Nov. 10, 1938: Lesson from a Turning Point
By DR. IRVING GREENBERG — National Jewish Research Center
NEW YORK — On Nov. 10, 1938, "spontaneous" demonatrations
against Jews broke out all over Germany. In the words of David Buffum, the
American Consul in Leipzig, there "was unleashed a barrage of Nazi feroc-
ity as had no equal hitherto in Germany or very likely anywhere else in the
world since savagery, if ever."
The pogrom's pretext was the killing by Herschel Grynszpan, a home-
less Polish Jew, of Ernest von Rath, the German third secretary (cultural
attache) in Paris. Grynszpan had been driven to desperation by the expul-
sion of his family from Germany and their subsequent suffering.
Grynszpan had surrendered after the shooting and later said: "I
deeply regret having injured anyone, but I had no other way of
expressing myself . . . To be Jewish is not a crime. We are not animals.
When Fasting
Emerges
as a Sanctity
in Obligation
to Aid the Needy
The Jewish people have a right to live."
On Nov. 10, later called Kristallnacht (Crystal Night — or Night of the
Broken Glass), 267 synagogues and congregations were razed. Seventy-five
hundred Jewish shops were damaged and/or pillaged — practically the
entire number of Jewish shops left in Germany after years of forced liquida-
tion (Aryanization), confiscation and harassment. The value of the broken
glass alone was estimated at 24 million marks.
According to German records, 10,911 Jews were rounded up and sent to
Dachau, 9,845 to Buchenwald and 9,000 to Sachsenhausen concentration
camps.
Kristallnacht was a turning point in the unfolding of the Holocaust.
The general pattern of the Nazi anti-Jewish policies had been to test
(Continued on Page 7)
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
RABBI GREENBERG
U.S. Submission
to Panic
on Rejecting
Israel's Offer
of Medical
Aid to Victims
in Beirut Terror
Editorial, Page 4
Commentary, Page 2
Copyright © The Jewish News Publishing Co.
VOL. LXXXIV, No. 10 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
$18 Per Year: This Issue 40c
November 4, 1983
U.S. Senate Committee Kills
Strike Force Plan for Jordan
U.S. Policymakers
Debate Israel Ties
By DAVID FRIEDMAN
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Lawrence Eagleburger,
Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, arrived in
Israel Tuesday as the idyllic relationship that has existed
between Israel and the United States since last May is
being shaken by a dispute within the Reagan Administra-
tion as to whether the U.S. should seek closer ties with
Israel.
President Reagan, who has always publicly main-
tained that Israel is a strategic ally of the United States.,
appears to be leaning toward the argument of Secretary of
State George Shultz that there should be closer strategic
cooperation with Israel. Shultz is reportedly supported by
Robert McFarlane, the President's new National Security
Adviser who has been described as a strategist.
However, Shultz is being strongly opposed by De-
fense Secretary Caspar Weinberger who has the sup-
port of CIA director William Casey. The experience of
the last two weeks has shown that the Pentagon has
been able to succeed as a stumbling block to forging
closer U.S.-Israeli ties.
According to sources in Washington, there were at
least two meetings of the National Security Council re-
cently at which the issue was hotly debated in an effort to
convince the President. Shultz argued that closer coordina-
tion with Israel is needed as the only way to counter Syrian
intransigence in Lebanon. Weinberger reiterated his view
that this would harm the U.S. with Arab states.
Shultz appears to be close to the views of former Secre-
tary of State Henry Kissinger who, after the Oct. 23 ter-
rorist bomb attack on U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut,
said coordination between Israel and the United States is
needed to change the "balance of power" without which, he
(Continued on Page 11)
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Senate Appropriations Committee may have killed a Reagan Adminis-
tration plan to arm elite units of the Jordanian Army as part of the U.S. Rapid Deployment Force in the
Middle East. The committee voted Tuesday to delete from the 1984 Military Spending bill $220 million
previously authorized for the project.
The committee acted behind closed doors after objections were raised by Sens. Alfonse D'Amato
(R-N.Y.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). According to Congressional sources, the Administration will have
no money to fund the once top secret program unless the appropriation can be included in another bill or an
amendment when the military spending bill reaches the Senate or House floor. According to the sources,
this appears highly unlikely.
The unexpected rejection of the Administration project by the Republican-controlled committee may
have rendered moot the question of whether Israel would use its influence in Congress to fight the plan. It
has become a source of friction between the Administration and the Israeli government and reportedly is
figuring in the talks now being held in Jerusalem between Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
Lawrence Eagleburger and top Israeli officials.
Israel's position has always been to object vehemently to U.S. plans to sell arms to any Arab
country that is in a state of belligerency with Israel.
According to some reports, the
Israelis agreed, however, not to go
public on the issue. But many in
Congress first learned of the Ad-
ministration plan when Israel Radio
reported the secret funding and de-
BUENOS AIRES (JTA) — The victory of Raul Alfonsin in Argen-
tails later appeared in the American
tina's presidential elections last Sunday "has brought about a note of
press. The authorization to spend up
relief and optimism" to the Jewish community, according to Prof.
to $220 million to arm the Jordanian
Manuel Tenenbaum, executive director f the Latin American Branch
units was contained in the 1984 de-
of the World Jewish Congress.
fense procurement bill passed by
He also noted that in the aftermath of the elections, which
was a stunning defeat for the Peronists, the recent anti-Semitic
Congress earlier this year.
Argentine Jews Satisfied
With Country's Election
resurgence in the country "seems to have quieted down for the
time being."
Alfonsin, a former Congressman and co-founder of the Argentine
Permanent Assembly of Human Rights, was the candidate of the Radi-
cal Civic Union, a middle class party. He won 52 percent of the vote to
40 percent for Italo Luder, the Peronist candidate. The Peronists have
dominated Argentina's political scene since their party was founded in
1945 by Juan Peron.
(Continued on Page 6)
The plan called for giving Jordan
three C-130 transport planes, am-
phibious tanks, bridge-laying
equipment, shoulder-fired anti-
aircraft missiles, wire-guided anti-
tank missiles and satellite communi-
cations equipment.
Record Initial Gifts Boost 1984 Campaign
A tradition of commencing the Allied Jewish Campaign with the major givers setting the pace for the year's fund
raising was in evidence again Wednesday evening, at the commencing event hosted by Marjorie and Max Fisher at their
home.
Already established as a leading American Jewish community, in meeting the obligations to the causes represented
in the Allied Jewish Campaign, the responses on Wednesday evening were a triumph for the record established here. The
80 in attendance, in the Fisher home, pledged a total of $7,839,000 and the largesse of this initial giving became more
impressive in the announcement by the chairman, Jack Robinson, who heads this year's Campaign forces, who compared
it to the $5.9 million contributed by the same people last year.
A clarifying message defining current conditions affecting Israel by the guest speaker, Simha Dinitz,
supplemented reports by Jewish Welfare Federation and Allied Jewish Campaign leaders. Wednesday's
gathering signaled the advance planning which puts into motion a drive aimed at raising more than $21 million
for more than 60 major educational and social service agencies locally, nationally and overseas supported by
Shown at Wednesday's meeting for the Allied
the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish communities.
The messages of Max Fisher, the supplementary call to action by Marjorie Fisher, Dinitz' evaluative address Jewish Campaign are, from left, Federation President
outlining Israel's position in the current, worldwide developments, and the summons to action by Robinson combined for a Joel Tauber, host Max Fisher, speaker Simha Dinitz
and Campaign chairman Jack Robinson.
(Continued on Page 3)