•

A Happy Hanukah in Store for Israelis

More Goods in Shops, More Jobs Spell Bright Year_

way and building programs in the Negev, have
meant jobs, take-home pay and even the open-
ing of small accounts in banks throughout the

TEL AVIV, (IIP)—A bigger and better Hanu-
kah—with a variety of colorful goods in shop
windows and more stock filled on shelves behind
store counters, and this augmented by employ-
ment at a higher point than previous holiday
observances and dad's chances for landing a job
considerably improved—this is a promising com-
bination faced in 5714 by the citizens of the
land which gave birth to the observance of the
Festival of Lights.

young state.
In a land where the heroic story of the Mac-.
cabian defense is regarded as a 'reminder of

the constant vigilance which must be maintained
while enemies lurk on all borders, the Israelis;
never-the-less, look to Hanukah as a joyous
season where gifts are exchanged among mem-
bers of the immediate family and close friends.
But gift buying in Israel takes on a serious
aspect. Warm jackets, sweaters, shoes and useful,
work gloves will be among the items exchanged
by children as well as grown-ups. In Israel peo-
ple wisely wear their gifts.
Never before has there been so wide a selec-
tion of apparel. There will be some toys, how-
ever, fol. little Moshe. As precious as is the
hard currency earned by toy exports abroad,. the
Israel government is human, too. And Moshe
might find a pair of shiny skates to go along
with his socks and tie.
Even for the little Moshes who are sons and
daughters of new immigrants who have hardly
enough money to purchase clothes, let alone toys,
there 'is the story of a happy Hanukah in the
offing. Established Israelis have banded to-
gether to round up used toys and clothes so that
youngsters of newcomers also will be able to hold
high their heads and say, "Happy Hanukah."

The more pleasant prospects begin with Mrs.
Israel, the average housewife, and go down to
little Moshe, who like youngsters the world over
looks to Hanukah as a sort of "Judgment Day"
when Mom and Dad acknowledge improved be-
havior and better school marks.

Mr. Israel, the breadwinner, is assured that
the going will be a little easier this coming year.
While the battle on employment is not yet won,
progress is reported along all fronts on the
eve of this Hanukah.
The spring daily unemployment figure of
20,700, was down by almost 6,000 in the summer
of 1953. By Hanukah time, the number dropped
even farther, and with continued investment
from abroad, the menacing shadow of unemploy-
Hanukah, 5'114, will be the most promising in the six-year ment appears likely to continue its forced retreat.
history of the Republic of Israel for its youngsters. New citizens,
For many thousands of Israelis, especially the
like this young fellow, whose parents have found places of employ-
ment in the expanded Israeli industrial program, look to the Fes- newcomers, t onstruction projects of Israel bonds,
such as the road to S'dom, the Jerusalem High-
tival of Lights as a highpoint of the holiday year.

The Most Remarkable Adventure of Our Time

Hanukah at an ORT Iran School

`Prophet of San Nicandro' : Story of Italians
Who Embraced Judaism and Settled in Israel

One of the most remarkable
stories of all time was recorded
indelibly in Jewish history, 10
years ago, when an entire group
of Italians embraced Judaisri
and settled in Israel. Their act
was the result of a conviction in
the justice of spiritual teachings
of the Old Testament. Their
guide was a crippled man who
saw a vision and who led his
flock with a firm hand—retain-
ing their faith in _the newly-
acquired ideal.
The group of converts came
from the farming village of San
Nicandro. Their leader was
Donato Manduzio.
These inspired men and worn-
en did not know that Jews still
existed. They thought they had
started Judaic activities anew
through their re-discovery of
the principles of Judaism. When
they learned of Jewry's exist-
ence, they made contacts with
Chief, Rabbi Prato who sent an
emissary to them; and when an
Israeli group of soldiers, mem-
bers of the British Jewish Bri-
gade, chanced to pass through
their village, their future—
settlement in Israel—was chart-
ered for them.
The remarkable story of this
remarkable group of people is
told by the man who chanced
to meet them before the end of
World War II—Phinn E. Lapide
—whose book, "The Prophet of
San Nicandro," is one of the
most fascinating stories on rec-
ord. The book, properly sub-
titled "A Modern Adventure in
the Discovery of Faith" (pub-
lished by Beechhurst Press, 11 E.
36th St., NY16), is divided into
two parts: "The Vision," which
tells the early history of the
group's discovery and acceptance
of the new faith, and "The Way
to Canaan," their settlement in
Israel where they now function
among the wholesome Jewish
settlements.
* * *
The author, a native Canadian
who became an Israeli, left his
home at the age of 15 despite
his parents' objections, trained
in England with Youth Aliyah,
was guided by the late Henrietta
Szold who• made a lasting im-
pression on him and worked in
the fields of -the Palestine Jewish
colonies. He perfected his know-
ledge of Hebrew and Arabic,
stood watch against Arab raid-
ers, later joined the Jewish Bri-
gade and fought in Africa with
Wavell's Eighth Army. He was
wounded in battle and decorated
for bravery. He traveled widely
in Europe and while in Italy met
San Nicandro',s new Jews, be-
Coming theik ; godfather, adviser

and leader. He knows 11 lan-
guages and holds a diploma
from the University of 'Vienna.
He is at present attached to the
Israel Foreign Office.
* * *
Thus, fortunately, the man
who comes on their tracks was
an Israeli who was able to guide
them, to direct them to their
destiny.
The story Lapide tells is thrill-
ing from beginning to efrd. He
traces Manduzio's background
as a ruffian in his youth. When
the future "prophet" of his
group returns from the first war,
crippled, he begins to read—an
unusual thing among the illit-
erates in his village. In 1930 he
saw the vision—he read the Holy
Words and decided to beconle
Jew.
The arrival of the messenger
from Chief Rabbi Prato-Cantoni
—added to the revelations that
unfolded for the group. The his-
tory of the Jews they received
from Rabbi Prato, the assurance
that was given them that if
they acceded to being tested
they would be admitted to the
Jewish fcild, kept them inspired.
'Their discovery by Lapide,
after the Israeli Sergeant Carmi
of Kibutz Kinneret, Israel, pass-
ed them by thinking that the
waving of the flag with a Shield
of David may have been a trick,
was the beginning of fast-mov-
ing events. The mass conversion
the wholesale circumcisions—
marked an unusual event in all
history.
Raphaele Cantoni, who was
the first Jew to make official
contact with the group, post-
poned a trip to America "to at-
tend the ceremony of conver-
sion." Dr. Ascarelli was to be
the Mohel. The army Chaplain
commented: "There • has been
nothing like it (a mass conver-
sion) since the Khusaro tribe
became Jews in the eighth cen-
tury."
"I had single cases once or
twice," said Dr. Ascarelli, "but
never more than two at a time."
Together with Lapide, "the
Chaplain, Cantoni, and Dr. As-
carelli were all present." And
the great miracle became an
historical fact on that historic
day in 1944.
Then came another miiacle :
camp was to have been estab-
lished for survivors from Nazi-
ism. There were no supplies. But
without advance knowledge the
new Jews had gathered enough
supplies to make that possible.
And then came another great
development: volunteers from
the ranks of the new Jews for
defense of the new state of Is-

rael.

The five volunteers selected
their own location for the
group's settlement: Ras el Ah-
mar in Galilee. They sent ,for
the entire group, and while the
San Nicandro Christians offer-
ed them freedom from taxes to
remain there, they refused: they
were called home to Israel.
There is romance intertwined
with all these experiences—a
love affair which resulted in a
young Christian girl following
her Jewish lover to the Jewish
fold, then to Israel, where their
child—Judah, born on Hanukah,
named after Maccabi, became
the first native in this group's
settlement in Israel.
This reviewer contends that
there is nothing in the past
thousand years of Jewish history
to match this romance—of the
Italian Gerim in Israel.

A human menorah is formed by students of the ORT Voca-
tional Center for Girls in distant Teheran, Iran, celebrating
Elanukah. Vocational education has brought new hope to the long-
oppressed Jews in the land of Esther and Mordecai. The youth, in
particular, look on the ORT schools as a promise for deliverance
from ghetto existence and a way to a productive life of dignity.
The ORT program, with schools in three Iranian cities, is support-
ed by the Amerikan Jewish community in major part, with funds
made available by the Joint Distribution Committee, a member
agency of the United Jewish Appeal.

40—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Who's the Hero?

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Who's the mad king in the story,
How the Jews were crowned with glory?
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How do we recall the story,
How the Jews were crowned with glory?

Candles tell us. Candles tell us.

"Who's the Hero" is one of 24 songs appearing in "Songs to Share" by Rose B. Goldstein, piano
settings by Reuven Kosakoff, and illustrations by F. Schloss. Published by United Synagogue
of America, the songs are being syndicated by American Jewish Press, the feature service of
the American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, by special arrangement with • the
United Synagogue.