Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
'World Jewry's Who's Who'
In his column "In and Out of Books" in the New York Times,
Harvey Breit wrote recently:
"We have just been looking at a 1,200-page volume, going at
$35, called 'Who's Who in World Jewry,' a pioneer compendium,
both comprehensive and authoritative, and which contains 11,000
biographies of Jewish leaders throughout the world. It is a
handsome affair and makes its way in spite of the multiplicity
of difficulties that invariably beset such a project. The gravest
obstacles in the past were twofold: the dispersion of the Jews
throughout the world and the inability to get authoritative data.
But the existence of Israel, centralization and concommit-
ant impetus spurred the editors on, until now, as Shakespeare
has it, 'the end crowns all.'
"Dramatis personae in the Who's Who have achieved repu-
tations in seventy-three countries, are active in every category
you can think of, from art through zoology, and represent ap-
proximately 1 per 1,000 of the Jewish population.
"The biggest problem the editors had (and their final deci-
sion was made with the help of scholars and community leaders
throughout the world) was whether to try for representation
from among 2,500,000 Jews in Russia and Russian-orbit countries.
They decided against, because there were no guarantees of bio-
graphical authenticity and because of the prevailing atmosphere
of suspicion toward Jews in those countries.
."We aren't kicking about that because, after all, such infor-
mation might get people into trouble somewhere. What we are
kicking about, though, is the way the great Jewish athletes have
been neglected. No Sid Luckman or Benny Friedman; no Barney
Ross or Maxey Rosenbloom; no Nat Holman or Max Zaslofsky.
Deuteronomy, we appeal."
His concluding exclamatory three words, we assume, are a
plea for another edition without the omissions he refers to. But
bis complaints involve matters of opinion "on which even judicious
people may differ," to quote an explanation given us by the able
editor of this "Who's Who," Harry Schneiderman.
We had our own complaints. The new "Who's Who" has
omitted the names of Justice Henry Butzel, Julian Krolik and
Samuel Rubiner, distinguished Detroiters without whom a bio-
graphical collection of American Jewish leaders is incomplete.
But Schneiderman says that such omissions are due to the failure
of the omitted to respond to requests for biographical data.
In the main, however, Schneiderman has performed an excel-
lent service and has made a real contribution to American Jewry.
We share the opinion of the eminent American Jewish historian,
Dr. Jacob R. Marcus, who says about this "Who's Who":
"From a person like myself, accustomed to delving in scholarly
times, many of which match a difficulty of content with an even
greater barrier in unattractive and uninviting presentation, goes a
special vote of thanks to the publishers of Who's Who in World
Jewry, for the highly readable -• and even handsome manner in
which they have printed and bound this new resource work. It is
to be hoped that this facilitation of use and inviting appearance
will combine with the factor of accessibility of material, to make
this new and valuable Who's - Who a real spur to an enlarged
investigation - of the past, present and future of Jewish life."
*
Jordan, Israel
Concur on 1949
GenevaPW Act
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
JERUSALEM — Israel and
Jordan have signed an agree-
ment providing that prisoner-
of-war status be given to
members of each others'
armed or police services who
are captured, the United Na-
tions Truce Supervision Or-
ganization announced here
Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Charles E. Brew-
ster, chairman of the Israel-
Jordan Mixed Armistice Com-
mission, witnessed the agree-
ment which conforms to the
Geneva Prisoner . of War Con-
vention of 1949.
Lightstone Heads
Shekel Campaign
Leon Kay, president of the
Michigan Zionist Region, has
appointed Louis Lightstone, of
A day or so after Einstein died, we were talking with a
Princeton neighbor of his and, of course, couldn't resist asking
him if he had known Einstein well. The neighbor hesitated, as
if to make sure that in the face of a temptation to claim too
much, what he was about to tell us would be the precise truth
concerning his relationship with the great man. "I'm sorry,"
he said at last. "I can't do better than yes and no. My wife and
I saw him often. We spoke to -him when he stood in front of
the house waiting for a bus to carry him to the Institute. But
we disliked disturbing him, and many times it seemed that even
to say good morning to him would prove disturbing. We sensed
that he wished to be somewhat forgotten. All of us on Mercer
Street shared the presence of the man rather than the man
himslf. You might say that he was a part of our landscape
but not of our lives. I recall an incident that is characteristic
because the two participants were Einstein and a bird; the rest
of us were merely onlookers. A boxwood hedge grows between
his house and the house of one of his next-door neighbors.
Several years ago, some robins built a nest in that hedge.
Einstein was walking in his garden one morning and found a
little robin lying half dead in a flower bed. He picked the
little robin up and placed it gently back in the nest. An hour
or so later, he came back and found the little bird on the
ground. With the greatest care, he once more picked it up and
placed it in the nest. By. that time, his scientific curiosity had
been aroused, and in a- few minutes he returned, to find the bird
again on the ground. This time, the bird was dead. It was as
if the old ornithological legend were true—that once a bird
falls from the nest, the mother will lam -era its loss, will try to
find it again, and will defend it strenuously against the attacks
of cats and other predators, but if _et human being touches it,
she will not have it in the nest again.. I remember Einstein
walking away from that dead bird that he had tried so hard
to help and had not been able to help enough. And I remember
that he shook his head and that I couldn't make out whether
he shook it in disapproval or astonishment or dismay. Maybe,
considering his heart and mind, it was all three."
And here are three other stories about Einstein told recently
by Leonard Lyons in the New York Post:
During the war he posed for an Army film, and interrupted
the movie-making to point out: "You're photographing me and
recording my voice simultaneously. But since light travels faster
than sound, how can you explain the speed differential?" A re-
sourceful major concocted an explanation: "When the movie is
shown, the film projector is in the back of the theater and the
sound projector is on the stage—so the light catches up with the
sound." Actually, the sound track on a film is spaced several
frames behind the picture.
A scientist once came to Princeton, to dispute Einstein's unified
field theory. The visitor went to the blackboard, while Einstein
watched and nodded, and began writing the scientific symbols.
For six hours — through the luncheon and dinner hours—the visiting
scientist wrote diagraMs, formulae and equations, to disprove the
theory of the ,man who watched .him in silence:. Then, in. the. 7th
finally , spoke: "That's-What you' : mil
Einstein
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
WASHINGTON—The "critical
tensions" that exist between
Arab states and Israel were
stressed by Harold Stassen,
director of the U.S. Foreign
Operations Administration, tes-
tifying before the Senate For-
eign Relations Committee. How-
ever, he said that the U.S.
Government is "encouraged' by
recent evidences of constructive
attitudes toward reaching a
solution of international water
problems in the Jordan Valley."
Mr. Stassen said that $73,-
000,000 of development assist-
ance is requested by FOA for
the Near East and Africa to
meet critical economic needs
during the coming fiscal year.
In addition, $65,000,000 are re-
quested in the budget f o r
foreign aid in the new fiscal
year "to provide relief and re-
settlement assistance for Pales-
tine Arab refugees, if we are
convinced that such assistance
would result in measurable pro-
gress towards solution of this
tragic problem."
While testifying before the
committee, Mr. Stassen was
questioned critically on the Arab
arms issue by Senators Alben W.
Barkley, Kentucky Democrat,
and William Langer, North Da-
kota Republican.
Sen. Barkley said he had
heard complaints that Arabs
were getting military assistance
while Israel received none.
Mr. Stassen said no military
aid is going to any country
which borders on Israel or to
Israel itself. He said the United
States Governnient is not furn-
ishing military help to either
side in the Israel-Arab border
disputes. Middle Eastern states
receiving free grant arms, he
said, are Iraq, Iran, Turkey and
Pakistan. He- pointed out that
these countries border on the
Soviet Union but not on Israel.
2,000 Tunisians in Israel
TUNIS, (JTA) — More than
two thousand - Jews left Tunis
foe Israel last week. Further
I departures are expected this
week.
2 — DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 13, 1955
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1955, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Communal Achievements
LOUIS LIGHTSTONE
The Albert Einstein Saga: Stories without. End
We were certain, as we stated a few days after the passing Detroit, to serve as chairman of
of Dr. Albert Einstein, that this man,- one of the • greatest of all
times, would be referred to and quoted time and time again e dur-
big the years to come. Few men have ever been so ,honored:. 'Ein-
stein already was among the immortals even - in his lifetime.
We are tempted to quote a most interesting story about him,
told as follows in the New Yorker:
Stassen Assures. Senators: No. U. S.
Arms for Arabs on Israel Borders
the ZOA shekel campaign in
Michigan.
Lightstone, a veteran`Zionist,
is also an - active Btai Brith
leader. He states that "this year's
shekel campaign not only will
determine the future policy of
the World Zionist Congress, but
also will demonstrate the soli-
darity of world Jewry with the
State of Israel.
"In America, the shekel cam-
paign has shown enemies of
Israel and officials in the State
Department that the Jewish
people in America identifies it-
self with the Zionist idea,"
Lightstone added.
Other members of the region-
al shekel committee are Ben
Wepman, Grand Rapids; Abe
Riskin, Flint; David Pearl, Kala-
mazoo; Abe Ashendorf, Muske-
gon, and Sam Muscov, South
Bend, Ind.
State Rabbis Hold
Interreligion Parley
With the world now taking_ stock of its achievements. during.
the 10 years since the end of .World War II, it is worthwhile to
stress the fact that American Jewry has raised during that
period the sum of $2,300,000,000 for Jewish activities . , Of this
huge sum, $1,350,000,000 was raise through central campaigning
by the Jewish Federation. and. \ telfare Fiords fbr the United
Jewish Appeal, local and domestic reeds . . The remainder came
in contributions to various independent' JeWish drives .. . In NeCir -
York alone some $470,000,000 ivas raised during these 10 years by
the United Jewish Appeal 1 and the local federation of Jewish'
charities . The hUge total'raised throughout the country does
not include the $65,000,000 raised. last year by the UJA - as 'an
advance - to Israel so that the Jewish State could meet its 'short- -
term Obligations to American banks . . . The highest point of
Jewish philanthropic giving' wee reached in.'1948 . . . The Jewish
federations and welfare funds` alone raised iriethat year more than
$200,000,000, of which UJA received about $150,000,000 . . Since -
then; there has been a gradual decline -in JeWish giving; with the
result that this year no more than $100,000,000 will probably be
raised by the centralized community driVes . . . There are many
reasons for the decline; some- of them lie in the fact that certain
industries, predominantly Jewish, are not as prosperous today
as they were in the early post-war years . . . A good deal of
philanthropic money has also been siphoned off in the last few
years by building funds for Jewish hospitals, • Jewish centers and
other American Jewish institutions . . . Some large Jewish con-
tributors have also reduced their contribution, claiming that
there are no more Jewish refugees in Europe and that the Jewish
communities there have stablized themselves . . However, Jews
in America are now contributing so much more for Jewish needs
than they did in the pre-war years that there can be no compari-
son between the sums . . And JDC work in various countries
throughout the world is still of such proportions as to provoke
admiration and respect for Jews from non-Jews . . . Not to speak
of the funds which American Jewry is raising for Israel • . The
10 post-war years of giving have planted in American Jews the
deep feeling of the need for giving generously for Jewish causes
. . . As compared with non-Jewish individual giving, the Jews are
the largest contributors in the. United States . . . It should not
be forgotten that in addition to contributing to Jewish causes,
they are also generously. contributing to general - causes . . . This,
despite the fact that the income of so-called well-to-do Jews in
this country is considerably smaller than the income of non-Jews
in the same category.
Washington Views
The - United States Government- is watching with interest
preparations in Israel for the parliamentary elections which will
take place in July .. . . The.State Department is of the opinion
that the . left:-Wing elements in Israel allied with the Communist
Party 'have. lost "considerable" ground . . . In the opinion of the
State Department, those in Israel who advocate cooperation with
the Communists have been outnumbered by the influx of more
recent immigrantS, the majority of whom joined _Other parties , .
State Department experts also assert that ther extreme left in
Israel ,is also shrinking in numbers as its former .adherents become
aware of the real nature of ComMunism . ..• ; The picture of
Communism in Israel as drawn by State Department experts is
as follows . . . Among earlier arrivals in Israel were those who
drew their political philosophy in part from. the 19th century
revolutionary movements • . Many of them had known privation
and persecution under the Czars, and they watched with interest
the coming of a new regime in Russia . . .- Cut off from direct
contact with the harsh realities of Soviet Communism, their ideo-
logical sytnpathies continued
. . The post :War wave of immigra-
tion brought a different type of settler to.
• Recruited
largely from among displaced persons, many: of them came to
Israel from Western Europe, not in groups eager to test the
validity of a social theory, but as individuals seeking a place of
refuge ... Also among them were thousands who had a first-hand
knowledge of Soviet-style Communism from their experiences in
Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and other satellite areas
. . Communists in Israel made at least one desperate attempt
to gain Converts fron al:acing the newcomers . . They flooded the
resettletnent camps with booklets and other reading material .. .
However, this - has been.. offset by a sufficient quantity of balanced
reading materials from the United States . . . More than $3,000,000
worth of Aniericari publications have been sold in Israel, and their
Rabbis from all areas in Mich-
igan participated last Monday
in the Conference on Interreli-
gious Relationships, sponsored
by the Michigan Regional Ad-
visory Board of Bnai Brith's
Anti-Defamation League.
The meeting, held at Hillel
Foundation, Michigan State Uni-
versity, featured discussions of
various aspects of interreligious
relations and cooperation with
non-Jewish commities.
Institute chairmen were Rabe
bis Frank F. Rosenthal and Max
Kapustin, of Detroit,_Josef Krat-
zenstein, of Bay City, and San-
ford Saperstein, of Pontiac.
Rabbi Arthur Gilbert, national
director of ADL's department_on
interreligious cooperation, was
luncheon speaker and resource
person.
The Lansing Chapter of Bnai
Brith Women, served as hostes-
ses at the parley, while Rabbi
Philip. Frankel, Hillel director at impact, lagst,ip c re asekl • mspec,t, or, -the- .cpl-tAir al ,iv.albu es of ;the, United
was discussion leader.. •
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