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LIBRARIES
The Southern Israf"’”™
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A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry - Established 1925
XXXm ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1958 NO. 49
First of Five Suspects on Trial Hanukah- Festival of Lights
For Bombing Temple in Atlanta Begins al Sundown ’ Dec * 6
muiuKun, inv eiyni-uuy jvvuisil iwws*u,y wn»«n'vn»v.wr— a
history’s first struggle for religious liberty, begins at sun
down, Saturday, Dec. 6, and continues until sundown, Dec.
14.
Originating about 165 years before the Christian era,
Hanukah, which means dedication, marks the victory of the
ancient Judaeans over the huge Grecian army which sought
to impose idolatry upon them.
The triumph, according to the Books of the Maccabees,
came after years of struggle between the forces of Judah
Maccabee and those of the Greek emperor, Antiochus Epip-
hanes. /
With victory, the Maccabeans cleansed the temple in
Jerusalem of idols and rededicated it to the ideal of mono
theism which, almost two centuries later, was to give birth
to Christianity. It is for this reason that many churchmen
have expressed the view that Christians have as much cause
to observe Hanukah as present-day Jews.
Like all Jewish holidays, Hanukah is hailed both in the
home and in the synagogue. A special Hanukah ritual, tradi
tional holiday melodies, sermons which emphasize the right
to worship God as one sees fit—these mark the temple devo
tions. In the home, the Hanukah candelabrum is lit for eight
nights, prayers of thanksgiving to God are recited, and gifts
are exchanged and also ear-marked for the poor.
The Hanukah candelabrum, or menorah, has nine holders.
On each night an additional taper is lit, signifying the added
strength which comes to those who are enlisted in a worthy
cause.
Hanukah prayers stress the need to rely not on might
but on God’s beneficence. Typical is this passage from the
Union Prayerbook: “Gird us, O God, for the battle against
apathy, ignorance and intolerance which still threaten to ex
tinguish Thy lamps and to destroy Thine altars. With the
loyalty and 'zeal of the Maccabees, may we overcome the
dark forces of tyranny, prejudice and hatred and spread the
light of liberty, brotherhood and peace among men.”
(Prepared by Joint Commission on Information about Judaism
of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Central
Conference of American Rabbis).
UJN Committee Deadlocked
On Arab Refugee Issue
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., (JT
A)—After nearly three weeks of
debate, in which 42 delegations
have participated, and three
weeks of fruitless behind the
scenes negotiations, the General
Assembly’s Special Political
Committee suspended debate this
week on what to do next on the
Arab refugee question.
The impasse is due to the fact
that the United States insists on
a committee resolution that
would recommend a fresh look
lieutenant approaching the open
ing of the cave was greeted by a
submachine gun blast. He re
sponded with hand grenades
which brought out one live Arab
and accounted for two corpses.
The Arab scout who was taken
alive had a record of a previous
arrest inside Israel. One of the
two men killed was a notorious
commando leader who escaped
from the Gaza Strip ahead of
Israeli units during the Sinai
campaign, but who returned
there after the Israelis with
drew.
The comamndo captured alive,
who had served a ten-month pri
son term for his last excursion
into Israel and who later re
turned to Gaza, told his Israeli
captors that the fedayeen units
instructions were “not to kill”
but to gather information about
military movements. The three
men were equipped with sub
machine guns and guide books
on Israel.
Famed Model to Commentate
Show of Israel Fashions Dec, 8
SPECIAL TO THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Trial of George A. Bright, one
of five suspects being held for
bombing of the Temple in At
lanta, moved into its fourth day
Thursday as the prosecution
sought to prove the defendant
guilty of religious bias and actual
ly on the scene of the outrage.
An anti-Semitic skirmish over
jury selection marked opening of
the Superior Court trial on Mon
day. Defense attorneys sought by
subpoena action to obtain a com
plete membership list of B’nai
B’rith in Georgia on grounds that
it would aid them in challenging
prospective jurors. The move was
apparently aimed at disqualify
ing Jewish panelists from serv
ice on the jury.
Judge Durwood T. Pye ruled
against the defense attorneys on
the ground that their subpoena
did not name the B’nai B’rith.
The attorneys had asked for the
Georgia membership of the Anti-
Defamation League. Arthur J.
Levin, ADL southeastern direc
tor, took the stand to explain
that the ADL has only one mem
ber in Georgia, who he testified
is Abe Goldstein. Mr. Levin
agreed to supply names of all
ADL officers and employes in
Georgia.
Attorney James R. Venable
asked Mr. Levin if the ADL had
not contributed $500 to a reward
for arrest and conviction of the
synagogue bombers. Mr. Levin
explained that the ADL had not,
but B’nai B’rith had. He sought
to clarify the relationship of the
ADL and its parent organization,
ELECTED 777“
FRENCH PARLIAMENT
PARIS (JTA) — Five Jews
were elected to the Chamber of
Deputies in yesterday’s second
and final round in the French
national elections, an official
count has revealed.
Four of the Jews, Rene Moatti,
M. Dreyfus-Ducas, Marcel Das
sault and M. Bukanovsky, are
members of Jacques Soustelle’s
Union for the New Republic, the
largest party in the new Parlia
ment. One Jew, M. Ginsburg, is
a Communist. A number of Jews
who were eliminated in yester
day’s contests were nationally
known figures, including Jules
Moch, a member of several of
France’s postwar Cabinets.
ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
LONDON (JTA) — London
Alderman Michael Cliffe has be
come the 21st Jew to be elected
to the present Parliament, it was
officially revealed today.
A Laborite, Mr. Cliffe won last
Thursday’s by-election in the
Shoreditch and Finsbury District
of London. His election meetings
were constantly heckled by Mos-
leyites, some of whom were put
out of one rally by the police
last week.
Gruening Elected
Alaska Senator
WASHINGTON, (JTA) —Ern
est Gruening, 71-year-old Demo
cratic candidate for the Senate
from the new state of Alaska,
was elected in Alaska-wide bal
loting Nov. 25.
A Jew, Mr. Gruening served
as Alaska’s territorial governor
for 10 years under appointments
from Presidents Roosevelt and
Truman. He was subsequently
replaced by President Eisenhow
er with Mike Stepovich, Republi
can, who was his rival in the
current election. Mr. Gruening
will be the third Jew to serve
in the current Senate session.
B’nai B’rith, as the defense at
torneys sought to equate the two.
The attitude of defense attor
neys prompted Judge Pye to de
clare that the Jewish people as
a group were not on trial. This
observation was prompted by de
fense attorney James Venable’s
allegation that B’nai B’rith and
ADL “are interlocked and own
ed and operated by the Jewish
race.”
A defense motion to quash in
dictments of the five men was
overruled by Judge -Pye. The
judge pointed out that defense
attorneys contended, in effect,
state law provides “open season”
on synagogues for bombers.
Judge Pye held that Georgia
law provided a death penalty
in some bombings applied in the
current case against the five ac
cused. He thus made known that
he considered the crimes charged
of such gravity that he could im
pose death sentences.
Defense attorneys had claimed
that the indictments were void
because state statutes do not
specifically mention houses of
worship among buildings pro
tected by the law as including
churches and synagogues. It was
at this point he noted that de
fense counsel was alleging the
law provided “open season” on
houses of worship.
Towards the end of the jury
selection, one of the men ac
cepted by the state revealed he
was a former member of the
Ku Klux Klan. The juryman is
M. M. Cochran, a bus driver for
thirty years. The state said it ac
cepted the juror because it was
short on challenges and there
was another prospective juror it
wished to dismiss more than
Cochran.
Trial Solicitor Tom Luck de
clared the state would show that
Bright had “violent anti-Semitic
feelings,” that he participated in
a conspiracy which planned
“many violent acts” and that the
conspiracy culminated in dyna
miting the Temple on October 12.
The state would contend, Luck
said that Bright not only partici
pated in the planning but that he
was there at the time” the bomb
ing occured.
The trial solicitor said Bright
also had n his possesion anti-
Semitic literature and exhibited
anti-Semitics feeling against Rab
bi Jacob M. Rothschild, rabbi of
the Temple.
First witnesses were two port
ers, Theodore R. Jones and Rob
ert Benton, who discovered the
damage to the Synagogue, and
Mrs. Eloise Shurgin, executive
secretary of the Temple.
Defense Attorney Venable was
rebuffed by Judge Pye as the
trial moved into its second day,
for seeking to disqualify Mrs.
Shurgin and Rabbi Rothschild as
witnesses on grounds that as
practictioners of Judaism they
had taken an oath which would
disqualify them as witnesses in a
court of law.
Venable contended that an
oath known as “Kol Nidre,” which
Jews take on Yom Kippur, in
validates any other oath they
have taken during the year.
“We’re not trying any religion
in this case and courisel recogn
izes that,” Judge Pye declared.
He overruled the motion to dis
qualify Mrs. Shurgin and Rabbi
Rothschild after she testified she
had never taken such an oath.
Mrs. Shurgin explained that
“Kol Nidre,” as she understands
it, is not an oath but a prayer
asking forgiveness for sins in the
past year and promising to live
a more Godly life.
The state cross-examined Rab
bi Rothschild about the damage
to the Temple and about an in
cident at the First Baptist Church
in Atlanta involving himself and
Bright.
The incident took place the
night of Wednesday, May 28,
when the rabbi spoke at the in
vitation of the church. Bright
had challenged the rabbi’s esti
mate that there are 13,000,000
Jews in the world.
Rothschild testified that dur
ing this time, it soon became
apparent thpt he was not
really interested in the num
ber of Jews but he became
“beligerent and antagonistic.”
He said he reminded Bright
that Hitler had exterminated
some six million Jews, and
Bright “challenged me on that.”
In the cross-examination which
followed, Venable asked Roths
child, “You don’t feel kindly to
wards Hitler and his methods of
exterminating the Jews, do you?”
The rabbi responded that he
did not think any civilized per
son felt kindly about it. He also
told Venable he could not ans
wer some of his questiions “be
cause they are misleading.”
On Wednesday morning, Mrs.
Rothschild was called to the wit-
nes stand to tell of a threat to
dynamite the Rothschild home
the afternoon of the Temple
bombing. She testified that she
had listened to recordings of the
five suspects and thought she
(Continued on Page 5)
at the refugee problem before
the expiration, in June 1960, of
the mandate of the United Na
tions Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Arab Refguees. The
Arab states, on the other hand,
refuse to accept the American
proposal and want a resolution
simply authorizing UNRWA to
continue its work beyond 1960.
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Egyptian
Intelligence agents have resumed
operations in Israel and have
sent fedayeen units across the
border, it was revealed here this
week by Bamachaneh, weekly
newspaper publshed by the Is
rael Army. It is believed that
the recent smashing of an Egyp
tian-controlled spy ring in Israel
has forced Arab intelligence offi
cers to turn once again to feday
een groups for reconnaissance in
side Israel.
In its report, Bamachaneh re
vealed that several days ago,
during army exercises, an Israeli
army platoon observed suspicious
movements in the vicinity of a
cave in the maneuver area. A
Sloan Simpson, one of New
York’s most glamorous fashion
models and star of stage and TV,
will commentate the exclusive
showing of “Fashions From the
Land of the Bible,” Monday, Dec.
8, at the Mayfair Club, at 2:30
p.m.
Exhibited in Atlanta for the
first time, this collection is a
blend of the 20th century and
the past, reflecting Israel itself.
Courturiers and craftsmen, who
have transplanted the seeds of
their creative genius from their
former homelands to the soil of
Israel and flavored them with a
touch of the Middle East, are to
day creating a new world of
fashion in that tiny outpost of
democracy.
A champagne luncheon will be
held preceding the fashion show,
for Atlanta Sponsors—women
purchasers of $1,000 worth of
1958 Israel Bonds—where Miss
Simpson will join them in a
toast—with Israeli champagne—
to Israel’s 10th anniversary and
will present the 1958 Sponsor
emblem to all women Sponsors
SLOAN SIMPSON
who have not yet received one
“Forty-seven women are al
ready enrolled as 10th Anniver-
(Continued on Page 6)