Friday, November 15, 1957—THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-2
Purely Commentary:
The Jewries of Italy and Great Britain ...
Israel's Indestructibility in Evidence Every-
where . . Addenda to Reports on Israel
One of the Venice synagogues in the "ghetto" has
been turned into a Rest Home for Aged and a Children's
Nursery.
Dr. A. Esquinazi, of the Gino Cenedese glass blow-
ing firm, in Venice boasted that there was no anti-Semi-
tism in Italy. He, himself, knew only one Hebrew word:
Shalom. But he is interested in Israel and hopes to go
there some day, when his brother manages to get out
of Egypt and settle in the Jewish State.
Dr. Esquinazi believes that the two best Jewish
communities in Italy today are in Leghorn (Livorno) and
Florence (Firenze). There are synagogues also in Milan
and. Naples. But there are no signs of Jewish life in
the Southern portions of Italy, including Sicily.
Proof of the Power of Survival
ROME, Italy:----Now this photograph can be repro-
duced as a mark of Jewry's triumph over all the elements
of destruction in the last 2,000 years. This is the no-
torious wall in the Arch of Titus that shows the march
of "Titus ha-Rasha" — "the cruel Titus" — with the
holy vestments he had taken from the Temple in Jeru-
salem to Rome. The seven-branched Menorah, the Holy
Ark of the Law, the silver trumpets and the golden table
were- in the procession.
The Titus Arch was intended to show the destruc-
tion not only of the Temple but also of the Jewish people.
Therefore, during all the centuries that had passed
since the cruel acts of Titus, no Jew would pass under
or through the Arch. Jews were oppressed, they were
downcast, they were in constant danger from oppressors,
but they would not acknowledge defeat.
Then came the historic moment: Israel's rebirth.
Thereupon, the Jews of Rome and those who may have
been here as visitors at the time, staged a great demon-
stration on that historic day in May of 1948. Jews could
now laugh at Titus and his- tyrannical acts.
We passed under that Arch, and we were a part of
the historic triumph over an attempt to destroy us.
Today, an additional mark of repudiation of the for-
mer anti-Semitism and the Titusian implications is the
fact that one of the streets named in Rome in honor of
the world's distinguished scientist is called "Chaim Weiz-
mann Avenue."
Roman Jewry has even been living proof of our
people's indestructibility. The French Jewish historian,
Bernard Lazare, thus described the power to survive of
this small community of Jews:
"The tiny Jewish Colony has seen the Roman Re-
public and the Empire fall; it has wept at Caesar's death;
it has seen the Barbarians come; it has seen everything
change and the Church build itself. And at the beginning
of the century it is still there, having merely, in the
course of 2,000 years, crossed the Tiber."
There was a time when the Rabbi of Rome had to
report to the authorities, on the first day of each year,
to plead for his people's "privilege" to remain in Rome.
That practice was abandoned more than 150 years ago.
But in spite of the closing of all gates to the ghetto of
Rome from sundown to sunrise; in defiance of derisions,
Jews carried on and survived all indignities.
Italian Jewry is not as secure today. Intermarriage
takes its toll. There is much assimilation. Is it possible
that a people that was stronger spiritually than the
Roman Empire now finds its mission fulfilled, with the
State of Israel reborn? Italian Jews differ on the sub-
ject. Many believe that as long as the synagogues survive,
Jewry will survive.
Indestructible Jewry
FLORENCE, Italy—The beautiful synagogue in this
charming city was desecrated by the Nazis. The munici-
pality helped to rebuild it. "It is the most beautiful syna-
gogue in Europe," the Shames, Nathan Levi, claimed
for it.
We wondered about the future of Firenze Jewry.
Our guide, Miriam Maestro, daughter of Dr. Leono
Maestro, an eminent ophthalmologist here, product of
an intermarriage, was skeptical. The Shames was opti-
mistic. Then the Shames admitted that there are fewer
than five. Jewish marriages performed yearly in this
city's fine synagogue. We began to share Miriam's
skepticism.
But the Jews survive and there is no reason to doubt
that they will continue to survive. Their synagogue was
used as a garage by the Nazis, but it is once again a holy
place. It struggles with small- numbers, but it serves
Jewry that is indestructible.
-
Shalom and Israel
VENICE — Here, too, there is an impressive syna-
gogue—the only one of five that continues to function.
Here, the Shames expressed greater pessimism over the
future of Jewry. There are too few young Jews to be
mated, intermarriage predominates, minyanim decline.
One man here claimed there were 3,000 Jews here.
Another believed there were 6,000 Jews in Venice. The
Shames knew better: he said there were only 1,000 Jews
in Venice. He fears the future. If not for Israel . . . !
NICE, France — A brief stay in France also is
marked by unusual developments. Two of our guides
turned out to be Jews. One is from Israel: he is studying
here and earning some extra money by aiding tourists.
Another, a product of intermarriage relates how she and
her family escaped death at the hands of the Nazis. Her
Jewish father has since become very religious.
There is a synagogue in Nice, a kosher—"l'meha-
drin min ha-mehadrin" — restaurant. There are 5,000
Jews here, another proof of the power of survival, in
spite of the Nazi holocaust.
Thus, Jewish life goes on. There is ground for
skepticism over the future, but as long as there is the
synagogue, so long - as Israel provides pride for Jews
everywhere, the indestructibility of Israel remains the
most miraculous fact in all history.
.
London Jewry: Personalities and Causes
LONDON.—"The Mother of Parliaments" becomes
vastly more understandable when you are guided through
the House of Lords' and the House of Commons by so
distinguished a personality and so well-informed a Jew-
ish leader as the very able president of the Board of
Deputies of British Jewry and the Labor Member of
Parliament, Barnett Janner.
What a remarkable introduction to the great parlia-
mentary setting to be taken first to the "Moses Room"—
the committee room of the House of Lords—where the
magnificent Old Testament paintings adorn an important
conference setting! There are scores of impressive Bibli-
cal portraits and paintings in the Parliament building,
attesting to the influence of the Old Testament upon
Great Britain.
It was the day on which "Her Majesty's Most Gra-
cious Speech to Both Houses of Parliament" was being
discussed in the Lords and the Commons. We had seen
the Queen, together with 100 other Detroiters who had
come here as part of the Sealy Mattress Co. European
tour, as she traveled from Buckingham Palace to the
House of Commons.
- In the course of the Debate on the Address, on
that afternoon (Nov. 5), Sir Leslie Plummer, a Labor
MP, touched upon the Israel issue. At one point, an-
other MP, Cyril Osborne, commented that Sir Leslie
was uttering "propaganda," and the friend of Israel
replied: "Of course I am a propagandist. After all,
what has happened since 1933 to the Jews of this
world, I would be in contempt of myself if I were not
a propagandist of any movement which tries to resus-
citate and revive the traditional role, the decencies,
which Jews once enjoyed and which were taken away
from them."
Sir Leslie continued: "We must guarantee the in-
tegrity of every country in the Middle East, and we must
guarantee the sovereignty and frontiers of Israel. The
task calls for statesmanship and leadership." -
The punch-line in Sir Leslie Plummer's speech
came towards the end when he declared: "The United
States is now insane about supplying weapons to any-
body who pleases Mr. Dulles."
Mr. Janner was so pleased with the Plummer speech
that he made a special point to acknowledge him as one
of Israel's best friends in Commons.
Thanks to Barnett Janner, we met and had a brief
chat with Lord Henderson—one of the eminent Hen-
derson family that was deeply involved in Palestinian
affairs through their official associations in various Brit-
ish government administrations. Lord Henderson com-
mented to us, in a spirit of regret and astonishment over
what is happening in the world: "I am going to India,
and I must get a new passport because my old one has
a record of a visit I had made to Israel"
It was tea time—and the House of Commons was
a delightful setting for it, with Mr. Janner as the won-
derful host! He has well earned the Key to the City of
Detroit that was presented, to him, only last August, in
our Mayor's office, by Mayor Louis Miriani.
This was only part of the privileges we enjoyed
while in London. We had such a wonderful com-
panion on our visits to the Jewish official places, in
the person of our very able literary contributor, Josef
Fraenkel. We visited the Zionist headquarters, the
famous Conference Room with the portraits of a score
of Zionist leaders (including many Americans—Bran-
deis, Wise, Mack and others)—all of whom, except
•
•.` • (Continued on Page 32)
By Philip
Siomovitz
Humor: Israel's
Strong Weapon
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Israel would be the weaker
without the sense of humor of
its people. The ability of
Israelis to exchange puns at
their own expense is one of
the healthiest elements in the
life of this young nation.
Israelis love to repeat the
wisdom of their children. Often,
the stories by and about the
children are the best related
here.
The owner of the Dagon
Hotel at Ashkelon, the new
wonder city at the gate to the
Negev, told a story about his
seven-year-old boy who had
never seen non-Jews. An Am-
erican couple came there on
a visit with a youngster his
age. Neither knew the language
of the other. but, as children
will, they played well. Later,
the Israeli Sabra reported to
his father: "Hayom ra-iti goy"
—"Today I saw a non-Jew."
All who see- them are sure
to fall in love with the chil-
dren of Israel. They are un-
inhibited. They are the most
natural lot of our people. _They
know no fears.
An interesting experience
is related about them. Chit, -
dren who watched the show=
ing of a movie about the
Auschwitz atrocities in a Tel-
Aviv cinema shouted "It's a
lie, it's a lie!" When asked
to explain, they said: "It's_
impossible! No Jew could
ever submit to indignities
without fighting back and
defending his life!" That's -
the spirit of the Israeli chil-
dren.
The lack of inhibitions and
the thorough integration of
Israel's children into a full
Jewish life—contrary to criti-
cisms about the irreligiosity of
Israelis—is reflected in a story
about an Israeli youngster who
is said to have heard about a
"kirche" (church) for the first
time. He thereafter associated
it with the "glocken" — the
church chimes. After being
shown a church in Jerusalem, a
youngster . in Ramat Gan once
heard chimes. He ran into the
house and said to his mother:
"Ima, I hear a kirche."
Speaking of children, it is
well worth retelling the story
about newcomers to Israel who
continued to speak their native
tongue. But their children
learned Hebrew quickly, as
children will and do. The par-
ents, who were addressed in the
Hebrew they had not yet
learned, commented: "Do you
think you are speaking to chil-
dren?"
Not. all the stories- told in
Israel are complimentary, the
indication being that Israelis
can stomach, criticism: Iri 'one
kibutz it was told that . new-
comers, upon arrival in Israel,
are sure to know three words:
todah, shalom and b'vakasha-
thanks, peace and please. Chil-
dren learn Hebrew quickly,
they said, but forget the first
three words they knew. This,
of course, is not true: it is
merely a pun on the three
words every one seems _to
know and to repeat when first
setting foot on Israel soil.
A true story is told about
Dr. Chaim. Weizmann and the
chairman of the executive
council of the Weizmann In-
stitute, Meyer W. Weisgal.
Making a call to• New York
from the Weizmann home,' in
Rehovot, Weisgal was speaking
in a high pitch. Weizmanh
heard him froin his room on
the second floor and he . in-
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