54 June 4, 1976
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
-
Uprising in Warsaw Ghetto Chronicled
members of Batar, the
Revisionist youth organi-
"Uprising in the Warsaw zation. Its responsibility
Ghetto," published by was the preservation of the
Schocken Books and written Ghetto's internal security,
by Ber Mark (translated Thus, it liquidated the
from Yiddish by Gershon Jewish Liberation Militia,
Freidlin), traces the history composed of spies, traitors
of the Jewish revolt against and provocateurs. It also
the Nazis from its inception fought the elements of the
to its tragic end.
Polish underworld who
It describes vividly and ef- "would come into the
fectively the events leading Ghetto for 'special enter-
to the revolt, the partici : tainment' — robbery, as-
pants, the armed forced, the sault and rape."
weapons, strategy, battles,
The Germans realizing
and the enemy's strength.
The Ghetto's two fighting that a revolt was inevitable
imminent decided on
groups were the Jewish and
pre-emptive
measures and
Fighting Organization and
the Jewish Military Alli- prepared for a "blitz-de-
struction" of the Ghetto.
ance.
The Jewish Fighting Accordingly, they mobilized
Organization, composed of thousands of soldiers and
the Bund and the Zionist officers, Wehrmacht divi-
organizations, represented sions, German and Polish
the Jewish community in police battalions, and
internal and external af- hundreds of Ukrainian and
fairs, "a status acknowl- Latvian Fascists from SS
edged by all sectors of the auxiliary troop detach-
Polish underground. Au- ments. They, moreover, as-
thoritative factions of the sembled the most sophisti-
latterl recognized a coordi- cated weapons, such as
nating commission of planes, tanks, armored
member bodies of the trucks, and cannon.
The opposing Jewish
Fighting Organization."
Its charter contained forces consisted of "600
members from the Jewish
these six articles:
Fighting Organization, 400
• To prepare the masses from the Farband (Alli-
for the upcoming revolt
ance), plus the porter
• To recruit and train
group."
fighters
Their arsenal included
• To accumulate weap-
Molotov
cocktails, rifles, pis-
-
ons
tols, mines, hand grenades,
• To obtain money
• To establish and main- and two machine guns.
The Ghetto historian
tain contact with the Polish
_Emmanuel Ringelblum
underground
• To exterminate Nazi evaluated the strength of
the two military camps:
agents and informers.
it
. . . the battle was be-
Consequently, the Ger-
man spy, Dr. Alfred Nossig, tween a fly and an ele-
was executed. Jacob Lejkin, phant,- but national pride
the leader of the traitorous demanded Jews offer res-
Ordnungdienst (Ghetto pol- istance and not allow
ice) was assassinated. Israel themselves to be led wan-
First, the Gestapo under- tonly to slaughter."
As expected, the Germans
cover man was shot. Also
executed was Jacob Hirsh- led by Police Chief von Sam-
feld, manager of Hall- mern invaded the Ghetto on
April 19th.
mann's shop. _
But, they did not get far,
"After his execution, pos-
_ters were distributed in the as the Jewish fighters
Ghetto containing the fol- greeted "the Germans with
lowing:Jacob Hirshfeld was a hail of grenades, bottles,
sentenced to death for in- bombs, and rifle shots. The
ducing the Jewish populace only machine gun did not
to follow the occupation err. Nazi outlaws took off."
As a result, von Sammern
forces' urgings toward vol-
untary deportation. Thus was replaced by SS Gen.
did Hershfeld betray the Stroop (executed after the
interests of the Jewish peo- war). -
Furious at their defeat,
ple.
His sentence has been the Nazi monsters vented
carried out; let it be a warn- their wrath on the patients
ing to others." _ of the Ghetto hospital, lo-
Other agents were simi- cated outside the battle
larly executed. -
zone.
Revolts also took place
The Jewish Military
Alliance consisted of the in the ghettos of Chesto-
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
AJCOMMITTEE AT 70: The American Jewish Com-
mittee is now observing its 70th anniversary. Founded in
New York in 1906 after the pogrom on Jews in the czarist
Russian city of Kishinev — to seek protection of Jews in
Russia — the AJCommittee has grown during the years
into a most effective organ of American Jewry fighting for
Jews everywhere. Today, it is one of the leading organiza-
tions in the world in the field of human relations. It corn-
bats bigotry and protects civil and religious rights of Jews
in this country and abroad. It is highly respected by Jews
and non-Jews — and by governments.
Originally formed by German-born Jewish philan-
thropists in this country — Jacob Schiff, Louis Marshall,
Felix Warburk, Julius Rosenwald — the AJCommittee was
in its early years a "Closed corporation," very selective in its
membership.
With the march of time, the AJCommittee expanded
its ranks and began to admit into membership selected Jew-
ish personalities born in Eastern Europe. In 1943, when Dr.
John Slawson assumed the post of executive vice chairman
of the AJCommittee, he reorganized the organization on a
democratic basis with a large membership.
Today, the AJCommittee is conducted on democratic
-principles, with branches in many cities throughout the
country, with a mass-membership composed of all elements
in American Jewry — irrespective of their birth but mostly
American-born — with a leadership elected annually at
four-day national meetings, with a wide program of activi-
ties in this country, and with offices abroad keeping an eye
on developments affecting Jews in various countries.
A non-Zionist organization since its inception, the
•AJCommittee added its weight to the movement for the es-
tablishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine when it
joined the Jewish Agency for Palestine before World War II
as a non-Zionist partner. Today, the AJCommittee is sup-
porting Israel actively. It stands on guard of Israel's inter-
ests in this country and watches closely the anti-Israel
moves in the United Nations. It maintains an office in Jeru-
salem to study developments on the spot, and is highly re-
garded by the Israel government.
HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENTS: It would be impossi-
ble to list in a short article even a part of the major achieve-
ments of the AJCommittee during the years of its existence.
They are many. However, a few of them — the most out-
standing which made basic history — deserve to be singled
out on this 70th anniversary of the organization.
When the czarist government in Russia refused to rec:
ognize United States passports held by naturalized Jews
who emigrated from Russia to this country — denying
them the rights given the American non-Jewish citizens
when they wanted to visit Russia — it was the AJCommit-
tee that brought about the historic decision of President
Taft, in 1911, to abrogate the American-Russian trade
agreement, which had been in existence for decades. Both
Houses of Congress later ratified the President's decision
which was conveyed to the czarist government through the
U.S. Ambassador in Russia.
When Henry Ford, the automobile magnate, started —
in the early '20s — a violent anti-Jewish campaign with wild
anti-Semitic articles in his "Dearborn Independent" and by
widely disseminating the notorious forgery "Protocols of
the Elders of Zion" for the first time in the United States, it
was the AJCommittee that forced him, in a dignified way,
to abandon his anti-Semitic propaganda, retract his anti-
Jewish allegations, and apologize publicly to the Jewish
people. The letter of apology was addressed by Ford to
Louis Marshall and was made public with Ford's consent. It
was an achievement which made a tremendous impression
on Jews and non-Jews the world over.
Jews throughout the world were elated with the state-
ment adopted several years ago by the Ecumenical Council
Morris Feldman, Ex-Owner
at the Vatican absolving the Jewish people from the guilt of
the crucifixion of Jesus — an allegation which for many
of Renowned Arethusa Hotel
centuries generated hatred against Jews among Christians
and led to bloody pogroms on Jews in various countries.
Morris Feldman, a former waters. For New Yorkers,
Few in the world know, however, of the vital role which the
resident
of Mt. Clemens and the hotel became an annual
AJCommittee played quietly to have this statement —
retired owner of the Are- resting place.
which originated with the "Good Pope" John XXIII —
thusa Hotel there, died in
adopted despite strong opposition on the part of many con-
Mr. Feldman, who retired
Miami Beach, Fla., May 25,
servative participants in the Ecumenical Council.
the night the hotel was de- six years ago and owned the
CONCERN FOR ISRAEL: While alert to domestic
hotel at the time of his re-
stroyed by fire. He was 93.
problems facing American Jewry, the AJCommittee is now
Mr. Feldman built the tirement, is survived by his
also deeply concerned over the general climate in the Amer-
hotel at the turn of the cen- wife, Sadie; two sons, Jer-
ican community with regard to Israel.
tury, and during his owner- ome and Arthur, both of Mt.
Clemens; two daughte'rs,
Leaders of the AJCommittee are of the opinion that ship he watched it become a
Marjorie Borak of Mt. Cle-
irrespective of who wins the Presidential election in Novem- nationally famous spa for
persons suffering from joint mens and Mrs. Eleanor
ber, the U.S. government will continue efforts to increase
Keys; and six grandchil-
American influence in the Arab world through economic ailments to get relief from
the city's abundant mineral dren. Interment Miami.
and political inducements, including some arms sales.
/
".
chowa, Bedzin, Lwow, and than the Polish campaign in
Bialystok, and in the death- 1939 and the French cam-
camps of Treblinka, Sobi- paign of 1940.
Ber Mark's "Uprising in
bor and Poniatow. The War-
saw Ghetto Uprising was the Warsaw Ghetto" with
the first anti-Nazi revolt in -its 84 documents is an in-
Europe, and lasted longer tense, moving chronicle.
Monument Unveilings
The family of _the late
Josephine Groszman an-
nounces the unveiling of a
monument in her memory 2
p.m. Sunday, June 13, at
Clover Hill Park Cemetery..
Rabbi Wagner will officiate.
Relatives and friends are
asked to attend.
The Family of the Late
LOUIS
BARISH
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 1:30
p.m. Sunday, June 6,
at Turover Aid Society
Cemetery. Rabbi
Lehrman will offi-
ciate. Relatives and
friends are asked to
attend.
The Family
of the Late
FANNIE DORF
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 13, at
Beth Abraham Ceme-
tery. Rabbi Rosen-
bloom will officiate.
Relatives and friends
are asked to attend.
The Family
of the Late
SOL
KESSLER
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 13, at
Chesed Shel Emes
Cemetery. Rabbi
Goldschlag will offi-
ciate. Relatives and
friends are asked to
attend.
The Family
of the Late
PEARL D.
SCHLESINGER
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 12:15
p.m. Sunday, June 6,
at Machpelah Ceme-
tery. Rabbi Schnipper
will officiate. Rela-
tives and friends are
asked to attend.
The Schreiber and
Treisman Families
Announce the
unveiling of a
monument in memory
of the late
DEBORAH
SCHREIBER
10:30 a.m. Sunday,
June 6, at Machpelah
Cemetery. Rabbi Arm
will officiate. Rela-
tives and friends are
asked to attend.
The family of the late
Sarell Karbal announces
the unveiling of a monu-
ment in her memory 3:30
p.m. Sunday, June 13, at
Clover Hill Park Cemetery.
Rabbi Arm will officiate.
* * *
The family of the lat
David Lichtenstein an-
nounces the unveiling of a
monument in his memory 1
p.m. Sunday, June 13, at
Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Rabbi Rosenbaum
will officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to attend.
* * *
The family of the late
Dora Schneyer announces
the unveiling of a monu-
ment in her memory 10:30
a.m. Sunday, June 13, at
Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Rabbi Arm will offi-
• ciate. Relatives and friends
are asked to attend.
The Family
of the Late
ALLEN A.
CHARLIP
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 2 p.m.
Sunday, June 6, at
Machpelah Cemetery.
Rabbi Groner will of-
ficiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to
attend.
The Family
of the Late
BERTHA
GRUNDY
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 10 a.m.
Sunday, June 13, at
Adat Shalom Memo-
rial Park. Rabbi Nel-
son will officiate. Rel-
atives and friends are
asked to attend.
The Family
of the Late
SAM LEVINE
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 12 noon
Sunday, June 13, at
Turover Aid Society
Cemetery. Rabbi
Schnipper will offi-
ciate. Relatives and
friends are asked to
attend.
The Family
of the Late
JACK TURKIN
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 6, at
Hebrew Memorial
Park. Rabbi Schnip-
per will officiate. Rel-
atives and friends are
asked to attend.