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COLUMBUS—Plans are being made here for the forthcom
ing Southeastern Regional Conference of Hadassah scheduled
February 21-23.
Mrs. Aaron Funk is chairman of the Planning Committee of
the Columbus Chapter of Hadassah, which will serve as host to
' the cohvention. Mrs. I. D. Shapiro of Augusta is conference co
ordinator.
Shown at the left at the organizational meeting laying the
initial plans for the conference are (first row left to right) Mrs.
Emanuel Kulbersh, treasurer; Mrs. George Sivak, secretary; Mrs.
Aaron Funk, chairman; Mrs. Sam Meyers, secretary, Mrs. Wil
liam Sherman, publicity: (second row, 1. to r.) Mrs. W. Snyder,
Choral Group: Mrs. Aaron Satlof, reservations and registration;
Mrs. David Gerson, tickets; Mrs. Rupert Kantor, hospitality; Mrs.
Dan Besser, special arrangements; Mrs. Joe Wilensky, exhibits;
Mrs. Isadore Monsky, reservations and registration. Mrs. Hyman
Witt, banquet and luncheons, and Mrs. Dave Berman, decora
tions, were not present when the picture was taken.
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry
Established 1925 1 Su
OUR NEW ADDRESS
627’/j Peochtree St., N. E.
New Phone: ELgin 8249
Atlanta 3, Ga.
VOL. XXVIII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1953
No. 50
Concern Over Anti-Semitism Declining Austria Rejects Demand for
Among U. S. Jews, Survey Shows tt»i n , a..i .
Heirless Property settlement
NEW YORK, (JTA) — Concern
over anti-Semitism as an incentive
for participation in Jewish affairs
has been relegated to a minority,^ Hfe _ in the foresee able future
position in this country according at , east _ wiil continue to struggle
survey conducted by thej for its very existence against the
sions:
1. The synagogue leadership
must undergo a "profound and
vigorous" change or, congregation-
to
United Synagogue of America. The
survey was conducted in coopera
tion with the Bureau of Applied
Social Research of Columbia Uni
versity.
The results of the survey indi
cate that three-quarters of the
synagogue leaders in the United
States and Canada believe that the
synagogue is the center of Jewish
life and the prime motivation for
their participation in congrega
tional affairs.
The survey also reported a
growing awareness among leaders
that a basic knowledge of the
spiritual concepts of Judaism is an
indispensable prerequisite for
leadership. It revealed a clear
trend toward the rejuvenation of
synagogue leadership and empha
sized the fact that in the last two
years 24 percent of those who have
assumed leadership in the Con
servative synagogues have been
younger people.
The survey reported that "isola
tionism” in congregational life is
receding and that inter-congrega
tional cooperation is gaining; that
synagogue leadership is still over-*,
taxed because of a dearth of lead
ership personnel that the samej JERUSALEM, (JIA; Davm
leaders who serve the synagogue Pcn Gurion submits his resigna-
are pressed into leadership of! tion as Premier to President Ben
many other organizations within' Monday.
the community; and that 50 per- Sunday, at the regular Cabinet
cent of the leaders believe syna-! session, the Cabinet granted Mr.
gogue leadership in general is not | Ben Gurion an indefinite vacation
democratically elected and is not j starting Tuesday. Foreign Minister
tremendous odds of a general apa
thy.
2. The Conservative movement,
in spite pf its rapid expansion in
recent years, is not sufficiently
rooted in the public consciousness
of Conservative Congregations.
Organizational affiliations must be
matched by an affiliation in spirit.
3. The problem of synagogue
leadership reaches far beyond con
gregational confines. It revolves
around the general leadership cri
sis in the Jewish community at
large. It is a community problem.
The report concluded with a
recommendation that the United
Synagogue take the initiative in
rallying the Jewish community
for concerted action in launching
and sustaining a national drive for
leadership building and develop
ment.
VIENNA (JTA)—The Austrian
Government has definitely reject-
edthe demands of world Jewish
organizations for a lump sum set
tlement of heirless property claims
of Jewish vicitms of the Nazis,
after having negotiated with the
Jewish groups for six months
over the amount of such settle
ment, it was learned here this
wee k-e n d from authoritative
sources. The Austrian Government
has also turned down all proposals
for advance payment of any of the
heirless restitution claims.
A case-by-case investigation of
the claims is only possible six
months after the ratification of an
Austrian state treaty with the Al
lied powers, the government
claimed. This argument was ad
vanced by the government on the
basis of a number of Austrian
laws which provide for the sub
mission of claims for return of
heirless property until six months
after the treaty ratification. In in
forming the Jewish groups of its
Gurion Resigns;
Goes On Vacation
decision, the government also
argued that if it were to settle the
claims with the Jewish groups,
claimants could, until six months
after treaty ratification, demand
property which had been included
in the lump sum settlement.
The Austrian Government also
told the Jewish groups that they
had started off on the wrong basis,
since the granting of restitution to
racial pe^secutees would mean
“discrimination” in favor of one
group. Special regulations favor
ing individual cases or groups
was contrary to Austrian Govern
ment policy, it declared.
Nevertheless, it was reported,
the government told the Jewish
organizations that it was “willing
to continue the negotiations,” and
asked for new Jewish offers for a
settlement of the problem of heir
less property.
Or Ye Shalom Hededication
Synagogue at Ceremonies
By Adolph Rosenberg
Climaxing a brilliant program Ve Shalom Choir, Cantor Schwartz-
Leadera.
Meanwhile, after a week-end of
discussion, the General Zionists
agreed to renew negotiations with
the Mapai for a new coalition Cab
inet. The talks were broken off
last week. The Mapai-Mapam
talks seem to be getting nowhere,
operating on democratic principles, j Moshe Sharett, the Mapai Party’s! but there will be another meeting
choice to succeed Mr. Ben Gurion | between representatives of the two
as Premier, has been named Act-1 labor parties tomorrow.
ing Premier. Pinchas Lavon, Min- j
ister without portfolio, has been ^ e h man Message
named Acting Defense Minister.
At the same time, the survey re
vealed that the leadership in Con
servative congregations does not
come up to standards as upheld by
the Conservative movement and
that 70 percent of those in office
refuse to accept the responsibili
ties of top leadership. The survey
reported the necessity of a
thorough educational effort on a
national scale to build leadership
for synagogue and community.
Declaring that synagogue leader
ship in Conservative congregations
“has arrived at the crossroads,”
the United Synagogue of America
announced the following conclu
Dr. Peretz Naphtali, another
Minister without portfolio in the
present government, has been
named Acting Finance Minister
while Levi Eshkol is in the United
States. Mr. Eshkol left this morn
ing for the U. S. where he will re
main for ten days to raise funds
to cover Israel’s short term obli
gations and will confer with
United Jewish Appeal and bond
organization leaders. He will not
meet with any U. S. Government
On WAG A Dec. 15
A message on immigration by
Senator Herbert Lehman of New
Yourk will be broadcast over
Station WAGA at 10:15 p. m.
Tuesday, December 15.
The program is a discussion of
the Immigration and Citizenship
Act of 1953.
Senator Lehman will be inter
viewed and introduced by Earl
Harrison, former Commissioner of
Immigration under Truman.
by congregation officials and visit
ing dignitaries, Rabbi Harry Ep
stein made the official dedication
address of OrVe Shalom’s re
modeled Synagogue last Sunday.
The structure, modernized and
transformed into subtle loveliness
by joint action of the membership,
is hardly recognizable as the old
church building into which the
Congregation first moved in 1948.
The beautiful memorial windows
were designed by Rabbi Joseph
Cohen, spiritual leader.
And what is more—the entire
remodeling cost has already been
paid for so that the group faces the
future without being hampered by
a mortgage.
Not that members do not hope
to make improvements in the fu
ture. President Isaac Habif pointed
out that he hopes that new pews
can be purchased and other addi
tions be made.
Rabbi Epstein exhorted the au
dience to a rededication to Juda
ism, in keeping with the Hanukah
season and the rededication of the
remodeled Synagogue.
Rabbi Tobias Geffen of Shearith
Israel Congregation, who read
Psalm 30 and ceremonies for light
ing the Hanukah candles, gave a
message in Hebrew, which Rabbi
Joseph Cohen translated to his
congregation. Rabbi Geffen remi-
nesced about the early days of the
Sephardic group in Atlanta and
recalled its progress since.
Cantor Joseph Schwartzman
presented several musical num
bers on the program as did the Or
man is the cantor of Congregation
Ahavath Achim.
Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild of
the Temple gave the invocation
and Rabbi Arnold Heisler of
Shearith Israel Synagogue the
closing prayer.
Rabbi Emanuel Feldman of Beth
Jacob Congregation gave a scrip
ture reading. Rabbi .David Marx
of the Temple, who was on the
program, was called out of town
to a family reunion in New
Orleans.
Mrs. Isaac Galanti, president,
spoke for the Or Ve Shalom Sis
terhood. Frank Garson, who had
the honor of opening the Ark,
told of his part in the Congrega
tion's acquiring the current site.
Columbus Begins
Preparations for
Hadassah Parley
February 21-23
Emergency Parley
Called By U.J.A.
Emergency conference for the
United Jewish Appeal has been
called for this weekend in New
York.
Principal speakers on the a-
genda include Mrs. Eleanor Roose
velt, Levi Eshkol, finance minister
for Israel, who has flown to this
country especially for the weekend,
Abba ,Eban and Edward M. M.
Warburg.
A special conference on Israel’s
financial problem was called by
a group of the national leaders
preceeding the U. J. A. conference
for Thursday evening.
I. M. Weinstein, former presi
dent of the Atlanta Jewish Wel
fare Fund, was among those pres
ent Thursday.
A number of Atlantans were
scheduled to attend the thirty-
ninth annual meeting of the Joint
Distribution Committee Thursday
evening.
The Atlanta delegation to the
New York meetings included Mr.
and Mrs. Barney Medintz, Otto
Orkin and his son William B. Or-
kin, and Edward M. Kahn.