THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, August 19, 196 0 — 2
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
There Is No End to Judaism Council's Infamy
Much as one tries to avoid controversy with the infamous
Council for Judaism, it is difficult entirely to ignore this self-
hating Jewish- group's irresponsibly vicious programs. The lead-
ers of this group, which has. been described as neither American,
nor Jewish, nor a Council, seem bent upon' accomplishing one
thing: to place their fellow-Jews in disrepute. --
Once again, this Council sought the limelight by making a
gift of $3,000 to Church World Service, the National Council
of Churches' relief agency. Purportedly, this munificent sum,
donated by wealthy people who have been boycotting the United
Jewish Appeal and thereby have been hoarding many tens of
thousands of dollars that should have been given to aid distressed
Jewries, is for a loan fund for Palestine refugees administered by
the Near East Christian Council in Beirut.
Those who read about this noble gift. should not overlook
a most important factor: that all of us, through our tax dollars,
are aiding the Palestinian refugees to the tune of tens of millions
of dollars that come from the United States Treasury. For a
disrupting group to make claim that it is aiding needy refugees
with a paltry $3,000 sum, therefore, is the height of audacity.
Even more misleading is the claim that this type of gen-
erosity will aid refugees, who are not registered, to set themselves
up in business in Jordan and in the Gaza Strip. The fact is that
the Arab potentates, in order to keep the refugees as pawns in
a battle against Israel, have been prevented by their leaders
from becoming self-supporting. Had they cooperated with the
United Nations and the.United States, sufficient sums would have
been provided to rehabilitate these people and to provide them
with means of earning a livelihood. Yet the Council for Judaism,
in order to discredit fellow-Jews, gives the impression that
Arabs are not being aided in their plight. They fail to indicate
that their misery is self-imposed and that the help they extend
is so meager that it can hardly be of much use, compared with
the vast sums the democratic nations spend in behalf of the
refugees. American Jewry's dollars are part of the aid that
goes to the refugees from this country.
Another misrepresentation is the assertion by the Judaism
Council that there are unregistered refugees. It has been proved
—and U.S. Senator Albert Gore of Tennessee has exposed it—
that the refugees' rolls have been padded, that ration cards of
many who have been dead for several years still are being used,
and that Arabs from several countries have entered the refu-
gees' camps, posing as refugees, in order to secure free rations.
The Council for Judaism won't relate facts of this nature,
because they won't serve the purpose of villifying fellow-Jews.
The Council for -Judaism also utilized the Eichmann case
as means of abusing Israel, Zionism and the entire Jewish
people. Its leaders didn't like the U.S. approach to the issue
before the UN Security Council. They can hardly be expected
to approve of anything that would contain a modicum of justice
for Jews and for Israel:
What a pity that some Jews still are misled by the rantings
of this self-hating element in our midst!
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150 Synagogues in USSR: Jewish Broadcaster's Defense
Samuel Sandler, a broadcaster in Moscow's English service
for -North America, has denied charges that there is discrimina-
tion against Jews in Soviet Russia. In reply to a correspondent
from New York, he claimed that the Jewish religion enjoyed
the same rights as any other faith in the USSR and that there
are, altogether, "150 synagogues functioning" in the Soviet
Union.
His contention is that Hebrew is being studied at the Eastern
Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences and at one of the
departments of Moscow University, but that Hebrew "was not
popular among Soviet Jews," while they know Yiddish.
USSR. Broadcaster Sandler took this correspondent to task
in answer to his query about immigration, and declared: "Where
on earth did you get the idea that Soviet Jews want to leave
their homes (and go to Israel)? We here have no such informa-
tion. Prime Minister Khruschev . . . said the Soviet authorities
do not have a single application either by Jews or anyone else to
go to Israel." On the other hand, the broadcaster alleged, many
Jews "curse the day they went to Israel. A recent collective
letter from 107 former Soviet Jews begs permission to return
home from there to the USSR."
.These assertions are worth a brief analysis.
In the first place, granting that there are 150 synagogues in
all of Russia, this admission is in itself an indictment of the
Russian way of life. There are half that many synagogues in
Michigan alone, with a Jewish population of 100,000. The USSR
has _nearly 3,000,000 Jews. Therefore, on the basis that there are
150 functioning synagogues, it is vain to claim that there is
religious freedom in Russia.
On the USSR books, synagogues are not subjected to extra-
curricular mistreatment. Indeed, all faiths are viewed alike on
the Communist statute books. But there is enough evidence to
indicate that Jews had been selected for special mistreatment.
ment. The fact is that Jews live in fright, that many fear to
enter a synagogue, and that, in the main, the old people attend
religious services.
It is vain for a-Jewish broadcaster to claim that Hebrew is un-
popular in Russia. The simple truth is that Hebrew and Zionism
are outlawed in Russia. But it serves a broadcaster for the USSR
well- to be able to make the comparison and to say that Yiddish
is known and used. What he overlooked is the fact that all Yid-
dish- newspapers have disappeared in the USSR, that the Yiddish
theater is not as well supported as in the past and that certain
teachings are prohibited.
Also, Sandler, while claiming that Russian Jews have asked
for the right to leave Russia, did not say whether they received
permission to return to Russia and if any of them actually
made the return journey.
The fact that Jews live in fright, that many fear to enter
a synagogue, and that, in the main, only the old people attend
speaks louder than a broadcaster's apologetics in exposing the
anti-Semitic tendencies of the Communist leaders.
Ben-Gurion, Sharett Differ on Channeling
of 'Pioneering Spirit' of Israeli Youth
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—The days
of "personal pioneering" have
gone and would not return in
Israel, Prime Minister David
Ben-Gurion said here, and added
there is no need to regret this
development.
Ben-G-urion expressed this
opinion at a session of the
central committee of the Mapai
party during a discusSion on
how to bring the youth in
Israel back to the Idealistic
spirit of the halutzim.
The Prime Minister asserted
that the youth can be directed
to pioneering tasks through the
state. In this he was contra-
dicted by Moshe Sharett, former
Foreign Minister, who urged
Israelis to fall back on the
Halutzim movement and its
idealism.
"Compared with the immi-
grants in pre-war years who
had vision and energy, we now
have a young generation which
is the nucleus of a more in-
tellectual and a more idealistic
people with better ability, like
the commanders of Israel's
armed forces and the settlers
of Ein Geddi and Yotvata in
the Negev," Ben-Gurion stated.
"There can _ be no common
denominator among the quarter
of a million young people here,"
he asserted, adding that the
youth born on Israeli soil are
not strange to labor idealism
and are not in need of Shivat
Zion (Return to Zion) revolu-
tionary thoughts.
In Ben-Gurion's opinion, Is-
rael's youth should be imbued
with State responsibility. This
would release the huge creative
forces that would give Israel
an honorable international posi-
tion, Ben-Gurion stressed.
The Premier described the
development of the Negev as
the primary task of the youth
and expressed confidence that
science would help overcome
the problem of the lack of water
in Israel's southern region.
Sharett demanded that atten-
tion be given to the pioneering
settlements. "What have we
done to help young settlements
both materially and spiritu-
ally?" he asked. Minister . of
Labor Giora Josephthal pro-
posed the urban colonization of
the Negev and Galilee with the
establishment every year of
an urban center like Dimona in
the northern Negev.
The committee voted to adopt
the project suggested by Fi-
nance Minister Levi Eshkol to
develop the 20,000 acre Besor
region, west of Beersheba, with
the establishment of an auto-
nomous "young state." Several
speakers had opposed this plan
in favor of aiding established
regions before settling new
ones.
Boris Smolar s
`Between You
and Me'
...
(Copyright, 1960,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Election Trends
Bonn in Row
Over Failure to
Extradite Nazi
BONN, (JTA) — Members of
opposition parties criticized the
government for failing to act
decisively enough to have Lud-
wig Zind, former German school
teacher convicted of anti-Semi-
tism, extradited from Italy.
Zind, found guilty in West
Germany two years ago, disap-
peared before sentence was
passed. Recently, four Israeli
sailors on shore leave at Naples
spotted him as he was about to
board a ship for Libya, where
he had obtained a job as a pro-
fessor of geology. Since then, it
has been discovered that, after
his disappearance, he visited
West Germany twice, traveling
on a "stateless person" passport
bearing his own name.
"The world is beginning to
believe that we are really not
interested in bringing Zind to
justice," d e c l a r e d Social
Democratic News Service. While
Pariament is adjourned for its
summer recess, Socialist and
other deputies here openly
stated they are considering
the initiation of a parliamentary
debate on the Zind issue when
Parliament reconvenes.
Ministry of Justice officials
here said there "is a slight
hope" that Italian authorities
may agree to extradite Zind.
Meanwhile, they declared, they
have asked Italian police to
keep Zind jailed until a decision
is reached on his extradition.
22 UJA Women Take
Overseas Survey Trip
Twenty-two leaders of the
United Jewish Appeal Women's
Division will leave Sept. 7,
from New York City, via El Al
Airlines, for a three-week study
of UJA-financed migration, wel-
fare- and resettlement programs
in Europe and Israel, as mem-
bers of the sixth annual UJA
Women's Division overseas sur-
vey group.
Making its first stop in Gene-
va, Switzerland, the Survey
Group will attend a briefing
session with leaders of the
Joint Distribution Committee,
and will be given full repOrts
on various phases of the JDC
welfare programs in Israel and
24 other countries throughout
the world.
On Sept. 11, the Survey Group
will arrive • in Israel -for - a 14-
day stay which will include the
Jewish New Year holiday.
Important statements on Arab-Israel issues will be made
before the end of this month by the Presidential candidates of
both the Democratic and Republican parties . . . While Senator
Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, is expected to make such a
statement in addressing the convention of the Zionist Organiza-
tion of America, Republican campaign strategists are seeking
Jewish advice on how to formulate effective pledges by Nixon
without clashing with the present policy of the Eisenhower ad-
ministration . . . They are particularly worried over . the fact that
the inaction on the part of the State Department with regard
to Arab threats against American firms doing business with
Israel and that the State Department policy of tolerating and
even condoning Arab discrimination against American citizens
of Jewish faith may influence Jewish voters• . . An analysis
made by Jewish experts establishes important differences be-
tween the Middle East plank adopted by the Democratic Party
convention and the one adopted by the convention of the
Republican Party • . The Democratic plank calls for "direct
Arab-Israel peace negotiations," while the Republican plank pro-
poses "negotiations for a mutually acceptable settlement . . ."
Direct Arab-Israel peace talks would mean reaching an under-
standing without any outside intervention, while "negotiations
for a mutually acceptable settlement' may mean the intervention
of a third party which may influence the situation . . . A similar
major difference is also in the treatment of the Arab refugee
problem . . . The Democratic Party calls for "resettlement" of
Arab refugees in "lands where there is room and opportunity
for them," while the Republican plank suggests no specific
solution.
Rockwell Echoes
Should incitement to genocide enjoy free speech protection
in this country, as it does now in the case of Rockwell, the self-
styled leader of the American Nazi Party? . . . This question
is being discussed by organizations which are strongly advocating
the principle of free speech and at the same time fighting anti-
semitic propaganda . . . The American Jewish Committee is
forming a group to study the feasibility of restricting speakers
who advocate genocide on the same basis as the existing restric-
tions on obscenity and slander . . . All precedents thus far, while
they forbid the speaker's inciting violence on the part of his
sympathizers, protect him from an angered mob . • The AJC
group will take up the question of whether infuriating people
at an open-air meeting—where one may by chance be passing
and hear vicious attacks by an advocate of genocide—should
actually be protected as a legal right . . . The Washington Jewish
Community Council's analysis establishes that Rockwell's follow-
ing is negligible and that his influence on public opinion in
Washington and vicinity—where he operates—is "nil" . .
Negroes and the general public pay him practically no attention
. • . His hard core of followers, according to the Council's report,
consists of some 30 to 50 persons, most of them from the Wash-
ington, Baltimore and New York City areas . . . The Council,
which is in constant consultation with public authorities on
Rockwell, lauds these authorities as having rendered intelli-
gent, responsible and commendable public service in develop-
ments in connection with Rockwell's hate activities . . . It stresses
the fact that attendances at Rockwell's outdoor meetings are
now progressively dwindling since he is no longer permitted the
use of a loudspeaker system.
Israel Problems
The farming problem in Israel is assuming the same charac-
ter as in the United States . . . Just as in this country, so in
Israel there is today considerable over-production of agricultural
produce . . . In order to save farmers from financial difficulties,
the government is subsidizing the principal branches of farm-
ing, poultry, dairy and vegetables .. . Now Minister of Agricul-
ture Dayan is determined to see that the situation of the farmers
be alleviated by doing away with suburban farming, leaving
"farming to the farmers"—to those who live on and off the
land . . . Many suburban dairy and poultry farms today compete
seriously with real farmers, by selling their products more
easily and more cheaply . . . Dayan intends to cut off subsidies to
suburban farming .. . The greatest problem which faces Israel
farming today is water . . . Three years of drought have lowered
the underground water level to a danger point . Dayan is now
busy with, reorganizing the administration of water and with al-
locating water between various branches of agriculture.