THE DETROIT JEWISH NEW S Friday, August 22, 1958

Newly-Arrived Tunisian Jewish Family in Detroit
Tells of Bourguiha's Brand of 'Equality' for Jews

By NORMAN LEBOW
Though in Tunisia, under the
newly-independent (1957) gov-
ernment, Jews are insured equal
protection under law, and in-
deed receive such protection,
say a recent immigrant family
from that country, the Jewish
population of that country in
just two years has been cut in
half through emigration. The

emigres have gone mostly to
France and Israel.
This they attribute more to a
foreboding for the future than
to actual present dangers.
Because of the trickle permit-
ted into this country under the
quota s y s t e m, the family of
Jacques Darmon, which includes
his wife Rebecca, his two sons,
Lucian and William, their wives,

Around the world...

A Digest of World Jewish Happenings, from
Dispatches of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Other
News Gathering Media.

Israel

JERUSALEM — The settlement department is planning the
establishment of eight new agricultural settlements in the Galilee,
with an intermixing of Arab and Jewish settlers . . . The Jewish
Agency announced approval of an additional 10,000,000-pound
allocation for immigrant housing . . . The cause of a slow-down in
Jewish immigration to Israel, according to a statement by Dov
Joseph, Agency treasurer, consists of "external factors" and not
fund shortages . . . Paula Ben-Gurion, the Prime Minister's wife,
was discharged from Hadassah Hospital after a 10-week cure on an
eye condition, with the assurance that she will not require an
operation, and she now is recuperating at a sea resort . . . Rabbi
Amram Blau, leader of the Neturei Karta group, was to have
-headed last Friday another of his frequent demonstrations against
the government, but he was diverted from his purpose by his
"rebbitzin" who appealed to him to go home. Rabbi Blau only
recently was released from jail, where he was held on convictions
for disturbing the peace in connection with his . demonstrations
against the mixed swimming pool. One of the developments of
the recent incident was that a number of yeshiva students
heckled Rabbi Blau and prevented his message from reaching
his followers . . . Prime Minister Ben-Gurion announced the
establishment of a $2,000,000 Bethesbee de Rothschild Founda-
tion for the advancement of science in Israel to be used for
•research into areas that can best advance the economic develop-
ment of Israel.
TEL AVIV — An Israel Air Force exercise, in which the
Vautour, the newest French tactical light bomber made its first
appearance in Israel, was watched by an estimated 80,000 spec-
tators . . .

United States

WASHINGTON — Ampal-Israel Corporation is seekijv the
government's permission to sell $3,289,100 worth of 110-year
debentures, this financing being designed to raise funds for the
development and expansion of Israeli agricultural, industrial and
commercial enterprises . .
NEW YORK — Armend D'Angelo, Commissioner of Water
supply, Gas and Electricity, was honored at a luncheon by the
Israel Bond Organization at Hotel Biltmore before his departure
for Israel to consult with Israeli experts . on water supply and
electricity problems . .. United States Secretary of State John
Foster Dulles called for the establishment of a United Nations
Peace Force and for United Nations monitoring of radio trans-
mission which seek "to foment civil strife." Dulles made his
statement at a dinner in his honor by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, where he received the organization's highest award, the
Bernard Baruch Gold Medal .. .
CHICAGO—Denying that the establishment of a synagogue
in Chicago's business area would hurt business, Rabbi Julius D.
Goldman, of the Orthodox Congregation Chevra Kadisha Mach-
zike Hadas, told a zoning board that most of the residents in his
neighborhood wanted a synagogue and that business would be
helped by it . . .
BOSTON — The Maimonides Day School, oldest and largest
Hebrew Day School in New England, announced plans this week
for a $500,000 Hebrew High School, which will be the first such
school in New England.

Eliana and Suzy, respectively Mestri that Tunisia did not want through civil courts. Rabbi
and Lucian's son, Jacques, is th e citizens whose "bodies are in Meiss Cohen, the new Grand
first Jewish Tunisian famil y Tunisia, while their minds are in Rabbi of Tunisia, who was
(indeed, from all of N. Africa Israel." Apparently there were named under the re-organiza-
to arrive in Detroit in recen t many such. The Jewish popu- tion, is the former president of
years.
lation has in a few years de- the Jewish court.
Lucian, the only one in the clined from about 100,000 to
The newspapers in Tunisia
family who speaks English, between 40,000 and 50,000. And
are censored and the one Jewish
was cautious in his speech. while the government knows
newspaper that once existed
When speaking of the polit- that many of the Jewish immi- there has been defunct for sev-
ical atmosphere, he chose his grants are bound for Israel, no eral years.
words with care, many times passports are issued for that
The American Joint Distribu-
expressing a preference for country. Israel-bound persons
tion Committee sends aid for
not saying anything.
must first go to France and
He did tell however about a then continue on to Israel. And Jews and Jewish institutional
(including three schools) sup-
Jewish cemetery that is located any former Jewish Tunisian port in Tunisia, and Lucian ex-
in Tunis, • the capital city of citizen whose passport indi-
Tunisia. `This, some fear, may cates that he has been to'Israel pressed the appreciation of the
Jews there for this assistance.
be an advance indication of the can never again re-enter Tuni-
Under the government shake-up
government's attitude toward sia.
of the Jewish Community, Jus-
the area's Jews: The cemetery
There is no anti-Israel tice Minister Mestri has said
dates back some two centuries
and contains the bodies of many propaganda being circulated that he would welcome the con-
revered rabbis and leaders of at present. All propaganda tinued flow of JDC aid, but
that period. It is the custom efforts are now directed at that the aid should be dis-
there that on Mondays and the French in Algeria, the tributed by an independent com-
Thursdays many of the populace goal being independence for mittee, not yet set up. The new
go to the graveside of these Algeria a n d an envisioned committee which took the place
community patriarch s, to unification of Morocco, Tuni- of the Community will not be
pray. For many years the sia and Algeria. Nasser's plan permitted to send representa-
to Jewish international
French, under who's protecto- of an Arab empire eventually tives
meetings.
rate the Tunisian government stretching from India to Mo-
The Darmons who arrived in
had been from 1881 until its rocco is also popular among
the people, Lucian said. (Nas- the U.S. last week, are tem-
independence, had attempted to
ser, incidently is not beyond porarily staying at the Jewish
purchase the cemetery site from
the Jewish community, but had occasionally attacking Bour- House of Shelter on Tyler. They
respected the community's re- guiba for his "pro-western were brought over by HIAS.
The elder Jacques worked in
fusal to sell. Under the govern- tendencies.")
a bank in Tunisia, Lucian was
ment of Habib Bourguiba, the
Just last month, the , "Jewish chief of service in a French
cemetery land was summarily Community", al council which
appropriated with a condescend- is akin to- the Welfare • Fed- bank there, and William was a
ing offer to transport the bones erations of our country; was computor operator also in a
turned up to Israel. The cem- dissolved and replaced with -a bank. They are seeking jobs , so
that they may become self-
etery is now a public garden.
committee "for the management
Jews are accorded all rights of the Jewish religion." Matters supporting as soon as possible.
and privileges of the other citi- of religion, such as marriage, The Darmons, who applied for
zens in this Moslem country, divorce and inheritance, which entry to the U.S. eight years
but they have been warned by formerly were handled accord- ago, are now looking forward
to their citizenship, five years
the Minister of Justice Ahmed ing to Jewish law, must now go hence.

Lehman Urges Four Point Plan for Mid-East Peace

A program designed to ease bration. He called for:
tensions in the Middle East,
1. A guarantee by the West
"where the peace of the world and the United Nations "of
hangs in the balance," was pro- the national security and ter-
posed by former Sen. Herbert ritorial integrity of all the
H. Lehman, general chairman of nations" of the Middle East
the American Committee for "against either direct or in-
Israel's Tenth Anniversary Cele- direct aggression. t

f

Indian Visitor at Hebrew University

Europe

BONN — International guarantees of the borders of all
Middle East nations, including Israel, was urged in a . resolution
adopted by the executive committee of the West German Social
Democratic Party . . .
VIENNA — A report received here from Warsaw states that
easier down-payment terms for Jewish, repatriates from the
Soviet Union buying homes in Poland have been fixed by the
Polish government . . .
PARIS — Israel Melvan, director of the Jewish Agency's
department of education and culture in the Diaspora, reported
here that world Jewry is spending $75,000,000 a year on Jewish
education, $1,000,000 of that sum being spent by the Agency, and
that there are 300 full time Jewish schools in the free world, in
addition to Talmud Torahs and adult evening classes . . .
LONDON — A threat to Israel from her potential Fifth
Column—the 200,000 Arabs within her frontiers—is used by
Cairo radio in a plea to the Jewish State to keep out of Jordan,
the World Jewish Congress Information Department reports „ .
The "Story of the Aleph Beth" is the title of a new book by Dr.
David Diringer of Cambridge University, one of a series of vol-
umes of the "Popular Jewish Library" series published by the
British section of the World Jewish Congress.

Latin America

BUENOS AIRES — The American Jewish Committee dele-
gation touring South America was received by President Arturo
Frondizi who said that the visit had given him a better under-
standing of the "value of direct communications" between the
peoples of Argentina and the United States ... Argentine Foreign
Minister Dr. Carlo Florit, U.S. Ambassador Willard Beaulac and
Israel Ambassador Arie Kubovy were principal speakers at a
dinner in honor of the American Jewish Committee's delegation.

Mrs. Krishna Nehru Hutheesing, sister of India's Prime
Minister Nehru, shown inspecting the Eliezer Kaplan School
of Economics and Social Sciences at the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem during her recent visit to Israel.

2. A prompt and construc-
tive response on the part of
the West to "just Arab de-
mands for economic and so-
cial justice" which "should
not be ascribed to Communist
intrigue."
3. Recognition of Israel "as
one of the major centers of .
stability and strength in the
Middle East which has , served
as a containing wall for the
explosive forces which have
erupted in Lebanon, Iraq and
Jordan."
4. Pending a disarmament
agreement.for the entire area,
the "supplying of arms to Is-
rael to balance those which
have been acquired by Arab
forces hostile to Israel."
Senator Lehman's statement,
cabled from Europe, where he
is travelling, was part of a re-
port summarizing the past year's
activities of the Tenth Anniver-
sary Committee, now being
brought to a formal close.
These programs he identified
as: (1) a pilot disarmament plan
for the Middle East; (2) the
guarantee of frontiers of the
Arab states and Israel by the
Western Powers and the Soviet
Union; (3) great regional devel-
opment undertakings to raise
living standards throughout the
area; (4) a meeting at the sum-
mit in the United Nations to
discuss Middle Eastern prob-
lems.
Five hundred and fifteen dis-
tinguished Americans are mem-
bers of the Committee, headed
by Senator Lehman as general
chairman and Dr. Israel Gold-
stein as chairman.
Although the national pro-.
grams of the American Commit-
tee have been suspended, a
number of undertakings initi-
ated by the Committee are
scheduled for implementation in
the Fall of 1958 and in 1959.
Similarly, programs on the
local level will continue in a
number of communities through-
out the country.

