Purely Commentary

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, April

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Boris Pasternak's Autobiographical Sketch

Boris Pasternak remains in the limelight as the author of
the top best seller. His "Doctor Zhivago" continues to draw the
largest reading audience in this country, and his novel, which
originally appeared in an Italian translation, is the best seller
also in Europe.
Added attention is being drawn to the eminent Russian
author, whose parents were the prominent painter and illustrator,
Leonid Osipovich Pasternak, and the noted concert pianist, Rose
Isodornovna (Kaufman) Pasternak, with the publication of Boris
Pasternak's "I Remember: Sketch for an Autobiography." It has
just been published by the producers of "Doctor Zhivago,"
Pantheon Books, Inc. (333 Sixth Ave., N.Y. 14).
In Jewish ranks, "Doctor Zhivago" was and remains the
subject of considerable controversy because of the few pages —
approximately five — in which the hero of the novel and his
friends discuss the Jews and the
problems affecting them. The ad-
vocacy by them of the disappear-
ance of the Jews as an entity has
brought severe attacks upon Boris
Pasternak. Some have called him
an anti-Semite. The brief Jewish
contents in "Doctor Zhivago" have
been branded as anti-Jewish. Rum-
ors have circulated that his parents
had become converts to the Greek
Orthodox Church and that their
son was brought up under Russian
church influences.
There have been reports that
while the Pasternaks lived in Ger-
many, where Boris studied in his
youth, the author had studied
under the eminent Jewish philos-
opher, the late Dr. Hermann
Cohen, and that he was under his
Boris Pasternak
influence.
There is nothing to indicate the latter in Pasternak's
"I Remember." In fact, there is no indication whatsoever of any
Jewish background. The Jewish term is completely lacking in
the book. The lack of such reference may, curiously enough,
provide the answer to the many questions that have been posed
regarding the Jewishness of the Pasternaks.
While Boris' parents had befriended many Jewish leaders-
Bialik, Weizmann, Sokolow and a score of others—whose portraits
Leonid had painted; while they had gone to Palestine in the
1920s and mingled in Jewish circles, there is very little informa-
tion available to indicate that they had any direct Jewish
affiliations. It is certain that they were assimilated Jews, that
they entered into Jewish circles without becoming linked with
them after they had left Russia, and that their visit in Palestine
is not to be interpreted as an accepance of Zionism.
Leonid Pasternak's paintings were acclaimed by Jewish
leaders. Chaim Nachman Bialik wrote an introduction to one
of his albums. But that's as far as it went.
Boris must have been raised in a thoroughly un-Jewish
environment. He may or may not have been converted, and he
may or may not have been raised under direct Greek Orthodox
influence. But he lived in thoroughly non-Jewish circles. His
friends were not Jews. He felt the impact of Communism and
fraternized with Communist writers.
In his "I Remember" he describes his infancy. He was born
in Moscow, Jan. 29, 1890. Jews had to have special permits to
live there at the time. Moscow was outside the "cherto osiedlosti"
— the "Pale of Settlement" in which Jews were virtually im-
prisoned. But his parents had such rights of residence. There is
no reference to such details in "I Remember." There is no way
of our knowing how the Pasternaks acquired the right of resi-
dence in areas that were out of bounds for Jews. It may have
been conversion or because of the association of Leonid Pasternak
with art schools and his high professional standing.
Boris' story could have been the story of an average Russian
youth. He studied in non-Jewish schools. His entire environment
was Russian. How, therefore, could we possibly expect that he
should have had information which might have altered the
attitude towards Jews as they are expressed in "Doctor Zhivago"?
"I Remember" is an interesting story of a youth who loved
to write poetry, who wrote some novels, who studied abroad,
returned to the Soviet Union and lived under the Nazis. The
book - gives an interesting account of his father's and therefore
also his own friendship with Count Leo Tolstov, Russian books
and authors are evaluated,.
There is little in "I Remember" to indicate Boris Pasternak's
attitude toward Communism, except that, when he was asked by
the poet, Marina Tsvetayeva, whether she should return to Russia
from Paris — (the. inquiry was "prompted partly by homesickness
and sympathy with Communism and the Soviet Union and partly
by the consideration that Marina Tsvetayeva could never be
happy in Paris and that she could perish living in a sort of
vacuum wthout any readers to respond to her) — Pasternak
writes that he "had no definite opinion to offer," that: "I did
not know what to say to her and I was very much afraid that
she and her remarkable family would find things rather difficult
and not very peaceful in Russia." Is this to be interpreted as
skepticism over Communism?
"I Remember," which has many interesting illustrations,
including some fine reproductions of the works of Leonid Pas-
ternak, was translated by David Magarshack, who wrote a
revealing and interesting preface and supplied the important
notes in the book — about its contents and the literary and other
figures referred to in Boris Pasternak's autobiography. Appended
to the book is Pasternak's essay, "Translating Shakespeare,"
which was translated by Manya }farad.
This autobiography should be read simultaneously with
"Doctor Zhivago." It will indicate to the reader that the man
whose Jewish comments are resented probably knows little if
anything about Jews or Judaism and that he most probably
was completely estranged from the people with whom his parents
re-established strong friendships. Such a person can not be called
an anti-Semite. Out of a lack of knowledge about Jews, he was

as unfair about them as an uninformed non-Jew would be when
expressing views that are based on ignorance.

Campaign Reaches $4,000,000 Total;
First Report Meeting Today; Three
Divisions Arrange G-Day April 12

H. Berris, Adolf Lowe, Sid-
The Allied Jewish Campaign Henry
J. Karbel, Isidore Sobeloff,
entered its third week with ney
Julian H. Krolik, Hugh W. Green-
Eugene J. Arnfeld, I. Jerome
pledges of close to $4,000,000. berg,
Hauser, Harry L. Jackson, Arthur
Irwin I. Cohn, campaign I. Gould, Harry E. August, Irving
Louis G. Redstone and
chairman, announces the sched- Posner,
Leonard H. Weiner.
Division chairmen and secretaries
ule for Campaign report meet-
these meetings include
ings. Today Free Press staff organizing
Mesdames Solomon Redstone, Hy
writer, Louis Cook, will speak Anthill, Jack Perlman, Gilbert Gold-
Sidney Kaye, Oscar Bean,
at 12:15 p.m. at the Fred M. ing,
Arthur W. Schlesinger, Jr., Aubrey
Goldman, Robert Schlesinger, Ber-
Butzel Memorial Building.
nard Bladen, Allan G. Agree, Max
The second report meeting Mattes, Melvin H. Hornstein, George
Max M. Honeyman, Robert
will be held at 8 p.m., Tues- Barahal,
Willens, Joseph Jacobson, Jack
day at the new Jewish Com- Davidson, Harold Black, Mitchell
Mandeberg, Ray Werbe, Max Rubin,
munity Center, 18100 Meyers. Theodore
Vane, Arthur Braverman,
Teitelbaum, Sam L. Deutch,
The third report meeting Myer
Jack Rom, Ivan Meisner, Jack Port-
will be at 12:15 p.m., Friday, ney, Sol M. Passell, Milton Hesslein,
Radkin, Barney Aaron, Morris
April 10, at the Butzel Build- Joe
Miller, Don H. Appel, S. Samuel
ing.
Taylor, Norman Naimark, Reuben
Joseph Allender, Oscar
The fourth and final report Bienstock,
Kanat, Seymour R. Jones, Sidney S.
meeting will be held at 12:15 Hertz, Jonnard Greenberg, Jack W.
Mitchell, Balfour Peisner, Maurice
p.m., Friday, April 17, in the Kurzmann,
Herman Lifton, Meyer H.
Green, Sam Schiff, Aubrey Stahl,
Butzel Building.
Roth, Robert B. Colten.
Other scheduled Campaign Harry
Meeting hostesses are Mesdames
meetings include: Shoe section Jack E. Epps, Robert A. Sobel,
David
Lipton, Nathan Silverman,
workers brunch, 10:30 p.m., Stuart T.
Mittenthal, Edward Sherman,
Sunday, at the Furniture Club; Herbert Rollins, Charles Canvasser,
a Stern, Newton Ressler,
linen and laundry employees Leonard
Jack Perlmutter, John H. Redfield,
section brunch, 11 a.m., Sun- Nathan Z. Greenhouse, Charles L.
Carl Zide, Bernard Eisenman
day, at Davison Jewish Cen- Levin,
and Joel D. Josephson.
ter; G-Day for Women's Divi-
Each worker will receive
sion, Metropolitan and Junior her kit and turn in her own
Divisions, April 12, at Beth
■
■
■ ■
Abraham Synagogue; Junior r
Division victory dance, 6 to

1111.01•0.411

8:30 p.m. April 12, at the
Ten Mile Jewish Center; me-
chanical trades division—non-
ferrous scrap metals section,
6 a.m., April 13, at Sammy's;
engineers and scientists section
of mechanical trades division,
6 p.m., April 15, at Jeri's Res-
taurant.

The campaign's women's
metropolitan and junior di-
visions will bring the re-
sults of intensive campaign-
ing to "Report Headquar-
ters" at Beth Abraham Syn-
agogue, 8100 W. Seven Mile,
11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday,
April 12.
Women's division general
solicitation chairman, Mrs.
Louis G. Redstone, metropoli-

tan division chairman, Rich-
ard B. Kramer, and junior di-
vision chairman, Alan E. Luck-
off, report that their divisions
have agreed to make April 12
the biggest Sunday for the
Allied Jewish Campaign in re-
cent campaign history.
More than 1,500 women's di-
vision workers will call on
10,000 of their neighbors and
ask each to make a bigger gift
to the 1959 campaign. Women
are being asked to put aside
at least 10 cents a day for the
United Jewish Appeal and the
60 essential causes around the
corner and around the world
that the campaign supports.
All three divisions are plan-
ning to complete their solici-
tation by April 12.

General solicitation branch
of the women's division will
train 1,500 workers at 32
briefing meetings next Mon-
day, Tuesday and Wednes•
day, announces Mrs. Red-
stone, chairman. From 20 to
120 women will attend each
meeting.

Women who will tell the cam-
paign story, describing the needs of
local agencies and the work cam-
paign dollars accomplish overseas,
include Mesdames Alexander W.
Sanders, John C. Hopp, Harry L.
Jones, Morris J. Brandwine, Lewis
B. Daniels, Lewis S. Grossman,

Author's Son Gets
New Israel Stamp

NEW YORK (JTA)—Nor-
man Raeben, son of the late
Sholom Aleichem, was pre-
sented with sheets of a spe-
cial stamp issued in Israel in
honor of the centennary of
the birth of his father. The
presentations were made by
Simcha Pratt, Israel's Consul-
General here. The stamp
carries the portrait of the
great Jewish writer.

041

0•1

13∎ 0 ∎ 0•1•110 0410110.011

the briefing
meeting.
General Solicitation captains
set the pace for all workers
in the division by giving a 45

pledge card at

per cent increase over 1958
at their captain's meeting.

Report 20 - 30 Per Cent
Increase in Campaigns

Increases averaging between
20 and 30 per cent over last
year's gifts have been record-
ed by many Jewish community
drives
campaigns as 1959

gather

momentum,

according

to Herbert R. Abeles of New-

ark, president of the Council
of Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds.
At latest report, the com-
munities with campaigns far

enough along to be indicative
showed the following increases:
Toronto, 55 per cent; Detroit,
38 per cent; Los Angeles, 33

per cent; Miami, 29 per cent;
Pittsburgh, 20 per cent; Dal-
las, 23 per cent; San Diego,

66 per cent; Bridgeport, 25
per cent; Camden, 40 per cent;

Columbus, 27.5 per cent, Win-
nipeg, 24 per cent.

0111•111.01•1111,11

0 ■ 0•111 ■0■11■ 111.0.1111.1.11,

Boris Smolar's

'Between You
. and Me'

(Copyright, 1959
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Jewish Affairs:

Jewish communities in a number of states are on guard
over legislation on humane slaughtering .. . They are anxious
to see to it that this legislation should not affect Shehita, the
Jewish method of kosher slaughtering . . . A federal humane
slaughtering law was enacted by the last Congress . . . However.,
since this law evoked protests on the part of Orthodox Jews,

it was provided that the Department of Agriculture make a study
of the subject, and report to Congress in two years . . . Now
similar legislation on humane slaughtering has been introduced
in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Connnecticut,
Louisiana, Ohio and Tennessee . . . Representatives of Jewish
communities in those states have met to consider measures to

protect the Jewish religious practice of Shehita . . . The decision
they reached was that the enactment of state legislation at this

time could serve only to further confuse an already complicated
situation . . . They returned to their cities with the determination
to fight for deferment of state legislation, until the completion
of the federal studies . . . Pending humane slaughtering legis-
lation is believed to be dead for this year in New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and Tennessee . . . It has been agreed among
Jewish groups that the Synagogue Council of America and the
National Community Relations Advisory Council should hence-
forth coordinate all aspects of humane slaughtering legislation
through their Joint Advisory Committee.

Educational Front :

The Jewish community in New York spends about $1,500,000
a month on Jewish schools of all types . . . This is to be seen
from the results of a survey conducted by the Jewish Education
Committee . . . The survey establishes that New York Jewry
spent more than $17,000,000 in 1955 on the Jewish school sys-
tem .. . What has it to show for this sum in return? . . The
piCture cannot be considered as encouraging, although it shows
a constant increase in the number of children attending Jewish
schools . . . The number reached 128,000 in 1955, almost a third
more than the 98,000 children enrolled in New York Jewish
schools three years earlier . . . However, there are., in New York
415,000 Jewish children of school age. When only 128,000 of them
attend Jewish schools, what happens to the other 287,000 chil-

dren? . . . Those who conducted the survey believe that the
Jewish schools attract between 80 percent and 85 percent of all
Jewish children in New York at some time during their school

age . . . But even they explain thr.t, since the average Jewish
schooling per child is 2-3 years, the Jewish schools actually enroll
during any one year only one-third of the total number of Jewish
children in New York . . . Suburban schools enroll a much
greater percentage of their total Jewish children than the schools
in the city ... But the total number of children in the schools
of the three New York suburban counties was about 30,000, as
compared with the 98,000 in the various parts of the city . . .
Altogether, the survey shows that there were 659 Jewish schools
in New York in 1955; their number is larger now . . . The all-day
schools accounted for 19 percent of the total enrollment—a slight
drop from their share in the survey of three years earlier . . .
The week-day afternoon schools had 46 percent of the total
enrollment, as compared with the 48 percent they had three years
earlier . . . The one-day schools accounted for 35 percent of the
total enrollment, which represents an increase over their 33 per-

cent share of total enrollment three years earlier . . . Orthodox
schools had 50 percent of the total enrollment, and within this
group the all-day schools accounted for 40 percent of the chil-
dren . . . Conservative schools came next with 27 percent of the

total enrollment, and here the weekly schools predominated
with 65 percent of the children . . . Reform schools had only

18 percent of the total enrollment, with 80 percent of their
children in one-day schools . . . Yiddish schools had four percent
of the enrollment, and 97 percent of their children in week-
day schools.