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.