1954 Stephen Wise Award Winners
Around the World . .
A digest of current worldwide news reported by the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency.
Recipients of the 1954 Stephen Wise Awards
as announced by Dr. Israel Goldstein, president
of the American Jewish Congress, which grants
the annual awards, were: Elmer Davis (left),
news analyst and author, for his "courageous de-
fense of civil liberties;" Louis Lipsky (right), vet-
eran Zionist leader, for "dedicated service to the
Jewish people;" Prof. Franz Boehm (center), dis-
Britain Continues
To Handle German
}
Interests in Israel
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
JERUSALP.M—B ritain will
continue to represent German
interests in Israel for the next
several months, until the prob-
lem of German-Israel relations
will come into shape, now that
Germany has again become a
sovereign nation, it was stated
here Tuesday.
Israel's interests in Germany.
are taken care of by the Israel
Purchasing Mission in Cologne.
The possibility of establishing
diplomatic relation's with Ger-
many is for the time being not
being discussed here, since it is
understood that the West Ger-
man government will not press
Israel for establishment of such
relations and will be satisfied to
have Britain continue to take
care of Germany's interests here.
Tunis Opens State
Positions to Jews
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
TUNIS—A number of Jewish
youths will be given training in
various branches of the Tunisi-
an police force, it was learned
here last week end. Previously,
no Jews were admitted to po-
lice force posts.
At the same time, Tunisian
Council President A. Tahan Ben
Ammar issued instructions that
applications by Jews for posts
in the new Tunisian administra-
tion be proceSsed as quickly as
possible, and that where the ap-
plications are considered satis-
factory the posts should be made
available to them.
28
—
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 13, 1955
tinguished German Christian Democrat who
played the decisive role in Jewish material
claims on Germany, for his "untiring efforts to
combat anti-Semitism and to make his fellow-
Germans aware of their obligations to the Jew-
ish people," and to Yale University (coat of
arms, extreme right) for promoting Jewish schol-
arship through its publication of Judaica Series.
Threat to Jewish Family Life,
Education Needs, Reviewed at
Conservative Rabbis' Convention
The foundations of Jewish
home life in this country are
being threatened as never be-
fore by divorce, intermarriage,
indifference, ignorance a n d
immorality, it was reported at
the 55th annual convention of
The Rabbinical Assembly of
America, h e 1 d
at Hotel Mo-
raine, Highland
Park, Ill.
Another s i g-
nificant report
delivered at theafisr
convent i o n of
the nati onal7t:
association of
600 spiritual
leaders a f M-
ated with Con-
servative Juda-
ism, d i s close&
that while
there has been
a noticeable in-
crease in reli- Rabbi Halpern
gious education for Jewish
youth everywhere in the nation,
the severe shortage of certified
teachers and principals poses a
grave danger to the future of
American Jewry.
The 300 rabbis who attended
the convention re-elected Rabbi
Harry Halpern of the East Mid-
wood Jewish Center, Brooklyn,
N.Y., to his second term as pres-
ident.
Jewish Family Life Threatened
In line with the Rabbinical
Assembly's long-range interest
in strengthening Jewish family
life, which was demonstrated
last year when the group
adopted the revised Ketubah
(Jewish marriage contract) and
made provisions for the estab-
lishment of a National Beth Din
(Jewish court), one of whose
functions would be to undertake
a practical program of marriage
counseling, Rabbi Reuben M.
Katz of Freeport, Long Island,
chairman of the Assembly's
Commission on Marriage and
the Family, expressed the con-
tinuing concern of the rabbis
who deal with daily problems of
congregants.
"The foundations of Jewish
home life in this country are
being threatened as never be-
fore by divorce, intermarriage,
indifference, ignorance and im-
morality," Rabbi Katz said. "We
are aware that there are
trends damaging our traditional
home life and the:' disturb us
deeply. To conteract them, we
need positive action on our part
in order to keep the ideals of
Jewish family life alive and
apparent to our people, partic-
ularly at this time."
Strides in Jewish Education
Several convention sessions
were devoted to an appraisal of
the status and future of Jewish
education in America, as a part
of the tenth anniversary of the
United Synagogue's Commission
on Jewish Education. Rabbi
Josiah Derby, of Rego Park,
Long Island, chairman of the
Commission, reported that a re-
cent survey on the accomplish-
ments of Jewish education in
Conservative congregations re-
vealed that there has been an
overall increase in religious edu-
cation for Jewish youth every-
where.
"The major problem confront-
ing Jewish education today," he
said, "is the dearth of teach-
ing and administrative person-
nel. Unless more adequately
trained personnel are made
available, there is a graire dan-
ger that the excellent progress
that has been made will come
to a halt, if not receive a dam-
aging setback."
The convention pointed to the
"tragic error being committed
by America and her allies in en-
couraging sabre-rattling," by the
Arab League against Israel.
The Rabbinical Assembly, in
other actions, decried the "in-
humane and senseless" McCar-
ran-Walter Immigration Law
and endorsed the Lehman Im-
migration Bill; called for Fed-
eral aid to states for construct-
ing public schools, but added
that such funds should not be
made available to those states
practicing segregation; and
called for full and speedy im-
plementation of the Supreme
Court decision banning segre-
gation in the public-schools.
President Eisenhower was
praised by the rabbis for the
"restraining influence he has
exercised upon those in our
country who would solve the
present international impasse
by a resort to arms."
Solicitors Turn in Pledge Slips
Erect Jew Halifax Mayor
United States
NEW YORK—Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, just back from Israel,
proposed a 3-point plan to solve the Palestine problem: (1) for-
mation of a volunteer border patrol with members from nations
not directly involved, (2) reconsideration of the Johnston plan for
regional development of the Jordan River valley, (3) acceptance
by Israel of 100,000 Arab refugees if the Arab states will absorb
the remainder .. . The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies here
honored Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Salk, parents of Dr. Jonas Salk, with
a scroll naming them "Jewish parents of the year" ... Jewish
leaders joined their Protestant and Catholic counterparts in a
statement aimed at arousing the American people to "a greater
level of moral concern over the relation of American abundance
to world needs." ... The National Community Relations Advisory
Council called for the creation of local Jewish community rela-
tions councils representing all Jewish organizations and groups
"for the protection of equal rights and opportunities and the cre-
ation of conditions for vital Jewish living."
CHICAGO—$100,000 was presented here to Histadrut to build
a cold storage plant in Israel. The sum was raised at a testimonial
dinner for Patrick E. Gorman, secretary-treasurer of the Amal-
gamated Meat Cutters and Butchers Workmen of North America.
PHILADELPHIA—The local Allied Jewish Appeal and the Fed-
eration of Jewish Charities have appointed committees to explore
the possibility of merging the two organizations.
LOS ANGELES—An attempt to burn down the Beth Aaron
Synagogue here was blocked when an alarm was turned into a
nearby fire station.
MINNEAPOLIS—Two local Jewish couples who moved to
Jonesboro, Ark., where there are only 18 Jewish families, are ac-
tively developing Jonesboro's knowledge of Hebrew, Jewish music,
and the Torah.
United Nations
Israel has seven Iron ore deposits, one of which may contain
as much as 15,000,000 tons, according to the latest UN survey of
world iron resources . . . The U. S. Government was criticized for
lacking the "liberal spirit" in its immigration legislation in an
address by Arthur Greenleigh, executive director of United HIAS
Service, at a conference of non-governmental organizations inter-
ested in migration.
Israel
JERUSALEM—Premier Sharett hailed the bond between Is-
rael and the British people in a ceremony marking the planting of
the 250,000-tree Queen Elizabeth Coronation Forest. Funds for the
planting were raised by British Commonwealth Jews . . . Letters
received here from Romania state that—the Romanian Ministry
of Interior has begun accepting applications for exit visas from
Romanian Jews who wish to join members of their families in Is-
rael . .. Israel is working for admittance to the Middle East re-
gion section of the World Health Organization, a UN affiliate, by
asking every state with which she has diplomatic relations to vote
for her inclusion in the Middle East region, rather than the Eu-
ropean region, where she was placed last year because of Arab
attitudes.
Europe
BONN—The West German government has approved importa-
tion from Israel of $2,800,000 in citrus fruits, peanuts, peanut ker-
nels, and eggs—the largest authorization to date for imports from
the Jewish state.
COPENHAGEN—King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid of Den-
mark attended a concert of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,
currently touring Europe.
LONDON—Britain will continue to tell Iraq of its opposition
to an Iraqi regulation forbidding British Jews from landing by
plane on Iraqi soil, even when in transit to another country.
FRANKFURT—Dr. Gerhard Peters, German chemical manu-
facturer who sold postassium cyanide to the Auschwitz extermina-
tion camp, knowing that it was being used to murder masses of
Jews and other people, is facing a German court here for the
seventh time on war crimes charges. Although sentenced to six
years imprisonment, he has not served, and his case has been re-
opened on his own petition because of "new evidence."
PARIS—It was announcd that nearly one-third of the French
survivors of Nazi concentration camps have died since the war,
and the death rate among those remaining is alarmingly high
because of their sufferings during incarceration . . . Ugly scenes
occurred in Tunis when several Jewish shopkeepers failed to dec-
orate their windows in honor of the French Tunisian agreement
giving Tunis greater home rule.
TURIN—Vandals painted red swastikas on a monument lo-
cated next to the Turin Synagogue, honoring Jews murdered by
the Nazis.
GENEVA — The first Nansen Medal was presented to Mrs.
Roosevelt for her services to the humanitarian cause of aiding
refugees. The award was also given in consideration of President
Roosevelt's efforts in the same field.
ROME—Jack Augenblick was sworn in here as president last
week. However, he had been elected village president of South
Orange, New Jersey, not president of Italy! The village charter re-
quires the president to be sworn in within ten days of election, and
Augenblick took the oath at the American Embassy here.
Latin America
RIO DE JANEIRO—A meeting of some 5,000 persons marked
Israel's seventh independence anniversary. Chief speakers were
James G. MacDonald, first U. S. Ambassador to Israel, and Rabbi
Irving Miller, chairman of the American Zionist Council.
UJA Film Starring Fredric March
On WXYZ-TV This Sunday Evening
Screen actor Fredric March
has the starring role in the mo-
tion picture "None Shall Make
Them Afraid," a new United
Jewish Appeal documentary
film, which will be shown at 7:15
p.m., Sunday, May 15, on WXYZ-
TV, Channel 7.
The United Jewish Appeal is
the major beneficiary of funds
raised through the Allied Jewish
Campaign.
Produced in Hollywood, the
film is the dramatic story of the
Jewish plight in tension-ridden
North Africa, where more than
70,000 have applied for emigra-
HALIFAX, N.S., (JTA)—Leon-
ard A. Kitz, 39-year-old combat
SAM D. JACOBS, (left) chairman with Harry Barnett of veteran, has been elected Mayer
of Halifax, becoming the first
the Steel Section, Mechanical Trades Division, and HARVEY
Jew to hold that office. Kitz led
WILLENS, chairman of the Arts and Crafts Division, turn in the field of five candidates with
solicited pledge slips at . a recent Allied Jewish Campaign re a plurality of 2,000 votes out of a
port rally. Compiling results is IDA LEVINE.
total of over. 16 ;000.
tion to Israel,
-
1
"None Shall Make Them
Afraid" depicts life in a typical
North African ghetto, then shifts
to Israel for the final "home-
coming" of the new immigrants:
The film takes the viewer to
the ghettos of Morocco and Tu-
nisia, where thousands of Jews
eke out a bare living amidst un-
describable misery and hard-
ship. For many of them the
UJii is the only ray of hope in
an otherwise dark future. The
camera then follows the migra-
tion route to Israel and the sub-
sequent final resettlement in the
young Jewish state.