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Purely Commentary
'The People of the Book' — Israel's High Goals
"AM' ul kitab" — "people of the book" — first applied to
us by Mohammed, in the Koran, has stuck to us as one of the
highest tributes ever paid a cultural community.
It is important that we should take note of this a
in n order that we always be aware of the admonition ppellation,
of Judah
Aryeh (Leone) Moscato, who wrote in 1588, in "Nefutzot
Yehuda :
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Book and People , . -
Colorful Moshe Oved . .
Love Thy Neighbor Stamp:
By Philip
wornovitz
Blame for Arab
Refugees Taken
by Jordan Press
among his subjects. In 1949 he made several bronze candelabra
in commemoration of the 6,000,000 Jews killed by the Nazis.
_ "Mr. Oved was himself the subject of a bronze by Jacob
4.)
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
Epstein. He presented the bust, together with one of Professor
to The Jewish News
Samuel Alexander, also by Epstein, to the Ben Uri Gallery in
JERUSALEM — While the
1946; and at a gathering held to thank him for these and for United Nations in New York is
many gifts of paintings he was also praised for his 30 years' in midst of its annual debate on
:F4
services to the Gallery, of which he was a Vice-President. The the Arab refugee problem, the
"Israel's glory sinks to the earth only when he lets his Jewish Museum was one of several other Jewish institutions to press of Jordan, in an unprece-
which Mr. Oved made gifts.
Book fall to the ground."
dented development, has begun
"Of many Jewish cultural movements he supported, a fa- calling for the Arab states them-
During Jewish Book Month, which this week is being high- vorite
one
was
the
Friends
of
Yiddish,
of
which
he
was
for
selves to take action toward a
lighted by Detroit's Jewish Book Fair, it is important that we many years President and later Hon. President."
z take
heed also of these gems in "Sefer Hasidim":
solution of the ten-year old
This is only part of the story. The family tragedy may remain
"If a drop of ink fell at the same time on your book and
untold. But much may yet be said about the man whom royalty problem. The majority of the
Arab refugees live in
on your coat, clean first the book and then the garment . .
admired, whose artistic genius is irreplacable, whose skill at Palestine
Jordan.
If you drop gold and books, pick up first the books and then story-telling remains unmatched.
the gold."
The Jordan press for the first
time has stated bluntly that the
These ideas re-echo the respect that Jewry traditionally has
0
Arabs themselves must take
tx for The Book. It began with the Holy Scriptures, it continued A New Stamp: 'And Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor
E1 with many commentaries, it is carried on with unending devotion
A new postage stamp, to be care of the refugees and stop
issued in Israel in honor of the trying to place the blame on
A throughout the ages. Indeed, as stated in Ecclesiastes, especially
Human Rights Charter of the others. The most dramatic edi-
for the Am HaSefer — for the People of the Book — "of making
many books there is no end."
United Nations, will bear the torial to appear thus far was in
E-(
Hebrew verse "And thou shalt love Tuesday's Falastin which said
The successes of our Book Fairs, so well arranged by the
thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18) the Arabs were responsible for
staffs of the Jewish Community Center, are stimulating factors
in the five official UN languages, the existence of the refugee
in our communal efforts.
Russian, Spanish, French, English problem. It held the Arabs at
This year's Book Fair has three distinguishing personal
and Chinese.
fault for refusing to cooperate
elements — the appearance of Dr. Richard C. Hertz's "Prescrip-
The Hebrew text, ve-ahavta le- in 1947 with the UN partition
tion for Heartache," the forthcoming appearance of Rabbi Morris
reakha kamekha—and the source, decision, with invading Israel in
Adler's "The World of the Talmud" and General S. L. A. Mar-
shall's "Sinai Victory."
Vayikra (Leviticus), will appear in 1947 and with obstructing the
resettlement efforts of the past
Hebrew on the stamp.
This week-end will mark the continuation of a wonderf ul
ten years.
Once
again,
Israel
is
enriching
tradition in our community: through the Book Fair displays of
philately while retaining the Scrip-
Falastin as well as the other
books, at the Fair's interest-promising programs, in the oppo r-
tural spirit.
Jordanian newspapers warn
tunities afforded to Detroit Jews to purchase books with Jewi sh
both the refugees and the Arab
* * *
content.
"host" governments that the
Israel
and
Women
Diplomats
A hearty salute to our Book Fair, its directors, its par-
UN discussion of what will be
ticipants and its spectators.
When Miss Margaret Meagher, the 47-year-old Canadian done with the Arabs after
1960
diplomat, presented her credentials to President Itzhak Ben-Zvi "may be the
* * *
last opportunity's
of
Israel,
in
Jerusalem,
as
Canada's
first
woman
ambassador,
to find an equitable solution to
The Colorful Moshe Oved
the first person to greet her was Israel's Foreign Minister, Mrs. the refugee situation with out-
It is most surprising that so little has been written about Golda Mein
side assistance.
the recent death in London of one of the most colorful personal-
In the little State of Israel, women diplomats thus formed
ities of our time—Moshe Oved—whose "Cameo Corner" in the a small but impressive sorority.
The major Jordanian dailies
again gave front page space
British capital once was the meeting place for statesmen,
Miss Meagher, who formerly was Canada's Charge d'Affaires Wednesday to reports of Abba
writers, painters, sculptors and lovers of art.
Oved, who passed away in London on Sept. 16, at the age in Jerusalem, had her credentials signed by Queen Elizabeth II Eban's proposals in the United
of 73, had been ill for a number of years. We were deprived of of the British Empire, and it is believed that this was the first Nations for Israel's payment of
time that a woman diplomat's accreditation was signed by a compensation to he Arab refu-
the privilege of meeting him on our visit at his Cameo Corner British
sovereign.
gees.
a year ago. His wife was conducting the shop, and thanks to our
In continuation of their un-
Israel's role in world affairs is surely highlighted in many
confrere Josef Fraenkel we were able to see Oved's art works,
ways.
precedented campaign to force
in the back of the shop.
* * *
the Arab refugees to face the
_
As in so many other similar instances, tragedy marks the
facts, most. Jordanian news-
passing of this noteworthy figure. His works end with him. His Splitting a Meal Into Instailmenic
In a restaurant next to the New York Morosco Theater, papers quoted, verbatim, large
wife (his second marriage was an intermarriage) is running the
Cameo Corner as a jewelry shop. There is no one to replace the where the remarkable Lunts are appearing in "The Visit," there sections of Ambassador Eban's
announcing that Israel
man who was watched at his work by Queen Victoria, whose is a sign inviting its patrons to enjoy their dessert and coffee proposal
was prepared to pay compen-
short stories and poems were as delightful as his sculptures and leisurely after the theater performance, at no extra cost. The
sation outside the framework of
his skill at collecting antiques.
restaurant's patrons are invited to have their regular meal, a peace plan if the refugees
The obituary notice that appeared in the London Jewish postponing the dessert-coffee courses until after the show.
would be resettled in lands
Chronicle contains so many interesting highlights about Moshe
The sign reminded us of an interesting story about a private where they are now encamped.
Oved that we share it with our readers:
kosher restaurant that functioned some 20 years ago on Oakland Several of- the newspapers again
"Mr. Oved had been ill for several years and absent from Avenue. It was frequented by the much larger number of mesh- published editorials warning the
an antique- jewelry shop in Bloomsbury which achieved con- ulakhim who came to Detroit to solicit for yeshivot.
refugees that unless the Arabs
One day, one of the diners called the owner of the restaurant faced up to the situation the
siderable fame as 'Cameo Corner.' His purple velvet robe and
varied accomplishments made him one of London's most color- to his table and asked:
imitative in handling the refu-
"You don't mind when I finish my meal, do you?" Of gee problem would pass into the
ful characters. Outside his shop the wide-brimmed hat above the
course
not,
was
the
reply.
short figure distinguished him at public gatherings, many of
hands of the West and Israel.
them Jewish.
Whereupon the diner said: "I'll be back this evening for
The refugee leaders, under
"Moshe Oved was born in Poland, the son of a chazan- my shtrudel and coffee."
heavy Nasserist pressure, do
The
next
day,
this
customer
came
bright
and
early
and
shochet named Goodack. The account of his two escapes from
not take the same views. These
Poland and his susequent progress towards success made one of started to order his meal. He asked for the entree, with plenty leaders have cabled Secretary
the most interesting of the many stories and adventures which of bread, and then rose to say he'd be back for lunch for his General Hammarskjold threat-
he described in conversation or put into his 'Visions and Jewels' main course. He finished up the day by again having his dessert ening that the refugees will
and coffee at night. It was a split meal—utilized for breakfast, "start to march to reoccupy
and other books.
"The first escape in 1903 was helped at the frontier by an lunch and dinner. No one has ever split the atom more carefully. their lands" if the UN Relief
This is a true story—originally recounted to us by Abe and Works Agency for the Refu-
offering he made to a German official of a 'Dutch cheese the Lachover
who was witness to the local incident.
gees is disbanded in 1960.
size of the moon.' After four years in London's East End where
he worked as a watchmaker, he returned to Poland, from which
he escaped a second time hidden in a wagon under a pile of
rawhides.
(Continued from page 1)
f tive solution of the refugee
"In London again he began trading in antique watches and
The formula came at the end
cameo brooches, and eventually opened a business in New Oxford that the United States would I problem were actually imple- of a long speech in which Eban
Street under the name of Edward Good. (He became better help Israel financially if it mented." He added that when sharply attacked the manner
known later by the name Moshe Oved, which he adopted as an were to compensate the Arab Arab refugee compensation and the substance in which the
author.) From Oxford Street he moved his business to the refugees. Britain announced im- claims are actually fixed, "it Arab spokesmen have been dis-
Museum Street shop that drew so many seekers after antique mediately after Dulles' speech would be necessary to take into
cussing the refugee problem
jewelry. The late Queen Mary was a frequent visitor to 'Cameo that it would also help Israel account the claims of Israel
this year. Eban pointed out
Corner.' She had, Mr. Oved related, an expert's knowledge of in this - regard.
citizens who have a right to that so far the Arab represen-
jewels and the antique. On a visit during 1935—the jubilee year
"We believe that even if a compensation for property left tatives have failed to mention
of King George V's reign—she presented him with a porcelain peace settlement is beyond our behind in Arab lands."
that the same United Nations
dish. Her visits were not confined to talk about antiques. Her reach there would be inde-
As for admitting some of the
Majesty showed great interest in, and sympathy with. the Jewish pendent advantage both moral refugees into' Israel, Eban said: resolutions which speak of "re-
patriation" of refugees also
people.
and political in a separate "In the context of such a solu- speak of resettlement and in-
"Among other Royal visitors were Queen Elizabeth, the solution of the refugee prob- tion by integration in Arab tegration.
Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and the Princess Royal. Then lem," Eban continued. Until lands, and the fulfillment of
Eban cited many instances
there were distinguished writers, artists, leaders of fashion, and now it has been the general Israel's compensation under-
in which a large array of ex-
political figures among the callers.
understanding here that Israel taking, we do not exclude an
"The first of Moshe Oved's publications was 'Out of Chaos,' would not discuss an overall extension of the uniting of fam- perts has shown that integra-
printed in 1918. This was followed by 'Gems and Life' (1927), settlement of the refugee prob- ilies scheme under which many tion of the Arabs in Arab lands
`Book of Affinity' (1933), Tor the Sake of the Days' (1940), as lem except in the context of former Arab residents have al- is feasible economically and
well as collections of verses and contributions to Yiddish and overall Israel-Arab peace nego- ready come back to Israel ter- just morally. Throughout his
speech, Eban made it clear that
other periodicals. The biggest impact he made as an author was tiations. Today, however, Eban ritory."
"there can be no solution of
in 1952 by the extended 'Visions and Jewels', containing both told the committee:
Israel's formulation of the the refugee problem unless the
autobiographical writing and imaginative stories.
"We are now disposed to en- Arab refugee problems solution
"He was already 60 years old when he blossomed forth as a visage a settlement of our today was called by Mr- Eban Arab governments abandon
sculptor, and in 1948 he held a one-man show at the St. George's compensation undertaking in a "redefinition" of his govern- their opposition to the integra-
Gallery. Another exhibition was held, in 1952, at Foyle's Art advance of a settlement of ment's attitude. To
many ob- tion of the refugees into the
Gallery. His work, in bronze and brass, was for the most part on other outstanding questions, servers here irt
economic life of the Near,
seemed
a small scale. Animal fantasies and the heads of chassidim were provided only that a substan- new statement of policy. like a
East."
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Israel Tells -UN of Arab Compensation Proposal