Purely Commentary

Delightful Literature: Max Eastman's 'Great Companions'

Max Eastman has selected 12 personalities for inclusion in
his very delightful book, "Great Companions—Critical Memoirs
of Some Famous Friends," just published by Farrar, Straus
& Cudahy.
The dozen, considered the greatest of his time by the
eminent, radical writer, about whoth he reminisces in this
splendid book, are: E. W. Scripps, Albert Einstein, Ernest
Hemingway, Edna St. Vincent Milay, George Santayana, Pablo
Casals, Leon Trotsky, Sigmund Freud, Bertrand Russell, Charlie
Chaplin, John Dewey arid his mother, Rev. Annis Ford Eastman,
who was the first woman to be ordained a minister in the
Congregational Church of New York.
By "Great Companions" —Eastman- states in an explanatory
note that he had "broken bread, or at least a symbolic tea-
biscuit or two, with all but one of the famous people portrayed
in this book" — the author means: "Compan-
ions is a word with a warm current flowing
through it, usually in two directions. It means
that two people walk hand-in-hand a good
long distance. or more etymologically — and
less exhaustingly — they 'break bread to-
gether'."
Each of the essays. contains intimate recol-
lections. "Great Companions" is, in a sense,
a literary history with many social and politi-
cal observations.
In "Three Visits with Einstein" the keen
mind of the great scientist is described with
warmth and sympathy. Eastman tells about
Einstein
Einstein's "avowed belief that the ills of the
world can only be eliminated by the establishment of a socialist
economy'." But in reference to Einstein's defense of the Corn-
munists, in the early years of the Soviet rule, Eastman makes
these observations:
"It is beyond my scope to explain what happened to
Einstein to soften him in this way during the decade of the
Second World War. In 1937 he was ready to stop the tyrant
Hitler by force of arms; in 1947 he was a cushion brought
forward to deaden every blow against Stalin's more perfected
and more menacing tyranny.
"The explanation which fits best with my admiration is
that Hitler's specialized and bestial persecution of the Jews,
with whom as a people Einstein fervently identified himself,
unsettled his judgment of the problem in general human terms.
For it seemed, although the inference was erroneous, that in
overwhelming the Nazis, Soviet Russia had been a liberator of
the Jews. Whatever the explanation, this streak of blind
emotionalism in a ruthlessly rational mind may serve as a
warning to me, and to all those inclined to hero-worship, not
to let our admiration carry us too far. 'Let every man be
respected as an individual and no man idolized,' is a quotation
from Einstein himself that may well be remembered in
appraising him."
This evaluation may be a bit unfair. Einstein was one of
many who had hoped that some good may come out of the
democracies' relationships with Russia. Einstein's views changed
considerably in his last years.
Eastman tells of Pablo Casals' refuSal to visit Russia when
the Bolsheviks established the Cheka in 1917 and executed
dissenters. He quotes. Casals: "My only weapon is my cello.
Not a very deadly one perhaps, but such as it is, it fights on
the side of freedom." He then proceeds to state about the
eminent. cellist:
"When Hitler attained to power and began persecuting
Jews and labor unions, he declared the same boycott against
Germany. When Mussolini took over Hitler's policy of anti-
Semitism, he extended his cello's protest to Italy. His action
when Franco seized power in Spain was but the continuation of
a policy of protest against tyranny, international in its scope."
A good friend of Leon Trotsky, Eastman comments: "I think
Trotsky earnestly wanted to be regardful of the interests of
others, but except in small matters and in
the case of his wife, toward whom the most
exquisite consideration seemed to be instinc-
tive, he did not know how to do it. He lacked
the gift of mutuality. He could apprehend,
and discuss at times with keen penetration,
the currents of emotion prevailing in other
people, but he could not flow with them in
a warm common stream."
Eastman differs with Sigmund Freud in
his essay about the father of psychoanalysis.
The following—dating back to the early days
of . Bolshevism—is worth quoting from East-
Trotsky
man's essay about Freud:
"He was curious about the support I gave to the Russian
Bolsheviks.
" 'You believe in liberty,' he said, 'and there you get just
the opposite.'
"I gave him our glib explanation: the class dictatorship is
transitional—a method of moving toward a more real and uni-
versal liberty.
"He made gestures like a man fighting with cobwebs or
doing the Australian crawl.
" 'That is all up in the air,' he said. 'People who are going
to produce liberty some time in the future are just the same
for me as people who are going to have it ready for you in
the celestial paradise. I live in this real world right here. This
is the only world I am interested in.'
"I told him the very thing I admired in Lenin was his
way of taking the real world exactly as it is, and yet trying to
do something about it.
" `The Bolsheviks,' I said, `have a hypothesis and they're
trying it out.'
"That appealed to the scientist in him, and he became both
curious and mild.
" 'It is an intensely interesting experiment,' he said. 'Really,
it's all terra incognita to me. I don't know anything about it.'
" `What are you politically?' I asked.
4 ` 'Politically I am just nothing.'
"He settled down in his chair and squinted at me.
" 'What makes you hate America so;' I queried.

Eastman's Informative
and Delightful Book
The Election Victor

By Philip Heads International
Board of Bar-Ilan U.
Slomovitz

" 'Hate America?' he said. 'I don't hate America. I regret it.'
"He threw back his head again and laughed hilariously.
" regret that Columbus ever discovered it!'
"I laughed with him, and rather egged him on, no doubt,
for I am not touchy about our national faults.
" 'America,' he went on, 'is a bad experiment conducted by
Providence. At least, I think it must have been Providence. I
at least should hate to be held responsible for it.'
"More laughter, and then I asked: in what way bad?'
" `Oh, the prudery, the hypocrisy, the national lack of inde-
pendence! There is no independent thinking in America, is
there?' -
"I said there is a new and lively spirit among young people.
" 'Mostly among Jews, isn't it?'
" 'The Jews are not so free from prudery and hypocrisy,'
I replied.
"He seemed to change the subject."
The John Dewey essay is a great tribute to "my teacher and
friend." The essay about his mother—"My First Great Com-
panion"—is a warm tribute to her who "was unforgettable."
"Great Companions" makes delightful reading. It is a splen-
did book about geniuses, some of them radicals like the author
himself who was a defender of the early Bolsheviks and an op-
ponent of the tyrannical Communists who began to dominate over
the Russian people and to destroy many of the • principles he
believed in.

The Election Winners

Last Monday's election had some very interesting results.
The adoption of the amendments for increased millage for
our schools and in favor of a bond issue to assure building
improvements in our existing school system proved the value of
consistent campaigning. Many elements were enrolled in the
fight for better schools—even the children.
To Dr. Norman Drachler, who was the research coordi-
nator of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Better Schools,
goes much of the credit for the successful campaign in support
of the two vital amendments.
Detroiters who have worked with John M. Wise in behalf
of many causes are undoubtedly very happy that he has been
elected to the Wayne County Circuit Court. No one doubts that
he possesses judicial temperament and that he has earned the
confidence that was shown in him by the voters.
Similarly, there is satisfaction in knowing that Judge Victor
Baum, who has proven to be a very good judge, and whose
keen interest in community affairs has elevated him to a position
of leadership in our midst, has been re-elected to the Circuit
Court.
The Kaufman name again contained magic power, and
Charles N. Kaufman will be on the Common Pleas Bench. A
good and reputable attorney, we have confidence that he, like
the other two Kaufmans (Judges Nathan J. and Ira G.) will
be a credit to his court and to our community.
Leonard Kasle has won 're-election to the Detroit Board
of Education by virtue of his devotion to duty in the position
he has held with dignity.
The election of Benjamin D. Burdick to the Wayne Uni-
versity Board of Governors is, without doubt, the most interest-
ing result of Monday's election. He was among the leaders on
the Republican ticket and he helped smash the myth that a
Republican can't win. This Commentator has so much respect
for integrity and ability that he feels Burdick's triumph is
a tribute to our two-party system and a compliment to the
voters who chose him for the important educational post.
Burdick has for many years been interested in Wayne
State University—as a graduate of its law school and as a leader
in his alma mater's alumni association. He has been active
politically for many years, and most of the time he has been
on the losing side. But he always retained his dignity. He has
served our community very well in many ways — in Jewish
philanthropic efforts, in social services, in defense of human
rights, in behalf of the Zionist cause. It is good to be able to
point to a public servant with such fine qualifications.
Fortunately, all of the successful candidates possess these
qualities. We select Burdick for special mention because he has
overcome greater odds than the others—as- a Republican in a
Democratic environment.
Our heartiest good wishes to the winners.

Algerian Jewry Plans
New Rabbinical School

$650,000

For Israel

NEW YORK, (JTA) — The
sum of $650,000 was trans-
mitted this year by the Pioneer
Women to its sister organiza-
tion in Israel, Moetzet Hapoa-
lot, it was reported at the mid-
season conference of the Na-
tional Board of the organiza-
tion, held here.

Tel Aviv Children
Greet Belgian Queen

TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Queen
Mother Elizabeth of Belgium,
the first royal visitor to Israel,
ended two busy days of cere-
monial activities with a welcome
from thousands of Tel Aviv
children who lined the streets
through which she passed.
Accompanied by Mayor Chaim
Levanon, the Queen was shown
around both new and old Tel
Aviv, and ancient Jaffa. From
Tel Aviv she went to Rehovot,
where she laid a wreath on the
grave of Israel's first President,
Chaim Weizmann, later dining
with Mrs. Weizmann at the
latter's home in Rehovot.
The Queen dedicated the
Romi Goldmunz Art Museum
in Nathanya, opening its gates
with a special gold key. Present
at the ceremony were former
Prime Minister Moshe Sharett,
former Nathanya Mayor Oved
Benami, and Mr. Goldmunz, the
Belgian phidanthropist who
donated the initial gift for the
museum.
Her program included the
laying of a wreath at the Herzl
tomb in Jerusalem, in a cere-
mony attended by Mayor Ger-
shon Agron and members of
the Jewish Agency executive.
Earlier, the Queen and her en-
tourage visited a number of
Hadassah institutions in the
area. She attended a special
gala performance of the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel
Aviv, attended also by Presi-
dent Ben-Zvi, Prime Minister
David Ben Gurion and mem-
bers of the diplomatic corps.

,04.1.11.1,11.1111-04111 ■0■0■ 1./.•10000401110.0.1116-0 ■ 111.1.1111 ■0■0■ 0•1011124•1111111.4)411111.01•1 ■ 04 •0• 01=1.1. 41 ■ 04•11114i∎

Boris Smolar's

Direct JTA Teletype Wire
To The Jewish News

ALGIERS — A rabbinical
school will be opened here
next October to fill the spiri-
tual and cultural needs of the
Jewish communities in North
Africa.
The Federation of Algerian
Jewish Communities, at a
meeting here Tuesday, decided
to establish such a school and
appropriated 45 million francs
for the purpose.
The school also will serve as
a high school for instruction
in both Hebrew and French.
One department will be de-
voted entirely to the training
of young rabbis.

Rabbi JOSEPH H. LOOK-
STEIN, spiritual leader of
Congregation Kehilath Jeshu-
run, New York, and a dis-
tinguished educator, has been
named the first president of
the newly-established interna-
tional board of governors of
Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

Between You
... and Mei

(Copyright, 1959
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Useless Competition

The American Council for Judaism seems to be perturbed
over the fact that its claim of helping 60 Romanian Jews
"stranded" in Vienna turned out to be very much exaggerated
. . Dependant upon this claim is the special campaign for
$60,000 which the anti-Zionist ACJ is now conducting under the
pretext of helping Romanian Jews who allegedly preferred to
remain in Vienna rather than proceed to Israel . .. No wonder
that the ACJ is now making a strenuous effort to secure a list
of 60 persons in Vienna who have received aid from ACJ funds
as bona fide "stranded" Romanian emigrants . . . Whether the
ACJ will succeed in securing such a list is highly questionable,
because records show that, during the months when 8,380 Jews
from Romania passed Vienna on their way to Israel, only six
of them remained in Vienna . . . There were about 60 others
who were able to obtain visas to countries other than Israel,
and in such cases the Jewish Agency and the United Hias office
in Vienna cooperate fully to enable the emigrants to proceed
to the countries of their destination . . . In the meantime,
Washington casts suspicious glances at the claim of the American
Council for Judaism that aid is allegedly needed for Romanian
Jews "stranded" in Vienna . . . It seems that in Washington
the belief exists that there is no basis for such a claim.

