Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
•
Dignity in Campaigning
Viewing our current philanthropic efforts, we conclude as we
began—with an expression of regret that worthy causes are unable
to secure recurring support merely through annual billings from
those who make up our communities. In spite of the recognition
of the serious responsibilities that face all of us, we are compelled
to conduct the usual campaigns, to go through all the motions of
soliciting and pleading, to have numberless meetings in the at-
tempt to create interest in Jewish causes.
In spite of the pressures, we are not gathering the large sums
that are needed to support the immigration movement to Israel,
the many local and national causes. Apparently there is a decline
in interest. Therefore attitudes must be scrutinized in order that
we may be able to arrive at new approaches for securing the
necessary sums for the basic Jewish needs.
While studying the existing problems, we urge that our lead-
ers take into consideration the necessity for dignity in Jewish life,
the need for retaining high standards, the value of eliminating
unnecessary ballyhoo. In non-Jewish quarters there is a tendency
to utilize competitive marathons for the collection of philanthropic
funds. Some of the TV campaigns have been successful. That does
not mean that the practice should be emulated by us. Already
Wilkus Re-Elected
Temple President
David Wilkus was re-elected
The annual meeting of the the responsibility of forging a
president of Temple Beth El at Women's Division of the Detroit program of activities designed
the 102nd annual meeting June Israel bond drive will be held to make every Detroit woman a
23. Other officers elected were
partner with Israel through Is-
Leonard N. Simons, vice presi-
rael bonds."
dent; Sidney J. Allen, treasurer;
She pointed out that reserva-
trustees, William H. Frank,
tions for the luncheon are lim-
Lawrence J. Michelson, Nate S.
ited to 100 persons and urged
Shapero and Max J. Zivian.
those who wish to attend to
In his annual report, Mr. Wil-
make their reservations imme-
kus paid tribute to the late
diately by calling the Israel
Dr. B. Benedict Glazer, and re-
bond office, WO. 2-5091.
viewed the numerous and diver-
Chairman of the luncheon
sified activities and events of the
committee is Mrs. Irving Lipson.
Temple program during the past
Organizations to be repre-
year. Mr. Wilkus stated that
sented are:
Greater Detroit Bnai Brith Women.'
Temple Beth El now has a mem-
Council, Mizrachi Women, Jewish Wo-
bership of 1520 families, and is
men's European Welfare Organization.
the fourth largest Liberal Jewish
congregation in the country. He
announced that following the
30-day period of mourning,
which was observed by the con-
gregation for the late Dr. Glazer,
the following rabbi's selection
committee was appointed. Meyer
L. Prentis and Nate S. Shapero,
co-chairmen; David Wilkus, Leo-
nard N. Simons, Sidney J. Allen,
Dr. Herbert I. Kallet, Leonard
T. Lewis, Joseph M. Welt, Israel
Himelhoch, Melville S. Welt,
Justice Henry M. Butzel, Mrs.
Arthur H. Rice, Mrs. Sanford R.
Klein, Mrs. I. Irving Bittker, Mrs.
Arthur R. Bloom. Mrs. Percy P.
we have witnessed resentment against auctioneering at events
arranged for the sale of bonds and the use of banalities by enter-
tainers in the process of collecting funds. Such practices must be
abandoned.
Dignified procedure will suffer in Jewish ranks if our leaders
will continue to encourage cheap tactics in fund-raising. We had
a typical example of undignified auctioneering at a recent bond
rally. Israel's Ambassador Abba Eban, who delivered a masterful
address, sat through the entire auction sale. It was much more
disappointing to see him sit through the fiasco than even the
auctioneering itself. Mr. Eban has asserted himself before the
nations of the world, as Israel's spokesman at the UN. Is it possible Newman, Raymond K. Rubiner,
that he is less strong as a participant in the affairs of his own Frank J. Winton. Judge Charles
people? We urge him to assert himself among Jews, to repudiate C. Simons.
indignity during bond sales and fund-raising. He should not have
given encouragement to a program which was unworthy of the Detroit Federation
value of the Israel appeal.
A long season of community activities will commence in the OK's CJFWF Plenum
fall. There will be many fund-raising and cultural gatherings.
Member federations, welfare
They should be planned on a high plane. Banalities have no place
on our platforms. Through high standards we may. eventually, funds and community councils
so train our constituents that fund-raising may become less bur- have endorsed the resolutions of
the National Community Rela-
densome.
tions Advisory Council Plenum
*
and the Council of Jewish Fed-
The Value of the English-Jewish Press
erations and Welfare Funds
To Jacques B,ack, editor and publisher of the Nashville (Tenn.) General Assembly. with only two
Observer, secretary of the American Association of English-Jewish exceptions. Those which have
Newspapers, goes credit for an exceptionally fine evaluation of the met most recently also have ap-
English-Jewish press. Mr. Back. in a statement exposing the tac- proved the report of the Evalu-
tics of _2-2:Lumber of periodicals (American Jewish Life, Spectator, ative Studies committee on a
Bitzaron, Kemfer, Frontier, Jewish Mail) which have resorted to specific plan for divisibn of la-
unethical solicitations through misrepresentation and by invading bor.
territories where they have no circulation to speak of, took oc-
Action by the communities has
casion to describe the value of the English-Jewish newspapers. followed careful study by corn-
He made this important statement:
.mittees, widespread distribution
Surely, no such institution—no synagogue or college—no fund
of informative reports, and de-
raising agency—no earnest-minded Jewish leader—not one of
the public relations counsels devoted to the dissemination of
news—none will deny that the English-Jewish press plays. a
useful and selfless role in the American Jewish Community.
Specifically, English-Jewish newspapers promote religious
loyalties. They urge synagogue affiliation. They are defenders
of our common faith, advocates of a just and righteous code
of human behavior—man to man—one faith to the other's faith.
They help mightily in stimulating response to the challenging
pleas for financial support of all the causes that appeal to the
heart and purse of the individual. They are the intimate "per-
son-to-person" messenger without whom a large element . . .
often skeptical and unresponsive . . . would be difficult to enlist.
These are facts worth stating if we are to understand the
significance and the seriousness of the problem with which we
deal. We cannot permit, either through indi fference or by re-
luctance to speak out frankly and clearly, to have the prestige
of English-Jewish papers, and, by logical deduction, the good
name of the Jewish community undermined and besmeared by
tactics that are sharply at variance with the ethics observed
by all newspapers—and, painstakingly, by the members of this
Association.
Mr. Back's appeal to national organizations points out very
clearly that the abuses resorted to by the periodicals he listed harm
the Jewish communities more than their newspapers because of
the bad light in which the Jewish name is placed before non-
Jewish advertisers who form a large number of those who have
been misled by the unethical solicitations.
The national organizations are challenged to join in a serious
move to expose the racketeeers, to weed them out of Jewish life
and to end an outrageous practice. It is sincerely to be hoped that
Mr. Back's appeal will not fall on deaf ears.
Brandeis' 1st
Graduate
tailed discussion, the CJFWF
stated.
The board of governors of
the Detroit Jewish Welfare
Federation endorsed the re-
commendations of the Evalu-
ative Studies Committee on
division of labor, and the re-
commendation of the commit-
tee on financing for a national
budget review of the commun-
ity relations agencies. There
was only one dissenting vote.
Platt Corrects Quotation
Regarding Sinai Hospital
Deploring misquotation of a
statement ascribed to him by
the Vaad Horabonim in the
article in a recent issue of The
Jewish News regarding kashrut
in the Sinai Hospital. Samuel W.
Platt this week wrote The Jew-
ish News as follows:
"I could not possibly have
said that Mr. Julian Krolik
promised me and all those whom
he solicited on behalf of the
Jewish Hospital that 'this basic
concept (observance of kashrut)
of Jewish tradition be honored."
"Having a business to take
care of, and being otherwise
occupied personally and com-
munally, it was impossible for
me to accompany Mr. Krolik in
his solicitations throughout the
city, and hence I could not have
heard promises (if any) that
might have been made by him
to anyone else.
"I only know that Mr. Krolik
did specifically mention to me
personally that the Jewish Hos-
pital would have kosher facili-
ties and this to me means only
one thing, that everyone enter-
ing the hospital shall have the
possibility of eating kosher food.
He did assure me that this basic
concept of Jewish Tradition will
be honored."
')r. ABRAHAM L. SA-
CHAR (left), president
of Brandeis University
in Waltham, Mass., con-
gratulates GUSTAV RA-
NIS, Bethel, Conn., who
received the first Bran-
deis degree at com-
mencement exercises on
Monday. More than 8,000
spectators witnessed the
ceremonies at which 101
students became the Fulbright Award to Clevelander
CLEVELAND, (JTA)—A Ful-
first Brandeis University
bright Scholarship for study
alumni-
abroad has been awarded to
2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 4, 1952
Avis Shulman to Address Women's
Israel Bond Luncheon on Wednesday
MRS. AVIS SHULMAN
next Wednesday, at Knollwood
Country Club.
According to Mrs. Theodore
Bergman, Women's Division
chairman. the luncheon meeting
will be attended by past and
present chairmen of Detroit's
Jewish organization bond chair-
men and bond drive workers.
Guest speaker will be Avis
American Jewish Congress, Adas Shalom
Sisterhood, Shaarey Zedek Sisterhood.
ORT, National Council of Jewish Women,
Ladies Auxiliary of Jewish National Fund.
Infants Service Group, Pioneer Women
and the Hebrew Cultural Society.
Serving on the campaign committee
are: Mesdames Samuel S. Aaron. Philip
Cutler, I. B. Dworman, Herbert Eskin,
Shaye Foreman, Joseph Geschelin. Irving
Goldberg, Beryl Harrison, William Isen-
berg, Ben Jacob, Harry Kay. Joseph
Katchke, Benjamin Krause, Joseph Ka-
nin, Benjamin Laikin, Charles La Porte.
Morris Lulkin, Milton Mahler, Luba Mar.
golin, Morris Mendelson. Royal Oppen-
heim, Julius Ring, Emil Rothman. Joseph
Rottenberg, David Ruby, Oliver Ruh,.
Alex Schreier, Jacob Schreier, Rom
Singer, Milton Sterns. Philip Stollman.
Albert Tanner and Milton Winston, and
Miss Lenora Nolen
Leonard Zucker "A ins
Sabbath League Prize
At the closing meeting of the
Shulman, national chairman of Women's Sabbath League held
the speakers' division of the last Wednesday at Young Israel
Center, Leonard Zucker, son cot
Israel bond drive.
Mrs. Shulman has worked
continuously at the forefront of
important efforts to aid the
Jewish state during the past 12
years.
A highlight of the meeting will
be the presentation of merit
awards to Detroit women who
have earned recognition through
their hard work and leadership
in behalf of the bond drive.
"At this meeting." Mrs. Berg-
man said," we will undertake
Mr. and Mrs. Sol Zucker of 2964
Fullerton, was announced as the
winner of the first prize in an
essay contest sponsored among
students of Hebrew and religious
schools. The award will be made
at a Sabbath League meeting in
September.
Runner-up in the contest was
another Beth Yehudah students
Saul Wasserman, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ben Wasserman of 2075 W.
Philadelphia.
On the Record
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
(Copyright 1951, Seven ARS Feature Syndicate)
Crackpots and Politics
Gerald L. K. Smith and his cohorts are planning to utilize
the Republican convention in Chicago as a rostrum for the spew.-
ing of hate and anti-Semitism. Smith is said to be planning one
of the boldest moves in his notorious career—physical seizure a
the platform by his crackpot followers during the height of the
convention turmoil. If this bold scheme is not thwarted by im-
mediate action, Smith intends to take the platform and deliver
an anti-Semitic address, coupled with a vitriolic attack on "Ike
the Jew." Republican leaders have been advised of this possibility
and if the incident develops according to Smith's plans the
American people will know where to place the blame despite the
protestations of political leaders that they neither desire nor so-
licit the support of the Smiths and his foul ilk. In addition, the
Jew haters plan to flood the convention with more than ten
thousand anti-Semitic leaflets. This too has been brought to the
attention of the convention arrangers. In fact some of the ma-
terial to be distributed has already reached party delegates. It
is the intention of America's hatemongers to inundate Chicago
with anti-Jewish propaganda during both conventions.
a
Gentlemen in a Dilemma
We wonder how the American Council for Judaism boys will
feel when they arrive at the Chicago convention in what press
reports describe as a pilgrimage designed to influence the peat-
form makers against a pro-Zionist plank? At a recent conven-
tion the omnipotent Jews of the Council passed a resolution
against what is called the Jewish vote. But hasn't the Council
nullified its position on that issue by its current decision to in-
fluence the planks of both political parties? Will the Council
representatives of Chicago act in their capacity as pure Ameri-
cans or in their capacity as Jews with a certain orientation?
Since the delegation is to represent the American Council tor
Judaism no semantic contortions will enable them to extricate
from the evident dilemna and contradiction. And what happens
if the platform makers of the Republican Party ignore them
and incorporate a strong pro-Israel plank? Will those gentle-
men then urge their followers not to vote Republican? If one
of the political parties should take their position, would they
then advocate support of that party even at the risk of reject-
ing their own thesis with regard to the Jewish vote? I think
those gentlemen have placed themselves on the horns of a di-
lemma from which they will not be able to extricate themselveS
without serious damage to their dignity and pants.
Is that the Way to Fight Communism?
New York City was shocked to learn that the president of One
of the city's largest department stores had distributed anti-Seinh-
tic literature among his close friends. The gentleman in question
was Philip Le Boutilier, head of Best and Co., who included Jew
among the recipients of the scurrilous propaganda. When the
matter was brought to his attention, the gentleman apologized,
declaring that he thought the literature in question eontatned
only anti-Communist propaganda. We gladly accept the apology,
Grant Goodman of this city who but the question still remains: how could a man of Mr. Boutiller's
is now working for a Ph.D. at standing allow material to go out under his name without eheete ■
the University of Michigan. Mg on its contents?