil rights and liberties of all common
ethical guidance, religious ori-
citizens.
entation and security."
The Rabbinical Assembly of
Philip Bernstein, associate di-
America called on the United rector of the Council of Jewish
Jewish Appeal and the Israel Federations and Welfare Funds,
bond drive organization, in told the meeting that "any ef-
conjunction with the Council fective program of Jewish unity
of Jewish Federations and must begin with the people
Welfare Funds, "to make every
themselves in the local commu-
effort to coordinate their cam- nities. Unity must grow from the
paigns." In a resolution adopt-
group up. It cannot be imposed."
ed unanimously by the 350
Dr. Barnett R. Brickner, who
Conservative rabbis at the agreed in substance with Dr.
convention, the parley stated Kaplan's approach, warned,
that "in most American Jewish however, that "major emphasis
communities the, same leader- should be laid upon the ideolog-
ship and the same workers are
ical factors of faith in any plan
enrolled in the cause of both leading toward unification.
campaigns and any attempt to
Earlier, the proposal for the
run simultaneous campaigns
have been detrimental to both establishment of "organic Jew-
ish
communities" in the United
and have, furthermore, served
as a divisive force in many States was criticized by Dr. Da-
vid Petegorsky, executive direc-
Jewish communities."
tor of the American Jewish Con-
Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, a leader gress, who held that "the major
of the Society for the Advance- problem in American Jewish life
ment of Judaism, was elected is not unity but democracy." It
president of the Assembly to was also opposed by Milton Him-
succeed Rabbi Max M. Davidson. melfarb, of the American Jewish
Speaking of the specific needs Committee, who felt that pro-
of AmeriCan Jewry, in his ac- posals for greater centralization
ceptance speech, Rabbi Eisen- and authority in Jewish com-
stein declared: "We must reduce munal, religious and educational
the dangers of denominational- affairs generally "prove to mean
ism in our religious life. Cer- the discouragement of minority
tainly there must be differences opinion and the stifling of crea-
among us in approach but we tive opportunity for experiment
must not permit those differ- and innovation." Rabbi Simon
ences to blind us to our common G. Kramer stressed that the
foes, ignorance and inertia."
"basic unity in American Jewry
The underlying principles of must stem from its religious
our society—individual morality, character."
social justice and international
cooperation—were "bequeathed 16 THE JEWISH NEWS
to the world by the people of
Friday, July 4, 1952
Israel in the land of Israel," Am-

—

On the Road to Beersheba .. .

Detroiter Is Honored at
Brandeis Commencement

LEONARD SIMONS (left),
prominent Detroit community
leader, recently marched in the
academic procession in the first
commencement exercises of
four-year-old Brandeis Univer-
sity on the institution's Wal-
tham, Mass., campus. Mr. Sim-
ons, who has been named one
of the university's first Fellows,
is shown with GEORGE AL-
PERT, chairman of the board of
trustees of the young institution.

JWV Decries Showing

`The Fox' in Germany

A decision by Twentieth-
Century Fox to exhibit a Ger-
man language version of "The
Desert Fox" in western Germany
was decried by the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States
of America. Paul Ginsberg of
Atlanta, Ga., national comman-
der of the Jewish War Veterans.
who visited Germany earlier this
year, predicted that showing of
the film biography of Field Mar-
shal Erwin Rommel "will prove
far more useful to Communists
and Nazis than to those in Ger-
many and in the free West who
are working towards the devel-
opment of a peaceful and demo-
cratic German state."
Mr. Ginsberg asserted that
Communist elements in Ger-
many will use the exhibition of
"The Desert Fox" to "completely
falsify and distort American
aims to safeguard peace in Eu-
rope and to cover up Soviet Rus-
sia's cynical proposal for rearm-
ing Germany on a scale far be-
yond anything proposed by the
United States and the western
powers."
At the same time, he said,
extreme rightist elements in
western Germany will find in the
Rommel film -support for their
persistent arguments that Hit-
ler's military incompetence,
rather than the basic evils of
the Nazi philosophy were res-
ponsible for Germany's World
War II defeat."

New Group to Aid
Leukemia Research

Dr. Eugene Kaplan of Chil-
dren's Hospital last week com-
mended the efforts of a group
of 50 parents who have under-
taken to finance research work
in the battle to eradicate leu-
kemia.
Named Children's Leukemia
Foundation, the new organiza-
tion, at a meeting at the Rack-
ham Building, decided to gather
funds for research on leukemia,
to provide more hospital facili-
ties and to set up a special blood
bank at Children's Hospital.
The idea for this organization
was conceived by Jack Winston,
of 1525 Chicago, when his
nephew, Leonard Finkel, con-
tracted leukemia. Leonard's par-
ents, Mr. and Mrs. David Finkel,
are among the group's organiz-
ers.

Israeli Citizenship
Provision Outlined
By Chicago Consulate

Yemenite children at the Migdal Ashkelon Ma'abara, a tem-
porary work center near Gaza on the road to Beersheba, receive
food packages distributed by Mizrachi Women's Organization of
America as part of the extensive social service work of the
women's religious-Zionist organization.

Under the provisions of the
Israeli Citizenship Law, which
will become effective on July 14,
Israeli citizenship will be auto-
matically acquired by all resi-
dents of Israel staying abroad.
Foreign nationals affected by
this provision who are not de-
sirous of thus acquiring Israeli
citizenship, are requested to ap-
ply immediately for further in-
formation to the Consulate of
Israel, 936 N. Michigan Ave.,
Chicago 11, Ili.

Israelis, Germans Deny Report
Reparations Offer Increased

THE HAGUE. (JTA)—The Is-
rael delegation to the Israel-
German reparations negotia-
tions denied a report broadcast
by Radio Holland that the West
German delegation had increas-
ed its offer to Israel from three
billion deutschemarks to 3,400,-
000,000 marks. The delegation
declared that the report was en-
tirely "without foundation."
The report also was denied by
spokesman for the German dele-
gation. "The basis for the story
undoubtedly lies in the fact that
we hope to add a sum agreed
upon with the Claims Confer-
ence to the goods we will send
to Israel and leave it to the Is-
rael government to arrange for
payments to the Claims Confer-
ence of the latter's share," the
spokesman said. "Whoever is-
sued the story in Bonn about
the extra 400 million marks un-
doubtedly had this in mind," he
added.
He stressed, however, that the
figure of 400 million marks is
"nothing more than a guess,"
since no amount had yet been
set for an offer to the Confer-
ence on Jewish Material Claims
Against Germany. He reported
that the Conference and the Is-
rael delegation have not yet

agreed to this procedure.
there is any objection to it,
continued, a new procedure
have to be worked out.
'Ike Claims Conference d
gation and the Germans
scheduled _to. meet in plen
session tomorrow, when
Franz Boehm, German dele
tion head, returns from co
tations in Bonn. Israeli-Ger
sub-committees working out
tails of the German offer
also meet tomorrow.

Against Private Negotiatio
. JERUSALEM, (JTA)—The
rael Government issued a wa
ing to all persons here
abroad who intend to start
who have started negotiati
with Germany, for the impo
tion of German goods into
rael within the framework
the West German-Israel repa
tions agreement.
The Israel government as
that such negotiations be
poned for the time being,
avoid possible "harm to the
spective negotiators." The c
munique added that "when
if the necessity arises the 4
ernment will consider and
cide on the use of the rep
tions sums."

Israel .Allocation Unscathed as
House Committee Cuts Aid Funds

WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The Jews "a symbolic state like
House Appropriations Commit-- ; Vatican." Azzam Pasha and
tee reduced the appropriation Americans also discussed
bill for the Mutual Security Aid Palestine Arab refugee si
program by $250,130,000 and ton and the possibility of
sent the measure to the House , storing peace to the Mi
floor. The Israel allocation of 'East, the radio said.
$73,000,000 was not affected by
Communists Demonstrat
the cut.
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—A grou
The United States is "con-
tinuing to work" toward a Mid- 50 Communists demonstr
dle Eastern defense pact "which outside the American Emb
would take into account Egyp- protesting the American rol
tian national aspirations and the Korean conflict. The d
provide for the defense of the onstration, which commemor
Middle East on an equal and the second anniversary of
cooperative basis." This was Korean action, was dispersed
made known in previously se- fore police arrived on the se
cret testimony by Burton Y.
Berry, Deputy Assistant Secre- Bon Voyage Gatherin
tary of State for Near Eastern
Affairs, which was revealed yes- For Herbert Hordeses
terday by the Senate Appropria-
Wihing bon voyage to Mr.
tions Commiftee.
Hordes (Ne
Secretary Berry told the Sena- Mrs. Herbert
tors that American aid to Israel Singer and their daug
and the Arab states has been Naomi, 120 people. inclu
"a major factor in discouraging representatives of all Zio
external aggression and internal parties, Saturday night .par
subversion." He said that since pated in an impressive event
1947 "the United States has Lachar's. Herbert Hordes
sought directly and through the volunteered his services, as
United Nations to bring about engineer, in the projects
an enduring peace between Is- were launched for the impr
rael and tide Arab states. These ment of the Israel water
efforts have not yet succeeded tems. The Hordeses will
because it liasreTS,,Iseen possible their home in Jerusalem.
to obtain agr mOit between
On the program at the f
Israel and the Arab states on
the resettlement of about 850,- well party were the Hordes'
ents. Mr. and Mrs. Will
000 Arab refugees."
The Arab radio reported that Hordes and Mrs. Isidore Sin
Arab League secretary - general Jacob Soberman, Morris Sc
Azzam Pasha has suggested to ver. Philip Slomovitz, Rab
members of an American S. Sperka, Israel Leib Sendle
Christian Palestine Committee Flint. Earl Hordes, Cantor
group touring the Near East man Adler, accompanied by
that Middle East problems Bella R. Goldberg. Herbert
could be solved by granting the sponded to the toasts.

I

Jack Benny Aids Reform Cam paig

Jack Benny, in a
special recorded mes-
sage to members of
450 Reform congrega-
tions in the U. S. and
Canada, called for
all-out support of the
current $2,265,000
Combined Campaign
of the Union of
American Hebrew
Congregations and
the Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Insti-
tute of Religion. A
member of Holly-
wood's Wilshire Bou-
levard Temple, Mr.
Benny is shown with
Dr. Maurice N. Eisen-
drath, president of
UAHC, who' joined
him in hisorded
plea for suppo
institutions of Re-
form Judaism.

