Purely Commentary

We would be untrue to reality if we failed to credit the year that has
just ended with good qualities. It was a year of tension, but it was spared
the tragedies of the past. There were several attacks upon Jewish com-
munities in Moslem countries, but in the main the year was more peace-
ful for our kinsmen than in preceding years. The situation in Germany is
threatening, with mounting dangers of a revival of Nazism, but there is
hope that the menacing aspects in an unfortunate area will pass without
grave danger either to the surviving Jews or to mankind. Israel has ex-
perienced a trying year, with numerous threats facing the struggling new
nation from hostile neighbors and serious economic difficulties. Yet the
Medinah has carried on well—auguring a better future for the Israelis.
We have had our fears on the domestic front. We were concerned
over the injustices that are imposed upon this country by the McCarran
Act. We continue to be worried by the witch-hunts, the trials by news-
papers, the character assassinations of legislative investigating bodies.
These issues won't be resolved too easily. A long battle must ensue before
there can be a return to normal American principles of fair play. But we
do not abandon hope that the good sense of the American people will be
stronger than the biased and perverted thinking of deluded officials.
All indications are that the year 5714 will correct some of the evils of
the past, that it may emerge as a year of peace, as a year of promise for
better days for all mankind, and therefore also for world Jewry.

The Major Programs for the New Year

In a sense, we are better prepared to face all issues than we were in
the past. We understand Israel's position and there is reason for gratifi-
cation over the continued encouragement that is offered the Jewish state
by the Government of the United States. In spite of attempts by the Beirut
University group, some Princeton professors and the organized Arab prop-
aganda machine to undermine the good feelings that exist for the Jewish
state and to destroy the established American-Israel friendship, Israel has
triumphed by retaining the good will of the people of. this country. True:
the battle is far from over; the enemies are active and it will be necessary
to conduct an endless campaign to assure Israel's security. But the enemies
are known, and it is less difficult to fight them. Our friends are on record,
and it is heartening to be able to face the issues squarely.
There is complete understanding also of our people's obligations to

Technion Prof. Tours U.S.

WelcorLning 5714 as a Year of
Promise and Blessings for All Jewry

By Philip
Slomovitz

the needy, of our needs at home and abroad, of the challenges that come
to us not only externally, but also internally—within Our ranks, in the
educational field and in our aims to view honorably our historic heritage
as the People of the. Prophets. Therefore, we repeat, 5714 should be
viewed as a year of great promise.

The Serious Aspects of Community Building -- _

Our clearer understanding of basic issues, of obligations to Israel and
the dispossessed in lands of oppression, need not create a condition of
taking things for granted. Understanding of issues should mean also ful-
fillment of obligations. It also should release some energies in our ranks
for the strengthening of our cultural values and the advancement of our
educational agencies. It is in this field that we 'must seek better means of
establishing forceful instruments for the creation of well-informed Jewish
communities.
This, too, is an old and aggravated problem. As in the past, we suffer
from a lack of school facilities, from a shortage of teachers, and—more
serious than all the other difficulties—from a considerable amount of in-
difference in Jewish ranks towards educational needs. There persists the
feeling that after a boy has passed the tests of Bar Mitzvah—which are
limited to the reading of the Haftorah—he has acquired all that is neces-
sary in Jewish learning; that after a girl has had several years of Sunday
School training and has been consecrated she has attained all that is re-
quired in Jewish communal life. The lowering of standards has resulted in
indifference, and the fight on indifference represents a major challenge to
American Jewry.
In truth, we have made progress in Jewish educational efforts. But
they are not sufficient. The time has come for even more serious effort
in that area of Jewish activities. If we are to have a very dignified Jewish
existence—which is the duty of the great American Jewish community—
it must be based on knowledge, on understanding of Jewish values, on ap-
preciation of the glories of our heritage.
We can take pride in what we have attained, and we can attain even
more as American Jews—through the strengthening of our spiritual struc-
ture, through the advancement of the values which have enriched us as
the descendants of the Prophets. We believe that we shall attain these
high hopes in the Year of Promise 5714. We feel confident that this
augury will be realized in this New Year for which we ask blessings and
joy for all our people.

atholic Converts to Judaism Transplanted on Israel's Soil

in his recently-published book, ish community that had adopted such as maps, microscopes, ex-
- By DAVID HOROWITZ
"The Prophet of San Nicrando" Judaism. He felt greatly encour- perimental instruments for
N. Y.—

UNITED NATIONS,

High up in the Galilee Moun- (Beechhurst Press, New York: aged and requested that I con- physics, etc. But the main thing
vey his greetings and that of his is the bus.
tains, 15 miles northeast from 1953).
Arriving at Alma, following brethren at Alma to these
(Readers moved by Rabbi Gets'
the renowned city of Safad, lies

PROF. SHLOMO FRANK-

Prof, Shlomo Frank, head of
the David Wunsch Memorial
Laboratory of Mechanical En-
gineering at Technion, Is-
rael Institute of Technology in
Haifa, has begun a tour of the
United States to study American
methods of mechanical engi-
neering and our techniques of
teaching the subject, it was an-
nounced by J. W. Wunsch, pres-
ident of the American Technion
Society.
The Israeli educator will spend
two months visiting American
universities and technological
institutions a n d during that
time he will address community
groups under the auspices of
the American Technion Society,
explaining Technion's vital role
in Israel's vast development pro -
gram.

Tobacco on JNF Land

HAIFA—To help encourage the
growth of Virginia tobacco in Is-
rael, the JNF has alloted land
near the village of Pardess
Hanna for a new experimental
station devoted entirely to that
plant.
The station, erected by one of
the leading cigarette companies
in Israel, was designed to check
production costs as well. It will
be directed -by - experts, including
one of the residents of Pardess
Hanna, and. an agriculturist from
Bulgaria. At present, the station
employs 16 workers. Laboratories
of the Teehnion will also be
used to test the tobacco.

2— DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, September 11,, 1953

the Moshav Ras-El-Achmar, a difficult drive through a dirt Americans who, like them, had appeal for a school-bus who wish
known as Alma, in full view of road, my party was greeted found the end of the true road to help in some way may com-
the b e a u t i f u l snow-capped most hospitably by several at Sinai.
municate with me here at the
When the San Nicandrian United Nations, Room 373, Press
Mount Hermon of Biblical fame. families who came out to meet
villagers, all life-long farmers, Section, United Nations, N.Y.).
The Syrian border is close by. us. Young Eliezer Tritto invit-
ed us into his spick and span
settled in - Israel, they were for-
Before I left Israel I made it home where his lovely wife,
tunate in finding within their
my business to visit this village without much ado, immediate-
joint Moshav a rabbi from Dr. Abramson to Conduct
and get acquainted with the ly began to prepare some Ital-
Tunis, the youthful Rabbi Israel Medical Survey
Italian converts to Judaism who ian dishes for us.
Mayer Yehudah A. Gets, who
had settled here some five years
Others in this household in- understood all their needs and
ago along with hundreds of Tri-
eluded
Mrs. Tritto's elderly spiritual aspirations.' While
politian Jews. I was particularly
mother,
her 14-year-old broth- Phinn E. Lapede, now with
interested in these proselytes be- er and two
children, both born the ministry of foreign affairs
cause of my close association in
Israel, a fact the Trittos were never lost contact with these
with several thousand American most
proud of. The 14-year-old newcomers, Rabbi Gets is rec-
Christians, mostly Protestants, youngster,
appearing as a real ognized and revered by them
who in like manner have re- Sabra, told me
in good Hebrew as their guide and teacher.
nounced Christianity for the about his studies
in a Safad
In a recent communication
faith of Moses.
school. Eliezer, too, had master- from Ras - El-Achmar, Rabbi
But these new Italian Israel- ed the Hebrew which served as Gets explains to me the circum-
ites intrigued me particularly the common . language during stances and conditions under
because they had been staunch our discussion.
which the San Nicandrians and
Catholics and because they rep-
I was thrilled with this visit. their immediate neighbors find
resented inhabitants of a whole For here I witnessed something themselves today. The follow-
Italian village who, without any which, in my eyes, was no less ing account of his is noteworthy:
outside direction or influence, marvelous than the creation of
Rabbi Gets Speaks
had chosen Judaism, the eter- the state itself. Catholics—us-
As you know, I have taken
nally despised faith, in defer- ually the least inclined towards
DR. ARTHUR S. ABR.AMSON
ence to Catholicism, the faith of Judaism—now Jews in the fullest upon myself an additional task:
the moral guidance of the Ital-
Rome.
Dr. Arthur S. Abrahamson,
sense of the word and living the ian proselytes. This village is now
Their absolute sincerity was life of the traditional Jew. Sym- called Keren-Ben-Zimra, after chief of the Physical Medicine
evidenced by the fact that they bols of the Magen David and the the Tana Rabbi Yosie Ben Zim- Rehabilitation Service of Bronx
had finally decided to settle in Ten Commandments were on all ra, whose burial-place is in our
VA Hospital, left for an extend-
Israel and share fully the des- the walls.
village. For the past two years I ed medical survey of Israel,
it
tiny of the Israelis in the re-
Hear of Other Converts
have worked with the proselytes
building of the ancient home-
When Eliezer Tritto learned and if my success was not corn- was announced by Congressman
land.
that in America, too,. there re- plete with the elderly people, Emanuel Celler, chairman of the
American Red Mogen Dovid for
Story Reads, Like retion
side thousands of Christians with their children, who receiv- Israel.
The story of how these Cath- who had also accepted the faith ed an elementary education, I
olics of the Little Italian tov,m of Moses, he was thrilled beyond have succeeded. They are today
The invitation to visit Israel
of San Nicandro had come to words. He felt sure that all these good Jews, faithful to our tra- was extended to Dr. Abramson
accept Judaism under the influ x great manifestations portended dition and growing up to be good in a recent letter from Dr. Jo-
ence of one Donato Manduzio, a something wonderful for the Israeli citizens.
seph Kott, president of the Mo-
simple man of the soil whom world, and pointed to the begin-
Most of the older pupils were gen David Adorn in Israel, who
they had come to look upon as ning of the fulfillment of those sent by me to the Mikveh Israel stressed his organization's need
a prophet and who had found visions of the Hebrew prophets agricultural school, and, by the "to gain and possess the sure
his answer through visions and which foretold an age in which grace of God, they will return knowledge of -y o u r accepted
the Old Testament: the unceas- the whole world would turn to e q u i p p e d with agricultural techniques and approaches." Dr.
ing attempts to discourage them the Mother Faith of the Deca- knowledge. The remainder
KOtt also paid tribute to Dr: Ab-
on the part of Papal authorities; logue according to Isaiah chap- transferred to high schools. At ramson's accomplishments in the
the Providential visit 'during the ter 56 and Zechariah 14, espe- the present time I am the prin- United States and thanked him
invasion of Italy by the Allies- of cially to Zechariah 8:23, which cipal of the schools at Keren- fOr his services to the American
Jewish members of the Pale- declares:
Ben-Zimra and the supervisor of Red MogerilDovid, of whose Phy-
stinian contingent of the Brit-
"In those days it shall come the school at Schachar. The set- sicians Council Dr. Abramson is
ish army who revealed to them to pass, that ten men shall take
of Schachar and Alma chairman.
the - existence of other .Yews hold, out of all the languages of tlers
came
Tripoli and the peo-
in the world and of the state the nations, shall even take hold ple of from
our village come from
of affairS in the reborn state of of the coat-tail of him that is Turkey and Transylvania. I am Philadelphia Jewish Cemetery
To Become Historic Shrine
Israel; their long; disappointing a Jew, saying, `PleaSe let us go proud to say
our settle-
struggle for recognition as Jews with you, for we have heard that ments represent that
the one place in
PHILADELPHIA, (JTA) — The
from the Chief Rabbi of Rome— God is with you'."
Israel where the fusion of the Philadelphia City Council unan-
all this reads like good fiction.
I handed' Eliezer some maga- exiled people has been success- imously passed a bill making the
Phinn- E. Lapede, who was one zines containing pictures of the ful.
Cemetery of Mikveh Israel Syn-
of the Palestinian soldiers in the new American Israelites. He
I am appealing to you and agogue a historic monunment.
British Unit and who took a spe- could hardly believe what he saw your
readers to make some ef- Haym Salomon, patriot of the
cial interest in the "new" Jews, For up until this point he had fort in aiding us in
securing a Revolution, and many officers
has recorded the fascinating thought that his group alone school-bus for our pupils.
We who fought in the Revolutionary
history of these San Nica.ndr3ans represented
the
only
non-Jew-
also need .scientific instruments, War area buried rrm the cemetem,
,

'