Purely Commentary

Impressive Gathering Inaugurates Israeli
Art Exhibition at Temple Israel; Lectures;
Group Visits Planned by Many Organizations

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

A Splendid Israeli Art Exhibition

A most impressive exhibition of the works of Israeli artists
can be seen at Temple Israel.
Miss Yurika Mann, the able director of the Jerusalem Art
Gallery, who has brought the paintings for the Detroit exhibi-
tion and who is supervising it here, has rendered a real service
by making it possible for our community to become acquainted
with creative Israeli efforts.
It is sincerely to be hoped that tens of thousands of De-
troiters will avail themselves of the opportunity, during the
coming three weeks, to attend the exhibit, to study the works of
Israeli artists, to purchase paintings for themselves or for pre,
sentation to public agencies in our state..

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Tuscaloosa: the Human Issue

Autherine Lucy is merely a symbol. She is the first Negro
to have been admitted to the University of Alabama, with the
result that the campus at Tuscaloosa is humming with conflicting
emotions.
As is customary in similar cases, outside forces have stepped
in and are attempting to destroy the democratic foundations of
our country. The mob has outnumbered the students.
That was the case. in Georgia, in the infamous Leo. Frank
Case _ , when mob overruled jury and judge and lawyers.
It was true in many lynchings, when law and order became
a sham and passions ruled the day.
This is how it is at Tuscaloosa, where a mob is attempting
to overrule the United State Supreme Court. .
The troubles are temporary. A mob can't stay the hands of
time or the rule of law and justice. ,It may take time, but the
dark elements in the South--and they are not the Negroes,--must
realize, as they will very soon, that laws are not made for groups
of one religion, . or one race, or for people Nazith a certain skin
coloration. 'Human laws are for all humanity. The South is
counted as a part of that humanity.
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A Notorious Convert's Anti-Zionist Campaign

David Goldstein, of Boston, is a notorious convert to Chris-
. tianity. He has advocated the proselytization of Jews. He has
'urged that his former coreligionists should follow his example,
that they abandon their faith and embrace Catholicism, - That,
of course, is his privilege. He has a platform—in his weekly
column in the Boston Catholic weekly, The Pilot. Equally, it is
our privilege to ignore him, as we do meshumadim who have
embraced other faiths and are conducting missionary campaigns.
But there is a difference in meshumadic attitudes. The record
'until now has - been that converts to Christianity, while glorying
in their new faiths, rejoiced over the realization of Prophecy
and the re-establishment of the State of Israel. To them, as to
all Christians of good will and of fair play, it meant that the
promises. of the restoration of Israel, contained in the Bible, the
all alike, A
have been
inspired messages whi.a are shared.
fulfilled; asnelharMe hialbric iritustia0of 1146iitelesiffifss fb all
entire people has ended.
Not so with David Goldstein. He is not satisfied with his
proselytizing efforts: he now has launched a campaign, in the
Pilot, against the Zionist movement, against Israel, against the
libertarians who claim as much of ,a right to freedom for the
small Jewish State as they would grant to Goldstein in Boston
or Rabbi Elmer Berger in Philadelphia. David Goldstein is the
newest acquisition of strength in the anti-Israel American -Coun-
cil for Judaism—a group that has earned for itself the inter-
pretation that it is neither a Council,.not American, not Jewish,
and that it is - not for anything constructive but against the
basically just idea inherent in Israel's rebirth. This Council has
aligned itself with the Arabs, with an anti-Israel "Friends of
Middle East" movement, with the latest Russian attack on Israel,
with the destructive activities of a New York Jewish publicity
man whose charge of "panic" in American Jewish ranks was
given undue notoriety in Time Magazine. Now this Council has
another ally: the convert Who writes for the Catholic Pilot.
David Goldstein has swallowed, hook, line and sinker, all the
arguments against Zionism, the Jerusalem internationalization
fables, the charge of a Jewish invasion in an article he entitled
"Zion Invasion of Palestine," and supplements them with quota-
tions from Elmer Berger's rantings. -
(An addendum to the "Rabbi" Elmer Berger fantasy: he
is not an ordinary Jew. We, the ordinary Jews, can only go
to Israel: our State Department has protested only a week ago
against the Arab states' discrimination in refusing visas to
Americans of the Jewish faith. But Elmer can and did get into
the Arab states: that was necessary so that he might return
to this free land to act as propagandist for the enemies of
Israel and as the mobilizer of hatred against Israel).
Israel has some very good friends among the Catholics, men
like Bartley Crum and scores of others, who know better than
to fall prey to the ,propaganda of- Jewish anti-Semites. Perhaps
they will speak up against Goldstein's attacks on Israel. .
All we can do, at the moment, while calling attention to the
rise of another Jewish anti-Israel, is to call to his attention an
article in one of the issues in which the Pilot published his
diatribes. In it, another convert from Judaism, Father John M'.
Oesterreicher, director of the Institute of Judaeo-Christian
Studies at Seton Hall University, is quoted as saying: "Unless
a Christian realizes God's providence for the Jewish people of
old . . . he loses the sense of wonderment . . . which are so
much a part of a deep faith." Advocating the idea that a know-
ledge of faith is dependent upon an understanding of Jewish
history, Fr. Oesterreicher spoke of the old Israelites as "the
Church in the making" and claimed that "we are Israel renewed."
By this he meant, of course, the Catholics; and his emphasis on
the "Jewish people of old" clearly had the intent of dissociating
himself—and his new Church—from the Jews of today.
Let their coreligionists judge such a view of justice and
spirituality. We merely call to the attention of Goldstein the
advocacy of knowledge of Jewish history by a Catholic priest-
convert. Fr. Oesterreicher did not send- his flock to the Council
for Judaism. And if Goldstein will re-read his Bible, perhaps
Prophecy will lead him back to a just path of recognizing
Israel's right to rebirth as Israel, not as church, or as museum.
There are many anti-Semites and anti-Israelis who would love
to convert all of Israel into a museum—and for a museum we
would have to be dead. In answer, we say with the Psalmist,
°Le omuth ki ekhye . . ."—"I shall not die but live, to declare
the works of the LOrd."

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"Gay and optimistic . . . ex-
pressively rich , . ."
This is how William Bostick,
secretary of the Detroit Institute
of Art, described the exhibition
of the work of Israeli artists, in
his greeting to the large repre-
sentative gathering at the for :-
mal opening of the exhibit, at
Temple Israel, Sunday evening.-
It was a triumphant evening
for the creative efforts of the
young State of Israel.
In the presence of Goiter-
nor G.: Mennen Williams, to
whom the painting, "JerUsa,
lem," by Ludwig Blum, was
presented by a group of spon-
sors, the exhibition asSuialed a
festive ,appearance.• The 'more
than 70 paintings on display
revealed the creative spirit of
Israel.
The painting presented to Gov- .
ernor. Williams will be hung in
the State Capital in Lansing.
In his speech of acceptance,_
after receiving the painting froth
Charles E. Feinberg, chairman
of the committee of sponsors,
Governor Williams expressed
appreciation and gratitude for
it and said he hoped it will help
advance the Judeo-Christian
precepts Which guide all of .us
in this free land.
Governor Williams recalled
that last year he had the privi-
lege of presenting to the Hebrew
University, in Jerusalem, Walt
Whitman manuscripts sent
there by Mr. Feinberg, and that
now he can bring a creative
work from Israel to the State of
Michigan.
Rabbi Leon Fram, who in-
vited, the .exhibit to Detroit,
presided at the formal open-
ing ceremonies. A brief ad-
dress was delivered by Miss
Yurika Mann, director of the
Jerusalem Art Gallery, who
brought the exhibition to De-
troit.
Mane-Katz, one of the world's
most distinguished artists and
the leading Jewish artist of our
time, whose works are included
in the exhibition, was present
to take a bow and later to
mingle with the "audience.
* * *

"Dancing Chassidim" by
Mane-Katz is one of the distin,-
guighed works in the exhibition,
which will remain here through
March 11, at Temple Israel.
Mane-Katz's "First Day of
School" and his several mini-
atures are attracting wide at-
tention.
The individualism of Ruven
Rubin is very striking. Visi-
tors at the Exhibition — and
the hope is expressed that
many thousands of non-Jews
as well as Jews will go to
Temple Israel to see the im-
pressive display — will be
moved by Rubin's "Simchas
'Torah."
Similarly, the works of Mel-
itta, an Italian-born Jewess who
was educated in Paris and who
has caught the spirit of her
adopted country — Israel, will
thrill and will cause students
to examine her efforts thor-
oughly.
Ludwig Blum, whose "Jeru-
salem", before going to Lansing,
will be seen here throughout
the exhibit, is represented by
a number of other splendid
works, including "Tiberias,"
"Jaffa Gate," "David's Tower,"
"Jerusalem Old City," "Temple
Area" and "Caravan in the
Negev."
"Moses" by Jacob Steinhardt
deserves study. Similarly, Yo-
hanan Simon's "Kibbutz" is ex-
pressive.
"Mount Carmel" by Singer,
acquired by the Jacob Schrei-

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2—Detroit Jewish News
February 17, 1956

ers, is another magnificent
work.
Artists whose works are in the
display, also include A. Barzar,
Z. Ilin, Marcel Jancu, Matus,
Oksi.
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During the week, leading
women's organizations arranged
special visits to the exhibition.

For the balance of the month's
programs, local groups are
scheduling special gatherings,
with Lectures on Israel by Miss
Yurika Mann.
. Mrs. B. David Ruby planned
the public relations program for
the exhibition. Robert Garelick
of Garelick Gallery served as
technical- advisor.

"OLD AGE AND YOUTH"—Impressive woodcut by Jacob
Steinhardt, Israeli artist whose works are in the exhibition
at Temple Israel.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1956, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

March of Time:

• Stormy weeks are ahead for friends of Israel in the United
States . . . A "tug-of-war" is developing between those in
Washington who advocate selling Israel defensive arms and
those who oppose it . . . It crosses lines within both the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties in Congress . . ..And all indications
are it will inevitably become a major issue during the Presiden-
tial campaign . . . At present the pro-Israel side is weaker and
those who advocate appeasement of the Arabs are stronger . . .
The latter have established strong positions within the State De-
partment . . . Their positions are being fortified by well-paid
Arab Rropaga , Mists and, by oil interests with _a stake in the
Arab countries . . . The "hands-off" answer which Secretary
of State. John Foster Dulles gave 40 Republican members of the
House who appealed for permission for Israel to purchase arms
in this country underlines the mood of, the present Administra-
tion . . . Secretary Dulles has, with this answer, indicated that
he does not even care about the sentiments of some leading
Republicans . . . Much less does he think . of what leading Dem-
ng the. Arabs.
ocrats think of his present policy of appeasi
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Washington Talks:

. .

The possibility of an Egyptian "blitzkrieg" against Israel
is not excluded, although American, British, and French dip-
lomats are now talking in Washington about preventing an
Arab-Israel war . . . The Egyptians do not need any excuse to
bomb Israel from the air at any moment they choose to do
so . . . They can provoke a border incident at any moment and
use it as an excuse for bombing Israel cities in "retaliation" .
By the time the "Big Three" or the United Nations decide on
action to check the aggressor, Israeli cities will be destroyed
and many Israelis will be dead . . .. The only, possible way to
prevent such a catastrophe would be to permit Israel to buy
such defensive arms as would deter Egypt from sending her
bombers into Israel's skies . . • It is for this, that the friends
of Israel in this country—Jews and non-Jews alike—will have
to put up a real fight in the forthcoming weeks . . . Maybe then
the men in the State Department will begin to feel that they
are the servants of the American people not their masters . . .
For Secretary Dulles to ignore the will of no less than 127 mem-
bers of Congress who publicly pleaded for arms for Israel means
that he is stubbornly set on his' present policy, which exposes
Israel to the gravest danger . . Friends of Itrael in this country
will thus have to find a way to impress - upon Mr. Dulles that his
inflexible stand is not entirely in the interests of the United
States ... If the State Department turns its back on a democratic
country such as Israel to seek favor, with, Arab, countries flirting
depend
with Moscow,,how can other-, sinall democratic
, ti
- • icontries
on America's .stipPort in time of
• . • need?

4ltiat,t-11•4.:4

