Purely Commentary

Puzzles That Dominate Inconsistencies
Stemming From the Kremlin's Prejudices
Involving Jews Seeking Visas to Emigrate

Russia and the Litvinovs . . . the Purges and the Concessions

I.

Perhaps there will be a clearing of the polluted humanitarianism in the Soviet Union. The permit
granted to the widow of Maxim Litt inov—the former Ivy Lee—to leave Russia and to visit
c...! .., En..!.ind (with freedom, therefore, to go wherever else she wishes) seems to be
an indication
St:lin. , ! era of purges and wholesale murders has ended.
•Ni•i•r ,,,: t'11, ,
..rls of slew, are being granted s ,sas to go to Israel. It
. - r the ',` , r-rian exile but the right to ,.:. ■
to what Russia wishes
•
.., t• ■ •• right to emigrate to sta•e in their petitions: that they
• te,,,h homeland It has it. mtri ate implications of an effort to
,^,..,_:e of it, , :, ,, ,a'tv upon Jevs• But the tn•nit is towards permitting
Ica, I'
•

It was

By Philip

Slomovjtz

'Ezra Pound and G. L. K. Smith — The Problem Relating
to Forgiving and Forgetting the Nazi-Fascist Crimes

Ezra Pound. Fascist. spreader of anti - Semitism. the famous Amer-
ican poet who was branded a traitor in the last war, was denied the

Emerson-Thoreau Medal by the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences. The academicians were sharply divided. There was no unani-
mity and the debate continues to race over the question of whether the
man who had been so violently un-American and anti-Jewish should
he given recognition for his genius as a poet. The feeling, persists
that his denial of anti-Semitism—he says he only opposed "usura"
but his references were always with venom aimed at Jews—and his
•, : r '
. • . ; • - ri , ttc , e IN the current
more recent statements that he was not pro-Nazi do not absolve him.
It is felt that the stain on his record is too indelible. that his in-
: firo,f,
humanity during the war does not grant him honors even if he admits
!•
; f;,,. P■ eeprining of
his
sins—and he certainly has not done so.
I •
rt, had been can-
Since the Ezra Pound case has already provoked endless discus-
, .,grate
to Israel. He
sion, why has the notoriety that was given by the New York Times to
I",, t 711 residence at
another vile anti-Semite gone unnoticed'
:
of USSR officials
In a recent issue. the N.Y. Times splashed on the first page of
7 1,(1''I
PrerlSky. 11.)10
its second section and continued it extensively on an inside page,
.,, fra, reectch I •,
-
MRS. MAXIM EJTVINOV
announcing that "Hippies and Gerald L. FL Smith Make Ozark Resort
.,: - - e , i , ec,allv rot...
. because
her grandson, Pavel Litvinov, is one of Town a Model of Coexistence." It was a story illustrated, datelined
1
:, .„..„ Marti i 'pa., d i•: , l, ;rand.
for academic freedom. Ile was a participant Eureka Springs. Ark.. and its hailing of this project almost sanctified
,r,,! di a..,,,inst Russ - , s ii,:c....in of
Uzi•choslovkia, and for that "crime" was one of the most violent anti-Semites in American history.
-
s,
r.an )ail term
All one needs do is pick up any copy of Smith's monthly mag-
: .: ii: ,.. :i :,.„ ■
1
..•, who sought to express her British-acquired azine to he convinced of the hate that
emanates from it, the bigotry
, some of the Soviet
attitudes. It is not known it preaches. the violence it could incite.
r, slotthin on her travels has been lifted. But the
Yet. G.L.K. Smith was treated in the Times story like a hero. It
r.: , I a v sa r• ■ :ra-, el is par: of a new des eloPtnent that
may indicate a greater raises the question: do we ever forget, can't we forgive? The answer
•. r .,!:!,
Kremlin. There seems to he no end to miracles in our troubled is similar to the one that was given by academics to the Ezra Pound
,
candidacy for a great honor: one does not dignify a name that repre-
: i. w., , sd ,.,r torn remains a puzzle ,Jew
ish communities w ill be observing the 20th sents instigation to hatred, to mass murders, to flitlerism and .Mus-
;51:- ._.. - ';,..ter t, dal,n, u tom some of the
leading
Jewish
poets
and
novelists,
as
well
solinism.
r ,
,riiniums:s who were chosen for vengeance by the dictator, were victims of a wholesale
The question will be debated by many, it may plague our children
r . .•m names of some of
those who perished are now being revived in a campaign of exonera- and their children, who will ask why we can't forget what had hap-
':u. ,
-,,in, l'e!. a, in the instance of the Markish family. persecutions continue and there is a timed a generation
ago. If we forget, we besmirch history; if we
There are no expulsions to Siberia. and there is avoidance of the death sentence and e xet
-o- do not keep reminding the world what had happened, it may hap-
■
ct.ced by Stalm But the drscominations continue. E% en in the practice of bias there is incon
pen again.
-
\e s1 rib,
there is some hope
•
•
•
of a change. as in the case of Ivy Litvinov, as in the instance of
r I., w m. hai e be e n granted haven in I s
rael Russian Jewry, inheritor of a great Zionist tradi- Cartoonist's Role in Defining Man's Faith
• Thank God for Israel -.
While there is much truth in the Chinese saying that "one picture
speaks louder than a thousand words," there is even greater strength
in the cartoon. Here is an example:
In New Yorker we are treated to a portrayal
1 I ' fill 'It'll
turned away from a church. on the closed door of which
of a couple
being
is a notice:
"The service - this morning has been canceled due to a temporary
loss of faith."
This opens up a vast field for discussion about faith, the beliefs
r •
inherent in it. the theological aspects, the role of skeptics as well as
1
■ 4 4 I
the evout. If the cynical won't interfere, the subject will enchant the
studious
Dr. John Dewey' once said: "To me, faith means not worrying."
William Ivrilnin. executive vice president of the Jewish Wel-
e• .:,I aid will he
That's splendid' But the view of Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) was: "I
fare Federation of Detroit, announced Wednesday that an emergency
I
believe
in the incomprehensibility of God."
Jewish Fedora
fleeting of the executive boards of the Federation and United Jewish
I
x • , , r,, ■ to the flood (le
Moses Hess, in "Rome and Jerusalem," (1862), had written: "The
Charities has been called for Monday afternoon to establish the
,
■ ,,niiiiinity
of
Jew was not commanded to believe, but to search after the knowledge
amount Detroit will contribute towards the N'i'kes-Barre assistance
l% 6L , , J., ,,
.
of God." and that brings up a very impressive statement by Moses
v i,
M Fisher
Fisher
fund.
f
Mendelssohn in his "Jerusalem" (1873): "There is not ... in the Mosaic
• ••ele7
ee
! I5
I .111,1 c f it. w is ti
•
•
I ■ I, ,..• , c... and w...!(..c - t • Furl-,- . -: ;f1,1Le._: n,,!,•,nal
law a single command: 'Thou shalt believe' or 'not believe.' . . . Faith
assistance (erect
the
same
way
and
must
be
is
not commanded . .
Where the question is of eternal truth, there
. w ednesday
He said ! . w
tai,.
oar
and other storm- repaired and rebuilt. Jewish fa m- is nothing said of believing, but understanding and knowing."
• ;•, ,..:raii, 0a, work
,,,,.,,,• I
, :nlinundies in Pennsyl
tiles. their livelihood, their cont.
We could go on ad infinitum to present views about belief and there
ir: i. nuiltation %sill the t ,II ;led \e ll York states.
munity, must he restored."
I, , ;..• feil1 ration of 5 ilk, s
is special charm in a quotation from ''The Little White Bird" by Sir
Itarre
M ,, re than r .2ori farnilies have
..,• ■ , e ■ .IF and apprm.cl i y Me beeii ..1t.I•f/
Fisher said the Wilkes•Rarre James M. Barrie (1860-1937): "The reason birds can fly and we can't is
immediate
counseling Jewish community was determined
i . s1 - ■ II! ,sel 1 , 1111hirtim
simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings."
are ! special financial aid and the to do everything possible through
That leads us to this charming story culled from Nathan Ausubel's
I , '., r who v 'sited the Wilke,
.1e,, ,t, federation: business
and its own
resources to help its peo- "A Treasure of Jewish Humor":
id,.,-,.
.•„„,„,„„ dy
,,,,t,
phh,
duliistr ■
committee made loans plc and
reconstruct the comm0 q-
k ,.. ,•,.„. c i f.. es ,., „ t ,, ,. ,,,,
WHEN PRAYER IS NO HELP
totali n g almost
.8500.00()
in -the
dy, He added that the Wilkes-
io, . , d lent. ....i .,1 that o f the c ont .
.4 saint and a sinner were once fellow passengers on an ocean
first seven day: of its work . Case.
Barre Jewish Federation had re -
voyage'. Suddenly a storm broke. The ship seemed in danger of
milmty's I hi , , Je ,,, Sh f,tiiilie..
worker., ti,,%(• been provided
by
, l•IfIled operations with the help of
1 . 3rrii were evacuated and that Jewish :IL;CIII leS If:
sinking- Thereupon all the crew and the passengers began to pray. 6,
Philadelphia, the Cif' team and that it had set
"Sure is 0 Lord."' cried the sinner.
Y, , rk
fewer than too has e sini C returned N., u
"Essex (Munt ■ .
N J .
.
.
lip
special •mergency committees
t„ rhos h ome , Niii,,t of /1„. 800
"Sh - sh"' warned the saint. "Don't let God know you are
I ',:t.horgh and Baltimore
Th e On
individual assistance, business
here, or it will be the end of all of us:"
•1 . -- -h
1,1 , 1Ill• ■ ,
CrIt1,1,1,• ■
on th e
. . 1 proirreti,,ns are bas e d
In
.,
,,.,. .,ff„.„,
and industry and institutional and
,
1 , r ,, f ,,,
dd.., I e•perienee of trio (',11-' team
of . 1 ,,,, ,,
Most impressive, however, is the following from the Hebrew
organizational requirements. all
sire .ii TeI•11 all , ' eefeell , Cre either or experts wholane been working
novelist Ilayyim llazaz's "The Sermon — Abanim Rothot" (1.946);
of which he
said
are now in
- That's also a Jewish characteristic, very, very Jewish: to believe
. .%i!li Ho. Jewe.h c ■ onmunity
dii,,,d cr rles:ros ed. he said
to de.
,,,, rat i on.
,- .• th e aid Needed on both short
with absolute faith, with glowing faith, with all their hearts and
He said the approval and the
Fisher pointer] out that what- souls, and all the same just very slightly not to believe, the tiniest little
5ped
e
with
ith .hirn the aid was
"" 1""" term l'"'''
ever special Jewish help is being bit, and that tiny little bit is the decisive thing."
gi ven indicated the deep ,(ino-rn
The experts are James Young
....,,en and planned is to meet spe-
Thus. the decisive is not always decisive, and faith is subject
of the .American jt•VIi,11 ( oni
Cif director of small cities 5er -
, .al imeds not met by the govern-
to dispute—unless it is rooted in the knowledgeability and understand-
nitwits for the plight of the'
ices. Herbert Katzki of the Joint
.,., r
d
the
Red
Cross
and
other
.ng
underscored
by Mendelssohn and implied by liazaz. And upon
distribution
people hardest hit of the CM!!
t °Inmate.%
Max
.....,ocies and is no sense a substi- banning cynicism the speculative must lead to the knowledge that
noinitie.
;ate, l e d
by
Pearlman of the Chicago Jewish
Scorn,
trite for them
provides understanding.
■ 1:1-ies last Jone. The Cif in,
I ederation.
and
Mrs.
Mollie
„ ii .d ia t e h, ,sked JewishN.th.,,,
'peeler of the Philadelphia Jew-

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(e'en, in approve and
an
their grants. Ev en
in before that
he
said
S',-.0.-
IIIIII had been tommitted b. the
first 10 fed, airon s to r,•stiond

ish 1 amity Service.

off„ IA a/toin,

I •e tit.- pr.-um '

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h,,rt..

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s amour•.
coritocin

(mo. isle 8195 . -

• Lit'. whieh

2—Friday, August 11, 1972

Two schools will be connected

The university has established a als, installation and computer time,

work ••f an experimental teaching use of the new method.
Han University are thinking of liv•
the center and the imi-
The team has prepared a special ing in Israel. Members of the group
school of education. The study program for teachers in the range from 17 to 30 years old. Some
Ile added char
w e 5 ,,,,,, d,,,,,,,, connection will be through post subjects in which the computer have just finished high school
and
'- , Cf 't I If :hoer fmicd..ti..rts ,f•el
office teletihotte cables
will he used Before the start of others have a college background.
p. ,,, •
L,.,, ,
, : . , ,
pupil s wtp run programs through
the coming school year. teachers
The Bar-Ilan course is divided
tt ..,
, „ .. , .,,.,,
Ai „ :', computer by means of the ter- will take an
intensive seven week into two parts. One is an ulpan fur
,, I. • , r
:
r.'. mats. The aim is to promote the course in computer theory and the Hebrew four hours every morning
. ;;se of computers in
the teaching use of computers The team has five days a week. The other con-
..f
i.
! of different subject: and also to also prepared instructions for pu- sists of academic courses for which
tem h computer th....m.
The ter- pill to learn programming using
credits are given:
I timi.. u ill I., inst..11,1 :it the City API. commuter
larmumre
The aim is to give the stud- • --
5 ,,,, .,,„
'' is and ,•
It. u..i. is 111..h „h .,I in
•
It.imat
The esi , enses of the proiect
oh academic training and at the
t; in and the N . c.ho.a ULM School eluding. athorm.t others. pi
- emir:item time to bring them closer t
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEV ■ IS ..5 ■ -,11..,:itil.
of the teachers' program, ternnto raeli life and culture.

.

r%

Computerized School Featured at Bar-Ilan University

..f des ..station - FM imr ...did • NO-
by terminals for the first time in special team to watch the project will be covered by the university.
11,,.: I., ,*-- ■ si .• .fIe J.4::,.I,• -a o Israel, to the Bar Ilan University - to keep check on the progress of
Many American students on a
...,„ •,,,,,,,
I.., ...„ „, ,.., ,,,,,,,,,,.
computer center, within the frame- pupils and achievements in the special summer program at Bar-
., %,„, , „., ,
,.,. .,„, l , H , „.,,,,

,,...., : , 1: ,, ii

t

et ed.

f

I mt.. rilorm !ii.• Wilkes Parry Je,-.
1-51 , , miintind . a.. "a ti....ic picture

iiii ,
:5 ,: i :i„
j,,,,,,h
trident by
,„,„. „A ,.,.,..H,,,, :, / ;„,,,,, •• %erSity'S