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The Southern Israelite
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Adolph Rot*nb*rg, Editor ond fubl.th*.
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
Guitov Opp*nh*lm*r Morgar*t Morrymon
MEMBERS OP ADVISORY board
Hymon Jacob. B*rry Rlttenboum
Edward Krtck B
Sam levy Schwart*
llbowtky Dov* Slonn
M*y*r Bait*.
Sol Banamy
Dr. Nathan Blot*
Dr. Jack BUlch
Jo* Cohen
Reuben Cohan
frank Gorton
Aba Ootdberp
Dr. Irving Goldti
Harry Harriton
Irving
Thom a i Makov*.
Ben Mattell
Born*y Mediate
Hyman Morrlt
Eugene Oberdorfer
Outlay Opp*nheimer
Harry Spit*
A. fa. Srochl
Kalman Sunthin*
Arthur Weitt
Sam Weinberg
Pool Welkin
Case for Middle East Pact
Friday, April 10. 1953
ments. and include armaments
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land,
thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field
... Thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger ”
—lev. 19:9, 10. """
DOTHAN HOLDS A COMUNAL SEDER
Passover services and Seders were conducted in many a
Southern community, in thousands of Jewish homes and Syna
gogues with variations astronomically high in the light of math
ematical possibility.
Yet at each was the beautifully sentimental thread of Jewish
continuity which reaches hack generations and through many
centuries to the very beginnings of the Festival itself.
We like especially a report rendered by Rabbi Israel J. Ger
ber, new spiritual leader in Dothan, Ala., in the bulletin of Con
gregation Emanu-El. There, of course, local members assembled
for the community Seder. Dr. Gerber dwells especially on the
servicemen guests who were present for Dothan is near a military
' installation and the community is always gracious in attention to
men and women in uniform, modem guardians of our Freedom,
which is the essence of this Festival. Dr. Gertier writes, in part:
“To have seen that large number of servicemen attend our
service and Seder is justification enough for a pleasurable feeling
Put to hear their comments was even more gratifying. One boy
had tears well up in his eyes as he said: “This is just wonderful.
It*s the first Seder I’ve been to since I left home over a yar ago.
It’s just as though I was home.” Other boys, who had been away
from parents and home only a few months, also expressed sincere
appreciation for the Seder we made possible for them.
“That evening wus as meaningful to me as was the Seder
I conducted last year in the very same place that Hitler led his
first unsuccessful putsch about 30 years ago . . .
“Attending a Soder is significant to the men in service. It is
demonstrated in the replies I received from them. In a letter of
invitation, I mentioned the regular service I conduct at the in
stallation and that I hoped to see them there too. One boy re
plied: “I do not attend services on the base, but I would appre
ciate being with you fit your Passover Seder.” To him, attending
the Seder is a religious experience with deep implications. He
undoubtedly wniy> for this occasion all year and we made it pos
sible for him to attend . . .”
Israel’s arguments lor its inclu
sion in any Middle East defense
organization that may be estab
lished are being carefully analyzed
by competent authorities in Wash
ington. Some of these arguments
are very impressive and cannot be
ignored, even though pro-Arab
elements in Washington are trying
their best to undermine Israel’s
position. The major argument in
Israel’s favor is the country’s stra
tegic location. Situated where three
continents meet, Israel presents
the natural communications junc
tion among Asia, Africa and Eu
rope. Its airports and its two har
bors in Haifa and Elath are essen
tial links in the Middle East de
fense chain.
By air Israel is merely 770 miles
from oil sources in Iran; 550 miles
from oil sources in Iraq; 200 miles
from the Turkish coast; 160 miles
from British bases in Cyprus and
125 miles from the Suez Canal.
Military movements in any direc
tion would be greatly hampered
unless Israel is included in the de
fense planning for the Middle East.
Then comes the argument that
after Turkey’s army, Israel’s is the
strongest in the Middle East. The
Israel ■Government has made it
clear that it can mobilize 250,000
troops, all of them well trained,
and many of them veterans of
World War II. Also taken into con
sideration is Israel’s industrial and
technical potential which are a
very important element in the or
ganization of Middle East defense.
It is no secret that Israel’s skilled
labor is the only such force in the
Middle East.
This was proved during World
War II, when 160,000 Jewish
workers in Palestine were directly
engaged in industrial war work
for the Allies. Existing factories in
Israel produce precision instru-
PANAROMA-by David Schwartz
Change of Sex
QUIZ BOX by Rabbi S. J. 2Fox
Prayers During Nisan
QUESTION: Why are the penl- ] seems that every prayer book was
tentlal prayer* e■titled from the: called “Machzor” since the book
sacrifices in the dedicatory service | of prayer included the prayers of I men readers, but the man from
The newspapers have been -full
of the story of Christine, the ex-
GI who turned into a woman. The
story brought to my mind an epi
sode of Yiddish journalism, the
story of Dora Kaplan. Some day
when the full story of the Ameri
can Yiddish press is told, maybe
there will be at least a footnote
about the sudden and mysterious
disappearance of Dora Kaplan.
Dora Kaplan was on the staff of
the old Tageblatt. She was the
Yiddish equivalent of Dorothy Dix,
helping solve the lovelorn prob
lems and special female problems.
Dorn Kaplan’s column was a very
popular features.
Despite this wide popularity,
Dora Kaplan suddenly disappear
ed as if she had been swallowed up
by a water spout out of the deep,
but without even a ripple on the
surface. Not that the readers took
it as easily as that. Scores wrote
in asking what had happened to
Dora Kaplan, but the Tageblatt
.politely ignored these queries. One
man in particular, from Syracuse,
N. Y., was persistent in trying to
find out what had happened to
Dora Kaplan. The Tageblatt could
not tell him that he hifnself—the
man from Syracuse was respon
sible for killing Dora.
How did the man from Syracuse
kill her?
Well, let me tell you. Dora Kap
lan’s column was intended for wo-
a whole. Dora Kaplan was aghast
A letter from Dora asked the man
from Syracuse to stop sending the
candy.
But the man from Syracuse was
not easily discouraged. Although
Dora .Kaplan did not enjoy it, the
staff of the Tageblatt knew it could
count on a box of candy every
week and they enjoyed it.
plants, tire plants, iron and steel
foundries and other industries on
which a modem army depends.
Not to speak of Israel’s highly
trained scientific personnel, which
is the best in the entire Middle
East. All these factors—geographic
location, military strength, indus
trial facilities and scientifiOpoten-
tial—make Israel an indispensable
factor in Middle East defense
planning, and must be taken into
consideration in Washington, if a
Middle East regional defense or
ganization is ever to be estab
lished. ,
• • ♦ 1
DEAL v. JUSTICE t
Something is brewing in Wash
ington now which will come as a
great disappointment to Jewish
groups seeking modification of the
McCarran Immigration Act. It
seems that a “deal” is in the mak
ing which will leave the McCarran
Act unchanged. In exchange, Pres
ident Eisenhower will propose—
and Congress will accept—the ad
mission, within a period of three
years, of 300,000 refugees from Eu
rope outside of the immigration
quota. A similar program was car
ried out by President Truman be
fore the McCarran Act was pass
ed, and the visas granted DP’s and
refugees during these three years
were charged against future im
migration quotas Important non-
Jewish groups which have been
fighting the McCarran Act seem
to be amenable to such a deal.
Jewish groups may not be happy
about it, but will have to go along.
Thus, the talk about presenting
a new bi-partisan law to Congress
to replace the McCarran law may
die before the idea even develop
ed. It is known that President
Eisenhower is opposed to certain
features of the present immigra
tion law, however he seems to be-
Then one day, the man from
Syracuse appeared at the Tage
blatt with a bouquet of flowers
and asked for an audience with
Dora. The city editor bethought
himself quickly He went out to | lieve that the injustices against
synagogue service during the
month of Nisan (Taclinun?)
ANSWER: Most of the month
commemorates some festive ob
servance. The first twelve days
are the days in which the heads
of the twelv* tribes of the people
of Israel offered their respective
of the sanctuary in the desert.
Then there are the eight days of
the Passover plus the day before
Passover. This makes a majority
of the days of the month days of
festivity. Thus the entire month
is regarded as a festive one and
the penitential prayers are elim
inated, as they axe during any
festive period.
QUESTION: Why are holiday
prayer books called “Machzor?”
(T. G., Chicago, III.)
ANSWER: THE word “Mach-
r t xor” comes from a Hebrew root
meaning “to return" or “to re
peat”. The fact that the holidays
always “return” or “repeat" them
selves provided a reason for cal
ling the holiday prayer book
“machzor,” involving the concept
of a cycle of time. Originally, it
the different holidays. The early
prayer books also are said to have
had some type of calendar or cal
endar informalon; thus making
the word "Machzor” an appropri
ate term for them.
QUESTION: Is It true that In
some parts of the world the Stao-
far is blown during the month of
Nisan when the matsohs are being
made? (TR., Boston, Mass.)
ANSWER: It is said that the
Sephardic Jews of Algiers had this
custom. The reasons given vary.
Some claim that matzoh i6 the
symbol of the holiday of freedom
and the Messiah is expected in
Nisan; therefore the Shofar is
blown at this time since the Mes
siah’s coming is supposed to be
heralded by the blast of a Shofar.
Others claim that the Shofar is
blown to quell the evil inclination
in the human heart. Cleaning out
the leaven is supposed to repre
sent the moral of cleansing the
heart of evil. Thus the Shofar is
blown as it was before the High
Holy Dqy season to awaken the
soul to repentance.
Syracuse read it nevertheless. It
pleased him and he wrote a letter
to Dora Kaplan—a very warm, fan
letter. Dora Kaplan replied to the
letter with a note of appreciation.
Then tha man from Syracuse real
ly went into action.
Letters began to come in reg
ularly from Syracuse and ever^
week a box of candy, which Dora
shared with the editorial staff as
Calen6ar
&dJL
“A Drought occurs when pledges to charity are
not paid.”—The Talmud (Taanit, 8)..
•SHEVUOTH
May 20, 31
•ROSH HASHONA
Sept. 10, Thursday
•YOM KIPPUR
Sept. 19, Saturday
•SUKKOS
Sept. 24, Thursday
SIMCHAS TORAH
Oct 2, Friday
•HOLIDAYS BEGIN
Previous Evening
talk to the man from Syracuse.
“Don’t you know," said the city
editor, “Dora Kaplan is at the hos
pital having a baby?”
The man from Syracuse almost
went through the floor. He had
never heard that Dora Kaplan was
married. He didn't believe she was.
Dora had said nothing about be
ing married in her note to him.
Anyway, the man from Syracuse
would go to the hospital and see
Dora even if she were married.
The city editor whispered in the
ear of the man from Syracuse.
“He's a very jealous man and he
used to be the heavyweight cham
pion of Flatbush. Better not go
to the hospital.”
The map from Syracuse finally
was persuaded to return home
without seeing Dora.
A week later, a letter to the
city editor arrived from the man
from Syracuse. He was coming up
again to see Dora and he was de
termined, come Hades or high wa
ter, he would see her this time.
The city editor consulted his
staff. “I guess,” said the city edi
tor, “there is no other way but
to kill Dora Kaplan.” And from
that day on, there were no further
columns by Dora Kaplan.
When the man from Syracuse
came to the office of the Tage
blatt, ^e was told the sad news—
that Dora Kaplan had died in the
hospital.
“You see,” said Eli Al Almi, the
Yiddish newspaperman who told
the story to me, “they were afraid
to tell the man from Syracuse
that I was Dora Kaplan. They
were afraid-of what he might do
if he found he had been the victim
of a hoax.
“For a year there was no such
column in the Tageblatt until Es
ther Meyer began writing one.
Some day I’ll tell you about an
experience of Esther Meyer. Never
did I have a time like that.”
certain categories of prospective
immigrants can: be eliminated if, in
the course of the next three years,
some 300,000 refugees are admit
ted. Jewish immigration to this
country, which has practically
ceased, will benefit very little from
the admission of refugees under
the proposed deal, since the num
ber of Jewish displaced persons
now in Europe is very small. The
situation would not change even if
the countries behind the Iron Cur
tain permitted the emigration of
Jews. Such Jews would then be
classified as regular immigrants
permitted to leave their native
countries, and not as refugees.
They would then have to seek reg
ular immigration visas which, un
der the terms of the McCarran
ACt, have been mortgaged for
many years particularly for coun
tries like Poland, Rubania, Hun
gary, and Czechoslovakia which
have small quotas.
HUACToHonor5
Southern Cities
NEW YORK — Five Southern
communities are among the twen
ty congregations which went
“over-the-top” in behalf of the
Combined Campaign of the Union
of American Hebrew Congrega
tions and the Hebrew Union Col-
lege-Jewish Institute of Religion.
The group will be honored at
the forthcoming biennial meeting
of the UAHC in New York City,
April 19-23.
Engraved certificates will be
presented leaders of the congre
gations which equalled or surpas
sed their quota of at least $20 per
member. The Southern congrega
tions are Temple Emanu-El, Jas
per, Ala.; Temple Emanu-El, Doth
an, Ala.; Temple Children of Is
rael, Athens, Ga., and Congrega
tion Ahavath Chesed, Jacksonville.
Temple Emanuel Greensboro, N.
C., surpassed its quota for the sec
ond straight year.
I
IV.