Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
? —
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, February 13, 1953
The N. Tamid Award:
Symbol of a Good Scout
The Cry of the '30s: Jews ARE News
In the days of Hitler, when the Jews were on the front pages,
there was consternation in our ranks. Many of our.. people were
disturbed over the excess of publicity given our people.
The tragedy at that time was that the news was so pressing,
and the tragedy was so great, that Jews found themselves men-
tioned on the front pages interminably.
When protests were launched against the excessive emphasis
of Jewish news, prominent British publicists declared, "But, Jews
ARE News."
We are back again in the same position. Once again, Jews
ARE News. Once again, tragedy is catapulting us onto the front
pages.
Unfortunately, once again, the emphasis on the Jewish po-
sition in the world is created by fantastic and outrageous myths.
In the 1930s, the wave of horror was engineered by the Nazis. Now,
it is Communist-made.
But the tactics are the same. The roles played by the two
sets of demons are alike.
Yet, the fronters for Communism, the parlor radicals, are
Rabbi MORRIS ADLER pre-
dragging red herrings across humanity's road by trying to dif- sents the Ner Tamid Award to
ferentiate between "Jews" and "Zionists." They are not fooling Scout MICKEY SIMON of
any one, as the evidence on hand shows.
Troop 104, as part of the ob-
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servance of National Scout
Jewish Names: Tricks of Anti-Semitic Came
Week. The award is given to
The old trick, in order to foment hatred, is to, associate Jew- Jewish scouts who fulfill the 12th
ish names with crimes, Communism, subversive activities. Some. Scout law — "A. Scout is rever-
anti-New Dealers used the trick to associate Franklin D. Roose- ent." Troop 104 is sponsored by
velt and Harry S. Truman With Jews.
the Men's Club of Cong. Shaarey
We wonder whether this process of persecution and convic- Zedek.
tion by association is not setting the anti-Semites in our midst
to shame now that the Soviet agents are resorting to this means
Community Groups
of maligning and purging Jews,
It is impossible to get the desired evidence against the Com- Join in Allied Drive
munists, whose records are unavailable, who publish only what
they would like the western world to see and read. But enough
Many community organiza-
data is available to expose the Stalinists.
Thus, we. learn, from a special dispatch to the New York tions are answering the call to
Times by its Moscow correspondent, Harrison E. Salisbury, under supply volunteer workers for the
date of Jan. 24, that the Communist newspaper Komosomolskaya 1953 Allied Jewish Campaign,
Pravda discovered a blind Fagin in their midst—and they made among them the Women's Auxi-
sure it is a Cohen. Salisbury reports that the Jew under accusa- liary of the Jewish Home for
tion is one Alexander Lazarevitch Cohen, who maintained he was Aged, Bnai Brith and the Jewish
blinded in World War II and received 21,000 rubles in state grants. War Veterans.
Last year the Home for Aged
Now the Soviet charges his blindness had no connection with the
war and that he had gotten his pension only because of the care- Auxiliary covered 300 prospect
lessness and slackness of officials who failed to investigate the slips, with members raising 79
case. Cohen is charged with having used a boy from a children's percent more than in 1951. In
institution to work "jointly" with him in the "field of supply." this year's drive, the women will
Are we too "sensitive?", to acknowledge another charge against be led by Mrs. Benjamin Arkin.
us-by the indifference to Jewry's plight; then read the N.Y. Times
Under the guidance of co-
chairmen Samuel Green berg
headline:
and Nathan Sossin, Bnai Brith
"PAPER UNCOVERS A MOSCOW TAGIN':
Lodges will hold an all - d a y
"Blind Man Named Cohen Said to Have
drive on March 1 to cover slips
Forced Boy From a Home to Do His Bidding."
assigned to their members. Harry
If the skeptical still disbelieve that Russians acting under Nathan, vice-chairman of the
orders from the Kremlin are capable of associating Jews with organizations section of the
"crimes" by the use of Jewish-sounding names, we refer them Metropolitan Division will work
to Freda Kirchwey's article in The Nation, "Why the Jews?" Miss with the groups, which will pro-
Kirchwey quotes this sentence, from the Ukrainian Pravda of vide 150 workers.
Kiev: "The profound hatred of the people is aroused by all these
Commander Bernard Hoffman
Kahns and Yaroshetzkys, Greensteins, Kaplans, and Polyakovs."
How does this sound? Isn't it a page out of the book of Hit- of the JWV and. Nathan a r e
working together on JWV's part
ler, the hate-sheets of G. L. K. Smith and their cohorts?
And so the hate front widens, the campaign of the bigots in the 1953 fund-raising efforts
spreads, the field of justice narrows to the few democratic coun- to aid local, national and over-
tries where we must be -on guard against the frightful spread seas causes. The veterans have
already taken assignments, and
of indecency and terrorism:
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are waiting only for the official
launching of the drive.
The Communist Defenders: "Isms" and Humanities
Russia's defenders are playing a rather unsavory- role, es-
pecially if they are Americans. Here is a typical example of ir- Rosh Hodesh Shvat's
responsibility which foments misunderstanding:
The New Leader had asked those who joined in appeals for UHS Ceremony Sunday
clemency for the Rosenbergs to assert themselves in the Com-
The Rosh Hodesh Shvat cere-
munist anti-Semitic issue. Dr. Albert Einstein and Harold Urey,
Waldo Frank and several clergymen spoke firmly in denuncia- mony of the United Hebrew
tion of the new purge. The artist Rockwell Kent set an example School's High School and Mid-
for the fellow travelers by denouncing bigotry but by adding to rasha will take place Sunday,
his statement this gratuitous line: "Zionism, like Fascism, is a at 11 a.m. in the auditorium of
the Rose Sittig Cohen
political movement."
Whereupon, liberals who refuse to be led into the Soviet trap - Participants will be Martin
must wonder: how far will the defenders of Soviet Russia go? Guyer, Stanley Nesselson, Jon-
When does a movement that has for its purpose the rescue of ney Seligman, Lorraine Yolles
persecuted people cease to be political? Why didn't Mr. Kent take and Ora Kutnick. The guest
into consideration the attack by the Communists upon the Joint . speaker will be Mrs. Jacob Sauls,
Distribution Committee, whose non-political status is unquestion- who will talk on "Jewish Music
able and whose aims include the rescue of. Jews and their settle- Throughout the Ages" and will
ment in Israel?
also render a number of solos
It is quite clear that the pro-Communists need another lesson to illustrate songs and prayers.
in the true meaning of ideologies that are unrelated to them.
High School and Midrasha
Even haters of nationlism—and Zionism is a nationalist move- students are asked to invite
ment--have recognized the validity and the merits of a rescue their parents to this affair.
movement, even when it is nationalistically tinged. In his im-
pressive new book, "My Dear Timothy—An Autobiographical Let-
ter to His Grandson," by Victor Gollancz (Simon and Schuster), ORT to. Get $1,100,000
the noted British publicist, in his evaluation of his Socialist think- From JDC During '53
ing, makes comments on nationlism. He calls it an evil. But there
are these reservations:
The Joint Distribution Com-
"With the world as it is, certain instances of nationalism mittee will provide a minimum
are no doubt necessary evils. Where a group, recognizable as a of $1,100,000 during the coming
group, has been oppressed or ill-treated, or thinks it has been year for the work of ORT (Or-
oppressed or ill-treated, by some other or more powerful group, ganization for Rehabilitation
usually in the name of the latter's national pride or egoism or through Training) under a new
glory, nationalism may be the only way out of an intolerable agreement.
situation, and a necessary prelude to international harmony. • JDC has agreed to provide
Irish (and perhaps Jewish) nationalism has been of this type." financial assistance for ORT
The Kents have no reservations. They are blind to the Com- schools in Israel, while contin-
munist betrayals of their own principles which should recognize uing to aid ORT vocational
the right of an oppressed group to fight for its rights, to strive training centers in Europe and
as a group to regain its freedom, to seek amity for itself. How else Moslem areas. ORT currently
can we ever have amity in the world if the world is to remain a conducts 20 trade schools in the
house divided against itself? If the Kents are to have their way, Jewish state, with an annual en-
the oppressed minorities won't even have a chance to plead for rollment of 3,000 students.
Signing the agreement for the
their rights. There is no pleading with Stalinists.
The Communist defenders have rendered one important serv- two agencies were Dr. Aaron
ice in their defense of the new Soviet purge of the Jews: they have Syngalowski and Prof. William
left no doubt as to their position and they have made us aware Haber representing ORT, and
of the enemies whom we must guard against on the Communist Moses A. Leavitt„ JDC executive
a -t
front.
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I Bishop R. S. Emrich to Receive
Congress Women's Amity Award
The Rt. Rev. Richard S. Em-
rich, of the Episcopal Diocese
of Michigan, is the recipient of
the sixth annual Amity Award
given yearly by the Detroit
WomenS Division of the Ameri-
can Jewish Congress.
The award will be presented
at a luncheon at 12:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, at Holiday Manor,
by Mrs. G. Mennen Williams.
Guest speaker ;;?
at the event'
will be Dr. Ab-
raham Citron, ,.:
regional direc-
tor of the AJC.
Announcement
of the award
was made last
week by Mrs.
Charles P. Fein- Rev. Emrich
berg, president
lof the Women's Division and
Mrs. G. Lionel Willens, chair-
man of the group's commission
on community interrelations.
The decision to make the
presentation to Bishop Emrich
departs from the organization's
previous practice of citing the
newspaperman who has done
the most to further inter-com-
munity relations.
The judges felt that the Epis-
copal leader was the outstand-
ing local individual of the
year. Bishop Emrich is current-
ly president of the Council of
Churches, chairman of the Citi.
zens Committee on Group Ten.
sions, a board member of United
World Federalists and a leader
in interracial activities.
Comprising the committee of
judges were Felix B. Wold, pres-
ident of the Detroit Newspaper
Guild, Edward J. Wartman,
of the Michigan Chronicle, and
James T. Trainor, of The Detroit
Times. Boris Joffe, executive di-
rector of the Jewish Community
Council, acted in an advisory
capacity.'
A special citation also will be
awarded at this year's Amity
Award luncheon to The Detroit
Times for its adherence to a
policy of no "race labeling" . in
the sensational Joann Gillespie
murder case. The Times' city
editor James Trainor will accept
the citation.
Previous winners of the Amity
Award are: John J. Nadjuch,
Louis Tendler, H. C. L. Jackson,
W. K. Kelsey and Edgar A.
Guest.
Reservations for Wednesday's
luncheon are being taken by
Mrs. Bert • Ruby, WE.' 5-4268;
Abraham Rapoport, WE. 5-6812;
Mrs. Buck Goldman, UN. 2-0327f
and Mrs. Julius Stross,
1-4292.
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
Inc.)
Domestic Developments:
The Soviet campaign against Jews has brought an unexpected
rise in contribptions to the United Jewish Appeal . . . Moved by
the growing seriousness of the position of Jews in countries be-
hind the Iron Curtain, Jewish communities are now setting larger'
goals for the 1953 UJA drive than for last year . . . In Philadelphia
_a UJA parlor meeting addressed by Edward M. M. Warburg re .
suited in over $500,000 in pledges, which is a 15 percent increase
over the contributions of the same group last year . In Cleve-
land, a goal of $4,860,000 was -Set for this year's campaign as coin- .
pared with the $4,200,000 raised last year . . In Baltimore, a group_
of contributors to the UJA announced pledges which are 20 per-
cent greater than in 1952.... Pittsburgh was about to announce a
$2,130,000 goal but as a result of the anti-Jewish turn of events in
the countries behind the Iron Curtain, 'raised it to $2,500,000 .
In Miami, a group of contributors which last year gave $480,000,
pledged $580,000 for this year ... The UJA leadership is coming
to the great inaugural meeting of the 1953 campaign—which will
be held in Miami Beach Feb. 15—with the expectation that Jewish
communities all over the United States, aroused by the anti-Jew-
ish threat in the countries behind the Iron Curtain, will gear their
campaigns to meet every possible emergency.
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International Issues:
The strongly pro-German speech delivered at the annual
meeting of the American Jewish Committee . by John McCloy,
former U. S. High Commissioner for Germany, was considered
out of place by many, who attended the meeting ... Some did not
hesitate to criticize McCloy later, in expressing their reaction to
his speech after the dinner-meeting was over . . . The growth of
neo-Nazism in Germany cannot be overshadowed by, the fact that
there are liberal people there of the Adenauer type ... It is a well
known fact that even in the ranks of Adenauer's own Christian
Democratic Party, some are very strongly opposed to the idea that
Germany should pay reparations to Israel and the Jews .
Leaders of American Jewish groups had a private meeting
with the new U S. High Commissioner for Germany, Prof. jarues"
B. Conant . .. All indications point to the fact that the German
Parliament will ratify the reparations pact with Israel no matter
how hard the pro-Arab elements in Germany work against it
It was suspected by some that the Adenauer government might
manipulate to postpone submission of the pact to Parliament until
after the forthcoming Parliamentary elections . • . This could have
affected the ratification of the agreement but word received here
from Germany leaves no doubt that the Social Democrats and the
Adenauer Party will, even after the new elections, form a major-
ity in the Bonn Parliament and will be able to force implement*.
tion of the agreement.
Personal Profiles:
Jews in America will be proud of the film "Tonight We Sing.*
It is a tribute to an immigrant Jew who brought to the United
States the very best in music and ballet . . . It presents the life of
Sol Hurok, noted Jewish impressario, who came to the United
States from Czarist Russia as a young man and started his career
on New York's East Side . . It was he who later managed the
U. S. tours and concerts of such world-renowned celebrities as
Feodor Chaliapin, Anna Pavlova, Eugene Ysaye, Marion. Anderson
and dozens of others who made or are making history in the
world of art and music . . Himself a very modest person, Mr„
Hurok is interested in everything that is Jewish and lends a
helping hand in Jewish affairs . It was he who arranged the
U. S. tour of the Israel Symphony last year . . . He contributes to
the success of Jewish philanthropic causes by lending them the
artistic talent he manages ... In his honor the American Friends
for Israel Institutions recently gave an impressive dinner at the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York . . . The film, in technicolor,
sets forth his modesty, his ambition to spread the best in music
among people who cannot afford to pay high prices, and his de--
votion to art and music ... It is the kind of a film that one wax4s
to see several times because it is really a treat to the ear and to
the eye .. The singing and music are done by such great artiste
as Ezio Pinza, Isaac Stern and other artists of similar rank.. ..)
There are excellant scenes from famous operas' and ballets .
Tamara Toumanova portrays Anna Pavlova, keeping the audience
breathless.