THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Fr iday, Nove mber 13, 195 9-2
Commentary Purely
James N. Rosenberg—Still a Power at 85
James N. Rosenberg was for many years among American
Jewry's most distinguished leaders. He guided the Joint Distribu-
tion Committee's major activities, as its overseas representative;
he supervised the relief and rehabilitation pro-
grams in agricultural colonies in Russia and
he was the founder of the Dominican Republic
Settlement Association which enabled many
refugees to find homes in the Dominican
Republic.
A highly successful lawyer, he retired from
active practice 10 years ago to devote himself
to painting. Now his paintings—he has com-
pleted hundreds of them—are on exhibition in
all the leading museums in the world.
Mr. Rosenberg has shown a deep interest
in scores of humanitarian endeavors. He re- J. N. Rosenberg
mains active in many of them and he is the co-chairman of the
U.S. Commission for a UN Genocide Convention.
This distinguished leader will mark his 85th birthday on
Nov. 20. He is as virile and as active today as he has been
during his entire richly creative lifetime. It is a great privilege
to be able to congratulate him on his birthday and to call the
attention of American Jewry anew to the great gifts of this very
distinguished Jewish leader.
Keeping Alive an Historic Occurrence
It took the Arabs to remind the world that a great document
. —which became historically famous as the Balfour Declaration
pledging Great Britain's support in the establishment of the
Jewish National Home in Palestine—was issued on Nov. 2, 1917.
On the 42nd anniversary of the historic Declaration, Arabs
paraded against the Balfour, pledge in Cairo and Damascus.
Now that they have reminded the world of the existence
of the Balfour document, there is greater justification for the
observance of the anniversary of the Declaration by Jews. We
hope to be at the annual Balfour Concert of the Detroit Zionist
Organization, tomorrow night, to join in giving credence to the
actions of great Christian Zionists who helped further the Zionist
idea which gave birth to modern Israel.
Is American Jewish Leadership Lacking Skill?
Two national Jewish organizations last week criticized the
procedures of the 20 other national Jewish organizations which
were acting as a unit seeking an interview with Nikita Khrush-
chev, during his recent visit in this country, on the position
of Russian Jewry.
Herbert B. Ehrmann, president of the American Jewish
Committee, objected to "premature publicity" as bringing
"undesirable results," and objected to the utilization by the
president of Bnai Brith of a statement from the White House,
revealing that . President Eisenhower had queried Khrushchev
on the Jewish question, in a publicity release, as- "harmful to
the cause of Russian Jewry."
The American Jewish League for Israel, in an editorial in
its latest Bulletin, criticized the creation of "a confused situation";
stated that in seeking an interview with Khrushchev in this
country Jewish leaders blundered, that they should have asked
for such an interview in Moscow and that "the letters and
speeches of American Jewish leaders did not help to further
the cause in which they were interested"; and concluded: "The
incident was not complimentary to the diplomatic skill of Amer-
ican Jewish leadership."
It will be difficult for the presidents of 20 national organiza-
tions who are bound together in a group that often is rather
ridiculously referred to as "the Presidents' Club" to refute
these accusations. There is no doubt—and we have taken that
position while the futile negotiations to secure an audience with
Khrushchev were in progress—that the national Jewish leaders
blundered beyond repair. The entire premature publicity cam-
paign was so childish and immature that it did not lend credit
to our leadership.
Yet, we feel that if all Jewish organizations, without excep-
tion, including the American Jewish Committee, had acted jointly
in the matter, errors could have been avoided. Then the large
group of Jewish organizations would have known that the
Amercian Jewish Committee had negotiated for a meeting with
Khrushchev and that it had word that President Eisenhower
had promised to tackle the Jewish question with Khrushchev.
It is when differing groups pull in opposite directions that
dangers begin to threaten negotiations and negotiators.
Therefore, there must be repudiation of aspirations by any
single group in Jewish life to become a law unto itself and
to act on its own, without regard to all the other established
and recognized movements in Jewish life.
The upshot of it all is that our leaders have blundered, that
they have proven to be politically immature and that the sad
competitions involving vested interests are harmful to Jewry.
With all due credit to the Amercian Jewish Committee for a
justified criticism of "the Presidents' Club," we are inclined to
place the blame for blunders on all Jewish leaders because
they are unnecessarily pulling in conflicting directions.
American Interest in Israeli Elections
Tribute to -Great Leader... By Philip
Balfour Event . . . Israel's
Election ... ZBT History Slomovitz
National Cultural
Study Recommended
to CJFWF Assembly
sparks to the campaign debates.
The religious elements made the best use of traditional
SAN FRANCISCO -- Estab-
appeals, the Herut sought all available means to destroy the lishment of a National Jewish
Mapai's popularity and the other parties resorted to all imaginable Cultural Foundation to serve
political schemes to win followers. There were lessons in Israeli
political ingenuity for American politicians in their approaching as a focus of American cultural
activities was recommended
1960 campaign.
The interest thus created spread far beyond the boundaries to delegates at the 28th General
of Israel, thereby creating a sharing of concern in the election Assembly of the Council of
the Council of Jewish Federa-
in this country.
*
tions and Welfare Funds. in a
summary of the national cul-
ZBT'S Interesting Background
•
The hazing of two Jewish students at Michigan State Univer- tural study sponsored by the
sity is less material than the fact that Zeta Beta Tau was involved Council.
Dr. Judah J. Shapiro, of
in the incident.
While there is a general tendency among fraternities to Washington, chairman of the
abandon hazing, there is a feeling of regret that ZBT should technical advisory committee,
have been involved in a rather stringent practice of covering presented the recommendations.
a couple of youths with paint and shellac and abandoning them
Dr. Shapiro, former national
in sub-freezing weather a considerable distance from their frat director of Hillel Foundations,
house.
said the proposed foundation
Zeta Beta Tau has an interesting history. It was founded would be composed of repre-
towards the end of the last century by Prof. Richard James sentatives of the 24 national
Horatio Gottheil, (1862-1936), who taught Semitic languages at Jewish cultural agencies in-
Columbia University. The name was derived from the initials of volved in the study and would
the Hebrew words Zion b'Mishpat Tipadeh — Zion shall be be invited to serve on a Coun-
redeemed with justice—from Isaiah 1:27. It was part of the cil of Jewish Cultural Agencies,
faith in a Zion redeemed entertained by the Gottheils.
functioning as a central plan-
Prof. Gottheil was president of the American Federation of ning instrument for the field.
Zionists—the predecessor of the Zionist Organization of America The Council would be the arm
—from 1898 to 1904, and was one of the first great American of the foundation for clearance
Zionist leaders who inspired the movement for the reconstruction coordination among the agen-
of Jewish Statehood. His father, Dr. Gustav Gottheil (1827-1903), cies, and for pooling and ex-
was one of the first — and very few — early Reform leaders to change of ideas.
embrace Zionism. He was a vice-president of the Federation of
The survey stressed that
American Zionists and with his distinguished son was a co-worker
been
with Dr. Stephen S. Wise and other pioneers in building up adequate safeguards had
provided to preserve the
the movement in this country.
But Zeta Beta Tau's membership was for many years anti- studying Sidney Z. Vincent,
Zionist, and its leaders came closer to the movement only in assistant director of the Jew-
ish Community Federation of
the 1940s.
the
It still is among the leading Jewish university fraternities Cleveland, observed that
from whose ranks we hope to benefit whenever Jewish leadership most hopeful aspect of the
is enhanced. That is why it is so especially deplorable that ZBT cultural study was the emerg-
bays at MSU should have abused privilege and disgraced their ing optimism of a resurgence
in
heritage by resort to tactics that are now generally outlawed of Jewish cultural activities
America.
universities.
Balfour to Address
ZOA Dinner in N.Y.
T h r e e glorious chapters in
Zionist history culminating in
the establishment of the State
of Israel will be commemorated
Nov. 23, at the annual dinner
sponsored by nine metropolitan
regions of the Zionist Organiza-
tion of America at Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria, New York.
The Rt. Hon. Earl of
Balfour, nephew and heir of
Arthur James Balfour, author
of the Balfour
Declaration,
accompanied
b y Countess
Balfour, w i 11
arrive shortly
by plane from
Scotland a s
guests of the
Z 0 A to ad-
dress the an-
nual dinner.
Earl of Balfour Other speak-
ers will be Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann, president of the World
Zionist Organization; Abraham
A. Redelheim, president of the
ZOA; and Rabbi Irving Miller,
f or m e r ZOA president and
chairman of the dinner com-
mittee, who will be the toast-
master.
The Earl of Balfour has been
an active supporter of the
Zionist movement for many
years. Both he and the Countess
of Balfour, who have visited
Israel on s e v e r al occasions,
have toured all parts of Britain
in behalf of Israel causes, par-
ticularly Youth. Aliyah.
The proceeds of the $100-a-
plate dinner will go to the
American Zionist Fund to fi-
nance projects of the ZOA both
in Israel and in this country.
The many scores of calls that tied up our telephone lines for
three . days last week, with inquiries from interested Detroiters
about the results of the election in Israel, indicated the deep
interest among Americans in the world's most interesting and
most effective democracy. Only the concern that was created by
the Sinai Campaign three years ago matched this interest by
Americans in an Israeli affair.
It was to have been expected. Many of the leading figures
on the Israeli political arena are well known here. David Ben-
Historical Society Prints
Gurion is the idol of many Detroiters. Abba Eban has befriended
scores of our fellow citizens during his numerous visits here. `Jews in Minnesota'
"The Jews in Minnesota," a
Many other candidates have their friends here.
There were human interests in the Israeli election that are study of the first 75 years of
unmatched anywhere else. For instance, Eban used many lan- Jewish communal history in an
guages in his campaign. He spoke in Arabic to the Arabs, he ad- American state whose own his-
dressed Iranian immigrants in Persian, and in addition to his tory goes back only to 1858, has
Hebrew and in English he used French when speaking to been written by Rabbi W.
Gunther Plaut, of the 103-year-
settlers from Egypt.
Ben-Gurion utilized the campaign to discuss many major:is- old Mount Zion Hebrew_ Cong.,
sues, including the involving Russia, and he thereby addedin St. Paul.
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Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. and Me'
(Copyright, 1959
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Enc.)
Jewish Problems
The absence of Jews from executive positions in the major
American industries is developing into a public issue . . . The
American Jewish Committee has discussed this problem at its
executive meeting and is now determined to concentrate on
breaking this hard shell of discrimination . . . In collaboration
with the Harvard Business School, the AJC is instituting a two-
fold study project—to examine the recruiting practices of the
large corporations, and the selection of industrial careers by
college students . . . A substantial endowment grant has been
secured for this purpose from the Falk Foundation of Pittsburgh
. . . Pittsburgh, a city which can be considered the industrial
center of America, is also a city where there is almost a com-
plete absence of Jews in executive positions in such major
industries there as U.S. Steel and Alcoa . . It is interesting
that these two corporations do their recruiting from Columbia
University and the University of Pennsylvania, 40 percent of
whose student bodies are Jewish . . . Interesting also is the fact
that these two corporations have quite a substantial number
of Jewish shareholders; nevertheless they stand out among the
industrial enterprises which have practically no Jews in top
positions . . . This is also true with regard to the Du Pont
Corporation which, according • to the American Jewish Com-
mittee, has no Jewish executives . . . The local chapters of the
AJC in Pittsburgh and Detroit are now launching programs
in the field of business and industry, with a view to -bring
about the opening of executive positions in corporations to
Jews . . . An expose on the problem—placing it in the forefront
of the AJC activities—has been given by Dr. John Slawson,
executive vice-president of the organization .. . He emphasized
that there is a direct and immediate relation between the non-
admission of Jews into certain clubs and their being prevented
from reaching executive positions in the corporations.
*
*
Woman's World
Jewish women in this country contribute millions of dollars
each year to local and national Jewish fund-raising campaigns,
independent of contributions which their husbands make to
the same campaigns . . . Some of these gifts are substantial
. . . A survey concluded by the Council of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds in 76 cities in the United States and Canada
shows that there are thousands of Jewish women who contribute
$500 and more each year for the local federations only . . .
Not to speak of those who make their contributions directly to
the United Jewish Appeal, the Hadassah, the ORT, the National
Council of Jewish Women and to the multitude of drives con-
ducted by other organizations through "women's divisions"
. . • The CJFWF survey does not contain any data on contri-
butions by Jewish woman in New York, which are probably
the largest . . . However, Detroit takes the first place in the
country in the total sum raised among women for local Jewish
welfare funds . . . With a Jewish population in Detroit of about
90,000, there were this year more than 12,300 women there who
contributed to the local Allied Jewish Campaign more than
$616,000 independently of their husband's contribution.