rch 30, 1942 --

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-Purely Co mentary

By

PHILIP SL MOVITZ

A Rothschild Who Observed the Sabbath

Frederic Morton's "The Rothschlds" (Atheneum), reviewed
by this commentator on Feb. 16, list- many of the fabulous and
2 often fantastic experiences and prac ces of the world-famous
"mishpoche" (family). The bankers a described as Jewishly-
7.. devout and religiously observant. There • re many exaggerations
"' in Morton's claims, but there is much vidence to show that
I some of the Rothschild's adhered to Jewis traditions with great
, dignity and with loyalty.
The London Jewish Chronicle recently r corded one incident
4.1 I
in proof of a Rothschild's Jewish devotio . Confirming the
•
cliche, "nothing new under the sun," adding that "the present
•
stem by Britain
discus%Aions on the adoption of the decimal
sympathetic echo in the last centu y," the London
•
find
Chronicle quotes the following item from its ssue of Nov. 9,
▪
ti
1855, about Baron James de Rothschild:

"An association was lately formed at Paris consisting of
04 influential gentlemen of various nations, the o ject of which
E-4
r.4
is to pave the way for the introduction of a niformity of
to be held
weights and measures in Europe. A meeting w
•
i.r.1 i in September last, and it was deemed desirable to 'nvite Baron
James de Rothschild to take the chair. The day of he meeting
•
presiding,
being .fixed for a Saturday, the Baron decline
declaring that no consideration would induce him \to violate
the sanctity of the day; that he was, however, ready to comply
with the request if another day were appointed. 'Viscount
Ebrington being a member of the committee, with true \English
feeling for consistency of conduct and earnestness of re'1gious
sentiment, prevailed on his Continental colleagues, less
to appreciate the scruples of the Jewish banker, to post-
pared to
pone the meeting from the Sabbath to the lollowing Monday,
although a less convenient day, when the Baron took the chair."

The Rot'hschilds are in no sense different from other families.
especially those of wealth. They have had intermarriages and
divorces, religious loyalists and non-observers. In the main,
they have staunchly labored for equal rights for Jews every-
where and many of them exerted their influence to protect
Jews and to rescue the oppressed. In recent years, they have
rendered yeoman service to the cause of Israel's upbuilding.
They have been generous in their gifts, and the recent large
contributions to the Weizmann Institute are renewed indications
of their deep interest in Israel and in the advancement of
Jewish scientific and cultural institutions.

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On the Importance of the Sabbath

The Rothschild episode of more than a century ago again
poses the question of the importance of the Sabbath in Jewish
life.
Rabbi Joseph Klein of the Reform Temple Emanuel, Wor-
cester, Mass., recently posed the question: "How important is
the Sabbath?" Ile deplored its having little meaning or relevance
to most Jews in this country, and he stated:
"The observance of the Sabbath as a day of rest and per-
sonal sanctification has all but disappeared. There are, to be
sure, some Jews of Orthodox conviction who are as meticulous
in heeding the restraints and restrictions of the Sabbath as
were our fathers and grandfathers. But they represent only a
small segment of the American Jewish community. To the
majority of the so-called religious element in Jewish life
Sabbath observance at most consists of attending a synagogue
service for an hdur or two. The remainder of the day is treated
by them as if it - were any other day.
"And yet, the Sabbath is the most important of all the
numerous-institutions that abound in the Jewish faith. It is
the first liw of the Bible and throughout Jewish history has
been the invincible fortress that protected Judaism from the
onslaught of disintegration and decay. It is axiomatic that if
the Sabbath is eliminated from Jewish life, Judaism as a whole
is bound to disappear. The importance of the Sabbath is
stressed in the Bible to the degree that one who desecrates it
is punishable by death. This may appear to be a harsh and
cruel penalty, and it is doubtful if such punishment has been
meted out by Jews even once in the past two thousand years.
But it does give emphasis to the priority Sabbath observance
has over all other Jewish laws and statutes.

"The usual argument for failure to observe the Sabbath
is the old one about having to earn a livelihood. In this day
and age it is perhaps useless to argue the point that in previous
centuries Jews earned a livelihood and still kept the Sabbath.
But it is possible to point out that the majority of Jews are
not engaged at earning a livelihood on the eve of Sabbath
and that many are even free of economic pursuits throughout
the day. Yet, many will go so far as to give offense to the
synagogue and the Jewish community by holding parties on
the Sabbath or indulging in various forms of entertainment
which lead not only to their own neglect of the holy day but
to its neglect and desecration by others.

"What is most disconcerting and frustrating is that nobody
seems to care. Even the leaders of synagogues, who are willing
to give considerable time and thought to the financial prob-
lemS of the congregation, act as though the Sabbath meant
nothing to them and thereby set the pattern for others to
follow.

"The fact of the matter is that with this indifferent and
often negative attitude on the part of synagogue lay leader.
ship, the Sabbath has fallen into a state of crisis.

"It is time that lay leaders and members of congregations
generally, became concerned about this state of affairs. Their
failure to act, or even to be concerned, is a disservice to their
fellow Jews."

It had been hoped that the introduction of the five-day
week would encourage greater observance of the Sabbath and
that the traditional day of rest would regain its significant role
in Jewish life. It hasn't, and thereby we are the poorer spiritually.

Bnai Brith Adds Offer of Passover Matzoh Shipment
to Russian Jews; No Reply from Soviet Government

Katz's offer of matzohs to ward the offer made by Jevits.
WASHINGTON — Bnai Brith
has offered to provide matzohs the Russian Jews followed an The Chief Rabbi was quoted as
for Passover use to observant earlier offer made by U. S. saying it was "not a matter for
Senator Jacob K. Javits, of us alone" but for the Soviet
Jews in the Soviet Union.
New York, Republican. Sen. authorities.
Acting on news reports that
state-owned bakeries in the So- Javits said that New York
"One would have to have per-
viet Union would not provide matzoh bakers would ship to mission from the Soviet gov-
Russia
an
adequate
quantity
matzohs for Passover this year,
ernment," he said, in Moscow.
Bnai Brith wired its proposal to of matzohs for all the Jews He said further it was not up to
the chairman of the S o v i et there, if the Soviet govern- the Jews of Russia "to ask why"
Union's Council for the Affairs ment would permit the entry the ban had been issued, and
of Religious Cults through the of such shipments. No word that he could not protest the
Soviet Embassy here.
on that offer has been re- Government's matzoh decision.
Label A. Katz of New Orleans,
ceived from the Soviet gov- (Another dispatch from Moscow
president of Bnai Brith, said the ernment.
reported that the Israel Em-
organization's offer "is intended
Cables from Moscow received bassy staff there would import
as a simple act of Jewish here show Chief Rabbi Levin matzohs for its own use from
brotherhood.
has taken a gingerly attitude to- Israel.)
"Our singular purpose in
the matter is to assist observ-
ant Jews, no matter where
they live, in perpetuating an
ancient and sacred religious
ritual that commemorates the
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
very inception of Jewish peo-
I 'nits early retirement of judges
to The Jewish News)
plehood," he declared.
; who held judicial posts during
MUNICH
—
Rioting
students
!
the Hitler regime.
Katz expressed Bnai Brith's
"distress and concern" over the forced the resignation Tuesday ;
The students demonstrated in
,,,e after a show- front of a
reported lack of matzohs this of a Munich judge
Munich movie theater
year. He called it, "a deporable ing of the American film "Judg- showing the film which deals
circumstance that stands in con- ment at Nuremberg," which in- with the war crimes. They dis-
tract to Soviet law which pro- eludes a sequence describing the tributed leaflets in which the
vides for freedom of worship." judge's anti-Jewish verdicts dur- sequence in the film about Marki
The Bnai Brith president also ing the Nazi regime. was outlined.
tressed that the lack of matzohs
The retirement of Judge Her-
He was prosecutor on a Nazi
wild be "in direct conflict" to man Marki of Munich was an- tribunal that sentenced to death
the draft principles on freedom nounced by the Ministry of Jus- a Jewish businessman in 1943
and nondiscrimination in reli- tice, which said that he had for "racial infamy."
gious rights and practices that taken a vacation and would not
The leaflets. which were
are now before the United Na- return to his post.
signed by the German-Israeli
tions Commission on Human
The Ministry said also that Students Group at Munich Uni-
Rights.
would go on pension under versity, asked why the judge was
Section 4a of Part II of the Mark -
draft principles declares that a West German law which per- still in office.
"members of a religion or be-
lief shall not be prevented from
acquiring or producing all ma-
Boris Smolar's
terials and objects necessary
for the performance or observ-
ance of prescribed rituals or
practices, including dietary
practices."
Section 4b continues:
"Where a government con-
(Copyright, 1962,
trols the means of production
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc-)
and distribution it shall make
American Moods
such materials or objects, or
The Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith is unhappy about
the means of producing them,
available to the members of
a survey it conducted because the results are doubted even by
the religion or belief con-
ADL leaders .. . The survey deals with the moods of high school
cerned."
students . . . Conducted in 21 cities among 2;000 high school pupils,
The offer of the Bnai Brith it was initiated by ADL to determine the feelings among high
was sent through the office of school students towards Jews . . . What did it establish? . . . If
Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Do- the results of the survey are correct—and ADL leaders feel
bryn in.
that they do not reflect the correct situation—then they show a
Meanwhile a spokesman for high level of anti-Jewish prejudice among the youngsters . . . It
the Soviet Embassy told the leads to the conclusion that anti-Jewish bias "of some kind and
Jewish Telegraphic Agency that degree" is found in 29 to 30 per cent of the sample polled . . .
earlier requests for Dobrynin's The sampling covered cities of various sizes, but New York was
intervention in the Russian-Jew- not included . . . The findings show that between 10 and 13 per
ish Matzo situation voiced in cent definitely do not want to have contact with Jews . . . A
Congress, are being studied here, much larger percentage indicated they were uncertain as to
and "may" be acted upon.
whether they would like to work with Jews, have them as neigh-
The spokesman, ho w ever, bors and guests in their homes . . . Many students showed a
added that "there is consider- disturbing amount of ignorance about Jews . . . Eight per cent
able doubt that the report is thought Jews had too much economic power; nine per cent said
true," and said "something may Jews had too much political power; 12 per cent said Jews in
be done, if the reports turn out general were "overprivileged"; 82 per cent overestimated the
to be true."
number of Jews in this country by inflating the correct figure of
The fact that the Soviet
5,000.000 anywhere between two and 15 times ... Only 45 per cent
government has forbidden the
said they learned about Nazism in their classrooms; many are
baking of matzohs in State-
ignorant, misinformed, or biased to a distressing degree about
owned bakeries was announced
Nazism and the Nazi terror against Jews . . . The ADL study
to the congregation of Mos-
cow's Central Synagogue by was prompted by the wave of synagogue vandalism and cemetery
desecrations during the last year . . . It was conducted by a
the city's Chief Rabbi, Yehuda
visiting sociologist from Norway who was a former professor at
Leib Levin. He said that State
bakeries produced 120 tons of Columbia University.
matzohs last year for Mos-
cow's 500,000 Jews.
Qualified Promises
Smaller amounts were made
The United States seems to view with disfavor Israel's appli-
by State bakeries in other Rus-
sian cities. The Chief Rabbi cation to be associated with the European Common Market . . .
said this was the'first year the However, the decision as to whether Israel should be linked to the
government had refused to per- Common Market is in the hands of leaders of Western Europe,
mit its bakeries to make mat- who have given encouraging promises to Israel's Finance Minister
zohs. It has also barred baking Levi Eshkol, but whose promises are qualified . . . The Common
of matzoh privately by Jews as Market is a European organization formed not only for economic
a form of commercial enterprise. but also for political purposes . . . It was intended to be the
However, the spokesman for economic foundation on which the countries of Western Europe
the Soviet Embassy here said would eventually build a political union of federation, possibly
the veracity of the report about a United States of Europe .. . At the present stage of decoloniza-
Rabbi Levin's announcement tion, the West European states which had colonies may be prepared
"remains to be checked." He to permit their former territories to become associated with the
declined to comment on whether Common Market in some way .. . This brings up the question of
the Ambassador had taken steps whether Israel could become associated with the EEC under the
to check the report with the same terms as Algeria, or even Greece . . . The leaders of Western
Europe told Eshkol that association of the type which the Common
Soviet government.
Asked why the reports were Market offered to Greece several months ago cannot be applied to
questioned here, he replied that Israel . . . Nevertheless, Eshkol was given to understand that the
"the original source of the re- Common Market would find some way of making arrangements
port was not clearly indicated, with Israel so that Israeli goods would not be kept out . . . This
nor was the purpose of the would be the minimum arrangement required to meet Israel's
order clearly stated." He added needs and Israel still hopes for better terms . . . Arab pressure
that a "more definite" reply to is being exerted on all West European countries against granting
the inquiries might be forth- Israel special facilities, and West Germany—a leading member of
coming in a few days.
the Common Market—seems to be yielding to this pressure.

`Nurenthero-' Film Discloses Nazi
Activities of Munich Judge Marki;

I c

'Between You
... and Me'

