Jewish Cultural Club to Provide
Funds for L000 Tree Israel Grove
20—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 31, 1953
Shaarey Zedek Scouts Learn Lessons
In Firefighting at Summer Camp
Not for Sale!
A grove of 1,000 trees will be planted in Israel by, the Jewish
Cultural Club of Detroit, following an agreement which was re-
cently drawn up with the local office of the Jewish National
Fund. Pictured here signing the agreement are, from the left,
ALBERT HURWICH, treasurer; HERMAN KOLKO, president;
HYMAN SAMET, vice-president; ROSE GOLDSTEIN, secretary
(rear) ; and PERCY KAPLAN, executive director of Detroit JNF.
The club, first of its kind to undertake a tree planting project
in Israel, meets at the Twelfth Street Jewish Center, and is one
of the oldest adult clubs in the Center. It meets every Tuesday,
with programs devoted to lectures, discussions and celebrations
of religious holidays. The group has placed 50 JNF Blue-White
boxes among its members to raise funds for the grove, which
will bear the club's name.
Israelis Speculate on Resumption
Of Diplomatic Relations with Russia
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Israeli
authorities moved to hasten re-
opening within two months of
the Israel Legation in Moscow
following the Soviet-Israel
agreement to resume diplomatic
relations.
The Israeli authorities, it is
understood, were seeking the
Kremlin's acceptance of Shmuel
Elyasliev as Israel Minister, who
held the post at the time rela-
tions were broken off last Feb-
ruary. It was believed, however,
that the Soviet Union would not
return Pavel Yershov as its Min-
ister to Israel.
While the resumption of re-
lations had been rumored about
for many days prior to the of-
f i c i a l announcement, Western
diplomats accredited to Israel
were not officially informed in
advance of the development.
The sole exception was the
Dutch envoy. He had been re-
ceived by Foreign i n i s ter
Moshe Sharett who thanked him
for his government's role in pro-
tecting Israel interests in Russia
and informed him of the nego-
tiations.
Western diplomats who made
inquiries through the Foreign
Ministry's, liaison office in Tel
Aviv were advised to seek the
desired information from the
Foreign Ministry headquarters at
Jerusalem. (The major West-
ern Powers have not recognized
the transfer of the Ministry to
Jerusalem and do not have con-
tact with it there.)
The chief question involved
the sentence in the letter Shar-
ett sent Soviet Foreign Minister
Molotov which stated that "IS-
rael will not be a party to any
aggression against t h e Soviet
Union."
On this point, a Foreign Min-
istry spokesman said that "this
does not mean any change in
Israel's established foreign
policy. Israel has never planned
and does not plan any aggres-
sion or alliance for aggression
against Russia. On the other
hand, Israel's policy remains
unchanged toward any power in
the Middle East or the West."
The negotiations which led to
the resumption of relations were
conducted in Sofia by Gershon
Avner and Ben Zion Rasin, Is-
raeli Charges d'Affaires in Sofia,
for Israel and the Soviet Ambas-
sador to Bulgaria.
It is anticipated here that the
Soviet Union will be the first
major power to recognize the
Foreign Ministry's transfer to
Jerusalem and will establish its
Legation here. The Soviet au-
thorities control extensive prop-
erties in the city, and the Tel
Aviv building which formerly
housed the Soviet Legation is no
longer available.
The advantages a n d disad-
vantages of the renewed rela-
tions with the Soviet continued
to be the subject of intense dis-
cussion here. Many argued that
the move strengthened Israel's
position in the international
arena and bettered her bargain-
ing position in relation to the
West. Others, however, argued
that the move weakened Israel's
claims on the West.
Overall implications of the de-
velopment were also intensively
debated. One school of opinion
argued that the restoration of
relations signified a positive at-
titude by Moscow towards Israel
and the definite end to the anti-
Israel, anti - Jewish Communist
drives.
Others saw the act solely as
a logical extension of the cur-
r e n t Communist conciliation
policy demonstrated in the new
diplomatic relations engineered
by the Kremlin with Belgrade
and Athens.
Hope was expressed on all
sides that the development
might pave the way for emigra-
tion to Israel of Jews from the
Soviet Union and other coun-
tries behind the Iron Curtain.
Some relaxation of the tradi-
tional Soviet policy against the
emigration of Jews from Russia
was also believed to be in the
cards. It was reported here that
the Israel government intends
to ask Moscow at a later date
to allow the emigration of vet-
eran Zionists and others desir-
ing to come to Israel.
An organization of i m m
grants from Russia was set up
here under the chairmanship of
Rabbi Mordechai Nurek to ar-
range for possible immigration
of relatives of Israel settlers.
Israel also intends to ask
Russia to renew the Soviet-Is-
rael economic agreement which
was breached when diplomatic
relations were severed last Feb-
ruary. The Russians had con-
tracted for • large shipments of
Israel citrus products.
Zionists to Coordinate Youth
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — The Gen-
eral Zionist movement has de-
cided to establish a world youth
movement to prepare Jewish
youth abroad for work in Israel
along the theoretical lines of
the centrist movement. In Is-
rael, the organization would co-
operate with the Maccabi or-
ganization.
The other day, Mefalsim, a
settlement on JNF land in
Israel, received a letter froiti
Tnuva, the central marketing
cooperative of Israel, com-
plaining that the carrots it
had sent arrived at Tnuva
with too much earth on them.
The secretariat immediately
turned to members of the
kibbutz who worked the veg-
etable garden. "Please," it
urged, "when gathering car-
rots, remember one of the
most important principles of
the Jewish People: the land
of the Jewish National Fund
is not for sale!"
Turkey, France Against
Moving of Foreign
Ministry to Jerusalem
ISTANBUL, (JTA) — Israel's
decision to transfer its Foreign
Ministry from Tel Aviv to Jeru-
salem has had an unfavorable
reaction in Turkey, which is a
member of the three-nation
United Nations Palestine Con-
ciliation Commission. Turkish
political circles and the local
press express anxiety over the
move. They fear that the trans-
fer of the Israel Foreign Minis-
try may endanger whatever
hopes exist for a peaceful solu-
tion of the Palestine problem.
Expressing the official view
on this issue, the pro-govern-
ment newspaper, Milliyet, said
that the question of Jerusalem
is an international one and is
not merely of concern to Jews
and Arabs. "At a moment when
even the Big POwers are seeking
to improve their relations with
the Islamic world," the paper
said, "the fact that Israel has
not given the slightest impor-
tance to that development is
surely a political error. This ac-
tion will not be approved by any
nation favoring the progress of
a peaceful Israel.",
PARIS, (JTA)—Pierre Gilbert,
French Ambassador to Israel,
has been instructed by. the
French Government to protest
to Israel against the transfer of
the Israel Foreign Ministry from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
West Germany Seeks
Lifting of Restrictions
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — T h e
West German government has
indicated that it would welcome
the abolition by Israel of all
travel restrictions between the
two . countries. ,
Israel, however, recently re-
stricted the travel of private in-
dividuals from Israel to Ger-
many, in an attempt to prevent
private negotiations by, unau-
thorized persons in connection
with the reparation paytnents in
goods being made by West Ger-
many.
It is still unclear under what
arrangements German . tech.ni-
clans will enter the Jewish State
to set up machinery and assem-
ble plants sent here as repara-
tions goods. In the past, ' under
the German occupation status,
the British consulate in Israel
carried out consular functions
for Germany.
Senate Ratifies Treaty of Friendship
With Israel; McCarran Opposes Bill
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—The Senate ratified by a vote of
86 to one a Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with Israel,
which was negotiated some time ago. Similar treaties with
seven other nations were ratified at the same time. The lone
vote against ratification was cast by Senator Pat McCarran.
The agreements were described by the State Department
as part of a program to develop a series of modern commer-
cial treaties whose general aim is "to assure protection for
American citizens and American interests in foreign coun-
tries, and advance American economic foreign policy objec-
tives."
The Technical Cooperation Administration announced
in a summary of Point Four expenditures for the fiscal year
of 1953 that Israel had received $2,550,000.
The TCA report indicates that Israel matched this sum
with $2,199,000 of its own funds. This contrasts with the
$2,821,000 given Jordan, which the Jordanians matched with
only $935,000.
The honor of being one of the first Boy Scout Troops to
conduct a summer camp at the new D-Bar-A Scout Ranch, near
Metamora, Mich., fell to Troop 164, of Cong. Shaarey Zedek.
Here, Scouts received instruction in the use of firefighting equip-
ment from ranch ranger, FRANK V. POWELL. Shown, left to-
right, are FREDDIE SCHAEFER, SYLVAN ROBES, Scoutmaster
LARRY APPLEBAUM, MALCOLM KATZ, Powell, AARON GOREN
and GERALD CHUDLER.
Bill to Draft Orthodox Girls
Passes First Knesset Reading
thousand girls will not solve the
manpower problem." He warn-
ed that religious Jewry would
resist the measure if it were
passed "and will go to the pee-
ple to explain why they oppose,
having their daughters join ary
form of compulsory service."
As the bill was introduced,
thousands of r e l i g i o u s Jews
demonstrated in the streets of
Jerusalem. The block surround-
ing Parliament was guarded by
hundreds, of steel-helmeted po-
licemen armed' with rubber
clubs. No unauthorized persons
were allowed to enter the block.
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—The Na-
tional Service Bill, which pro-
vides that all un-married wom-
en 18 to 26 who are exempt from
military service on military
grounds are to be drafted into
national service for two years,
was given its first reading by
the Knesset to the accompani-
ment of major demonstrations
throughout the country by re-
ligious elements and numerous
protests abroad.
The government - sponsored
measure won its first reading by
59 votes to six cast by the Agu-
dah, Labor Agudah and Com-
munist deputies and eight ab-
stentions. The Labor Mizrachi,
who are in the government co-
alition, did not vote.
Mrs. Golda Myerson, Minis-
One of the interesting fea-
tures of the protest rally was
a special prayer , service in
the Great. Synagogue in the
Zikhron Jacob quarter in
which religious persons of all
ages sat cross-legged and re-
peated the prayers which were
broadcast over the loudspsak-
er.
ter of Labor, presented the
bill, saying that it was the
intent of the government to
increase the available labor
power by drafting Orthodox
young women who were un-
able to serve in the Army for
religious or family reasons for
other jobs. She said they
would be able to do their duty
to the state by serving either
in religious institutions,
schools, religious settlements
or immigrant villages.
"These girls will not be taken
from their homes. They will
work all day at their allotted
jobs, returning at night to their
homes," she declared.
Chief opposition to the bill
was voiced in the debate by
Rabbi I. M. Lewin, of Agudah,
who asserted that "a couple of
.
Red Mogen Dovid Again
Appeals to Red Cross
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—The Mogen
Dovid Adorn — the Red Mogen
Dovid — again appealed to the
International Red Cross to ad-
tffe organization to the
international committee with
the use of the Israeli Star of
David as its official symbol.
The: appeal was contained in
a resolution adopted at the sec-
nd international conference of
the Mogen Dovid Adorn attend-
ed by delegates from Isr a e 1,
United States and various Euro-
pean countries.
The International Red Cross
has, in the past, refused to ac-
cept the Israeli group unless it
surrenders its symbol and ac-
cepts the Red Cross as its in-
signia. The Israelis have point-
ed out that the Red Cross has
accepted the Red Crescent so-
cieties of the Arab states with-
out forcing them to surrender
their distinctive symbols.
Another resolution urged the
Israel government to aid the or-
ganization in purchasing new
equipment and ambulances and
in organizing volunteer emer-
gency workers. The group al-
ready has 5,000 members in 40
branches throughout the length
and breadth of t h e Jewish
State.
In London, a group of about
300 students from the Agudi.-A
Orthodox Seminary demonstra-
ted against the bill in front of
the Israel Embassy carrying
banners, attacking the Israel
government.
In New York, the Agudath Is-
14e1 of America announced plans
for a series of demonstrations
to "let the voice of religious
Jewry in America be heard." The
group said that in over 800
synagogues throughout the U.S.
protest resolutions were adopted
against the bill and that in
these synagogues, the special
ninth of Ab services were inter-
rupted to offer prayers for the
withdrawal of the bill.
Protests against the bill were
cabled to Israel by the Union of
Orthodox Rabbis and by the
Rabbinical Council of America.
WJC Opposes Admission
Of Iron Curtain Lands
NEW YORK, (JTA)—Opposi-
tion to admission into the World
Jewish Congress of Jewish com-
munities from the "Iron Cur-
tain" countries "until it has been
clearly established that their
representatives will be free to
speak on behalf of their com-
munities and will not be forced
to serve as transmission belts
for the propaganda of their gov-
ernments," was expressed in a
statement issued here by Shad
Polier, chairman of the execu-
tive committee of the American
Jewish Congress,
Polier made this statement
prior to his departure for Ge-
neva to attend the Third Plen-
ary Assembly of the WJC which
opens there on Aug. 4. Last
week, Dr. Nahum Goldmann.
acting president of the World
Jewish Congress, expressed the
hope that the resumption of
diplomatic relations between Is-
rael and the Soviet Union would
be followed by the renewal of
relations between the Jewish
communities of Eastern Europe
and the World Jewish Congress.