THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

30—Friday, August 8, 1969

Promises, Promises-Desalination Plant
Shunted Aside by New Administration?

Department of the Interior. The
new secretary of the interior, Wal-
WASHINGTON — The Nixon ad- ter Hickel, appeared before Con-
copy of "Medina Ivrit—Judenstaat" Congress and became Vice Presi-
By JOSEF FRAENKEL
ministration must make a decision press on Feb. 18. Sec. Hickel indi-
Oskar K. Rabinowicz was in the I suddenly noticed Nazi soldiers. I dent of the Conference on Jewish
within the next few weeks on cated that his department was con-
first term at Brno (Bruenn) Uni- never went back to the printers, or Social Studies. Two years later, in
whether to honor the five-year-old sidering deleting $40,000,000 from versity when the 12th Zionist Con- even saw the last edition of the 1958, his "Herzl-Architect of the
U.S. pledge to assist Israel in the 1970 budget of the Office of
paper. Oskar, who had been in Lon- Balfour Declaration" appeared,
erecting a desalination plant. Saline Water Research which his gress was convened in September
where he demonstrates that Herzl's
department, only a month before, 1921, in Carlsbad. His family were don in October 1968, told me that negotiations with England paved
While Israel is confronted by a
Zionists, and his father was the he did however— after 30 years —
the way, in 1917, for Weizmann,
water crisis, the U.S. government had
recommended
for construe-
ion of
a prototype desalting
plant compiler of a Hebrew textbook. He receive the last copy of his paper. Sokolow, Gaster, Rothschild and
faces a credibility gap. On Feb. 3, in Israel.
went to Carlsbad where he was as-
As editor, Oskar K. Rabinowicz other collaborators, in obtaining
j
1964, former President Lyndon B.
Now a measure has been offered signed the job of "page" to Nahum really acted as a teacher who, un-
Johnson announced that the U.S. by Reps. Benjamin S. Rosenthal, Sokolow. He spoke Czech, German, tiringly, taught and commented the Balfour Declaration. This book
had decided to initiate a coopers- New York Democrat, and Peter Hebrew and Yiddish, and Sokolow upon Zionism. He won hundreds is of particular value to Zionist
literature.
five project with Israel to turn salt
often discussed Zionist-literary af- over to the Zionist cause; he loved
water into fresh water. The use of Frelinghuysen, New Jersey Repub-
'Oskar's essays on Jewish and
fairs with the young student. Dur- discussion, and in the debate was
nuclear energy for the projects was lican. It would provide foreign aid ing the Congress, which went on
Zionist problems appeared in
tolerant of his opponent's
f
envisaged. Benefits would be made funds to finance the desalination for 14 days, he saw the great men always
many
books, In various periodi-
undertaking.
views.
available to all nations.
cals and in the Herzl Year Book.
The $40 million is only a frac- of the Zionist movement, among
In
1939,
he
settled
in
London,
and
He was also co-editor of the book
In July 1965, the American-Israel
tion of the total cost to be borne them Motzkin, Chajes, Bialik, Jaffe,
"The Jews of Czechoslovakia"
Desalting Board reported that a by Israel, but it is a decisive fac- Ussishkin, Sprinza k, Rubashov took up the task of re-unifying the
N.Z.O. and the Jewish State Party,
(1968), edited a second volume,
plant producing 100.000,000 'gal-
(Shazar) and through Sokolow, he
tor. With American assistance,
which
was
achieved
at
the
end
of
which will probably appear this
lons of water and generating 200
met many of the leading Zionist
the cost of water would be about
1945.
But
before
that
he
lost
inter-
year,
and had prepared a third
megawatts of electricity was feasi-
35 cents per 1,000 gallons. In the personalities.
est in narrow Party activities and
one. For years he had worked on
ble. It projected completion by
It was an extraordinary Congress:
absence of the envisaged plant,
a "History of Zionism," for which
'19'72 at a cost of $200,000,000.
Zionism without
the cost would soar to about 60 Weizmann's policies were criticized, wanted to serve
party ties: In 1942, we both met,
he was collecting documents and,
The Johnson administration went
cents, probably making construe- and Jabotinsky supported Weiz- together with Joseph Leftwich, with
besides
this, be has left a more
on talking about the project but
mann
and
his
actions.
During
the
bon of a large-scale plant finan-
a
Center
for
the
object
of
forming
extensive manuscript on "Toyn-
took no final action.
Congress, Weizmann gave Oskar's
daily prohibitive.
in London. We
bee's
Anti-Zionism."
Research
The issue received some pub-
The plant would produce almost face a friendly pat and Oskar, for Zionist
were in favor of an objective de-
licity in 1967 when a nuclear de- 40,000,000 gallons per day. This wash afterwards, did not want to
Oskar K. Rabinowicz would oc-
salination project was advanced is 10 times the largest current wash the spot on which Weiz- lineation of Zionist history, and casionally publish a letter on some
by former President Dwight D. yield from any existing desalina- mann's hand had rested. against historical misrepresenta- controversial, historical problem.
O.K.R. interested himself in Zion- tion.
Eisenhower and the ex-chairman tion plants. Also, the plant would
He did so in a Zionist weekly in
O.K.R. had already published a London, in 1966. The debate, in
of the Atomic Energy Commis-
generate 450 megawatts of elec- ist literature, in Pary programs
and
in the opposition. Gruenbaum, history of the Jews in Aussee (Mo- which Ben-Gurion and writers
sion, Admiral Lewis Strauss. tricity.
Thirty Republican and 20 Demo- -
The last of Israel's meager water Goldmann, Stricker and Soloveit- ravia), in 1927 and, 10 years later, from many countries participated,
cratic Senators joined as co- resources will have been fully util. schik were outspoken opponents of his important work on Shechita, went on for months and in the end,
sponsor's of a plan portrayed as
ized by the 1970s. The Israeli popu- Weizmann's policies, and Oskar was referred to by Poland and Ben-Gurion had to admit that Os-
a solution to the Arab-Israel lation is estimated to be reaching began to feel himself drawn to- other countries, where anti-Semites kar's claims were substantiated.
problem. But no action was taken a growth rate that will produce a wards the ideologies of the opposi were campaigning against ritual
In Prague, O.K.R. owned a vast
by the House.
total of 4,375,000 thirsty Israelis by tion. slaughter.
"Fifty Years of Zionism" (1952) collection of books, mainly on Zion-
Before the 13th Zionist Congress
The Eisenhower-Strauss plan re- 1981.
ism,
history, the Bible and Chas-
belongs to the most outstanding
(1923). Jabotinsky had already re-
emerged in a plank of the 1968
a collection of
of Oskar's books. In it, as an idism, as well as
signed from the Zionist Executive.
Republican platform. President Selective Service Ruling
Jewish
periodicals. His wife Rose,
objective historian, he analyses I
and at the 14th Congress (1925), be
Nixon voiced approval and on a
succeeded
in
saving
these books,
Weizmann's "Trial and Error."
made a speech about the aims of
number of occasions advocated— on Delinquency Draws
It was suggested, at that time, and in bringing them to London. In
prior to November 1968--desalina- AJCongress Complaint i Zionism, in the name of the new
1957,
the
library
consisted
of 16,000
that another edition of "Trial and
opposition party, the Union of Zion
tion aid to Israel.
NEW -YORK — A brief filed last
Error" be printed to include the books, and today, there are about
Before leaving office, Johnson week in the U.S. Supreme Court ist Revisionists.
"corrections" of Oskar K. Rabin- 20,000. He maintained a corre-
O.K.R. joined the first Zionist
wrote the Israel government that argues that vaguely worded de-
owicz in the appendix. Only the spondence with Zionist personali-
Revisionists of Czechoslovakia
the U.S. Executive Department linquency regulations of the Selec-
French edition of "Trial and ties, historians and writers all over
and began to publish articles sup-
had decided to help construct a de- five Service System, under which
Error" did so, and for this reason the world. His library was at the
porting them in the Brno weekly,
salination plant in Israel. On Jan. registrants can be reclassified 1-A
Juediscbe Volksstimme. He was the book was — "out of print" — disposal of his many friends and
17. 1969, the U.S. Department of and called up for immediate induc-
a fine speaker, a fighter for poli- after a few days. Oskar only scholars and has been left to the
the Interior transmitted a proposed tion, give local draft boards uncon-
tical Zionism, and was a delegate managed to find a copy of it— Hebrew University.
bill to Congress.
stitutional powers to deter free
to the 17th and 18th Congresses after some fifteen years—in a
His death is a sad loss to Zionist
But administrations changed that speech.
(1931, 1933). He became one of bookshop in Israel.
i literature. He died in New York at
month. So did the attitude of the
The brief was filed by the Ameri-
labotinsky's close collaborators,
the
age of 67. His friends and
Jewish
,
"Winston Churchill on
can Jewish Congress acting as a
member of the Zionist Actions Problems"
In
a mem
(1956) Churchill is por- readers in Israel and the diaspora
"friend
of
the
court"
in
two
cases
Committee,
and
helped
aliya
UN Development Fund
When the split came, one frayed as one of the greatest friends will always cherish his name.
which the Supreme Court will h ear
"B".
to Help Israel Establish in the fall.
part
remained as
within
the Zionist
f the on
Jewish
people.
Oskar was
Organization
the "Jewish
working
another
volume—"Win-
The brief argues that "failure
Science Instruction Center
other formed ston Churchill and Zionism."
of the regulations to limit the
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The United
State Party," the
scope of the delinquency proced-
Nations Development Program
the New Zionist Organization un- In London of he
was
a member
of ,
the
Jewish
Historical
the council
ures affords local draft boards
Photographers
will assist Israel in the establish
der the leadership of Jabotinsky.
Oskar became chairman of the Society, of Carmel College, of Jews'
"unbridled discretion" in decid-
ment of a National Center for In
College and became managing di-
For
Restoration
ing
in
each
case
when
and
if
the
struction in the Natural Sciences.
New Zionist Organization in
New
rector a the Anglo-Federal Bank-
UN 4.8785
procedures are to be invoked.
The aid will be channeled
Czechoslovakia, and editor of the
_ ing Corp. He was the founder of the
pro-
t
/wi
The
regulations
referred
to
through the United Nations Edu-
weekly "Medina
board
may
de-
I
a
draft
vide
that
cational. Social and Cultural Or-
Judenstatt" (1934-1939). He wrote
Jewish
Office and
a mem- —
her
of the Record
Association
of Jewish
ganization (UNESCO). which dare as delinquent any registrant
an editorial every week.
Journalists and Authors. In 1956,
signed the agreement with the Is- failing to perform any duty under
When I arrived in Prague from 1 i 0 K R settled in New York and
raeli government to establish the the Selective Service Law or its reg- Vienna in March 1938, after the
illations, reclassify him as I-A and Anschluss. Oskar invited me to be- I joined the board of the Jewish Pub-
of the lication Society, the World Jewish
This is the first project of it. call him up for immediate induc- come co-editor of his paper,
This
al-
kind to be approved by the UN Dc- tion. The brief notes that since - though I was a member
velopment Program in any corm- these regulations give the boards "Jewish State Party." Some time
Herb & Marilynn Shapira's
try. It is the first project approved no standards or guidelines as to I afterwards, on my way from my flat
for Israel in the field of education, how or when to exercise these pow- to the printers, to see the latest
while the 10th approved for Israel ers, they leave the boards free "to
33195 Grand River
under the UN technical assistance enforce their own political, social
at Farmington Road
program. and other prejudices through the Moshe Menuhin Keeps
WEDDINGS • PORTRAITS
The aid will total $384,000 over mechanism of the delinquency pro
BAR MITZVAS
Writing Anti-Israel
cedures."
three years, while Israel will
474 - 7762
According to the Observer of
spend $571,428 over the same
period for buildings, laboratories
Citrus Growers See Impact London, Moshe Menuhin, one of the
extremist Jewish anti-Israel propa-
and manpower. The UN funds
on Economy From Fire
gandists, has published a new 598-
will also be used to bring to
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The fire page book blasting what he called
Israel international experts in
which gutted the Cargal cardboard "the jingoistic, military junta of
the instruction of science.
Ce ,nc:lete Selection including the Finest 14 Kt. Gold Jewelry
The Israeli center was estab- plant near Lydda July 30 will force napalm Israel."
Sec Moms Watnick
lished jointly by the Hebrew Uni- Israeli citrus exporters and fruit
The Observer reports that the
versity, the Weizmann Institute and vegetable growers to shift to book was published by the Insti-
more costly wooden boxes, which tute for Palestine Studies; that a
of Science and the ministry of
may have a more severe impact on U. S. publisher rejected the book
education for the purpose of im-
(;11
FT, JEWELRY
proving. the level of science in- the economy than the estimated and would not publish it; that
losses of nearly $600,000 in plant, Menuhin spent $6,000 to publish the
struction in Israel's secondary
6 4 4 -7 6 - '6
Thurs. Cr Fri. to 9 p "-
283 Hamilton
schools within a relatively short machinery and material, officials book and $5,000 to advertise it—
Birmingham :Near 0^mery'si
reported.
for a circulation of 1,500.
period of time.

BY MILTON FRIEDMAN

(Copyright 1969, ZIA, Inc.)

I

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Tribute to Oskar K. Rabinowicz
Banker, Author and Historian

l

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