30
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, August 9, 1963 —
Yevtushenko Reveals Russian
Sentiment on Poem 'Bahl Yar'
Vic Packman Dies;
Was Distinguished
Detroit Newsman
Monument Unveilings
Khrushchev criticized the poet
Victor W. Packman, who was
PHILADELPHIA — The Rus- for the manner in which he among Detroit's most distin-
sian people in the Soviet Union treated the anti-Semitic theme
—as distinct from government in Babi Yar. However, an in- guished copy and. makeup.editors,
died last Fri-
and Communist Party officials - troduction to the Yevtushenko
day at Sinai
-have shown overwhelming ap- autobiography in the P o s t,
Hospital after
proval of the poem "Babi Yar," written by Allen W. Dulles,
a brief illness
former director of the Central
by the rebel Soviet poet Yev-
and brain sur-
geny Yevtushenko, thus taking Intelligence Agency, noted that
gery. He was
"despite
the
urgings
of
his
their stand against government
52. His resi-
fellow
liberals
to
stand
firm,
condoned anti-Semitism, it was
dence was at
Yevtushenko
had
already
com-
indicated in an article by
15338 Ward.
Yevtushenko, published in the promised and agreed to changes
Surviving
in his most famous poem, "Babi
Saturday Evening Post.
him are his
According to Yevtushenko, he Yar."
wife, Ro s e;
was "showered with letters"
Vic Packman two sons, How-
from all over the Soviet Union Nuclear Test Ban
ard of Detroit and Allan of
as soon as the poem appeared
Hartford, Conn.; a granddaugh-
in the Literary Gazette, a Mos- May Pave Way for
ter; three brothers, Harry,
cow daily, in September, 1961.
James and Benjamin, and two
The day that journal appeared Arab-Israel Talks
sisters, Mrs. Ben Lipson and
JERUSALEM,
(JTA)—Lessen-
on the newsstands in Moscow,
Mrs. Stanley Sturva.
ing
of
tensions
between
the
he wrote, "every copy was sold
Funeral services were held
out in a matter of minutes. By East and the West, as a result Sunday afternoon at Kaufman
that afternoon, I was getting of the partial ban on nuclear Chapel. Rabbi Milton Arm and
batches of telegrams from stran- testing agreed to in Moscow by Cantor Simon Bermanis of-
gers congratulating me." When the Soviet Union, the United ficiated.
the letters started coming in, he States and Britain, will un-
The deceased was a part-
declared "out of 20,000, only 30 doubtedly prove to be a deci-
member of the editorial
or 40 were abusive, and they sive factor in the relations be- time
staff of The Jewish News in
were all unsigned and in obvi- tween the Arab states and the late 1940s, while serving
Israel, Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel's
ously disguised handwriting."
on the editorial staff of the
In his article, entitled "A Pre- Foreign Minister, declared in a Detroit Times where he be-
cocious Autobiography," Yevtu- radio broadcast.
Israel a n n.o unced that it gan his newspaper career at
shenko made it clear that his
the age of 16 as a sports
intent was to attack anti-Semit- would adhere to the nuclear writer. He rose to become one
test-ban
treaty.
ism when he wrote "Babi Yar."
An understanding between of the top men in the Hearst
He stated in his autobiography:
the
Eastern and Western blocs, organization.
"I had long wanted to write
A native of St. Louis, Mr.
said
Mrs. Meir, opens up the
a poem on anti..Semitism. But
Packman lived in his youth in
only after I had been in Kiev possibility of achieving an Los Angeles and came to the
and had seen Babi Yar (site understanding and p e a c e be- Detroit Times from there. After
of a Nazi massacre of Jews) tween the Arab states and a few years' successful activities
with my own eyes did the Israel.
Asked whether Israel's adher- in .all fields of sports, his abil-
poetic form come to me. I ence to the treaty would not ities as a copy reader and make-
wrote the poem in only a few affect Israel's friendly relations up man were recognized and he
hours after my return to Mos- with France, which has an- was given one of the top posts
cow. That evening I gave a nounced that it would shun the on the Times, including that of
talk on Cuba at the Polytech- pact, Mrs. Meir replied that the women's editorship. When
nic Institute. After my talk Franco-Israeli friendship is so the Times was purchased by the
I read Babi Yar for the first deep that it contains even the Detroit News he was among the
time.
"negative" e 1 e m e n t, whereby editors who were given high
"Ordinarily I recite my poems each State acts on its own when positions there. He was makeup
from memory, but this time I its interests dictate such action. editor on the News at the time
was so agitated that I had to France, she declared, has never of his death.
have the text in front of me. tried to influence Israel's at-
A member of Tikvah Lodge
When I finished there was dead titude on an issue which Israel's of Bnai Brith, Mr. Packman
silence. I stood fidgeting with Government deems to be right was active in Congregation
the paper, afraid to look up. for Israel.
Ahavas Achim, and with his
When I did I saw that the entire
Commenting on the fact that wife, Rose, he was among the
audience had risen to their feet; Egypt promptly announced its most active participants in Jew-
then applause exploded and went willingness to adhere to the ish War Veterans affairs for
on for 10 minutes. People leaped East-West pact, while Israel many years. He was deeply in-
onto the stage and embraced apparently hesitated for a cou- terested in Israel and in Zion-
me. My eyes were full of tears." ple of days, Mrs. Meir said: "I
Mr. and Mrs. Packman had
He told how the editor of wish Egypt would enjoy an-
the Literary Gazette 'hesitated other scoop—to be known as become nationally known as
to publish the poem at first, the first to desire a general ardent square dancers, and he
but finally decided to do so. disarmament agreement with served as publicity chairman for
the 1961 National Square Dance
"Two days later," he contin- Israel."
ued, "the journal Literature
Prime Minister Levi Esh- Convention that took place here
and Life published an answer- kol conferred here with in Cobo Hall.
Mr. Packman's editorial ac-
ing poem by Alexei Markov in United States Ambassador
complishments included his
which I was described as a Walworth Barbour, and they
role as state editor for the
"pygmy who had forgotten the were believed • to have dis-
Times and as editor of high
people he belonged to" and in cussed the awaited reply
school sports activities.
another two days a long article from Eshkol to President
It was as feature editor that
in the same paper accused me Kennedy resulting from an
of trying to wreck Lenin's in- exchange of letters between he distinguished himself both
ternational policy by stirring Kennedy and the Israel gov- on the Times and on The Jew-
up hatred among national ernment. Kennedy initiated ish News staff. He served for a
the correspondence when time in voluntary publicity ca-
groups."
Yevtushenko's article in the David Ben-Gurion was still pacities for Ahavas Achim and
current issue of the Saturday Prime Minister, and the ex- the JWV.
Evening Post did not mention change has continued since
Noted Architect
the fact that the poet was sub- Mr. Eshkol succeeded Ben-
Leopold Eidlitz, a 19th cen-
sequently forced by the Com- Gurion following the latter's
tury American Jewish archi-
munist Party in the USSR to resignation.
Eshkol also conferred today tect, designed some Of the most
add some stanzas to Babi Yar,
somewhat softening the anti- with Israels' Ambassador to beautiful buildings and
Se mitic accusation against Washington, Avraham Harman, churches in New York. Among
Russian Communists. Nor did who is here for general con- his achievements is the New
the article note that the So- sultations with the govemn- York State capitol building in
Albany.
viet Union's Premier, Nikita ment.
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
.
(Unveiling announcements may
be inserted by mailing or by call-
ing The Jewish News office, 17100
W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit 35, VE
8-9364. Written announcements
must be accompanied by the name
and address of the person making
the insertion. There is a standing
charge of $3.00 for an unveiling
notice, measuring an inch in
depth.)
* * *
The family of the late Helen
Eder announces the unveiling
of a monument in her memory
10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, at
Northwest Hebrew Memorial
Park Cemetery. Rabbi Gorre-
lick will officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to attend.
The family of the late Dora
Segel announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in her
memory 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11,
at Chesed shel Emes Cemetery.
Rabbi Goldschlag will officiate.
Relatives and friends are asked
to attend.
* 4: *
CARD OF THANKS
Mrs. Mollie Fridenberg, wife
of the late Harry Fridenberg
acknowledges with grateful ap-
preciation the many kind ex-
pressions of sympathy extended
by organizations and friends
during her recent bereavement.
The family of the late Minnie
Rosen announces the unveil-
ing of a • monument in her
memory noon Sunday, Aug. 11,
at Beth Moses Cemetery. Rabbi
Wohlgelernter w i 1 1 officiate.
Relatives and friends are asked
to attend.
* * *
The Family of the Late
MOE LIGHT
announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in
his memory noon Sun-
day, Aug. 18, at Mach-
pelah Cemetery. Can-
tor Adler will officiate.
Relatives and friends
are asked to attend.
Mrs. Ruben Grevnin, Mrs.
Louis Zalk and Sarah Sharpe,
daughters of the late Ida Sharpe,
announce the unveiling of a
monument in her memory 11
a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18 at Chesed
shel Emis Cemetery. Rabbi
Donin will officiate. Relatives
and friends are asked to attend.
* * *
The family of the late Abe
Sitorsky announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in his
memory noon Sunday, Aug. 11,
at Chesed shel Emes 'Cemetery.
Relatives and friends are asked
to attend.
* * *
The family of the late Joseph
Katzman announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in his mem-
ory 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18,
at Machpelah Cemetery. Rabbi
Arm will officiate. Relatives
and friends are asked to attend.
The Family of the Late
FANNIE
CUSHLEN
announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in
her memory 1 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 11, at
Northwest Hebrew Me-
morial Park Cemetery.
Rabbi Gruskin will of-
ficiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
The Family of the Late
The Family of the Late
RITA
WINKLER
BERTHA and
BEN KLEIN
announces the unveil-
ing of a monument in
her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 18, at
Machpelah Cemetery.
Rabbi Schnipper will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
anounces the unveil-
ing of a monument in
their memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 18, at
Clover Hill Park Ceme-
tery. Rabbi Segal will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to
attend.
of the late
DORA STEIN
Dear Wife and Mother
Who Passed Away
August 5, 1961
Sadly Missed
by
Husband
and
Children
CONTRIBUTE TO
gfebrew gj'en,evolen,t Society
BUILDING FUND
THE NEW HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL
Chesed She' Emes —1111tt `n13 TOE
Being Built At 26640 Greenfield, Oak Park
The continued progress of this great communal
project depends upon you !
2995 Joy Road, Detroit 6, Michigan
TY 6-1686