Chaplain Who 'Disobeyed Orders' Is a Hero to the Survivors of Radom BY CHARLOTTE HYAMS A jeep barreled along the Auto- bahn one spring day 20 years ago. War had ceased less than a month before, and the young Army chap- lain was on his way from Stutt- gart to conduct services for Jew- ish personnel in the 100th Infan- try Division. Capt. Herbert Eskin turned to watch a convoy of some 10 trucks pass in the opposite direction. He realized with a start that its passengers were not dressed in combat fatigues but in the garb of the Nazi concentration camp. He stopped the convoy. When they saw the insignia of the chap- laincy, the 10 Commandments, on his helmet, the emaciated ghosts gathered around with wonder and gripped his hands. Chaplain Eskin was the first rabbi to greet the 200 survivors of Radom, Poland. Last weekend, the Detroiter, now a lieutenant colonel in the Reserves, joined the Radomer societies from many cities at their 12th international conven- tion here. It also was the fifth anniversary of the Detroit Rad- omer group, and in honor of the occasion, they. were dedicating a monument to the 30,000 Jewish martyrs of Radom at Hebrew Memorial Park. Rabbi Eskin is not the only honorary Radomer member. Louis Levitan, director of the Israel Bond office in Detroit, is a vice president and holds dual rights to membership. After Rabbi Eskin had left his post with the survivors at Stuttgart Levitan was sent in by the United Nations Relief Works Agency to - help the displaced per- sons. He met his wife, Marie, a Radom survivor, while stationed there. But it is for Rabbi Eskin they have named a street in Stuttgart —Eskinstrasse. And there is a Jewish center—Eskin House—at No. 26 Reinsburgerstrasse• In that lies a story, too. Col. Eskin well remembers the two months of chaos at the end of the war when he came to know his "flock." They had only recent- ly been liberated by the French army at Vaihingen en Enz when he met them on the way to Stutt- gart. Among the several thousand DPs he was servicing in four camps was this remnant of 200 out of Radom. They had once been part of a proud Jewish community of 30,000. Where would they go? Where would they stay? Chaplain Eskin led them to the Jewish center he had prepared, and promptly began to disobey Army orders by asking his Jewish officers to help with the DPs. On two hours' notice, the German residents were ordered out of a block of apartments, and the survivors were given a place to stay. (When asked if his actions weren't a little rash, Rabbi Eskin reasons that the buildings once be- longed to Jews, and they had been taken overby the Gestapo. Fair is fair.) . Rabbi Eskin had no time to fight through red tape. The sur- vivors had starved long enough. "We used to go out at 2 a.m., I and two officers from New York —God bless them—and got food and clothing in the village. We posted Jewish men to guard the vehicles, and we would load them up from the Germans' private stores. Especially cheese. You should have seen those 100-pound cheeses. We were just like the Purple Gang." But there was more. "Every Saturday or Sunday the Jewish Brigade would pass through, de- livering supplies to the British. I'd forge passports and load my people onto the trucks going into Italy." What about the Italian eagle emblem required on the passport? "I copied them from an American 50-cent-piece. The Itali- an guards never caught on." The survivors' first Rosh Hash- anah was a memorable one. But little did they know what their rabbi had gone through to acquire a "synagogue." The improvised syn- agogue happened to be the magnif- icent Stuttgart Opera house, and true to the Wagnerian German spirit, there was an opera sched- uled that night. "I' had to have a large place," Society of the Untal States and may, sang "Es Brent" and the Canada, from Israel and Mel- "Partisaner Lied. Among those mourne, Australia, participated in who spoke were Julius Allen, De- the unveiling of a monument to troit Water Board commissioner the 30,000 martyrs of RadoM and and vice president of Ades Sha- vicinity Monday at the Hebrew lom, representing the mayor's said Rabbi Eskin. "I anticipated Memorial Park cemetery, on a office; Benjamin Laikin, repre- from 2,000 to 3,000 persons. site donated by Chesed Shel Emes. senting the Jewish Community Someone suggested a bombed- Representatives of the mayor's Council; and Louis Levine, for out camp, but I refused. I wasn't office, the Jewish Community Chesed Shel Ernes. There were going to have these poor.. people Council and officers and members also messages from each of the celebrate their first New Year of various Jewish organizations visiting delegations; and from in freedom in a bombed-out Jacob Lemberger of the Jewish also took part in the ceremony. camp." National Fund. Emma Schaver, who was the Once again he disobeyed orders. first American Jewish artist to Major addresses were delivered Permitted to hold the first night's sing for the liberated survivors service in the opera house, he in- in- their camp at Stuttgert, Ger- by Rabbi Charles Rosenzweig, president of The Shaarit Haplay- sisted on having the second night, tah, and by Col. Herbert Eskin, the as well. Rabbi Eskin posted 200 first Jewish chaplin to meet and Jewish men with rifles around the aid the Radomes survivors. opera house—just so there would Cantor Moses Rontel of Chicago, be no misunderstanding. originally from Radom, chanted It proved to be effective. He the "El Mole Rachemin" and held Yom Kippur services there, kaddish. Six candles were lit in too. "I could see a court martial memory of the 6,000,000 victims of in store for me," he said. the Nazi holocaust. The monu- Sure enough, the chaplain was ment was unveiled by Jack Dia- brought before the commanding mond of Miami, honorary presi- officer, General Wilbur Burress. dent, and by Henry Berger of New A list of charges "as long as my York, president of the United arm" was read off. Radomer Relief of the United "Sir," said Rabbi Eskin, "I States and Canada. Oscar Gold- can't turn my back to my people berg is president of the Detroit If it is your desire, I'd be better group. off transferred to France (I had been with my division three years). but I can't let these people d own." The general offered him a cigar- ette. "I would have done the same thing," he said quietly. "Keep up the good work, and I'll keep one eye shut." * * A portion of the monument British Rabbinate OKs Dr. Herzog Nomination LONDON (JTA) — The British Chief Rabbinate Conference un- animously endorsed the nomina- tion by the Chief Rabbinate Com- mittee of Dr. Jacob Herzog, deputy director general of Israel's foreign ministry, as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth. Dr. Herzog; who succeeds chief rabbi Israel Brodie, who is retir- ing, accepted the nomination last week when a delegation of .the Chief Rabbinate Committee called on him in Jerusalem. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 10—Friday, June 4, 1965 MORTGAGES APPLICATIONS FOR VA or FHA ARE NOW BEING TAKEN On New or Existing Homes QUICK SERVICE Phone Us Today FRANKLIN MORTGAGE CORP. Approved FHA Mortgagee 915 First National Bldg., Det. 26 WO 3-4890 BUYING A CHEVY? Delegates Unveil Memorial to Dead Several hundred members and friends of the Radomer Mutual Society of Detroit, delegates from other groups of the United Radomer Bnai Zion to Hold National Parley • NEW YORK —Meyer Feldman, counsel and adviser to the late President John F. Kennedy and to President Lyndon B. Johnson, will head the speakers at the 58th annual national convention of Bnai Zion, the American fratern- al Zionist organization June 10-13 at Kutsher's Country Club, Mont- icello, N.Y. Feldman will speak at the June 12 dinner session, at which Jus- tice Arthur Markewich of the New York State Supreme Court will be guest of honor. Justice Markewich served for several years as national president of Bnai Zion and now is a trustee. He has long 'been identified with judicial, civic and fraternal af- fairs in New York State: Rev. John Stanley Grauel, Methodist minister who served with the Haganah during Israel's fight for independence and par- ticipated in the historic "Battle of The Exodus," will speak at the opening session of the conven- tion Thursday night. Edward Sharf, national presi- dent of Bnai Zion, will give a re- port indicating substantial in- crease in Bnai Zion's affiliated coast-to-coast membership during the past year. The convention, which will be attended by 500 delegates and guests from all parts of the na- tion, will hold a special "Bill of Rights Session," at which the re- cipient of the 1965 annual Bill of Rights Award of Bnai Zion will be formally announced by Shall. Rep. Abraham J. Multer, Demo- crat of New York, who is a na- tional vice president of Bnai Zion, will speak. Bombay Jews Elect Head BOMBAY . (JTA) — H. Cyno- wicz was elected president and M. A. Moses chairman of the Cen- tral Jewish Board of Bombay, the representative body of Indian Jewry. The election of Cynowicz was named with great satisfaction because he is considered a uni- fying factor among the sections and groups within Indian Jewry. SEE dedicated in memory of the 30,000 martyrs of Radom, Po- land, was unveiled Monday at Hebrew Memorial Park by the Radomer Mutual Society of De- troit. The large monument, bear- ing the names of the deceased, is inscribed in Hebrew, Yiddish and English. JOHNNY LEBOW Now Associated With 46 FLOYD FOREN CHEVROLET, Inc. OAKLAND COUNTY'S LARGEST CHEVROLET DEALER 22346 WOODWARD, betw. 8 and 9 Mile JO 4.5575 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111NE11111111111111111111EME11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 ii 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111=111111111111111111111111111 11111111111 E --.E r---- g.- 30 % LESS FAT . = . = . TE ---- - = = -m-- 'a t- ---:: g E .w. -..7.--. - = . • • , E - ..- .-... - . - M :- -=.: -7 -- 0 E--. - •' .----.- -. =- , ,..:4-:.:.:.:.:.:.:•:•::!,,:,:',:xm.x.:15::::%::::!.:0::::::::::::::::::::)*:-':::::: 1 ::::IMMM:::!:%Ism4-::: •;.::::::•• -,. ' .. ' *Ii*,. .• . .; - • • ...„.• •••.. . ,,.... il,:f!.g,,.: ...„ ....:.: - - :r flro., . • ...:::::il::: ...„, - • ---. a..- .- 7:•. _ = g,- = = ..M- ..= - -7- • • ...„. ... ..... • '''''''''''::'''i;:i:ii:i';';';'=:.-:;;;;;.iiii:•::::::.:i;i;.::::ii:iii;::::::.::::ii:::::::::::::::.::::::;::::::::::::::::g.;;%;:i::;;;;:.:;;;;;;:•ii:1;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::;::::g;;:;:•::::;::;•:::..i.:::::4;;::::::..--.7•!::::.;;;:::;:.-......;:::•:.. ..............::::::•:::=::::::!:.::::•::.:::..:: ::::::.: .::::::::::=:::::::::::...7::!::::;:,: .:;E: : :::::::::.: ::.::.:::!::::!:::.::::::::::::::::. . :.:,.::::::::::.:: ::.::.:,: ::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::=.: ,.:::•,:.. :0:::,•:.:•:, ...,„:„ . •:.• - • , '-' . ::::': n *** -.:•:.::::' ...,:it: ..i::...„... :::„..):,..,.„:,,:.,,. ... F.,...„.....: ,.. E a:- = ,----- -=- - ,_ E-_- . ... , .:.,.:::::::::::...4„..........:.......w.....<: „:„.m. - -- 7--. = . Now enjoy 1 •Borden's Eagle Brand Neufchatel m N = .. I - - --I - m z.-. E = E I Do you enjoy the velvety smoothness and richness of cream cheese? ' new Eagle Brand Neufchatel Cheese. It looks, Now have it with Borden's spreads, tastes just like rich, velvety smooth cream cheese. 'Yet It has 30% less fat than cream cheese—in thrifty 3 oz. and generous 8 oz. sizes. *Borden's Eagle Brand Neufchatel is not a diet food. -A .w_ m --- .1 = - - El- =- _-..- - .a. - = I E- E — ft m E = E , • N ...=._ - ----- .. ... FT. CREAM CHEESE E 'a ---• EF E: = -- -- .A. - M = . =— ..- --a•- = BORDEN'S FINE CHEESES ---- - --- v ' I VERY BIG ON FLAVOR 0) THE BORDEN COMPANY 5iIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII IMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMI IMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMIIIIIIIIIIIMINME111111111111111111111111MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIII e I_ . . _ _ . . R.- :-.--- =I - = _ = = = == — ' = 7-- --- ..... - E. - -o. 1-=-- 0 = - .. = E 1111E111111111111111111111111 111111111111111EN MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS