Detroit Delegation to Take Part
in Opening Day Ceremonies of
Protest Against USSR Policy
A week-long vigil of prayer and cally deprived of the means of cul-
protest on behalf of the Jews in tural and religious survival."
In a recent policy statement, the
the Soviet Union will be held in
Washington and a delegation of American Jewish Conference de-
clared, "despite token concessions
local organizational leaders will in recent months, the situation of
represent Detroit's Jewish commu- the Jews in the Soviet Union re-
nity at the opening day cere- mains unchanged . . . Soviet Jews
continue to be the object of a
monies, Sept. 19.
policy of systematic attrition aim-
Sponsored by the American Jew- ed at its forcible assimilation and
ish Conference on Soviet Jewry, a its spiritual and cultural extinc-
cooperative body representing 24
tion."
national Jewish organizations, the
Besides Dr. Krohn, Detroit's
week-long program will commence
with the kindling of an "eternal delegation will include representa-
light" symbolizing American Jew- tives from local Zionist, syna-
ry's determination to continue their gogue and fraternal organizations.
* *
protests until Jews in the Soviet
Union are assured the freedom to Veterans Protest Against
practice and perpetuate their reli- `Pilgrimage' Honoring Fascists
gion and culture.
WASHINGTON (JTA)—National
A continuous around-the-clock
Commander Ralph Plofsky, of the
vigil will be maintained at the eter- Jewish War Veterans, announced
nal light from Sept. 19 through
that his group is alerting other vet-
Sept. 26. Participating will be men,
erans organizations and taking
women and youth of all religious
steps to exnose and debunk the
denominations from communities planned Sept. 19 "pilgrimage" or-
throughout the United States.
ganized by a right-wing group to
Present plans also call for meetings honor the memory of three Russian
during the week with Soviet Em-
Fascists who served the Nazi cause.
bassy officials, visits by partici-
The Russians, held at Fort Dix,
pants with Senators and Congress-
men from their states and districts N. J., among Nazi prisoners of war,
and a briefing session at the De- committed suicide in June 1945,
to avoid return to Russia by the
partment of State.
S. Army and trial as war crimi-
Rabbi Seymour Cohen, chair-
nals. A conservative youth organi-
man of the AJCommittee steer-
zation, "Young. Americans for Free-
ing committee, said that "we
dom," announced that it is organiz-
choose to hold this Vigil a week
ing a ceremony to honor the Fas-
before the most sacred period in
cists as "freedom fighters" and
the Jewish calendar because,
anti-Communist heroes. Participa-
"during the High Holy Days
tion of patriotic and veterans
Jews everywhere experience a
heightened sense of spiritual re- groups was sought.
Plofsky said the JWV would un-
awakening and continuity."
He said that the Vigil "will be .dertake to expose "this absurd ges-
a sober and responsible ceremony ture which does such a grave dis-
reflecting our earnest desire for an service to Americans who fought
abatement of cold war tension, but and died to liberate Europe from
also our determined commitment Nazism." "If it is now desirable
to protest the policy of forced as- to honor all those who fought
against Russia during World War
similation of Soviet Jewry."
A specially chartered "Vigil II," he continued, "the next logi-
train" will leave from New York's cal step in this illogical concept
Penn Station 8:30 a.m. Sept. 19, would be to pay homage to Adolf
making stops in Newark, Trenton, Hitler because he, too, was an anti-
and Philadelphia. Jewish organiza- Communist."
The Jewish Veterans leader said
tions have taken complete railroad
the Y.A.F. demonstration actually
cars for their constituents.
Dr. Samuel Krohn, president of aided Communist propagandists
the Jewish Community Council, and facilitated efforts to depict
who will join Detroit's delegation America as pro-Fascist. The Sept.
to the observances in Washington, 19 "pilgrimage" would make "a
stated that the ceremonies will mockery" of the vigil against So-
serve to dramatize and enlist wide- viet anti-Semitism, scheduled to be
spread public concern for the held here that same day by Jew-
plight of 3,000,000 Jews in the ish and other groups, Plofsky
Soviet Union "who are systemati- declared.
Torah Gift Honors Senator Russell
Soviet Embassy Is Unhappy
About the September 19 Vigil
BY MILTON FREEDMAN
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
WASHINGTON—The Soviet Em-
bassy here is unhappily anticipat-
ing Sept. 19.
Tactics perfected by civil rights
demonstrators — the march, the
vigil, the mass demonstrations, the
pickets—will be used here on that
date against discrimination and
prejudice practiced by the Soviet
Union.
Thousands will assemble to de-
mand that the Soviet Union end
its anti-Jewish policies. They will
come to Washington in special
trains supplied with kosher food
to participate in the "Eternal
Light Vigil" organized by the 24
groups associated with the Amer-
ican Jewish Conference on Soviet
Jewry. The Soviet Embassy will
hear these thousands and other
non-Jewish demonstrators sing,
"We Shall Overcome."
More than 5,000 will gather
across Pennsylvania Avenue
from the White House. The site
will be Lafayette Park, where
many recent demonstrations for
civil rights were held.
Soviet diplomats are reportedly
apprehensive at rumors that many
Negroes and Vietnam pacifist
demonstrators will identify with
the cause of Russian Jewry. There
is talk in liberal circles of spon-
taneous and unofficial pickets join-
ing the crowd to demand "fair play
for Negroes of USA, peoples of
Vietnam, and Jews of the USSR."
Why would non-Jews, obses-
sed by their own special inter-
ests, be attracted?
The fact is that liberals have
been stung by charges that acti-
vists for Vietnam peace and
Negro rights are Communist-domi-
nated. September 19 provides an
opportunity to prove dedication to
universal social justice. A non-
Jewish college youth, arrested dur-
ing the recent Capitol Hill anti-
war protest, said "a real liberal
would fight for Jewish rights in
Russia as strongly as he would for
Negro rights here or for an end
to the Vietnam war."
Another demonstrator, a Negro
affiliated with the Congress of
Racial Equality, saw the Jewish
issue as a legitimate opportunity
for "extremists" to show they
are ready to protest Communist
and anti-Jewish policies.
Elements accused of leftist lean-
ings have a chance to show the
universality and consistency of
their liberalism. The vigil will de-
mand that Jews in the Soviet Un-
ion be accorded the same rights
Hebrew Corner
The Last Chance
The Torah Scroll donated to the National Jewish Welfare Board
(JWB) at recent ceremonies in dedication of the Jewish Chapel at
Ft. Benning, Ga., was given in honor of Senator Richard B. Russell
(third left), chairman of the Armed Service Committee of the U.S.
Senate, paying tribute to him for his leadership in strengthening the
nation's defenses and the morale of military personnel. Shown taking
part in the presentation ceremonies are (left to right) General R. H.
York, Commanding General of Ft. Benning; Harry Sunshine, Jewish
communal leader of Atlanta, who donated the Torah Scroll; Sena-
tor Russell; Dr. Marvin Goldstein, chairman of JWB's 3rd Armed
Services Committee, and Post Jewish Chaplain (Captain) Alan M.
Greenspan. Stressing the fact that the ceremonies were taking place
as U.S. military involvement in Vietnam was being intensified, Sen.
Russell, in his address, said "I think all of us should be thankful
in today's troubled world for the strength we derive as a nation from
our religious traditions."
40—Friday, September 10, 1965
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Many people in Israel know the night
club in Beersheba called "The Last
Chance." The club was managed by a
petite fragile woman. She would play
the gramophone on which lay a record
of Johann Sebastian Bach and then the
neglected courtyard of the club of
"weary fighters" of "the forlorn" or
those looking for another last chance
by the cup of spirits was transformed ...
formed . . .
Who was this petite woman, the
owner of the Last Chance night club?
They called her Betty Knut. She was
born in Paris in 1926. Her mother was
the cousin of the Soviet Foreign Min-
ister Molotov. The mother converted to
Judaism and married a Jewish musi-
cian and gave birth to Betty.
When the German reached France,
Betty was a member of Maki. After the
liberation she was awarded the French
Croix de Guerre and the American
Silver Star. At the same time she be-
came famous as a journalist and writer
for whom was foretold a brilliant fu-
ture.
In 1946 Betty joined the Lehi under-
ground organization, and placed bombs
in the British Ministry of Colonies
in London. The British Intelligence
traced her and followed her throughout
Europe. In the end she was arrested in
Belgium and sentenced to a number
of months imprisonment.
During the War of Independence she
reached Israel. She married and had
three children. Her husband brought a
great deal of wealth but took sick with
a serious mental ailment. Their wealth
was dissipated and Betty tried to sup-
port her family through her night club
The Last Chance.
To this club came intellectuals in-
dividualists, writers and poets. Several
weeks ago she parted from her club
and friends, for death took her.
Translation of Hebrew
Column, Published by
Brit Ivrit Olamit, Jerusalem.
provided by the Kremlin to other
religious and ethnic minorities.
Jews in the USSR have been sub-
jected to denial of many cultural
and religious facilities permitted
other minorities.
Demonstrators will stage a
round-the-clock vigil within view of
the White House. They will at-
tempt to see President Johnson to
ask his help. A call will be made
on the State Department.
But the real impact will be
achieved when marchers present
the Soviet Embassy with peti-
tions signed in cities and towns
throughout the United States. It
will provide the ultimate embar-
rassment for Soviet diplomats
who have self-righteously gloat-
ed over the Negro rights rallies
in Washington.
Suggestions have been made that
the U. S. Information Agency tele-
vise and broadcast the demonstra-
tion for relay to every country
where the United States is ma-
ligned for its race problems. This
would debunk the Soviet claim of
being the champion of the oppress-
ed. Today it is the Russians, not
the West Germans, who are deny-
ing Jews the basic rights accorded
other citizens.
The Kremlin is not backward in
the realm of propaganda. Russian
propagandists have already sought
to offset the coming rally by press
releases. They deny bias and sound
something like the state of Missis-
sippi's official description of Negro
life there.
A recent release, published
abroad but not in Russia, said the
Soviet Union would now memo-
rialize the victims of Nazism buried
at Babi Lar, in Kiev. Of approxi-
mately 100,000 victims of Nazi
mass murder buried at Babi Yar,
more than 90 per cent were Jew-
ish. The Kremlin has persistently
avoided mentioning that Jews were
especially singled out for mass-
murder by the German invaders.
Babi Yar gained notoriety in
1961 when poet Yevgeny Yevtu-
shenko dared to write a historic
poem."
"No monuments rise over Babi Yar
The steep ravine is like a crude
grave slab .. .
The trees look threatening, look
like judges.
And everything is one silent
cry .. .
And I am one silent cry
Over the many thousands of the
buried . . .
No Jewish blood runs among my
blood,
But I am as bitterly and as
heartily hated
By every anti-Semite."
The belated Soviet gesture to
erect a memorial at Babi Yar was
a response to world public opinion.
It offers hope that louder outcries
will force Moscow to take further,
more important steps, to acknowl-
edge the human dignity of Jews.
Libel Law Backed
by Knesset, 54-51
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Motions
to amend Israel's widely criticized
new libel law were defeated at a
special session of Parliament, by
a vote of 51 to 54.
The vote was on party lines,
with all coalition party members
voting to support Premier Levi
Eshkol's objection to action on
the matter at the present time,
and most of the opposition parties
voting for amendment now.
Members of former Premier
David Ben-Gurion's new National
Workers List (Rafi), and two mem-
bers of Agudat Israel abstained.
The special session had been made
mandatory by submissoin of a
petition by the opposition parties.
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