Syrians Release Priest
After Israel Protest
Purely Commentary
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—A French
priest kidnapped, by Syrian
troops from Israel territory was
released following a sharp Is-
raeli protest to the United Na-
tions truce supervisory machin-
ery.
The priest, Father Pierre Gui-
chau, who was visiting Israel,
was captured by Syrian soldiers
in the Lake Kinneret region
near the point where the Israeli,
Syrian and Jordan boundaries
meet. He was blindfolded and
led inside the Syrian lines where
he was kept until the Israeli-
Syrian Mixed Armistice Com-
mission, to which Israel pro-
tested, secured his release.
An Israel government spokes-
man warned the Syrians against
any attempt to change the pres-
ent Israel - Syrian border ar-
rangement by force. Comment-
ing on a report from Damascus
that Syria wants a slice of Is-
raeli territory along the eastern
banks of Lake Tiberias, the
spokesman said that the present
armistice agreements could not
be changed unilaterally.
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Ben - Gurion . 's Definitions of Pessimist and Optimist
Israel's Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion makes Greek his
hobby, but he evidently also knows his Latin, judging by his
latest definitions of pessimism and optimism.
Pessimism, which represents an outlook on the worst side of
life, stems from the Latin word pessimus, meaning worst.
Optimus means best, and from it stems the word optimist,
meaning the person who looks for the best in life.
The interpretations of Premier Ben-Gurion are:
"If a pessimist is one who is always conscious of all the
pitfalls, difficulties, obstacles and dangers. I know of no great-
er pessimist than I; if an optimist is one who sees all the pit-
falls and difficulties but believes in the ability of the Jewish
people to overcome them, then I'm willing to be classified in
this group."
In Israel, optimism is inevitably likened with courage—a word
that is attached derivatively to heart. Thus, men of courage are
men stimulated by the heart. And on the strength of the Hebrew
saying "Dvarim hayetz'im min halev nichnasim el halev"—"words
that come from the heart go out to other hearts," Mr. Ben-Gurion
should continue to be successful in inspiring his people.
There is an Italian saying that "all are brave when the enemy
flies." In Israel people are truly brave because the people must
defy pitfalls and dangers. There, as in all human society, people
"to the last gasp defend their brood."
Who will deny Ben-Gurion the right to optimism, and who
will fail to emulate his stimulating idealism?
•
Dr. James G. Heller and the LZOA
Contrary to the gloomy outlook on the Zionist picture by
many who have adopted an attitude that Zionism is no longer
necessary, now that Israel's statehood has been re-established,
one courageous leader has adopted the extreme viewpoint of
abandoning a life-long professional career to devote himself to
the cause of Labor Zionism.
Dr. James G. Heller, for 32 years rabbi of Wise Temple in Cin-
cinnati, has resigned from his pulpit to make his home in New
York, to devote himself entirely to the activities of the Labor
Zionist Organization of America, to whose national presidency he
was elevated at the convention in New York three weeks ago.
It takes a lot of courage to make such a move. Dr. Heller is
esteemed as a leader, as an organizer, as an orator, as a guide
in Jewish affairs. He is noted as a composer, his love for music
having been on a par with his love for the pulpit and for Zion.
He is a charming person who is certain to make friends for LZOA.
Originally a national leader in the Zionist Organization of
America, Dr. Heller bolted the General Zionist ranks several
years ago and has since been an ardent advocate of the Labor
Zionist cause. His father, the late Dr. Maximillian Heller of New
Orleans, was one of the few early Reform Rabbis who supported
Zionism. He was an impressive figure at ZOA conventions in the
days of the leadership of Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Judge Julian W.
Mack and Mr. Justice Louis D. Brandeis. He and the late Dr.
Gotthard
■••-• Deutsch, history professor at Hebrew Union College,
formed a stimulating bearded duet at ZOA parleys and other
important functions—both having defied anti-Zionist bogies of
the Reform group to give courage to the dreamers who aspired
to a redeemed Zion.
From such a background came strong encouragement to
Jimmy Heller who propagated Zionism, like his father, in spite
of the unpopularity of the cause in the ranks he came from,
the then anti-Zionist Hebrew Union College. He now takes his
courage to LZOA, at a time when faith is needed more than
anything else. His new task will be scrutinized not only by LZOA
followers but by the entire Jewish community of America. If
past achievements are criteria, we predict success for his efforts.
.
.
Replete with scores of good
stories, with illustrations that
help him make his point — that
with the power of faith man
can put himself together—Dr.
Louis Binstock, rabbi of Temple
Sholom, Chicago, has produced
an interesting and readable
book, under the title "T h e
Power of Faith," which has been
published by Prentice-Hall, 70
Fifth Ave., New York 11.
Rabbi Binstock emphasizes
that "faith seeks reunion with
the divine fire." He draws upon
all human experiences to em-
phasize the need for true faith.
Writing his final chapter on a
I ship on the Pacific, traveling
from Yokohama to Manila, he
declares, with reference to the
Korean battle: "We express the
faith that we shall live even
while some experience the fear
that we may die or see our
!world die around us."
Man's faith, he writes, is not
an illusion, but is born of fact
and is "the strong high rock
upon which man takes his brave
stand when a flood of despair
sweeps over him."
, ! Rabbi Binstock was the Jewish
selectee to deliver the invocation
at the Democratic. convention
on July 23.
eversion to Nazism
Austria Passes
Laws Over Protest of Jewish Group's
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
WASHINGTON—The American
High Commissioner for Austria
Walter Donnelly is expected to
arrive here early next week to
report to the U. S. government
on the effect of laws passed by
the Austrian Parliament restor-
ing property and civil rights to
more than 20,000 former leading
Nazis, it was learned Tuesday.
Officials of the State Depart-
ment meanwhile refused to com-
ment on the laws or to indicate
whether the laws will be vetoed
by the High Commissioner as
requested by American Jewish
organizations.
The officials said that the
text of the laws have not as yet
been received by the State De-
partment. However, it is under-
stood that the contents of the
laws as reported in the Ameri-
can press is not much to the
liking of the government.
VIENNA, (JTA)—The Ameri-
can High Commissioner for Aus-
tria expressed dissatisfaction
with laws passed by the Aus-
trian Parliament restoring prop-
erty and civil rights to more
than 20,000 former leading
Nazis.
"Nazi victims should be given
consideration prior to Nazis,"
High Commissioner Walter Don-
nelly stated commenting on the
laws which can be vetoed by
any of the four occupation pow-
ers. Mr. Donnelly, as a member
of the Allied Council, had once
refused to approve a law passed
by the Austrian parliament
which would single out former
Nazis for preferential treatment
by exempting those repatriated
as war criminals after April 30,
1949, from legal penalties im-
Chicago Rabbi Hews
`The Power of Faith'
1
IP
ressure on Zi on i s t s
posed on Nazis before that date.
The new amnesty laws were Leads to Deportations
adopted despite an appeal by
the Vienna Jewish Community I NEW YORK, (JTA) — T h e
Communist party's political purge
to the coalition par ties t to
in Czechoslovakia has been ac-
pass them. Under these laws,1 companied by growing unofficial
thousands of Austrian Nazis up ! pressure upon Jews with Zion-
to the rank of cell leaders will ist connections, the New York
get back their properties and Times reported. Citing infor-
received in New York,
will be reinstated in their civil mation
the • that
rights, with the exception of been urged to give up plans for
6.000 former members of the migrating to Israel.
"Blood Order" who will receive
The report quoted by the
their property but will remain Times said that among hundreds
without civil rights.
of persons in Bratislava ordered
The new laws also lift a three- to leave the city within ten days
year-old freeze on promotion on "security grounds," Jews pre-
and increase in salaries for 30,- dominate. It also stated that
000 civil service workers who Dr. Sigmund Stein, one of the
were ordinary members of the founders of the Czechoslovak
Nazi Party.
Communist Party and for sev-
Parallel with these laws, the eral years legal advisor• of the
Parliament also passed a "com- Czechoslovak government and a
pensation law" under which friend of Rudolph Slansky, ar-
former victims of Nazism will re- rested former Deputy Premier,
ceive an additional $17 in Aus- has been arrested in Prague.
trian currency for each month His arrest was believed by dip-
they were in concentration lomats in Prague to be part of
camps. These victims have been a purge of Jews in important
receiving till now about $23.50 positions, the report emphasized.
for each month of internment.
"Neue Front," organ of the Greece Allows Shipment
neo-Nazi League of Independ- Of Goods to Emigrant Jews
ents, attacked the Allied Powers
for "listening to the campaign
ATHENS, (JTA)-At the re-
of slander" against the Nazis. quest of the Jewish community
Zachariah Shuster, of the here, the Greek government has
American Jewish Committee, authorized the export to Israel
and Dr. S. Roth, of the World of 12,000 pounds worth of goods
Jewish Congress, tried in vain for the use of Greek Jews who
to prevent passing of the laws emigrated to the Jewish State.
when they protested to Chan- No license and no exchange
cellor Leopold Figl and other of formalities were required for
members of the Austrian gov- the authorization.
ernment. They expressed hope
that the Allied Powers would 2 THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 25, 1952
veto the legislation.
I
—
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, inc.)
Communal Conflicts
The feud between the Israel bond drive and the United
Jewish Appeal has received new impetus as a result of a confi-
dential memorandum on the issue disseminated by the leaders
of the bond drive . . . This memorandum contains allegations
to which leaders of the UJA and of the Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds take strong objection . • . The memorandum—
aimed at describing the position of the bond drive on the subject
of co-ordination of timing of fund-raising campaigns for the bond
issue and the UJA—will certainly not contribute to peace in the
ranks of the American Jewish community . . • It starts with the
charge that "those who have spoken most glibly of the need for
'co-ordination' have either not known the facts or have deliber-
ately mis-stated the facts" ... It then goes on to present its own
position in about 10,000 words, emphasizing that legal and sales
obligations require that Israel bonds be sold throughout the year
. . . This view, as can be seen from the . memorandum, was also
accepted by Israel's Premier David Ben-Gurion when he tried to
bring about an understanding between UJA and bond drive leaders
• • • However, Mr. Ben-Gurion added that hi order that the
leadership which assumes responsibility for both enterprises may
be most effective, the period of intense campaigning shall not be
the same for both . . . Concretely, Mr. Ben-Gurion proposed that
in New York, the period of intense activitiy for the UJA should
be
in the spring of the year, while the period of intense activity
•
for the bond issue should be in the fall, with variations for both
I under special circumstances . . . He also proposed the establish-
ment of a joint UJA-bond committee responsible for conducting
both campaigns in New York with full powers to decide on
policies, methods and techniques which will bring about the best
results for both efforts . . . It seems that after several weeks of
negotiations a statement of agreement was finally reached on
April 5 between leaders of the New York UJA and leaders of the
bond drive . . . The memorandum claims that this agreement
was rejected by the executive committee of the New York UJA
. . . However, UJA leaders claim that the agreement was turned
down by Henry Montor after its text had been formulated in
writing by Henry Bernstein, executive head of the New York
UJA campaign.
Inside Information
The United States government has played an important
role in pushing Western Germany to make a decent reparations
offer to the Jews • . . The British government also has done its
share, although to a smaller extent . . . As soon as the German-
Israel reparations pact is initialed at The Hague, Israel will get
much-needed oil from Britain on account of German credits in
Britain . . . This the Adenauer government will give Israel as a
"loan" until the pact is ratified by the German Parliament . . .
Germany also is ready to supply Israel with copper and, of course,
with pre-fabricated houses which Israel needs so badly . . . There
has been very smooth cooperation between Israel and the Con-
ference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany up to now
. . . But some fear that this spirit may disapper when Israel
and the Conference sit down to talks over the amount of cash
which the Conference is to receive from Israel as its part of the
German reparations . . . Since the reparations will be settled
on a "global" basis Germany will not make payments to Israel
and to the Conference separately • .. The recipient of the "global"
payment will be Israel, in view of the fact that Germany will
not mike payments in cash, but in commodities which Israel
alone is able to use . . . Thus, the Conference will have to receive
its share of $107,000.000 from the government of Israel in cash,
since the Conference cannot use merchandise nor would it like to
act as a selling agent for German goods . . • But it is o secret
that Israel has no cash and that her expected income in dollars
from various driveS in the United States was long ago pledged
to American banks for loans already received . . . Hence. much
will have to be done to avoid friction between the Conference
and Israel when Jewish groups outside of Israel, expecting to
receive funds from the Conference as part of the reparations
from Germany, present their bills to the Conference . . Such
bills are already in preparation by Jewish cultural groups such
as the Yiddish Scientific Institute, the Jewish World Culture
Congress. yeshivoth which were maintained in Poland and which
are now in the United States and similar institutions and organ-
izations
Mrs. Bargman Gets Bond Citation
-tt-tv;1
•
-
The first citation awarded in Michigan for outstanding lead-
ership in the State of Israel $500,000,000 bond drive was presented
to Mrs. THEODORE BARGMAN, chairman of the Women's Divi-
sion of the Detroit Israel Bond ComMittee, at the division's &a•
nual meeting at Knollwood Country Club.
Presenting the award to Mrs. Bargman was the guest speaker,
Rabbi Charles Shulman of New York, who declared that her
leadership of Women's Division activities during the first yea/
of the drive sparked the success of the campaign in the city.
Admiring the citation presented to Mrs. Bargman, who On
shown holding the citation, are, left to right: Mesdames IRVING
LIPSON, MILTON MAHLER, JOSEPH KATCHKE, SAMUEL CROLL
and PHILLIP STOLLMAN.
The Women's Division is pianning a fashion show at the
Masonic Temple, Sept. 17. A report meeting will be held re
Women's City Club, Aug. 7. Mrs. Fred Ginsburg, who has just
returned from a visit in Israel, will address the bond workers.