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Seek $20,000,000
Expect Huge Crowd for Dedication
For Rebuilding
Of U. of M. Hillel Building Sunday
Of Haifa T eChnjon

Purely Commentary

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By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ •

Dr. Chaim Weizniann's Sense of Humor

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Americans had Occasion. in the past four months to listen
to addresses by a truly -great, man who was the candidate for
tes and who knew how to flavor
the Presidency of the United gta
his talks with hinnor. Adlai E. Stevenson was in Dr. Chaim Weiz-
mann's class. The departed President of Israel, who, incidentally.
befriended Mr. Stevenson as well as President Truman a n d
noted • RepUblican as well. as Democratic American leaders, was
a linguist, a brilliant interpreter of world events and a fine story-
teller. Dr. Weizmann often told stories to illustrate his points.-
He especially enjoyed telling about his visit to Prof. Paul.
Ehrlich, the great discoverer of 606. He hoped to win the scientist
to Zionism, argued and argued. Finally Ehrlich turned to Weiz-
mann and said •"Do you know, Dr. Weizmann, you have been
talking to me for more than an hour. Do you know that there
are barons and princes who are waiting in the reception room
fpr me?" "Yes", said Dr. Weizrnann, -"but the difference between
them and me is that they have come for you to give them • an
injection and .I have come to give you an injection." Prof. Ehrlich
learned. to :appreciate the value of this injection when Hitler
came to power. -
One of the best Weizmann stories is of the anti-Weizmann
Zionist. His obsession, was that Dr. Weiimann was an evil in-
fluence in the movement. In the lobby of a Zionist convention,
he was haranguing a group on the subject. One of the irritated
group turned on the man and said, "Why do you say all this to
us. There is Dr. Weizmann, why don't you go up- to him and say
it?"
"I will", said the anti-Weizmannite.
"I'll bet you $10 you don't," said the angered Jew.
"All right, watch me," said the anti-Weizmannite, and ap- •
proached Dr. Weizmann.
,"Dr. Weizmann," he began, "it's time—it's time—you should
give me your autograph."
The Weizmann stories are inexhaustible: They will be heard
and repeated time and again. They enrich our folklore, Dist as
his leadership has risen like Mount Zion over the entire pa,nor 2=
ama of Jewish history.

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Synagogues As Centers for Our Youth
Anonymous letters seldom merit, attention. A •person who has
something to offer for the good of our community should
hesitate to append a name to an opinion. We have received
numerous letters regarding hoodlumism at the Jewish Center
and we treated the matter as news. FOrtunately, it has been as-
certained that what has occurred is not an anti-Semitic incident
but rather a part of an over-all community problem involving
teen-age delinquents. There are dangers which are being tackled
by the police, and the city's authorities should be held responsible
for such occurrences. Naturally, all of us must be on guard, and
if there are reasons for the happenings at a building operated as
a Jewish center they shofild be studied carefully in an effort to
avoid their repetition. •
One anonymous letter, signed with the initials "E.F.X.", which
reached us a few 'days ago, deserves attention, in spite of the
writer's failure to give his or her name. It raises an issue that
should be reviewed carefully.
Our correspondent makes these points:

"The recent publicity regarding the need for increased
recreation facilities for children and young adults in the grow-
ing northwest community, together with the mushrooming of
new synagogue buildings in that area, has "raisedseveral ques-
tions. During the past two years, the United Hebrew Schools,
in conjunction with several synagogues, have erected several
buildings. Their rooms and social halls usually . are dark and
empty during the early evenings. From the earliest days of the
synagogue, its function has been to satisfy the social as well as
spiritual needs of our people . . . Today that purpose has been
forgotten. There is no satisfactory reason why these wonderful
and abundant facilities should - be ignored and our young people
. neglected. -
"We keep crying for additional funds for more buildings—
and some are necessary—while so many dark rooms are waiting
to be used. The only additional funds would be for a few
workers, and these would be less costly than new buildings. The
synagogue leadership should not object to absorbing small cost
for electricity and heat. In return, I am sure they would dis- .
cover that the synagogue itself would be reclaimed.
"What a low. price, what an easy way, whai a better place
could community leaders find for young people to spend their
leisure hours? Why can't classrooms' be used as clubrooms?
Why can't ping-pong tables and other games be set up in syna
gogue social halls?
"t have wandered into half empty synagogues on Sabbaths.
Perhaps our young people would eventually - fill up the vacant
seats if they were. trained in the habit of coming to the synago-
gues for social purposes on week-days.
•
"Incidentally, Allied Jewish Campaign money has been used
to build up combined synagogues and Hebrew schools. Isn't
some community responsibility involved in this? A, little un-
selfish cooperation among all community groups for the sake of
the young people would bevery refreshing at the present time."'
We concur in this viewpoint, although there is an exaggera-

tion in the statement that the Allied Jewish Campaign funds
have helped to build synagogues. Funds raised for new buildings
by the United Hebrew Schools have been used in very . small
measure to supplement the cost of constructing classrooms only,
as adjuncts of synagogues. But the main point is well taken. In
our recent plea for careful study of proposals for an immense
$5,000,000 capital funds program for Detroit, we urged delay of
proposed action in order that Israel should not -be harmed. We
pointed out that more synagogues can and should be used by
our schools, thus obviating the erection of school buildings in
areas where synagogues already exist.
Our correspondent's challenge is to synagogues on a broader
scale. The doors of our synagogues should be opened wide for use
by our youth. There is no excuse for darkened rooms which
should serve as classrooms for adult courses, for social gatherings,
for discussion groups, for fraternal gatherings.
We are the losers from the existing indifference. The entire
community and the synagogue as synagogue have much to gain
from submission to the practical proposal made by our corres-
pondent. The question aimed at rabbis and lay synagogue leaders
is: how about early action in this-matter?

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THE JEWISH• NEWS

Friday, November 21, 1952

NEW 7-013,x, (eTTA)—An

vitation to its scientists and
engineers to adVise the Jewish
Agency in deterinining the pri-
ority of privat,e industrial en-
terprises to be- established
shortly in Israel was •issued here
by the American Technion Soc-
. iety at the concluding session
of its two-day National Planning
Conference.
The, conference brought to-
gether delegates from 30 key
cities and five regiOnal distriets
in the United States and Can-.
ada to map plans for the $20,:-
000,000 drive for rebuilding. the
Israel Institute of Technology
on a new campus site in Haifa:
The Ainerican organization is
Pictured above is the half-million dollar structure of the new
underwriting of of thiS University of Michigan Hillel Foundation, which will be dedicated
amount, which it -plans to raise this Sunday at Ann Arbor.
I reel Community Center, Ann
within the :next few yeais in I Dr. Abram L. Sac
het, presi-
the United States and Canada. dent of Brandeis University
and ; Arbor; Fred Kapetansky, presi-
Leon Kay of Detroit actively ' chairman of the national Hillel dent of the Hillel Student Coun-
participated in the conference. Commission, will be principal cil; Philip H. Mitchell, of Chi-
The delegates resolved to speaker at - dedication • cere- sago, president of District Grand
Lodge No. 6, Bnai Brith; and
bring to the attention of the monies of the $500,000 Hillel Rose
Y a m p o 1, of Milwaukee,
Jewish community the import- Foundation 'at the University of
president of Women's District
ance of technological and engi- Michigan.
Lodge.
neering education as priniary
Thousands of Ann Arbor and 'The building houses an audi-
reqUisites for making the State
of Israel. economically self-suf- Detroit residents and students torium seating 250 and has an
ficient. They urged the Jewish are expected to witness the cere- auxiliary auditorium which seats
community to exert its full ef- mony, which will begin at 3 p.m. op. There is a large lounge, music
room, photographic dark room,
forts to aide the vital program at the building, 1429 Hill.
The structure, said to be one activities room, arts and crafts
which is being carried out by
the Technion in training engi- of the foremost buildings of its area, library and kitchen. Twelve
neers, architects, and techni- kind anywhere, serves the 2,000 students live as residents in the
students of Jewish faith on the structure.
cians.
Another resolution requested U. of M. campus, and also served
organiZed welfare funds and the needs of the Ann Arbor Jew-
Plan City Memorial
other agencies throughout the ish, community.
United States and. Canada to
Short messages will be deliv-
To Dr. Weizmann
permit the society to hold spe- ered by Harry Yudkoff and Mrs.
cial capital fund drives for aid- Frances Solovich, co-chairmen of
Plans for a community ob-
ing the rebuilding of the Tech- the dedication; Rabbi Herschel
servance in memory of Is-
nion in Haifa. Resolutions were Lyrnon, director of the institu- raeI's late president, Dr.
also adopted extending the sym- tion; Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld, Chaim Weizmann, were form-
pathy of the - organization's director of National Hillel Foun-
ulated at a joint committee
membershiP to the government dations; and Ben Paul Braisley,
ineeting of the Jewish Com-
and people of Israel on the a Pittsburgh lawyer and grad-
munity Council and Zionist
death of Dr. Chaim Weizmann. uate of the 1906 law class, rep-
Council. Spokesmen said that
Victor Avrunin, technical ad- resenting -the alumni.
the memorial meeting will
viser to the Jewish Agency, told
Other speakers will be Dr. Har-
take place immediately after
the delegates that the Agency's lan H. Hatcher, president of the 30-day period of mourn-
new plan for establishing pri- U. of M.; Louis H. Schostak, sec-
ing is over. Details will be
vate enterprise industries in Is- retary of the Foundation; Osias announced at a later date.
rael entails American processes Zwerdiing, president of Beth Is-
and know-how as well as cap-
ital, and that it is absolutely
essential that their vast techni-
cal training and experience be
utilized to review the projects
which are now being planned.
By BORIS SMOLAR
fie disclosed that over a hun-
(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
dred industrial enterprises, of
which about a dozen ,are ready The Zionist Scene
The talks between Israel's Premier David Ben Gurion and
for immediate construction, are
leaders of the American Zionist groups whom he summoned to
being considered.
Jerusalem. will probably result in the expansion of the work of
the American Zionist Council ... Ben-Gurion's ambition, for many
Israel Parliament
years, has been to see all Zionist parties in the United States
Session on Weizmann
merged into a confederation . . He talked about it during his
visit to the United States when Palestine was still a mandated
Attended by Widow
territory . . He believes that a Zionist confederation in America
••••••••••••
Can contribute more to the Zionist movement, and now to Israel,
JERUSALEM, (STA) — T
than IndiVidual Zionist parties which often compete with each
Israel Parliament met in solenin other for influence, . . However, his views on this subject have
session to mark the end of the never found any proper response on the part of Zionist leaders
traditional seven-day mourning in this country . . Thus, a compromise was suggested about six
period for, Dr. Chaim Weizmann. months ago—to at least coordinate the work of the various Zion-
For the first time in the hisil ist organizations in the United States by expanding the scope of
tory of the Kriesset the - Presi- activities of the American Zionist Council, in. which all Zionist
,dent's box -
.occupied by parties are represented • . . The Zionist . Council has done good
someone oter than the Presi- work thus far, but its activities are limited chiefly to public re-
dent. Mrs. Vera Weizmann and. lations and to work among non-Jewish groups . • . The new sug-
Other members of the late Presi-. gestion; supported by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, - cochairman of the
dent's fainily sat in the boi and Jewish Agency,,is that part of the work of the American section
la ear d eulogies delivered by of the Jewish Agency be transferred to the American Zionist
representatives of every party.
Council . . ..This would include promotion of Hebrew educ-ation
After the session ended Mrs. in this c _ ountry, work among American Jewish youth. to interest
Weizmanri • issued a statement them in the Chalutz movement,, stimulation of private investments
of "profound gratitude" to the in Israel ... It seems that in prinCiple all American Zionist groups
pepole and government of Is- have agreed to this suggestion, although some Zionist leaders
rael, to the nations of the world doubt whether in practice each of the Zionist groups will see eye
and their leaders, as well as to to eye on such matters as indoctrination of the American Jewish
leaders of the Jewish communi- youth . . . It is obvious that the Mizrachi approach to the educa-
ties of the world and to personal tion of youth is different than the approach of ZOA and Labor
friends, for their expressions of Zionists have different views on. this matter than Hadassah . .
sympathy.
However, this is not the stumbling block .. . The present diffi-
The home of Dri Weizmann culty is in the competition for the presidency of an expanded
at Rehovoth, together with the American Zionist Council.
surrounding gardens and lands
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will be turned into a national Domestic Affairs
shrine and memorial to Israel's
The annual conference of the Council of Jewish Federations
first President.
and Welfare Funds which takes place this week-end in Boston
Book to Mark 300th Anniversary will be. one of the_most important gatherings in American Jewish
life .. • Not only will more productive fund-raising technique be
Of Oldest Synagogue in U. S.
NEW YORK (JTA)—The pub- discussed, but *also problems deeply affecting the American Jewish
lication of a book marking the community • . One of these problems is the demand,of the wel-
300th anniversary of the found- fare funds for a voice in the formulation of policy of national
ing of Cong. Shearith Israel in organizations which receive allocations from them . • The chang-
New York, the first Jewish con- ing role of American Jewish philanthropy in meeting Israel and
gregation formed in the United overseas Jewish needs in 1953 will be studied in the light of Ameri-
States, was announced by the can governmental aid, German reparations and other types of as-
congregation. The book, "Por- sistance .. . The stability of Jewish institutions in this country
traits Etched in Stone," by Rab- and abroad will, to a very great extent, depend on the construc-
bi David de Sola Pool, deals with tive decisions which the delegates at the conference are expected
the first Jewish settlers in to make • . • One of the central issues wil be the split which oc-
America and. their struggles in curred recently in the ranks of the Jewish organizatioils engaged
behalf of democracy.
in combatting anti-semitism in the United States.

Between You and Me

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