By PHILIP SLC:,\OVITZ
Interesting People on an Interesting Trip
TEL AVIV, Israel — It is dangerous, on a trip like this one,
to accumulate too many notes. In the first place, they will
become undecipherable. Secondly, it is too risky to coiled too
much. Momentum gathers so speedily that it begins to daze
you, in view of the many interesting people who trekked.
Israelward with us to share in that wonderful country's amazing
development.
As we were preparing to board the Air France Super-G
Constellation—a most comfortable airship with a wonderfully
pOlite crew — a disinterested party commented: "There are two
things they now talk about in Israel—the 'Mann Auditorium
and cookies in cellophane bags." The latter, an indication of
the progress made in food distribution in Israel, thrilled us 'as
much as the news of the Mann Music Hall, the dedication
of which we attended within 40 hours after our arrival and
which was such an important item on the Israeli calendar.
Frederic R. Mann, Philadelphia's patron of the arts, who
gave $250,000 for the construction of the Mann -Auditorium,
which becomes the home of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra,
has been in Israel with his wife and four daughters for five
weeks. His brother, Yale Mann, traveled with us to the cere-
monies.
Thirty years ago, the Manns lived in Detroit. Then, Toledo
became the headquarters of their immense corrugated paper box
enterprise. Fred Mann served as 'chairman of the Philadelphia
Israel Bond Drive. He has aided many causes. His famous
Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia inspired Israel's musicians
to suggest the building of a permanent home for the Phil-
harmonic Orchestra.
Accompanying the group to the Mann dedication is one
of Philadelphia's devoted communal workers, Mrs. Maurice
Gray. She is active in the Israel Bond Organization, the
American-Israel Cultural Foundation, the Robin Hood Dell,
Brandeis Universlty and in the Philadelphia Thrift Shop, which
annually raises $50,000 for the Allied Jewish Appeal.
Adding charm to the group was Genevieve Salzani, our
hostess, the pretty girl who gained world-wide fame as the
hostess of the Air France Jet Caravelle that made history on its
30,000-mile flight April 18 to June 27. Genevieve was born in
India, of French parents. Her father has held important posts,
including that of French Consul in Symrna, a seaport in West
Turkey, and. he knows many languages including Turkish and
Arabic.
One of America's leading columnists,
Leonard Lyons, who writes the "Lyons Den,"
was with us for a few days' stay in Israel.
The Israel Philharmonic concert at the IVIann
Auditorium dedication was his major interest.
Two music critics also are with us—Albert
Goldberg of the Los Angeles Times and Don-
ald Steinfirst of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Then there is Moishe Fastag, the only
bearded, passenger. He escaped from Warsaw
to Shanghai during the Nazi atrocities and
came to Brooklyn 11 years ago. He mastered
the diamond polishing art. In Israel he will
visit his Rebbe—the Gerer Rebbe—until after
Lyons
Sukkot.
Two Councilmen are with us. Adolf C. Robison, a Member
of the Teaneck, N.J., Council, was one of the leaders in the
movement which made possible one of the most successful
housing integration projects for colored and white in Teaneck.
Samuel Rose is a member of the City Council of Philadelphia.
His four-year-old daughter's photograph appears this month
on the front cover of Good Housekeeping Magazine.
One of the most interesting men in our party is David
Zinkoff, the manager of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball
team. This year, Zinkoff managed 121 games in 122 days, in a
17-week trip that covered 12 countries. In 1955 he took the
players to Israel for a three game series at Ramat Gan
Stadium. He encountered dificulties when two Israeli sports
groups, Maccabi and Hapoel, competed for sponSorship honors.
Page 1 Photo:
The Legend'
The narrating travelers are
shown on the first page of this
pamphlet in front of the Me-
morial for the Fallen Heroes
in the Israel War of Independ-
ence, on the main road to the
Negev near the Faluja area.
The legend on the monu-
ment reads: "Those of you
who go down to the Negev—
Remember Us!"
* * *
This as well as all Israeli
photos in this supplement,
were taken by the eminent
Jerusalem photographer,
Efrem Ilani.
Friday, October 1 1, 1957—THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-2
Purely Commentary
He found a way out, however, by getting
the Rotary Clubs of Israel to sponsor. the
games. There were 49,000 customers on
the nights of the three games. The proceeds
were left with the Rotary Clubs for the
building of a sports center in Tel Aviv.
Fred Mann was helpful in this project, also.
Zinkoff told us of a wonderful gift
made to the Israel Basketball League by
the Globetrotters' owner, Abe Saperstein;
a portable basketball floor of 77 sections.
Saperstein's gift to his son on his Bar
Mitzvah was a trip to Israel at the time
the Globetrotters played their three-game
series at Ramat Gan Stadium.
The only Jews who traveled with the
Globetrotters to Israel were the owners,
Zinkoff and Ed Gottlieb, owner of the
Philadelphia Warriors of the National Bas-
ketball Association. There were two girls
with them—a batonist and a trampolinist.
When they were in Israel, the Globe-
trotters participated in a ceremony, during
which they formed a Magen David with 30
players, Zinkoff, Gottlieb and the Saper-
steins covering alternate points of the Star..
Then, an equal number of Israeli children
presented each of the Americans with an
Israeli Hebrew Bible. All were deeply
moved by the gesture. Later, the Negro
players, reaching the Jordan River, waded
in it, sang spirituals and collected pebbles
as souvenirs.
Zinkoff had the distinction of being the
first man to announce a Philadelphia
Athletics radio broadcast.
Many musicians are with us. Outstand-
ing is Leah Luboshutz, eminent violinist,
who was the first to play Prokofieff's works
as solos—with the Philadelphia Symphony
Orchestra under the direction of Kousse-
vitsky. She is the mother of Boris
Goldowski.
Abe Stark, president of the New York
City Council, greeted us before our de-
parture. But the most exciting experi-
ence awaited us as we were to touch
sacred ground and read the signs "Wel-
come to Israel." What a blessed day!