(Continued from Page 1 )
our Jewish brothers. On the
contrary, we want them to feel
assured that nothing will hap-
pen to them and that the A.L.N.
(Algerian Liberation - 'Army)
will protect them in case of
need. We want them to stay
here and help us build a pros-
perous and progressive • coun-
try. ,,

Like a sequence in an old-
fashioned melodrama, this scene
brought into focus the complex
situation in which Algeria's
Jews found themselves: hated
on religious and political
grounds by the popular masses,
and yet invited to remain by
the FLN authorities which, at
least temporarily, need their
technical skills and know-how.
Since that night in the
casbah, nearly all of Algeria's
145,000 Jews have fled, abon-
doning their homes and prop-
erty, their cemeteries in
which generations of their
forefathers rest, their furni-
ture and clothes, their hopes
and their past.
It is no wonder that the Jews
have fled in a far higher pro-
portion than other Frenchmen.
They stand in double jeopardy:
as Europeans and as Jews. Ac-
cording to the latest figures,
less than 20,000 have remained.
Some Jewish officials in Paris
believe that even this figure is
far too high and that only some
12,000 stayed behind, mainly
government officials and large
property owners who still hope
to salvage something before
they leave.
One of these, Jacob Abhissra,
a former treasurer of the Alger-
ian Zionist Federation, told me:
"For the last few years I con-
tributed to the FLN war fund.
My Arab neighbors and cus-
tomers know this and know that,
throughout the difficult days, I
tried to remain 'positively neu-
tral'. Although the Arabs know
that I volunteered for the Isra-
eli Army and served in Pales-
tine during the War of Inde-
pendence, I am not afraid. I
know, however, that my days
here are numbered. I only want
to stay long enough to liquidate
my stock, sell my shop and
home for a reasonable price
and then I shall emigrate to
Israel."
One of the most pathetic
chapters in the recent history
of Algeria's Jews was the de-
parture of all communal lead-
ers, religious and lay, who aban-
doned their fellow Jews and
were the first to flee. It was
an unique phenomenon in Jew-
ish history which had never
happened before, neither in
Nazi Germany nor further back
in history.
The rabbis, with the excep-
tion of Bone's Naoury and
Oran's Cohen (who have mean-
while also left) were the first
to flee. They were followed by
the Consistory leader s, the
heads of the Federation of Jew-
ish Communities, the commit-
tee of the Algerian Zionist Fed-
eration, the representative of
the World Jewish Congress, who
was an Algerian Jew.
During the long and difficult
months which preceded Alge-
ria's independence, the commu-
nity poor were abandoned.
Many who were prevented from
working, due to unsettled con-
ditions, had no one to turn to.
Jews disappeared, were kid-
napped by the FLN or OAS,
arrested by the police, syna-
gogues were closed, people
banished. There was no one
to intervene on their behalf.
On Independence eve, Alge-
ria had become a communal
vacuum. The Chief Rabbi was
"sick in Paris" the presidents
of the various Jewish Algerian
organizations were in France.
It was a far cry from the cour-
ageous attitude of the former
Berlin Chief Rabbi, Dr. Leo
Beck.
On the day following his tri-

umphant entry into Algiers,
GPRA Premier Ben Kheda con-
ferred at length with the city's
highest Catholic prelate, Mgr.
Duval, to whom he gave as-
surances regarding his commu-
nity's future, and whom he in-
vited to "call on me at any
moment, should you feel dis-
criminated against or suffer
religious difficulties." At that
time Ben Kheda, it was re-
ported, expressed the desire to
meet the city's chief rabbi or
another representative local
Jewish leader to give similar
assurances to the Jewish corn-
munity. Not one was available.
It is no wonder that in the
face of this attitude Algeria's
Jews now refuse to accept
their former leaders. Both in
France and in Algeria, all
Jews with whom I talked told
me: "They have abandoned

Holland Has Jewish
Population of 22,000

AMSTERDAM, (JTA) Hol-
land has a Jewish population
totaling 22,000, of whom 17,019
are members of the Jewish com-
munity, according to a Jewish
population report issued by the
Dutch Jewish Community. Be-
fore the Nazi occupation of
Holland, there were 150,000
Jews in the country.

Want ads get quick results!

us when we needed them. We
don't want them back. Let
them look for 'honors' and
'presidencies' somewhere
else."
The transfer of Algeria's Jews
to France has not solved the
problem, which has now moved
to Metropolitan France. The ex-
patriates are leaderless, and it
is up to the French community
to supply them with a com-
munal framework.
Despite official promises that
"Jews are our brethren who
will be granted equal rights,"
the Jews are not •reassured.
What they can see is an FLN-
controlled state in which both
factions which now vie for pow-
er, Ben Kheda's GPRA and
Ben Bella's ALN, openly as-
sert their pan-Arabism, their
Marxist tendencies and their
determination to establish a
one-party regime to run all
regional, political and ethni-
cal differences in the country.
Information Minister Yazid's
anti-Israeli declaration has
strengthened the fear of the
Jews. They can already foresee
measures similar to those ad-
opted by Morocco's late King
Mohammed to restrict Jewish
emigration and ban "Zionist"
activities.
For Jewish life, Algeria is a
closed chapter. The problem
which now needs solving is the
resettlement and integration of

100,000 Jews in France. The
French Jewish community, re-
presented by its central welfare
agency, the Fonds Social Juif
Unifie, and the J.D.C. are now
straining their means at the
utmost to achieve this. •
Another problem which needs
solving is that of local and in-
ternational Jewish organiza-
tions. With the exception of
J.D.C., HIAS and the Jewish
Agency, other Jewish bodies
have miserably failed to do their
duty. Even if world Jewry
should forget this, Algeria's
Jews won't.

Vienna Talmudic Scholar
Jacob Goldenthal, a 19th cen-
tury Austrian orientalist and
Talmudic scholar, was the first
Jew ever appointed as a lecturer
at the University of Vienna where
he taught Hebrew and Hebrew
l iterature.

For Fine Diamond Rings
Styled in Latest Fashions
and Nationally Advertised
Watches, See ...

GEORGE OHRENSTEIN

Certified Master

Watchmaker
and Jeweler

18963 LIVERNOIS UN 1-8184

OPEN THURSDAY to 9

KAPLAN BROS.

Strictly Kosher Meats — Poultry

Try Our Own Ready Made

• HOT BAR-B-OUED CHICKEN

• HAMBURGER PATTIES
• TENDERLOIN CARTWHEELS
• BEEF RIBS
• LAMB RIBS
• RIB STEAKS
• FILLETS

18229 WYOMING

We Deliver — UN 1 - 4770

Member Detroit Kosher
Meat Dealers Association
This Shield Is Your Protection

goilIMINEMINNIMINIIMII110111111111111111111111•111t=1111111M1111

Mlle el

al

al

in aw

aro, e*

fee Save 'The American Way 7
A Good Investment for You
And his Community Too!

Everyone W o..311?esin this 09.n2#; .:: u t iilt),:f
.
has
:
a stake :: . ..,...
conom
eat-,
i
s
Mind
..--
--!: -.- - •
when you select oaf Sawn
: institution
tion

1

I

:

•
tI

Money #i:savfp s 0-ccopnt
.,.
. .
:::-.:
Savin gs
roves
es e oc
•

in thiserea ,urc
for, :
ei:014
.., ... ...........::

I

,.. ...
, -- ,.
American
m
s . iilks
.
:•• •

it'll

t rades
g
r .:,. K *c.:."0.0
. :-. . .,. . . :-. .: :n4bi
•,-
. . .: : : : : ./. . :„.„ ,.- earns
:::.::,. . „. . . .,. ,. . .
highest return..consistent.
wi ::.:.,...:...„,,,....
.ssafet.
.
.........
- . .....
- - -----------
'''''''''''''''''''.... '''''' .......... .. .-........
"' . - ..

I 1

I

•

I

Ojelye:-.-
.:„.,,,

........ ...

::..'

I

' - ..---::;:::::::::::::: ,;..COMPOUNDED AND

I

'''''''''.. PAID QUARTERLY

• ••,, wr..er

SAVINGS IN BY THE 10th EARN FROM 1st OF MONTH

I

1

I •

I
I

All Savings Insured to $10;000 by
an Agency of the U.S. Government

AM E RI CAN

I

SAVINGS

t

t.

Michigan's Largest State-Chartered Savings and Loqn Ass'n

MAIN OFFICE: WOODWARD AT CONGRESS

14 MILE near CROOKS RD. DEXTER at CORTLAND

in CLAWSON

•
UVERNOIS at W. 7 MILE
•
ir,444•■•

W. 9 MILE near COOLIDGE
in OAK PARK

TELEGRAPH at MAPLE
in BLOOMFIELD

FORT STREET at MILITARY-TELEGRAPH at SCHOOLCRAFT VAN DYKE at E. 7 MILE

■ ■ ,,,,

..11111

0 . 11. 11. 11•Im "iall....11.1.101.1.1=111•411,M

■

amuus

amotOMIONNINIIIII0111.......

ma o•

• I

3 -- THE DETROI T JEWIS H NEWS -- Friday, August 3, 1962

Closed Chapter for Jewish Life in Algeria

