64 Friday, August 13, 1982

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Boris Smolar as the Universal Emissary for Jewry
Is Depicted in His 'In the Service of My People'

Boris Smolar is a name
recorded inerasably in the
history of Jewish jour-
nalism. It is similarly, with
equal emphasis, indelibly
recorded among the most
distinguished in American
and world Jewish history.
He shares equally in both,
and as a journalist he will
always be known for serv-
ices unmatched on every
front where Jewry was in
need of an authoritative in-
terpreter and as a courage-
ous defender of just rights
for Jewry and Israel.
"In the Service _of My
People," just published by
the Baltimore Hebrew Col-
lege, is the newest book by
Boris Smolar and it tells a
mere portion of the story of a
man who has been more
closely linked with every
Jewish cause, everywhere,
than any among his con-
temporaries who included
the most distinguished in
Jewry.
For proper identifica-
tion of the name Boris
Smolar with every ex-
perience in more than
half a century of univer-
sal experience, it must be
noted that the Smolar
contacts led him into the
embassies of many na-
tions, into the
sanctuaries of many
peoples.
Smolar, whose editorship
of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency gave him a leading
role in his profession, and
his column which continues
to appear in scores of news-
papers, has been _ , continues
to be, a guide to the jour-
nalists in his field. He is
modest in the introduction
to "In the Service of My
People" when he states that
it is not an autobiography.
The collected essays in this
volume provide for a biog-
rapher the basic facts in a
lifetime that has been
marked by challenging is-
sues which he has met with
courage and which he has
tackled for the benefit of the
oncoming generations.
More than that, the Smo-
lar story places on record
services in behalf of Jewish
causes, confrontations with
antagonists in Russia and
elsewhere in defense of
Jewish rights and in deflat-
ing anti-Semitic trends.
In fact, there is fascina-
tion in the detailed accounts
of confrontations, of facing
up to the issues which con-
tained threats to the Jewish
people, to the urgency to
stand up to the antagonisms
that were the core of bigot-
ries on a world scale.
There are a number of
important factors to be
taken into consideration

in a study of the Boris
Smolar volume. The
300-page book contains
historic facts, about the
major events in world
history, which are now
being published for the
first time as revelations

individuals anti
rn. -
munities. Such a typical
example is recorded in the
essay "The Attempt to Con-
vert Moscow's Great
Synagogue Into a
Clubhouse." He had his
share in such prevention.
And he relates well, be-
cause he played a personal
role in it, the activities of
defense groups in Russia, as
in "Underground Jewish
Groups in Moscow."
Among his most sig-
nificant achievements is
recalled in "My Fight in
Moscow on Behalf of the
Hebrew Language."

When Smolar served as
correspondent of the now
defunct New York World,
before he assumed the
editorship of the JTA, there
was difficulty arranging ca-
BORIS SMOLAR
bled reports from Moscow to
of struggles to counteract New York, The Kremlin
the prejudiced, to sub- submitted, and it was a
vert bigotries. Names like triumph for Smolar as well
those of Russiarf Com- as the newspaper he repre-
munists who were plot- sented.
ting oppressive meas-
It was because Smolar
ures, dominant figures had the important contacts
whose aims were chal- with Washington that he
lenged by Smolar, are was able to achieve many
now recorded. Similarly, journalistic triumphs.
events in pre-Israel
It should be noted, in rela-
Palestine which also in- tion to the Smolar multiple
volved unfriendly tactics roles in Russia, that he had
are now made known.
dealings with the Yevsekt-
The events at home, on zia, the Jewish section of the
the American scene, are not Communist Party in Rus-
ignored.
sia. His articles are valu-
Then there is the six-page able addenda to the study of
index which enables stu- the total subject labeled
dents of world events and Yevsektzia.
future historians to tackle
Stalinism also has a
the records and to provide merited historical refer-
the facts that are basic to ence in the Smolar compi-
knowledge of world affairs lation, as in his essay, "I
as they are introduced, out- Question Stalin on Anti-
lined, analyzed and percep- Semitism," which con-
tibly presented in fact- cludes:
seeking about Jewry in a
"The details which I re-
world of unrest.
lated of Stalin's sudden
In the best interests of death revealed that Stalin
knowlegeability for fact- suffered a stroke during an
finders, the five-page angry discussion of his
self-evaluation and anti-Jewish plan at a meet-
explanatory introduction ing with top Soviet leaders
has special merit. It is in the Kremlin.
"He anticipated that no
more than a guide to "In
the Service of My. one in the Kremlin would
People." As a condensa- dare to oppose his plan and
tion of the compiled was shocked when Marshal
events and personalities Clement Voroshilov, the
in the 50-year Boris Smo- president of the USSR and a
lar experience, it is in it- popular military figure in
self a remarkable jour- the country, said that he
would tear up his Com-
nalistic reminiscence.
Portions of many of the munist Party membership
essays in this volume were card if Stalin's plan against
published in recent years the Jews was carried out.
and already boasted tens of His sentiments were echoed
thousands of readers. In ex- by Molotov whose Jewish
tended form, dealing with wife had earlier been de-
the issues with greater de- ported to distant SoYiet
tail, they encompass the territory on Stalin's orders,
major events of most of this allegedly because she had
shown friendship to Golda
century.
Smolar had an important Meir when she was Israel's
role in preventing tragedies first ambassador to the
and serious harm to Jews as Soviet Union.

"Taken aback by his open
and sharp opposition —
probably the first daring
opposition since he became
the dictator of the Soviet
Union — Stalin collapsed at
the meeting from a stroke.
Two days later he died.
With him also died his
brutal plan to destroy all
the Jews in the Soviet
Union."

While Smolar's new
book is like a summary of
Russian Jewry history in
the era of Communism,
"In the Service of My
People" is equally sig-
nificant in its Israeli role.
He deals with his experi-
ences in pre-Israel Pales-
tine and linked with it are
experiences during the
Nazi era.
There were warnings by
Smolar of impending Nazi
threats, of the menacing
situation in British-
controlled Palestine, and
the echoes of the past will be
listened to by Smolar's
readers as they apply the
lessons of the past to the
current situations.
He had been to Germany,
he clashed with the Nazis,
he was expelled from there,
and his services as a re-
corder of the Hitler menace,
in his numerous exposes,
are vital to the services of
the eminent newspaperman
who was reporter to start
with and the editor of note
for many years.
In Germany, Smolar had

meetings with Gestapo
agents, with an associate of
Adolph Eichmann, and in
the process of his acting in
behalf of the important
Jewish news service he met
with the difficulties that re-
sulted in his expulsion from
Nazi Germany.
In the aftermath, he
covered the scenes in Po-
land and in Romania, and
his articles on that score
are supplementary pre-
sentations of facts re-
garding the developing
anti-Semitism in both
countries, the terrors
which were imposed on
Jews, the difficulties with
which it was necessary to
complete a reporter's
mission.
The section on Israel is in-
terlinked with his experi-
ences at the United Nations
and these reports have the
additional importance of
the totality of Jewish inter-
ests in a volume the con-
tents of which literally
-cover the world.
Experiences with Chaim
Weizmann, Vladimir
Jabotinsky and scores of
other notables supplement
the wealth of reminiscences
in this volume.
He has included coverage
of the American scene, and
that was enriching in itself.
Naturally, his views on
the future status of Jewry
and his predictions are
valuable. He concludes
definitive epilogue by
stating:

-

"I share the optimism ex-
pressed in `Netzakh Yisrael'
because Judaism has given
the world basic ethical and
moral guidance since the
days of the Bible. It is com-
mitted to social justice,
political idealism and the
democratic way of life.
Judges, not kings, were the
earliest leaders of the an-
cient Hebrews.
"Our highest visions of
social justice were worn in
the age of the Prophets. The
Jewish commitment to _so-
cial justice is a pr
s
guide to modern
g
today and will remain
forever. I therefore share
the faith in the Jewish fu-
ture."
Because he has bef-
riended thousands who be-
came his admirers, a wel-
come portion in his book is
the impressive photographs
which include associates
and many world per-
sonalities who had become
his intimates in the course
of his enriched journalistic
and community services
career.
"In the Service of My
People" is the kind of book
that enlightens, keeps the
reader historically abreast
of the world-shaking occur-
rences, keeps the records
straight on what had oc-
curred in a century filled
with turmoil. It is a
noteworthy book by one of
the nation's most distin-
guished journalists.
—P.S.

,

Magen David Adom Is Collecting
Aidfor the Homeless in Lebanon

PION°

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4-**

FROM THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM

10 THE PEOPLE OF THE LEBANON

Itib 'unit neivinuivnin

As Israeli troops advanced into Lebanon in June and July to oust Palestine
Liberation Organization terrorists Israeli civilians began organizing relief efforts
on behalf of Lebanese civilians affected by the fighting. Magen David Adom,
Israel's emergency medical and blood donor organization, received thousands of
pounds of food, clothing, shoes and blankets at its Jerusalem headquarters for
shipment to Lebanon, and sent convoys of medical teams to help the injured. The
annual dinner of the Michigan Region of the American Red Magen David for Israel
will be held Sept. 12 at Adat Shalom Synagogue.