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•THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

2 Friday, January 3, 1986

PURELY COMMENTARY

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

%fish Jew' Louis Elliman: His $2 Million Gift To Wayne Stale Universit

man Foundation for the construction of a
medical research center. The fund als6 is
to be used for research in vascular
studies. Three-fourths of the gift is to be
used for the erection of a building to be
named for Elliman.
Thus "Irish Jew "-a -moniker used
e decades ago,
with great respect ihre
gains new status here. Briscoe and Gal-
lagher would have been proud of their
one-time fellow-Irish and proud Jew El-
liman for his philanthropic devotions.

--

4

Robert Briscoe receives the mayoral
chain from Lord Mayor Dockrell
1961 after being elected Lord Mayor of
Dublin for the second time.

When Mayor Robert Briscoe of Dub-
lin, Ireland, came here in the early
1950s to assist in the advancement of
the Israel Bonds campaign,. he was
idolized by the Irish in the community.
His host here socially was Louis Elli-
man.
Hosting a public dinner at the Book
Cadillac for some 200 of the very promi-
nent in the Irish and Jewish , com-
munities, Ellim'an . Was presented as "the
popular Detroit Irish Jew." William
Henry Gallagher, a leader in the legal
ranks, presided at the dinner.
Commenting on Gallagher, in cur-
rent reminiscences, Judge Charles
Rubiner said that "if ever there was a
saintly Goy ..." thus expressing the ad-
miration he had for the eminent fellow
attorney. It was an associate in Gal-
lagher's office who was able to gain en-
trance into the Henry Ford domain to
serve him with a subpoena in the notori-
ous libel suit .which evinced .Ford's apol-
ogy to the Jewish people and his retrac-
tion of his anti-Semitic diatribes.
Abraham Satovsky, a former
Strawy Zedek president, who was a
member of the Gallagher law firm at the
time, could relate fascinating tales about
the roles of the Gallagher legal as-
sociates in the Ford libel suit.
At the dinner hosted by Elliman,
toastmastered by Gallagher in typical
Irish humorous fashion, there were en-
chanting Irish-Jewish exchanges. This
commentator utilized the opportunity to
turn the "Erin go Bragh" slogan into "Z-
ion go Bragh" because of the notable
acclaim for Zionism at that dinner. ,
The reason for the Zionist aspect is
because Briscoe joined with Elliman in
recalling their mutual activities in sup-
port of the Jewish National Fund. They
recalled the popularity of the Blue-White
JNF Box among the 5,000 or less Irish
Jews. They especially took pride in recal-
ling that Elliman's father pioneered in
JNF activities in Ireland, that the Elli-
man names are in the JNF Golden
Books in Jerusalem, that a forest has
been planted by the Ellimans in Israel.
Now Louis Elliman is in , the
limelight again in a very important role
in philanthropy in Detroit. The one time
activist, with Mrs. Elliman, in State' of
Israel Bonds presently gains importance
in the advancement of medical research.
The Wayne State University Board of
Governors has just acknowledged a
$2,000,000 gift from the Louis M. Elli-

.

Herzlian Experiences
As Guidelines Judging
Vatican Zionism View

Herzl Archives in Jerusalem,
supplemented by the diaries of Theodor
Herzl, provide the important data deal-
ing with the founding of the political
Zionist movement and the reactions to
Zionism in foreign ministries of Euro-
•pean countries.
In •Herzl, first published by Holt,
Rinehart and Winston in 1975, now reis-
sued as a 448-page paperback by Schoc-
ken Books; the well known Israeli au-
thor and journalist Amos Elon calls at-
tention to factora in the Herzlian story
which have repercussions even some
nine decades later.
A specific point in that respect is the
relationship with the Vatican. There are
renewed demands at this time that the
Vatican recognize Israel and this is con-
stantly ignored. Reviewing the experi-
ence Herzl has with Pope Pius X and the
rebukes he received from numerous
Catholic potentates, Amos Elon com-
ments: "The Vatican's antagonism to
Herzl's cause has survived to our day."
Elon calls attention to a request by
Herzl to Vatican Apostolic Nuncio to
Vienna Emigidius Taliani to arrange for
a visit to the Pope: "Taliani 'refused to
see him. In his opinion all Jews were
rich anyway and had no reason to comp-
lain. 'Have you ever seen a poor Jew!' he
once asked one of Herzl's colleagues, Dr.
Sigmund Munz, the political correspon-
dent of the Neue Freie Presse."
It is interesting, as an addendum to
the forthcoming visit with the Pope, as
Elon points out when Herzl finally met
with Taliani, that he "assured him there
was no question of seizing any of the
Holy Places. Jerusalem and Bethlehem
would be extraterritorialized and the
capital of the Jewish state established on
a completely new' ite farther north."
Taliani then assured Herzl that the
Church had only good will toward Jews,.
that when they were locked up in ghet-
toes it was only to protect them against
the mobs.
Prior to meeting with Pope Pius X,
Herzl was received bypeardinal Merry
- del Val, the Papal Secretary of State,
who said: "I do not quite see why we
should take an initiative in this (the
Zionist) matter: As long as the Jews
dent the divinity of Christ we cannot de-
dare ourselves in their favor. Not that
we want them ill. On the contrary. 'I3ut
how could we agree to the repossession
by the Jews of the Holy Land without
abandoning our highest principles?" -
Herzl sought pacification with the
explanation: "We only ask for the pro-
fane earth. The Holy Places shall be ex-
traterritorialized."
The Herzl-Pius X visit is thus sum-
marized by Elon:

Herzl did not kneel, nor did
he kiss the Pope's extended
hand. The Pope seemed annoyed.

When Herzl apologized for his
halting Italian, the Pope said,
"No, no, you speak very well." He
addressed him as Signor Commen-
datore, because Herzl, for the first
time,' was wearing his Ottoman
decoration as Commander of the
Medjikiye Order.
Herzl repeated his request
for the good will of the Roman
Church.
"We cannot approve the
Zionist movement," said the
Pope. "We cannot prevent. the
Hebrews from going to
Jerusalem, but we could never
mention it. The Hebrews have
not recognized our Lord, there-
fore we cannot recognize the
Hebrew_people."
Herzl, frying nevertheless to
remain conciliatory, recited his
old plan for the extraterritoriali-
zation of the Holy Places. The
Pope was not impressed.
"Gerusalemme must not fall
into the hands of the Jews," for
they had denied Christ and still
refused to recognize His divinity.
"But Holy Father," Herzl
said, "the Jews are in terrible
straits. I do not know if your Hol-
iness is familiar with the full ex-
tent of their sad situation. We
need a land for the persecuted."
"Does it have to be
Gerusalemme?"
"We do not ask for 'Jerusalem
but for Palestine,' only the pro-
fane earth."
"We cannot be in favor of
that."
"Holy Father, do you really
know the present situation of the
Jews?" Herzl pleaded. The Pope
would hear nothing of it.
"We pray for the Jews," he
said. "May their minds be en-
lightened ... and ,so if you come
to Palestine and settle your
people there, we shall keep

churches and priests ready to
baptize all of them."
There the matter rested.

The many incidents, episodes, anec-
dotes, historical references recorded in
Elon's Herzl included a description of
Herzl's. visit with the King of Italy.
Quoting Elon:

Victor Emanuel III assured
him that nowhere in Italy was .
there discrimination against
Jews.'Italy was the only coun-
try on the continent where all
' posts in the army, in the
cabinet, and in the diplomatic
service were open to Jews. At
the same time the King, who
had been to Palestine himself,
displayed great injerest and
much sympathy • for Herzl's
cause. "The country is very
Jewish," he said. "It will, it
must, fall into your hands. It is
only a, question of time. Once
you have half a million Jews
there—"
"They are, not allowed to en-
ter, Sire."
"Bahl" said the King. "Any-
thing can be done with bak-
sheesh." He told Herzl that •he
was pleased that the Zionists
had given up East Africa
(Uganda)• "I admire ' s love of
Jerusalem." But o practical
matters—Herzl's req est for Ita-
lian
intervent on
Constantinople—th King ex-
cused himself. He was a con-

Theodor Herzl

stitutional monarch; this was a
. matter for his Foreign Minister.
It is interesting to note that many
who were approached by Herzl to sup-
port Zionism spoke of all Jews being
rich. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was
among them when he met Herzl in
Palestine. '
Elon's Herzl continues to relate im-
mensely to current Zionist and Israeli
experiences. It retains among the most
impressive biographries of the founder of
the political Zionist movement.

An Addendum .. .
Oesterreicher Versus
Hertzberg On Vatican

An Op-Ed NYTimes article, Dec. 4
by Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, under flu
title "Rome Must Recognize Israel," drev
sharp criticism from Monsignor John M
Oesterreicher, director of the Institute o
Judeo-Christian Studies, Seton Hal
University, South Orange, N.J. (lette
Dec. 14).
Monaignor Oesterreicher, who ha
embraced Catholicism, is a frequent de
fender of Jewieh rights generally an
especially Zionisni and Israel.- He ha
been known to have expressed favorabl
views on .tha question of Jerusalem
scores of letters to important newspaper
and periodicals and has expressed hi
positive views at many ecumenice
seminars. His defense of the Vatican an
the Popes since the Herz! era therefor
merit serious consideration. In his leak
responding to. Rabbi Hertzberg he states
• • I am dismayed that Rabbi

.

Hertzberg referred to Pius X's re-
fusal of Theodor Herzl's request
for papal support of the Zionist
idea without quoting verbatim
what. Roman authorities have
said on other occasions. Why did
he not mention that the Cardinal
Secretary of State at the time of
Pius X, Merry de Val, told one of
Herzl's aides; "li the Jews believe
they "might greatly ease their lot
by being able to go-to the land of
their fathers, we: would regard
this , as a humanitarian question.
We will never forget that without
Judaism we would not be."
Why did Rabbi Hertzberg not

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Continaed on Page 8

