32
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS -- Friday, June 2, 1961 --
Jews Thought of Killing
Eichmann, Feared Aftermath
Klutznick, Writes Controversial
Book Provoking Many Jewish Issues
A challenge to the rabbinate is no paradox, therefore, when
wanted to be left alone and Union by promising to use the to r educe "denominational galloping efforts toward unity
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The not bothered about entry prob- trucks only against the Rus- squabbling" . a warning that serve the contradictory purpose
compulsary unity in Jewish life of running it into the ground."
Budapest - Rescue Committee lems. In this dilemma, I had sians.
gave serious consideration to to negotiate according to the
Brand's testimony came as "cannot be voted into existence" Klutznick condemns the vote
the idea of killing Adolf Eich- means I thought practical."
part of the most explosive and • • a critical view of federa- taken at the 1952 assembly of
The famous query posed by emotion-laden phase of the trial tions and welfare funds that the National Community Rela-
mann but decided against it out
of fear that it might evoke a Lord Moyne, the British Min- —the dsicussion of the exter- seek to dominate Jewish af- tions Advisory Council, on the
Nazi reaction of even faster ister of State in Cairo: "What mination of Hungarian Jewry. fairs . . . a plea for leadership resolution to implement, in
that can "think Jewishly" — part, the controversial MacIver
extermination of Jews, a wit- shall I do with these one mil-
Previous testimony revealed
ness involved in the trucks-for- lion Jews, where shall I put that President Roosevelt and these and other controversial Report.
Following the vote, the Anti-
Jews transact i.o n testified them?" was repeated in the the King of Sweden sent an issues are raised by Philip M.
Wednesday at Eichmann's trial. testimony Wednesday by ultimatum to Admiral Horthy, Klutznick, former president of Defamation League of Bnai
Mrs. Hansi Brand, wife of Brand. This conversation, wartime dictator of Hungary, to Bnai Brith and, until his ap- Brith and the American Jew-
Joel Brand, the Hungarian Zion- Brand testified, was held in end the deportation of Jews or pointment by President Ken- ish Committee withdrew from
ist who was Eichmann's chosen the late summer of 1944. He suffer a fate worse than any nedy last February as U.S. Rep- NCRAC.
"The tragic breakup of
instrument to negotiate the ex- recounted this reply by Moyne other Axis country. The testi- resentative to the United
change with the Allied leaders, as an example of the British mony was given by Baron Pin- Nations Economic and Social NCRAC," Klutznick writes,
Council; an active leader in "was the result of impatience.
was the witness. She was ques- attitude.
Brand showed a flash of has Freudiger, scion of an an- many other national Jewish It existed for eight years; and
tioned by the three presiding
cient Jewish family and leader movements. in 80 minutes lost its claim
judges for an hour. Judge Ben- anger at some of Judge Halevi's of Hungary's Orthodox Jews.
Klutznick's views are ex- as a unifying factor in Jewish
questions
which
seemed
to
jamin Halevi did most of the
Freudiger testified that the pressed in his book, "No Easy I loife.T
n
hisbecauascetilotn ibn ysism
tea.
d
question the reliability of some
questioning.
peremptory
In pondering the possibili- of Brand's testimony. He said ultimatum, delivered by M. Answers," to be published June
ties of killing Eichmann, then that in Constantinople some Jaeger, the Swiss Minister, ex- 19 by Farrar, S t r a u s and jority vote."
Discussing the Jewish corn-
directing the final stages of Jewish Agency representatives pired on June 30. It went un- Cudahy.
Klutznick takes the rabbinate munity's philanthropic p r o -
the extermination of Euro- "did not want to believe the answered and on July 2 British
pean Jewry from an office in scope of the Nazi extermination and American bombers blasted to task on a number of grounds. grains, Klutznick supports the
Budapest, the rescue commit- activities." He added that "for Budapest. On July 3, Horthy He is impatient with "Ortho- purpose of federations and wel-
tee had studied reports of the years, we had been sending re- told the Swiss envoy that the dox, Conservative and Reform fare funds as "useful and nec-
fate of partisans who had ports to London, Istanbul, New deportations would cease,. but competing vigorously—s o m e - essary, of pragmatic value, at
the order was countermanded times intolerantly—for the loy- least until something equally
killed Nazis. She commented, York and Palestine."
by
Eichmann.
alties of American Jewry."
unifying and still more equi-
He
said
that
everybody
"None of us was a ,hero."
Despite the scholarly table comes along."
Freudiger said that mass de-
Remarking that "your hero- seemed concerned "about fig-
But he warns against "a kind
ism had been amply proved," ures instead of substance. They portations started at the rate thunder," most rabbis are
Judge Halevi added, "Surely if asked: Will the Germans really of 4,000 a day on May 15, 1944 "less separated by ideologi- of Parkinson's law" by which
you thought killing Eichmann release one hundred thousand?" and that by July 4, some 600,000 cal beliefs than by their loy- many a federated fund, intended
could have saved Jews, you He said he replied: "And if men, women and children had alties to rabbinical or de- as the agents of both contribu-
would have killed him." The they release five thousand or been deported. He told of re- nominational organizations," Lion and beneficiary organiza-
witness replied in the affirma- ten thousand, so what?" He ceiving a clandestine letter say- says Mr. Klutznick. tion, "acquires a life, quality
Those rabbis who want the and aggressive vitality" that
tive, adding that members of testified that such questions ing that- 1,400,000 Jews had al-
the Committee did not know were put to him by British of- ready been murdered at Ausch- synagogue to dominate all of overshadow the two principals
community life presuppose corn- and encourage the federated
enough about the German pow- ficers in Cairo at luncheons witz.
More documentary evidence petition rather than coopera- funds, as holders of the coin-
er structure and feared the and suppers. It was during such
Nazis would quickly name a questioning, he testified, that and personal testimony was lion between the synagogue and munity's purse strings, to dom-
replacement for an assassinated Lord Moyne asked his famous piled . up by the prosecution, communal organizations, Klutz- mate the life and leadership,
spelling out Eichmann's per- nick asserts. of the community.
Eichmann, "and the death ma- question.
In an analysis of previous ef-
His sharpest criticism, how.
After Brand completed his sonal implication in the anti-
chinery would continue to move
forts
at "organic unity" in the ever, is directed at a fed-
testimony,
the
prosecution
sub-
Jewish atrocities in Hungary
—maybe even faster."
Jewish community, Klutznick erated fund's efforts to "con-
Judge Moshe Landau, the mitted documents which in- and Slovakia.
One document — among the writes: "Experience has taught trol" the community.
Chief Justice, asked for details cluded a German Foreign Of-
In a chapter titled "Who Sits
on Eichamann's record of not fice memorandum on a British most incriminating against the de- me a stubborn, inescapable
keeping promises he made to Broadcasting Service report of fendant—was an official telegram truth about unity. It cannot be on the Dais?," Klutznick criti-
the Jewish negotiators. She June 20, 1944, publicizing the from the Nazi ambassador to Hun- voted into existence. We make cizes the oligarchic habits of
testified that the Gestapo colo- entire Brand mission and add- gary, dated July 2,5, 1944, which mischief of unity when we ig- Jewish leadership and pleads
nel first reneged on a promise ing that the German • offer was reported that Eichmann was flat- nore its illusory character and for less "helter skelter" in cre-
to add several hundred Jews rejected by the British. The ly opposed to a decision by Hitler treat it as an end in itself. It I ating new leadership.
from the province's to a pro- documents showed that the to' allow 41,000 Hungarian Jews,
posed rescue train. But more German Foreign Office wanted including 1,000 children, to emi-
important, she said, was his to know whether such a pro- grate to Palestine, if the Hun-
promise to halt the transports posal had in fact been made garian government agreed that
to the Auschwitz murder fac- and by whom. A reply was re- the remaining 250,000 Budapest
A Digest of World Jewish Happenings
tory pending the conclusion of ceived from a German repre- Jews be deported to Auschwitz.
from
Dispatches of the. Jewish Telegraphic
sentative
in
Budapest
that
the
The
Nazi
envoy's
dispatch
the plan to exchange one mil-
Agency and Other News-Gathering Media.
lion' Jews for ten thousand win- Brand mission was undertaken quoted Eichmann as calling the
terized trucks from the Allies. On secret orders from Himmler 41,000 Jews "biologically valu-
United States
She testified that Eichmann and that negotiations were con- able material, including longtime
WASHINGTON — Bnai Brith President Label A. Katz made
violated that-promise as soon as tinuing in Constantinople and Zionists," and declared that Eich-
her husband left for Istanbul that the BBC report was only mann planned a direct appeal to known in a letter to 11,Irs. Eleanor Roosevelt this week that the
camouflage aimed at the Rus- Gestapo head Heinrich Himmler, Jewish organization was contributing $2,000 to the "Tractors-for-
to start negotiations.
to get Hitler to reconsider the Freedom" drive to save Cuban prisoners of the Castro regime.
Joel Brand resumed the sians.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A humane slaughter bill acceptable to
The prosecution cited other decision.
stand when his wife com-
documents to show that the
pleted replies to the judges'
Dr. Theodore Lowenstein, orthodox leaders in Connecticut was sent to the House of Repre-
BBC announcement had been formerly a member of the sentatives this week after unanimous approval by the state senate
questions. He said, in reply
made to torpedo the entire Romanian Zionist Federation, with the provision that "the handling or other preparation of live-
to a question from Judge Yit-
mission.
zhak Raveh, that he had been
testified to efforts made to stock for ritual slaughter are human and are not to be regulated
A few minutes before the rescue some of the Romanian by any terms of this act.". . . The Norwalk Jewish Center here was
given to understand that the
sustained this week by the Supreme Court of Errors in its right to
exchange proposal emanated end of the Wednesday morning Jews.
from Gestapo chief Heinrich session, there was another of
One document introduced by operate as a community center in a swank residential neighbor-
the rare outbreaks from spec- the prosecution was a letter hood, against suits filed by neighbors asking for a injunction to
Himmler.
Brand also testified that the tators. This happened when the from Eichmann to the Nazi bar Center activities.
Budapest Rescue Committee prosecution read a statement For eign Ministry, requesting
Canada
hesitated to notify the Biitish from a Budapest Rescue Com- urgent intervention to prevent
TORONTO — Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, who has occupied the
Mission in Bucharest about the mittee report citing Eichmann a plan to let 1,000 Romanian pulpit of Canada's largest Reform congregation — the Holy Blossom
Committee's activities because as telling the Committee that Jewish childr en escape to Temple — for 17 years, will retire next August and will be suc-
of the known British hostility he had to "clean out Jewish dirt Palestine. Still other documents ceeded by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut of St. Paul, Minn.
to Zionism. Brand cited the from the provinces." A listener showed Eichmann intervening
Africa
British White Paper severely yelled out at Eichmann, scrib- against plans for two transports
JOHANNESBURG — The South African Jewish Board of
limiting Jewish migration to bling notes in his glass-enclosed of Romanian Jewish adults try-
Palestine, and limitations on dock, "What are you writing ing to go to Palestine, and stat- Deputies sent a message of congratulations this week to President-
certificates to Palestine. He said there, you murderer?"
ing that it was the policy of elect Charles Robert Swart on his election as the first president of
Earlier Brand had testified his office to prevent the escape South Africa saying that "the Jewish community will continue to
the Committee preferred to deal
play its part in the well being and progress of the state."
in detail on Eichmann's pro- of Jewish children.
with Americans.
He said this was the reason posal that the Western Allies
Dr. Lowenstein, who told of
Europe
why he withheld from the Brit- of World War II ransom 1,000,- pre-Nazi atrocities against Ro-
MUNICH
—
Bavarian
municipalities
have undertaken to pur-
ish in Cairo, where he was 000 Jews by delivering 10,000 manian Jews, testified that anti- chase $255,000 worth of Israel bonds with
pledges made from
taken after his arrest by the trucks to the Nazis, and had Jewish excesses were stepped
$35,000; Augsburg, $100,000; Nuremberg and Wurzburg,
British at Aleppo, full details described Eichmann as stand- up after the advent of Nazism. Munich,
each; and Bayreuth, $20,000.
of the trucks-for-Jews proposal. ing in his Budapest headquar- He told of one pogrom in which $50,000
FLORENCE — Abdul Aziz Zaobi, a Moslem who is deputy
One of the eetails withheld ters in Prussian manner and Romanian Iron Guards killed mayor
of Nazareth, Israel, advocated here the creation of regional
was that Eichmann had prom- barking, "Waren fuer Blut, Blut many Jews. In that instance, he
ised to• release one hundred fuer Waren (Goods for blood, said, the corpses of 21 Jews organizations in Africa and the Middle East to prevent local wars
thousand Jews — one-tenth of blood for good's)." Brand, who slaughtered in an abattoir were and solve local problems by peaceful means in his major address
the total of one million—against was flown to the Middle East sent back to the Jewish com- at the third Mediterranean Colloquium.
a 10 per cent initial payment in May 1944, in an effort by munity with tags identifying
Israel
of the trucks.
Eichmann to present his truck the dead as "kosher meat."
JERUSALEM
bill to abolish exit visas for Israelis travel-
He was asked why he was plan to Jewish leaders, met
Another witness, Mrs. Avra- ing abroad was submitted to the Knesset by Minister of the Interior
not free to disclose this in view with Moshe Sharett, then polit- harm Mark, widow of the Chief Moshe Shapira. . . . The Knesset asked its Interior Committee to
of the understanding that the ical chairman of the Jewish Rabbi of Czernowitz, told how consider means of locating an 11-year-old boy who was abducted
released Jews would not be Agency, but was arrested in 70,000 Jews in her city were from his parents by his ultra-orthodox grandfather who feared the
allowed Palestine entry. He re- Syria by British intelligence rounded up, forced into a cor- youngster's parents would not give him a traditional Jewish up-
plied: "We Zionists thought of agents. This was the end of the doned area of only two blocks bringing.
Palestine. The Germans wanted plan, which Britain regarded sealed off as a ghetto, then sys-
TEL AVIV—American-born Colonel Yosef Nevo was appointed
to get rid of us while others — as a Nazi effort to destroy the tematically deported to their military commander of the Jerusalem District, succeeding Colonel
the allies and the neutrals — wartime alliance with the Soviet death. Yitzhak Peri who was named to another post.
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