General Zionists in Third Place

A Splendid Autobiography

Leaders Speculate on Sound Drubbing
In Israel's Election and on Herues Success

(Copyright, 1955, by the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

TEL AVIV (JTA)—With virtu-
ally all ballots, except those cast
by members of the armed serv-
ices on active duty, counted, the
Mapai Party's total in the Knes-
set elections stood at 32 percent
of the votes, plus another 2.7
percent cast for two Arab parties
affiliated with the Labor Party.
The Herut, now the second
strongest party in the country,
has captured over 13 percent of
the vote, better than doubling
its strength. The General Zion-
ists moved into third place with
11 percent and the Religious
Front, composed of the Mizrachi
and Labor Mizrachi parties, stand
at 9.5 percent. The Leachduth
Avodah captured 8 percent of
the vote while the Mapam ended
up with 7 percent. The Agudah
has 5 percent, the Progressives
4.6 percent and the Communists,
4 percent. The other slates re-
ceived less than 1 percent of the
total and, under the constitution,
are not entitled to seats in the
120-member Parliament.
The anticipated distribution of
seats in the Knesset is: Mapai,
40; Mapai-affiliated Arab parties
4; Herut, 16; General Zionists,
14; Religious Front, 12; Agudah,
6; Leachduth Avodah, 10; Ma-
pam, 8; Progressives, 5; Com-
munists, 5.
Commenting on the drubbing
which his party took, Dr. Peretz
Bernstein, former Minister of
Trade and leader of the centrist
General Zionists, blamed the "un-
restrained attack" by all parties
on the General Zionists. He ex-
pressed disappointment in the
results and said he thought the
voters were "mistaken in their
judgment."
Arieh Ben Eliezer, Her u t
spokesman, jubilantly called the
gains of his party a "voters' re-
volt," predicted that from here
on the Mapai would decline in
power and insisted that the elec-
tion results were an indication of
the general feeling of insecurity
and isolation of Israel. He said
that on the basis of the results
the party would intensify its ac-
tivities in the Zionist federations
of all countries and would seek
to capture the Zionist movement.
Golda Myerson, Mapai's Labor
Minister, expressed concern over
the Herut's gaining of 7 percent-
age points. She blamed General
Zionists. and Leachduth Avodah
attacks on the last Mapai-led
government for the victory of the
' rightists.
. In the municipal elections,
which took place simultaneously,
the Mapai in Tel Aviv was re-
ported as having increased its
lead over the General Zionists
who have held the post of mayor
for decades. Evening papers re-
ported that Golda Myerson, can-
didate of the Mapai, may become
the Mayor of Tel Aviv with the
support of a coalition among the
Mapai, Mizrachi groups and
Agudas Israel.
In Haifa, the Mapai won 8
seats in the municipality, the
General Zionists 3, Herut 2,

Leachduth Avodah 2, while the
Religious Bloc, Agudah, Com-
munist Party and Sephardic
group secured one seat each.
Without waiting for the final
results, a date was fixed for the
opening of the new Parliament.
The Knesset will open on Aug. 16
and will elect a Speaker and a
Deputy Speaker, after which it
will adjourn until after the High
Holidays. Premier Sharett has,
in the meantime, left on a short
vacation. Upon his return, nego-
tiations will be started for the
formation of a new Cabinet.
Pro- Anti-Mapai Settlers Clash
More than 50 persons were in-
jured in a clash between sup-
porters of the Mapai, Israel's
Labor Party, and opponents of
the party. The fight took place
between families residing in an
immigrant camp in Tiberias.
Several of the injured were tak-
en to a hospital, a number were
arrested. The police imposed a
curfew on the camp.
Talks on the composition of
the new Israel Cabinet were
started between David Ben-Gur-
ion and Moshe Sharett, Mapai
leaders, on one hand, and Moshe
Shapiro, leader of the Religious
Bloc, on the other. The outgoing
cabinet will officially resign on
Aug. 16, when the new Parlia-
ment convenes.
Summarizing the results at

a meeting of Mapai leaders,

David Ben-Gurion said that as
a citizen of Israel, he was full
of anxiety--altbough from his
party's point of view he was
not worried. He explained his
attitude by saying that the
Mapai's status remained un-
changed in that it would be
impossible for any govern-
ment to be formed without
Mapai participation.
Turning to a discussion of the
big gain registered by the right-
ist Herut party, Mr. Ben-Gurion
likened it to foam. He said "it
would disappear as it appeared,
because there is no fear of fas-
cism ever succeeding to the lead-
ership of Israel."
The results of the municipal
elections in Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv are: In Jersalem, Mapai
won six seats in the municipal
council; Herut, four; Agudah
and Poale Agudah, three; Miz-
rachi. and Poale Mizrachi, three;
Progressives, two; General Zion-
ists, Mapam, and a slate of the
Women's International Zionist
Organization, one each.
The distribution of seats in
Tel Aviv showed that Mapai had
come up with 10 places; General
Zionists, eight; Herut, five; Miz-
rachi and Poale Mizrachi, two;
and Leachduth Avodah, two;
Agudah, Mapam, Progressives
and Communists, one each.

World Congress Files Still Aid
Restoration of Jewish Family Life

Ten years ago the World Jew- And many m or e dramatic
ish Congress initiated its Euro- stories of recent days could be
pean Tracing Office in London added.
to search for Jewish survivors
The WJ Congress, which is a
and victims of Nazi persecution. spokesman for Jewish communi-
ties in 60 lands, originally was
Today, "Operation Find the established to fight discrimina-
Facts" is still on, having handled tion and to defend Jewish rights,
over a half million inquires from but at the end of 1944, a dis-
all over the world. For many placed persons division was es-
who had asked, "Can you help tablished to help restore broken
me find my relatives, my friends, families.
there was only an ominous little
Results at first proceeded at
note: "We regret to inform you
a slow pace. Entire communi-
•• •
ties had been wiped out and
But, more than 130,000 in-
records were completely de-
quiries have been cleared, and
stroyed. By the end of 1946,
of these tens of thousands re-
conditions had improved, and
ceived the good news that
the Red Cross transferred all
members of their family or
its inquires on missing Jews to
their friends were still alive.
the London office of WJC. La-
Two brothers in Israel find ter, the United Nations Relief
and Rehabilitation Agency did
their sister in Ales, France; a Lat-
vian Jew, in South Africa since the same.
A tabluated index, comprising
1900, has lost trace of his brother,
but although the brother is no 1,200,000 cards has been compiled
longer alive, his daughter reads and stands as a reference with
a search note in a local paper; both information and inquiries.
a Jewish lady in Istanbul finds It will serve for many years as
a relative in England, another in a guide in the restoration of Jew-
Johannesburg.
ish life.

,

Local Israel Investors Show Profit
In Rock-Crushing Enterprise

A group of Detroit investors,
who formed the Rock Products
Corp. in Israel, this week an-
nounced receipt of a check for
$60,000 covering the first year's
guarantee in operation of its

Bonds Increase Workshop Production

=b.

Israel rock-crushing plant.
The firm, in operation for four
years, merged only last year with
another - Israel company — Even
Vasid—which owns four quarries,
forming the new firm of Israel-
American Aggregates, Inc.
With five working quarries in
all, the company in its first year
of consolidated operation showed
a profit of 445,000 Israel pounds,
the equivalent of $247,000 in
U. S. dollars.
Alfred A. May, president, and
William R. Roth and David Saf-
ran, vice-presidents, compose the
operating committee.
A majority of the profits will
be returned to the industry to-
ward the retirement of its debt
and for expansion of quarries.
The latter includes the purchase
of new conveyors, trucks and
other equipment. -
The rock-crushing plant pro-
vided material in building the
Sdom Beersheba road a lm o s t
three years ago, and was instru-
mental in reducing the cost of
building through the introduc-
tion of modern machines and
methods.
When the firm started opera-
tions, crushed rock sold for $8
a pound. The price has been re-
duced to a low of $2.80 for the
rock.

-

-

With the assistance of investment capital from the sale of Israel
Development Bonds, these Israeli craftsmen of Shlagman's Art
Metal Works in Jerusalem fashion intricate giftware for export
markets, including the United States, Canada, England, Holland,
Denmark and Belgium. Shlagman's is one of hundreds of Israeli
workshops which have been built and expanded with the aid of
Irael Bond invesments, the gap between the country's current
(5 trade deficit and its ultimate goal of self-sufficiency is being
reduced.

20—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, August 5, 1953

Sir Jacob Epstein's Story

"Epstein: An Autobiography".
is a remarkable story. It is a
record of the great career of Sir
Jacob Epstein, one of the out-
standing artists of our time, whose

—Photo Courtesy Detroit Times

SIR JACOB EPSTEIN

sculptural works will be talked
about for generations to come.
This book, published by E. P.
Dutton & Co. (300 4th, NY10), is
more than an autobiography: it
is a deep study of men and
women, an artist's exposition of
human reactions, a noted person-
ality's experiences with critics
who often are brutally unfair.
Epstein's Biblical themes, his
"Christ" and - the furor that was
created by it, his interpretative
busts, his heads of eminent per-
sonalities — Einstein, Weizmann,
Churchill, Shaw, Robeson, Ta-
gore, and so very many more
that they are too numerous to
mention—offer an amazing story
of one man's creative abilities.
He remains a controversial fig-
ure. Fearless, in his idea about
art as well as his views on hu-
man reactions to his art, he is
often involved in public discus-
sions and is frequently the target
of critics. But he emerges always
the man whose perceptions are
respected: in the long run, his
sincerity triumphs.
• * *
Even his views on his Jewish
background may invite criticisms.
It is evident from his literary
self-portrait that he was never
much concerned about his re-
ligious heritage. He was born on
the East Side of New York, his
parents "came to America on one
of those great waves of immi-
gration that followed persecu-
tion and pogroms in Czarist Rus-
sia and Poland," he went through
the compulsory routines of get-
ting a "Jewish" education, had a
dislike for the synagogue but
took a liking to the Yiddish
theater and its actors.
Like so many Jewish boys of
his time, who later rose to world
fame, he recalls the dangers that
were involved in a Jew's passing
through the Irish quarter, for
"that meant fights with the gangs
of that quarter: the children of
Irish immigrants." Jewish immi-
grants had to hurry to get away
from "the hoots and jeers of
hooligans" by "finding refuge
amongst friends and relatives."
But Jacob found much to in-
trigue him—among the , colored
people, in the parks, in his read-
ing of the classics.
* * *
While he describes the syna-
gogue as "a place of ennui," the
wailing prayers getting on his
nerves, he nevertheless was in-
terested in the people around
him. Although he writes that "I
was confirmed at the age of 13
in the usual manner, but how I
got through this trying ordeal I
cannot now imagine," he never-
theless speaks reverently about
the picturesque Passover festival
and he writes:

"The earnestness and sim-
plicity of the old Polish Jewish
manner of living has much
beauty in it, and an artist could
make it the theme Of very fine
works."

"My people were not, as has
been stated, poor. On the con-
trary, they were fairly well off,
and as the family was large I
saw a great deal of Jewish ortho-
dox life, traditional and narrow.
As my thoughts were elsewhere,
this did not greatly influence me,
but I imagine that the feeling I
have for expressing a human
point of view, giving human
rather than abstract implications
to my work, comes from these
early formation years. I saw so
much that called for expression
that I can draw upon it now if
I wish to."
* * *
Faced by anti-Semitism, Sir
Jacob wrote this interesting
comment on a bigoted article
which appeared In the London
New Age in February 1924: "It
will be seen that hatred of and
propaganda against the Jews in
Art is of no recent growth. I, for
the life of me, cannot see why
my bronzes in this exhibition
were peculiarly Jewish, - any more
than the works of Rembrandt,
and he is certainly not con-
demned for his Jewish subject
matter. I remember that Midigli-
ani was intensely proud of his
Jewish origin, and would con-
tend with absurd vehemence that
Rembrandt was Jewish. He gave
as his reason that Rembrandt
must have been Jewish on ac-
count of his profound humanity."
He proceeds to show how in the
New Age article "Aryanism has
run amuck." He reprints the en-
tire article, which vilified him, in
his book—thus showing a sense
of fairness—and declares: "This
astonishing tirade might have
been written in Nazi Germany
.. Einstein said to me when I
worked for him that it was only
the Nazis who had made him
conscious of his Jewish origin.
This pernicious racialism in art
should be forever banished."
* * *

.-

Sir Jacob Epstein recalls many
anecdotes about the great men
for whom he worked to produce
his sculptures. About Albert Ein-
stein he writes:
"I worked for two hours every
morning, and at the first sitting
the Professor was so surrounded
with tobacco smoke from his
pipe that I saw nothing. At the
second sitting I asked him to
smoke in the interval. Einstein's
manner was full of charm and
bonhomie. He enjoyed a joke and
had many a jibe at the Nazi Pro-
fessors, one hundred of whom in
a book had condemned his
theory. 'Were I wrong,' he said,
`one Professor would have been
quite enough.' Also, in speaking
of Nazis, he once said: `I thought
I was a Physicist, I did not bother
about being a Jew until Hitler
made me conscious of it'."
Many, many charming stories
and impressive reactions about
the world's great people will be
found in "Epstein: An Autobiog-
raphy." It is a book well worth
reading.

Jacob Epstein to Design
Medals in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — Sir
Jacob Epstein, Great Britain's
foremost Jewish sculptor, has ar-
rived in this city to begin
preparations for two medals he
has been commissioned to design
by the City of Philadelphia. The
medals, for which he will be
paid $1,950, will be presented
next Jan. 17 to a man and
woman "who have done the most
for the world in the course of
the past ten years."
Epstein, whose three massive
statues, "Social Consciousness,"
stand in front of the Philadelphia
Art Museum, pored over various
pictures and busts of Benjamin
Franklin, whose likeness must
appear on the medals along with
the inscriptions, "For Outstand-
ing Service to All Mankind" and
"In Memory of Benjamin Frank-
lin."
During his visit he inspected
his statues before the Art Mu-
seum; which have been a source
of controversy in this city. Some
critics claim they are too gro-
tesque to stand in Fairmount
Park, for which they were or-
dered. Sir Jacob, 74, was knight-

He mentions many of the fam-
ous Jewish actors and play-
Nvrights, some of whom he had
drawn, including Jacob Adler,
Jacob Gordon, Kessler, Mosco-
witch, Moritz Rosenfeld, Lessin.
He makes this confessional about
his attitude to his family:
ed last year. •

