Journey Into the Past
18—Friday, February 17, 1967
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Budget Woes to Close Israel Defense College
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel's sity of Jerusalem and former chief
Defense College, which trains high of staff of Israel's armed forces.
dish. Under these circumstances, government officials in
military
(Copyright, 1967, JTA, Inc.)
for how long more will a Polish problems, is expected to close at
EDITOR'S NOTE: Victor H. Bernstein
Jew identify himself as Jewish? the conclusion of the present
was the JTA correspondent in Germany
RIDE THE
One More generation? Two more study term, it was reported here.
in 1937 and 1938, with headquarters in
Berlin. He and his wife witnessed the
generations?" He waved an arm.
Nazi seizure of Austria and the brutal-
It is believed economic reasons
"We are a dying people. I pass
ization of Vienna Jewry in the first days
of the Anschluss. Later, in 1946, as cor-
no judgment; I merely state a are behind the decision to discon-
respondent for the New York daily,
tinue the college. The decision had
fact."
PM, Mr. Bernstein covered the Nurem-
been recommended by a special
burg war crimes trials and wrote a
Assuming
my
friend
is
right,
to
book about them. Mr. Bernstein was
investigation committee headed by
what shall we ascribe the phe- Gen. Yigael Yadin, professor of
one of the Nuremberg trial veterans
who attended a reunion 'conference in
Your Best Buy Is At
nomenon he described? To anti- archeology at the Hebrew Univer-
Warsaw last winter to mark the 20th
Semitism? To a process of en-
anniversary of the trials. En route, he
revisited Nuremberg and Vienna. He
forced assimilation? To-Communist
recorded this intensely personal ac-
Through UNICEF, $1 worth of
anti-religionism? I pass no judg-
count of his experiences because, he
insecticides sprayed in mosquito-
explained, "I wanted to record my
ment;
I
merely
relay
what
were
impressions, not as a journalist, but
10 Mile at Greenfield
infected areas can protect 14 chil-
as a Jew." This is the second part of
This dredging up of past horrors presented to me as facts.
dren
from
malaria
for
one
year.
Mr. Bernstein's two-part series.
S
S
had a purpose, of course: to imbue
* * *
us with fears for the future in the
five sessions were chaired,
WARSAW—The door to Room light of West German develop- in Our
turn,
by a Polish journalist and
600 opened for me—not in Nurem- ments. I think that on this all of
by one each from the "Big Four"
berg, but in Warsaw.
us—from West as well as East— —Great Britain, France, the USSR
Here live a people so determined were united in any case. By chance and the United States. I chaired
never to forget that they have one of the British correspondents the final session. By this time
made remembering into a national had come to the conference di- we had agreed on what action
policy. Nor is their Foreign Min- rectly from a meeting of German we should take: to request that
Are you interested in more than ordinary travel and want the most
istry the only place where this neo-Nazis in Bavaria. His report UNESCO (the United Nations
exciting travel money can buy (superb services at minimum prices) offer-
policy is reflected. Stroll almost chilled us, and must in addition Educational, Scientific and Cul-
ing•the possibility not just to see all the sights but to meet people and visit
places of special Jewish interest not on the ordinary tourist calendar?
anywhere in the city and, sooner have given our Polish hosts tural Organiaztion) take steps to
or later, you will meet a group of enormous satisfaction; surely they assure that the youth of the world
Want to travel with, interesting people from all over the United States
school children, led by adult could not have timed their meet- get more, and more accurate, in-
and meet important Jewish personalities all over the world as well as
guides, standing on bits of hal- ing better.
people who share your particular and personal interests?
formation about the Nuremberg
lowed sidewalk and imbibing
evidence than is now available to
Yet,
listening
to
the
Poles
re-
Eager to visit ISRAEL? ORIENT? SPAIN? SCANDINAVIA? U.S.S.R.?
stories of Polish heroism and Nazi
call the anguish of the past, I them. To this end we approved and
LATIN AMERICA? GREECE? FRANCE? ENGLAND? YUGOSLAVIA?
atrocities.
wandered more than once whether dispatched to Geneva a communica-
"Let us remember!" This was the martyrdom of Polish Jewry tion which cited school curriculinn,
Want to NEVER have to worry about lifting a finger for your luggage?
also the dominant theme at the affected •them as much as they text books, encyclopedias and the
getting to and from airports? understanding foreign money? checking
conference which had brought me professed. It was a shocking mass communications media gen-
in and checking out of hotels? tips, taxes, etc.?
to Warsaw—the reunion, initiated thought to entertain, and perhaps erally as proper avenues for
Curious about the magical ingredients and exciting extras in AMERI-
by Polish journalists, of the Nurem- an unworthy one as well. Certainly UNESCO concern. The conference
CAN JEWISH CONGRESS OVERSEAS PROGRAMS tWat have enabled
berg trial press corps to mark the there was nothing in the immedi- closed with a vote of thanks to
us to grow into the largest group travel program in the United States to
20th anniversary of the trial.
ate circumstances to support my our Polish colleagues, who had
Israel and Jewish communities throughout the world?
* * *
fleeting suspicion; if anything, the proved themselves to be gracious,
If the answer is YES to any one of these questions you are invited to
We were a mixed group, some evidence was the other way. Sev- thoughtful and generous hosts.
Things had gone smoothly, I
32 or 33 in all: Poles, Russians, eral of the Poles around the con-
JOIN US
Czechs, Yugoslays, British, French, ference table were Jewish, includ- thought as I rose from my chair.
The
subject
of
our
sessions
had
ing
the
head
of
the
committee
Dutch Danes and a sole American
8 p.m.
—myself. (Other Americans had which had organized the meet- been eminently worthwhile; the
Monday, February 20, 1967
been invited, but for varied reasons ing. (There were one or two Jews timing perfect. Then I thought:
B'NAI DAVID SYNAGOGUE
could not come.) Through five among the Russians, too.) Printed We have erred in the place.
24350 Southfield Road
long sessions were discussed the material on wartime Poland which Neither Warsaw, nor Poland, nor
Southfield, Michigan
significance of what had happened had been distributed among us any part of Eastern Europe needed
two decades ago: the trial's legal seemed not to underplay Jewish a reminder of Nuremberg.
Betty Weir Alderson
dynamic director of the American Jewish Congress Overseas program
and moral aspects; its impact, if suffering. The famed Ghetto memo-
But Nuremberg and the Ger-
will discuss our world-round, year-round travel opportunities.
any, on subsequent events; and, rial was a regular stopping place mans did. We should have held
above all, its lessons for today in for Polish school children as well the conference in Nuremberg.
If you want to receive our 48 page illustrated 1967 AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS
the light of current trends in the as for busloads of foreign tourists.
OVERSEAS HANDBOOK describing each tour in detail prior to the meeting, please
West German Federal Republic. Warsaw has a Jewish cultural so-
fill out the coupon below and mail it to American. Jewish Congress, Overseas De-
:
HARRY
THOMAS
•
ciety
and
a
famed
Yiddish
State
partment,
15 East 84th Street, New. York, N. Y. 10028.
Such disagreements as we had
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were by no means restricted to Theater (soon to come to New •
East vs. West. A British cor- York) whose director is Ida • Fine Clothes for Over 30 Years •
NAME
respondent questioned the make-up Kaminska, the brilliant actress : Open Sunday 11 to 4 :
whose
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in
"The
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•
ADDRESS
of the Tribunal at Nuremberg. "I
15200 W. 7 Mile
•
•
do not challenge the verdicts," he on Main Street" won an Academy •
3 Blocks E. of Greenfield
•
CITY AND STATE
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said, "but one cannot deny the
*
*
German contention that this was
Was I unduly influenced by
a case of the victors judging the
GIVE SOUTHFIELD THE "FORWARD LOOK"
Jewry'g long ,sad history in Poland.
vanquished."
which
pre-dated
Hitler?
Or
by
the
Another Britisher answered him:
"As some of you know, I attended savage indictment of Polish anti-
the Eichmann trial in Israel. There Semitism written recently by A. M.
the defense made a kind of reverse Rosenthal in The New York Times
plea—that the victims had set out Magazine? Yet it seemed odd to
to judge the alleged oppressor. I me that none of my Jewish, jour-
shall always remember Judge Lan- nalist friends, well-informed as
dau's rejoinder. 'All of us in the they were, could tell me hoW many
courtroom are human, including Jews were in Poland.
the judges', he said in effect, 'and
How can you tell who is a
it is part of human nature to har- Jew?" one of them explained to
bor prejudice. But we who sit on me. "Not by counting synagogue
the bench before you are profes- membership. In all Poland, as far
sional judges, trained to set aside as I am aware, there is only one
prejudice and to judge strictly full-time rabbi." He said this quite
on the evidence. The defendant matter-of-factly, without resent-.
should know that this is what we ment. I asked him about the many
shall do in his case'." "And," Jews who had been "purged" out
the British writer concluded, of the Communist Party during
LEADERSHIP ABILITY VISION
"those of us who followed the recent years. "That was not anti-
trial from beginning to end know Semitism," he replied. "It was the
SOME PERINOFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
that the Israeli judges fulfilled result of the pressure of young
this promise. The Tribunal at members against the old leader-
* Played an important part in building a civic center in Southfield which
Nuremberg did the same."
ship. And the old leadership had
is one of the finest in the State of Michigan.
Undeniably, a strong element of many Jews—not all of whom, I
* Helped achieve close coordination between the Southfield School Board
partisan national politics entered regret to say, always behaved
and the City of Southfield as a member of the liaison committee.
into the calling of the conference. well."
*
Played
an important part in developing a library and recreation service
Almost every Polish participant
I raised the purge question with
which was non-existent prior to April, 1958.
another Jew, a middle-echelon
* Has and will be promoting a program for development of a cultural center
government official whom I met
on the civic center site with emphasis on developing a symphony shell
outside the conference. I relayed
and expansion of library and recreational facilities.
to him • the explanation that had
and
been given me. "I suppose that's
QUALIFICATIONS:
one way of interpreting it," he
Lawyer — Veteran — Member of Oakland County Board of Supervisors —
said. He refused to elaborate. I
Member of Oakland County Planning Commission -- Former
asked him about the number of
Associate Municipal Judge — Present Councilman
Jews in Poland. "What difference
do numbers make?" he replied.
Southfield Council
"There are some Jews left, but
Unexpired Term
-no Jewishness. The Yiddish State
Theater is not predominantly Jew-
FEB. 20
SOUTHFIELD PRIMARY
ish in content, only in language;
Rated "Preferred" by Homeowners
Groups Endorsed by Business and
the Jewish Cultural Society mainly
Sponsored by FRIENDS FOR PERINOFF
Civic Leaders
perpetuates Polish culture in Yid-
By VICTOR H. BERNSTEIN
voiced a demand for recognition
of the Oder-Neisse line as Poland's
western border; and resistance to
German unification was apparent
in the speech of every Communist
of whatever nationality. Yet it
would be wrong to say that the
Communists were more interested
in maps than in men. The word
"genocide" came to their lips often.
So did the word "Jews"—espe-
cially from the Poles, who are
well aware that perhaps half of
the Nazis' 6,000,000 Jewish victims
died on Polish soil.
FO
For 1967
Northland Ford
If You Believe Travel
is more than Sightseeing
this Invitation is for You
041••••••••••••••••0•.0119
6••000•••••000011111••••••0
etad,
ALEX C.
PERINOFF
Southfield's
MAYOR
fiONKO SKI
VOTE MONDAY, FEB. 20TH
IA