THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, November 30, 1919 41

Yitzhak Greenbaum A Leader of Polish and World Jewry

By MOSHE RON
The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent

J

TEL AVIV — Yitzhak
Greenbaum was the great
and cherished political
leader of Polish Jewry and
the Zionist Organization for
many years. After he came
to Eretz Yisrael he was one
of the leaders of the Jewish
Agency and later the first
minister of interior in Is-
rael. He died at the age of
91.
During the period of his
political leadership in Po-
-A I worked with him. I
.companied him on his
journeys to the Jewish
quarters all over Poland. He
was very popular not only
among Jews but also among
the gentiles.
Poles became excited
when they heard on the
train that they were travel-_
ing with the "King of Jews".
In the railway stations, he
was received enthusias-
tically by crowds of Jews
waving Zionist flags and
singing "Hatikva."
The Polish authorities
tried to interfere with
Greenbaum because in
the Polish parliament he
condemned their perse-
cutions of Jews. Or-
ganized gangs of ruffians
broke up his meetings.
Sometimes such as-
semblies were prohibited
with the explanation that
no official request was
forwarded.
Proprietors of public halls
in the Jewish quarters were
afraid to rent their halls for

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,

meetings with the partici-
pation of Greenbaum, after
they had been warned by
the authorities.
During election cam-
paigns for the parliament,
the Yiddish newspaper
Haynt in Warsaw, of which
Greenbaum was the chief
writer, would be suddenly
closed for some days, owing
to "sanitary shortages."
There were strong dif-
ferences of opinion between
Greenbaum and his friends
and the Zionist leaders of
Eastern and Western
Galicia. Greenbaum was
opposed on principal and
moral grounds to the treaty
with the Polish government
which forced the Jewish
group in the Seym (parlia-
ment) to support the Pil-
sudsky government against
the left and right opposition
for certain facilities for the
Jewish population.
Greenbaum, who was
in the minority, inter-
rupted for some time his
activities in the Jewish
"Kala" in the Seym and

did not even participate
in the debates and meet-
ings of the parliament. He
refused to receive his sal-
ary as member of parlia-
ment.
Greenbaum remained
without money and food. I
remember how Menahem
Bonislawgi (the father of
the later secretary in the Is-
raeli embassy in Rome)
used to bring food each Fri-
day to the Greenbaum
home. In 1932-1933, Green-
baum left Poland for Paris,
where he occupied himself
with historical essays on
Zionist history and false
p
in 1933 he was elected in
the Zionist Congress as
a member of the executive
Committee of the Jewish
Agency and came to
Jerusalem. He was chair-
man of the Aliya Depart-
ment and in charge of the
aliya offices all over the
world.
Afterwards, he headed
the Labor Department of
the Jewish Agency until the
establishment of the state

in 1948. He was chairman of lishing articles and to work
the Bialik Institute, trea- for the Polish Zionist
surer of the Jewish Agency movement. He was ideolog-
(1949-1950) and controller ically close to Mapam.
of the staff of the Jewish
Greenbaum left Tel
Agency (1950-1951).
Aviv and settled in the
After the establishment Kibutz Gan-Shmuel,
of Israel, Greenbaum be- where his son lived. His
came a member of the extreme views, especially
temporary government in matters of religion (he
and its minister of inter- was strictly anti-
ior. He organized the religious), gained him
elections for the First many opponents.
Knesset. He headed a
Only a few of his dedi-
personal list which re- cated friends and followers
ceived 2,514 votes, not from Poland, who termed
enough for a seat.
themselves as "the last
Greenbaum fell victim to Mohicans of Yitzhak
his own democratic election Greenbaum," visited him in
principles. Greenbaum al- his new , home in Gan-
lied himself to the list of the Shmuel. He suffered from
mayor of Jerusalem, Daniel loneliness and from being
Auster, which received only removed from public life.
1,000 votes.
When he became 90 years
Greenbaum suffered an- old, he returned to Tel Aviv
other setback, when the and lived with his son
proposal was rejected to Jonathan. A few months
electhimsecond president of later he died.
the state of Israel after the
In his talks with me
death of Chaim Weizmann. Greenbaum complained
He was angry that Mapam often about the fact that he
removed his candidacy did not go to Tel Aviv from
without consulting him. He Jerusalem to sign the Proc-
was also angry, that people lamation of Independence.
were calling him the leader Greenbaum was sent by
of Polish Jewry."
Ben-Gurion to a temporary
He left public life and airfield in Jerusalem, but it
dedicated himself to pub- turned out that the plane

had left with a military offi-
cer. Returning home, he re-
ceived a message that his
son Eliezer had been killed
in the war.
Greenbaum told me
why he had resigned his
office in the Executive
Committee of the Jewish
Agency. He had reached
an agreement with the
IZL (Irgun Zevai Leumi)
on its - liquidation after
the establishment of the
state of Israel with the
condition that if
Jerusalem would not be
included in the state, the
IZL would preserve its
independent status in
Jerusalem.
In the Executive Commit-
tee of the Jewish Agency
this agreement was re-
jected. Ben-Gurion opposed
it.
He decided to resign, but
a few days later he heard
that some members of the
Executive Committee were
in favor of postponement of
the establishment of the
state. Greenbaum annulled
his resignation and in-
formed Ben-Gurion that he
would vote for the im-
mediate establishment of
the state.

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MOVIE
GUIDE

BERKLEY THEATRE

2990 W. 12 Mile Rd.
Berkley
LI 2-0330

All Seats $1.00

at all times

HELD OVER!

Alan Alda & Melvin Douglas in
"THE SEDUCTION OF JOE TYNAN" (R)
Weekdays incl. Sat.
7:20 & 9:30
Sun. 3:05, 5:10, 7:20 & 9:25

WASHINGTON THEATER

426 S. Washington, R.O.

541-0082

FINAL WEEK!

This Engagement--Only
Adults $2, Children $1
The screen's most magnificent
Entertainment returns

"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" (G)

Mon.-Thur. 7:30 only
Fri. 7 & 9. Sat. 2, 7, & 9:50
Sun. 1, 4, 7:30. Wed. Mat.'1
student and group info call
541-0083
during normal show hours.

KINGSWOOD THEATER

Woodward & Square Lake Rd.
Bloomfield Township 338-2856

This Engagement Only
Adults $2.50, Children $1.50
In Full Dolby Stereo
The only way you can really enjoy
the fabulous

"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" (G)

Week Nites
7:30 Only
Wed. Mat. 1 P.M.
Sat. first show $1.50
4:20, 7:00, 9:30
Sun. 1st Show $1.50
4:20 & 7:30

Yitzhak Greenbaum is shown seated third from
left at a Warsaw reception in 1932 for Chaim Nahman
Bialik, seated second from left. The author of this
article, Moshe Ron, is standing at far right.

Concert, Ballet Performed in OP

The Oak Park Symphony
Orchestra will - present a
holiday concert 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 at the Oak Park High
School.
The orchestra, under the
direction of Dr. Morris
Hochberg, will perform
with the Contemporary
Civic Ballet Company,
under the direction of
Rosemarie Floyd. Guest
dancer James Dunn of New
York will be the featured
entertainer.
For ticket information,

Chamber Concert
at Area Temple

A chamber quartet, com-
posed of members of the De-
troit Symphony Orchestra,
will perform 7:30 p.m. Dec.
9 at the Birmingham Tem-
ple.
Shaul Ben-Meir, flute;
Misha Rachlevsky, violin;
Phillip Porbe, yiola; and
Debra Fayroian, cello; are
the chamber players. Their
program consists of pieces
by Mozart, Haydn, Bocche-
rini and Bach. For tickets,
call Evelyn Kreger, 544-
8350.
The series is supported by
the state of Michigan
through a grant from the
Michigan Council for the
Arts.

call the symphony office,
542-4666.

Homes to Merge .

LOS ANGELES (JTA) —
The merger has been an-
nounced of the Los Angeles
Jewish Home for the Aged
and Menorah Village into
the Jewish Homes for the
Aged of Greater • Los
Angeles, a merger
facilitated by the Jewish
Federation-Council.
Under consideration for
25 years at various times,
constantly rising costs was
a factor three years ago in
renewing the concept.
The homes currently
have 244 beds. A 99-bed,
three-story nursing care
unit is being planned.

`Matchmaker'
at Hilberry

"The Matchmaker" by
Thornton Wilder will open
8:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Wayne
State University's Hilberry
Theater.
Tickets are available at
the Hilberry box office.

The probability of any-
thing happening is in in-
verse ratio to its desirabil-
ity.
— Gumperson's law

THE MIRISCH PRODUCTION COMPANY presents
A NORMAN JEWISON FILM
"FIDDLER ON THE ROOF"
strarri ng TOPOL NORMA CRANE LEONARD FREY MOLLY PICON PAUL MANN
P Pr odu
odu ced and Directed by NORMAN JEWISON Screenplay by JOSEPH STEIN Adapted from his stage play
- : A):
I A1 : :; , ; ,:., 4.
Music for stage play and film by JERRY BOCK lyrics for stage play and film by SHELDON HARNICK
Produced on the New York stage by HAROLD PRINCE Entire stage production directed and choreographed by JEROME ROBBI NS
Music adapted and conducted by JOHN WI LLIAMS n „rigina choreograph/ by JEROME ROBBINS
Re Release
Adapted for the screen by TOM ABBOTT sc., st ISAAC STERN f ilmed ,, PANAVISI 0 N °' COLOR -7-United Artists
an,
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AT
MOVIES
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United Artists Corp An rights reserved

* ESQUIRE
VA 2-2870

E. Jefferson. Grosse Pointe

*KINGSWOOD
338.2856

Woodward at Sq. Lk. Rd.

IESHINGTONR8
LI 1-0082

422 S. Washington. R.O.

