64 Jewish Groups Oppose UN Plan For Calendar Reform NEW YORK, (JTA) — A me- morandum opposing the pro- posed plan for calendar reform, which is now under discussion at the Geneva session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, was submitted to the United Nations on behalf of 64 national and central Jewish' organizations in the United States by the League for Safe- guarding the Fixity of the Sab- bath. Speaking in the name of American Jewry, the memor- andum requests the United Nations and its agencies "not to recommend any change in the calendar involving- the de- vice of a 'blank day,' or any other device the effect of which would be to interrupt the continuity of the week and thus destroy the fixity of the Sabbath on its definite day in the week.". In support of this request, facts and views are presented in the memorandum from which it becomes clear that the League is not opposed to calendar re- form in general but only to such schemes as include a "blank day" provision with subsequent shifting of the Sabbath to dif- ferent days of the week. .mss The memorandum points out that if the plan for calendar re- form now under consideration by the Economic and Social Council session is adopted and the calendar reform is inaug- urated -at the end of 1956, as suggested, then Tuesday, the 1st of January, 1957, would be called Sunday; Wednesday would be called Monday, and the other days of the week . would be shifted in the same manner, so that for 52 weeks in .the year 1957, Jews and other Sabbatar- ians all - over the world would be compelled to observe their Sabbath on a so-called Thurs- day. New changes would be made every year. The memorandum emphasizes that the 365th day — the last day of 1957 — would not be counted among the days of the week in that year, but would be called a "blank day" or "worldsday" or by some other name. The 1st of January 1958, which, according to the present calendar, will fall on Wednesday, would, in the proposed calendar, be called Sunday. And conse- quently, in 1958, every Sabbath would fall throughout that year on what we now call Wednes- day. Thus the Sabbath would fall- on different days of • the week as years go by. Severe Economic Hardships fgr Observant Jews Cited "The introduction of such a device," the memorandum says, `which would make the Sabbath fall in the new calendar on a different day of the week every year, will involve severe eco- nomic hardships and loss on ob- servant professors of Jewish faith throughout the world who Charles E. Feinberg, of 872 Boston Blvd., was recently awarded the U.S. Information Agency's certificate of merit, at the Detroit Public Library, for "outstanding contributions to the success of a Walt Whitman exhibit" in London earlier this year. The award was made by Dr. Franklin L. Burdette, chief of the Agency's information center service which conducts the world-wide U.S. overseas infor- mation program and supports and explains American policy abroad in its battle against com- munist propaganda, The program administered by Dr. Burdette is spearheaded by the 158 U.S. special purpose li- braries in 63 countries, which, with their almost 2,000,000 books, constitute one of the world's largest library systems. Mr. Feinberg's contribution: to observant Jews would be vented from recording their votes, and thus would be prac- tically disfranchised. Also, that a Jewish child in this country who does not attend school on Saturdays and Sundays, would, owing to religious scruples, have to absent himself also on an additional day of the week. Among the organizations op- posing the proposed calendar re- form are the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Bnai Brith, all Zionist organizations in the U.S., Hadas- sah, National Jewish Welfare Board, many Jewish educational institutions, all major Jewish women's organizations, and all Orthodox, Conservative and Re- form groups in American Jewry, A copy of the memorandum has been sent to President Eis- enhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles with a sug- gestion that the American dele- gates to the session at Geneva be instructed not to approve any resolution recommending adop- tion by the UN General Assem- bly of any "blank day" plan. Inconsistent Action: - U. S. Honors Pro-Nazi Iraq General Aril By MILTON FRIEDMAN (Copyright, 1954, JTA, Inc.) WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Government, which awarded the Legion of Merit to 344 American Jewish soldiers during World War II, more recently gave the same medal to an Arab general who fought "on the Nazi side and later participated in aggression against Israel in contempt of the United Nations. He is Maj. Gen. Mohammed Rafiq Arif, Chief of the Iraqi Army General Staff. The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander) was pinned on his chest last month at the Pentagon by Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, U.S. Army Chief of Staff. The gesture was approved by the White House. It was linked by the State De- partment "with the defense of the vital resources of the free world." Gen. Arif was cited by the U.S. Army in connection with the decoration. He was honored because ". . . his outstanding leadership, sound judgment, and exceptional energy in the per- formance of his duties with the Iraqi Army reflect distinct credit on himself and the miltary serv- ice." No Israeli soldier has been decorated or cited by the U.S. Army. Gen. Yigal Yadin, Chief of Staff of the Israel Army from 1949 to 1952, visited Washington at the same time as the Iraqi general. Gen. Arif fought against the Allies in 1941 when the Iraqi Army, un- der Rashid Ali el Gailani staged a pro-Nazi revolt. On that occasion Gen. Yadin dis- patched Haganah men to join Award Charles Feinberg U.S. Agency's merit. Certificate for Aiding Exhibit Pictured at the re- cent ceremony at which CHARLES E. FEINBERG (left) re- ceived a special award from the State 'De- partment, were Dr. FRANKLIN BUR-- DETTE, representing the U.S. Information Service (center) ; and Dr. LAWRENCE REY- NOLDS, president of Detroit Library Com- mission and chief of staff at Harper Hos- pital. keep the weekly Sabbath on the true seventh day of the, week as their ancestors have uninter- ruptedly done for the past 3,000 years. Non-Jews who trade with Jews would not know in succes- sive years which is the seventh day observance by the Jews." The memorandum argues that for the observant Jew, the "blank day," causing a "wander- ing" Sabbath, would entail a third day's enforced rest, in years when the Sabbath does not fall on the traditional day of the week. Also, that whenever elections fall on the Sabbath, the Allied cause. There was a joined the Nazis when the Allies I Iraqi concentration camps. About medal for Gen. Arif. The Pen- seemed on the brink of defeat, 125,000 Iraq Jews escaped into tagon wasn't interested in has been chosen as the first Israel since 1949. The State De- Gen. Yadin. Arab League officer to be decor- partment views Iraq as a "bas- Iraqi Ambassador Moussa Al- ated with a U.S. medal. tion of democracy" although the Shabandar was a guest of honor Early in 1948, before the Iraqi government openly admit- at the reception and .ceremony - British withdrawal from Pales- ted it wants U.S. arms to kill honoring Gen. Arif. The ambas- tine, "volunteer" Iraqi forces Jews rather than any potential sador behaved politely but has invaded the mandated terri- Soviet invaders. publicly departed from diplo- tory. Gen. Arif took part in Iraqi Prime Minister Fadhil al matic etiquette on other occa- this and subsequent aggressive Jamali is one of the most vio- sions by denouncing. American actions against Palestinian lent exponents of renewed war- Jewry and questioning the loyal- Jewry and the nation of Is- fare against Israel. It was Jam- ty of Americans of Jewish faith. rael. He and his troops were ali who dispatched Gen. Arif to The occasion for the award to defeated by Jewish courage. . Washington. The same Jamali Gen. Arif was his arrival in the With the solitary exception of said that whoever would seek United States as a guest of the Iraq, all Arab League states "peace with Israel would be Government to visit Army in- signed armistice agreements. guilty of high treason and should stallations. He is here to corn- Therefore, Iraq is still in an be hanged . . . The destruction plete arrangements to receive active state of war with Israel. of Israel will be achieved only free munitions granted Iraq by Iraq is a zealous organizer of the by a strengthening of the Arab the State Department. Israel anti-Israel boycott and a leading states." applied for similar arms aid. The foe of a peace settlement. In - A British Intelligence report Israeli application has been 1949 and 1950 the Iraqi Army revealed pro-Nazism in Iraq. It ignored since 1952. joined in pogroms against Iraq's said: "In 1937, Dr. Fadhil al Iraq did more than any other Jews. Jamali, at that time Director Arab nation to aid the Nazis, to Recent Congressional testi- General of Education, visited persecute its Jewish inhabitants, mony revealed that Henry A. Germany, where he was accord- to introduce anti-Jewish propa- Byroade had considerable criti- ed an official welcome and lay- ganda in the United States, and cism to direct against Israel. But ishly entertained. On his return, to avoid an armistice with Is- he praised the "spirit" of Iraq. Dr. Jamali (sent) . . . An Iraqi rael. Yet it was selected by Sec- Byroade, as Assistant Secretary delegation to t h e Nuremberg retary of State Dulles as the of State for Near Eastern Af- rally of 1938 . . . the Ministry first Arab League member to re- fairs, knows Iraq's true record. of Education worked actively on ceive free arms. Gen. Arif, who Hundreds of Jews are' still in behalf of the Germans . . ." . World . Congress of Orthodox Jews Hear's Sharett Call for 'Tolerance' JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The Fourth World Congress of Orth- odox 'Jewry sponsored by Agu- dath Israel World Organization, was held here with the partici- pation of 400 delegates from var- ious countries and 7,000 guests. This international conclave' was the first such gathering to be held since the establishment of the State of Israel. The last world congress of Agudath Is- rael took place in 1938 in Mar- ienbad, Czechoslovakia. Premier Moshe Sharett, ad- dressing the opening session, in- vited the Agudah in Israel to join the coalition Cabinet and bear joint responsibility for the government. "You have to exercise loyalty, lenience and tolerance, especi- ally now when we are still sur- rounded by enemies aiming to destroy us," Premier Sharett said. "We must form one strong front militarily, economically and politically." Mr. Sharett took note that the Agudists might not like all of Israel's laws and possibly would like to have all its laws based on the Torah. Nonetheless, he urged the Agudists to join in upholding ;those laws. The Pre- mier was greeted by a wave of stormy applause when he de- clared that "only in this country can Jews live as really religious Jews." . Before he spoke, Rabbi Itche Meir Levin, head of the Agudas Israel party of Israel, appealed to the United States not to arm the Arab states which he stressed were incessantly pre- paring for war against Israel. Rabbi Levin, who called on all Jews to cooperate with Israel and participate in its work, ex- plained that the Agudah has left the Israel government because it would not compromise its "Torah principles." In a letter to the congress, Rabbi Levin discussed the prob- lems of the Israel party, in re- the exhibit in London was des- cribed by agency officials as a "heart-warming example of en- thusiastic and whole-hearted cooperation in support of United States objectives abroad." Feinberg, president of the Argo Oil Co. here, was in large measure responsible for the suc- cess of the Walt Whitman Ex- hibit in London at the U.S. In- formation Agency's library there. It ran from March 45 to April 29, two weeks longer than sched- uled because of the great inter- est. He not only selected extensive material from his own outstand- ing Whitman collection but as- sisted the Agency in obtaining items from several other sources. Feinberg went to London at his own expense to speak at the opening, and remained on to as- sist in greeting distinguished visitors and to stimulate interest 24—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, July 9,, 1954 in the exhibition.i. A.*KAt I u lation to the government, its work in the Knesset and in other areas in Israel. He argued that the • Agudah's work should be centered in Israel. H. A. Good- man, of the London office of the Agudah movement, spoke .in favor of three autonomous cen- ters: Jerusalem, London and New York. Dr: Itzhak Levin, of the American delegation, re- ported on the work of Agudah at the UN. Dr. Jacob Rosenheim, 90 - year - old president of the World Agudah organization, was named president of the congress. The congress was opened with a eulogy and prayers for the 6,000,000 Jews martyred by the Nazis in Europe. Israel's Chief Rabbi Dr. Isaac Herzog did not appear personally at the open- ing session, but sent a written message of greetings to the con- gress, in reply to an invitation to attend. Similar invitations to leading Orthodox figures in Hungary also brought messages of greetings. Dutch Asked to Return Two Kidnapped Orphans LONDON, (JTA) —British Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie, who is also chairman of the Commission on the Status of Jewish War Or- phans m Europe, appealed to the Dutch authorities to restore Anneke Beekman and Rebecca Melhado to Jewish environ- ments and provide for the type of upbringing that their mar- tyred parents would have pro- vided had they lived. At a meeting of the commis- sion here, Rabbi Brodie indicat- ed that he intended to follow up his appeal with the authorities and any one else who could bring influence to bear to rem- edy this situation. The girls, both of Jewish parentage, were left in Catholic homes by their parents who were murdered by the Nazis. They have never been returned to the Jewish commun- ity, despite public appeals, • court action and other attempts. IHIAS Expands File Of Missing Persons The Location Bureau of HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid So- ciety, has aided, since 1944, more than 160,000 people who have been placed in touch with rela- tives and friends whom they had believed dead, or with whom all contact had been lost. Recently the location files of the Jewish Agency for Palestine were turned over to HIAS, which will now handle all requests for lo- cation of persons in Israel and the United States formerly reaching the Agency. Zionist Movement Starts Functioning in Germany PARIS, (JTA) — An official Zionist organization, affiliated with the world Zionist move- ment, will be launched in Ger- many, Sam Segal, European di- rector 'of the Keren Hayesod, an- nounced. Mr. Segal said that the sale of shekels will be authorized im- mediately, thus permitting the German Zionist Organization representation at the next World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem. He added that all the usual Zionist institutions will be es- tablished in West Germany for the 25,000 Jews living in the country.