Purely Commentary
By PH ILIP SLOMOVITZ
The Eternal Struggle Against Hellenism
Hanukah is the Feast of the Maccabees commemorating the
triumph of the Hebraic spirit over Hellenism and idolatry. It was
a victory for religious liberty. Without it Judaism and Hebraism
would have perished and the resultant factor would nave meant
the erasing, through elimination of the Jewish spirit and the
Prophets, of the possibility of the emergence of Christianity. But
the struggle with Hellenism was not limited to the pre-Christian
era. It recurs in our time. It is a problem that rises anew every
time tyranny seeks to gain control over mankind. It becomes evi-
dent whenever reactionary ideas sprout forth in our midst. There
are Hellenistic evidences in our own ranks as well as among our
neighbors. They continue to call for revival of Maccabean valor in
all ages.
The horror that has been imposed upon Eastern and Central
Europe through instigations from Moscow is typical of the tyran,
nical thinking that sought domination for Greek idol-worshippers
over Jewish monotheists 2,000 years ago. The Communists are
posing in varied roles, but in reality they are in no sense differ-
ent from the bigots and tyrants of by-gone ages. They seek to
destroy free thinking, freedom of speech, the right of men to
utter their thoughts in public. They are motivated by the same
despotism which caused the Czars of Russia to resort to pogroms
in order to blind the minds and the eyes of the populace living
under their heels to the realities of oppression and suppression.
By creating scapegoats, the Communists of today, like their pre-
cursors under the Czars, seek to blot out the truth about their
own misrule.
Thus, there is need to keep alive the Maccabean spirit, in or-
der that the tyrants may not rise up to dominate over the entire
world. Prague's terrorists have cast gloom over our current Hanu-
kah celebration. But they also have provided us with food for
thought: they remind us that the Maccabees were not totally
triumphant for all ages and that there remains the need for
vigilance, for understanding. for remaining on guard lest we lose
the right to speak, to think, to worship.
*
*
'The Harbinger of a New Barbarism'
The New York Times, discussing editorially the "Purge in
Prague," comments that it is the "harbinger of a new barbarism."
It is an understatement, and the barbarism is not new. It existed
under the Czars. It continued under Hitler. The Commies are re-
enforcing it to blind the populace in their slavery. But to a gen-
eration that knows not the barbarians, it is a new warning to
prepare for an endless battle for justice. It'll be a tough battle,
and we pray that it should not break out into a new war. If it
does, the Jews will be blamed again with responsibility for it.
It will be said by the bigots: Aren't we fighting to defend the
Jews who were purged by Prague?" The irony of it is: the Jews
who were purged were not Zionists but anti-Zionists; they were
not Jews but Jewish anti-Semites.
Winston Churchill Bites His Tongue
Emanuel Shinwell, who was the Defense Minister in the
former British Labor Cabinet, and Winston Churchill are involved
in a dispute which is causing the present Prime Minister an un-
told amount of embarrassment.
According to Raymond Daniell's cable from London to the
New York Times, under date of Dec. 3, "an exasperated and
tired House of Commons that had been up half
the night went into a series of verbal explosions
after Prime Minister Churchill had impugned
the patriotism of Emanuel Shinwell • . . in terms
that unintentionally smacked of East European
totalitarian phraseology." Mr. Daniell's cable
stated:
"The Prime Minister refused to apologize to
Mr. Shinwell because, he said, his implication of
a lack of patriotism might have been even more
unparliamentary than the original charge, and
he used the words, 'cosmopolitanism' and Inter-
nationalism' in reference to Mr. Shinwell. Im-
Shinwell
mediateTy thereafter he looked as if he could
have bitten off his tongue.
"These are words that Hitler used. They are the terms of
opprobrium now being used by prosecutors in the Communist
satellite countries against so-called enemies of the state. There,
they generally mean that the target of the attack is a Jew and
Mr. Shinwell is a Jew.
"For that reason, Mr. Churchill's verbal onslaught against an
adversary on the other side of the House took on. implications
that the Prime Minister obviously never intended. He spoke in the
heat of debate.
"Nevertheless, the opposition took the matter very seriously.
Coupled with Mr. Churchill's implication that Mr. Shinwell put
Britain's interests second to his political ideology was the idea,
which Mr. Churchill put into words later, that Mr. Shinwell owed
a loyalty to an idea beyond this country's frontiers."
We quote the Daniell report in its totality in order that the
dispute, which arose "in the heat of debate," should be understood.
Had Churchill known the famous saying by Benjamin Franklin—
-
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right
place, but, far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong
thing at the tempting moment,"
he might not have uttered an impugning remark that calls for
tongue-biting. But anything is possible "in the heat of debate,"—
even with the man who avows high regard for Jewry.
The disturbing factor is the ease with which men in public life
are so free with derogatory statements about Jews. The late•
Wendell Willkie once was responsible for a slur he did not mean.
President Truman once used rebuking terms about Jews. On the
tongues of sincere and good men, such remarks can be scraped
off. But when they reach the palates of men with tongues in
cheek and bigots with poisoned minds, we are not only placed on
the defensive, but have cause to be 'a bit worried. After all, the
average man-on-the-street does not analyze: he just swallows
slurs.
Henry Meyers — Unselfish Public Servant
Henry Meyers belonged to that group of community leaders
who set a pattern for unselfish devotion to duty.
He was inspired by family traditions, by a love for Jewish
art and literature, by a desire to elevate the standards of our
community.
He was a Peer in our generation. We recall with gratitude
our association with him and these brief words of tribute are
designed to express appreciation for the gift s he has left our com-
munity as a heritage and a guide for good leadership.
2
—
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 12, 1952
Tobias Elected W.M.
Of Perfection Lodge
Julian S. Tobias has been
elected worshipful master of
Perfection Lodge No. 486, F. &
A. M.. for 1953.
Also elected are
Jack Jackman,
senior warden;
Stanley M.
Yates, junior
,warden; Samuel
B. Danto, treas-
urer; David Col-
man, secretary;
Samuel M. Bez,
senior deacon;
,,,Abraham B.
;)Miller, junior
J. S. Tobias deacon.
Appointed officers for 1953 in-
clude Samuel Dreyman, William
Feldman, Leonard Fink, Eman-
uel J. Green, Jack Holzman,
Gordon Kozda, Arthur M. Stern,
and Arthur R. Wendell, stew-
ards; Max Edwards, chaplain;
Sol Adler, marshall; Emil Dom-
brower, tiler; and E. Mark Wis-
dom, organist.
Installation ceremonies will
be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednes-
day at the Masonic Temple, fol-
lowed by a reception and ball
at 9 p. m. in the Fountain Ball-
room. Ceremonies will be con-
ducted by Arthur I. Gould, as-
sisted by other past masters of
the lodge.
OS'
Jewish Weekly Publisher
On Korean GI Board
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Ap-
pointment of Dr. Alexander
Brin, Boston
educator a n d
publisher, as
chairman of the
National Board
of Review on
the GI Bill of
Rights for Ko-
rean veterans,
was announced
here by Dr._ Earl
J. McGrath, U.S.
C o m m i ssioner
of Education. Dr. Brin
Dr. Brin, publisher of the
Jewish Advocate, is dean of the
Massachusetts State Board of
Education of which he was pres-
ident for two terms.
CIO Blasts Czech
`Mythical Conspiracy
ATLANTIC CITY, (JTA) — A
resolution condemning "Corn-
munist anti-Semitism" as re-
flected in the recent Prague
"purge" trial, was adopted at
the convention of the Congress
of In d u s t r i al Organizations,
(CIO).
The resolution accused the
Czech government of "invent-
ing" a mythical international
Jewish conspiracy in an attempt
to divert the attention of the
Czech people from the oppres-
sive conditions in the satellite
countries. The CIO urged the
American government to "bring
the Soviet dictators before the
bar of world opinion through the
United Nations and other ap-
propriate international bodies,
to obtain the verdict of the civi-
lized world upon this latest of-
fense against mankind."
In New York, the Internation-
al Confederation of Free Trade
Unions adopted a resolution
stating that the "fantastic and
fraudulent accusations" at the
Prague trial of a "Jewish plot"
were "only the logical expres-
sion of the policy of anti-Semi-
tism and genocide pursued so
ruthlessly by the powers behind
the Iron Curtain." The resolu-
tion which blamed the Kremlin
for wrecking Czechoslovakia's
economy was in t r o d u c e d by
George Meany, new president of
the American Federation of
Labor.
. Israeli Artist's Exhibit
NEW YORK, (JTA)—An exhi-
bition of paintings by Moshe
Castel, one of Israel's outstand-
ing artists, has opened at Ste-
phen Wise Congress House,
headquarters of the American
Jewish Congress.
Successful Job-Placement Campaign
By IFS Saves Community Relief Funds
Substantial savings to the Jew-
ish community in relief costs are
one immediate result of a to-
date highly successful job cam-
paign being conducted by the
Jewish Vocational Service, Er-
win Simon, JVS president, has
announced.
Initiated with the aim of find-
ing a job for every employable
new American receiving relief
from Resettlement Service, the
drive is rapidly approaching
100% success. It is estimated
that relief savings resulting from
these placements recently reach-
ed the rate of $7,500 per month.
Cooperating in the drive, with
the JVS, were Resettlement,
Service, the Jewish community's
agency for assistance to new-
comers, North End Clinic, and
JVS's many friendly employer
clients, Albert Cohen, JVS exe-
cutive director, said. Herman
Murov is counselor in charge of
the program on the JVS staff,
assisted by Anna Rose Hersh,
placement director.
More than 60 relief clients—
supported by contributions to
the Allied Jewish Campaign —
have been placed since January,
1952, as a direct result of this
special JVS program.
Helping new Americans obtain
useful employment and attain
self-sufficiency is a major re-
sponsibility of JVS, like its co-
operating agencies, a member of
the Jewish Welfare Federation.
Teamwork among the Federa-
tion agencies involved in work-
ing with the newcomer is an es-
sential part of his adjustment.
Resettlement Service, which first
welcomes the newcomer, helps
him deal with the family prob-
lems of daily living in Detroit.
North End Clinic gives him a
thorough medical examination
and provides him with necessary
medical and dental care and
physical rehabilitation ;
t h e
Twelfth Street Council Center,
branch of the Jewish Commun-
ity Center, instructs him in Eng-
lish and offers opportunities to
develop a social life.
The Jewish Vocational Service
begins its job by making a care-
ful vocational appraisal of each
individual based on his abilities
and interests and previous ex-
perience, and taking into ac-
count his physical capacities and
the limitations of the labor
m a r k e t. The job development
campaigns, including telephone
calls, letters and field visits di-
rected at employers, are under-
taken to locate the right job for
the right client.
The Jewish Vocational Service,
located in the Fred M. Butzel
Memorial Building, 163 Madison
at John R, is supported by the
Allied Jewish Campaign. The
agency charges no fees.
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
Inc.)
The American Scene:
During the Presidential election campaign the American Jew
Committee alerted its correspondents in about 300 cities to
report on any expressions of bigotry by candidates or party work-
ers in the course of their speeches . . . The National Council of
Churches of Christ in America similarly alerted correspondents in
about 5,000-communities on the same subject ... It will be gratify-
ing to American Jews to learn that no reports whatever came in
to either organization of anti-Jewish agitation by anyone con-
nected with the major parties . . . Objectionable literature was
distributed by the Constitution Party and the Christian Nation-
alist Party,' but aroused no concern in any locality . These
parties, even when they bought radio • time, were not permitted
to say anything anti-Semitic on the air .. . The general reports
received by the American Jewish Committee and the National
Council all emphasized that the climate of opinion throughout
the country during the election camp_aign was one of pronounced
opposition to bigotry ... President Truman's injection of the issue
of bigotry into the campaign by accusing Gen. Eisenhower of sup-
porting the "master race" theory turned out to be a political
liability, the AJC survey established.
The Zionist Scene:
Inter-party negotiations have started now among the Zionist
groups in this country on the Jerusalem agreement' to expand the
functions of the American Zionist Council . . . The major issue is
the structure of the expanded Council . . . Since the Council will
take over part of the activities of the American section of the
Jewish Agency, it will become a really powerful Zionist body in
America ... Hence, the competition among Zionist groups for the
presidency of the Council is getting stronger from day to day .
Not that anyone objects to Louis Lipsky's present leadership of the
Council, but it is merely the striving for power that drives others,
too, to seek the post which Mr. Lipsky now holds . .. Even in the
ranks of the Z 0 A—of which Mr. Lipsky is a leading member—
there are top leaders with ambitions to become president of an
expanded American Zionist Council . . . Not to speak of leaders of
other Zionist groups . . . Major differences are also developing
now among the Zionist parties over convening an American Zion-
ist Assembly with delegates from all Zionist groups in the coun-
try . . . The Z 0 A opposes such an Assembly, fearing that out of
this Assembly may emerge a Zionist federation as an over - all
body of the entire American Zionist movement .
The Zionist
Laborites, on the other hand, advocate the calling of such an
Assembly . . . They also insist that the election of delegates to
the Assembly should take place on the basis of the sale of a
special American Shekel . . Each holder of this Shekel, they
urge, should have the right to vote for delegates for the Assembly
in the same fashion as voting for delegates to the World Zionist
Congress . . . This issue will probably cause the hottest debates of
the year in the American Zionist movement.
The Political Scene:
Arab diplomats in the United States closely watch the Yiddish
and the English-Jewish press for any material that can be quoted
to the detriment of Israel . . . A number of Jew _ ish
publications have already been cited by Arab delegates at
the current United Nations sessions . . . A Syrian press mission is
spending four weeks in the United States as guest of the State.
Department . And Emil el-Ghory, of the Arab Higher Commit-
tee of Palestine, which is dominated by the ex-Mufti of Jeru-
salem, is coming to tour the United States and stir up more pro
Arab propaganda in this country • . . Egypt is also seeking to
spread its influence in the United States ... The only Arab League
country which does not seem eager to promote anti-Israel senti-
ment in America is Lebanon . . . It is--no secret that Lebanon was
actually forced to join the anti-Israel boycott . . . It is the only
Arab League nation to let Israel ships pass through its waters . .
If not for her fear of Arab countries, Lebanon would trade openly
with Israel ... Incidentally, Lebanon is considered the most civil-
ized among the Arab states . . . Illiteracy there is very low as
compared with the other Arab countries . . . There are no less
than 35 daily newspapers published in Beirut, capital of Lebanon,
which has a population of 350,000 . . And speakinc
speaking , of Arab
countries, it is interesting to note that the Syrian
of
Economics has published a population figure showing that there
are still 31,157 Jews residing in that country.