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.