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The Southern Isrneiite
A V/eeklv r Southern Jewry
0X3 -80
Number 18
Ladies*
*,3X000 jo AJO^Jun y , MAY 12 , 1950
runa total to $600,000 Mark
Charleston Jewry Maps Plans
for 20th Anniversary
CHARLESTON, S. C., (JTA)—Extensive plans are being formulated
for a series of celebrations this fall to mark the 200 anniversary of
the founding of the Jewish community of Charleston, it was reported
by Or. Allan Tarshish, rabbi of Temple Beth Elohim here.
Although there were Jews living in Charleston as early as 1695, the
establishment of the community here dates to the inauguration of
Congregation Beth Elohim, which was formally organized in 1750.
Prior to that year, Jews in Charleston worshipped in private homes.
Congregation Beth Elohim counted among its members Moses Lindo
who before the Revolutionary War, developed the fabulous Carolina
indigo trade, and Joseph Levy, who fought as a lieutenant against the
Indians in the Cherokee War of 1760. Another of the synagogue’s first
members was Francis Salvador, probably the first Jewish officer in
America to cast his lot with the Revolutionary cause, who was elected
a deputy in the Provincial Congress of South Carolina. Salvador lost
his life during the Revolutionary War.
Charleston’s Jewish population today numbers 2,000. There are four
synagogues in the city, two of them are Orthodox, one Reform and
one Conservative.
Epstine Keynotes Anniversary
Parley of Seaboard Hadassah
Drive Chairmen Have High Praise for “O uistanding Success’’ Made by Cover Girls,
Report Only Half of Prospects Reached in General Campaign, Call for Continued
Alertness to Push Fund Beyond Goal.
BY ADOLPH ROSENBERG
“Say, ’dent bill collectors is here!”
It was a house-man shouting from the window of one of
Atlanta's recently completed apartment houses to the “lady
of the house” outside soaking up
some of last Sunday’s sun.
(Specif) to the Southern Israelite)
RALEIGH—Messages from high
dignitaries were read last Sunday
at the Silver Anniversary Banquet
here featuring the 25th Annual
Conference of the Seaboard Re
gion of Hadassah.
Governor Kerr Scott of North
Carolina, extending greetings,
praised the “humanitarian ideals
of Hadassah” and said that he
was “also interested in another
great humanitarian—the greatest
humanitarian North Carolina has
produced since this state began.”
He was referring to Senator Frank
P. Graham, outstanding Southern
liberal, whom he is supporting in
the coming Democratic primary.
Greetings were also extended
by Arthur Liverhant, first secre
tary at the Embassy of Israel in
Washington; by Mrs. Harry Shor,
president of the Raleigh Chapter
of Hadassah; Benjamin Haggai,
executive director, Seaboard Z.O.
A., and by M^yor J. P. Snipes of
Raleigh, and Mrs. Samuel Lubin,
president, Seaboard Region.
Keynote address was delivered
by Rabbi Harry H. Epstein, spirit
ual leader of the Ahavath Achim
Synagogue in Atlanta. He gave an
account of “An American Rabbi
Looks at Israel,” based on his
recent visit to Israel.
Tracing the brief history of Is
rael’s de%'elopment, Rabbi Epstein !
stressed the amazing energy and I
resourcefulness of the citizens of'
this infant State. Through a series I
of inspiring first-hand stories, he
brought home to the audience of
several hundred, the spirit of
faith and optimism of a people
reborn in freedom. He added:
“The land and the people in
spire one with a new soul, a new
life and a new freedom. They in
ject one with abiding strength,
with unebbing vitality, with hope,
with the ability to perforin mira
cles.”
She had cautioned the worker
to be on the look-out for th£
“Cover-All Gills” expected to call
during the day and make a solici
tation for Atlanta's 1950 Welfare
Fund Drive.
The team of women however
were not given a bill collectors’
run-around and the apartment
owner left her comfortable spot
on the lawn and rushed upstairs
by a rear entrance to greet them
with her pledge.
The notice of the worker too
had been the warning for other
occupants of the apartment house
I who likewise had rushed to their
I units and awaited the ‘‘Cover
j Girls.”
This welcoming attitude was
1 the rather general report brought
I back by the several huricTrcd vol-
| unteers who took to the “door-
I bells” in behalf of the Atlanta
I Women’s Division of the Welfare
Fund campaign.
Having been asked to remain at
home by advance notices from the
Division, the potential givers did
just that. They waited for the
workers to come with their pledge
cards. Some had checks made out
in advanoe. Some had to be con
vinced. Others took the initiative
and filled out the cards without
much ado. The religious schools
too had cooperated and declared a
holiday for the day.
The ranks of leadership in the
Women’s Division dissolved for
the one-day canvass job as cono-
nels and captains took their place
as privates in ttie all-out effort to
complete the major portion of the
solicitation.
And when the workers had done
their job, they reported to the
Temple Hall for a quick snack and
drink refresher.
The results surprised and en
thused all of them. A total of 1,200
women had been reached and it
was announced that an additional
$20,000 had been tabulated for the
Welfare Fund workers.
There was such wonderful co
operation on the part of all work
ers that the drive’s general chair
men, Rabbi Harry Epstein and
Rabbi Jacob Rothschild said “it is
impossible to single out any one
for special citation."
Instead, they issued special
commendation to all the workers
in the Women’s Division, through
the General Chairmen, Mrs. Jake
Abelson, Mrs. I. M. Weinstein and
Lehman Protests Release
of Two Ships to Egypt
Cross Burned
at Home of Va.
JWY Leader
SUFFOLK, Va., (JTA)—The
Suffolk City Council is expected
to adopt an ordinance against
cross-burning this week, following
the burning of a cross by a Klan-
like group across the street from
the home of A1 Duden, a leading
citizen and a former department
commander of the Jewish War
Veterans. An ordinance has been
drafted by the Council for firjal
reading at the next meeting.
Suffolk is known to be a former
stronghold of the Ku Klux Klari
and there have been other cross
burnings reported in southern
Virginia during recent months. It
is believed that the latest burning
was a “warning” intended to
frighten Jews who plan to build
homes on property near Mr.
Ruden's residence in Suffolk’s
fashionable suburban district.
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—The
State Department this week offi
cially announced the release of
two former U.S. Navy vessels
turned over to Egypt as “com
mercial” vessels. The former
American fighting ships, “Papua”
and “Tobago,” manned by Egypt
ian Royal Navy crews, were told
that they could sail at will.
Representations against clear-
j ance of the ships’ transfer to
| Egypt were made by Sen. Herbert
I H. Lehman, it was learned this
I week. Sen. Lehman also called the
j attention of Senators to the trans-
j fer of American vessels to Egypt
; and entered evidence in the Con-
I gressional Record indicating that
the frigates are not intended for
“commercial” use. He said:
“Although it was claimed that
the ships were to be used for pas
senger service, they have no pas
senger capacity except for crowd
ed quarters for the crews and the
superstructures of the ships show
a number of gun mounts and
ammunition bins and
charge racks.
“The ships were reconditioned
at an estimated cost of $75,000. It
should be remembered that these
ships are destined for the Middle
East, where the Arab League is
restive, and where a peace be
tween the Arab states and Israel
has not yet been written," Sen.
Lehman pointed out.
The State Department said it
was satisfied that the ships would
be used for “commercial purposes
only." An inspection was made,
following the disclosure by the
press of the transfer of the ships
and it was found that “they were
demilitarized according to navy
specifications which the State De
partment concurred in,” the De
partment claimed
Washington sources were puz
zled by the clearance as the ships
were inspected by reporters who
saw gun stands, depth charge
stands, and found that the vessels
were obviously fighting craft
which can easily be re-gunned for
battle. The State Department de
nied these press reports, admitting
however, that “there were some
reinforced places on the deck for
the mountings of guns.”
Mrs. Herman Heyman, and thru
the “Cover-All Day” co-chair
men, Mrs. Abner Lichtenstein,
Mrs. George Chait and Mrs. Mau
rice Pepper for the “magnificent
job you have accomplished. Your
fecord on this day is indeed a tes
timonial to women’s ihterest and
ability in communal and Welfare
Fund affairs.”
Meanwhile headquarters of the
campaign announced that pledges
to date have climbed to $600,000.
Late developments in the cam
paign included the following
special events:
1. Dinner for the Atlanta Psy-
sicians and Dentists Division, ad
dressed by Rabbi Jacob Roth
schild. This Division held its own
in pledges, with slight increases
reported in most instances.
2. A general solicitation dinner
for women on May 3, addressed
by Stefan Heym, author of "The
Crusaders,” popular novel of a
season ago and writer of note.
Campaign officials noted that to
date about 2425 contributors have
been reached, less than half of the
total.
Significance of this figure, it
was pointed out, is that Atlanta
has an “excellent opportunity” of
pushing the drive well past its
goal if the alertness and respon
sibility shown so far are contin
ued by both workers and donors.
B’nai B’rith Plans Institute
of Judaism at Wild Acres
(Special to Southern Israelite)
An Institute of Judaism, ded
icated to Jewish knowledge and
inspiration in the work of B’nai
B’rith, will be held at Wildacres,
North Carolina, from Wednesday
evening, Aug. 2, through Sunday
noon, Aug. 6, 1950 under the
sponsorship of District Grand
Lodge No. 5 of B’nai B’rith.
Lecturers at the institute will
be Dr. Mordecai M. Kaplan, noted
scholar, professor and lecturer;
Dr. Solomon Grayzel, prominent
historian ?nd editor of the Jewish
Publication Society .of America;
and Richard E.Gutstadt, executive
vice chairman of the Anti-Defa
mation League.
According to information sup
plied by Abe Shefferman, chair
man of reservations for the insti
tute, the space at Wildacres itself
is limited to 50 men, with accom
modations for 25 additional at a
41
JTA Writer Visits “Demilitarized
Ship U. S. Sold to Egypt
BY MILTON FRIEDMAN
JTA’s Washington Correspondent
BALTIMORE, (JTA)—The Egyptian royal navy this week
depth gave me an enlistment pep talk abroad their new naval craft
' in Baltimore Harbor.
We talked about the coming “second round” against Israel.
It happened this way. I went to the Bethlehem shipyards
and boarded the two speedy ships which have just been
nearby hotel. Total fee for attend
ing the institute will be $40.00.
This includes tuition, room and
board. For those staying at the
hotel, the fee will be $20.00 for
tuition, plus hotel expenses.
Reservations will be made in
the order of their acceptance and
it is expected that many more will
want to come than available space
will permit. The institute is limit
ed to men; however, if space is
available within 30 days prior to
the institute, those men making
reservations will be advised and
may also make reservations for
their wives.
Those members of B’nai B’rith
interested in attending the insti
tute are requested to forward re
quest for reservations, along with
check for $40.00, to Abe Sheffer
man, 514 Colorado Building,
Washington 5, D. C.
He added that a lot of “the boys”
were already in Egypt and that
turned over to Egypt by the U. S.
My purpose was to find whether
the State Department’s assertion
that the ships would be used only
for a “commercial purposes” was
correct.
The Navy has assured the State
Department that the former fight
ing ships Papua and Tobago have
been “demilitarized by Navy
standards.’ ’Although the guns
were removed I found all turrets
intact and ammunition bins un
touched. The radar mast, search
lights, and other equipment were
plainly evident.
As I looked about for evidence
of “demilitarization” I was chal
lenged by several crew members.
I asked to see an officer or the
captain. A weather-beaten Brit
isher appeared, dressed in a bad
ly-worn officer’s uniform, without
insignia markings. I told him I
was an ex-C. I., who was interest
ed in adventure, quick money, and
the “second round” against the
Jews. ,
We chatted for a few moments
about the Jews and less interest
ing subjects. He told me that the
Papua and Tobago would sail for
Alexandria but that the crew was
“a bunch of bloody dirty wogs”
and that I would do better to
work a “deal” through the Egyp
tian Embassy. He said he knew of
a passenger ship which is sched
uled to leave to Alexandria in a
few days. I was assured that I
could get an officer’s commission.
(Continued on page three)