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Page Four
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, August 1, 1947
The Southern Israelite
Publl&ned weekly oj Southern Newspaper Enierpnaee, inc. Suit*
201-205 Glenn Building, Atlanta 3, Georgia WAlnut 0791-0792 M.
Stephen Schlfler, publisher; Adolph Rosenberg. editor; Willy Pels,
business manager Entered as second class matter at the post office.
Atlanta Georgia, under the Act of March 3. 1879. Yearly subscrlplon,
tnree dollars The Southern Israelite invitee literary contributions and
correspondence but Is not to be considered as iharlng the views ex
pressed by writers All material should be received by Wednesday noon
to insure publication In issue of that week.
What Price Legalism
GUEST EDITORIAL
The U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last week a
ruling by a Federal court against Arnold Bernstein, Ger-
man-Jewish shipping magnate who sought to retrieve from
a Belgian company one of his ships which the Belgian firm
purchased from the Nazis.
As Americans we are especially unhappy that Ameri
can courts have handed down a decision which may set a
precedent for other lands, and prevent Jews from retrieving
their property from the second party. In the language of
the man on the street, a second party is generally regarded
as a “fence,” and in Europe these "fences” were not furtive
individuals but brazen concerns.
The majority opinion contended that U. S. courts can’t
interfere with the acts of another state or its officials. A
minority opinion, handed down by Judge Charles E. Clark,
pointed out that the Nuremberg trials have set a precedent.
Dissidenting from the majority opinion, which was based,
we humbly submit, on isolationist legalism. Judge Clark
said: “If the policy of our executive is one of non-recogni
tion of Nazi oppression and of restitution of the Jews, I
think we are bound to observe it in our courts.” That is
common sense, but unfortunately we are once again seeking
sanctuary from the spirit of the law by hiding behind the
letter of the law.
United in Want
GUEST EDITORIAL
The United Nations is a nice sounding name. So was
America First. But so many America Firster.s were German
Firsters, and the United Nations is rapidly becoming the
Disunited Nations. Take the behavior of the Lebanese Gov
ernment in refusing visas to Jewish correspondents. What
did the United Nations do about it? It protested, and that
was all. The UN SCOP nonetheless proceeded to Lebanon
to hear Arab testimony. The UN bowed to one of its least
significant members. If Lebanon can blackmail the UN,
why should greater powers not do.likewise, and if the UN
fumbles on a relatively small matter, although of signifi
cant implications, can we have faith that it will carry the
ball on larger issues?
UN's action in the Lebanese case has had its counter
part in New York City. The Cooper housing project seems
determined on drawing the color line, and to be able to
draw it with impunity against UN staffers it has refused to
rent to UN living-units en bloc, insisting that each UN ap-
plcant file his application separately. The UN bowed to
this stipulation. Neither did the Lebanese Govt, say it
would not admit Jews, it only insisted that each correspond
ent file his application separately, not through UN.
The parallel between the Cooper project and the Leb
anese Government’s action needs no further elucidation, nor
does the UN’s behavior.
What They Are Saying
A column of pertinent facts, random notes and
comments from the English-Jewish, Yiddish general
press, culled by Bernard Lerner.
HE KNEW FARRAN *
J. B. Goll, reporting from Palestine to the Jewish Daily
Forward, tells about Major Allen Roy Farran, Mosleyite
assistant superintendent of the Palestine Police, involved
in the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Alexander
Rubowicz. a Jerusalem Jewish boy.
Goll first met Farran a year ago, at a trial at which the
Major testified as a ballistic expert. The correspondent and
Farrar engaged in long conversations during the trial
recesses. Farran impressed him as being an intelligent
man with considerable knowledge of the Palestine political
situation. He claimed to have sympathies with Zionism, and
saidfhat ail “progressive Britishers” shared his views.
The correspondent adds: “No one would have sus
pected from his talk that he was Mosleyite and the organ
izer of a fascist black squad within the Palestine police.”
Once in a heated discussion, Farran dropped his disguise
and contended that the Jewish Agency directed the terror
ists and that Jewish immigration would imperil “peace and
order” in Palestine. However, within a few minutes, in the
course of the same conversation, Farran suddenly reversed
his opinion and agreed with his Jewish friend. The last
time the correspondent met Farran was during the siege of
Tel Aviv. Farran stopped his jeep at the correspondent’s
house and invited him for a trip through the city. It was
during that trip, the correspondent now contends, that the
behavior of Farran aroused his suspicions.
# JEWISH FUTURE IN EUROPE
Reuben Iceland, writing in The Day, points out that
strange as it may seem interest in Yiddish and Hebrew cul
ture is keenest in those countries in Europe from which
Jews want to and can emigrate. There is a great deal of
Hebrew and Yiddish publishing, for instance, in the DP
camps. Romania, on the other hand, with the largest Jewish
population of any country in eastern Europe, did not have a
single type-setter who can set Hebrew letters. They have
just issued in Romania an anthology of Yiddish poetry. The
man who set the type had to learn Hebrew type-setting
???????????? ????
Quiz Box
By Rabbi Samuel J. Fox ^
CW ->»
???????????? ????
QUESTION: Why can circum
cision take place only in the day
time?
ANSWER: Technically speak
ing, the origin of this rule stems
from the Talmud (Tractate
Sabbath 132a) (Tractate Megil-
lah 20a) wherein inferences are
drawn from Biblical statements
which repeatedly emphasize the
daytime as the period of circum
cision. There may be many bene
fits implied, such as the health
of the child, and the alertness of
those performing the surgery.
In Jewish law. some authorities
insist, it is so strict a matter,
that should the circumcision
have taken place at night it isn’t
valid until some blood is drawn
from the organ in the daytime.
QUESTION: Why Is it that
only a “Mohel” can do the cir
cumcision?
ANSWER: It should be point
ed out here that circumcision
among Jews is not practiced
primarily for health purposes
although its hygienic value has
been recognized the world over.
Circumcision is fundamentally a
religious matter and as the Bi
ble puts it “a sign of the cove
nant of Abraham.’’ Such being
the case, it would be highly iron
ical for one who is not himself
circumcized to circumciae others.
Furthermore the circumcision
must be performed in the spirit
of the religious motive behind
it. From the former statement,
all Gentiles and even Jews who
are not themselves circumcized
are not qualified to do the cir
cumcision. As far as Jews who
are circumcized are concerned,
the only reason for preferring a
specialist called a "Mohel" is
his experience. Many physicians
have often said that the Jewish
■‘Mohel’’ because of his experi
ence many times performs a bet
ter job than a licensed surgeon.
It should also be noted that orig
inally the father would circum-
cize his own son and that even
today when the '‘Mohel’’ does it
he >is considered merely the
agent of the fathers
tolai LttokKlr Ivt/
e i w v v ■■
Us
By Boris Smolor
Jewish Dead Honored
In Ceremonies
BUDAPEST (JTA)—In two sep
arate ceremonies this week Hun
garian Jews honored the memory
of the thousands of their co-reli-
gionists murdered by the Nazis in
this country.
One ceremony was held at Ka-
posvar. about 100 miles southwest
of Budapest, where a memorial to
seven thousand Jews of that city,
who died at the hands of the fas
cists, was unveiled at the local
Jewish cemetery. An urn contain
ing earth from a mass grave for
Jewish victims at the Oswiecim
death camp was interred.
Premier Lajos Dinnyes. who at
tended the services, told the gath
ering that “we have sinned great
ly against democracy and liberty
and we must atone.” He expressed
sympathy for the sufferings which
the Jews underwent during the
fascist regimes. Ann Kethly, vice-
president of the parliment, and
other leading government figures
were present. Joseph Schwartz.
Joint Distribution Committee Eu
ropean director, expressed the
sympathy of American Jews and
pledged fullest aid to the needy
Jews of the country.
In Jaszbereny, about 30 miles
east of here, similar services were
held in the town synagogue. Min
ister of State Arpad Szakists,
speaking for the government, de
clared: "Let us build a new world
both for Jews and non-Jews and
let us love one another irrespective
of race or religion.”
BETWEEN COVERS
Two good volumes have just
been published by the Bloch Com
pany, the oldest Jewish publishing
firm in the United States. . . . One
is S. Felix Mendelsohn’s "Here's a
Good One.” which is another of
the author s books of Jewish jokes.
. . . The other is Shoshana H.
Sankowsky’s "A Short History of
Zionism” . . . Rabbi Mendelsohn’s
volumes of Jewish humor have al
ways been distinguished by the
author’s bringing out the best in
Jewish wit. . . . The new volume
is true to the same pattern. . . .
It is "up to date” in the sense that
it contains many of the jokes re-
! fleeting the Hitler period. ... It
is a fine contribution to the field
j of Jewish folklore. . . . With the
j great interest now prevailing
; Palestine, there has been been a
| great need for a volume which
j would in a brief, compact form,
give all there is to know about
j Zionism from its early days to the
j present time. . . . Mrs. Santow-
j sky’s “Short History of Zionism”
I does it exteremely well in less than
200 pages. ... It gives the reader
I a good background on how the
j Zionist movement was started....
I It analyzes the causes which
I brought about the growth of Zion-
I ism. It reviews briefly and to the
point all the developments in-and-
around Palestine between the two
world wars through the report of
the Anglo-American Committee.
. . . And it outlines very well the
problems which Zionism faces to
day. This is the kind of a book
made by them. . . . The matter
was discussed during the recent
visits in New York of Eliezer
Kaplan. Agency treasurer. . . . But
Kaplan seems determined that
sole control over the distribution of
U.P.A. funds remain vested in the
Agency. . . . He. naturally, ad
vances weighty arguments to sup
port his attitude. . . . Yet it seems
that his arguments are not suffi
ciently convincing for advocates
of “independence” for American
Zionism in financial matters. . . .
This difference of opinion is
said to be one of the reasons why
the ZOA Economic Department is
soon to be abolished or completely
reorganized. . . . David Tenen-
baum, head of the department, re
signed this week. ... He is a
, member of the group which in-
* n sists on “freedom.” . . *.
THE DOMESTIC SCENE
The youth of today is the leader
ship of tomorrow. . . . That is why
Jewish federations and welfare
funds are now beginning to pay
special attention to organizing
Jewish youth. . . . Ostensibly the
Jewish youth groups are being or
ganized for fund-raising, but ac
tually the work of organizing them
is also meant to prepare them for
communal leadership. . . .
The revitalization of Jewish
youth councils within the structure
of central community organiza
tions has been started with the re
turn of Jewish young men and
women from the war. ... It is de
veloping very successfully. . . .
Last year thirty-one cities of vari-
that can serve Jewish educational ous sizes reported that about $150,
institutions, as well as individual
Jews who want to know all about
Zionism without wading through a
multitude of ponderous tomes. . . .
JFWISH CALENDAR
5707
5708
FREV ROSH HOSHONAH
Sunday. September 14.
ROSH HOSHONAH
Monday. September 15.
EREV YOM KIPPUR
Tuesday. September 23
TOM KIPPUR
Wednesday September 24.
ZIONIST TRENDS
The political complications now
facing the Zionist movement have
not resolved a split within the I
Zionist leadership over financial j
issues. . . . The main issue now un- |
der discussioh between American
Zionist leaders and leaders of the I
Jewish Agency in Palestine con-j
cems the right to use in America
some of the funds raised through j
the United Palestine Appeal in!
this country. . . .
Agency leaders in Jerusalem in- )
sist that these funds be trans-1
ferred in full to the Jewish Agency
treasury which can then allocate
them for whatever purpose it de
cides. . . . However, some of the
American Zionist leaders believe
that since the funds are raised in
the United States, the allocations
for major activities in behalf of
000 was raised by their youth divi
sions. . . . This year the figure will
be much higher. . . .
In Greater Boston alone the
Junior Division of the Combined
Jewish Appeal has already raised
$65,000. . . .
In Atlanta the Youth Division
of the local Jewish Welfare Cam
paign raised more than $10,000.
. . . Constituting a real cross-sec
tion of the community, w'ith no
domination by any one group, the
Jewish youth divisions are also a
great help in cementing Jewish
unity. . . . They break through the
barriers of diverse backgrounds
that adults find so rigid. ... Work
ing together in a common cause,
many friendships are created that
otherwise might never have come
into being. . ..
In a number of cities the Jewish
youth groups are represented on
the local Jewish community coun
cil or federation. . . . On the whole,
leaders of the communities, in
training their youth for Jewish ac-
especially for this job. Mr. Iceland says that a Jewish pop
ulation of this size would have type-setters if it had a true
interest in Yiddish and Hebrew literature, but there is no
such interest. The Jews in Romania apparently see no fu
ture for themselves as Jews. It is only the Jews who feel
that they are en route to *Palestine that see such future,
however tragic their present plight.
receive literature, can be bom
barded with speeches, movies and
lectures—yet he remains relatively
uneducated concerning the Jewish
problenj. ... It is only when this
youth gives to the best of his abil
ity and induces others to give, that
he becomes conscious of the actual-
problems in Jewish life. . . .