UN Asked to Deal With Russian lingo -try
in 'More Than A Legally Detached Fashion'
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
GENEVA — Israel's observer
at the 19th session of the
United Nations Commission on
Human Relations joined
Wednesday in the criticism of
the Soviet Union for its anti-
Jewish discriminations.
Moshe Bartur told the 19-mem-
ber commission, which is con-
sidering procedures for elim-
ination of racial and religious
discrimination in member coun-
tries, that the particular inter-
est of Israel in the problem was
so obvious that it did not seem
to call for any elaborate ex-
planation. All through history,
he said, the Jewish people have
been the major victim of perse-
cution often in the form of re-
ligious discrimination.
"The denial of the right to
practice one's own religion
freely and fearlessly has always
been part of the policies which
resulted in the worst kinds of
violent persecution," he added,
and said that "the latest out-
break in Europe, which until
then was considered one of the
most enlightened parts of the
world, where the principles of
tolerance, humanity, equality
and freedom were thought to
be most deeply rooted, hap-
pened so recently and took the
atrocious form of an unprece-
dented mass extermination."
The ambassador said that
he wanted to note that April
20 would be "only 20 years
from the day of the uprising
in the Warsaw Ghetto when a
virtually unarmed and hope-
lessly outnumbered commun-
ity rose heroically against
overwhelming odds."
The envoy stated that there
seemed to be no clear border-
line between racial, ethnic and
r el i g i o u s discrimination be-
cause they all constitute the
facets of the same ugly corn-
plex of hatred and barbarism
from which mankind in spite
of world shaking progress in
science and technology has not
yet succeeded in freezing itself.
"It is, moreover, true," he
continued, "that the dragon
seeds which were carried far
and wide to west and east by
the criminal Nazi regime is to
this day bearing its poisoned
fruits. Only a few years ago a
swastika-smearing campaign de-
filed places of worship in Eu-
rope and Latin America in
fairly recent cases by personal
violence carried out in revolt-
ing fashion."
*
*
He told the delegates that
in vari-
even now
ous European countries were
faced with the problem of how
to reconcile the lofty principles
of freedom of speech with their
"absurd misuse" for neo-Nazi
propaganda. He warned that
there still existed neo-Nazi
movements in different guises
spreading destructive propa-
ganda in many countries.
In accordance with UN
protocol, the envoy did not
mention any country by name
but as with other delegates
it was clear that he meant
the Soviet Union when he
said that it was "disquieting"
and , a cause of "our greatest
regret" that "we are actually
witnesses to religious dis-
crimination practiced within
the boundaries of a powerful
state whose system is based
on notions of complete equal-
ity between social classes and
between minority and major-
ity groups."
"The ethnical concepts on
which this country is founded
one would like to assume —
should not include administra-
tive and cultural discrimina-
tion dir e c t e d conspicuously
against the freedom of reli-
gious groups and the practice
of one's religion even if one
takes into account the some-
what narrow confines left to all
religions within the framework
of this society at large."
A gain without mentioning
Russia by name, he cited the
ban on matzoh-baking in that
country this year and that
"this case only highlights the
situation of the minority group
of millions of human beings
within a state who cling to the
ethical concepts of equality
which in fact have their roots
in the noblest spiritual tradi-
tion of Judeo-Christian philoso-
phy.".
He asserted the matzoh
ban constituted "only one in-
cideht among many worri-
some incidents on the border-
line between religious and
ethnical discrimination not to
use harsher words." He said
he also wanted to mention
one other subject that of
the conviction of Russian
Jews for alleged economic
crimes.
He said, "One can possibly
hold different opinions about
capital punishment being ap-
plied -to certain offenses for ex-
ample economic contraventions
but I believe all can agree that
when in press reports on trials
of this kind time and again care
is taken by a press generally
not irresponsible to identify
the religious community to
which the offender belongs by
pointing out that the evidence
was found in his prayerbook or
other evidence hidden in the
synagogue or other not very
subtle allusions of this kind
then one's deep worry and con-
cern is not out of place."
He said his delegation was
"firmly convinced that it is the
will of this commission to deal
in more than a legally detached
fashion with this grave issue of
human rights."
Marine, Shipbuilding Union
Buys $10,000 Israel Bonds
Industrial Union of Marine
and Shipbuilding Workers of
America (AFL-CIO) purchased
$10,000 in State of Israel Bonds.
A check for the purchase was
presented to Katriel Katz, Is-
rael's Consul-General, at cere-
monies at the Consulate-General
in New York, by John J. Gro-
gan, president of IUMSWA
and Mayor of Hoboken, N.J.,
and Ross D. Blood, secretary-
treasurer of the union. Also
participating in the ceremony
were Joseph G. Quinn, presi-
dent, and Nicholas L. Feola,
executive secretary of the Hud-
son County, N.J., Central Labor
Council.
France Is Honored by Los Angeles Jews
LOS ANGELES, (JTA)—Bar-
on Louis de Carroll, French
Consul-General here, was pre-
sented with a special award to
the French people of the
United Jewish A p p e al cam-
paign, for the French peoples'
"outstanding generosity to more
than 160,000 refugees" from
Algeria. The ceremonies were
part of the local area campaign
opening, launching the United
Jewish Welfare Fund's drive
for $8,056,170.
Passover
Greetings
Since
1875
A Symbol of Qualify in
Good — Things to — Eat
—
CANDIES — BAKERY
ICE CREAM LUNCHEONS
jo'r as irom Ilitijouse of totplaAe wtql.
le 1)051 o[ isractit) {heir Ift(Yln tore
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*
Envoy Gives Scathing Indictment
of Soviet Anti-Semitism Before UN
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
The Jewish News)
to
GENEVA — Mrs. Margaret
Tree, American delegate, led a
chorus of blistering attacks Tues-
day at the current session of
the United Nations Commission
on Human Rights against the
Soviet Union for its anti-Jewish
policies.
In accordance with UN prac-
tices, none of the critics men-
tioned the Soviet Union by name,
Ant the target of their denunci-
ations was evident. Mrs., Tree
told the meeting that "in certain
places religious minorities are
subjected to determined politi-
cal religious and cultural depri-
vations. In these places religious
minorities are denied the right
to organize their religion on any
national basis. Theological stu-
dents are denied the possibility
of r e t u r n i n g to theological
schools on extraneous grounds."
She added that "members of
religious minorities find it im-
possible to publish holy books
which they need to worship. The
teaching of the religious lan-
guage is prohibited. They are
denied facilities to produce vest-
ments, sacramental articles and
similar needs for worship. In
some instances, they are refused
permission to leave the country
for religious conferences in other
countries and are denied any
contact with their co-religionists
elsewhere."
Continuing her indictment, she
told the meeting that "while the
religious minority is considered
a nationality its members are in
some cases nevertheless denied
the cultural and social privileges
of other nationalities. "Still not
using either the words "Russia"
or "Jews," she added that "their
newspapers, publishing houses,
dramatic schools, literary and
cultural research institutions and
schools have been closed and
have not been allowed to re-
open. They are subjected to a
virulent press campaign.!'
Similar charges were voiced by
the delegates of Britain, Hol-
land, Denmark, France and par-
ticularly the delegate from Ecu-
ador who bitterly criticized the
Soviet Union's attitude on the
problem and appealed to the
UN Economic and Social Coun-
cil—to which the Human Rights
Commission will 'submit its re-
port—to draft a resolution aimed
at preventing such discrimina-
tion in the future.
THE HORDES INSURANCE AGENCY
17616 Wyoming, at Thatcher
UN 3-2900
Extends heartiest greetings to all its friends and associates, and to
the entire Jewish Community, for a
HAPPY PASSOVER
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hordes
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hordes
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wishnetsky
and the Hordes Agency Associates