Purely Commentary Musicians on all continents joined, last month, in honoring the memory of a great pianist, a noted orchestra conductor and a most interesting personality, when the 30th anniversary of his death was recalled. It was an occasion for world Jewry to pay special tribute to a man who had made great contributions to Zionist efforts and whose deep interest in the pre-Israel Palestinian projects made the cause of Jewish national rebirth his chief concern in life. These are generallY unknown facts, yet Gabrilowitsch was adamant in his views. It was not a secret: he wanted it known that his chief inter- est was in the Palestinian ef- forts of the Zionist move- ment. His background was that of a childhood in a most as- similated Jewish home. There were rumors that he had been converted, but these were never proven, and it is doubtful whether he had ever abandoned his Jewish faith or whether his parents had led him into a Christian af- filiation. A lack of a Jewish education, non-affiliation with Jews, led him astray from Jewish ranks. How, then, did ti he come to Palestine and to Zionism? There is a story which may or may not be aprocry- phal, and much truth has been attached to it by those who were close to him. It was in the late 1920s that Gabrilo- witseh went to Palestine to visit with a childhood friend, an eminent violinist whose name I have been unable to ascertain—one who, like him, was raised in a thoroughly Gabrilowitsch assimilated home. When Gabrilowitsch confronted his friend he found him without an arm and as he faced him, aghast, he heard his friend tell him: "Ossip, do you re- member our childhood, our indifference to our Jewish background? It didn't help me when a pogrom broke out in our home town. That's when I lost my arm. When you go back to America, don't you forget what you see here now. You can't escape it, Ossip ! You're a Jew !" Never again did Ossip Gabrilowitsch want to escape it. He came back to the United States, began to propagate Zionism, joined in campaigns on behalf of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra. He associated closely with the founder of the Pale- stine Symphony Orchestra, the world-famous violinist, Bronislaw Haberman. Early. in 1933, Huberman had written a strong letter to Wilhelm Furtwaengler, the German conductor, denouncing Nazism. Many exiled German musicians had gone to Palestine, and Huber- man was inspired by the idea of a Palestine Symphony Orchestra, whose first concert, upon the founding of the orchestra, was conducted in Tel Aviv by Arturo Toscanini. It was in this project that Gabrilowitsch took a special interest. His dedication was especially evidenced in 1932. He had contributed regularly to the Detroit Allied Jewish Campaign. One of Detroit's most prominent community personalities who was active on the board of the Detroit Symphony Society again approached Gabrilowitsch for a contribution. It was then that Gabrilowitsch's preference became known, when, under date of May 17, 1932, the emi- nent director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra wrote: "As per our conversation over the telephone of yesterday, I am sending you herewith check for (blank amount), for the Allied Jewish Campaign. It is under- stood that the amount of my contribution will not be made public. In forwarding this contribution to you I wish to make it clear that the modest amount it rep- resents must not be interpreted as a lack of sufficient interest on my part in the affairs of Jewish welfare. On the contrary, my interest in such matters is very Ossip Gabrilowitsch—world-famed pianist and composer, whose dedication to Zion- ism helped build the Palestine Symphony. earnest, but for reasons which I explained to you over the telephone yesterday, I have always made a point of directing my contributions to Palestine—rather than to American Jewish philanthropic organizations. My reasons for this are very simple. I know that there always are and always will be plenty of JeWs in the United States whO will contribute to the regular philanthropic campaigns in the country. Unfortunately, there are only very few who take any interest in Pale• stinian affairs.. I do believe that those of us who are interested in Palestine should make an effort to some- what readjust this balance, and this can best be done by sending contributions to Palestine direct. "The recipients of such contributions, (as far as my donations are concerned) are not only musicians and musical institutions, but also other philanthropic organizations in Palestine. In the course of years they have come to regard my small donations as something they may look forward to with a certain regularity. Therefore, I do not feel that such monies should be deflected from them and directed to institutions located in Detroit or elsewhere in the United States. "I believe that my point of view in this matter is logical. I have maintained it for several years in the past, and intend to maintain it in the future. If, nevertheless, I am sending you a check today, this is done simply because you mentioned yesterday that it may be of some moral assistance to your campaign. I must state, however, that I cannot obligate myself to repeat this contribution in the future, as it may become more and more imperative to send money direct to Palestine." Sincerely yours, (signed) Ossip Gabrilowitsch The name of the man to whom this letter was ad- dressed is immaterial. He is a former president of Temple Beth El. He had held many important civic and Jewish posts. He was deeply impressed, and this letter is among his prized possessions. The Ossip Gabrilowitsch Jewish saga is so deeply mov- ing that it deserves a special chapter in American-Jewish- Israeli history. In April of 1932 he stated in an interview: "I regret that in my childhood I did not study Hebrew and now, at this period of my life, you can understand it would require very much of my time—but to be able to read the Book of Books, the Bible, in Hebrew, is an ac- complishment which has been denied me. It is fine and poetical, this language of our ancestors, and you may say for me that I would consider it a privilege to know He- brew. Young Jewish people should be encouraged to study the language." Let it be noted that when he made this statement he was 54 years old. He was only 58 at the time of his death, Sept. 14, 1936. On numerous occasions, Gabrilowitsch spoke glow- ingly of the work of Hadassah, and he took a deep interest in the Jewish National Fund. The land re- demption agency of the Zionist movement seemed to have a special fascination for him. In 1934, Gabrilowitsch expressed a deep interest in the JNF. He was invited by Mrs. Philip (Anna G.) Slomo- vitz, who then chaired a donor event for the JNF, to be a guest of the women's group. He made an effort to attend the event, but finding himself pre-dated with an out-of- town engagement, had his secretary, Miss Phyllis Harring- ton, sent Mrs. Slomovitz a contribution to the JNF. He had met Mrs. Slomovitz at the convention of the National Council of Jewish Women, held in Detroit the end of March 1932. She had gone to the banquet of the convention on behalf of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Gabrilowitsch was the guest artist. After his recital, Mrs. Slomovitz followed him into a reception room. Some Council women, then extremely opposed to Zionism, guessed her mission and rushed after her to prevent her reaching the eminent pianist. But she gained her ground and ap- proached the guest artist with the question: "Mr. Gabrilowitsch, I understand that your honorarium of $500 for tonight's concert is being waived by you, con- ditional upon its being used for the new music movement in Palestine? I represent the JTA. Do you have any ob- jections to my stating the conditions you made for appear- ing here tonight?" "Objection?" he replied heatedly. "Of course not ! I want it known that I want my fee to go for the aid of the great cause of music in Palestine." By Philip Slomovitz And he proceeded to state that "there is in Pale- stine a music school and choral organizations, and there is hope for the organization of a symphony and an orchestra"; that "something distinctly Jewish will arise as a result of the new Jewish developments in Palestine." Thus, Gabrilowitsch was among the pioneers in estab- lishing the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, whose first con- cert was held Dec. 26, 1936, under Toscanini's direction— three months after Gabrilowitsch's death. But that concert was also an occasion for tribute to his memory—and the present Israel Philharmonic is an outgrowth of the move- ment that was inspired by Ossip Gabrilowitsch. When he spoke of Palestine, in the several interviews that were held with him, Gabrilowitsch took occasion to comment on the work of his friend, Prof. S. Rosovsky, ail Russian-Jewish musicologist, who was conducting studi , ancient Hebrew music, at the Palestine Institute of MuSh. _ Sciences. He anxiously volunteered - opinions on what Amer- 410 ican Jews should do to help the Zionist cause: air think," he said, "it is our duty to help those who are in Palestine at present and to give them all the moral -41 and financial support at our command. I cannot speak too highly of the type of men and women I saw in Palestine—they are saints and the sacrifices they make have left a deep impression with me." His life was not without unhappiness. His wife, Clara Clemens, the daughter of Mark Twain, gained only partial success as a singer. His daughter, Nina, died last January in a California motel, after having been institutionalized. There are no survivors—and there are no so- vivors now to Mark Twain. Mrs: Gabrilowitsch remarried, but she was deeply devoted to her late, first, great husband. Less than a month before Gabri- lowitsch's passing—he died of can- cer—I had an appointment with her at their home on West Boston Bou- levard in Detroit. She was about 15 minutes late for the appoint- ment and she apologized: she had been at her husband's bedside at the hospital. We spoke about Gabrilowitsch and about Mark Twain — but what concerned her was the fate Mark Twain of her daughter: "You know what is happening now under Hitler," she said. "Ile is persecuting not only Jews but half Jews—and my daughter is half-Jewish ! Do you think the horrors of Germany can strike us here?" I assured her that America was not Germany ! In a tribute to the late pianist-composer, "I Knew Gabrilowitsch," in the DAC News of Detroit, Herman Wise, who was music editor of the Detroit Free Press during the years of Gabrilowitsch's direction of the De- troit Symphony Orchestra, wrote, with reference to Mark Twain and his daughter, quoting Clara Clemens Gabrilo- witsch's impressions of her father and her husband: "Mrs. Gabrilowitsch enjoyed telling of the many eve- nings she spent listening to her father and husband ex- change ideas or philosophize about things in general Or enjoy hearty laughs as the highly developed sense of humor of the two men was brought into play. Each had temper to spare, she said, with one important difference—, Mark Twain expressed what he had to say with thunder and blasphemy, her husband with firmness and with never an objectionable word. But the two men had much in col:Si- mon, particularly self-condemnation and the ability to laugh at one's self, and their mutual respect was genuine!" There is very little about Gabrilowitsch in Mark Twain's writings, but the fact is that he was most respect- ful of Judaism. This cynic who condemned all religions admired Jews and Judaism. He criticized Christianity , never Judaism. He wrote an admiring article about the Jews as "a marvelous race" during the early years of the Affair Dreyfus. Two great names are linked historically —' Twain's with Ossip Gabrilowitsch's. And Gabrilowitsch indelibly and inseparably fused with music, Jewry, Z ism and Israel. (Copyright, 1966, Seven Arts •Feature Syndicate) Israel Week Celebration Starts Here Monday Moshe Kol, newly appointed Co-sponsors of the week's ac- minister of tourism and develop- tivities to be held at the Sheraton- ment of the State of Israel, will Cadillac Hotel are the Midwest visit Detroit X-f I ees of the consulate general %. . :-,,,--, o ff i ces ..,:..., Monday to at -: of Israel, the Sheraton Tel Aviv tend the opening.: Hotel, El Al Israel Airlines, Greek of "Israel Week . Line and Israel Government Tour- in Detroit." ist Office. During his Special attractions of the week first visit here will include nightly presentations in his new post,* open to the public free of charge, Kol will meet featuring films on Israel, arts and with various . *: ,. crafts exhibits, travel displays, g r oups of lead - ,..,, 1 prizes and refreshments. In addi- era to discuss tion, there will be presentations ways and means Kol for clubs as well as seminars for of promoting travel to Israel. Governor George Romney travel agents and their staff. Special shipments of Israeli and Mayor Jerome. Cavanagh officially proclaimed the period merchandise will be available at Nov. 7.11 as "Israel Week in Winkelman's in honor of Israel Week. Detroit." 2 Friday, November 4, 1966 — • The regional trade commission- er for the State of Israel, Pinhas Dror, will be at the Sheraton- Cadillac Hotel during the week. The public is invited to attend the evening presentations for which invitations are available free of charge from any Detroit travel agent. A film, "Land of a Thousand Faces," which will be shown during the Israel Week, explores Israel through the medium of its thousand facial types, show ing among other things, seaside resorts, tourist facilities, and his- torical and religious sites. This unique travelogue is not nar- rated but is accompanied by music which most expressively conveys the feeling and tempo of the Israelis. This music was THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS composed by Noam Sherif, a prominent young Israeli com- poser. The film's significance is further explained as depicting colors in Israel and emphasizing the fol- lowing factors: "An exciting camera tour through Israel starting with cosmo- politan Tel Aviv . . . going down through the desert, where nature and history have combined to give the area great beauty and vitality . on through the beautiful green Galilee to Capernahum and Tabgha on the shores of the Sea of Gali- lee." Travel to Israel has increased threefold over the past five years with 300,000 tourists having visit- ed the Holy Land in 1965. Travel officials are predicting that the young nation of Israel, celebrating its 18th year of independence, will attract 600,000 tourists in 1970. The Israel Week program in Detroit follows: Monday, 10 a.m., raising of lo- raeli flag above entrances to Sheraton-Cadillac H o t e I; 5:30 p.m., Woodward Room, reception for travel agents, airline and steamship personnel, civic officials, leaders of industry and commerce; 6:30-7:30 p.m;, Sheraton Room, seminar for travel agents; 8:30 p.m., presentation to the general public. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thum day, 6:30 and 9 p.m., presentations to the general public. All the latter events will be in the Woodward Room of the Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel. Refresh- ments will be served after each 'presentation,. and prizes will be given.