Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Sholom AleichZm's Unfinished 'Mottel' Adventure
Sholom Aleichem, the great Yiddish writer, is commonly re-
ferred to as a humorist. He has been likened to Mark Twain who
said of himself that he was "the American Sholom Aleichem."
''' In reality—and in some respects
,-.1-/-::....7-:-:-:,:r,,,,.:;.,
like Mark Twath—he was a very
, ,-„,„.„ serious portrayer of human likes
,. ' 0,;'-: .-'-'-'
,
and failings. He was a great stu-
. .., / --N ,,_
Aset:e - -
dent of the nature of man and
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4-
--
--
, .,f.w
he knew how to describe it in a
—
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.,.•›
light vein. Even when he spoke
of tears he told it in the matter-
of-fact words that are under-
stood by all and therefore
emerge as the height of realism.
And the realism of life, when
portrayed in all its naturalness,
more often than not, carries
i with it an element of humor:
when told by a master. Sholom
Aleichem was the master deline-
ator of the life of Jews in the
Russian small towns. His realis-
tic descriptions, with all their
pathos, entertain rather than de-
press us because of their natur-
alness. Lord Byron had this de-
scription for it in "Don Juan":
SHOLOM ALEICHEM
"And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
f7r;s that I may not weep,"
Sholom Aleichem's genius becomes evident once again in the
latest of his works to appear in an English translation, his "Ad-
ventures of Mottel the Cantor's Son," published by Henry Schu-
man (20 E. 70th, NY21). It is the story of Mottel in Kasrilevke
and Mottel in America. It is a tale which the great writer began
nearly 50 years ago and continued it in this country—leaving it
unfinished. The final chapter as published in "Mottel" repre-
sents the last words of this genius. The story is unfinished: it
is an incomplete symphony, but it is thrilling and entertaining
enough to hold you glued to its pages, even to desire to read
again what has already been read.
7.—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 1'7, 1953
Mechanical Trades, Real Estate Men
Gear Programs for Drive Collection
Riley Defends DeRidclet
Against Israel Slurs
[ii Border Incidents
Direct .1TA Teletype Wire to
The Jewish News
JERUSALEM — Lt. Gen. Wil-
liam E. Riley, chief of the
United Nations truce supervision
machinery in Palestine, - indi-
cated disagreement with the Is-
raeli view that Gen. Bennet De
Ridder, Belgian officer heading
the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armis-
tice Commission has failed to
carry out his duties as chairman
of th'e Commission and should
be removed.
Commenting on an attack by
the government-controlled Kol
Israel Radio and by several He-
brew newspapers, Gen. Riley
said that the picture of Gen.
De Ridder in the Israeli press
was "erroneous and unfair."
Mechanical Trades Division members enthusiastic?lly gave
their support to the 1953 Allied Jewish Campaign at their Advance
Gifts Dinner held recently at the home of Division chairman,
Nathan R. Epstein. Shown at the affair (left to right) Epstein,
Sol Charnes, VValker Strauss, Joseph Prentis, Jack Geller, chair-
man of auto sales; Harry T. Madison, and Joseph Newman, co-
chairman of scrap iron.
The Israelis charged that
the Belgian officer had re-
fused to call an emergency
meeting of the Commission to
clear up a number of border
incidents.
*
t
Members of the Real Estate and Building Council are keeping
their 1953 Allied Jewiqi. Campaign efforts in high gear. David P.
Katz, co-chairman of the real estate and hotels section, David
Pollack, co-chairman of the Division; and Emanuel J. Harris,
chairman of real estate and hotels, are shown above (left to right)
The national income of Israel 1 reviewing the pledge slips already returned by the workers.
has more than tripled in the five
years that the state has existed,
Finance Minister Levi Eshkol
declared on a nationwide broad-
cast Tuesday.
Reviewing the economic and
fiscal growth of the country on
the occasion of the fifth anni-
versary of the establishment of
Israel, Eshkol reported that na-
tional income had increased
from 1g240,000,000 in 1948 to
1E800,000,000 this year. The na-
tional income, he said, for the
entire five-year period amounted
to nearly 1E2,000,000,000.
Total investments in the
'Israel Growing at a Fabulous Rate:
Reports Osnos After Trip to New State
Israel has grown at a swifter dustries in the Lod and Ramat
rate in the five years since the Gan areas.
All of these developments,
state was established than in the
*
*
*
30 years previous of Mandate . created and built in four years,
Mattel: 'Hurrah, 1 Am an Orphan!'
Rule, Max Osnos, business and are amazing, almost unbeliev-
community leader, said at the able, Osnos reported. With fur-
Mottel is a mischievous fellow. He gets into many scrapes.
conclusion of a "businessman's ther outpourings of dollars for
But upon the death of his father, Peissi tht Cantor, he finds
tour" organized by the Palestine Israel bonds, Osnos added, Is-
himself in a defensible position: who would harm an orphan?
rael's existence will be assured
Economic Corporation.
And when his brother Eli strikes him, his mother is ready with
Osnos, who first visited Israel continued success.
support: he is an orphan and must not be harmed. The first half
"The people of Israel know the
of the book therefore is appropriately sub-titled "Hurrah, I Am same period came to 1E690,- four years ago, said that he
way," Osnos concluded, "we must
found
"tremendous
changes"
00,00,
he
stressed,
and
last
an Orphan."
find for them the means to con-
year investments came to forty since that time.:,
Actually, it is not the story of Mottel himself but of his fami-
tinue on that way."
ly, his community, their struggles, their search for sustenance, percent of the national in- "The once-bar-
ren hills of Ju- -::;•:;:s
come.
their observances. It is also the story of wandering. With little
Raise
to look forward to in their old environment—and the reader must
Reviewing t h e agricultural duiea are dotted•rW, r -:'r0 ,-. junior Workers
.::
•
.
with
settle-i
understand that Sholom Aleichem writes about the Russia of situation he revealed that 3,700,-
$7.,000 in AK
the beginning of this century—the trek begins to America. The 000 dunams of land (900,0000 ments, Beershe-
All Out Day, April 12, saw
"stealing" across the border, the loss of the bedding, the tour of acres) are under cultivation, as ba is all under
more than 400 Allied Jewish
various "committees" in Cracow, in Vienna, in Antwerp, in. compared to '1,650,000 in 1949, cultivation and
Campaign Junior Division work-
London—are a satire on pUblic activities that were conducted, to while irrigated land now com- the cities have
ers ringing doorbells and collect-
swollen
to
al-
s
help Jews on their hard road from dark Russia to the bright light
prises 550,000 dunams, or more
ing some $7,000 in pledges from
most
-twice
their-
of New York. The naive folk, and their ways, thus emerge as than twice the 250,000 dunams
• ••
their prospects.
means of inspiring laughter, although their plight is not to be irrigated five years ago. He said original size," he
Area A, under the chairman-
Osnos
envied.
that 75,000 persons now earn said.
Pointing out that the number ship of Marjorie Cowan, polled
their income from farming, as of argicultural settlements had the greatest number and amount
against 47,000 five years ago.
'Try Not to Love Such a Country'
doubled in this four-year period, of pledges for a total of $1,960.
Then comes New York and the adjustment to a new land, a
Mr. Osnos also said that "in- A prominent factor in the suc-
new language, new mores. The disappearance of the beards, the Select Mrs. Stark
dustry has kept pace—every- cess of this group were the ef-
where one sees new factories forts of the two suburban teams
search for work "to make a living," the children's delights in the
new freedom are summed up in the sub-title "Try Not to Love As 1953 State Mother
„springing up, new industries be- headed by captains Dave Buege-
leisen and Bernard Cantor. Har-
Such a Country." In this sentence is summed up a great tribute
ing established."
While in Israel, Osnos visited riet Ruth Migdol's Section A-2,
Mrs. George Stark (Anne
to this land. The glory of America gets its tribute at the hands
of the master. Sholom Aleichem satirizes the unions ("Yoonehs," Campbell, Detroit News poetess) food processing, plastics, rubber covering Metropolitan slips, ran
as the "greenhorns" pronounced it), the movie-goers, the chewing has been chosen Michigan tire, paper-making, fertilizer and the suburban group a close sec-
Mother of 1953. She will repre- other factories financed by PEC. ond.
of gum.
Enthusiasm ran high through-
He also had glowing reports on
In Eli's attempt to smack his brother Mottel, there is a les- sent the state in national com-
out the day as workers con-
son in American sportsmanship. He was stopped, and was told petition for the title of Ameri- the spectacular improvements tinued
to pour into Junior Di-
"which have been brought about
that in this country one should try to educate a person to be- can Mother of 1953.
temporary headquarters
come a man: "The people around us Mottel relates in his ac-
T h e nominating committee by investments in the Israel vision
at the Davison branch of the
count of the incident) said that's how you do it in America. Broth- which selected Mrs. Stark was Bond Issue." Osnos, visiting the Center. In several instances, re
er or no brother, it's not allowed to hit somebody smaller than headed by Mrs. Samuel B. Dan- length and breadth of the Jewish ported Avern Cohn, Junior Di-
to, president of the League of state, saw the new S'dom Road vision chairman, workers com-
yourself."
which links Beersheba with the
"Columbus, who can compare with you!" is another comment, Jewish Women's Organizations. Negev and valuable mineral de- pleted their first assignment and
by • Pinney the nearsighted lover of books and writer of poems. Honorable mention in the state posits; a rail line joining Haifa voluntarily went out to cover
This same Pinney, the defender of Columbus, Lincoln, Washing- contest was given to Mrs. Robert and Tel Aviv; the string of in- additional kits.
ton and Jefferson, is the chap who yearns for speedy American- Coggan, a leader in the com-
ization. He does not give orders to the barber, but, suddenly finds munity.
Mrs. Stark, the wife of Detroit
his face "as smooth as the bottom of a kettle." "He talks English
already and has learned how to chew gum. He doesn't swallow News columnist George Stark,
who is also city historian, will be
it any more . ."
••
awarded a special citation by
By 3ORIS SMOLAR
Gov. Williams at ceremonies in
Sholorn Aleichem's Last Words
(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
The last chapter introduces us to a curious character who May.
comes to our heroes' newsstand, reads the paper, ignores the
Zionist Affairs
warning that it costs. a -penny and after finishing his reading Four Youngsters Need
The American Zionist Council has completed a survey on the
folds the paper and restores it to its stand.
stand of each member of Congress on Israel . . . The result is
This character remains unidentified. This is where Sholom Placement in Homes
gratifying . . . There is practically no difference in this respect
between the Congress under the Truman Administration and the
Aleichem finished his work in New York, in 1916. It is well that
Four homeless children, tem- Congress under the Eisenhower Administration . . . A substantial
we have the story as he wrote it, without a doctored ending. You
can't doctor Sholom Aleichein's creations. You are fortunate:when porarily separated from their majority of the present Congress is favorably inclined toward giv-
you are able to read it—if you do not know Yiddish—in as good parents, are in need of foster ing American aid to Israel and the prevailing opinion is that
a translation as we have in Tamara Kahana's English version of parents. Jewish Social Service Israel will this year get American aid to the same extent as last
Bureau, a recipient of Allied year . . . American Zionist Council workers in all parts of the
"Mottel."
Campaign funds and a country are now requesting the calling of a national conference,
Because Mottel is a youngster who likes to draw, it is appro- Jewish
of
priate that the English translation should be so excellently il- Red Feather agency of United a either in New York or in Washington, to review the activities
asks if there is
the Council and to plan for future work . However, it is not
lustrated by the able Ilya Schor, who has caught the spirit of Foundation,
clear as yet whether such a conference will be called, since some
the story and has injected its characteristics in his line drawings. home in Detroit for them?
The children need a home, the Zionist leaders insist on convocation this Spring of an Amer-
JSSB explains, with foster par- ican Zionist Assembly . . . The calling of such an Assembly is de-
The Translator and Her Grandfather
ents who will love them, provide manded on the basis of the "Jerusalem Agreement" reached be-
An additional few words should be said about the translator. security and understanding and tween Ben-Gurion and leaders of the American Zionist movement
Tamara Kahana is the granddaughter of Sholom Aleichem. She all the little things that normal several months ago . . . The matter is now under discussion
is the daughter of the eminent Hebrew writer, I. D. Berkowitz, children need, The JSSB covers among top Zionist leaders in New York- ... Leaders of the Zionist
who wrote the concluding note to "Mottel," explaining that the all necessary expenses and pays Organization of American oppose the idea of an Assembly .
final chapter is the last of his father-in-law's writings.
compensation to the foster par- They fear that . this may lead to a merger of all Zionist groups in
Thus, three generations are represented in this book. It is a ents.
the United States into an American Zionist 'Confederation.. And
position
disproval. 'Of . -some fears that genius can not be carried on unto
Interested families are asked they are very jealous lest they lose their present leading American
future generations. The Sholom Aleichem family did it. May it to call JSSB, from 8:30 to 5 in a merger with the Labor Zionists. Mizrachi and other
-eontinue to .perpetuate genius—as an encouragement to all people p.m., weekdays.
Zionist groups
who love creative work and a realistic view of life.
Drive
-
Between You
and Me
(