THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 20, 1975 15
Philip Gilbert, at 85, Commands A Leading Role
as Advocate of Perpetuation of Yiddish Literature
At 85, Philip J. Gilbert re-
tains a vital role as one of
the most ardent advocates
of an increasing interest in
Yiddish and perpetuation of
the treasures that have ac-
cumulated in the literature
of the Jewish language.
Since the second decade of
the century he has been in
the forefront in the ranks of
Yiddish literary and dra-
matic circles. He helped di-
rect and also had acting
roles in many Yiddish pro-
ductions given by non-profit
acting groups. He has been
and often continues to be a
reader of Yiddish literary
creations at both private
and public functions.
works and wrote movingly
about the brother he loved
and admired.
Philip Gilbert was born
July 5, 1890, in Praga, on
the outskirts of Warsaw.
The Gilbert family
stemmed from and was
prominent in Radzimin.
PHILIP J. GILBERT
writers and poets in Poland.
Shlomo Gilbert was one of
the more than 100 Yiddish
His love retains great authors who went to their
strength out of an admira- deaths at the hands of the
tion he had for his brother,
Nazis and his brother Philip
Shlomo Gilbert, who was
utilizes every opportunity to
one of the most distin- pay tribute to his martyred)
guished Yiddish short story
brother. He published his
for several years before as-
suming a post in Pitts-
burgh. The Gilbert home
has been a haven for cul-
tural and Yiddish literary
functions during the 56
years of their marriage.
They have three sons, Jo-
seph, Dr. Daniel and Allan,
and 11 grandchildren.
played a role in Sholem Al-
eichem's "Die Agenten"
which was staged in the
old Detroit Opera House
on May 15, 1915. Sholem
Aleicheim and his wife
spent some time in Mt.
Clemens and Mr. Gilbert
was a member of a com-
mittee that brought to him
the $500 proceeds from his
play and his appearance
as speaker during that
performance.
In 1907 he came to New
Immediately upon coming
York and thereafter made
to Detroit, Mr. Gilbert asso-
three trips to the then Rus-
sian Poland. Because of his dated with the Poale Zion,
devotion to his family he and his co-workers included
kept appearing for the army notable names of pioneers
draft (priziv) in order not to in Labor Zionism — Haggai,
lose the right of seeing his London, Avrunin, Michlin,
family . . . In 1914 he came Sheraga, Sislin and many
to New York for definite others.
settlement in this country
In the Sprin g of 1915 he
and began his residence in
a
assumed
leadership in the
Detroit six months later.
Mr. Gilbert married the
former Eva Ashinsky in
1919, who was a niece of the
eminent Rabbi A. M. Ashin-
sky. He held a pulpit here
Mr. Gilbert also assisted
in the presentation here of
plays by Peretz Hirshbein
and other noted Jewish au-
thors and he played roles in
all of the stage plays by Yid-
dish writers. He was among
the hosts here for Yehoash,
Samuel Niger and other lit-
erary giants.
As a reader of Yiddish lit-
erary works at public func-
tions, Mr. Gilbert was in
frequent demand.
Of historic interest for
Detroit Jewry is that these
plays were presented at var-
ious places, including the
Hannah Schloss Building,
Schrieber's Hall, Solima
Turner Hall, and St. An-
drews Hall and Moose Tem-
ple on East Congress.
Progressive Literary and
Dramatic Club and in that
capacity he was in the
group that brought to De-
troit the famous humorist
Sholem Aleichem. He
Terrorists Kill Three in Kfar Yuval Outrage
(Continued from Page 1)
occupants hostage. Army violence, which in this case
Defense Minister Shimon and border police units were clearly sparked by an
Peres and Chief of Staff who rushed to the scene, act of wanton terrorism. We
Gen. Mordechai Gur visited were joined by arms-bear- particularly deplore and re-
Kfar Yuval shortly after the ing villagers and ex- gret very much the loss of
battle with the terrorists. changed fire with the ter- innocent lives."
Peres praised the local pop- rorists.
Mordechai will be deco-
ulation for their swift and
Mordechai was waiting at rated posthumously for
resolute action against the a bus stop when he heard bravery. A veteran soldier in
intruders. He singled out the shooting andTan back to Israel's famed Golani Bri-
for bravery Yaacov Morde- the village to discover that gade, he was born in Cochin,
chai who died in the defense his own home was the cen- India, and was brought to
of his home. An army ter of the battle.
Israel as a child of 3. He
spokesman reported that all
Eye-witnesses said Mor- married after his demobili-
Israeli planes that partici- dechai armed himself with a zation from the army in
pated in the raids on Fatah- submachinegun and joined which he held the rank of
land had returned safely to an army unit assaulting his 1st Sgt.
their bases.
house. As he reached the
Mordechai had partici-
Except for Yaacov Mor- front door, the terrorists pated in numerous skir-
dechai, who was at a bus hurled a grenade and he mishes with terrorists and
stop on his way to work fired simultaneously, killing was known by his fellow sol-
when the terrorists in- two terrorists but sustain- diers as "the king of Leba-
vaded the village, all of the ing fatal wounds from the non" because of his intimate
victims were hostages of grenade. Soldiers broke into knowledge of the southern
the terrorists.
the house killing the other Lebanese terrain.
The latter were identified two terrorists. They found
Meanwhile, 11 terrorist
as members of the Arab one of the hostages dead. acts perpetrated between
Liberation Front, a gang The injured were rushed to Jan. 18 and May 11 of this
headed by Abdul Wahab el hospitals by helicopter.
year have been attributed
Kiali and sponsored by the The terrorists had by the army to an El Fatah
Iraqi Ba'ath party. Kiali is shouted demands from the terrorist gang appre-
reputedly a member of the house for the release of 12 hended by security forces
Palestine Liberation Organ- terrorists in Israeli jails, several days ago.
ization in charge of its edu- including Archbishop Hilar-
Ten Arabs have been de-
cation and culture depart- ion Capucci who is serving a tained on suspicion of mem-
ment.
12-year sentence for smug- bership in the gang which is
The Arab Liberation filing arms to terrorists in believed to have received its
Front was described as an Israel. Kfar Yuval is about orders from headquarters in
extremist faction of the three miles from Kiryat Beirut.
PLO similar to the terrorist Shmona where 18 persons
According to
army
groups headed by George were killed and more than a sources they were responsi-
Habash and Ahmed Jibril. dozen wounded in a terror- ble for the following: Plac-
Its members were responsi- ist attack in April 1974.
ing an explosive charge in
hie for a hit-and-run gren-
In Washington, the
Musrara
ade attack on Hanita in De- State Department blamed Jerusalem's
quarter Jan. 18; attaching
cember 1970.
the killing of an Israeli
According to eye-witness woman, her husband and explosives to a fuel tank in
the Baka quarter Jan. 19;
accounts, four armed ter- brother by Arab terrorists
rorists entered Kfar Yuval, in the Israeli village of planting two explosive
in a house on the
an agricultural settlement Kfar Yuval, as "clearly charges
Bethlehem
Feb. 25;
founded in 1954 by Jews sparked by an act of wan- concealing an Road
explosive dev-
from India, at 5:15 a.m. lo- ton terrorists."
ice in an artist's workshop,
cal time. They were spotted
Referring to the attack "Hutzot Hayotzer" in Jeru-
t a road junction and and the Israeli retaliation
salem Feb. 26; placing an
pened fire with bazookas that followed against an
explosive charge which deto-
and Kalachnikoff rifles at Arab village in south Leba-
nated in the Abu Tor
settlers leaving their homes. non, the State Department quarter of Jerusalem March
The terrorists stormed statement said: "Our posi- 6; and another in the same
the first house on the vil- tion on such incidents has
quarter which injured a lo-
lage outskirts, the home of been stated many times and cal
resident on March 21.
Yaacov Mordechai, and it has not been changed. We
In addition, they are ac-
his family and held the deplore such incidents of cased
of: sabotaging the
Beersheba-Hatzerim pipe-
line April 4; placing two
explosive charges in Jerusa-
lem's Talpiot quarter April
9, one of which detonated;
dismantling a section of
railroad track southeast of
the Bar Giora station in the
Jerusalem region May 11;
placing explosive charges
which detonated in the Mus-
rara quarter May 11; and
planting explosives under a
motorcycle belonging to the
Communications Ministry
on the same date. The
charge detonated. Another
explosive device was found
nearby.
Upon his arrival here,
Mr. Gilbert was engaged
in building and construc-
tion until 1917. Then he be-
came associated with the
late Israel Davidson and
his brothers in the whole-
sale dry goods business.
Editor Named
NEW YORK — Roger
Rosenblatt, educational di-
rector of the National En-
dowment for the Humani-
ties, has been named liter-
ary editor of The New Re-
public, beginning July 1.
On a volunteer basis in
the first years of his retire-
ment, Mr. Gilbert assisted
the elderly in the commu-
nity in securing part-time
employment and in provid-
ing for their many needs.
Active with the board of
directors of United Hebrew
Schools for more than 20
years, Gilbert was honored
by UHS in 1966 for his
many years of devoted serv-
ice.
When Adat Shalom and
UHS were both planning to
build schools on Curtis in
1946, Mr. Gilbert saw the
opportunity to merge facili-
ties which led UHS into its
first partnership arrange-
ment which has been suc-
cessfully followed with
other Detroit-area congre-
gations ever since.
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In Vienna, Austrian
Chancellor Bruno Kreisky
condemned terrorism in
the Middle East and sug-
gested efforts to end it by a
peaceful settlement of the
conflict. Addressing the
Austrian Parliament,
Kreisky said, "I told Arab
representatives repeatedly
that terrorism was de-
structive and damaging
for the Arab cause."
The chancellor said he
"met with understanding by
some Arab politicians."
They were aware of these
dangers themselves. He said
there is no fool-proof way to
fight terrorism. However,
he believed that peaceful
solutions in the Middle East
would at least partly para-
lyze it.
In Jerusalem, Afaf Ajl-
uni, who publishes the East
Jerusalem Arabic daily Al
Fajr, urged police to resume
the search for her brother,
Yusuf Nasser, who was kid-
napped by terrorists last
year and is presumed dead.
She said she is convinced
Yusuf is still alive.
For a time he was asso-
ciated in the wholesale dry
goods firm of Krolik and
Co. and in 1923 comm-
enced a 38-year associa-
tion with Joseph Yolles in
the firm of Yolles and Gil-
bert. Their wholesale no-
tions and children's wear
firm was a leader in the
field until Mr. Gilbert's re-
tirement in 1961.
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