Reform Rabbis'
Failure to
Deal With
Jewish Issues
A Challenge by
Boris Smolar
on Page 2
VOLUME XXX 111
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper—Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
—
Alaska—Our
49th State
Proper
Defining of
Term 'Jew'
Editorial
Page 4
No. 19 loo lnlgoi n stop 17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.—VE 8-9364—Detroit 35, July 11, 1958 $5.00 Per Year; Single Copy 15c
U.S. Senate Committee Reports
Anti-Semitism Growing in USSR
Soviet dictator Nikita S. Khrushchev may be even more anti-
WASHINGTON (JTA)
Semitic than Stalin according to an extensive study of minority problems in the Soviet
Union published this week by the Senate Internal Security Committee. The study was pre-
pared by the legislative reference service of the U.S. Library of Congress.
The report detailed an anti-Semitic trend in the Soviet Union and said it was doubt-
ful if this trend will be reversed if pronouncements and actions of Khrushchev are any index.
According to the U.S. study, Khrushchev has "a long record of anti-Semitism." The report
recalled that as Prime Minister in the Ukraine, after World War II, he issued orders banning
Jews from important local offices. He was the first Prime Minister of a republic to close Jewish
theaters, schools, and publishing houses. He tolerated an anti-Semitic outbreak in Kiev ade-
quately grave to warrant investigation by Moscow.
—
tiammarskjold Held
Responsible for
Nasser Whitewash
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Israel is seen to
be in apparent agreement with the newly crys-
tallized Anglo-American criticism of United
Nation& Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold's
attempt to whitewash United Arab Republic
President Nasser in the Lebanese situation. It
was anticipated that Israel will brief its diplo-
matic missions abroad along these lines.
According to reports in 'diplomatic circles
here, the West is disappointed in Hammarskjold
over the UN report which stated there was
no evidence that the BAR had interferred in
the Lebanese rebellion. The Western Powers
were depicted as believing that Hammarskjold
wants to avoid a Lebanese blow-up at any price
— including a compromise which may soon put
Lebanon under Nasser's domination.
Western diplomatic sources here assert that
the UN chief reportedly has made private state-
ments to the effect that sooner or later the
entire Arab Middle East will come .under Col.
Nasser's domination, in any event.
Israel requested that the United Nations
Truce Supervision Organization release the re-
sults of a ballistics investigation of the bullet
which killed Lt. Col. George A. Flint, UN
observer and chairman of the Israel-Jordan Mixed
Armistice Commission, on Mt. Scopus May 26.
While the report of the incident — in which
four Israeli policemen also lost their lives —
by Maj. Gen. Carl von Horn, -UN truce chief,
indicated that the bullet came from the Arab
side, "unless it ricocheted," it is understood
that the ballistics tests showed conclusively that
the bullet came straight from Arab lines.
The original report of the incident was
delayed for weeks, in what the Israelis believe
was an attempt by the UN Secretary General to
save the prestige of Jordan King Hussein.
The report said that anti-Semitic practices have gained ground in Russia since the mid-30's. Recent
biased expressions by Khrushchev are quoted. A summary is made of anti-Semitic singling out of Jews
in some cases and censoring of references to Jews in others. Jews were eliminated from the nationalities
mentioned as receiving decorations and honors in a new issue of "The National Traditions of the Peo-
ples of the Soviet Union:"
"De-judaization . . . destruction of national consciousness and complete assimilation has been the
ultimate aim of the Soviet government in its policies toward Soviet Jewry," said the report. The study
showed that the outbreak of anti-Semitism in the period 1948-1953 further reduced remnants of Jewish
cultural life. Deportations and executions were described.
A question was raised about the future of Soviet Jewry. The report cited a concensus that Mos-
cow has gone far in denationalizing but not assimilating the remnants of Soviet Jewry. "Organized
Jewish communal life no longer exists in its vital form. Nor have guarantees of collective rights, or
in fact individual rights, been respected." Jews "have been spurned by the Soviet government and
looked upon as 'foreign' and 'suspect,' " the report established.
"For the immediate future, it is difficult to foresee any great measure of relief from Soviet dis-
crimination and abuse of power and it is equally difficult to foresee any perceptible narrowing of
the gap between promise and fulfillment in Moscow's treatment of its non-Russian peoples."
The report was drawn from many sources. It dealt with .minorities in the Soviet empire which
was termed the "prison house of nations and races."
Who Is a Jew' Controversy Continues in
Israel; Bell-Gurion Cabinet Faces Rough Time
Special JTA Cables to The Jewish News
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Several more meetings between the Israel coalition government leaders
and the religious leaders, in an attempt to end the most burning political issue of the day the with-
drawal of the United Religious Party from the Ben-Gurion government over disagreement on the defi-
nition of who is to be considered a Jew in Israel — ended in failure. Debate on the question in the
Knesset was begun on Tuesday. (Detailed reports on Page 32.)
It is apparent that the government parties will have a rough time since the opposition parties,
Herut and General Zionists, have decided to support the position of the Religious deputies on the
"who is a Jew" issue.
With the Religious bloc, formerly partners in the Ben-Gurion Cabinet now in the opposition, the Pre•
mier faces the largest bloc of votes against him since the State was proclaimed and he undertook to lead the
government. Nevertheless, the coalition will still be able to maintain a slim edge..
A Cabinet discussion centered about the "identity card" issue, no decision was reached.
Former Minister for Religion Moshe Shapiro and former Minister of Posts Joseph
Burg are expected to make detailed statements in the Knesset on the reasons for their
resignations.
Shapiro told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that there is no prospect in sight for
his party's return to the Ben-Gurion govern ment unless the Ministry for Interior orders
a -revision in its latest directives for filling in identity cards. Religious leaders oppose
"I have been a Zionist for many
LONDON, (JTA)
the government's allowing any applicant to be registered as a Jew by nationality upon
years, and it is a great pleasure to me to see Israel growing
his assertion that he is a Jew, or the registration of a child of non-Jewish parent or
parents on the statement by the parents that the child is a Jew.
so rapidly and playing a leading part in the affairs of the
. Shapiro insisted that unless these directives go, the Religious Party will remain
Middle East only ten years after its birth," Sir
outside the government. It is understood that party leaders have already discussed plan
Winston Churchill declared at his Chartwell
for their action as an opposition party in the Knesset and for a major propaganda
country home.
(Continued on Page 32)
Churchill Reiterates Interest
in Zionism, States Pleasure
at Israel's Leading 31.1E. Role
—
Sir Winston made this statement at cere-
monies at which he presented a golden key of
the auditorium which bears his name at the
Haifa Technion to British industrialist Isaac
Wolfson, Israel Ambassador Eliahu Elath and
Michael Sobell, president of the British
Friends of Technion.
Noting that Israel is "faced with great
difficulties," the famous statesman added:
Churchill
"But if you maintain your lead in education
and especially technical education, it will go a long way
towards improving your position. I am glad that the Tech-
nion is taking in students of all nationalities, and I am con-
vinced that it will be a great influence for the development
of the Middle East, and in the interest of all the people
who dwell there."
Ambassador Elath, who accepted / the key, said that "the
friendly and generous words" of the British statesman "will
be received with gratitude by the people of Israel who so
greatly respect and admire him." Mr. Wolfson presented Sir
Winston with an album of photographs taken during the
opening of the Churchill Auditorium and said he hoped
that Sir. Winston would be able to visit Israel soon.
Establish Synagogue in Israel in
Memory of - Mendes-France's Father;
Grandson to Attend Ground-Breaking
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
TEL AVIV' — Bernhard Mendes-France, 23 - year - old son of former
French Premier Pierre Mendes-France, will visit Israel at the end of July
to take part in ground breaking ceremonies for a new synagogue which will
bear the name of the ex-Premier's father, Tavi David, who died six months
ago.
The decision to name the new synagogue at Kfar Saba after the elder
Mendes-France was announced by Chaim Nachmani, community leader in
Kfar Saba, whose associations with the former French Premier date back to
1940 when both were imprisoned in a Casablanca jail. Nachmani was jailed
for Zionist activities in Morocco. Mendes-France was detained after escaping
from France during the Nazi occupation.
The friendship made in Casablanca prison was maintained later through
correspondence. When the French leader's father died, Nachmani decided to
name the synagogue in his memory. The ex-Premier and his wife will attend
inauguration ceremonies for the synagogue.