THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National
Editorial Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35,
Mich., VE 8-9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7
Second Class Postage Paid At Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
CHARLOTTE HYAMS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the first day of Nisan, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our
synagogues.
Pentateuchal portion; Levit. 1:1-5:26, Exod. 12:1-20, Num. 28:9-15. Prophetical portion; Eze-
kiel 45:16-46:18.
Licht Benshen, Friday, March 13, 6:18 p.m.
VOL. XLV. NO. 3
Page Four
March 13, 1964
Urgently Needed: Allied Campaign Workers
We are now in the midst of a great
philanthropic effort: the annual Allied
Jewish Campaign.
During the coming two months, our
community must raise a minimum of
$5,000,000 to provide for the relief of
hundreds of thousands of refugees and
expatriates from many lands who must
be cared for wherever they now are or
must be assisted to reach the shores of
Israel which is their only haven of rescue;
to continue our aid to many national
causes and to retain our dignity on the
home front by assuring the means neces-
sary for the continued operations of local
agencies.
With just about half of the needed
sum already raised, the most serious task
is ahead of us: that of reaching 20,000
contributors who should provide at least
$2,500,000 more towards our established
goal.
If the campaign objectives are to be
attained, it is vitally necessary that many
hundreds of volunteer workers should
be enrolled for the drive.
Without the volunteers there is little
hope of reaching the potential givers.
Since the drive is scheduled to end
by mid-May, time is needed to brief the
workers, to assign prospects to them, to
organize the drive so that our community
again will emerge among the leaders in
major constructive efforts in this land.
While the chief needs provided for
by the Allied Jewish Campaign already
are fairly well understood here, it should
be emphasized anew that there are re-
curring obligations that place serious
responsibilities upon us. The refugee
problem has not been reduced. There are
so many yet to be rescued from Moslem
countries and from behind the Iron Cur-
tain that the responsibilities remain stag-
gering.
Israel remains an embattled area, and
the repeated threats against the Jewish
State by Arab warmongers should keep
us on the alert. All we are asked to do
is to assist in the settlement of refugees
and to aid Israel economically. The coun-
try's defense needs are provided by the
Israelis themselves.
*
*
*
Then there are the national and local
obligations which demand fulfillment.
The very basis for strong community
relationships is on the local scene. We
could not possibly hope for an emerging
strong leadership without a well-informed
youth. Unless we provide a good educa- Valuable Analyses
tional foundation for our children, they
will be lost to us the moment they begin
to pursue their studies in colleges away
from home. This is not a trifling matter.
Israel's theater is mainly known to us through the Habimah,
Our schools must be given priority. We which performed here more than three decades ago and again
must assure for them the best available during the current appearances in New York and in several other
teaching staffs. We must welcome the American cities. But the theater in Israel is not limited to
children into the most attractive environ- Habimah, and we have reason to be grateful to Zara Shakow for
ments. Jewish studies must be made de- her description of the various aspects of acting and productions
sirable for them, for the sake of the in her "The Theater in Israel," published by Herzl Press.
It was the Cameri Theater that asked Miss Shakow to come to
assurances that are needed for the train-
ing of a proud and dignified Jewish youth. Israel in 1952. She joined the Cameri drama school and acquired
Then there are the social service and a thorough knowledge of Israel's theaters, and upon her return
a year's stay under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Educa-
recreational agencies, the Home for the for
tion and the Histadrut cultural department, she acquired the
Aged and Sinai Hospital, the Jewish Cen- added knowledge for the compilation in this important paperback.
ter and the numerous other affiliated cul- Between her assignments in Israel she directed professional and
tural, recreational and health agencies community theaters in this country and in Canada.
which depend upon us for support in our
Miss Shakow describes Israel's needs, does not hesitate to
own community and on the national criticize and to point to shortcomings, indicates the progress
scene. We dare not let them down.
that has been attained by the numerous theatrical enterprises
If we are to live up fully to our duties and paints an interesting picture of the Israeli theatrical art.
as members of this community, we must
The "beginnings" of the Israeli theater as portrayed by Miss
be prepared to meet these obligations— Shakow were under the influence of the Yiddish theater. It was
and we must immediately provide the in 1894 that Goldfaden's plays were presented. Then the clamor
manpower who should help complete the for Hebrew production, and the Teatron Ivri was the first Hebrew
task honorably. We therefore urge that theatrical enterprise in Palestine, in 1921, under the direction of
all who are available should enroll at David Davidow.
The description of early trends introduces the reader to the
once as volunteers in the Allied Jewish
emergence of the Habimah, the enlistment of visiting actors, the
Campaign.
'The Theater in Israel'
Survivor Tells Need to Expose Crimes
When "The Janowska Road," which
reveals the tragedy of Lvov and of the
concentration camps and their inmates,
was published several months ago (it was
reviewed in The Jewish News on Dec. 13),
the author, Leon W. Wells, was little
known to the general public. He has be-
come eminent as a mathematician and
is now famous in his field. But it was not
until he had written, as a supplement to
his book, the article in The New York
Times on "Living Ghosts of the Concen-
tration Camps," that he emerged as a
person to be reckoned with as one who
speaks authoritatively on the Nazi atroci-
ties and their aftermath.
The Times Article by Wells was his
report on his experiences as a witness
against SS criminals who had persecuted
him and other prisoners in Poland's Jan-
owska concentration camp and who were
responsible for the murder of many of
the inmates.
In his account of the evidence he gave
at the trial at the West German fortress
prison near Stuttgart, Wells wrote in
The Times:
"I had not wanted to come here
to Germany, to this jail. I had done it
purely as a matter of duty. Since the
Eichmann trial, I had felt that the more
the Nazi crime was aired, the more the
world knew its real dimension and hor-
ror, the less chance it had of happen-
ing again."
This is a sentiment that becomes
cleared as an obligation as time pro-
gresses, and there is a measure of encour-
agement in the attitude of Leon Wells
that the truth will continue to be ham-
mered away until there is no doubt left
as to the need for total exposure of the
German crimes.
Leon Wells' name emerges as espe-
cially significant because the Jewish
Community Council has succeeded in
securing him to be the principal speaker
at the annual observance of the anniver-
sary of the Warsaw Ghetto Revolt. An-
other opportunity thus will be offered
for the Detroit audience to hear the
message of a man who had suffered
under the Nazis, who survived them to
become a great asset to this country.
Mo'os Hitim Tradition
Maot Hittim, frequently spelled as
Mo'os Hitim and often referred to in a
variety of corrupt transliterations, means
coins for wheat. It refers to the funds
that are traditionally provided on the eve
of Passover to assure the less affluent in
Jewish communities that they will not be
deprived of Passover necessities.
Because the needs for Passover food
supplies are greater than at any other
time during the year, this special effort
is made to assure for every family the
adequate means with which to celebrate
the great Festival of Freedom.
Wheat money, as the Maot Hittim is
known, fulfills a sacred task, and the
renewal of the efforts of the Detroit
Mo'os Hitim Committee should meet with,
a proper response so that no one should
be without all the Passover necessities on
the approaching festival.
struggles in formative organizational efforts.
Progressive steps in management, the rise of other theatrical
units and their wide recognition has led to the choice of Israel for
the 11th congress of the International Theater Institute in 1965.
It was decided upon at the recent 10th congress in Warsaw and
Miss Shakow sees it as proving "a source of stimulation and in-
spiration for Israel's theater workers."
Many opportunities for actors are envisioned in Israel, and
newcomers, who learn Hebrew through Ulpan, find places for
action in the expanded theatrical field.
The training programs are viewed favorably. The Ohel Thea-
ter—known as the Israel Labor Theater located in Tel Aviv—is
commmended, and while its shortcomings are indicated Miss
Shakow states: "Now that Ohel has reached a position of compara-
tive prosperity, it would seem advisable that the management
allocate funds for the refurbishing of the building.
Habimah, with a compnay of 35 who are on a full time pay
basis, has its own theater. Actors earn an average of $125 a month
after tax deductions, leading actors receiving the same pay as
those in minor roles, and "since its inception Habimah has strictly
adhered to the 'no star' tenet."
The "Cameri," the Chamber Theater, is viewed as Tel Aviv's
major theatrical enterprise and as the public's favorite. Noted
actors emerged here and leading productions are on the theater's
schedules.
Haifa's Muncipal Theater, "Israel's first city operating reper-
tory theater," began its activities Sept. 12, 1961, with Shake-
speare's "Taming of the Shrew."
There are several independent producing units and the
account of their successes is of major interest. Of particular
importance is the Telem Theater for New Immigrants. It was
launched in 1952 by the Histadrut cultural department and
under Telem's auspices "the special repertoire of simplified
plays was trouped into the communities where the immigrants
had settled. Yosifon is the guiding genius of this "practical pro-
gram" which "may well pay off in handsome dividends, by
speeding the intergration process" of newcomers from Oriental
countries.
There are foreign language theatrical activities—in Yiddish,
French, Arabic.
Then there are children's theaters and amateur theaters in
the various settlements.
Miss Shakow also describes the theatrical and film magazines
and the popularity of the movies in Israel.
Her book is a valuable addition to literature that provides an
understanding of Israel's cultural aspects.