Purely Commentary
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By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ -
Israel's Phenomenal Investment Projects
•
American Jews who have had the vision to support industrial
projects in Israel_ are. seeing their efforts rewarded in a number
of undertakings.
Detroiters have special reason to be proud of the excellent
results of their pioneering work in establishing the movement
for supermarkets • in Israel. The expansion of the program, now
that the first Tel Aviv supermarket • is showing a good profit,
has encouraged the. sponsors of the movement to float a stock
'issue for Super-Sal, the supermarket corporation in-Israel.
On a much larger scale, the success of the American Israel
Paper Mills is phenomenal. This corporation is the first Israeli
company, to be listed .on,an _international securities exchange and
is included regularly in the American Stock Exchange listings.
This project began operations in Israel in -1953. It continues to
expand, and only a few days ago the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that.
Israelis soon will be writing on "homemade" paper as a result of
utilization by the American Israel Paper Mills of corn stalk pulp
for papermaking. This may be the first time that corn stalks will
be used successfully in the manufacture of paper.
The master mind of the American Israel Paper Mills
project is Joseph M. Mazer, noted New York Jewish leader
and paper manufacturer, who started the project. Last week
Mazer reported a net 'income of the American Israel Paper
Mills, after taxes, for a five-month period, of $648,888, com-
pared with $228,888 for the same period last year. Net profit
before taxes for the reported five-month period totalled
$931,666, compared with $425,555 for the same period in 1958.
• These are causes for gratification. They prove_the. soundness
of investment projects in Israel. The investment program.received
greatest impetus from the-Israel Bond issues. NOw many_ Ameri-
cans are converting their bonds for reinvestments in other
projects, such as Super-Sal and the American Israel Paper Mills.
As a result, there is the same assurance of good returns on
money invested, while the Israel -government is relieved of a
partial obligation in that the bonds are thus redeenied in Israeli
pounds in Israel instead of American dollars in this country.
Little Israel's vision, coupled with the strong sense of kinship
displayed by Americans who share in the. Israelis' program of
development, is one of the great acts of vindication of true
humanitarian ideals in modern times.
Wayne UuiversitylEstablisiltes Near Eastern
Department as Successor to Semitics 'Dept.;
liorman Lecture' Series IntroAkiced at WSU
State University's Lib-
eral Arts Council and 'Liberal
Arts Assembly last week voted
to rename the Department of
Semitic Languages and Litera-
tures into the Department of
Near Eastern Languages and
Literatures.
Dr. Abram Spiro, head of the
department, stated that the
change was made "at the re-
quest of the department." He
added that he considers the
unanimous decision of the two
governing bodies of the college
"a mark of high confidence and
approval of the department"
opening • "the way for expan-
sion."
"The road is now open for
,us to include courses on the
languages, literatures and his-
tories of the non-Semites in the
Near East, such as Turkey,
Persia and the like," Prof.
Spiro said. "Once this • expan-
sion will be accomplished, our
department, will be able to turn
out people who wish to serve
in various governmental or
other • capacities in the Near
East. There is a great shortage
of well trained men equipped
to deal with the Near East,
and a number of universities
have taken it upon themselves
,
Lecture Series which Will be
supervised by an 'advisory
, committee to be announced
next week. Dr. Spiro will be
the director of the series.- -.
This series will be sponsored
by Tom and Al Borman of the
Borman Food Stores.
Noted . lecturers will be
brought here to participate in
the .Borma-n Series which re-
places the Walter and Lea Field
Semitics Lecture Series spon-
sored during the past two years.
Prof. Spiro announces tlie
selection of an advisory com-
mittee on the Borman Near
Eastern Lecture Series; consist-
ing of the following: Bishop
Marshall R. Reed, of the Detroit
and Michigan Methodist Confer-
ences; .Rt. Rev. Msgr. Carroll F..
Deady, of the Catholic Archdio-
cese of Detroit; Rabbi Morris
Adler, of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek; Judge Wade McCree, of
the Wayne County Circuit
Court; William T. Gossett, vice
president of the Ford Motor
Co.; George Romney, president
of American Motors Corpora-
tion; Leonard N. Simons, of
Simon s-Michelson Co., and
Philip Slomovitz, editor; The
Jewish News.
The lecture by Prof. Carl
Kraeling, on Thursday evening,
brought to a close the Walter
and Lea Field Lecture Series.
Dr. Spiro stated this week: "I
wish to express my deep grati-
Daya.n—I once - thought I was tude to Mr. and Mrs. Field for
a - good military planner but I having sponsored the Semitic
had -unlimited resources to draw Lecture Series from its incep-
upon. I could never have done tion until now. These lectures
what you have just accom- have greatly contributed to-4
plished and I send you thy wards the cultural life of the
sincere congratulations."
community."
to remedy the situation. Our
department ,hopes to play its
part in this program.'
Dr. Spiro said that as part
of expanding his department
he hopes to add to it an auth:
ority on medieval Jewish his-
tory, literature, philosophy
and mysticism. Presently, he
pointed out, the department
is covered, in addition to him-
self, by two scholars — Dr.
Isaac Barzilay and Dr. Anwar
Chejne.
Dr. Barzilay is responsible for
modern Hebrew and Hebrew
literature and Jewish history
from the beginning of the
Christian era.
Dr. Chejne teaches Arabic
language, literature and history.
Dr. Spiro is responsible for
classical and rabbinic HebreW,
Aramaic, ancient Hebrew litera-
ture and history.
The original Wayne Univer-
sity Semitics Department came
into being five years .ago with
the introduction of the LaMed
Chair of Hebrew Studies, which
was financed by the Louis and
Esther LaMed Foundation.
Dr. Spiro this week also
announced the establishment
of the Borman Near Eastern
Gen. Smith Praised Dayan's Sinai
Strategy; Diaries Reveal Facts
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
third anniversary of the Sinai
campaign was noted with edi-
The Late Gershon Agron.........
When Gershon Agronsky became the founding editor of the torials in leading Israel news-
Palestine Post, the English language daily published in Jeru- papers and the start of publica-
salein;which became the Jerusalem Post when Israel re-emerged tion of the "Sinai Diaries" of
as a nation, he acquired a most important role in Jewish affairs. former Chief of Staff Moshe
He became the guide to non-Jews who came to Palestine, he Dayan.
The first portions of the di-
was -adviser to many Officials in the British Mandatory Govern-
ment and his home was meeting place between Jews and non- aries, published by Davar, the
Boris Smolar's
Jews in the trying decades that preceded the rebirth of Jewish Mapai paper, and the Jerusalem
Post,
indicated
that
Prime
Min-
Statehood.
Since Israel's rebirth, when he changed his name to Agron, ister David Ben-Gurion initially
he had played important roles in the Israel government, first envisaged the Sinai campaign
as director of information services of his government, -then as as a limited campaign particu-
emissary to a number of countries, and until his death, far larly in terms of the number of
troops to be involved. However,
(Copyright, 1959
four years, as Mayor of Jerusalem.
Jewish - Telegraphic "Agency, Inc..)
He was well known here, having championed the cause of reaching the Tiran Straits to
the-Histadrut on a number of occasions on local platforms. Only end the Egyptian blockade of Information Please
a feW months ago, this Commentator shared a half-hour radio the Israel port of Eilat was
Anyone reading the report which the National Jewish Wel-
prOgram- with him, under the direction of the. Community Council. among the targets considered in fare Board has, made public now on the situation in the Jewish
He ga:ve lucid explanations of many of Israel's problems and he planning the drive.
Community Center field will, inevitably, be inclined to ask:
proved again his ability to represent his government and people
According to the diaries, it what are the reasons of the drop in membership in about . 30
was the need to provide maxi- pereent of the Jewish centers and "Y's" affiliated with t he
with great dignity. •
This Commentator enjoyed hts friendship for many years, mum protection for the assault JWB? . . . What -are'the reasons that membership in the group
dating back : to the time when Gershon Agronsky was a Yiddish troops, particularly the para- between 18 and 24 years of agethe most important youth group
newspaperman, on the staff of the Philadelphia Jewish World chutist, and to forestall the —is constantly declining? Why is male membership going down
( now extinct) , and later when he was editor of the Jewish expected Egyptian counter-at-• while female membership is going up? . . . Why are more than
tack which required organizing 34 percent of the 594,000 members under 14 years of age, which
Telegraphic Agency. -
Mayor Gershon Agron was a distinguished- leader in Israel. the operation on a much larger means that a third of the entire membership
are schoolchildren
scale than was originally . . : The rep:frt . Of the Jewish Welfare Board fails to explain
We mourn his loss.
planned.
the facts behind the figures . . . If 30 percent of the 535 Jewish
The published first section Community Centers and 'Ys", affiliated with the JWB, are
Immediate Action Needed in Israel's Defense
The renewal of Arab assaults upon Israel, in and out of does not describe any contacts losing membership, there must- be a serious reason for such a
the United Nations, has resulted in an extended campaign of with the British and French in development . . . It means that more than 100 of these institu-
preparation of the campaign. tions are undergoing some. kind of a crisis . . . In an annual
vitUperation against the Jewish State.
Much of the renewed anti-Israelism stems from misinter- Various meetings with Ben- report like the one issued by the JWB the facts explaining the
pretation of historical facts related to Israel's rebirth. It is Gurion and orders of the day figures should be stated . . .. Similarly it should be explained
becoming more clearly evident as time goes on that there are described_
why 10 years ago the youth, aged 18-24, constituted 23 percent
*According to the diaries, Ben- of the membership while today it constitutes only 6 percent . . .
is need for constant re-interpretation of the issues and for
Gurion
made
the
final
decision
repeated re-evaluation of the justice of Israel'S position on the
Does this mean that Jewish youth has lost interest in the activities
to . proceed on Oct. 25, four days of the Jewish community centers? . • . How long will it take for
world scene.
before the action was launched. the group, of this age to dwindle down to nothing in the Center
A - propaganda statement by Nasser, for instance, while
it contains not a scintilla of •newness and is. Merely a repeti- On the fifth day of the Sinai membership; if the present process of annual decline continues?
tion of worn-out Arab propaganda, becomes the pivot for operation, there was a discus- . . . Perhaps if the reasons are stated, some ideas might be de-
derOa4ds upon Israel to truncate herself. Even Jews often sion on whether to occupy the veloped to strengthen the, weak spats of the Centers and the
are -misled by falsified propaganda, and unless all elements eastern bank of the Suez Canal. "Ys" indicated in the JWB- report:
are kept fully advised on true facts in existing situations, the Ben-Gurion, according to the
diaries, objected, saying that Is-
issues - may become more muddled and solutions will be unduly rael should not become involved Communal Affairs
.
postponed.
Relationships between the Jewish Federations and the local
in
what
was
rapidly
becoming
While many JewS have become masters of public relations
synagogues will be one of the major topics of discussion at the
progianis -in many fields, it is in the Jewish sphere itself and "a big international affair."
General Assembly of Jewifsh Federations and Welfare Funds
in behalf of Israel that our defense mechanisms appear to be Smith Praised
which. opens Nov. 12 in San Francisco . . • The need for mutual
Dayan's Sinai Strategy
Davar, in its coverage of the exploration and closer cooperative planning emerged from a
The renewed threats to Israel, which are, in -fact, dangers
third
anniversary of the Sinai study conducted by the .CJFWF on community organization,
to all JeWries, including American, call for a program of
campaign,
report a highly which included the study : of .programs of synagogues and com-
of
the
interpretation
of
facts
in
their
historical
vigilance and .
laudatory
comment
on Gen. munity service agencies . Closer relationship is especially
significance for Israel and for the entire world. It is evident
Moshe
Dayan's
leadership
from desirable in view of the changing role of the synagogue, the
that there is an urgent need for. a strengthened and re-
Gen.
Walter
Bedell
Smith,
who increase of synagogue buildings, the more dominant role of the
oriented. public relations program in. Jewish ranks. It is needed
served
as
Chief
of
Staff
to congregational school with- the decline of communal Jewish
in •behalf of many internal issues, and especially in defense of
Gen. Eisenhower in World War education programs, the movement of rabbis into counselling
Israel., c
services beyond the usual. Pastoral function, etc. . . The dis-
ThiS need represents a challenge: It will be interesting to II. Gen. Smith made his com- cussions at the CJFWF "AsSeinbly will seek to establish how
a
copy
ment
in
autographing
watch developments and to see whether American Jewry can
of his book, "Eisenhower's Six better cooperation can be achieved between the local federa-
abandon. • internal strife and vested interests within many Great Decisions," which he sent tions and the synagogues in meeting community responsibilities
conflicting Movements, in exchange for a unified program
.. Differences will also be examined in the quality of coopera-
to_ Jews
Jews as to Gen. Dayan three months
effectively and factually interpreting Jewry's position to
tive efforts. in program -ming for Jewish education, cultural and
after
the
Sinai
operation.
need
to
be
better
informed
well-as to non-Jews, Both
1 onrlyinoc___ Arno clIPPPqCPC gOrtle failures
Between You
... and Me'
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