DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Fr iday, February 6, 4959-2
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Arlazaroff Branch and the Man It Honors
The celebration by Arlazaroff Branch of the Labor Zionist
Farband Organization of its 25th anniversary, at a dinner this
Sunday, calls attention to the great personality in whose memory
the local movement was founded.
Victor Hayim Arlazaroff was one of Jewry's Most dis-
tinguished leaders, and he was one of the youngest men to rise
to positions of prominence in Zionism and in literary circles.
He was only 34 when he was
assassinated in Tel Aviv in 1933.
But by that time he already
was recognized as a brilliant
interpreter of Jewish problems,
as an impressive lecturer, as an
author and as a teacher.
It was our privilege to know
him N,vell, to have worked with
him, to have shared platforms
with him in the days when few
people even dared to enter-
tain the dream that there would
one day be an autonomous
Israel. Dr. Arlazaroff had faith
in the coming emergence of the
Jewish State.
His great gift to his people
was his ability to inspire his
followers and to instill in them
the confidence he had in the
strength of our people to sur-
vive and in the ability of the
oppressed among the masses of
Jewry to regain their valued
Dr. Arlazaroff
dignity as human beings, of
which they were being robbed in so many lands of oppression.
Jewry suffered a very great loss in his death. He was among
the small group of leaders . who were certain to rise to great
heights. Jewry was bereaved, and there were many who, valuing
his gifts, desired to perpetuate his memory. The Detroit Farband
group that was formed in the year of his death has kept his
name alive through the many services it has rendered our com-
munity and world Jewry.
We join with the Detroit Arlazaroff Farband in paying
Jewish Groups Blast Discrimination
Practiced Against Jews in Housing
NEW YORK, (JTA) — De-
claring that discrimination in
housing is "the most persistent
and unyielding expression of
prejudice f acing American
Jews today, and probably the
most damaging," a leader of
the Anti-Defamation League of
Bnai Brith presented a seven-
point program to the Federal
Commission on Civil Rights to
combat discriminatory prac-
tices in housing.
Testifying before the Com-
mission, Eugene Sugarman,
chairman of the New York ad-
visory board of . the ADL,
stressed the vital role of gov-
ernment in both public and
Epstein's report cites ex-
amples of housing prejudice in
New York, Chicago, Seattle,
Birmingham, Houston, Miami,
Washington and in many other
sections of the country.
The report also cites a
survey of Detroit's suburbs,
made several months ago, in
which it found that more
than 56 percent of various
real estate agents showed
varying degrees of discrimin-
ation against Jews.
The agents made the claim
that "the neighbors would ob-
ject if I sold to a Jew." But
investigalion of the area showed
that an overwhelming majority
of home owners had no opposi-
tion at all to Jews in their
midst.
"Thus the agents were citing
imaginary prejudices on the
part of the people they served
in order to give substance to
their own real fears and
prejudices," the report said.
The ADL - said that in Ohio,
"Jews are barred from some
apartment houses in Cleveland,
Columbus and Cincinnati, in
Michigan, the suburb of Lath-
private housing and urged on
behalf of the ADL that these
measures be taken by Federal
and local government:
1. Federal housing agencies
should set down explicit re-
quirements from Federally-
aided builders that would
bind them not to practice
discrimination; 2. These
agencies should make it
clearly understood that Fed-
eral aid will be denied to
localities which persist in the
practice of discrimination;
3. Every piece of Federal
legislation dealing with a
Federal housing program
should include, ideally, .a
provision reasserting that the
constitutional requirement of
equal treatment under the
law will be observed.
4. Every state law creating
a program of publicly assisted
tribute to a great friend and a great leader.
housing should contain a pro-
vision barring discrimination by
Inspirer of the Masses
Joseph Sprinzak
_-
all participants and benefi-
In the death of Joseph Sprinzak, labor Zionist ranks lose ciaries of the program; 5. A
another great pioneer, and both Israel and Jewry are bereaved provision should also be in-
of a distinguished personality.
cluded in such state laws bar-
He was truly an inspirer of the Jewish masses. He had ring discrimination by finan-
traveled through many lands in behalf of Poale Zionism, the cial institutions in the granting
Histadrut and other Zionist causes.
loans on housing covered by
Detroiters will recall how, after sitting through lengthy of
those laws; 6. Legislation
dinner menus and scores of addresses by local • speakers, he
be enacted in every
would arise at midnight to make his appeals during appearances should
state barring discrimination
here. Regardless of the hour of his appearance — often it was and segregation in private
in the early morning — he always held his audience spellbound. housing; and 7. Other cities
It is no wonder that labor Zionism prospered, thanks to the should follow the lead taken
leadership of men like Dr. Arlazaroff and Speaker of the Knesset by New York and Pittsburgh
Sprinzak, Prime Minister David Ben7Gurion and .President Itzhak in adopting ordinances barring
Ben-Zvi, and scores of others who have led and still lead in Israel. discrimination in private hous-
Joseph Sprinzak, who died last week of a heart attack, was
one of the founders of Histadrut. Those who are acquainted with ing.
In another proposal to the
Zionist history will recall the early activities of the Tzeire Tzion
of which he was a founder in Russia in 1905. He had played Federal Commission on Civil
important roles in. the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Rights, the American Jewish
Congress urged the establish-
Agency and many other movements..
His family shared his devotion to Israel and to Zionism, ment of a President's Commit-
and a son lost his life in the Israel War of Independence in 1948. tee on Housing Discrimination
His memory will be blessed by the many gifts he made to to withhold Federal funds from
his country, his people and the movements to which he had private or public housing proj-
ects that practice racial or re-
devoted his life.
ligious bias.
The AJC charged that Fed-
Ayr' Rand's Expose of Dictatorships
In 1936, Russian-born Ayn Rand wrote a novel about dicta- eral funds were used to sub-
torships under the title "We the Living." It was an expose of sidize racial segregation in
what had transpired in Soviet Russia, but it was applicable to housing, both public and pri-
vate- . The greater harm, the
all dictatorships.
With very slight revisions — not in contents but in style — AJC said, was done in the pri-
this novel has just been released in a new edition by Random vate area where Federal pro-
grams of urban renewal and re-
House. It is even timelier today than it was 23 years ago.
It exposes the machinations of the domineering elements development, mortgage guaran-
who took control in Russia and who ruled with an iron hand. tees and other aid to priVate
It shows how corruption set in under Communism; that specula- builders have "actually en-
tion returned; that the ruling element once again lived in luxury couraged discriminatory prac-
tices."
while the masses suffered.
Testimony by both ADL and
"We the Living" is an excellently-written and wellAold story.
There is a special lesson in the foreword to the new edition for AJC before the Federal body
those who are concerned over more recent happenings in Soviet followed a pronouncement last
Russia in which Ayn Rand, the distinguished author of "Fountain- week by Benjamin R. Epstein,
national ADL director, that dis-
head" and "Atlas Shrugged," states:
"To those who might wonder whether the conditions of crimination in housing is the
existence in Soviet Russia have changed in any essential respect most persistent and unyielding
since 1925, I will make a suggestion: take a look through the expression of prejudice facing
files of the newspapers. If you do, you will observe the following- American Jews today — and
pattern: first, you will read glowing reports about the happiness, probably the most damaging.
the prosperity, the industrial development, the progress and the
power of the Soviet Union, and that any statements to the con- and scientific superiority over
trary are the lies of prejudiced reactionaries; then, about five the whole world. How many
years later, you will read admissions that things were pretty such five-year plans will you
miserable in the Soviet Union five years ago, just as bad as the need before you begin to un-
prejudiced reactionaries had claimed, but now the problems are derstand? That depends on your
solved and the Soviet Union is a land of happiness, prosperity, intellectual honesty and your
industrial development, progress and power; about five years power of abstraction."
"We the Living" exposes the
later, you will read Trotsky (or Zinoviev or Kamenev or Litvinov
or the `kulaks' or the foreign imperialists) had caused the horrors of dictatorial rule, its
miserable state of things five years ago, but now Stalin has dangers to human freedom. It's
purged them all and the Soviet Union has surpassed the decadent a novel well worth reading, and
West in happiness, prosperity, industrial development, etc.; five it assumes much additional
years later, you will read that Stalin was a monster who had value after all the discussion
crushed the progress of the Soviet Union, but now it is 'a land about Boris Pastr-rnak's "Doctor
of happiness, prosperity, artistic freedom, educational perfection Zhivago."
—
rop Village and other Oakland
County sections have entire
residential areas closed to Jews,
Indiana has similar totally re-
stricted areas in Indianapolis,
Gary, Michigan City and Evans;-
ville."
Massachusetts Moves
to End Resort Bias
BOSTON, (JTA)—The Mas-
sachusetts Commission Against
Discrimination, in a new move
aimed at eliminating discrimi-
nation in the state's hotel in-
dustry, has announced plans to
distribute to places of public
accommodation across the state
display posters announcing that
they will not discriminate on
grounds of religion, color or
race.
Plans to use the posters were
announced in the 13th annual
report of the Commission,
which also noted complaints
continued of discrimination in
this field. The Commission re-
port said that during 1958 it
had examined and found free
of biased language the bro-
chures of 851 resorts, hotels
and motels located in Massa-
chusetts.
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
... and Me'
Copyright, 1959,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
The Romanian Exodus:
The dramatic exodus of the Jews from Romania is now devel-
oping into a problem of major concern to American Jewry . .
Everything points to the fact that this problem will, for the next
few months, overshadow all other problems in American Jewish
life . . . 100,000 Romanian Jews are coming to Israel wave after
wave . . . Only American Jewry can provide the proper funds
needed to transport these emigrants and to have them settled
in Israel . . . This is why the presidents of more than 20 major
national Jewish organizations have sent out an alert to all top
Jewish community leaders throughout the United States . . .
Under their collective signatures, they invited each of these
leaders to participate in an extraordinary conference to deal
with the emergency created by the vast emigration of the Jews
from Romania . . . The conference will take place Feb. 15 in
New York and will hear an eyewitness report on the Jewish
emigrants, the circumstances under which they leave Romania,
and the problems that must be met in transporting them by
trains, by planes, by ships until they reach Israel . . . The eye-
witness report will be given by Herbert A. Friedman, executive
vice-chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, who will, by then,
have returned from a quick tour of the East European countries
where the Jews emigrate from now . . . The conference will also
hear reports on the manner in which the people of Israel are
coping with the great influx . . . Golda Meir, Israel's Foreign
Minister, is expected to be one of the speakers to address the
parley . . . Top American Jewish leaders will then take specific
action to help Israel cope with its vast assignment . . . As means
of bringing the fullest picture home to each Jewish community,
the UJA will send 25 top Israel personalities—including several
members of the Cabinet—into scores of American Jewish com-
munities to give details of the immigration influx and how the
newcomers are being handled.
Israel Craftsmanship:
An interesting Israel exhibition is making its rounds in
various cities in the United States . . . Conducted by the American
Federation of Arts, the exhibition will be circulating throughout
the country for . a period of two years . . . Shown under the name
"Forms from Israel," the exhibition testifies best to the vigor of
present-day craftsmanship in the Jewish State . . . The crafts
exhibited include items from earthenware to camel saddlebags,
from woven rugs to wooden children's toys . . . There are also
works in copper, silver and brass which include plates, bracelets,
necklaces, rings, brooches, pendants, earrings—all done by Israeli
artists . . . Also displayed in the exhibition are books, graphic
designs and textiles printed with decorative patterns of Hebrew
letters.
*
Literary Challenge:
Lovers of Yiddish literature will welcome the new Yiddish
literary quarterly "Wogshol" which has made its appearance in
New York . . • The publication of this magazine of high literary
quality is a challenge to those who claim that Yiddish is "dying"
in this country . . . It may be true that the American-born youth
is not receiving any education in Yiddish—although this is not
exactly the case, considering that there are Yiddish schools in
various cities in the United States—however, Yiddish literature
-is still very far from losing ground . . . This can be best testified
by the fact that Yiddish newspapers still have a large circulation
and there are good weekly and monthly publications appearing
in Yiddish . . . The "Wogshol," edited by A. Tabachnick, well-
known Yiddish essayist and poet, can favorably compare with
any English-language modern literary publication in this country
. . . It contains refreshing literary material, excellent poetry,
good literary essays and reflects modern trends in Jewish
thought.