-intilawiltootamenes ,

40—Friday, May 7, 1971

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Jewish Life in China Studied
in Hebrew U. R esearch Project

Book Publishing
High in Israel

4.essor-

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Israeli Artists Contribute Talent to Section
of John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Presi- modern Israel. The ceiling will de-
dents of the United States who at- pict in color musical scenes from
tend future operas and concerts the Bible by the Israeli artist,
at the John F. Kennedy Center Shraga Weill. Ezekial Kimche is
for the Performing Arts, which preparing silk fabric panels dis-
opens here next Sept. 8 will oc- playing life in modern Israel which
cupy a lounge designed, furnished will cover three walls. The fourth
and decorated for them by Israeli wall will have a wood cut panel
by Nehemia Azaz depicting musi-
artists.
The Israel Embassy announced cal instruments of Biblical times.
When not used by a Presidential
that the lounge which adjoins the
Presidential box will be Israel's party, the 60x20 foot lounge will
contribution to the center dedi- be open to the general audience
cated to the memory of the late as an intermission lounge.
President Kennedy.
Raphael Blumenfeld, the archi-
tect who designed the interior of
Israel's Knesset building, has de-
signed the interior of the lounge
DRESS SHOP
at the Kennedy Center. The art
and furnishings alone are valued
SIZES 1 2-1 8
at $200,000. The cost of the proj-
ect is being borne in part by
"Friends of the State of Israel"
in the Washington area, the em-
bassy said.
The theme of the decor is the
continuous link between Judaism
and music from Biblical times to

By HAIM SHACHTER
JERUSALEM—A total of 3,158
books—representing slightly more
than one book per 1,000 of the
JERUSALEM — A major new nities at Harbin, Tientsin and population—was published in Is-
research project on the history elsewhere and, at its peak, the rael in 1969-70, according to a
of the Jews in China is being un- population in these areas num- survey conducted by the Israel
dertaken by the Hebrew Univer- bered some 26,000 during World Central Office of Statistics.
sity's department of Chinese War II. The Harbin community
This number showed a slight in-
is of considerable interest since,
studies.
crease over the number of books
following
the
Japanese
occupation
Under the direction of Dr. Irene
published the previous year. How-
Eber, lecturer and specialist in of Manchuria in the '30s and '40s, ever, an analysis of the books ac-
Chinese intellectual history, and Jewish life in those years became cording to subject, shows that
formerly of Whittier College, necessarily interrelated with a there was a drop from 35 per cent
Calif., plans are afoot to document new presence. It is here that the to 27 per cent in the publication of
the diverse facets of Jewish life present research project will at fiction and belles lettres, and a
first concentrate its attentions.
in China.
rise, from 23 per cent to 28 per
Dr. Eber said it may come as cent, in the number of books in
Although Jewish traders (pos-
sibly from Persia) are believed to somewhat of a surprise to learn the scientific fields. There was
have reached the Chinese mainland that many of the great works by also a 7 per cent drop in the num-
already in the 8th Century, the famous Yiddish authors such as ber of volumes printed—from
principal community situated at Sholem Aleichem and Sholem Asch 9,200,000 in 1968-69 to 8,500,000
Kaifeng and subsisting at first were translated into Chinese since, in 1969-70.
mainly on the trade of Western to a large degree, the Chinese
This drop is reflected in the
and Chinese luxury goods, dates people identified their own efforts distribution of the volumes ac-
back to the 13th and 14th cen- for self-determination with the
cording to subject. The propor- -
struggles of the East European
turies.
tion of volumes in the field of
Of this later settlement, more Jewish masses toward a similar belles lettres and fiction dropped
is known. According to stone ideal.
from 4Z per cent to 30 per cent,
inscriptions found by the Yellow
whereas that of scientific litera-
River at Kaifeng in Honan Pro-
ture rose from 20 per cent to 26
vince, imperial funds were al-
per cent in the past year.
located •to the building of a syna-
In the field of natural sciences,
gogue at Kaifeng. Drawings
the average number of copies per
made by Christian missionaries
book printed was 3,400, as com-
arriving in the 17th Century
pared with 2,100 the previous
have given a fairly accurate idea
WASHINGTON (JTA) —Diligent year. In the field of technology, the
of what this synagogue looked American efforts to obtain the re- average number of copies per book
like.
lease of 35-42 imprisoned Iraqi was 3,400 as compared with 2,400
In addition to the inscriptions, Jews have apparently been suc- in 1968-69, whereas in the field of
a book of genealogy was found cessful, Sen. Jacob K. Javits an- fiction the average number of
there which throws light on the nounced. The New York Republi- copies per book dropped from 3,700
extent of Jewish participation in can released a letter he received to 3,100.
public life at that time. However, from David M. Abshire, assistant
Only 127 books out of the total
the Kaifeng community gradually secretary for congressional rela- of 3,158 books published were
assimilated with the Chinese way tions at the State Department, re- brought out in editions of more
of life and dwindled in time. It porting that "according to reliable than 10,000 copies each, whereas
is reasonable to assume that Jews information all those arrested have 252 books were printed in editions
had settled in other cities as well, been released."
of less than 500 copies.
but to date no such documents as
The number of translations
Abshire wrote in reply to a let-
those obtained at Kaifeng have ter from Javits to Secretary of from other languages rose. The
been uncovered in other regions. State William Rogers last month, percentage of books translated
Toward the latter part of the requesting U.S. intervention in be- from English rose from 14 per cent
19th Century, Jews stemming half of the Iraqi Jews.
to 17 per cent, and that of books
from Baghdad and mainly asso-
translated from German rose from
The
senator
wrote
that
accord-
ciated with the Sassoon and Har-
2 per cent to 5 per cent, but
ing
to
his
information
"some
35-42
doon families began to arrive and
the share of books translated from
Iraqi
Jews,
including
some
dozen
set up businesses.
the community's chief leaders, Russian (for the greater part in
These were centered in the of
are being held in prison either the field of the natural sciences)
cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong
dropped from 12 per cent to 7 per
and, as a result, a considerable without trial or subject to secret
trial." He said the Iraqi Jewish cent.
Sephardic community grew up in community lived in an atmosphere
In 1969-70, there was a rise
these areas bringing much wealth of "terror" and was fearful of "a in the number of books consist-
to these and other Jewish family repetition of the trials and show
ing of fewer than 100 pages.
concerns.
These
constituted 39 per cent of
executions that shocked the world
Another great influx of Jews two years ago."
the total number of books pub-
lished in a first or second edi-
took place during the two world
In his reply to the letter, Ab-
tion, as compared with 32.6 per
wars, Jews from Russia having
cent of the previous year. The
fled the revolution and, a genera- shire pointed out that the U.S.
percentage of books consisting
tion later, German and East Euro- has no diplomatic or consular
relations
with
the
Iraqi
govern-
of 300 pages and upwards re-
pean Jews escaping Hitler.
maintained stable at 16 per cent.
Russian Jews founded commu- forts He detailed American ef-
forts through other nations and
The survey revealed that fewer
parties. "When we first started than
an 0 per cent
cen
ou of o the
e 288
8 )
(55 ( out
receiving reports of arrests of of publishers who brought out the
Kutsher's Club to Unveil
Iraqi Jews . . . we approached books are professionals. Twelve out
New Tower Building
the British, French, Dutch, Ital- of the professional publishers
MONTICELLO, N.Y.—Kutsher's ian and Swiss governments and
Country Club will unveil its new asked that they consider inter- brought out more than 50 books
main tower building as part of ceding on behalf of those being each during the past year, where-
as 14 published fewer than 10
Memorial Day weekend.
detained," he wrote.
books each.
Owner Milton Kutsher announced
"In the meantime, we instructed
The number of books on sub-
that the addition will include 60
new rooms, complete with private the Belgians, who represent us in jects connected with the Six-Day
bath, dressing area and inside pa- Baghdad, to express our concern War, which in 1968-69 accounted
tios. The five-story structure will to the Iraqi government about the for almost 4 per cent of the total
overlook the lake and will feature plight of those arrested who were number of books published during
a shopping mall, large lobby space relatives of American citizens. We the year, dropped in 1969-70 to
also exchanged information with less than 2 per cent. The average
and meeting rooms.
Kutsher has put together an en- the Israeli Embassy here in Wash- number of copies of such war
tertainment weekend featuring ington. Finally, we were in close books also declined from 6,100 in
contact with Prince Sadruddin 1968-69 to 4,000 in 1969-70.
Marty Allen and Eloise Laws.
Khan, UN high commissioner for
refugees, who at our request
University Gets Grant stopped in Baghdad during an Temple Body Hits Jewish
Asian tour and made personal in- Silence on Vietnam
for Jewish Studies
PITTSBURGH (JTA)—The Unit- quiries and appeals to the presi- Over Fears for Israel
ATLANTA (JTA)—The special
ed Jewish Federation has given dent of Iraq on behalf of the
action committee of the Temple
a grant of $25,000 to the Univer- Iraqi Jewish community.
"These approaches and appeals Sinai congregation here has de-
sity of Pittsburgh for a Jewish
studies program to start next have apparently been successful clared there has been "a loss of
and we are now pleased to report momentum" in Jewish individual
September.
The grant was made from UJF that according to reliable infor- and organizational participation in
endowment funds and it will be mation all those arrested have the peace movement and said this
used to underwrite the university been released. We will certainly was because many American Jews
program in terms of testing stu- continue to watch developments in "are now silenced by a fear that
dent interest and response to a Iraq closely and will endeavor to criticism of the Vietnam War
serious academic approach to do what we can," Abshire's letter might jeopardize American polit-
ical or military support for Israel."
said.
Judaica.

U.S. Efforts Aid
ill Release of Jews
From Iraqi Jails

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