Purely Commentary
Beirut Propagandists Thrive on
U.S. Money . . . Jewish Credo of
Late Edna Ferber
By Philip
Slomovitz
This Time
Editor's Note: The author of
these verses, the eminent Paul
tensified. This is inexplicable, because my early childhood was spent, Eldridge, poet and noveltist, wrote
Youth in Struggle Against Society
What is youth's ultimate status and what really are the objectives for the most part, in an anti-Semitic Middle Western town, and mine the poem "in answer to all those
in the current revolt?
was not and is not a religious family. But I have felt that to be a Jew Who prattle about 'magnanimity'
Anna Freud, the 71-year-old daughter of Sigmund Freud was in was, in some waus at least, to be especially privileged. Two thousand to be shown to mortal foes, and
New York to address the Psychoanalytic Society which was founded years of persecution have made the Jew quick to sympathy, quick- to those, Jews included, who are
70 years ago in her father's honor. She expressed the view that youth witted (he'd better be), tolerant, humanly understanding. The highest ready to forgive and forget the
compliment we can pay a Christian is to say of him that he has a monstrous Holocaust itself."
is confused—about life, about themselves.
Jewish
heart.
She expressed the view that youth today "is not interested in
By PAUL ELDRIDGE
"All this makes life that much more interesting. It also makes
man's struggle against himself, but in man's struggle against society,"
a
This
time
we shall not forgive—
life.
I
like
a
hard
life harder, but I am perverse enough to like
that "adaptation to society is the last thing they have in mind."
tell
could
This
time
we shall not stretch
fighting
life.
I
like
overcoming
things.
Maybe
a
psychiatrist
What a gloomy view in an hour of rebellion! And Miss Freud did
hand
our
flattering.
Being
a
Jew
makes
it
not
prove
me
why,
and
it
might
not comment on tht status of the teachers who undoubtedly have a share
in the social upheaval. Sigmund Freud's role may become even more tougher to get on, and I like that. The highest apple on the branch And offer "Peace!" to our foes—
is the sweetest, and ,nearest the sun. But, I hasten to add, there's Neither to those who mangled and
vital in society's search for a state of stability.
murdered us
* * *
such a thing as overdoing it.
frustrated actress in me. Nor to those who locked doors and
be
that
being
a
Jew
satisfied
the
may
"It
Hatred in Schools ... Propaganda from Beirut
fond of
raised walls
Last November, upon his return from Israel, this commentator It may be that I have dramatized myself as a Jew. I am
referring,
especially
of
late,
to
two
thousand
years
of
persecution.
The In our bleeding faces
found it necessary to charge that United Nations Relief and Works
of continued ill Nor to those who upon padded
Agency agents served as propagandists for Arabs and have conducted fact remains that hundreds and thousands of years
seats of the arena
Primarily,
to be a
upon
a
people.
treatment
must
stamp
its
mark
an anti-Israel campaign. Our charge was that Jews seldom if ever
Watched in festive mood the
race.
But
a
religious
sect,
not
a
belong
to
a
religion,
to
Jew
meant
were employed by UNRWA,- that in the Gaza area all the UNRWA
many-ringed show
through the centuries, takes on a certain resemblance,
officials and workers were Arabs and that the agency that is primarily persecuted
Of agony, thumbs downward
one
to
another,
in
countenance,
in
habits,
in
feeling,
much
as
one
supported by the United States has become a Jew-baiting medium.
pointed
A shocking example of UNRWA schemes was found in the London often notes that a husband and wife, through years of common ex- a Nor to those who cracked masks
eye is
Times issue of March 18. Over the signature of Jean Fraga, writing for perience and companionship, grow to look alike. The Jewish
eye, the mask is tragic. He has acquired great adaptability, of tragedy
Americans for Justice in the Middle East, P. 0. Box 4841, Beirut, melancholy
nervous
energy,
ambition to succeed and a desire to be liked. It irks Ill concealed their laughing faces
Lebanon, appeared this letter about "Arab Education":
me
to
hear
people
say that Jews are wonderful people or that Jews Nor to those whose mouths velveted
Sir—In reading Peter Nichols' report from Gaza
with oils of hypocricy
are
terrible
people.
Jews are wonderful and terrible and good and
(March '7), I noted with sadness the allegation that a
Spouted condolences pompous and
spiritual
and
vulgar
and
and
stupid
and
evil
and
bad
and
brilliant
"dead Jew" is the basic unit of arithmetic in the math
hollow
cultured and rich and poor and beautiful and ugly and gifted and
texts which are employed by the UNRWA schools. As
Nor to those who considered our
commonplace. Jews, in short, are people.
compelling a myth as this may be, it is still a lie and it
vast injuries
"Anti-Semitism has, through the centuries, become a behavioristic
was repudiated as such in a letter, which has since been
But moral lessons to a god-sent
that
way
of
thinking
It
is
a
or
arson
or
murder.
like
stealing
pattern,
made public, written by Mr. John F. Defrates, Chief of
fable
has been handed down from generation to generation, like tainted
the UNRWA Public Information Office in Beirut.
Saying: "We must punish the guilty
used
against
society
by
the
unsuccessful,
weapon
a
criminal
blood.
It
is
In this letter Mr. Defrates asserts: "The allegation
the bigoted, the deprived, the ignorant, the neurotic, the failures. It Not as justice and vengeance for
that, even in arithmetic books used in UNRWA schools,
the Jew
thrives on terror, hunger, unemployment, hate, resentment. It is mob
there were questions such as: 'There are 10 Jews, I kill
But to save our children and our
its
lowest
and
most
unreasoning.
It
is
a
thing
psychology
displayed
at
five of them. How many of them are left?' has led to a
children's children."
to fill one with a profound sadness and pity for the whole struggling
close scrutiny of all mathematics texts in use in the
This time ive shall not forgive—
human
race.
agency's schools in Jordan and in Gaza, where no trace
"Quite a few hundreds of years before Christ a largish group of Neither those who trampled upon
of such statements could be found. I should like to add
our faces
human
beings decided that, instead of worshiping idols made of
that UNRWA—UNESCO schools for refugee children in
those who trampled upon our
Nor
stone
and
wood
and
metal
as
the
rest
of
the
world
was
doing
and
each of the host countries were issued the text-
pride
had done for centuries, they would acknowledge a higher Power, a
books used by the individual country and following the
Power that was the Spirit, a Power for good. This Power, they felt, Neither those who maimed our
syllabus of that country."
bodies
would
rule the universe if only one would accept it in humbleness
From this, one may infer that anti-Jewish propagan-
and sincerity. That Power they called God, the One God. Those human Nor those who maimed our souls
da is not an integral part of Arab education, contrary to
beings were the Jews. It constantly astounds me afresh to learn how Neither those who pontificate:
the impression created by Zionist rumor-mongering.
"It was God's will!"
It had already been established, immediately after the Six-Day little the so-called civilized world knows about their origin and history.
those who pronounce:
June War, when Israel assumed responsibility for the education of As the Christian religion was founded on the Jewish religion, that is all Nor "Economic
determination!"
Arab children in the liberated areas, that textbooks in Arab schools the more inexplicable.
Neither those who prate about
"America—rather,
the
United
States—seems
to
me
to
be
the
Jew
were filled with venom against Jews as well as Israel. But we were
calm historic perspectives
It is resourceful, adaptable, maligned, envied,
anxious to ascertain the truth and it took these weeks to secure data among the nations.
imposed upon. It is warmhearted, overfriendly; quick-witted, Nor those who mumble about
we borrowed from available archives. The texts were packed with such feared,
glorious global Utopias—
lavish, colorful, given to extravagant speech and gestures, its people
bits of advice to little children as "Arab boys and girls take part in are
This
time we shall not forgive!
travelers
and
wanderers
by
nature,
moving,
shifting,
restless,
murdering Jews," "Even the Arab woman takes part in the burning of swarming in cars, in ocean liners, craving entertainment,
volatile. The This time we shall not forget—i
Israel as it goes up in flames," "Arab unity is expressed in an en- chuckle among the nations of the world.
circlement of Israel . . . a missile and a rifle and two hands are what
What a country it is ! And what a superb time I have had writing This time we shall not seal the
will do away with Israel," "the Jews are the enemies of the Arabs" about
graves
it these last 25 years ! Violent, varied, tropical, arctic, vast,
and scores of similar incitements to hatred and to terror.
With ignoble alacrity
insular,
spectacular.
Sequoia
trees,
Grand
Canyon,
Niagara
Falls,
The distressing factor revealed in the textbooks that became
Rocky Mountains, Painted Desert, Great Lakes, Mississippi, black Utter stilted prayers
available is the role that was played by Arab Teachers' Training prairies; metal, water, forest, grain, all on a Gargantuan scale. In the Chant formal hymns
Colleges. And now we have the collaboration of the UNRWA official
quality of the soil itself there seems to be something that makes Plant thick grasses
who gives credence to the lie that the textbooks that became public very
for vitality and excitement, an elecric element very disconcerning to And leave the dead to the dead—
property when Israel took charge of schools in the Jerusalem, Gaza, the European visitor."
(If they are dead, we, too, are
Hebron, and other areas, did not contain the quoted statements.
dead!)
Miss
Ferber,
a
native
of
Kalamazoo,
based
many
of
her
conclusions
Photographs that accompanied these assertions also were full of
This time all the graves stay ,open
venom and displayed means of resorting to terrorism, to violence, to on experiences in envronments that must have suffered from old And all the ovens
prejudices. She had not commented much on major Jewish happenings,
sabotage as a way of destroying Israel.
And all the cells
When Israel took Charge of the Arab schools, there was the but had played her part in condemning Nazism and was an admirer of And from the gibbets all the
Israel.
But
she
was
outraged
by
David
Ben-Gurion's
plea
to
American
problem of making changes, and Arab teachers and students, as will be
hanged ones suing—
recalled, went on strike. There were some concessions and only the Jews that they should settle in Israel. It caused her to write a letter to This time we shall not forget—
vilest texts were eliminated. That dispute was a matter for widest the New York Times, Jan. 14, 1961, in which she went to far not only to This time we shall not light a
international discussions. Yet the distorters of truth, who happen also demand that B-G retract his statement but that he also should be
tiny candle
to be the ones who stand in the way of peace between Israel and the "removed from office, his splendid work of earlier years finished, before Each weary twelmonths
Arab states, dare charge Israel with "rumor-mongering" in this he shall prove the undoing of future plans for Israel."
sputter its melting misery
Even this passionate outburst was an indication of a deep interest To
In dreary darkness—
respect!
in
Israel's
future.
She
had
no
religious
interests
whatever,
but
she
We reiterate the charge the Americans who are financed with our
This time we shall build a
tax dollars in the conduct of universities in Beirut and Cairo are certainly possessed pride in a heritage she valued doubly as a Jew
raging fire
and
as
an
American.
primarily responsible for the buildup of a propaganda machine that
Unquenchable
•
*
•
pours over into our universities in this country. That is why Sernitics
Upon the altar of our hearts!
departments at leading universities have been sources of anti-Zionist Opportunism of Atheist Marxists
Karl Marx, now being acclaimed, especially in Germany, on the This time we shall not forget!
propaganda.
150th
anniversary of his birth, was the arch atheist. He stemmed
This is a matter not to be ignored and seriously to be considered
Shazar Sworn In
when planning our own public relations programs—especially those from Jews but was a violent anti-Semite. He propagated social justice, Zalman
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
but
that
was
to
apply
to
all
except
those
he
disliked
because
he
to The Jewish News)
intended to refute anti-Israelism and anti-Zionism which really are
stemmed from their ranks.
JERUSALEM—President Zalman
anti-Semitism.
The Marx family story is interesting. They numbered many Shazar took the oath of office in
* * *
rabbis, until Karl's parents and their children were baptized as Chris- the Knesset Tuesday morning to
Edna Ferber's Jewish Pride
Edna Ferber, the brilliant novelist and able stylist, whose passing tians—so that the elder Marx could attain advantages he needed 4n begin his second five-year tern-
last month brought back recollections about an interesting woman who the practice of law. He was not alone in his opportunism. Many Jewg', as Israel's chief of state. Tb
was devoted to great causes, also served as a reminder of her attitudes especially in the professional ranks, in Germany, Russia, Austro- swearing-in ceremonies were at
towards Jewry. She was proud of her Jewish origin and had taken Hungary and elsewhere, adopted Christianity in order to rise in their tended by some 600 invited guests
occasion to take to task those who resorted to bigotry. She was a strong professions. That's what happened to the Karl Marx family. And like including members of the diplo-
defender of human rights for all, and her works deservedly emerged others who abandoned their faith it seemed good reason to hate those matic corps. Shazar was re-elected
who remained in the faith.
as classics in American literature.
by the Knesset last March.
Her Jewish credo will be found in her "A Peculiar Treasure."
Doubleday reprinted it with a new introduction in 1960. In it she had
Israel Cabinet Encourages Return of Those Jews Wh o Are Living Abroad
these noteworthy comments on being a Jew:
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
privileges of new immigrants try will enjoy the same rights if
"I should like, in this book, to write about being a Jew. All my
to The Jewish News)
being
a
Jew.
But
I
have
felt
that
one
should
life I have been proud of
JERUSALEM—The cabinet Mon- would be granted to returnees who they have been out of Israel for at
definitely not brag about it. My Jewishness was, I thought, something day night endorsed a series of left Israel between July 1952 and least seven years. Privileges
to wear with becoming modesty, calling attention to it no more than measures designed to encourage December 1965 but without new granted new immigrants include
to my good physical points which were a fine clear skin and an the return of so-called "yordim," immigrant status.
reductions of tariffs and customs
abundant head of vigorous curly hair. Perhaps someone—it may have Israelis who left the country and
Those who left before July 14, duties and permission to bring in
been my grandfather Neumann, but r do not remember it—had told have lived abroad for prolonged 1952, may return under full immi- certain types of goods for which
me this. As I grew older and became a woman the feeling was in- periods.
grant status. Jewish Israelis who import licenses are normally
The cabinet decided that all the are also citizens of a foreign coun- required.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
2—Friday, May 24, 1968