Purely Commentary

By PHILIP .SLOMOVitZ

Three Personalities—Strong Non-Jewish Zionist Friends-

2--THE JEWISH NEWS

. Friday, December 26, 1952

Leon Gellman to Speak
At Local Reception

The international ,leader of
Dr. Lewis B. Namier, professor of. modern history at Man-
chester University, one-time political secretary of the. .JeWish the _ Mizrachi movement, Leon
Agency, holds the distinction of having written some of the. Most Gellman, will be , a guest in De-
troit on Jan. 2
brilliant expositions of Zionism. In the movement's darkest days,
and 3. The reli-
he was an able defender of a great cause. .
gious leade r,
• In his "Avenues of History" .he emerges- as a brilliant inter-
who makes . his
_preter of historical issues. This splendidbook, published . by Mac-
headquartets - in
millan (60 5th Ave., NY11), • outlines his
tory's functions a n d
e-r u s alerri; is
sketches several important incidents in European affairs..
here on • a spe-
Typical of the entire book is . this refutation of the •CorninOn ,
cial mission.
claim that history repeats itself: •
While in De-
"'Does .history repeat itself?' No two events or chains 'of .
troit,- the re-
events are identical, any more than two individuals .er..theit-
nowned Zionist
lives. Yet the lives of all men can be summed up, as in: :Anatole
and• Miziachist
France's story, in • eight words: They were born, they s4ffered,.:
will address a.
and they,died.' The elimination of individual varians,-;Wh:iCh
reception met-
tend to cancel out-each other where large numbers are.involved,'..
Gellnian, ing, held in his
is likely to disclose certain basic regularities. There may bedyCles honor, and sCheduled for B _p.m.,
in history and a rhythm: but if there are, the • range-ot.oiir7
3, in 'Young Israel _ dent?r.
experience and knOwledle is insufficient to establish them; andr - Following his visit
here, Gell-
if there are not, the turn of our minds will •still incline us to man will continue his mission
assume their.. existence .and to invent them. `Is there a thing
to South America. He will speak
whereof Men say. See, this is new? It hath been already, in the
on the latest happenings in the
ages which were before us'."
Jewish state.
Prof. .Namier's cOmPlete • work is a - captivating collection of
Local spokesmen advise that
essays. It is enlightening- and stimulating, worthy of a great the meeting is open to the pub-
master.
lie. There will be no solicitation
This reviewer is especially interested in • one chapter, dealing of funds.
With "Three -Contemp
. oraries,"---three great Englishmen who play-
ed important roles in the advancement of Zionism. Jos (Joshua)
WedgwOod, Wyndham Deedes and Orde Wingate are selected fin' Women l7JA Leaders
encomia, for delineation .as outstanding. men of our time.
On Mission to Israel;
There is no reference to Jos Wedgwood's Zionism. • It is re-
grettable that. Prof: Namier does not . discuSs that aspect of the Mrs. Hopp in Group
great rebel's -Career. What he writes about him generally never-
Led by Mrs. Albert Pilavin of
Providence, R. I., who two weeks
ago was elected 1953 chairman
of the National Women's Divi-
sion of the United Jewish Ap-
peal, five" newly-framed women
officers of the UJA early in Jan-
uary will undertake a • special
mission to Israel to report on
the aims and objectives of the
Appeal's 15th annual nationwide
drive set by 1,200 representatives
of American Jewty at the recent
National Conference of the UJA.
In :addition to Mrs. Pilavin,
the group will include Mrs. S.
Alexander Brailove of Elizabeth
N. J., three-time chairman of
the UJA National Women's Di-
viSiOn; • Mrs. Hal Horne of New
York, 1953 , Chairman for Re- ,
gions, Mrs. John C. Hopp of De-
troit and Mrs. Henry Newman
ORDE WINGATE
JOSIAH •WEDGEWOOD
of Kansas - City, Mo., vice-chair-
theless may be applicable to the great efforts he exerted in'behalf man for 1953.
of the Zionist cause. States Namier about the remarkable Jos:

•

,

.

"He was sometimes inconsistent in argument, confused in
thought, inaccurate in his 'facts'—not a painstaking historian;
but a light burnt in him, a fire, more valuable than logic and
precision, and far more sacred than mere intellectual achieve,
inents:"
•
That's it! If we waited for logic there may never have arisen
an Israel. The fire that was Wedgwood's made possible the real-
ity of Jewish statehood.

Then there was Wyndham Deedes, the friendliest man who
held office in the British mandatory administration in PaleStine,
the man who resigned that office out of protest against injustices
to the Jewish position, the brilliant interpolator Who. propagated
the Zionist idea wherever he went. Of Deedes, the first Chief
Secretary in Palestine, who entered Jerusalem with Allenby and
began his service in the Holy Land under Sir -Herbert Samuel,
Dr. Namier writes: "He gained the confidence and respect of both
Jews and Arabs, and struggled hard against the anti-Jewish biaS
of many of his colleagues. He has remained a friend of Israel to
this day." And Israel can never forget Deedes.
The story of the third contemporary, Orde Wingate, is one
of the most remarkable on record. Here was a military man, a
devout Christian, a lover of _the Bible, who was willing to sacrifice
career for a cause:
"Zionism was the cause nearest his heart, The _thoughts and

prayers of his ancestors, the faith and teachings of his parents,•
religious traditions neglected by most of his OWaz...eneratiOn,. led
him to Zion; by spiritual adop
tion he became.on0,.:0:1M*4 4 7.1-
the fight for the Return and Redemption. He toas ,amis0onary,
no less than a soldier, and there had to be moral • content iri
what he fought for He wanted to command men i*Pite4 •
the same spirit and found them among a tortured nation;
void of the easy joyful graces of life, but which after thousands-
of years still followed the Pillar of Fire."

The story of Wingate's formation of the "Special Night
Squads" of Jews to conduct guerrilla warfare against Arab- bands
who sought to destroy the Jews and their settlement's is the: tale
of missionary zeal. He was, indeed, a soldier fired by imagination
and motivated by justice. The British punished Jews . who re-
sorted to self-defense, Wingate was recalled from his Palestine
post but kept sending messages of cheer to the Jews, and it was
not until after hiS death as a hero in Butina that a Jewish Force
was formed by the British in the Syrian campaign in World
War II. "It was said of him that before the end of the war he
would either have to face a court martial or be a field-marshal,"
but, "it was never given to him to command that Jewish Army of
which he had laid the foundations."
Yet, his name lives in Israel. It lives in the hearts of the
Israelis who will ever remember the courage he gave them, the
efficiency he introduced in self-defense, the spirit he gave to guer-
rilla warfarethe only kind that could be conducted by a handful
of people against seven hostile nations. His name will live also in
the Wingate Village to be opened. next March on Mount Carmel.
A son, his widow and his mother—all devoted to Israel—are part-
ners in the great venture.
Blessed the generation that can claim three such great con-
teniporaries!

Federation Women Plan
Final Blue Book Seminar

Lipsky Acclaims Weizmann 'Great'
For Ability to Rise Above Parties

Dr. Chaim Weizmann was one
of the very great men of our
time because he possessed the
ability to rise above parties,
Louis Lipsky, chairman of the
American Zionist Council, one of
American Jewry's outstanding
leaders, declared in the principal
address at the Weizmann mem-
orial meeting at the Adas Sha-
lom synagogue Sunday night.
The meeting was arranged under
the joint auspices of the Zionist
and Jewish Community Coun-
cils, with the cooperation of a
score of other local organiza-
tions.
Other participants in the pro-

gram were Lawrence Crohn,•who
presided, and Sidney Shevitz,
presidents of the sponsoring
Councils; Mrs, Sidney Winer,
.Rabbi Jacob Segal and Cantor
Nicholas Fenakel, who chanted
the Haskarah.
Mr. Lipsky told of Dr. Weiz-,
mann's first appearances at
Zionist Congresses and his em-
ergence as a leader during
World War I. He told how the
deceased first President of Israel
was able to inspire the Jewish
world and to enroll support for
the ZioniSt cause in councils of
states, by his sagacity and hum-
ility.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

March of Time

. The end of this year concludes the glorious chapter of Jewish
immigration to, the United States, which accounts for the fact
that there are today about 5,000,000 Jews in this country. . . Be-
ginning with this week, as a result of the new immigration law
effective Dec. 24, Jewish immigration into the U. S. will prac-
tically come to an end . . . Homeless Jews from Poland, Romania,
Hungary, the Baltic countries and other states which have a small
immigration quota, will remain where they are since their quotas
are heavily mortgaged . . . It is from these quotas that visas
will not be deducted for natives of these countries who were
among the 300,000 DPs admitted during the last three years to
the United States . . In some instances it would take 50 years
before a native from a Europeancountry with a small immigra-
tion quota would be able to get an American visa . . . The Yugo-
slav quota, for instance, is mortgaged for 61 years . . . The gates
of the United States will, under the new immigration regulations,
remain open chiefly for the Germans, Irish and English . • . But,
while former Nazis will find it very easy to enter the United
StateS, Jews will have practically no chance of getting an immi-
gration visa because they are primarily natives of countries with
mortgaged quotas . . . This puts an end to the fondest hope of
about 15,0'00 Jewish DPs who are still in Germany, Austria and
Italy—that they be resettled in the :United States . . . This also
increases the JDC's responsibilities towards these people, most of
whom have been rejected for immigration by one or more coun-
tries ... A. realistic appraisal of the situation brings JDC leaders
face to face with the conviction that for - many of these people the
only possible solution is adjustment and integration into Com-
munities where they now live.
*

Washington Views

..-

1

-

The American Government hasiiiiblished an interesting re-
port on Israel, primarily devoted to the profound population trans-
formation which has taken place in the four-year-old Jewish
State answers a number of other questions concerning Israel.
... It is written in a spirit of friendly understanding for "the
youngest nation in the Near East," as the repOrt terms Israel, em-
phasizing that the people of Israel are unique as a group . • What
are their characteristics and capabilities? . . . How have they
come to be what they are? . . . What are their prospects for fur-
ther growth? . . What are their . Major problems? . . Some
answers to these questions can be found in the evaluations con-
tained in the report ... It seems that American experts believe
that the present economic situation of Israel may grow even worse
before it improves . . . They also do not regard' the current full
employment situation in Israel as evidence that the immigrants
have been successfully absorbed into the economy of the country..
. a • They point out that full employment in building and public
works programs affords earning power to immigrants, but pro-
vides no exportable commodities nor goods for hOme consumption
... They admit that stable employment has increased in many
branches of Israel's economy and is likely: to be retained . . . But
they come to the conclusion . that, in general, many recent immi-
grants have yet to find stable employment, even though they are
making a living now . . . Their argument is that some of the ex-
pansion in employment in public services represents the growth
of the military services . . . Also, that a portion of the employ-
ment in building, and public works, occasioned by the immigra-
tion boom, may not persist indefinitely a The report deals at
great length with the differences between- the Oriental Jew and
the Israeli of European origin . . . It points out that the Oriental
Jews in. Israel resent the superior attitude of the EUropean Jews.

The final . program in the blue
book seminar series, sponsored
by, the Women's Division of the
Jewish Welfare. Federation, will
be presented at 10:45 a. in., Jan.
15, in the Butzel Memorial Bldg.,
163 Madison at John R.
The topic will be "Israel—the
Economic Side, and. will be fol-
lowed by a question period.
Issues to be, clarified include:
what are- the specific uses in
/stael of funds , raised by, UJA,
bonds, ORT, Hadassah, National
Council of Jewish _Women, Miz-
rachi, Pioneer Women, Zionist
"Council, Histadrut, Jewish Na-
tional Fund? "How do Mutual
Security Act, reparations issue,
Middle East Command :Affect
the Jewish state? Are funds
channeled into priOrity •needs?
Mrs. J.
Horwitz: and
Mrs. Charles ,Lakoff are -Chair-
men of the -seminar.
Israel's Prospects
Thee most interesting part of the U. S.. Government report on
Israel, Syria Agree
Israel is the section dealing with immigration . prospects for the
Jewish state . . . The report points out that . at the present time
To Refurn Lost Vessels
immigration is small and that there is little hope of realizing a
population of 2,000,000 by the end of 1953 . . . In the opinion of
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Two Syrian American experts, the migratory component! of the Israel popu-
sailing vessels captured in Is- lation has, for the moment, become secondary to the natural in-
raeli territorial waters into crease component . . . They reveal that in the first quarter of this
which they drifted recently d,ur- year, the increase from births slightly exceeded the net gain from
ing a spell of bad weather will foreign immigration . . . They are pessimistic about the prospects
shortly be returned to the Syrian of further mass migration to Israel and they believe that Israel
authorities.
has entered a new phase in its Immigration history . . . They are
Israeli and Syria have con- also of the opinion that the causes underlying this change may
cluded an agreement providing continue to depress the volume of migration to Israel for some
for the return of each other's time ... It is their view that whether or not the trend of Jewish
vessels which have violated ter- immigration rises again, the capacity of the Israel population to
ritorial waters as a result of reproduce itself will ultimately become 'the main factor in popu-
storms or engine trouble.
lation change ... And they establish that the rate of natural fer-
Israeli authorities announce tility increase of the Jewish population hi. Israel is one of the
completion of a pipeline to a highest to be found anywhere in the world . . . It is appreciably
major Bedouin encampment in higher than the rates of natural increase in most major, western
the Negev north of Beersheba. countries, and also markedly higher than in most Asiatic and
This development is expected to African countries, where birth rates• are • generally •high, but huge
provide the I s r ase 1 i Bedouin death rates sloW down population growth Israel's. JewiSh birth
tribes with enough water and rate in 1951 was 32.7 per thousand; while its_ death rate—the 'low-
pasturage to meet thier needs est of any country in the world_ for which data is collected—stood
and help them settle down as* at 6.4 per thousand . . Both the high • birth -rate and the low
permanent residents of the area. death rate are influenced• by the relative youth of the population.

I

4

