The Parachutists
By MOSHE SHARETT
tion to a commemorative publication '
issued jointly by Kibbutz Maagan and
the Jewish Agency's Information De-
partment.
K asrielevky Shlemihl
From Maurice Samuel's
'"The World of Sholom Aleichem"
And
yet,
even
the
limited
opera-
Brigade
was
set
up,
we
achieved
During the second world war the izunits (Notrim) were created. the
There is a Yiddish proverb:
tion that was carried out in the
fate of our people was in the bal- 1 settlements along the border and complete national recognition on end had a dual purpose: to help "When, does a poor man rejoice?
the
war
fronts.
During
the
closing
in
the
Negev
were
strengthened,
ance. For the Jews in Europe it
the Allies through acts of sabotage When he loses something and finds
was a time of annihilation; for the and intensive political work was stages of the war, and particularly and the escape of prisoners, and it again." The intimation is that
after
the
cease-fire,
thousands
of
undertaken
the
world
over.
yishuv (the Jewish population of
the rescue of Jews. The operation this is the best he can hope for.
Palestine) it was a period of su-
But these efforts could not be our soldiers brought the message was essentially the result of an, Jewish humor is to a large extent
of
aliyah
to
the
survivors
of
the
pre-me trial. The half-million Jews limited to preparing for the future..
agree_ between two indepen- the humor of the shlemihl, who is
living in Palestine before the ter- The war itself, the extermination holocaust.
dent bodies, and the Jewish Agency a central figure in the folklore.
During the war the Jewish
rible holocaust was unleashed, of millions of Jews, the menace to
shouldered the major part of the The word is, again, only approxi-
Agency and the Vaad Leumi (the
were called upon to fight for their the existence and the insult to the
bden involved in the mately translatable. To say that a`
burden
National Council of Palestine
freedom and to lay firm „founda- honor of the Jewish people, all
shlemihl is a luckless person, one
operation. er
Jews) had organited several
tions for the future independent these impelled the yishuv to act in
born under an evil star, or with a
projects for extending material
Most of the parachutists were
Israel. They had..to be in a state of behalf of the whole nation, for it
wooden spoon in his mouth, is to
aid =to the Jews in beleaguered
chosen 'from. the Palmach. The
•rea'diness for the time when, fol- was conscious of its responsibilities
touch only the negative side. It is
Europe.
But
many
people
in
the
Palmach exemplified the quintes-
lowing the end of the world war, as the nucleus of national . libera-
the shlemihl's avocation and pro-
yishuv
'were
imbued
with
a
burn-
sence of the yishuv's recognition
the fate of the country and the fu-' tion. The yishuv responded to the
fession to miss out on things, to
ing desire 'to go-out to Europe in
of responsibility towards the
Lure of the Jewish people were to challenge by massive voluntary en-
muff opportunities, to be persis-
person,
and
help
their
suffering
:Jews
who
were
being
exterm-
be decided. Tremendous efforts listing in the war, effort.
tently, organically, preposterously,
brethren.
Early
in
the
war,
when
inated
in
Europe.
These
fighters,
were: therefore, made to increase
We thus arrived on the interna-
and ingeniously out of place. A
the
first
intimations
of
catastro-
singly
or
in
small
groups,
carried
-the strength of the Jewish defense tional scene as an independent
hungry shlemihl dreams of a plate,
out the most dangerous feats.
force. the Haganah. The shock bri- factor—as a living political entity... , phe reached us, all kinds of
of hot soup, and hasn't a spoon..
plans were mooted to penetrate
We had hoped to illumine the
gade (Palmach) was set up. guard- that had assumed the solid shape
The only dangers a shlemihl
the enemy lines in Europe and
terrible darkness with many
of a military force. The Jewish
manages to escape from are those
organize resistance and rescue
bright torches, but we were al-
Palestine volunteers were the only
that
do not exist. There is a story •
operations.
lowed only to throw a few soli-
Jews who fought in World War II
of a pestilence which was laying
The late Eliyahu Golomb, head • tary matches, some of which
of their own free will and as mem-
CABINET SHOP
waste .a town. The symptom of the
burned out far too soon. Those
bers of a free and independent of the Hacranah at the time, was
You;
disease was the turning red of the
t a
nation. Political conditions com- the initiator of these plans and who were not captured succeeded
Comerted to
hands. A doctor, called__ into a
Drop Leaf
pelled us to merge our units in the schemes. He longed to send hun- in •bringing their message to
house to examine a child, turned •
and 'Buffet
British military forces, but these dreds of experienced Haganah men their oppressed brethren; those
in .sudden alarm on the father
Restyled
units demonstrated their Jewish right into the heart of Poland in who died lent their glory to this
and said: "Look! You've called me
to Suit
nationality. And when the Jewish order to organize the Jewish youth operation.
to stand up and fight. Time and
Of all the groups of fighters,sent in for your child and have for-
Repairing.
again these plans were presented out to Europe, the parachutists. gotten yourself. Your hands are
Refinishing . do
Upholstering of
to the British and American in ii
- suffered the heaviest casualties: of as red as blood." "That's nothing,"
FURNITURE
0 Fine Furniture
tary authorities, but for a long- the twenty-four who reached their. answered the father, "I'm a dyer
RUGS,
APPLIANCES,
('hair Cane
time our efforts were cold-shoul- 1 destinations seven did not return. by trade." "Run to the synagogue,
ANTIQUES—New and Used
Weaving
dered because these military au- and only three of them were buried man, - and give thanks to God!"
Pianos Refinished
thorities had no faith in our ability : in the soil of independent Israel. exclaimed the doctor. - you've had
Pti•k•tip & Delivery
to carr • them out. To the tragedy 1 But this small scale operation was a narrow escape!"
9 eitOred
Serving Detroite .rs K
of our peoPle in exile, held in the a forceful expression of the spirit
EVERY WEDNESDAY
Since 1917
grips of the enemy. was added the that permeated modern JeWish his- A Benny Leonard Story
•
STARTS H A.M.
tragedy of the people in the home- tory. The parachutists were free .
25152
Benny Leonard. when he was
4303 14TH ST, of E(1;1,?.),,d
land unable to act. Only in the and proud pioneers who had come lighfweigtit champion or the world,
5 Mi. Rd.
AUCTION
Cabinet
Shop
(Fenkell)
spring of 1944, when it was no to the land of Israel from exile, was riding a train from Chicago
FARRIS BROS.
DEPT.
longer possible to rescue the Jews where some , of them had beep to :New York with his manager.
KE 2-8324
KE 2-8323
of Poland and Western Europe, estranged from their people, and! As the train rolled along a big
and when the Jews of South-East who had through zeal and hard toil, burly man from the next car came
Europe were threatened with ex- struck firm roots in their home- through and called out "Are there
11.4:11reirtising Printing
termination—and when a number land.
any Jews in this car?"
of Palestine volunteers had already
Duplicating Serltices
Enzo Sereni, Hannah Senes, Ha-
Benny was on the verge of grab-
proved their mettle in their work vivah Reik, Peretz Goldstein,
the fellow but Gibson, his
with
the
Yugoslav
partisans—were
Ben-Yaakov,
Aba
Berditchev
and
/ •
we permitted to send groups of Raphael Reiss had abandoned their ma ager, managed to hold Benny
LICIII
parachutists to Rumania, -Hungary, kibbutzim in the new homeland off. "Why bother." he said to
Austria, Slovakia. Bulgaria and the and returned to their tortured Leo ard, 'you are too big - for
north of Italy. .
countries of birtli. With pride and
Bkiny sat down: A few minutes
MeanWhile. there had been the indomitable courage they faced the
impact of the amazing message Nazi henchmen!. Their sufferings later the big man returned and
DO YOU HAVE A
•brought by Yoel Brand, who had t have become part of the great story once again called out "Any Jews
been sent by the Nazis to offer an of the struggle for freedom. Their in this car?"
MECHANICAL HANDLING PROBLEM?
not be re-
Leonard would
exehange of "blood for merchan- names and the memory of their
dise." All our efforts to carry out supreme sacrific
as well as the strained—"Yes, there is. I 'am a
WE CAN PROCESS, DESIGN, BUILD AND PUT INTO OPERATION
this great rescue operation, or at heroic deeds of their colleagues Jew. Do you want to make some-
ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS.
IN YOUR PLANT
least to stall a new holocaust in who survived and r urned to par- thing of it?•
Hungary—came to naught. The ticipate in the establishment of the - "Good," said the man, "now I
WILL
PAY
FOR
IT!
DIRECT LABOR SAVINGS
Allies were united in their opposi- state of Israel — will live forever need only two more for a min--
tion to the plan. The British the heart of the nation.
OVER 30 YEARS EgPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD
yan."
rr
Prime Minister, Winston Chur-
OUR QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ARE AT YOUR SERVICE
1 chill, who a short time later
• WRITE OR CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
was to agree to the setting up of
the Jewish Brigade, gave his con-
sent to another scheme that had
been put up to him—to introduce
into-Hungary a group of volunteers
543-0230
21990 GREENFIELD, DETRO IT 37
for the purpose of organizing sabo-
tage and• the rescue of JewS. While,
however; preparations for the im
plementation of this scheme were
being made, the whole plan was
undermined and whittled- down,
and finally shelved altogether by
military and political personages
who were opposed to any action
- that might possibly imply that the
Allies in a union- with the Jewish
war against Hitler involved the
people and in any special concern
for their fate.
Editor's Note: The following is a
shortened version of Sharett's introduc-
FRANK'S
tiCt
., 5
AUCTION
FRANK'S
47
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1964
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
14 Friday, August 28, 1964
AIIINESINV