Newspaper Page Text
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1952
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
The Southern Israelite
Published W««ltly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, Inc., 312 Ivy Street N. E., Atlanta
3, Georgia. WAInut 0791 - 0792. Entered as second class matter at the post office, Atlanta,
Georgia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Yearly subscription three dollars. The Southern
Israelite invites literary contributions and correspondence but is not to be considered as
•haring the views expressed by writers. DEADLINE is 12.30 P. M., TUESDAY but material
received earlier will have a much better chance of publication.
Msmbsr, American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publishdr
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
Gustav Oppenheimer Margaret Merrymarl Mildred Herthberg
MEMBERS OF ADVISORY BOARD
Meyer Balser
Sol Benamy
Dr. Nathan Blass
Dr. Jack Bleich
Joe Cohen
Reuben Cohen
Frank Garson
Abe Goldberg
Dr. Irving Goldstein
Harry Harrison
Hyman Jacobs
Edward Krick
Sam Levy
Irving Libowsky
Thomas Makover
Ben Massed
Barney Medintz
Hyman Morris
Eugene Oberdorfer
Gustav Oppenheimer
Berry Rittenbaum
Meyer Rosenberg
Phil Schwartz
Dave Slann
Harry Spitzer
A. D. Srochi
Kalman Sunshine
Sam Weinberg
Arthur Weiss
Paul Wolkin
Pulpit Gems-fr°m ° ur bible
Better is little with fear of the Lord, Than great treasure and tur
moil therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a stalled
ox and hatred therewith. A wrathful man stirreth up discord; But he
that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
—Proverbs, 15:16-18.
SAVANNAH'S COMMUNITY CENTER
For some forty years ,the community of Savannah has been
richly served by its Jewish Educational Alliance. Donated in part
by a spirited citizen provided the community showed its determi
nation and desire for an Alliance by matching with a like sum,
the J.E.A. has for long occupied a unique place in this historic and
wonderful Georgia coastal city. It has indeed long been a center
in fact, for the citizens used it for all of their occasions.
There have been no popular social clubs nor congregational so
cial halls to detract and rival the J.F-.A., which stood imposingly
overlooking and commanding one of the quaint park squares for
which Savannah is famous.
But time has progressed and the beloved J.E.A. building, filled
with its nostalgic memories of weddings and games and lectures for
more than two generations, is no longer adequate for the growing
community.
Accordingly, spacious grounds have been acquired where Sa
vannah youngsters can enlarge the scope of their athletics and a
new structure can stretch and encompass as much space as the
community can afford now and enlarge later.
A campaign to raise funds for a new Jewish Community Cen
ter has been launched by the people of Savannah. We need hardly
urge our Savannah readers to throw their support wholeheartedly
behind the drive. They know more than we the wonderful service
the J.E.A. has performed for them and which the Center in time
will duplicate and surpass.
We shall watch the progress of the campaign however with
more than usual eagerness—just to see how fine and how quickly
a determined community can act when they once chart their goal.
MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Gate City Lodge is again hunting the Atlantan who has made
the greatest contribution to his community during 1952 “in accor
dance with the spirit and tradition of B’nai B’rith." The lodge in
the past has handed honors to such distinguished communal figures
as Julian Boehm, Frank Garson, Abe Goldstein, Ben Massell, Mever
Balser and Barney Medintz.
There is no reason particularly why the award should go
onlv to men and in fact Herbert Ringel, chairman of the Award
Committee, and Dr. Nathan 1. Gershon, lodge president, have in
dicate a desire to get an expression from the community at large
on potential winners.
Many other communities have instituted similar awards as
recognition for outstanding service and the designees comprise a
brill iant procession of outstanding persons devoted to service and
good deeds.
- AJ V FSATURE -
RABBI AT INAUGURATION
An American Jewish Press Feature
The approaching Presidential inauguration recalls the historic
inauguration of President George Washington.
Rabbi Gershom Mendes Seixas then was one of 14 clergymen
who participated in the inaugural ceremonies. It was symbolic of
the part played by Jews in the creation of the new Republic.
Rabbi Seixas was a native of New York. He was named to
succeed the Rev. Joseph Jesserun Pinto as rabbi of historic Shearith
Israel Synagogue when Rabbi Pinto died in 1766. Rabbi Seixas
then was only 21.
Rabbi Seixas’ ministry lasted for 50 years until his death at
the age of 71 in 1816.
The Jewish population of the United Stages was estimated at
about 3,000 at the beginning of the 18th century, but Jews were
prominent in many walks of life and were well represented in the
U. S. armed forces.
BETWEEN US by Boris Smolar
Election Echoes
Now that the Presidential
elections are over, it can be re
vealed that prominent Jewish
leaders who are known as staunch
supporters of the Democratic
Party did not mind conferring
with General Eisenhower.
On the other hand, Jewish lead
ers who are known as sympath
izing with the Republican Party
were not averse to shaking hands
with Gov. Stevenson. In fact,
Jewish leaders of various shades
of political opinion had a quiet
luncheon with Gen. Eisenhower
shortly before election day and
no publicity was given the affair.
A few days later, most of these
leaders met with Gov. Stevenson
privately in a New York hotel,
but this time their presence did
not escape the attention of re
porters. In both cases, matters
in which American Jews are in
terested as Jews were discussed.
And for the first time, Zion
ist leaders in America learned at
the meeting with Stevenson that
he had conferred with Dr. Chaim
Weizmann for two hours several
years ago. This talk with Dr.
Weizmann, Stevenson revealed,
had stimulated him to become in
terested in matters concerning
Israel.
INSIDE ISRAEL
The Israel Government is
greatly worried over the fact
that tourism declined substanti
ally this year as compared with
1951. So grave is the concern of
the government, that the matter
will be taken up at one of the
next Cabinet meetings. Officials
are of the opinion that an im
mediate study must he made to
prevent a continued ftrop next
year.
In the meantime, Jewish so
cial workers in the United States
are mobilizing their members for
QUESTION: What is the
actual reason for having a mon
ument on a grave? (Mrs. W.
K., Chicago, III.)
ANSWER: Having a monu
ment upon the grave is one of
the oldest Jewish traditions, hav
ing been mentioned even as far
back as the days of the Bible
when Jacob put up a monument
on the grave of Rachael (Gene
sis 35:20). The Rabbis in the
Talmudic literature and subse
quent Rabbinic literature consid
er it an obligation. Several rea
sons are offered. First, they
strongly urge the marker to be
set up so as to identify the grave
and serve as a warning to the
Kohanim (members of the fam
ily of Aaron and his descendants)
from coming near the grave. The
later writings also consider it as
a matter of honor for the dead.
Subsequent sources also insist
that it is also for the use of the
living so that they know where
the grave of the deceased is in
case they have need to visit the
grave in times of need and trou
ble. Consequently, the monument
CaLcn6ar
* j p
*HANUKAH
Saturday, Dec. 13
Saturday, Dec. 20
*PUR1M
March 1
*PASSOVER
March 31
(First Day)
April 7
(Last Dav)
*SHEVUOTH
Mav 20. 21
'HOLIDAYS BEGIN
Previous Evening
a tour of Israel in the Spring of
1953. The tour is being organized
by the National Conference of
Jewish Communal Service—the
central body of Jewish social
workers in the U. S. and Canada.
The tour will last from the end
of March to the beginning of
May, and the entire trip—in
cluding transportation, board,
lodging, tours, concerts and the
atre—will not exceed $1,300. The
tourists will live in Berl Katz-
nelson Institute, near Tel Aviv,
—UNITED NATIONS
It could be said that Mrs. Zena
Harman’s election as rapporteur
of the Third Committee was a
consolation for Israel’s missing
the vice presidency of the Assem
bly by such a narrow margin—
there is this sort of club house
attitude to jobs here. However,
her appointment which is a per
sonal one, unlike some, such as
the vice presidency which are na
tional, is due to herself as a ca
pable representative of her coun
try and her set.
Mrs. Harman, who is an ener
getic young mother of three chil
dren, quite frankly admits the
latter in considering the reasons
for her being so honored. It has
become a tradition in the Third
Committee which is the Social .
Committee to have a woman as
one of its officers. Last year, Ma
dame Figuorea, the charming
and beautiful delegate from
Chile, was president. In fact, the
Third Committee has become
known as the Women’3 Commit-
has evolved both as a service to
tee for it always has a large
number of women delegates —
has evolved both as a service to
the dead as well as a service to
the living.
# * * * #
QUESTION: Where, in re
lation to the position of the
body is the marker placed?
ANSWER: In reality there
are several customs prevalent in
different parts of the world. The
prevailing custom locally is to
have the monument placed at the
head of the person. There are
some customs which have the
tombstone placed at the feet.
Others have it placed right over
the grave. Some will insist that
it be placed without the range of
the body. All these have one
thing in common and that is that
the monument is placed in an up
right position. There are other
customs, however, notably in
some sections in Jerusalem,
where the monument is placed
horizontally over the grave.
1 QUESTION: What is the
origin for the dedication ser
vice when the monument is
unveiled?
ANSWER: In ancient sour
ces there seems to be no such
thing as a dedication or a spe
cial service to unveil or dedicate
a tombstone. In the Rabbinic
writings it is mentioned that it
was a custom to offer prayers or
to study a portion of the Mish-
nah when putting up the tomb
stone or dedicating it. It might
be that the custom evolved from
the custom of praying at the
graves ; de whenever one visited
the grave. After the stone was
set up, it was quite natural of
the relatives to wish to see it and
so that visit called for appropri
ate prayers like other vis ts do.
The idea is borne with a simple
desire—i.e., not to visit the grave
w’thout a prayer or some feeling
of petition or penitence.
and will stay in first class hotels
during visits to Jerusalem, Haifa
and Tiberias. Parf of the visit
to Israel will be devoted to con
ferences with Israeli social work
ers.
This is considered an excep- ,
tional opportunity for American
Jewish social workers to learn
first-hand about Israel’s complex
problems and its ways of meet
ing them. The Ministries of Wel
fare and Education in Israel are
especially interested in cooperat
ing with the American group,
which is expected to share its
professional understanding with
Israel’s leaders in social welfare.
there are about a dozen women
in the committee this year.
Although she has been with the
Israeli delegation a little more
than a year, Mrs. Harman has
become well known for her social
work here as she was on the exe
cutive board of UNICEF, the
children’s emergency fund, and
was a member of its programs
committee. When she was elect
ed to the position of rapporteur,
an Afghan who was her opponent
announced that had he known he
was running against a woman he
would never have allowed his
name to be put forward. This re
mark was the occasion for some
mirth in the committee and can
only be taken as an example of
Moslem chivalry and ignorance.
It is not true, as has been
said, that Mrs. Harman is the
first Israeli delegate to hold an
office at the United Nations. Dr.
Jacob Robinson was elected vice-
chairman of the Sixth (Legal)
Committee a couple of years ago.
Israel is a member of the Social
Commission and Dr. George Let-
han was appointed rapporteru of
that body. As a result of being a
member of the Social Commis
sion, Israel is on the executive
board of UNICEF, and its rep
resentative was Dr. J. Baror, who
was succeeded by Mrs. Harman.
However, Mrs. Harman is the
first Israeli woman delegate to
receive an appointment and the
only woman at this Assembly to
hold an office.
Ever since she graduated from
the London School of Economics,
Mrs. Harman has been interested
in social work. She was in charge
of the children’s department of
the Social Welfare Bureau of the
Jerusalem Jewish Community
Council and was on the staff of
Youth Aliyah—although a na
tive of London, England, she set
tled in Israel in 1940. She came
to New Y.ork in 1950 when her
husband was appointed director
of Israel Office of Information
but did not join the delegation
till 1951.
With her background of social
work, Mrs. Harman is most in
terested in the social and human
itarian problems which come be
fore the Third Committee, par
ticularly the technical assistance
in relation to housing, so she
said. As a mother, she had to
leave the committee meetings
and the diplomatic receptions to
visit her three year old daughter,
liana, who was in hospital with
a mild case of the shingles. ,
Mrs. Harman has to have a
housekeeper to look after the
children while she is serving her
country in the United Nations
but she says that the children
are “very cooperative” and make
it possible for her to combine the
dual functions of a mother and
a diplomat. She has taught them
about the United Nations and her
son David, aged 8, and her
daughter, Naomi, aged 6, are
considered experts on the subject
in the Manhattan public school
they attend. The flags of the
United Nations decorate the chil
dren’s rooms in the Harman
home.
QUIZ BOX by Rabbi Samuel Fox
Burial Practices
UN fleets Israel Woman
By ARTHUR LEWIS