December 7, 1956 — THE DETROIT JEW ISH NEWS-6
Father of Slain Israeli Eases
Pain of His Country's Leader
By RINNA GROSSMAN
(An AJP Feature)
JERUSALEM—Something has
already been written of the
temper of the times in Israel.
One day, perhaps, these descrip-
tions will be gathered together;
heightened and condensed, they
may make the stuff of literature
as already they form the raw
material of history.
But now and then there are
things said by one man to an-
other, or written, which cannot
wait f or the conscientious
chronicler of the . future. Such a
letter was written the other day
by a middle-aged stricken Is-
raeli to his Prime- Minister and
it tells . more of the mood of
the people than could a sheaf of
newsprint.
The letter is a simple one.
It is filled with love of country,
love of child and love of man.
It was written to express only
these simple emotions and it
will be read and remembered
for many years long after the
writer and the recipient and
even the event which called for
it have entered totally into his-
tory itself.
Let me quote from it:
"I am one of the 150 fathers
who lost their sons in the recent
incidents. My only son, Yair,
fell in the battle for Rafah on
Nov. 1. He was only 20. I would
like to tell you this. Despite
all the pain in my heart . .
not one murmur of complaint
• , embitters my deep anguish
• . • if my son had known in
advance the -fate awaiting him,
he would not have hesitated an
instant before going and fight-
ing the way he did.
"It is your lot to bear the
heavy responsibility f o r our
people and, to decide matters
which determine the lives of
our sons: and your heart is
grieved by every young hope
which is struck down. Perhaps
you need condolence and en-
couragement no less than each
of us, the bereaved mothers and
fathers. I would be satisfied if
my words would lighten some-
what your heavy head and give
you strength and courage."
The letter was signed simply:
"In friendship, Moshe Omer,
Mishmar Ha'emek."
David Ben-Gurion answered
it at once—and just as simply:
"I was deeply moved to read
your words. I don't know that
many fathers in other countries
would write as you did. It is
fitting that your letter should
be kept in the archives of our
nation as a supreme expression
of moral courage and the high-
est devotion to the homeland.
I have no words to express my
appreciation for your message.
May your like multiply in Is-
rael."
He signed it, with honesty
'a n d humility, "Respectfully,
David Ben-Gurion."
NEW YORK, (JTA)—Efforts
by news commentator Chet
Huntley, "to supply the whole
record" in reporting the Middle
East situation brought com-
plaints to the National Broad-
casting Company, .Huntley re-
vealed. The co-editor of NBC
News wrote in the New York
Herald Tribune that some view-
ers_ were convinced that "our
efforts to tell 'the whole truth'
represented a shocking piece of
editorial license."
The commentator noted that
simply reporting the facts in
the Israeli, British, French at-
tacks on Egypt "would have
represented, it seems to me,
only part of the whole truth.'
The why of the attacks became
most important; otherwise we
ran the calculated risk of mak-
ing Nasser of Egypt appear as
the innocent and heroic victim
of brutal aggression.
By HAROLD U. RIBALOW . the Israelis play it after coach-
(Copyright, 1956. Jewish Telegraphic ing by Nat Holman and Elmer
Agency, Inc.)
Ripley? We shall see.
The impressive showing of Is-
Kosher Food at Melbourne
rael's soccer players, plus . the
Lots have been written about
withdrawal of Israel's basket-
ball team from the Olympic the Olympics, but few have
Games has resulted in the ex- commented on the fact that
citing prospect of America's see- Jewish athletes were able to
ing Israel's national 1 asketball observe kashrut, if they wanted
team beginning in January. The to. A special kitchen under the
team was trained by Elmer Rip- religious supervision of the Mel-
ley, whose comments about Is- bourne Beth Din was installed
rael and the hoop game in the at Heidelberg village, where the
Jewish Republic have gained teams lived during the competi-
national attention. It is a good tion. The Olympic Housing and
squad, notable for slick ball- Catering Committee cooperated
handling, if not spectacular fully in seing to it that kosher
shooting by overlarge men. The food was made available to the
team will play in New York, athletes. Not a major story,
opening at Madison Square true; but a heartening one and
Garden, in Boston, in Baltimore, indicative of the thoughtfulness
in Detroit, in Pittsburgh and in of the men who organized the
St. Louis, Chicago and San Fran- games.
Delayed Match
cisco. The stars will play a
America's most brilliant ex-
total of ten games in five weeks.
Basketball once was an Amer- ponent of the art of chess, stu-
jean sport, invented by an dious and pious Sammy Reshev-
American. It has caught on all sky, will not get a chance to
Over the world. How well do show his talents in Moscow in
December, after all. Fresh frotn
a victory in the Lessing J.
Rosenwald chess tournament,
Sammy discovered that "unset-
tled conditions" have cancelled
his match with David Bron-
stein. The decision was made
by Reshevsky's manager, Alex-
ander Bisno, who spoke for the
American Chess Foundation,
Nrr
by
sevhql
%NOY
which backed the trip of the
mamma Ow Rost maw
American chess team to Russia
last year. R.eshevsky is being
item WINN
blocked from revealing his su-
Alt • ME INN MAK III AUSIMIICIS
periority over any and all chal-
lengers who doubt his status as
ng
No. 1 challenger to Mikhail Bot-
vinnik's title.
Andy Cohen, whose baseball
career is remembered by old-
timers and sports historians, has
come into the forefront of the
sports news again. Hank Green-
berg, general manager of the
1K4.1.
Cleveland Indians, has named
Andy as manager of the Cleve-
Between
et.. and.ltinWood
land farm club in Indianapolis
S
liS
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
To The Jewish News
LONDON, (JTA)—A British
government spokesman gave
credit where credit was due. He
told the House of Commons
that the Egyptian Army had
been thoroughly beaten by Is-
rael forces in the field before
the British and French forces
intervened in the Suez Canal
area.
A Conservative MP asked the
Foreign Office about the "un-
true propaganda" being put 'out
by the Cairo Radio and what
steps were being taken to coun-
teract this and "to make it
known throughout the Arab
world that the Egyptian Army
had been completely defeated
by the Israeli Army before
Britain and France had inter-
vened."
H. D. Ormsby-Gore, the For-
eign Under-Secretary, replied
that he was aware of the "pre-
posterous claims made by the
Cairo Radio and of the distorted
account of fighting in the Sinai
Desert." He declared that "all
evidence available indicated
that the performance of the
JERUSALEM—The Jewish
Agency has instructed all in-
ternational airlines to trans-
port to Israel at the Agency's
expense any expelled Egyp-
tian Jew who asks to go
there, it was revealed here at
a meeting of the agency ex-
ecutive.
Contacts have been estab-
lished with various interna-
tional organizations to 'coope-
rate in the transportation and
absorption of the deported
Jews, Zalman Shazar, acting
chairman of the Executive,
told the meeting. Top prior-
ity will be given to the ab-
sorption of the expellees.
The permanent Agency —
Israel government immigra-
tion coordination committee
will meet Sunday to make
plans for the reception of an
anticipated large scale immi-
gration of Egyptian Jews.
Radio Analysis of Facts on
.
Nasser Brings Complaints
Israel Quintet to Be in Detroit
Now Did We Get
to he America's
Largest Dealer?
Israelis Defeated Egyptian Army
Before Suez Attack, Briton Says
Agency to Pay Bill
For Israel Migrants
"Therefore," Huntley ex-
plained, "our reports on the
Egyptian crisis have contained
frequent references to Nasser's
record: his hundreds of viola-
tions of Israel's borders; his or-
ganization of the Fedayeen at-
tackers; the consistent asser-
tions of Egyptian radio and
press that Israel must be wiped
off the map; Nasser's attempted
blackmail against us on the
Aswan Dam project; his inflam-
matory propaganda and guns di-
rected at Morocco, Algeria, and
Tunisia; his underwriting of vi-
olence in Jordan, Bahrein, Ku-
wait, and Aden; his disrespect
for treaties and international
agreements; his ambition to lead.
the Arab world; and his reck-
less and dangerotis opening of
the whole Middle East to the
Soviet Union.
"The Nasser record was con-
tained in a number of broad-
casts not to justify the Israeli-
British-French attacks nor to
pass judgment but to supply the
whole record." .
Egyptian armed forces was ex-
tremely poor and they proved.
themselves extremely incompe-
tent."
He added that "steps had
been taken to ensure that the
facts were heard throughout the
Middle East.
Meanwhile, a Laborite, H. C.
Usborne, and a Conservative, I.
J. Pitman, offered a motion in
Commons ca _ lling on the United
Nations to purchase or lease
the Sinai Peninsula with control
of the islands of Tiran and Zan-
afir to be used as an assembly
point and the first base for a
permanent UN world constabu-
lary. The joint motion also sug-
gested changes in the UN Char-
ter to permit the UN to equip
its policemen.
STRICTLY KOSHER
TRAY CATERING
Horowitz Catering Co.
squares
TO 8-5384
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Membership Meeting of the Merkaz
The third bi-monthly general membership meeting of the Merkaz
will take place on THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 13, 1956 —
8:30 P.M. at the DOVID BEN NOCHUM SYNAGOGUE, DEXTER
at STURTEVANT.
WE NEED
Boarding homes for children
temporarily separated from their
families.
The public is cordially invited to attend.
WE PAY
Boarding care and all other ex-
penses.
CALL
Recent decsions of the Board will be submitted for ratification.
TO. 8-2490
Committee reports on the activities of the organization will be
rendered.
ATTENTION MERKAZ MEMBERS:
No personal invitations to this meeting are being mailed this time.
Please consider this a personal invitation.
Jewish Social
Service Bureau
David J. Cohen, President
Alex Roberg, Secretary
13327 Linwood
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Detroit Pioneer Women
presents
26th
ANNUAL DONOR EVENT
-
ELI MINTZ
KATRIEL
SALMON
"Uncle David" of
Molly Goldberg
program
TV and Radio Artist
Guest Speaker
Military and Naval
Attache to Israel
Embassy
EMMA SCHAVER
Operatic Soprano
Well known for her interpretation of
Yiddish and Hebrew Folk Music
MASONIC TEMPLE • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1956 • 8:30 P.M.
For Ticket Information Please Call DI 1-0786