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Friday, June 20, 1047
THE SOUTHERN ISR A E LIT E
Page Hw
PANORAMA
Fifty Years Ago
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
The forthcoming Zionist con
vention will mark the Golden Ju
bilee of Zionism. Fifty years ago,
in 1897. the Zionist movement was
launched.
I picked up a Jewish weekly
published in New York in 1897.
Louis Lipsky had Just about
reached the age of voting then,
but his pen was precocious.
Stephen S. Wise was around the
same age, and he was at the
time rabbi of the Congregation
Bnai Jeshurun. Abba Hillel Sil
ver was a toddiing young man of
four, whose eloquence at the time
was probably appreciated by none
save his parents.
What were the Jews thinking
about in 1897. Iasked myself, as
1 turned the pages of this old
Jewish weekly. I flip the pages
and see a story about the first
World Zionist Congress at Mun
ich.
There is much controversy, I see,
about the propriety of Jews going
to such a conference. Dr. kauf-
mann Kohler is quoted as strongly
opposed. He says: ‘Because The
odore Herzl has been inflamed by
anti-Semitism, is that any reason
why the rest of us should turn
madmen."
I turn to another page where
I see some Jews feel Zionism is
unpatriotic. This “line'’ I see re
peated again and again in various
issues of the paper. I turn to an
other page and what do I see. Yes.
this is something new to me.
One Jewish leader charges that
what Herzl is trying to do is to
create a Socialist state. He says
that Herzl plans to inscribe the
Palestine flag with seven stars,
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for the shorter seven hour labor
day. “Herzl does not want these
seven stars to represent L>e ?. -
enth day of rest or the seventh
year of release, but Uie seven-
hour labor day,’’ he complains.
Well, that i6 something new’.
Quite an idea, if Herzl had it.
More pages. I see an orthodox
rabbi attacks the "mission of Is
rael” idea urged by Reform Jew
ry. Dr. Gotthard Drutsch defends
the idea. He says it is not a new
idea originated by the Reform
Jews, but that it was actually orig
inated by Isaiah.
Another page takes to task Dr.
Emil G. Hirsch, Reform Rabbi of
Temple Sinai, Chicago, for urging
the abolition of the Succotli holi
day. Dr. Hirsch is asked by a non-
Jew whether he is not really a
Unitarian and he replies, “No I
am a Jewnitai ian ."
Again I see a story about the
forthcoming first World Zionist
Congress at Murfich. Then comes
a story reporting that an Ameri
can author. Mark Tw r ain, was
present at a meeting of the muni
cipal council in Vienna, where the
anti-Semites created a great fu
ror.
Another page and there is a
Jewish "joke.” A Jew was held up.
He surrenders his money, but he
asks tlie brigand to shoot a hole
through his hat so that he can
tell his boss, whose money it is,
that he struggled to retain pos
session of it. The robber accom-
modateXs him The Jew asks him
to take a few more shots at it.
The robber plugs his hat three
modate him. The Jew asks him
Jew.
“I can't.” replies the robber,”
“I have no more bullets.”
“Now. give me back mv money,
or I'll knock you down,” says the
Jew. realizing that lie need fear
the thief no longer.
Well, the “Jewish jokes'' in 1897
were no better than the current
crop.
Another story about the first
World Zionist Congress at Mun
ich . . . There is mention also of
Joseph Pels. Henry George, the
great preacher of the single-tax
had just died, and FPls, a wealty
soap manufacturer, had become
his apostle. . . . One anti-Zionist
thinks It is presumptuous for
either Herzl or Nordau to attempt
to lead the Jews, since neither, he
says, had ever before taken any
part or shown any public interest
in Jewish affairs.
Ah, at last I come to it. The
story of the actual meeting of the
first World Zionist Congress But
what is this? It is not held in
Munich. It takes place instead in
Basle. Switzerland! The story says
that it was decided not to hold the
Zionist Congress in Munich, be
cause leading Jews of Munich
were strongly opposed to the Zion
ists meeting there.
Munich was destined for some
thing else. It was at Munich that
Hitler staged his first “putsch.”
Munich was the capital of Nazism.
If you warn historical irony, here
it is.
POPE PIUS XII
RECEIVES JOC LEADERS
ROME, (JTA) — Pope Pius XII
! last week reoeived Moses A. Lea-
j vitt, executive vice chairman of
the Joint Distribution Committee,
[ and Jacob L. Trobe, its director
1 in Italy.
They discussed the general sit-
! nation of the displaced and oth-
! er Jews of Europe. The Pope ex-
i pressed the hope that the problem
! of the 230,000 displaced Jews in
i Geimay. Austria and Italy would
be solved.
HAROLD SIEGEL
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The
QUIZ BOX
By Rabbi Samuel J. Fox
I QUESTION: What is the origin
of the custom of celebrating birth
days?
ANSWER: The exact date of the
first birthday celebration is not
known. What seems to be certain
however, is the fart that this
custom is a very old one. From
the Bible it is obvious (Genesis 40)
that the custom was even practiced
in ancient Egypt. It is mentioned
in the Book of Genesis that the
Egyptians celebrated the birth
day of Pharoah. The Greeks and
the Romans celebrated the birth
days of the living as well as of
those members of the family who
were already dead. Insofar as the
Jews are concerned neither Bib
lical nor Talmudic literature pays
much attention to this custom. It
seems that birthday celebrations
were never typically Jewish. It is
said that the great Rabbi Isaac
Elchanan of Covna protested ve
hemently against this custom.
SOFTBALL
Tie “A” Softball League is go
ing into its third week of play
with the following games sched
uled :
9:00 a m.. AZA 134 “A” vs. AZA
134 Green Bees
10:30 a m., L.A.P. vs. AZA JTC.
10:30 a m., AZA 357 VS. AZA 518.
Last Sunday's results were:
D.S I. took AZA JTC; AZA 134
"A” downed AZA 518, SOZ de
feated L.A.P. and AZA 134 Green
Bees overcame AZA 357.
Standings to date:
Team
Won
Lost
Pet.
D.S.I.
2
0
1.000
AZA 134 ...
1
0
1.000
Green Bees .
1
0
1.000
S.O.Z
1
0
1.000
AZA JTC
1
1
500
LAP
0
1
.000
AZA 357 .
0
2
000
AZA 518
DOUBLE A
0
LEAGUE
2
.000
The Double A League
for Tuesday, June 24. is:
schedule
7:30 p.m.,
AZA 518 vs. AZA 134.
9:00 u,m.,
X.Y.Z. vs.
The
An-
tlques.
With the announcement by the
City Recreation Department that
new fields wMl be available for
play in some of the city parks,
the Double A League will take
on new life and activity. The new
schedule will be published as soon
as the fields are definitely made
available.
"B" LEAGUE
The “B” Softball League start
ed its first week of play with prac
tice games on Sunday, June 15 at
Henry Grady field Additional
teams will be welcomed in this
young men's league, and interest
ed parties are urged to inquire
and sign up immediately at the
Alliance. The teams entered in this
league to date are D.S.I., J.A.C.,
and S O I. The game set for 9:00
a.m. Sunday morning, June 22 is
between J.A.O. and S.O.I.
CAMP DANIEL MORGAN
The bags are all unpacked, the
first coat of tan is already being
covered by the second and third,
and Camp Daniel Morgan is well
on its way toward another suc
cessful camping season. Enroll
ments are still being accepted for
the second boys’ session which be
gins July 3. Parents are urged to
attend this matter as soon as pos
sible.
The girls session at Comp Dan
iel Morgan will begin on Monday,
July 21 at which time the bus
will leave from the Alliance with
girls from cities throughout the
south. As in the case of the boys’
session, many of these girls have
signed up for both periods and
are anxiously awaiting the starting
I date. Applications are still being
accepted for both of the girls’
sessions at Camp Daniel Morgan.
SUMMER VACATION CLUB
With the approaching opening
day June 30, enrollments for the
first period of the Summer Vaca
tion Club are coming in increas
ingly fast. Many parents until re
cently, not familiar with this new
Alliance project are anxious to
! make this program available to
their children. Should there be
Generally speaking, it seems to be
a cultural rather than a religious
matter.
QUESTION: What Is a “San-
dak”?
ANSWER: The ceremony of cir
cumcision seems to have been es
tablished with many details during
the ages. It is generally believed
that in about the tenth century it
became customary to have another
man (besides the father of the
child) hold the infant in his lap,
while it was circumcized. This
person is called a “Sandak.” This
term seems to correspond with
the Greek word meaning “God
father.” It is also to be noted that
in the Greew church it was the
"Godfather” who lifted the neo
phyte from the Baptismal water.
Whether the custom of having a
Godfather or “Sandak” as we call
it, is originally a Jewish rite or
has traces in other religions is
unknown. This honor Is usually
any children of your acquaintance,
6 to 12. both boys and girls, not
yet familiar with the details of the
Vacation Club's program and func
tions. please have them write or
call the Jewish Educatloal Alli
ance, 318 Capitol Avenue. S.E.,
MAln 2171, and information will
be gladly supplied.
The Vacation Club program
which will offer interesting and
valuable recreational and educa
tional features scaled to the needs
of the individuals participating,
will be under the guidance of
trained and experienced person
nel. A registered nurse will be in
full time attendance with the Va
cation Club. The opportunity will
be presented for every Vacation
Club member to receive swimming
Instruction directed to his or her
level of skill. Trips to interesting
points, historical, scenic, and in
dustrial, will be made weekly.
YOUNG ADULT COUNCIL
The Executive Committee of
the Young Adult Council held Its
final meeting fo rthe season, Mon
day, June 16 at the Jewish Edu
cational Alliance. The major point
of business wah the selection of
two delegates to be sent to the
Youth Institute sponsored by the
Southern Section of the National
Jewish Welfare Board. This In- |
stitute to be held at Camp Daniel
Morgan August 18 to 24, will have
as its theme, “What Part Can
Youth Play In the Jewish Com
munity?” In attendance at this
Institute there will be delegates
from 20 Southern communities,
each representing the 1-8 to 30-
year-old element of respective
communities.
The delegates from Atlanta will
be Sylvia Vtner and Charles Shiel-
berbger. representatives from the
Junior Hadassah and the Young
Peoples’ League of the A. A. Cen
ter respectively. Both of these
delegates are members of the
Young Adult Council Executive
Committee.
given to a revered man among tht
witnesses at the ceremony.
QUESTION: What Is the ea
ter?”
ANSWER: It has also been cus
tomary to have a specially appoint
ed person bring the infant into tb«
room to be circumcized. Moot
sources feel that the term “Kva-
ter” is merely a corrupt form •#
the word Godfather. One need
only to repeat successively and
rapidly the latter term to observe
how easily it could develop hsrto
the former.
FHIS IS B NAI B’RITH
Full-Length
Movie
WASHINGTON. — Sixteen mito-
meter prints of the full-length
film “This Is B'nal B’rith” are
now available for showings at
B'nai B’rith Men’s Lodges and
Women’s Chapters, Maurice Bis-
gyer, national secretary of the
order, has announced.
The 25-minute sound movie
opens with a memorial tribute to
the late Henry Monsky, president
of B’nai B’rith, who previewed it
two days before his death. It dra
matically portrays (he work of
the Anti-Defamation League, Hil
lel Foundations, B’nai B'rikh
Youth Organizations, Vocational
Service Bureau, the “Adopt-a-
Family-Abroad" project, and the
various service functions and phil
anthropies of tlie organization.
“This is B’nai B’rith’’ was first
previewed at the Order's triennial
convention here where an audi
ence of 1,000 pronounced it a
success.
Tlie movie scenario was written
by Max Klein and produced tag
S. Arthur Glixon, both of New
York City’s Cinema Lodge, with
the cooperation of Mr. Bisgyer.
Barney Balaban, Thomas R. Gal
vin, Robert Staub, and Frank
Gallop, narrator.
Distribution of copies of the
film for 16 mm projection is being
handled exclusively by the B’nai
B’rith Press and Radio Bureau.
1003 K St., N.W., Washington 1,
D. C. A nominal rental fee of $25
is being charged to cover the cost
of technical production and peri
odic inspection of the reels.
“Dtetnifatbui (2*.
*
316 IVY ST., N. E.
WAInut 1630
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