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CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS — THE JEW
(Continued from page 6)
:i ppened that scores of Marranos availed
tbemK'ves of the opportunity to flee
Spain.
many Jews sailed on the Pinta,
Sina and Santa Maria is not known.
Onlv the names of a handful of Jews
•rho made the epochal voyage have been
banded down. Louis de Torres was the
ifjcial translator. Gabriel Sanchez went
along >n the express wish of Queen Isa-
f ||a. Rodrigo Sanchez, a kinsman of the
fhancrllor of the royal exchequer, was
,>n the Santa Maria. Marco was the sur-
jjfon of the little fleet, while Bernal, who
kid tasted the cruelty of the Inquisition
a t Valencia in 1490, was ship’s doctor.
Another known Jew was Alfonso de
Calle.
Seventy-one days after the little fleet
bad left Palos harbor, land was sighted.
The historic journey had ended on a
Jewish holiday, Hoshana Rabba. The
agreed signal of “land ho” was the boom
ing of a cannon and the sailor who first
ow land had been promised a liberal
pension by Queen Isabella. Rodrigo de
Triana, who first sighted the New World,
was so angry when Columbus himself
claimed the prize, that “he took his leave,
went to Africa and there changed from
Christianity to his former creed." In
ther words, the man who first laid eyes
o the New World was either a Jew or a
Moor.
When Columbus and his crew landed
he selected Luis de Torres as one of the
two men to explore the hinterland of
what, Columbus felt sure, was the Orient,
the land of the Khan and splendid pal-
aces, gold and jewels. Torres, Columbus
wrote in his journal, “had been a Jew,
knowing Hebrew, Chaldeee and even
some Arabic.” Although Torres had been
baptized on the eve of the voyage, it is
not beyond the realm of probability that
when he looked at the high cheek bones
of the natives and observed some of their
familiar ceremonies he at least tried to
say “Shalom" to them. Contemporary
writers were convinced that the Indians
were a lost remnant of the Jews.
We can also imagine how happy mu«t
have been the hearts of the Jews on
Columbus’ boats as they peered in the
distance on Hoshana Rabba and glimpsed
land. They who had just left behind
them their kinsmen fleeing from the fury
of the Inquisition did not know that they
had now discovered a new world which
would prove an asylum for all the lands
of intolerance, for all the benighted
Spains of the world. On the boats of
Columbus these Jews had no “succahs"
nor could they raise their “lulabs and
esrogs" and chant “Hoshana,” but silently
their lips must have murmured those
words and their hearts must have danced
with a peace that is beyond expression.
Copyrighted I9JJ forTur SoimtrsM Israelite
BEHIND THE MAKE-UP
(Continued from page 4)
Everything he knows about this he taught
himself.
Me has a secret passion to be an actor.
Samuel Lionel Rothafel
Roxy. He averages eighteen hours a
day in the theater. When asked to make
a speech on, “What I Do With My
Leisure Time," he was obliged to change
the subject.
His favorite food is Hamburger steak
fhopped very fine with onions. His
favorite delicacy is hot dogs.
He has clothes in four places. At the
theater, at home and at two golf clubs.
Recently it took two men four weeks to
roake a complete inventory of his cloth
ing.
In the motion picture industry his po
rtion \s unique. He is the leader of
presentations, the originator of the at
mospheric prologue. Also institutional
movie houses, introducing staff uniforms
and military ushers.
Has a habit of putting a final touch
t0 a discussion by saying: “Applesauce.
Sunk. Baloney.”
The first movie house he ever owned
'eatcd two hundred fifty people. The
'hairs were removable. Every time there
"as a big funeral there wasn’t any show.
Ihe\ needed the chairs.
Valla everybody by their first name
or n t at all.
His mascot is a black cat called
“Lindy." The cat walked in from the
street the day Lindbergh hopped off for
Paris. It has been there ever since.
He speaks with a lisp. Always has a
sob in his throat. It’s a great radio
voice. "Hello, Everybody."
His favorite eating place is a lunch
wagon.
Once a week he spends the entire night
rehearsing next week’s show. During
rehearsals he is a fiery dynamo. Scold
ing. Unreasonable. Demanding the im
possible and getting it. He always re
fers to the actors and stage crew as “My
children."
His ushers are put through drills by a
“Devil Dog” every morning.
His favorite exercise is handball. Is
very proud of the fact that he plays well
enough to beat Benny Leonard.
The first day of the new program he
sits in the last row of the balcony and
watches the performance of the show he
has rehearsed all night. Under his chair
is coiled an elaborate affair which en
ables him to broadcast directions back-
stage. He speaks through a mouthpiece.
The audience is unable to hear a word.
But the players onstage, the electricians,
the property room, the music library and
the projection booth receive instructions.
(Please turn to page 24)
A JUDGE AND HEBREW
SCHOLAR
(Continued from page 16)
Rov
The
Mir
Me
T
Fror
Marcus, of Savannah, Georgia,
have one child, a daughter, Miss
-m, who is now a student in the
: al College of South Carolina,
e creed that is embodied in Joseph
herg’s career is expressed in his own
w ° r < of advice to Jewish youth. “You can
be what you are determined to be. Per
severance and honesty of purpose are es
sential to success. Adhere loyally to the
traditions and ideals of your forefathers,
mingle actively with your co-religionists,
share their burdens and earnestly strive
to solve their common problems."
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