Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Harry S. Truman Excoriates the 'Striped Pants Boys'
In one of the first installments of his Memoirs, published in the
New York Times, former President Harry S. Truman made reference
to a visit at the White House, on April 20, 1945, of the late Dr.
Stephen S. Wise, who, as the then chairman of the American Zionist
Emergency Council, "came in to talk to me about the Jewish victims
of Nazi persecution and the serious problem of the resettlement of
the refugees, which led naturally to a discussion of a proposed
Jewish state and homeland in Palestine."
Mr. Truman proceeded to present his viewpoints on Zionist as-
pirations, as follows:
"Since I was in agreement with the expressed policy of the
Roosevelt Administration on Palestine, I told Rabbi Wise that I
would do everything possible to carry out that policy. I had care-
fully read the Balfour Declaration in which Great Britain was
committed to a homeland in Palestine for the Jews. I had famili-
arized myself with the history of the question of a Jewish
homeland and the position of the British and the Arabs. I was
skeptical, as I read over the whole record up to date, about some
of the views and attitudes assumed by the 'striped pants boys' in
the State Department. It seemed to me that they didn't care enough
about what happened to the thousands of displaced parsons who
were involved. It was my feeling that it would be possible for us
to watch out for the long-range interests of our country while, at
the same, time, helping these unfortunate victims of persecution
to find a honie. And before Rabbi Wise left, I believe I made this
clear to him."
This reference to the State Department's "striped pants boys"
may delight many people; but it will amaze many more. During Mr.
Truman's administration, American Jewry found it necessary to
condemn the actions of the State Department and to address appeals
against the Department's inconsistencies directly to the President.
Mr. Truman himself often was found to be impatient when Zionist
delegations came to him. He wasn't able always to countermand the
actions of the State Department, and many of our people often were
in a quandary as to the actual position he was taking to assure
justice for Israel.
It is an established fact, however, that Mr. Truman, in the long
run, came through with flying colors favorable to Israel. It may well
be said that he was one of the leading factors in the rebirth of Israel
—and Jewish history will record this fact indelibly.
But the "striped - pants boys" emerged again and again, after
Israel's independence, as obstructive elements in the quest for peace
in the Middle East and in the striving for Israel's economic inde-
pendence. At this point, the State Department once again is playing
a vital role in the Middle Eastern security program. George V.
Allen's hurried trip to Cairo to deal with the problem is being
watched with keenest interest—and with the earnest hope that not
the "striped pants," but the sincere desire for peace will dominate
the scene.
Yom Kippur in Moscow: Harry Schwartz's Report
Harry Schwartz, the New York Times authority on Russian
affairs, whose report on Holy Day services in Warsaw was quoted
at length by us, was in Moscow for Yom Kippur. He gave an
interesting account, in a cable to the New York Times, of his
experiences there. He told of 5,000 persons who tried to crowd
into the Moscow Ceritrar Synagogue whose c apacity does not
exceed 2,000, and reported that for more than 100 yards the street
near the synagogue was filled with those who were unable to
enter. On a smaller scale, Moscow's three synagogues on Lermontov
street also were crowded.
Outside the Central Synagogue, people chatted or read the
prayer books which they had wrapped in the Communist news-
papers Pravda or Izvestia, and one man commented, "It is better
to be here in the street - outside the synagogue on Yom Kippur
than to forget this holy day." This is most revealing as an indica-
tion of nostalgic Jewish associations even in the Soviet Union.
Mr. Schwartz's report is of such great importance, in view of
the uncertain position of Jews in Russia, that we wish to share
it with our readers. He cabled to his newspaper:
Inside the Central Synagogue, a tightly jammed throng prayed
in traditional fashion while a cantor chanted the Yom Kippur
service calling for forgiveness of last year's sins. Many men wore
prayer shawls. The altar was brilliantly lighted with fluorescent
tubes and candles.
Most persons at the two synagogues visited today were
elderly, but • a few younger persons and children and one Soviet
Army officers attended the service. A policeman tried to keep
the street open to traffic.
Many persons -spoke Yiddish and Russian alternately. In
answer to a question some persons said they were praying for
the recovery of President Eisenhower. Pravda carried an account
of his illness this morning as well as the text of messages from
Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin and Marshall Kliment A. Voroshilov,
Soviet chief of state.
"Very few of our children know anything about Judaism,"
one woman said. "My 10-year-old son, for example, gets no re-
ligious training but he knows he is a Jew."
Moscow is believed to have between 300,000 and 500,000 Jews.
Judaism, like other religions here, is faced by the general Marxist
attitude of the Communist party, which regards religion of any
kind as false. The party spreads extensive atheist propaganda
through schools, radio, books and other media.
Interviewed several days ago, the head of the Moscow reli-
gious community, Rabbi Solomon M. Schlifer, said he hoped a
Yeshiva (religious school) might be opened soon to train young
rabbis.
The rabbi said he estimated the number of Jews in the Soviet
Union at 3,000,000. There are more than 100 congregations, he
added.
In another cable to the New York Times, from Bucharest,
Romania, Jack Raymond reported that 100,000 Jews, out of Bu-
'charest's 250,000, observed Yom Kippur. Mr. Raymond's report
stated in part:
Worshippers at today's services wore their best clothes. They
seemed fairly well dressed. Thera were many young men and
women and some children amogn them. The rabbi at one syna-
a gogue delivered a lengthy sermon in Romanian.
Most Romanian Jews are Yiddish-speaking. Yiddish culture
and language appear to have been maintained.
A Yiddish newspaper ceased publication three years ago,
but there is a flourishing Yiddish theater in the capital and in
Jassy. The theater here runs eight months a year and seems to
draw a substantial attendance.
While it is true that the few thousands who clamored for
admission into Moscow synagogues represent only a small percent-
age of the population of nearly half a million Jews, it is an indica-
tion that the traditional shearith Israel—the remnant of Israel—upon
whom we can always depend for Judaism's survival functions also
in the Soviet Union and the USSR's sateiite countries. This may
be a warning to us never to write off any Jewish community
as dead or expiring.
Home for Aged 4o Lay Cornerstone Oct. 30
For Infirmary Wing, In Memory Of LeVines
Cornerstone laying ceremonies
for the David M. and Freda G.
LeVine Infirmary Wing of the
Jewish Home for Age,., will be
held in conjunction with the
Home's 49th annual meeting,
Sunday, Oct. 30, 11 a. m., on the
grounds of the Home, Burlin-
game at Petoskey, Gus D. New-
man, president, announced.
Marking one of the first steps
forward in developing adequate
facilities for the chronically ill
aged, construction of the 120-
bed addition is being made pos-
sible by joint action of the Jewish
and general community.
Sidney J. Allen, chairman of
the Home's executive committee
and building committee, noted
that the board of the Home de-
cided to name the building in
memory of the late Mr. and Mrs.
David LeVine who had devoted
themselves to years of philan-
thropic deeds and had made the
Jewish Home for Aged one of
their chief interests. David M.
LeVine served for many years on
the board of the Home, and his
wife, Freda, was a leader in the
Home's Ladies Auxiliary. Their
sons, Daniel and Sol, and daugh-
ter, Mrs. Lillian Waller, as well
as other members of the family,
will be at the ceremonies to re-
ceive the tribute to their parents.
The largest single grant from
an individual for the $1,008,000
building came from a $250,000
bequest of the Freda G. Le-
Vine Foundation. The capital
needs committee of the Jewish
Welfare Federation recom-
mended that the bequest,
which was to be used for
health purposes, be allocated
for the Infirmary Wing along
with a balancing grant of $58,-
000 from Allied Jewish Cam-
paign funds.
Two years previously, the
capital needs committee had made
available $400,000 to the Jewish
Home for Aged from campaign
funds to enlarge its central facili-
ties to accommodate the ,antici-
pated extension. The "funds were
used to build a new boiler room,
to increase the dining area, to
provide a staff dining room and
to construct two completely new
kitchens. Ira I. Sonnenblick,
executive director of the Home,
reported that the new central
facilities are adequate to enable
the Home to accommodate at
least 325 residents, 100 in the
day-care program, and a staff of
200.
The Metropolitan Detroit
Building Fund voted the allo-
cation of $700,000 for the new
wing of the Home, citing the
Home as Detroit's outstanding
program for the aged and the
one which already had plans
on the drawing board to meet
Dr. Goldmann Hits
Indemnification Lag
NEW YORK (JTA)—Dr. Na-
hum Goldmann, president of the
Conference on Jewish Material
Claims Against Germany, has
asked Dr. Heinrich von Bren-
tano, West Germany's Foreign
Minister, to convey to his gov-
ernment the conference's deep
concern over the slow pace of
settlement of the claims filed by
Nazi victims.
Dr. Goldmann invited Dr.
Brentano, West German Under-
secretary of State Walter Hall-
stein, and their aides to meet
with conference leaders repre-
senting 22 major Jewish or-
ganizations and Abba Eban, Is-
rael Ambassador to the United
States.
He stressed the need for early
enactment of a law for the dis-
charge of restitution liabilities
of the former German Reich and
of the amendments proposed to
the existing Federal Indemnifi-
cation Law.
He expressed satisfaction with
the smooth operation of the
Bonn-Israel reparations agree-
ment. On the other hand, he
said, it was unfortunate that
there was such an extended lag
in the implementation of the
Federal Indemnification L a w,
and in adopting the proposed
amendments for improvement of
the law.
the community's pressing lack
of facilities to serve the bed-
ridden aged.
The addition to the Home is
part of the overall master plan
approved by the Federation Capi-
tal Needs Committee, "under the
chairmanship of Max J. Zivian,
that has been giving priority
consideration to the expansion of
capital facilities for six member
agencies of Federation: Fresh
Air Society. (Camp Tamarack),
Jewish C o in m u n it y Center,
Jewish Home for Aged, Jewish
Social Service Bureau, Sinai
Hospital and United Hebrew
Schools.
Two other agencies will re-
ceive grants from the Metropoli-
tan Detroit Building Fund. The
Jewish Community Center has
been allotted $590,00C for two
new branches and for the al-
ready-completed gymnasium on
the Dexter-Davison Branch; and
$375,000 will be allocated for .a
new North End Clinic out-patient
service on the grounds of Sinai
Hospital.
Miss Shoshan, Israeli Singer, Joins
Reuther, Zuckerman at Jubilee Dinner
Shoshana Shoshan, billed as the is a Sabra, a native-born Israeli,
Israeli Nightingale, will be fea- whose repertoire includes folk
tured on the program arranged songs, light opera and arias from
operatic compositions.
After studying music abroad,
she returned to Israel where she
appeared b e f ore enthusiastic
audiences. She also has delighted
audiences in the United States
and Canada.
Reuther will be making his
first public address since return-
ing from Israel as a member of
a labor mission which visited
Histadrut - operated industries
and buildings.
Zuckerman, chairman of the
newly-created Labor Zionist As-
sembly of America and a con-
temporary of such noted Labor
Zionists as Nachman Syrkin and
Ber Borochov, is a member of
Zuckerman
Miss Shoshan
the Jewish Agency Executive.
in conjunction with a dinner
Prominent local and national
marking the 50th Jubilee Year
communal leaders also will par-
of Labor Zionism in America.
ticipate in• the program, which
Miss Shoshan will appear to-
is part of the nationwide cele-
gether with Walter Reuther,
bration of Labor Zionism's 50th
president of the UAW-CIO, and
year in America.
Boruch Zuckerman, dean of the
Phyllis Pincus, chairman. of
Labor Zionist Organization of
America, at the dinner, sched- the arrangements committee, an-
uled for 6:30 p.m., Oct. 18, in the nounces that dinner r_eservations
may be made at the LZO office,
Statler Hotel.
A member of the Israeli Folk 3287 W. Davison, or by calling
Opera Company, Miss Shoshan TO. 9-8710.
Between
You
and Me
Washington Notes
Some officials in Washington who chided Israel for spending
"a lot of money drilling for oil on a wildcat basis" will feel pretty
embarrassed now that oil has been discovered in Israel, after all .
Drilling for oil and prospecting for metals were described by these
officials as "the debit side" of Israel's development program . . .
But a few days after their report was submitted to Congress—even
before members of Congress had had the opportunity to read it—
the news came that Israel had struck oil . . . These very same
Washington experts also said in their report that-while some cop-
per, iron, manganese and other metals had been found in Israel,
the indications were that the mines could not be worked commer-
cially . . . There will be little wonder if their opinion of mining in
Israel proves to be just as erroneous as the opinion on oil . . . All
in all, the report is far from being critical of Israel, even though
it asserts that at one time the Israel government was faced with
meeting letters of credit and other commitments which it did not
even know existed . . . The commitments had been made by the
Ministry of Defense and other Israel officials on their own respon-
sibility and without immediately reporting them, the Washington
officials said . . . They had a lot of praise for "the strong will, drive,
energy, imagination and capacity for hard work" of the people of
Israel And they pay a special compliment to the Israel Pur-
chasing Mission in New York saying that the group is composed of
"very tough traders" who are completely realistic ... However, at
the same time, they claim that "Israel is in effect a labor state,
where the largest capital accumulations are in the hands of the labor
union" and that this has a "retarding effect" in the development of
the country . . . They state quite frankly that the U.S. must not
feel that Arrierican aid has built up Israel to what it is today . . .
They explain that while part of the American "grant-in-aid" dollars
has gone into large projects in Israel in the form of equipment, the
projects them-selves were financed by Israel and by funds coming
from American Jewry . . . Citing the Yarkon-Negev irrigation pro-
ject as an example, the officials drew attention to the fact that few
completed projects in Israel "can be considered monuments to
United States aid."
Communal Affairs
The Hadassah, which this week opened its own five-story
building in New York and presented a check for $1,000,000 to
Israel, intends to make October a real "Hadassah Month" . . . It
will inaugurate next week a nation-wide membership campaign to
enroll an additional 100,000 members and boost the Hadassah mem-
bership to 400,000 . . . This month, too, it will hold its national
convention in Chicago to formulate a new program of action . . .
Hadassah is one of the most active Jewish organizations in the
United States . . . It raises more than $9,000,000 a year, most of
which is spent for work in Israel . . .To its convention last year
Hadassah came with assets totalling $12,873,000 . . . The assets
included large deposits- in Israel banks and $8,800,000 in securities
. . . Hadassah's broad objective is to introduce American standards
and techniques to Israel in medicine, social services, vocational
training and physical rehabilitation of children . . . It conducts
a comprehensive health and social welfare program in Israel . . .
At the same time, it also promotes Zionist and Jewish education
in the United States and encourages and supports Jewish youth
activities . . The size of its national staff in the United States
is about 100 . . . Hadassah is the official representative in the U.S.
of the Youth Aliyah movement, under auspices of the Jewish
2—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Agency . As-- such it has helped resettle and rehabilitate over
Friday, October 7, 1955
70,000 Jewish young refugees from 72 lands.