THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 25, 1979 23
New Pamphlet Recalls Jews
Who Fought Spain Fascism
NEW YORK — That
Jews from the U.S., Pales-
tine, Poland, France,
England and other coun-
tries fought fascism on the
field of battle before World
War II is demonstrated by
historian Dr. Albert Prago
in a pamphlet "Jews in the
International Brigades in
Spain." The pamphlet is
published by the magazine
Jewish Currents.
Breaking what he terms
the "silence of 40 years in
the English-speaking
world" about the participa-
tion of Jews in the war in
Spain, and claiming that
"an historical accounting is
due," Dr. Prago estimates
that Jews made up about 16
percent of the international
brigades.
This was the organization
of volunteers from many na-
tions who took up arms in
support of the duly elected
Spanish Republican gov-
ernment in 1936-1938
against which Gen. Fran-
cisco Franco, with military
aid from Hitler and Musso-
lini, led an armed rebellion.
Based on accounts
from several countries,
Dr. Prago's work states
that as many as 7,000 to
10,000 of the 40,000 to
45,000 volunteers in the
Brigades were Jews from
Europe, Asia and the
Americas. About 400
Jews from Palestine
fought in Spain. Dr.
Prago estimates that
Jews made up 900 to 1,100
of about 3,200 volunteers
from the U.S. and that a
very high percentage
died in battle.
The author, who has
taught at Cornell Univer-
sity, also points to the estab-
lishment of a Jewish com-
pany in the Polish Brigades.
It was called the Botwin
Company, after the young
Polish Jew, Naftali Botwin,
who had been a hero among
the Polish left since his
execution in 1925 by the
Pilsudski regime. • Or-
ganized with the support of
the Polish Dombrowski
Brigade, the Botwins in-
cluded about 200 Jewish
fighters, who saw action on
many fronts.
Photographs of the
mastheads of two Yiddish
front line publications is-
sued in the international
brigades, and a photo of the
Order of the Day creating
the Botwin Company, high-
light the pamphlet.
Dr. Prago, a Jew him-
self and a volunteer in the
American Abraham Lin-
coln Battalion, saw ac-
tion in the second battle
at Belchite. He notes that
many of the American
officers who have been
described as both capa-
ble and heroic, were
Jews.
"Jews in the Interna-
tional Brigades in Spain," a
20-age pamphlet, is avail-
able from Jewish Currents,
22 E. 17th St., New York,
N.Y., 10003 at a nominal
charge.
Nicaraguan Jews Targeted
by Anti-Israeli Terrorists
NEW YORK (JTA) — A
former secretary of the
Jewish community in Man-
agua, the capital of
Nicaragua, reported that
the 60 Jewish men, women
and children remaining in
that besieged Latin Ameri-
can country had no im-
mediate plans to emigrate
but admitted that if
President Anastasio
Somoza Debayle was de-
feated, problems for the re-
maining Jews might be se-
vere.
Leonardo Hellenberg told
the Jewish Telgraphic
Agency that the Somoza re-
gime was friendly to the
remaining Nicaraguan
Jews and pro-United States,
and that conditions for the
Jews were stable under
Somoza's rule. Hellenberg
gave the interview during a
brief visit to this city, where
he has relatives.
Hellenberg said that
more than 100 Jewish
families had lived in
Nicaragua in the 1950s,
most of them having mig-
rated from Europe after the
Nazi regime was smashed,
because Nicaragua was one
of the few nations which had
no quotas against Jewish
refugees.
He said one of the few
grievances Sandanista re-
bels had against Nicara-
guan Jews was the fact that
Israel sold weapons to the
Somoza regime. He said
there is one synagogue in
Nicaragua, Beth El, in
Managua, which has a
guard during its use for Fri-
day evening and High Holy
Day services.
Hellenberg said that a
couple of months ago,
two of the Sandanista re-
bels • came to the
synagogue and placed a
bomb there. The guard
said they told him they
had no grievance against
him, only against the
Jews and only because
Israel sold weapons to
the Somoza regime. He
said local police defused
the bomb.
Hellenberg noted that the
Palestine Liberation
Organization and the San-
danistas had signed a
mutual aid pact in Mexico
City last September but
that such incidents against
Jews as have occurred came
from the Sandanistas.
In another incident, he
said a textile factory belong-
ing to a Jew was partly
burned about two months
ago in Managua. Hellen-
berg said the arson was
committed by a dozen men
who identified themselves
as Sandanistas.
He said those rebels also
said they had set fire to the
factory because of Israeli
sales of weapons to the
Somoza regime. About half
of all textile factories in
Nicaragua are owned by
Jews.
ECI DE
MUST RAISE CASH
IMMEDIATELY!!!
Two much inventory and a serious slow down in the economy has caused a real crisis in our future.
The decision for this type of sale is coming under great pressure. We are forced to reduce our
inventories to almost give away prices. Many items are reduced below cost.
During the next 8-hours we are reducing the price of every single item in our stores. No limits on
purchases and no name brand restriction.
TODAY 10-9
ENTIRE STOCK
ES ON SALE!
5070 OFF
There will be crowds!
We are expecting a tremendous flow of traffic to take advantage of
this unbelievable once in a life time sale.
Additional crews have been hired to accomodate the crowds and
we have been careful to make the sale as self-sery as possible.
Please come early for best selections. Our loss will truly be your
gain today — Happy Savings.
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• ALL SALES FINAL • ALTERATIONS EXTRA
• STRICTLY CASH BANK CARDS OR C'BRIENS CHARGE
SUITS
Every single suit drastically reduced.
Suits range regularly $200 to $450.
Prices Start At . . . .
SPORTCOATS SLACKS
Every single sport coat has been
marked down in price. Our regular
prices range from $125 to $350.
Prices Start At . . . .
Over 10,000 pair of dressed slacks
now priced to move. Regularly $20 to
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• JAYMAR • ADOLFO • RUBIN BROS. • YSL
• LANVIN • JOHNSTON MURPHY • LOUIS
ROTH •PHOENIX • AND MANY OTHERS.
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