Detroiter Adds Ammunition
to Defend Jew in Revolution

A post-script to an article that
recounted the role of the Jew in
the American Revolution (Oct. 1)
is offered by Detroiter Nachman
Wenokur in a manuscript he has
compiled on "The Contribution of
the Jew to America."
In his 121-page labor of love,
Wenokur has assembled many
little-known facts about the con-
siderable part Jews have played
in America's progress — from
their landing 100 years prior to
the Mayflower (and even their
participation in Columbus' voyage)
to their starring role on stage, in
politics, finance, business and
every other sector of life today.
Wenokur, who spent 10 years
on the work, points out that the
Revolution was not the first
battle in the new world to draw
Jews. Joseph Isacks was one of
the first to bear arms as a sol-
dier in British North America,
serving as a member of the
British expedition against the
French in 1690 in their attempt
to capture Canada.
Much later, too, many Jewish
names would be added to the
roster of heroes in every war
fought by Americans.
"There is every indication,"
Wenokur writes, "that the great
majority of every Jewish commu-
nity threw in their lot with the
Revolution. That they did so is
made more significant by the large
proportion among them who en-
gaged in commerce and were well-
to-do, for it is well known that
people in those circumstances
usually oppose radical and revolu-
tionary changes."
Among the many Jews Wenokur
mentions in the portion on the
Revolution were the three Pinto
brothers, Abraham, William and

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Solomon, all Yale graduates and
the sons of an important member
of a political committee in Con-
necticut. The three distinguished
themselves in defending New
Haven as members of the Con-
tinental Army.
David Emanuel, a Jewish na-
tive of Pennsylvania who settled
in Georgia, became justice of the
peace at age 25 and later joined
the Continental Army as a sol-
dier, scout and on the executive
council. Later he would become
governor of Georgia, the first
Jewish governor in America,
and a member of the Constitu-
tional Convention.
His brother, Levi Emanuel, was
commissioned second lieutenant in
the army and six years later be-
came sergeant major in the
militia under the command of
(Mad) Anthony Wayne.
Although he cites well-known
names like Haym Salomon, Weno-
kur includes many persons who are
not always mentioned in the his-
tory books.
Abram Mordecai of Pennsylvania
served the revolutionary cause for
three years in New Jersey and
Delaware. He settled in Alabama
after the war, but Indians, stirred
up in the War of 1812, forced him
to flee to Georgia. "Today, in the
city of Mobile," Wenokur writes,
"there is a marker to the memory
of 'Old Mordecai, the Noble Jew'
erected on the court house square
in 1933 by the Daughters of the
American Revolution."
Reuben Etting, a recruit at
age 19, became captain of the
Independent Blues in 1798 and
and later was appointed marshal
of Maryland by President Jeffer-
son.
"Philip Jacob Cohen was de-
prived by the British, through a
special order, of the right to hold
any office of profit, confidence or
honor in the province of Georgia
because of the distinguished serv-
ice he rendered to the colonies."
"As meager and unsatisfactory
as are the army records of the
Revolutionary period," wt it es
Wenokur, "there is enough evid-
ence to show that a great number
of Jews participated in the strug-
gle. A partial list contains the
names of 46 Jewish officers, among
whom is a brigadier general . . .
and several Jewish officers on the
staffs of the various generals."
The many fighters on the Re-
volutionary front were backed
by other Jews who lent funds
and gave moral support — men
like Jacob Hart of Baltimore who
lent money to Lafayette; and
Gershom Seixas, spiritual leader
of New York's Shearith Israel,
who defied his few wealthy Tory
members to side with the rebels.
Wenokur points out that the sons
of Haym Solomon and Rabbi
Seixas, together with many other
sons of prominent Jewish re-
volutionary leaders, fought in the
War of 1812 — only proving that
the sons loved freedom as much
as their fathers.

Southfield

Histadrut Bows to Strikers
at Israeli Textile Plant

Celebrating

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

2nd Anniversary

of Founding

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TEL AVIV — The Histadrut,
Israel's labor federation, in effect
capitulated Wednesday to the stand
of 500 Argaman Textile wildcat
strikers by failing to implement a
decision to expel the strikers if
they did not return to work Tues-
day.
A committee representing the
striking workers continued to insist
on a 600 per cent compensation to
workers dismissed because the
Argaman plant was transferred to
the Galilee. Histadrut officials sub-
sequently proposed to the strikers
that the Histadrut would adopt
their demand as a basis for nego.
tiation with the Argaman manage-
ment if the men would return to
work.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
18 — Friday, December 17, 1965

Jewish Communities Advised on Observing

NEW YORK (JTA) — Jewish
communities throughout the United
States were preparing this week
to deal with the frequently abra-
sive problem of Yule and Hanukah
observances in the nation's public
schools. Hanukah begins Saturday
night.
The standard position, enunci-
ated several years ago by the
National Community Relations Ad-
visory Council, is that all religious
observances, whether Christian or
Jewish and whether done separ-
ately or jointly, violate the consti-
tutional principle of church-state
separation.
In recognition of the fact that
majority opinion is often publicly
hostile to attempts to bar Chris-
tian observances, local Jewish
Community Relations Councils
began issuing statements urging
parents not to take individual ac-
tion in such situations without
prior consultation with the JCRC.
A typical statement was issued
by the JCRC of Minnesota which
reiterated the position that all
such observances in public schools
violated the church-state principle
and then suggested guidelines in
cases where Christian religious
holiday observances are held in
public schools.
In such situations, the JCRC
declared, Jewish children have
a right to refrain from partici-
pation. "We recommend that the
local Jewish communities take
such action as may be appropri-
ate to safeguard this right of
non-participation," the statement
stressed.
Action on the problem from
school authorities was reported in
Los Angeles, where School Super-
intendent J. P. Crowther issued
the school district's annual bul-
letin on observances.
The theme of the annual bul-
letin was that the development of
holiday programs at each school
should be left to the discretion of
the individual principal "who best
knows the local community." The
bulletin, first issued seven years
ago, was prepared by a committee
of school and community leaders
representing all major faiths.
Apparently bypassing the con-
stitutional issue, the bulletin de-

President Johnson to Get
New Adviser on Problems
in the Middle East

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
resignation of McGeorge Bundy,
special assistant to President John-
son on national security affairs,
who had advised Johnson on Arab-
Israel matters in addition to other
world problems, left a vacuum on
White House Near Eastern policy
making that apparently to be
filled by Robert W. Komer, deputy
special assistant to the President
for national security affairs.
Komer recently revealed in let-
ters to the Senate that he urged
resumption of aid to Egypt and
felt the strengthening of Egypt
was a policy "best calculated to
preserve peace and stability in the
Near East."
White House observers indicated
that the State Department's in-
fluence in decisions affecting the
Near East may now be increased
to some extent.

To Name Israel Institute
for Sholom Aleichem

NEW YORK — More than 100
people from the United States and
Canada will participate in the de-
dication of the Sholom Aleichem
Institute in Tel Aviv May 15, coin-
ciding with the 50th anniversary
of the death of Sholom Aleichem.
The Institute, being made pos-
sible through the American
Friends of Sholom Aleichem and
members of Histadrut and Far-
band, together with the municipal-
ity of Tel Aviv, which donated the
land, will contain a museum, lit-
tle theater and a library of Jew-
ish literature, humor and folk-
lore. Anyone interested in parti-
cipating in the Sholom Aleichem
Institute or joining the trip to the
dedication, may write the commit-
tee, 33 East 61th St. New York,
N.Y.

Glared that "to preserve the spirit
of good will that is characteristic
of the Christmas season, admin-
istrators should make every effort
to plan and conduct Christmas
observances in a manner that will
reflect respect for the religious
sensibilities of all students and
members of the staff."
* * *

Christmas Dilemma
Finding Solution,
Look Article States

The younger generations find
less social pressure on them "to
goy it up," a rabbi declares.
This is the conclusion reached
in an a r t i c l e, "The Jew and
Christmas," appearing in the cur-
rent issue of Look Magazine.
"With the increasing Ameri-
canization of Christmas," the ar-
ticle said, "and emphasis on its
secular rather than religious as-
pect, the holiday has become ac-
ceptable to more and more Jews."
Many Jews have found a way
around the Christmas dilemma by
giving emphasis to Hanukah.
Quoted in the article is a young
Jewish father, who noted the ef-
fect of Hanukah on his neighbors:
"We have Lutherans next door
who have to give their daughter

Holidays in Schools

Hanukah presents because of the
heat our daughter is putting on."
Jewish children receive a present
on each of the eight nights of
Hanukah.
American Jews of the new gen-
• rations are now rediscovering
their roots, and the most .vivi
proof of this trend is found
Christmas, said the article.
added that because America
Jews have largely won social and
business acceptance in their com-
munities, the need to "copy the
Joneses" is fast losing ground.
Comments a rabbi in the Look
article:
"After you get somewhere the
tree gets smaller. It's no longer
decorous. to goy it up. Changing
names and noses and having trees
were inadequate ways of handling
the problem. The kids will have
nothing to do with it."

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