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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
The Southern Israelite
Publlxnea weekly or Bouthern Ncwnpapei Emerunsea, Inc. Suite
801-20.S Qlcnn Building, Atlanta 3. Georgia WAlnut 0781-0792 M
Stephen Schlffcr, publisher; Adolph Ronenberg editor. Willy Pel*,
busmen manager Entered as second class matter at the post office.
Atlanta Georgia, undei the Act of March 3. 1879. Yearly subscrlpton.
tnrce dollars The Southern Israelite invites literary contributions and
correspondence but Is not to be considered as sharing the views ex
pressed by writers AH material should be received by Wednesday noon
to Insure publication in Issue of that week.
/ Stood In The Ghetto
My NORMAN CORWIN
(From his CHS broadcast of “One World Flight”)
One day 1 went with a sound truck into what was left
of Warsaw’s ghetto. For hours, I crawled around and
\through the rubble of the once walled-in city where the
Jews, after having lost nearly 300,000 men, women and
children to the gas chamber, the oven, the poison pit,
typhus, starvation, rallied themselves together, and with
pitifully few weapons, stood off a German Army. Twenty-
five thousand of them died in no time; the Nazis placed
tanks right up against their houses and fired point-blank.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of bodies still
buried in those ruins. To tile eye, there was only a sea of
ashes and bricks. To the ear, a dead silence—the silence
of a city become a cemetery.
I heard more talk about fascists in Poland than in any
other place I had struck so far. They used the word with
special emphasis.
There were still fascists in Poland, all right, and it
didn’t make me any more hopeful of an early arrival of
One World, to know, as I stood there in the ghetto, that
only the day before, after all Europe and Poland had gone
through, there had been a pogrom which, according to
five American correspondents who rushed tr the scene,
had been coldly and deliberately planned and executed—
executed by elements whom the government immediately
denounced as hostile to the regime. In any case, 41 Jews—
men, women and children—had been ambushed and cruelly
massacred.
It, was hot that afternoon in the ghetto. Hot and still.
I looked at a circular stone monument which the city had
put up among the debris. Withered and dusty flowers were
strewn about. The inscription read, ‘‘In memory of those
who gave their lives in a singularly heroic fight for the
honor of the Jewish people—for liberty—for Poland—for
the liberation of all mankfnd.”
The monument has been there for a year. But the
bodies in Kielce were not yet buried.
Are the Goodwill Movements Good?
(This question was raised at the convention of the Central
Conference of American Rabbis, and the answers given show the
need for a reassessment of past approach and method.—Editor.)
My WILLIAM B. SAPIIIRK
There are about 4,000,000 Jews living in the United
States and one of their chief pre-occupations for the past
several decades, like that of all other so-called regional or
nation-wide minorities in the U. S., has been how to get
along amiably with the 136,000,000 other Americans of
every conceivable race, color, religion and national origin
who share the continent with them.
There has been considerable controversy among Jews
from coast to coast over the merits of “good willism” as
characterized by intercultural and interfaith movements
and united efforts by non-sectarian groups in the defense of
the right's of all.
As with all nationwide movements, encompassing
scores of communities all over the country and involving
considerable planning, fund raising and public relations
activities, good willism has been open to attack from many
sides. Frequently th« criticism has come from inside the
movement where an agency in the defense field will hurl
darts at one of its competitors.
The frankest discussion yet, of the good will movement,
was held at the 58th annual convention of the Central Con
ference of American Rabbis in Montreal last month, where
two rabbis presented before 400 of their assembled col
leagues from all parts of the United States and Canada
papers on “a revaluation of the good will movement.”
Good willism in America came in for some lambasting
in both papers. But while Rabbi Benedict Glazer, of De
troit, is convinced that the movement is bankrupt, Rabbi
Abraham L. Feinberg, of Toronto, conceded it has some
worthy accomplishments to its credit and holds out hope
for improvement.
The heaviest barrage levelled against the Good Will
Movement was that it places too much emphasis on toler
ance, failing to take cognizance of the fact that to “live and
let live” doesn’t imply one group doing the other any par
ticular favor. There is too much exhortation and oratory,
Rabbi Glazer exclaimed, and the resultant action is pro
portionally small. He mentioned specifically the National
Conference of Christians and Jews, which, he said, “does
not involve itself in any social action and takes no sides on
those questions which deal with the legislative efforts to
eliminate prejudice and discrim nation.”
Rabbi Glazer also bore down on “defense agencies,”
the American Jewish Congress, the Jewish Labor Commit
tee and the National Community Relations Advisory Coun
cil, which he said “duplicate, conflict and compete” with
each other, throwing the “defense” picture into a general
turmoil. He further scored what he termed “excessive
claims” by certain agencies and the “scare techniques” used
by others to raise funds. The hope of Jews in America, he
declared, depends on the success of democracy. He expressed
Friday, July 11, 1J47
A Policeman s Lot Is A Happy One
The British Army is usually
thought of as being solely re
sponsible for maintaining Brit
ish rule in Palestine, but the
Parran affair has focused atten
tion on the Palestine police who
have much to do with this oner
ous task.
In an effort to attract appli
cants. the Palestine administra
tion maintains a recruiting of
fice on a busy London street
near the Colonial Office 1 n
Whitehall. In contrast to the
rest of the dull-looking shops,
the authorities have lavished
scarce yellow paint to make the
recruiting office a spectacular
show-window for their efforts.
Big placards implore the passer
by to ‘ Join the Palestine Police
and have a MANS job,” with
the emphasis on MAN S. The
obvious aim of the display is to
attract the veteran who can’t
get accustomed to civilian life,
and who wants to use his war
time learning to advantage.
To all requests the recruiting
officer supplies an application
blank plus a 15-page booklet
showing a handsome policeman
in a snazzy blue uniform, end
entitled ‘‘Palestine Police as a
Career."
The brochure if full of photos
picturing colorful and exotic
scenes of Palestine, policemen
doing various pleasant duties,
relaxing at a training depot, be
ing decorated for gallantry, and
playing their favorite sports.
Emphasizing how British life is
transplanted to Palestine, one
photo of socQgt players bears a
caption saying. "Twickenham?
No. Palestine.”
The brochure steers clear of
political Implications, making
everything as simple ns possible.
The 2.000-year old struggle
which has confounded the wisest
minds in all the world, is dis
missed in these brief sentences
—"In accepting the mandate for
Palestine after the war to 1914-
1918, Great Britain accepted a
heavy responsibility. The two
communities there. Arab and
Jew, have many conflicting views
and interests. This has led in
the past to civil strife and to
acts of violence against each
other and against the Govern
ment, and it may do so again.”
Britain may boast of its noble
purposes in Palestine before the
world, but it hints at the truth
to these would - be recruits.
"Britain’s line of communica
tion to India. Australia and the
Far East pass through the Mid
dle East,” they are told. "For
this reason, it is important that
Palestine should be peaceful and
stable.” Then, in a masterpiece
of understatement, the booklet
adds. "To keep the peace is no
easy task,."
Hints are scattered through
out the booklet that it might be
a little difficult to "keep the
peace," The Palestine Police
Force, the would-be recruit is
told is “not without its risks.”
One picture of an expert lectur
ing on explosives, shows a table-
full of booby-traps, mortars and
bombs. The recruit is assured,
however, that “pensions may be
granted to a member of the
a permanent injury.”
force who retires on account of
rolsm, but in the explanation of
There are no references to ter-
the work of the CID, the bane
of the terrorists, the booklet
says, "Its work includes round
ing up gunmen and drug smug
glers.” The recruit, therefore,
is apparently to draw no distinc
tion between a member of the
Irgun and a common criminal.
scope in the CID for the right
The booklet adds, "There is great
type of man.” The eager re-
the qualifications are for “the
emit will have to wait until he
gets to Palestine to discover what
right type of man.”
The booklet goes into rhapso
dies about the food in Palestine.
V ?????????? ? V ? ? ?
Quiz Box
*" By Rabbi Samuel J Fox ‘ c
cv. ■*
???????? ???° ????
QUESTION; Why Is it custo
mary for the mourner to have a
tear in his clothes?
ANSWER: Historicaly. this
custom dates back at least to Bib
lical times when Jacob tore his
clothes upon hearing of the sup
posed death of his son Joseph.
There is no law in the Bible, howe-
veer, that orders the mourner to
have it done. The law is first
found in the Talmud. It was ob
viously done as a symbol of the
dspair of the mourner for his be
loved. as if to display the fact
that something was tom away
from him. Originally, the person
at the bedside at the time of death
tore his clothes. Today, the mourn
ers do it only at the burial cere
mony.
QUESTION: Why must another
prson make the tear as the mourn
er makes the hissing?
ANSWER: Self-mutilation was
forbidden by the Bible in many in
stances. This applied not only to
one’s body; but also to ones
clothes. It also symbolized that
enough to drive a man crazy
who has to subsist on the meager
rations in Britain, and it tells
in detail about the policemen's
spare time, from taking part in
"mounted gymkhanas” to “hunt
ing with a pack of hounds." And,
finally, the policemen, having
labored to keep order in the Holy
Land, can take his annual two
weeks loc^l leave on the "lovely,
island of Cyprus,” truly a va- {
cationist’s paradise, where he
can frolic in the blue Mediter
ranean on the correct side of
the barbed wire.
death was caused by a power out
side and beyond the control of
the mourner. Since another per
son makes the tear while the
latter confirms his faith in toe be-
mourner makes the blessir.; the
lief that whatever happened is
just.
QUESTION: Why are candies
used on occasions that commem
orate the dead? (ie. the seven days
of mourning, Yahdzeit, Yiakor
Memorial services, etc.)
ANSWER: The Bible (Proverbs)
has likened the soul of a man un
to the "candle of G-d." It there
fore grew to be a custom whenever
remembering the soul of the de
ceased to light candles as the
symbol of the eternal li"h^ of the
soul of the deceased. The com
parison is truly an impressive one.
Light is known to be an entity
which can never be destroyed. It
can only be blocked from our hu
man capacity of vision. So. do
we believe the soul to be inde
structible.
AMERICANS FOR HAG ’ NAH
ORGANIZED IN THE U. S.
NE WYORK (JTAI—The for
mation of an organization called
"Americans for Haganah” whose
aim is to rally the moral support
of the people in the United States
behind unrestricted Jewish immi
gration into Palestine.” was an
nounced here.
The announcement claimed that
the new organization is "backed
by major Jewish and non-Jewish
groups." However, the Zionist Or
ganization of America said that it
has mot yet taken any stand on
the new group.
The president of the Americans
for Haganah is Abraham Feinberg,
a New York industrialist. Nahum
Bernstein, a lawyer, is the secre
tary. The organization is plan
ning to call a conference on Pal
estine immigration to meet in New
York late this summer, the an
nouncement said.
JFWISH CALENDAR
5707
TISIIA BOV
Sunday. July 27.
5708
EREV ROSH HOSHONAH
Sunday. September 14.
ROSH HOSHONAH
Monday, September 15.
EREV YOM KIPPUR
Tuesday, September 23
YOM KIPPUR
Wednesday September 24.
horror at the thought of the Jews’ fate resting on “good
will” organizations, Jews and non-sectarian alike.
Rabbi Feinberg was equally critical of the movement,
but did credit it with several major accomplishments, the
most important of which was placing some of America's
most prominent and respected citizens in the fore-front of
the brotherhood movement, thereby keeping anti-Semitism
and intolerance in the “disreputable” class and forcing their
spokesmen into oblivion. Other achievements, Rabbi Fein
berg said, were purging many Christian text-books of anti-
Semitic references, pulpit exchanges which dramatize in
terfaith group amity and the creation of a favorable clim/.te
of public opinion which has helped legislation, such as fair
employment practices, and a far reaching though not yet
matured program of intercultural education.
Both Rabbis Glazer and Feinberg agreed that action
rather than words was essential. As Rabbi Feinberg ex
pressed it, good will must not be allowed to deteriorate
into “a gentlemen’s agreement not to make a fuss about a
living issue.”
The platform from which these addresses were deliv
ered is distinguished and neutral. We hope therefore that
the problems raised will be candidly and frankly discussed
throughout the country and inspire a sincere review of
goodwillism to date. As a matter of fact, the studies under
taken by the various defense agencies themselves indicate
that such reassessment of past standards is already undeiv
way. ...