2 Friday, February 11, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
Irish Catholic Monsignor
Left Message for Generations:
Nazi Crime Must Not Be Forgotten
An heroic Irish Catholic priest left a message for the
generations after him: the Nazi crimes must not be forgot-
ten. He was a forgiving man, yet his unforgettable courage
serves as a reminder of what had occurred and what is to be
remembered so that it should not be repeated.
In the deeply-moving CBS television drama last week,
"The Scarlet and the Black," the story of Monsignor Hugh
O'Flaherty emphasizes the resistance that greeted the Nazi
barbarians in Rome. The reconstructed story provides a
measure of exoneration for Pope Pius XII, yet even in that
instance it points a finger at the Pontiff who did not prop-
erly speak out against the horrifying role of the German in
the territory adjacent to the Vatican which was polluted by
the spirit of Hitlerism and the inhumanities that were
perpetrated there.
"The Scarlet and the Black" is not a Jewish story. It is a
tale of the murderous actions perpetrated against Chris-
tians. It serves an important purpose in its emphasis on the
sufferings of non-Jews. It gives credence to the admonitions
repeated by Simon Wiesenthal that the condemnation of
Hitlerism should speak of Eleven Million dead and not be
limited to Six Million Jews who were murdered, so that the
world should not forget the Five Million Christians who
also were victims of Nazism.
Jews were not totally ignored in "The Scarlet and the
Black," so that the theme of that television portrayal re-
tained a universal note.
That impressive television drama was shown on the
50th anniversary of Hitler's rise to power. The anniversary
was not ignored. It had an echo in the United States Senate
where one of the -survivors from Nazism, now a member of
the highest legislative body in this country. Minnesota
Republican (Jewish) Senator. Rudolph Boschviitz described
his background and his family's struggles as refugees be-
fore they gained entrance to this country. Senator Bos-
chwitz had this to say to his fellow Senators and to the
nation:
Yesterday was a momentous day in my life, in
the life of my family and, indeed, in the annals of
the entire world, because yesterday marked the
50th anniversary of the rise to power of Adolf
Hitler. Fifty years ago yesterday, Adolf Hitler be-
came Reich Chancellor of Germany.
And also 50 years ago yesterday, my father
came home — we lived in Berlin — and said to my
mother that we would leave Germany. I was a
child of 2 and, of course, was not a part of the
discussion, but I heard of it often in later life,
because my father felt that this was the most im-
portant decision he had ever made. It probably
was.
That evening, 50 years ago, there was march-
ing and demonstrations in front of our home and
in front of other people's homes — not particu-
larly because it was our house but because we
lived on one of the main streets of Berlin.
Thereafter began a period of terror that ex-
panded beyond the borders of Germany and
encompassed much of the world and led to the
deaths of about 50 million people .. .
In July of 1933, we left Germany on a tempor-
ary visa and went to Czechoslovakia, where we
stayed for the summer. We then proceeded from
country to country, seeking admittance to the
United States. It was very difficult in those days to
come to the United States. It still is. That is one of
the reasons why I take such an interest in the
immigration bill.
In 1933, we lived at first in Czechoslovakia.
Then we went to Switzerland and stayed there for
about a half year, and then on to Holland and
stayed there also about six months. At each stop,
my father would talk to the American consul in
order to see if we could gain admittance to the
United States, and at each stop he was told no,
because of the quota systems that existed at the
time.
Finally, when we were in England, my father
was able to convince the American consul that we
should come under the German quota. So finally
we were able to come here.
My father told me that at each stop, he would
always ask himself whether we were far enough
removed from the threats that he saw even in 1933
and 1934. In 1935, even with the channel between
us and Germany, he felt we were not far enough
removed .. .
It is a great tribute to the United States that
we are a country that continues to allow people to
reach our shores.
This is not only a recollection of the barbarous horrors
and a reminder of them. It is also a revived indictment of
those who, wearing the garb of this great nation, collabo-
By Philip
Slomovitz
A Gallery of the Righteous Emerges from Notably
Performed Dramatizations of the Leaders in the
Resistance Who Risked Their Lives Against Nazism
rated with the Nazis and prevented the victims of the Hitler
crimes from gaining entrance to this country.
These are tales that must be recorded — so that the
motto "Never Forget" should never be erased from human
responsibilities.
The Never-to-Be-Forgotten Heroes:
Another Anti-Nazi Vatican Link
Fortunately for the task of assuring historic justice in
chronicling the events of the Nazi era of horrors, the heroes
of the resistance are not forgotten. This is ascertained in
the retention of interest in the courageous records of the
lives of Raoul Wallenberg and Hannah Senesh. It is em-
phasized in the CBS portrayal of the fearlessness of Mon-
signor Hugh O'Flaherty.
Now attention is called to another hero who was linked
with the Vatican.
In the Significa column of Parade Magazine (Detroit
Free Press, Feb. 6), Irving Wallace, David Wallechinsky
and Amy Wallace relate how a movie director deluded the
counterpart of Nazism, the Italian Fascists, and sheltered
Jews during that crucial era. The story, headlined "When
the Vatican 'Went Hollywood'" contains this interesting
addendum to the important record of the Resistance:
The late movie actor-director Vittori De Sica
eluded the net of the Nazis in World War II with a
good excuse — he was directing a film for His
Holiness, the Pope.
Like many Italian artists, De Sica hated the
Fascists. He looked upon Mussolini as ridiculous,
despised the Nazis and hid Jews in his own
apartment. Luckily, when Nazi propaganda
minister Joseph Goebbels asked De Sica to head
the Czech Fascist cinema, he was able to say that
he had already been hired to make a movie by a
higher authority — the Vatican.
The theme for the film, "La Porta de Cielo"
(The Gates of Heaven), was suggested by Pope
Pius XII. It concerned several people searching
for miraculous cures. In charge of production was
. Father Giovanni Montini, later Pope Paul VI.
De Sica managed to string out the making of
the picture under the wing of the Vatican for two
years. When Rome fell to the Allies, he finished the
Church-financed film in one day and went on to
produce his postwar neorealist films, among them
the Academy Award-winning "Bicycle Thief" and
"Shoeshine." The Vatican-backed "La Porta del
Cielo" was never released. Those who have seen it
give it mixed reviews.
This and similar items are appearing in the press, and
depicted on television and radio, as a memorial of the 50th
anniversary of Hitler's assumption of power in Geramany
— all to the credit of the media.
Navon in the Limelight,
Yosef Burg in Pursuit,
as 'In Common' Personality
Yitzhak Navon makes it a fact: he will not be a candi-
date for re-election as President of Israel.
This expands the politically speculative affecting can-
didacies for the Prime Ministership.
An assumed view is that Navon could cut into
YITZHAK NA VON
YOSEF BURG
Menahem Begin's popularity among the Sephardic Jews
who are presently Begin's source of strength.
Another fact is acceptability of leadership in the Israel
Labor Party and its allies. Shimon Peres reportedly hinted
he would step aside for Navon and let him have the top spot
in opposition ranks in an oncoming election. That's how the
political pot is boiling in Israel.
With Navon eliminated as a candidate for President,
the most acceptable candidate is believed to be Minister of
Interior Yosef Burg. This provides an opportunity for a pun.
When Carl Alpert, columnist, author, executive vice
president of the Israel InstitUte of Technology (Technion) in
Haifa, visited here last month, he posed a question: What
did all of Israel's past Prime Ministers — David Ben-
Gurion, Moshe (Shertok) Sharett, Levy Eshkol, Golda
Meir, Yitzhak Rabin — including the present Premier
Menahem Beo-in have "in common"? He provided the an-
swer: Dr. Yosef Burg, who served in the Cabinets of all the -
Israel Prime Ministers and continues as Minister of Inter-
ior in the Begin Cabinet.
The "in common" designation is threatened if Dr. Burg
is chosen to succeed President Yitzhak Navon.
The Price for Democracy .. .
• . . and the Weapon for Its Retention
In embassies throughout the world and among heads of governments — expecially in the White House and also in the
State Department — poison is being wiped from darts and Israel is being acclaimed'as the very essence of democracy. Only
in a national setting where there is so much freedom for the press and the associated media and even in the diplomatic and
to a great extent the military could there possibly emerge such powerful self-examination as is embodied in the report of
the commission of inquiry on a tragic event in Lebanon.
The democracy so acclaimed continues to Israel's credit, the darts retain their sharp edges. The commendations for
democratic policies are sharp-pointed. The excoriations of Israel are not reduced. The challenges remain embittered. The
tensions have not been resolved.
There will surely be changes in Israel's government structure before very long. The Israelis will speak their minds
and the choice of leadership, no matter what the wishes of those who are vitriolic toward the present, will be the Israeli
voters. They will demonstrate and their opinions will not be suppressed. Meanwhile, the darts will keep flying.
Why such pessimism? Because the White House failed to provide optimism. President Reagan's severe admonitions
to Israel, uttered at the convention of the television broadcasters and correspondents, added fuel for smoldering fires
instead of confirming again the friendship that is so vital for both Israel and the United States.
The President was not helpful to the negotiating processes for peaceful resolutions of the Lebanese crisis when he
demanded withdrawal of Israel's troops without equally sharp criticism toward Syria and thereby also giving credence to
the basic cause for the present Lebanese turmoil: Israel's determination to end the PLO threat on her borders. The
one-sidedness expressed by the President could only compel a renewal of the Lebanese operation, and the best interests of
this country demand the issues be resolved without added irritations.
Israel was placed on trial by a tragic occurrence which, a commission of inquiry declares in its verdict, could have
been averted had it not been for inexcusable blunders. Now Israel is on the road to mending the errors, to continue on a
road paved with ethical codes that will not be betrayed and in a democratic spirit that continues as a model for mankind.
This is the score of Israel's dependence on her friends, in the hope that the atmosphere in civilized quarters will not be
poisoned. This is where fellow Jews become the means of cementing the friendships that are so vital to uninterrupted
cooperativeness between Israel and the United States.
President Reagan is always as emphatic in constantly reasserting the friendship between the two nations as he was
on several occasions in his criticisms of Israel. Because Israel is democratic she must accept the stings of condemnations,
and so also must they be acceptable to Jews everywhere — everything leading to retaining vitality in friendships. But
criticisms must not be one-sided. They must embrace all issues, thus leading to processes of resolving them humanely.
Israel invites recognition of her dedication to justice and fair play and readiness to correct errors. This, hopefully, will
lead immediately toward tackling the problem of autonomy for Arabs on the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). In a
cooperative spirit there can be a solution leading to reduction of hatreds in the sad conflict between two related nations.
The equally-compelling obligations of the United States are apparent. They are constantly reiterated. In the best
interests of this country and the cause of peace, the American-Israel relations must be kept intact and strengthened.
As long as the democratic ideal prevails, peaceful aims are achievable.
The lessons of these tense days are apparent. They are a challenge to the civilized among all nations. They must lead
to decency in mankind, exemplified by one nation's readiness to judge herself. Others can follow that democratic example.
Laboring together in that spirit they can put an end to destructive international blunders.