THE DETRO IT JEW ISH NEWS-2
Friday, May 16, 1958
Purely Commentary
By PH P SLOMOVITZ
David Loth's Interesting Biography of Gerard Swope
"Swope of G.E.—The Story of Gerard Swope and General
Electric in American Business," by David Loth, published by
Simon and Schuster (630 5th, N.Y. 20), is more than the
story of a man and a single agency: it is, in some respects,
the story of our country in the past century.
It is, indeed, the stivY of a great industrialist, a great
man, one who rebell6 against injustice and, in recent years,
took a deep interest :n the Israel Technion.
Although his grandfather was Chief Rabbi of Thuringia—
he "was the first Jew to win a Ph. D. degree at the University
of Breslau"—Gerare Swope "had been so little a practicing
Jew that a great many of his closest associates had assumed
that he was a G'ntile."
The family was associated with a congregation in St.
Louis "which v-is rapidly becoming notable for its progressible
or 'Reform' vndencies and the children attended its Sunday
School. children, therefore, were not exposed to ritualistic
forms an yobservances. The dietary and behavioristic peculiari-
ties. , .,oth writes, "which set the Orthodox obviously and
_...fruptly apart from their Gentile neighbors had vanished from
the Swope home before the boy learned about them."
Gerard's sister Golda lived in Germany after her marriage.
Loth, referring to the upheaval in that country with the rise
of Hitler, who "took power with the support of leading in-
dustrialists who thought him the only alternative to Commu-
nism," adds that Hitler's "policy of exterminating Jews
was so abundantly clear that one might almost consider it a
blessing that Swope's sister, Golda, had died shortly before."
The most interesting episode in the book, referring to
Swope's Jewish interests, refers to the following: "Swope had
never been much of a Zionist," Loth states, but ..
"In May 1947, he was notified that the ninth ranking of
the 13 British orders of chivalry had been awarded to him, and
he would be entitled to sign himself Honorary Commander of
the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The honor
was to be conferred in Washington on June 15, 1948 . . .
"The year's interval saw the climax of Israel's fight for
independence, actually proclaimed after - much British opposi-
tion and confusion on May 14, 1948, as a result of a United
Nations decision . . . His (Gerald Swope's) own faith was in
people and in practical works, never in professions or in the
ceremonies or formalities of revealed religion.
" 'I don't suppose that Mr. (Enos M.) Barton or Mr. (Charles
A.) Coffin (industrialists with whom he associated early in life)
ever knew that I was a Jew,' he once said in recalling how
little ,,m-t Judaism had played in his life.
But he was aroused by British policy in what had been
the mandated part of Palestine, and on June 8, three weeks after
the proclamation of the new state, he wrote to Sir Oliver
Franks, the British Ambassador to the United States:
"Naturally I was gratified at the recognition accorded me
by the British government. My many trips to England and other
parts of the British Empire; my many friends over there; and
my high esteem for your great wartime leader, Winston
Churchill, all filled me with admiration of what your country had
done in the development and defense of democratic govern-
ment.
"'In the last year, however, in spite of the repeated recom-
mendations of several commissions of your own government, of
an American-British Commission, and then finally of the action
of the United Nations on a separate state in Palestine, the vacil-
lating, reprehensible and nonconstructive attitude of your
government has left me without respect for its position.
"'Became of my feelings, it seems more fitting for me to
decline the decoration your government has rendered me.' "
Loth points out that this letter, widely publicized, created
a lot of. comment, supporters of the Jewish state, Jews and
non-Jews, applauding it, "but some were sorrowful or indig-
nant Englishmen and a few echoed the sentiments of the angry
Arabs. At his office Swope saw reporters and disclaimed any
fervent ZiOnism. Nor was he protesting as a Jew. He objected
chiefly, he explained, to Great Britian's failure to support the
United Nations."
But this is not the whole story. As is well known, Swope
had bequeathed several million dollars for scholarships to and
research at the Haifa Technion in Israel. In his final years he
showed a deep interest in Israel.
The author of this interesting biography, David Loth, was
on the staff of the New York World when it was edited by
Gerard Swope's brother, Herbert Bayard Swope. He has had
a most interesting journalistic career and is the author of •
several other books.
*
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'Israel in Your Pocket—A Ramblers' Guide'
Under this title, Theodore F. Meysels wrote an interesting
Israeli guide that covers not only all the important areas in
the Jewish State but the historical data related to them as well.
Christians and Moslems as well as Jews will be enlightened
by this collection which has gone into a third revised and
enlarged edition. We are indebted to the dynamic director
of the Israel Government Tourist Office, Joseph Ilan, for the
new set of these guides.
The three volumes deal with Northern, Central and
Southern Israeli sections. Biblical, post-Biblical, mediaeval and
modern eras are covered in the historical data about the
hundreds of centers referred to in these books.
The great value of these guide books will be appreciated at
once even by readers away from Israel. Imagine, there-
fore, the immense value of these handy books to those on the
spot, to the tourist who wants to know exactly where he is,
what had happened in the places he is visiting, the factories
that made many of the spots so important historically.
Meysels has made a definite contribution to Israel tourism
with his splendid guide books.
Sports 'Events, Songs, Dances to Feature
Youth Israel Anniversary Event Sunday
Detroit Jewish youth will —son of Dr. Norman Bentwich,
celebrate the tenth anniversary Dean of the School of Educa-
of Israel's independence with a tion at the Hebrew University
special program featuring mass in Jerusalem, will deliver the
choral singing, Israeli dances, a keynote address. He partici-
Maccabiad sports carnival, in- pated actively in Israel's War
cluding tumbling and trampo- of Independence and attended
line demonstrations, a fencing the Universities of Oxford and
match between Byron Krieger Cambridge in England and the
and Ted Kaczander, and an all- Haifa Technion.
star basketball game, Sunday, 2
The Maccabiad sports pro-
gram will be under the super-
p.m. at Mumford gymnasium.
The youth celebration is the
vision of Norman Schimmel-
second in a series of year-long
man, of the Jewish Commu-
programs to mark Israel's tenth
nity Center. A special attrac-
anniversary, sponsored by the
tion will Je the demonstration
Detroit Committee for the Cele-
match betWeen the Center
bration of Israel's Tenth Anni-
fencing coach Ted Kaczander
versary, according to Abe Kasle,
and the World Olympic and
chairman, and Morris Lieber-
Maccabiad Champion Byron
Krieger.
man and Samuel J. Rhodes, co-
chairmen.
An all-star basketball game
Michael Bentwich, a 27-year- between the Synagogue League
old sabra—a native-born Israeli and the BBYO League, com-
Family, Children's, Resettlement
Services' Annual Meeting Sunday
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Jewish
Family and Children's Service
and Resettlement Service an-
nual meeting, at the Esther Ber-
man Building, on Schaefer, will
be addressed by Arthur H.
Kruse, general secretary of the
Family Service Association of
Cleveland, who will speak on
"What is Happening to the
Family Today?"
In the past year, the agencies
have served 1,548 families. The
professional staff of highly
trained caseworkers held per-
sonal interviews with 9,017 indi-
viduals, and telephone inter-
views with 10,129 persons seek-
ing help or advice.
Services include homemaking
aid, foster home placement,
adoption, psychological testing,
indemnification aid and coun-
selling services related to ad-
justments to family and the
community.
The Jewish Family and Chil-
dren's Service and Resettlement
Service are member agencies of
the United Community Services
and Jewish Welfare Federation,
and the Family Service Associ-
ation of America and the Child
Welfare League of America.
President of the Jewish Family
and Children's Service is Mil-
ford R. Pregerson. David I.
Rosin is president of Resettle-
ment Service.
$83 Million UAR Loan
Okayed by Germany
BONN (JTA) — West Ger-
many signed an extensive
agreement providing technical
assistance to the United Arab
Republic and underwriting pri-
vate industrial loans to the
UAR up to $83,300,000. The
agreement was signed by West
German Economics Minister
Abclel Kaissony.
Under the new agreement,
West Germany promised to
consider favorably a number
of UAR requests for technical
assistance, including: establish-
ment of a technical education
center in Syria; enlargement of
Port Said and Suez harbors;
construction of a new port in
Syria; extension of the Damas-
cus airfield; establishment of
a standardization institute in
Cairo; creation of a training
center for mechanics and tech-
nicians in Egypt; creation of an
institute for oil exploration in
Egypt; and a supply of shipping
experts and metallurgical re-
search workers to the UAR.
(Commenting on the an-
nouncement, the London Daily
Express said the "Arabs are
fortunate. A lot more fortunate
than the British people, for
when Britain asked for a Ger-
man contribution of 40,000,000
pounds in sterling toward the
support of costs, she was told
that Germany could not afford
it.")
Harry L. Jackson, chairman
of the public relations commit-
tee, is chairman of the annual
meeting planning committee.
Mrs. Samuel Croll is chairman
of the social hour. Others serv-
ing on the planning committee
are: Theodore Bargman, Martin
Citrin, Mrs. Samuel Green, Mrs.
Archie Harwith, Mrs. Louis
Hinderstein, Mrs. J. Shurly Hor-
witz, Mrs. Baer Keidan, Mrs.
David Kliger, Mrs. Philip Mar-
cuse, William Schumer, Mrs.
Reuben Shapiro and Saul
Shiefman.
The agency's friends are in-
vited to attend the meeting
Sunday.
plete with cheer leaders, will be
presented. Referee is Dr. Harry
Berris, former basketball star.
The combined 70 voice choral
group of the Midrasha, United
Hebrew Schools, L.T.F., Hadas-
sah Debs, Habonim, Hashomer
Hatzair and Senior Young Ju-
dea will present a concert of
Israeli songs under the direc-
tion of Shimon Gewirtz of the
United Hebrew Schools staff.
Groups from these organizations
also will be featured in a dance
presentation under the direc-
tion of Mrs. Hannah Stiebel, of
the United Hebrew Schools
staff.
The Leadership Training Fel-
lowship will present a dramatic
reading of appropriate passages
from Israel's Declaration of In-
dependence, with an orchestral
background.
Jewish youth and youth-serv-
ing organizations will partici-
pate in the program.
Robert Morrison is overall co-
ordinator of the youth celebra-
tion. Other members of the com-
mittee are Herman Fishman,
Shimon Gewirtz, Uri Himmel-
blau, Abe Kastenbaum, Avram
Lauffer, Mrs. Hannah Stiebel,
Earl Yallen and Rabbi Benja-
min Gorrelick.
Fishman will be master of
ceremonies. An orchestral en-
semble, directed by Adi Semel
will provide background music.
The public is invited. There will
be no admission charge, accord-
ing to Mrs. Samuel Aaron, chair-
man of the Youth Section of
the Detroit Committee for the
Celebration of the Tenth Anni-
versary of Israel's Independ-
ence.
IHIIIIMII ■ 10041111•4411,40•1 ■
I
Boris Smolar's
Between You
... and Me'
(Copyright, 1958,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Jewish Affairs:
A world Jewish organization will be built in New York next
week on a foundation laid by Dr. Nahum Goldmann a few months
ago in Rome . . . Affiliated with this organization will be the
World Jewish Congress, American Jewish Congress, Bnai Brith,
Jewish Labor Committee, Canadian Jewish Congress, Board of
Deputies of British Jews, CRIF,—central representative body of
French Jewry—and the DAIA—representative body of Argentine
Jewry . . . Delegates from all these organizations will attend
a one-day conference in New York, on May 21, to put the final
organizational touches which will bring the new world Jewish
body to life, after its formation in Rome last January . . . The
conference, which will be held in the fashionable Delmonico
Hotel, will also deal with the situation of the Jews in the Soviet
Union, following a talk held this week in Washington by Dr.
Goldmann with the new Soviet Ambassador, Mikhail Menshikov
. . . Another problem which will undergo basic study at the
conference is the present position of the Jews of North Africa
in the light of developments in Algeria and the ban on Jewish
emigration from Morocco . . . On these two major problems—
the situation of the Jews in Russia and in North Africa—all
participating organizations see eye-to-eye . . . Missing from the
New York parley will be representatives of the Council of Aus-
tralian Jewry and of the South African Board of Jewish Depu-
ties . . . These two central Jewish bodies are also affiliated with
the new world Jewish organization, but because of the distances
involved, they will not send delegates to .a parley in New York
which will last only one day, though they consider the , meeting
important.
Jewish Trends:
Dr. Joachim Prinz of Newark, N.J., will be elected president
of the American Jewish Congress which is now holding its nay
tional convention in Miami Beach . . . Dr. Prinz, who was one
of the beloved young rabbis in Berlin and had a taste of the
Nazi regime prior to his coming to the United States, has his
own philosophy about the motivation that should underly Jewish
work in the field of civil rights . . . He feels that the American
Jewish Congress is not a branch of the Civil Liberties Union;
merely fighting for civil rights . . . He lays greatest emphasis
on the word "Jewish" in the Congress' name . . . And he stresses
that Jews, in joining forces with other American groups in the
battle for civil rights, do so as Jews and becauSe they are Jews.
. . . Thus, his view is that unless a Jewish group accepts the
Jewish motivation, it loses its right as a Jewish movement to
make civil rights an integral part of its program . . He looks
critically upon those who find refuge in the ./L3C civil rights
program because it affords them an opportunity to belong to
a Jewish organization without being involved in what they im-
agine to be a Jewish program ... And his policy, as AJC presi-
dent, will definitely be to make it clear that those who join the
AJC fight for civil rights, and nothing more, have no place in
the American ,Jewish Congress movement