Harold Silver Reporting From Jerusalem
Describes People's Reactions to the War
HAROLD SILVER
Harold Silver, nationally promi-
nent social worker who has made
his home in Israel for the past six
years, upon his retirement as di-
rector of the Jewish Family and
Children's Bureau of Detroit (for-
merly the Jewish Social Service
Bureau), sends us a dramatic ac-
count of his experiences during
the war in Jerusalem and of the
reactions of the people to the dra-
matic occurrences. Excerpts from
his article follow:
The War and I
By HAROLD SILVER
A few days before June 5, when
full scale hostilities began, I
brought my car to the garage for
repairs. All the mechanics had
been called up (that was the per-
iod of partial mobilization). The
manager said to me: "Come back
after the war." I had lived through
several wars (I, II, Korea, Viet-
nam), and to me that meant a
matter of years. Now, only 10 days
later, the war is over, and in such
a manner that I still can't believe
it. Perhaps the best symbolic rep-
resentation of these unbelievable
events is to contrast two points in
time, a week or two apart. Nasser
shouting to a Cairo demonstra-
tion: "No power in the whole
world can compel us to give up
Sharm-el-Sheikh and open the
Straits of Tiran to Israeli ship-
ping." AND—Sharm-el-Sheikh cap-
tured by a detachment of Tzahal
without firing a single shot!
My own contribution to the war
in Jerusalem area was two nights
and three days spent either in the
air raid shelter or in my blacked-
out apartment, listening to the
guns thundering on both sides, the
ack-ack-ack of the anti-aircraft
guns on the Jordanian side, and
the heart warming sound of Is-
raeli warplanes passing on the
way to the Jordanian fastnesses.
I can't even produce any material
proof of my experiences beyond a
piece of shrapnel and two machine-
gun shells I found on my porch on
Wednesday morning, (though a
mortar shell landed in the garden,
a couple hundred feet away and
damaged the houses of two neigh-
bors).
I can't begin to give you an or-
ganized account of those three
days; better reporters than me
must have done that in your pap-
ers. But here are a few impres-
sions and ideas.
1. The self-discipline, orderliness
and quiet confidence of the Jeru-
salemites was phenomenal. Though
no one ever questioned the final
victory of Israel, Jerusalem, sur-
rounded on three sides by the best
Arab army and within easy reach
of mortar fire and even ordinary
rifles, was in serious danger. And
yet there was no panic, no evacua-
tion, and until Monday, during the
weeks of waiting for the diplomats
Friday, June 23, 1967-15
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Canadian Groups Ask Federal Ban
on Distribution of Hate Literature
(Direct TPA Teletype Wire
using the mails to distribute anti-
to The Jewish News)
to find a solution, there was busi- received from all over the world.
Jewish materials.
TORONTO
— Three national
ness as usual (aside from a two- As against that the caution and
The organization, Lalerte del
hypocrisy of friendly governments Canadian organizations announced Occident, recently resumed distri-
days' run on food stores).
opposition to the dissemination of
were bitter to swallow.
bution
of an expanded 64-page
2. My apartment, just behind the
8. One speculates on what if—. hate propaganda and asked for brochure, "La Cle du Mystere,"
Israel Museum, faces the Valley Let us spin an imaginative yarn federal action to ban such distri- containing a variety of anti-Jewish
of the Cross, at one spot of which that could easily have happened if bution.
libels.
there was a unit of soldiers operat- Israel listened to the advice of
The Ontario Association of
ing a set of mortar guns. It was friends not to do anything to "in- Mayors and Reeves accepted a mo-
OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS
one of the "unrealest" experiences crease the tension."
tion from the City of London, Ont.,
that fell to my lot when, in the
urging the federal government to
The CARIBE MOTEL
I
listened
to
the
Jordanian
radio
bright Jerusalem sunlight, the
enact such a law. The action was
PROVIDES YOUR
neighbors would bring out benches the day Hussein signed the pact taken at the association's confer-
WITH . .
and folding chairs on to the cover- with Nasser (it was broadcast in ence.
CONVENIENT LOCATION
ed sidewalk in front of the apart- English and therefore relatively
The National Council of Women
Woodward near 7 M2e Rd.
Minutes awn) from everything
ments and watch the war as on a moderate): 'Now the Zionist mur- of Canada decided to examine and
derers
will
get
what's
coming
to
huge movie screen. We could see
discuss a bill against such distri-
LUXURIOUS ROOMS
• Phones • Air Conditioning
clearly the little flames of light them. We will say to all these nice bution now before a joint commit.
• Complete Kitchens
shining up in the Valley when a Jews: You have overstayed the tee of the Commons and Senate.
• Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
traditional
Arab
hospitality
in
our
gun was fired, followed a second
The council wishes to present its
COMPLETE
later by the boom-boom of the house, Now go back where you views to the joint committee.
ACCOMMODATIONS
mortar shell as it sped eastward, came from. If in the process of
The Ontario Command of the
AT NO EXTRA COST
the first day in the direction of persuasion we will rough them up, Canadian Legion adopted unani-
• TV and Radio • Parking
• Continental Breakfast
Mt. Scopus and the Abu Tor south that, too, is in the Arab tradition. mously a resolution asking the
of the walled city) areas, and the I have listened to the Voice of federal government and all .provin-
PHONE
Cairo
broadcasting
in
Hebrew
dur-
second day in the direction of Mar
cial and municipal governments in
TO 8-2662
Elias, the Jordanian stronghold on ing the 60-hour war. Here are Canada "To act in concert to de-
the south, near Bethlehem, the col- some of the gems: 'Residents of clare the activities of the Cana-
lection of emplacements inside a Israel! Our glorious army is on its dian National Socialist Party. as
Rates
mountain. which visitors to Ramat way to Tel Aviv. Save yourselves. seditious and that the continued
Moderate
Rachel used to see across the bor- Your cheating government has al- existence of the party be forbid.
Start at
ready increased the price of gaso- den and that dissemination of its
der.
line, next will come bread and scurrilous and treasonable utter-
$8.00
3. Aside from the neighborhoods meat. We take pity on you even ances and publications be banned."
bordering the old city the damage though in war there is no pity.
In Ottawa, Postmaster General Near 7 Mile Road
in Jerusalem was minimal. Some Save your children's lives, go away Jean Pierre Cote told the House
500 wounded (a fraction serious- (didn't say where). We say to of Commons that he would forbid 19630
ly), about a thousand buildings Dayan: In the Sinai war we took an organization in Montreal from Woodward
hit (in most cases partially, in- out one eye; we will take the sec-
cluding the President's and Esh- ond now. Your rulers, the bastards,
kol's homes). Water, gas, radio, are leading you to destruction.' Et
electricity functioned normally in cetera, et cetera. I haven't the
most of the city.
slightest doubt that there would
have been wholesale slaughter of
4. Overnight as it were, the in- civilians what with the inflamed
ter-party bickerings, the greed and passions of the soldiers and the
selfishness of citizens, that of late throngs of hate-ridden refugees.
were targets of criticism, ceased
9. Now will come days of bitter
as if by a wave of a magic wand.
New York Carpet has the finest
Perhaps the finest symbol of the struggle on the diplomatic and eco-
selection of smart area rugs on
newly-found national unity was nomic fronts. Our good friends,
display,
such as:
the scene in the Knesset basement instead of being grateful for settl-
when Ben-Gurion and Begin (in- ing the hash of the would-be Hitler,
"Brasilia"
"Rusticana"
veterate political enemies—B. G. Hitler of the Nile, will try to re-
2'n4'
$13.95
used to walk out demonstratively strict and cut down the fruits of
2'x4'
S 8.95
during Knesset sessions when Be- victory. For the voice of Arab oil
3'x5'
24.95
13.95
3'x5'
gin took the floor) when these foes still speaks louder than the voice
4'x6'
4'x6'
20.95
39.95
embraced each other. Thousands of of justice. THE WAR WAS BRIEF
6'x9'
6'x9'
59.95
89.95
ordinary citizens volunteered their but costly. The dislocation of the
services, paid their taxes in ad- economy will contin'.e for months,
See over 800 Rolls of luscious
carpet
on
our famous mobile
vance, contributed money to the and just as we have begun to
racks ... all on sale
Treasury. The youth of the coun- climb out of the recession. The
try, which from newspaper reports Israelis will have to tax them-
OPEN SUNDAY 12 to 6!
prior to the crisis, you would have selves even more steeply. We hope
thought was bent only on good Jewish help from abroad will ex-
times; careerism and cynicism, sud- pand to the requisite degree. This
41/4/IrC,
denly became the heroes and de- is a period of great joy and glory,
C 0 M P4 NV
fenders of the nation. Even the and also a precursor of harsh reali-
ties
to
be
faced.
Natorei Karta suepended their hos-
tility to the "Zionist state," and
Harold Silver
lust east of Telegraph
Hassadic rebbes led their follow-
Jerusalem Reunited
ers in digging slit trenches for
June 11, 1967.
shelter—on Shabbat! First the
Druzes and later the Arabs joined
in expressing solidarity with the
Jewish population. The only sour
note was heard from two Knesset
members of one of the communist
parties who replayed the broken
record of Israeli "agression."
5. Only those steeped in Jewish
tradition can fully appreciate the
depth of emotions aroused when
the radio broadcast the brief cere-
mony at the Western Wall, the
blessing of Sheshechyanu, and the
recitations of the Kadish, and the
blowing of the Shofar.
6. The brilliant, unprecedented
results of the war are a great tri-
bute to two men (if one is to as-
sess• contributions of individuals).
One is Chief of Staff, Gen. Rabin
for the organization and training
of this wonderful citizen army.
The other is Eshkol, for the plan-
ning, preparation, stockpiling of
weapons, supplies, transportation.
Eshkol will never win a popularity
contest with men like Dayan. Day-
an's appointment as Defense Minis-
ter was of great psychological im-
portance, both at home and abroad,
but obviously he had no hand in
the military plans or in the or-
ganization of the supporting ser-
HARVARD ROW MALL
vices.
7. The response of world Jewry
11 MILE & LASHER RDS., SOUTHFIELD
to the danger was heart warming.
Closed Saturday, Open Sunday
Volunteers began arriving from
abroad, messages of encouragement
Everybody loves the
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