Nikita S. Khrushchev has said
that the Jews of the Soviet
Union have isolated themselves
and do not like collective work
or discipline. However, several
examples of Jews in high-rank-
ing positions have been brought
to light.
Khrushchev could not think of
any Jews in the building indus-
try, but one of the best known
Soviet bridge builders is the
Jew Isaac Barenboim. Born in
1910, he was unable to receive
any formal education until his
teens, because of the untimely
death of his father.
After learning plumbing in
a factory trade school, he was
chosen to study at the Odessa
engineering school and grad-
uated with a degree in road
and bridge building.
He was a major during the
war, and when the Red 'Army
liberated Kiev and forced the
Dnieper, Barenboim achieved
the impossible: In three weeks
he built a railway bridge across
the mighty river, so insuring
sorely needed supplies for the
great Soviet offensive which lib-
erated the rest of the Ukraine.
His innovations speeded the
economic reconstruction of the
country.
In 1957, he represented the
Soviet Union at the San Fran-
cisco conference of experts in
prestressed ferroconcrete con-
struction.
Another "legendary" Jewish
worker in the Soviet Union is
Vera Abramova Rivkina, "the
Mistress of the Copper Moun-
tains."
In 1941 she was evacuated to
the Urals from Moscow. Being
a geologist, she never left the
mineral-rich area, but has spent
the last 22 years in the Northern
Urals in charge of geological
expeditions.
She still takes part in field
work, often covering a couple
of hundred miles on horseback
in summer and on skis in win-
ter through the mountains of
the rugged country.
Yosi Zeltser, chief foreman
of the Nizhny Tagil Metallur-
gical Combine, is known to
everyone as Poltora Yevreya
— "One-and-a-half-Jew" —
because of his height and
strength.
Born of a poverty-struck home
in Bessarabia, his father died at
52, leaving five small children.
Zeltser served in the Red
Army and was wounded twice.
After his release, he went back
to - the Urals, where after years
of work and study he reached his
present position of authority.
This year, the Soviet Union
WWI
will complete one of the high-
est roads in the world. Link-
ing Frunze and Osh by cross-
ing the Tienshan range, it will
provide a communication link
essential for the further eco-
nomic development of Kirghi-
zia.
This highway in the clouds
is often well over 10,000 feet
above sea level. In charge of the
tunneling work is Emil Gur-
Arye, one of the builders of the
Moscow Underground and the
GUM store in Red Square.
Responsible for the machin-
ery used in the construction of
the 400-mile-long highway is
Samuel Pevsner, another Jew,
who, from the poverty and ig-
norance of a Ukrainian child-
hood, has risen through a dis-
tinguished military career to his
present position.
Numerous other examples
could be cited in direct opposi-
tion to Khrushchev's Jewish
statement. The Jews of the So-
viet Union have, and are, con-
tributing greatly to the develop-
ment of that country.
War Wi
w th
itn srael
Imminent, Paper
Quotes Nasser
LONDON, (JTA) — Egypt's
President Gamal Abdel Nasser
believes that war with Israel
is "imminent," according to Al
Ahram, a leading Cairo news-
paper.
Al Ahram printed an inter-
view Nasser had given to a cor-
respondent for the Indian left-
wing newspaper, Blitz, in which
the Egyptian president was
quoted as saying: "There is no
escaping another war in Pales-
tine. I expect it at any mo-
ment."
Nasser warned against inter-
vention in an Arab-Israeli war
by the Western powers, saying:
"It is necessary to realize that,
if the Western allies of Israel
threaten the Arabs with action
or sanctions, as they did dur-
ing the Suez affair in 1956, we
can cut off supplies from hostile
nations, nationalize their oil
refineries and installations, and
even take over the oil wells.
We could also halt their rights
of aviation over flights and,
thus, cut A f r i c a off from
Europe."
Thant Refuses Stand
on Waters Issue
Mapam to Eye Invitation to Join Cabinet
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The
leftist Mapam party announced
that a decision about accepting
Prime Minister Levi Eshkol's
invitation to join the govern-
ment coalition would be made
Feb. 21, when the party's coun-
cil is scheduled to meet.
Tension was reported be-
tween Mapai and the National
Religious party, which is insist-
ing that its approval of the
broadening of the coalition to
include Mapam would be con-
ditional on the cancelation of
plans by the Zim-Israel Navi-
gation Co. to include a non-
kosher as well as a kosher
kitchen on its new liner, the
S.S. Shalom.
The Religious party reiter-
ated that one kitchen, a ko-
sher one, on the S.S. Shalom
was its condition for any
changes in the present coali-
tion government.
Religious party officials said
that the deadlock over the
kosher kitchen might lead to
a coalition crisis since the reli-
gious wing in the cabinet was
thinking about quitting the gov-
ernment on the issue.
Haim Shapiro, Religious party
leader, said that the proposed
two-kitchen arrangement for
the Shalom, which is schedul-
Mordechai Magali, an Israeli ed to make its maiden voyage
track coach, is now in the in April, was a violation of the
U.S.A. for an international religious status agreed to by
the present coalition and, un-
coach's course.
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.
(JTA) — Secretary Gen. U
Thant refused to take a position
regarding a possible Arab-
Israeli dispute in the United
Nations around the problem of
Israel's plan to draw Jordan
River waters and Arab opposi-
tion to that plan.
At a press conference in
Tunisia—according to a trans-
cript of that conference re-
leased here he was asked
what the position of the
United Nations would be "if
Israel carried out its plan to
divert the Jordan River." He
replied:
"This matter is not before
the United Nations. For such
issues which are not brought to
the attention of the United
Nations, I am sure you will
agree that in my position I
should not offer an opinion.
"Of course, any time a mem-
ber state wishes to bring this
up before the competent organ
of the United Nations, the
United Nations will take it up,
discuss the problem and make
any necessary recommendations
or decisions," he said. "For the
moment, I do not think it pro-
per for me to assess the situa-
tion."
less the agreement was kept,
there would he no consent by
the party to a broadening of
the coalition.
Medals Go to Veterans
of Pre-Israel Irgun
Underground Army
JERUSALEM — Menachem
Beigin, leader of the Herut
party, political successor to the
pre-State underground Irgun
Zvai Leumi, pinned "Captivity
Medals" on Irgun veterans in
a special ceremony. It marks
the 20th anniversary of the
Irgun "revolt" against the Brit-
ish mandatory regime. The vet-
erans were those who had been
imprisoned or exiled by the
British.
The ceremony, which was
held in the yard of the Jeru-
salem Central Prison, was at-
tended by Gen. Pierre Koenig,
chairman of the Franco-Israel
Friendship League; Raymond
Schmittlein; deputy speaker of
the French National Assembly;
and representatives of the Bel-
gian and Dutch assemblies and
the Dutch wartime undegrround
movement.
Gen. Koenig presented Beigin
with a medal on behalf of the
National Organization of the
French Underground. The pres-
entation took place at a recep-
tion which was attended by
cabinet ministers.
The Q
u seal of approval of THE UNION OF ORTHO-
DOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA is on
more than forty Heinz Varieties, including Heinz
Vegetarian Beans, six Heinz Soups (Vegetarian
Vegetable, Tomato, Tomato with Rice, Cream of
Mushroom, Cream of Pea, Cream of Celery), Heinz
Tomato Ketchup and many others.
About 600,000 children are
enrolled in Jewish schools of all
types in all parts of the country.
More than half of these attend
such schools only one day a
week.
•
BY HENRY LEONARD1
•
EG E TA R IA N
t). &
p rt I sB il g
hw J.
HEINZ COMPANY
13 -THE DETROIT JEWISH NE WS—Friday, Februar y 14, 1964
Jews Are Bridge Builders
for Their 'Mother Russia'