The Sabbath
Soviet Bloc Launches Anti-Jewish Drive
. Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
Great was the joy of the prince, and he was eager to celebrate
The official Communist organ,
Rude Pravo, said that among
"the scum which has linked it-
self with United States imperial-
ism to destroy the achievements
of our people, to liquidate the
people's democratic order, to re-
store capitalism in our country
and to bring it under the yoke
of the imperialists," a foremost
place was held by the Zionists,
"a reliable agency of United
States imperialism."
The liberal News Chronicle of
London noted that "we are wit-
nessing the Nazi technique in
operation all over again under
another name-. Everything is
there, including the pathological
desire to make scapegoats of the
Jews."
the day. But no one is able to celebrate alone. So he invited the
people to the local tavern and ordered ample food and drinks for
all of them. It was a sumptous feast, and they were all full of re-
joicing; the people because of the drinks and the prince in antici-
pation of his return to the palace. The. soul cannot celebrate
alone; so the body must be invited to partake in the rejoicing of
the Sabbath.
Reports from Czechoslovakia
immediately following t h e
trial indicated that the anti-
Jewish propaganda engender-
ed in the courtroom was hav-
ing speedy effect.
In Bratislava, Slovak capi-
tal, houses occupied by Jews
were identified with chalked
marks, "Jew," or anti-Jewish
slogans such as "Down with
capitalist Jews."
How should we weigh the difference between the Sabbath and
the other days of the week? When a day like Wednesday arrives,
the hours are blank, and unless we lend significance to them, they
remain without character. The hours of the seventh day are signif-
icant in themselves; their significance and beauty do not depend
on any work, profit or progress we may achieve. They have the
beauty of grandeur.
Beauty of grandeur, a crown of victory, a day of rest and
holiness . . . a rest in love and generosity, a true and genuine rest,
a rest that yields peace and serenity, tranquility and security,
a perfect rest with which Thou are pleased.
The differences between the Sabbath and all other - days is
not to be noticed in the physical structure of things, in their
spatial dimension. Things do not change on that day. There is
only a difference in the dimension of time, in the relation of the
universe to God. The Sabbath preceded creation and the Sab-
bath completed creation; it is all of the spirit that the world can
bear.
Once a rabbi was immured by his persecutors in a cave, where
not a ray of light could reach him, so that he knew not when it
was day or when it was night. Nothing tormented him so much
as the thought that he was now hindered from celebrating the Sab-
bath with song and prayer, as he had been wont to do from his
youth. Beside this an almost unconquerable desire to smoke
caused him much pain. He worried and reproached himself that
he could not conquer this passion. All at once, he perceived that
it suddenly vanished; a voice said within him: "Now it is Friday
evening! For this was always the hour when my longing for that
which is forbidden on the Sabbath regularly left me." Joyfully he
rose up and with loud voice thanked God and blessed the Sab-
bath.day. So it went on from week to week; his tormenting desire
for tobacco regularly vanished at the incoming of each Sabbath.
Six evenings a week we pray: "Guard our going out and our
coming in"; on the-Sabbath evening we'pray instead: "Embrace us
with a tent of Thy peace." Upon returning home from synagogue
we intone the song: •
Peace be to you,
Angels of Peace
.
The seventh day sings. An old allegory asserts: "When Adam
saw the majesty of the Sabbath, its greatness and glory, and the
Elsewhere, the trial created a
wave of depression among
Czechoslovak Jews. Erich Kohn,
secretary of the Prague Jewish
community, a non-Communist,
and his wife, committed suicide
in despair over the fate of the
Jews in their country. Several
Jews who had been prominent
in the regime -or in the Com-
munist movement, also commit-
ted suicide in apparent prefer-
ence to awaiting arrest and trial.
These included Rudolph
tricky, young Czech Jewish dip-
lomat and former envoy to Lon-
don, and Tibor Kovacs, a region-
al party leader.
An innocent victim of the
purge was the Czech woman
who served as housekeeper in
the Israel Legation in Prague.
According to word received in
Tel Aviv, she had been sum-
moned to secret police head-
quarters in Prague, interro-
gated and released. The ex-
perience so unnerved her that
she took her life.
The trial of the 14 Communists
is expected to be the forerunner
of a whole new series of purge
actions. involving lesser lights in
the Czechoslovak regime and in
the Communist Party but, • in
general, following the anti-Jew-
ish character of the pilot pro-
ceedings. Result, it is believed,
should be the complete elimi-
nation of all Jews from any po-
sitions of power or authority in
the political, economic, cultural
or social life of the country.
There are known to be a num-
ber of likely candidates for early
trial in the secret police prisons
in Prague. Among those facing
early trial are Mordecai Oren
and Shimson Orenstein, both Is-
rael nationals, and Dr. Edouard
Goldsteucker, former Czech
minister to Tel Aviv. All have
"confessed" to having served as
spies for the "imperialists" and
testified as witnesses in the first
trial. Oren is a leader of the
pro-Soviet Mapam Party in Is-
rael, whose policy calls for clos-
er orientation of the Jewish
State with the Soviet Union
bloc.
A mounting storm of protest
gathered momentum as Jewish
organizations and communities
throughout the free world de-
nounced the Prague proceedings
as a mockery of justice and a
foul slander upon the Jewish
people and the State of Israel.
Action was urged both in Is-
rael and the United States to
place the situation before the
United Nations. In New York,
Mapam's Position
the Bpai Brith's Anti-Defama.-
The Mapam, in a prepared
statement read by one of its de-
puties, said that it was "astound-
ed by the attempt td link Zion-
ism with the charges made at
the Prague trial." The statement
said that the Mapam rejects the
accusations against Zionism, but
also rejects Sharett's statement.
"The Mapam sees itself as an in-
separable part of the forces of
tomorrow and will unyieldingly
stand by the side of the defend-
ers of Socialism, against attack-
ers from within and without,"
the statement declared.
"Israel was established with
Russia's decisive help and Russia
inscribed a glorious chapter in
Knesset Acts on Slurs;
Israel Envoy Summoned Home the history of the estabishment
of Israel, but this does not jus-
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Dr. A. tify the linking of Zionism with
Kubowy, Israel Minister to reactionary forces. The Mapam
Prague, has been instructed by reasserts that to the best of its
the Israel government to return knowledge Mordecai Oren is in-
to Tel Aviv.
nocent," the statement added,
In Tel Aviv, the Israel police concluding with the hope that
guard around the Czechoslovak he will be cleared of all charges.
Mordecai N a in i r, secretary
legation was strengthened after
an unidentified person threw a general of the Histadrut a n d
stone at the building and smash- one-time Israel Minister to Mos-
cow, attacked the Mapam and
ed a window, following the an- accused
it of "preparing the
nouncement of the verdict at ground
for such anti-Zionist out-
the Prague trial.
breaks" by describing Israel as a
The Israel Parliament gave "stronghold of reaction, a serf of
an overwhelming vote of confi- the west." He told the leftists
dence to the Israel government that "we will hold you directly
position on the Prague :trial as responsible for what goes on at
stated by Foreign Minister the Prague triql."
Moshe Sharett who had accused
the Czech authorities of plotting Israel Envoy Back -from
anti-Semitism in "the spirit of Prague; Arrests Continue
Nazism."
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Dr. Arieh
The vote was taken twice. The
first time the Communists and Kubowi, Israel M i n-i s t e r to
Maparn voted against, and the Prague, arrived here to report
Herut abstained. The Herut on the Prague trial and on de-
then introduced a motion de- v e l o p ments in Czechoslovakia
manding that the government and other Eastern European
ask the United Nations to con- countries.-
sider the Prague trial a crime
Reports of continued arrests
against humanity. When the of Jews in various East Euro-
right-wing party was reassured pean - countries continue to be
that its motion would be con- received here. Newspapers and
sidered by the Parliamentary radio stations in the Cominform
Foreign Affiars Committee, it nations have increased. their at-
joined the majority in a second tacks on Jews.
vote of confidence.
Both the Mapai and Herut
Earlier, the Knesset adopted a Parties held mass meetings on
resolution condemning the anti- the background of the Prague
Jewish and anti-Zionist tenden- trial and its outcome. Speakers
cies expressed at the trial. It also attacked the Mapam for its con-
expressed the body's "shock" at tinued expressions of loyalty to
the trial which it called "an af- the Communist line in Europe.
Premier Ben-Gurion avoided
front to the Jewish nation." The
resolution added that the trial direct comment on the trial.
"attempts to besmirch the good Addressing a luncheon of Is-
name of the State of Israel, un- raeli newspaper editors, he
dermines the traditional friend- said that "the time has not
ship between the Czech and Jew- yet come to comment." He
ish nations, and tries to smear told the editors to continue to
the Zionist movement—the Jew- publish their newspapers in
ish people's movement of liber- free fashion and "not under
ation—using the fact that the pressure" which, the Premier
defendants are Jews as an in- said, distinguishes the demo-
strument of dangerous and foul cratic from the totalitarian
countries.
propaganda."
ton League called on Secretary
of State Dean Acheson to raise
in the UN "the threat to the
safety and human rights of the
Jews of Czechoslovakia."
In Israel, the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the Knesset had
under study a Herut proposal
for initiation of action in the
UN on the grounds that the
Prague proceedings constitute
"crimes against humanity."
Virtually every prominent
newspaper in the free world de-
nounced the Prague trial as a
mockery of justice and a new
attempt to make the Jew a
scapegoat for the sins of others.
Ben-Gurion Tells His Views
During the debate which pre-
ceded the voting, Premier David
Ben Gurion said that the trial
had raised four problems: the
human-judicial aspects; the in-
ternational implic ations; the
fate of the 2,500,000 Jews in the
Soviet Union and the satellite
states; and, the significance for
Israel.
He insisted that the trial had
brought forth nothing new in
Communist - Zionist relations.
"Communism," he said, "has al-
ways been hostile to Zionism.
The Soviet Encyclopedia called
Weizrnann an imperialist leader
of an oppressing movement. In
this trial Jews are blamed for
their Jewishness, and Jews are
not concerned whether discrimi-
nation is labelled anti-Semitism
or cosmopolitanism," the Pre-
mier points out. "I would be
happy to be sure that the en-
tire matter would end with this
trial, but I am afraid that it will
lead to something tragic and
awful," he concluded.
joy it conferred upon all beings, he intoned a song of praise for
the Sabbath day as if to give thanks to the Sabbath day. Then
God said to him: Thou singest a song of praise to the Sabbath
day, and singest none to Me, the God of the Sabbath? Thereupon
the Sabbath rose from its seat, and prostrated herself before God,
saying : It is a good thing td give thanks unto the Lord. And the
whole of creation added: And to sing praise unto Thy Name, 0
Most High."
The Sabbath teaches all beings whom to praise.
Foreign Minister Sharett, at .
a closed meeting of Mapai
leaders, rejected 'a proposal
.that Israel break off relations
with the Soviet satellite coun-
tries. He pointed out that Is-
rael is greatly interested in re-
taining the "small ties and re-
lations that still exist with the
East European countries." The
meeting decided to institute a
Mapai-sponsored c amp al gn
against "praying and working
for foreign gods."
In an editorial taken in many
quarters to forecast an eventual
shift in the 'political orientation
of the left-wing Mapam party,
its newspaper, Al Hamishmar,
sharply replied to the Prague
Communist daily, Rude Pravo,
for its attacks on the Zionist
movement, which the Commu-
nist organ described as a prime
enemy of the working class.
A split is imminent in the
left-wing socialist Mapam party
over the Prague trial, the He-
brew press reported. The split
seems to be developing between
the Hashomer Hatzair faction of
the party, which supports Dr.
Moshe Sneh, radical leader who
insists upon following the Corn-
inform line, and the L'Achduth
Avodah faction, which demands
that the party repudiate charges
at the trial against Zionism and
Mordecai Oren, Mapam leader,
under arrest in Prague who
"confessed" to working against
the Czechoslovak government.
24
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 5, 1952
—
To be Continued Next Week