Newspaper Page Text
An Evening With Pierre Van Paassen
he Charm of Van P
aassen as a Conversationalist Is Related
B
T H( )>E who were privileged to be in Pierre
Paassen’s company during his short
s t r in Atlanta will not soon forget the de-
lighttul personality of this cosmopolitan gentleman.
Nature was kind to Van Paassen in more than
me way: she has not only endowed him with a brilliant
intellect understanding heart, versatile literary talent,
>ubtle humor and almost prophetic vision; she has also
favored him with a towering physique, handsome feat
ures and a virile, masculine make-up. Broad, manly
shoulders, well formed head, clear blue eyes, somewhat
retrousse nose and a firm chin, suggesting power and
determination.
In contrast to his magnificent stature are his fine,
small, yet firm hands. Hands of an artist. There must
have been generations of gifted intellectuals in his an-
cestn to have had inherited these fine and, I would say,
aristocratic hands.
It is quite useless to dwell upon the writings of Van
Paassen—he is widely read throughout the width and
breadth of our country and those w T ho read.his articles
speak of him with something more than sincere admira
tion and deference: there is a feeling of friendliness
and a spiritual kinship as people mention Van Paassen’s
name. It is as if he has not only captured their im
agination, but their hearts as well.
The most remarkable thing about this man, as
far as Jews are concerned, is his sympathetic un
derstanding of our tragedy as the people of the
Book. His compassionate understanding is far
from being passive in its form, as, quite naturally
would be the case with other righteous non-
Jewish thinkers. Van Paassen transforms his pro-
Jewish sympathies into action; he is not content
to remain a dispassionate onlooker, he chooses to
be a partisan and even a belligerent in Israel’s
dramatic struggle to assert its ancient rights and
a place under the sun.
I often wondered why a man like Van Paassen,
who is a non-Jew and a distant descendant of the
crusaders, should so sincerely and wholeheartedly
champion the Jewish cause. I have no douht that
•t great many Christians entertain the idea that
\ an Paassen is either a Jew himself or has some
Jewish blood in him, or else is being “paid by the
1 he last opinion was recently voiced by
y an Atlanta Friend
By JOSEPH A. LOEWINSOHN
Pierre Van Paassen
leu
a prominent man with a lack of faith in human
decency and nobility' of soul.
I he truth of the matter is that Van Paassen is
a rare exception in our cynical age of rabid chau
vinism, bigotry and intolerance. It is not the
Jewish problems alone that strike a sympathetic
chord in Van Paassen’s heart. Other minority
groups and nationals, struggling to find a way for
self-expression and preservation of their own
language and culture, share in the boundless love
for humanity of this remarkable man. Zionism
has in Van Paassen one of the ablest, most in
formed of the non-Jewish supporters in journalism,
a man whose sensitive soul is attuned to that of
Israel, and an intelligent commentator of its ideals
and lofty aspirations.
Van Paassen, the journalist, certainly does not
need commendations—his ever-growing popularity
is self-explanatory. Only those who have been
privileged to be in his company in home surround
ings may appreciate his genius as a conversationist.
He is the essence of wit, brilliant repartee and the
art of raconteuring. I he dying art of conversa
tion recrudesces and sparkles anew with V an 1 aas-
sen. He holds his listeners round the dinner table
or in a drawing room not exactly in tense atten
tion, but rather in a good-humored, put-at-ease
fashion. His observations are astonishing in their
uncanny truthfulness, his gestures are ehxjuent and
his syllogisms are strikingly convincing.
An evening with Van Paassen in the intimate
atmosphere of a home is not only a cultural event
—it is a perfect entertainment abounding with graphic
narratives of his extensive travels and associations with
outstanding personalities of the world.
“Nahum Sokolow, newly-elected president of the
world Zionist organization, is a remarkable scholar,”
begins Mr. Van Paassen, “and a man who, regardless
of his 73 y ears, is on the go practically all the time.
I meet him in Paris, in Berlin, in Rome, in Jerusalem,
W; irsaw, Budapest, Cairo, Madrid or in New York.
Sokolow speaks and writes seventeen languages, and
how in the world he does not get mixed up is a mystery
to me! He always travels with his daughter, Celina,
whose beautiful devotion to her father is touching.
Whenever Sokolow goes, he takes with him a large
steel box in which he keeps thousands of classified and
indexed cards: lie is compiling a new Hebrew Ency
clopedia.”
And Van Paassen would hunch over an imaginary
steel box, imitating the great scholar’s senile pmture as
he bends closely to the systematized records of the En
cyclopedia. One can see the old man’s myopic stare
into the distance as he holds a card with some
doubtful word.
“C elina,” slowly calls Sokolow to his daughter,
“I think I know a man in the Hebraic department
of the public library in Rome who could tell me
if I am right.” And Celina is ready to take dicta
tion, after which the letter is dispatched to Rome.
Van Paassen’s friendly imitation of Sokolow’s
appeal over the radio in behalf of Palestine is a
humorous bit of fine histrionics.
Emanual Neumann, introducing Mr. Sokolow
to the radio audience, mentions the fact that Sok
olow has been singularly honored by the govern
ments of the United States, England, France, Ger
many, Belgium and a half dozen lesser powers.
Sokolow, standing by the microphone, protestingly
whispers to Mr. Neumann:
“Why should you tell them all that? Really,
you make me blush.” After the speech is over,
the old scholar calls Mr. Neumann:
“Why didn’t you mention the Italian government,
too
>” Van Paassen’s enacting of this scene, his im
itation of mannerisms, intonations and gesticula
tions of Sokolow is so (Please Turn to Page 16)
„„ thr platform, lift Taft Hall, fill'd to rapacity, shook wilk the thunderous
applause. 11 was an overwhelming success.
■I lew Jay. after thr lecture, a friend of mine, a woman with m sensitive tool
and of great charm, raid to me: "I wa, very happy ,., .re such a tar,, crowd
at your friend’s lecture. Ho you know how I felt that dayt
cession. Since it was this writer who urged Mr. tan raa.se,. . - , n j ,p e confided to me that fear and anxiety gripped her heart on the
an,a and it was he who made the arrangements for hit appearance under /( , rtIlr , „„ that dismal, cold ra.ny day I canid Seleetf,™
hr ague’s auspices,, feel as if I am Permitted to say a few word, apropos ^ ^ , ha , Had wished w»h atI her hem, tha, Ian I aas.rn , lecture
• ' should prove a glorious success.
/ un Paassen had four speaking engagements during his visit in Atlanta,
lit’ ’poke before the congregation of Ahavath Achim, at the Temp t, efore 1
icil of Jewish Women and his main public lecture was at the city Auditorium,
' r the sponsorship of the League of Women l oters.
It each appearance he drew the largest crowd on record, leaving a trement ous
Prcssion. Since it was this writer who urged Mr. I an Paassen to come >
. . ... Ll. & nr n nr? under
memorial event.
I'he lecture “Zig-Zagging Across Europe and Asia” was on a Monday ™ e * 1 **’
to the very day of the event there were no indications of a argr .. „
of the tickets. It seemed that there was ample publicity preceding Ian
issen’s arrival in Atlanta. Rabbi Epstein had gracious y mat e a
’ v, uncements from the pulpit three weeks before the lecture a ,
or eg at ion to turn out en masse to do honor to Tan Paassen.
began to rain Sunday night and rained incessantly all ay . on a y
s , chilly blasts of the angry wind and the downpour , n no forebodings'
for the occasion. I was nervous the whole day and had foreboding,.
ision of the Taft Hall insufficiently filled haunt., an. ' T u rehensions
'■"th a heavy heart I rode to the Auditorium and soon my ar P p , dly
•' before the light of the heartening spectacle of a large hall being rap,a y
' with eager listeners. , . .
’lore chair, and benches had to be brought in to care
am of people who came to hear I an Paassen, and when the lecturer aPP>a
Tb
SOUTHERN ISRAELITE ★
IJ U *14 v v i. *•
To me such unselfish, touching concern over another person’s fate is the fullest
compensation for bitter disappointments of the day, and a remark of this sort
the truest revelation of one’s inbred culture and a character of rare fineness.
4t this writing Mr. Van Paassen is on his way to Europe. Those who had
met him informally, talked with him in the privacy of a home will not soon forget
the magic spell of his personality. The writer of these lines will especially miss
the ennobling communion with the man whose friendship extended for almost
a decade.
It is as if I an Paassen brought with him the refreshing breath of ‘"other
suffering and thinking world, to our Main Street smug complacency. Hi, bound-
tel love for humanity, hi, compassion for the poor v,c„m, of our vaunted tonal
trucZe hi, understanding of our problem,. h„ daring to ths.k clearly and the.
courageously stand by hi, conviction, had th, effect of a bright sun beam p.ercg
the rancid, heavy air of a dungeon.
HI