Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

h|* Four III SOUTHERN ISRAELITE Friday, March 26, IMS The Southern Israelite FabUriied Weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 190 Coart- land St, N.E., Atlanta 2, Georgia, TR 6-8*49, TR. 6-8240. Entered as second class matter at the post office, Atlanta, Georgia under the Act of March 8, 1879. Yearly subscription fire dollars. The Southern Israelite Invite*? literary contributions and correspondence but Is not to be considered as sharing the views expressed by writers. DEAD LINE is lldl PJL, TUE8DAY, but material received earlier will have a much better chance of publication. Gustav Oppenheimer, Margaret Merry man, Sylvia Kletzky Karen Hurtig, Kathleen Nease, Jennie Loeb Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher NATIONAL EDITORIAL I as S 0C 5’@ n toiiuiLimmiga Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers PURIM—ZOLL FREILICH ZEIN Purim usually isn’t treated too seriously in the calendar of Jewish holidays. Yet one preeminent Jewish thinker, Moses Maimonides, held that even after the coming of the Messiah, when all other holidays will have been shelved as it were, Purim would remain. Despite the levity, perhaps in part because of it, Purim retains an extra-ordinary vitality, particularly in Israel, where the gaiety of the year seems to reach its top in the Purim “Adloyada” parade. The details of the parade vary from time to time. Always of course there is a full comple ment of masqueraded Mordecais and Esthers, but of late many of the youngsters have taken to cowboy masquerades, a practice whose derivative is our own American western tradition. This is all in harmony with the holiday, for the very word “adloyada” betokens a dropping of the ordinary limitations. It is a time to be a little indiscreet—a time for a little excess. And, besides, who shall say there is not a basic harmony between hamantashen and cowboys. Certainly a villain like Haman would never have gotten far in our west. The indignant citizens of the town would have formed a possee and made a hamantash out of him, making good use of their lariats. And speaking of Mordecai, American Jewish history proudly points to a great Jewish pioneer, Abram Mordecai, who back in 1785 before the Constitution was adopted, estab lished the city of Montgomery, Alabdma. We are glad to say that he lived to a ripe old age, missing the hundred mark by a year, and not many years ago the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a plaque in his memory. So the lads in Tel Aviv who wear cowboy hats and uni forms in the Purim parade seem at least to have history on their side. A sip, we understand, is good for the spirits every day of the year, but without the “adloyada” measure Purim would be no different from all the other days of the year. If Purim indeed is to outlast all the holidays it is because it is an occasion for unusual conviviality. WHAT ABOUT ISRAELI PRODUCTS? Familiar to our readers are the mass appeals of aiding the State of Israel through philanthropy, the purchase of bonds and such efforts which have been brought before us dramatically and forcefully. But another way exists and in the long haul of building up the economy of Israel,'it cannot be overlooked. This is through purchase of the various products which are being imported into this country and which are on sale at places readily accessible to most of us. These products include delicious edibles and wines of various sorts, as well as gift items, candles and the like which could easily become a steady item in our daily lives. Right now, many of the edibles are geared for the Pass- over season but we will fail in meeting the need if we re strict our purchases to a few matzos, pesachdiche candy or sacramental wine for this limited holiday time alone. The food is suitable to almost daily use and our readers, we feel, should make a habit of acquiring some of the products regu larly. It is not enough to make casual inquiry or spasmotic purchases. We should try conscientiously to buy these items regularly. In this manner, we will help create an increasing demand for the items which that country can manufacture, create and sell in the all-important world trade market. Therein lies one of the surest ways to be of assistance. We are happy to see several Jewish organizations not ably Hadassah and various congregation Sisterhoods, through their gift shops, begin to place emphasis on using Israeli products. So far this emphasis has hardly passed the novelty stage. The pace must quicken before the effect can have permanent and significant value. MOSCOW COMMENTS ON JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM RUMANIA MUNICH, (JTA)—A Moscow broadcast, quoting an article in the Soviet newspaper Trud, organ of the labor unions, this week criticised reports that about 250,000 Jews from Rumania will reach Israel “within the next two or three years.” The articles stressed that “according to the 1956 census in Rumania, there are only 146,264 Jews there.” • The article especially attacked the Israel Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. It said that the Israel n-ime Minister “is pleased when anti-Semitism prevails somewhere, for it provokes emigration to Israel.” An attack on Israel has also appeared in Lvovskaya Pravda, Communist daily newspaper published in Lvov, the Soviet part of Galicia. The article said “bourgeois-nationalist propaganda” is be ing spread in Jewish communities in the Lvov district “with the help of reactionary circles in Israel.” U. S. Science Suffers From Bigoted ♦ Immigration Laics, Says Lehman KNOW THE BOOK The Hebrew Scriptures in the Making by MAX L. MARGOLIS Position of the Rabbis The tripartite division of the Hebrew Bible, so generally vouched for, is remarkable if it be remembered that for a long time the collection existed in thought only. The five books of the Torah had always formed a unit or a single scroll, with a blank space of four lines between oontigi- ous books. In public reading, on ly such a scroll might be used, although for purpose of follow ing the reader or for private study single volumes for each book (‘One Fifth’, homesh) were permitted.* In an ancient source in the Talmud (Baba Batra 13b), the teachers are divided in their op inion as to whether the three parts of the Scriptures may be joined together. According to Rabbi Meir (130- 160 common era), it is lawful to combine the whole of the Scrip tures in one volume. His con temporary, R. Judah, demands three volumes, one for each of the three parts. The other scho lars go still farther and require a single volume for each sep arate book of the Prophets or of the Writings. Rabbi Judah adduces in sup port of his opinion a precedent when a certain Boethus, by the authority of Eleazar ben Azariah (90-130), had the eight books of the prophets in one volume. But Rabbi Meir cites another prece dent for bringing together all the Scriptures in one scroll, with proper blanks between single books. The latter opinion prevails. The Torah clearly possesses a higher degree of holiness than the other two parts of the Scrip tures. Next Week; The Biblia Books —Traditional Process (From “The Hebrew Scriptures In the Making." The Jewish Publication Society of America, 222 N. 15th Street, Philadelphia 2, Pa.) 21 Youths Charged With Vandalizing East Harlem Synagogue NEW YORK, (JTA) —Police, using the clue of a school news paper found on the scene, this week rounded up 21 youths ac cused of looting and wrecking the interior of the Beth Hame- drosh Synagogue in East Har lem. Religious scrolls were torn and stolen, furniture was broken and windows smashed in the vandalism for total damages estimated at more than $2,000. Detectives found a newspaper published at P.S. 72 which is next to the synagogue. They went to the school and conducted an investigation which resulted in charges of burglary, malicious mischief and delin quency against Angel Rodri guez, 19 and Angel Bonet, 17. Nineteen others, ranging in age from eight to 15, were accused of delinquency. NEW YORK, (JTA)—Major responsibility for the country’s loss of the wide lead it once en joyed in scientific attainment was placed upon bigoted immi gration laws by former Senator Herbert H. Lehman this week. “Bigoted immigration laws en acted during the past generation, climaxed by tne McCarran- Walter Act of 1952, has contri buted as much as any other single factor to the deadly dang er in which the qause of free dom stands now,” Lehman told 200 community, resettlement and philanthropic leaders at the 10th anniversary dinner of the New York Association for New Americans. NY ANA, since its in ception in 1949, aided 70,000 Jewish newcomer^ to establish themselves in the Greater New York area. It is a constituent agency of the United Jewish Appeal. Sen. Lehman cited the contri butions to nuclear physics of Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard and Edward Teller and in the field of missies, Dr. Werner von Braun, all of whom werd admitted to the United States before the passage of the McCarran-Walter Act. “What would be the future of the cause of freedom,” he asked, “if the totalitarians rather than the free world had had the primary benefit of the contributions of these geniuses? “I do not suggest that e^en before the McCarran-Walter Act our immigration laws were gen erous and liberal,” he continued. “Who can say how far ahead in science we would be today if Congress had not created so many immigration barriers and kept out of our country so. many individuals of ability and prom ise?’? He called upon Congress and the Administration to work together in a non-partisan man ner to eliminate the national- origins-quota system and dis crimination measures against naturalized American citizens contained in the McCarran-Wal ter Act. Sen Lehman and Mrs. David M. Lew, the first president of NYANA, received inscribed sil ver-covered Bibles in “apprecia tion of their outstanding contri butions in the fields of immigra tion of newcomers into the American scene.” Lester Gins- hurg, president of NYANA, re ported that the agency last year aided more than 4,500 individ uals. He estimated that during the current year the agency will aid a similar number of JEWISH CALENDAR •PURIM Tuesday, March 24 •PASSOVER Thursday, April 23 •SHAVOUS Friday, June 12 ♦ROSH HASHONAH Saturday, Oct. 3 •Holiday begins preceding evening. Jewish newcomers arriving in New York. Summarizing the activities of NYANA durng the past decade, Mr. Ginsburg reported that 35,- 000 families were aided by the agency’s family service depart ment, while its vocational serv ice department found jobs for 17,000 and helped 2,400 to re ceive vocational training. Tribute to BB Women Paid in Congress WASHINGTON, (JTA —Mem bers of Congress paid tribute this week to the B’nai B’rith Women’s Organization, which last week celebrated its 50th anniversary. Achievements of the group were lauded by House Majority Leader John W. Mc Cormack, Massachusetts Demo crat, and Sen. H. Hubert H. Humphrey, Minnesota Pemo- crat. Both made remarks on the floor of the Congress in praise of the B’nai B’rith women, and traced the group’s history. Shearith Israel Invites Public to Annual Purim Ball “Them that don’t come, s’gon- na be sorry,” said Mr. Joe I. Zimmerman, chairman of the Entertainment Committee, in speaking of the Twenty-sixth Annual Purim Ball sponsored by Congregation Shearith Israel. The affair this year will be held in the Social Hall of the Syna gogue on Wednesday, March 25 at 8 p.m. Mr. Zimmerman went on to say, “This year we are planning the biggest and best Ball ever. We will have some of the best acts we have been able to se cure and the very danceable music of Freddie de Land’s or chestra.” • “Good entertain ment and danceable music.—all for the un inflated price of $rH0 per per son. Refreshments will be avail able.” Tickets may be secured in ad vance from the Synagogue office at 1180 University Drive, N. E. or may be purchased aF the door. menu BY HENRY LEONARD personalities ... a KOSHER one and a TREFE.' Elaine Sandra Libowsky, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Irving Libowsky of Atlanta, has been elected Sweetheart of Tau Epsi lon Phi fraternity at Universi ty of Georgia, Athens. She is a freshman and a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. Elaine graduated from Henry Grady High and was an active member of B’nai B’rith Girls, No. 176, serving on the Atlanta BBG Council. Nazi Gauleiter Draws Death VIENNA, (JTA)—Erich Koch, Nazi gauleiter for parts of Po land and the Ukraine, convicted in a court at Warsaw last week as a war criminal responsible for the killing of at least 400,000 people, most of them Jews, was sentenced by the Warshaw court to death. Koch’s sensation-filled trial, during which he denied any complicity in the many murders, and, at the same time, sneered and jeered at his accusers, lasted four months. Among the many witnesses brought by the Polish Government to testify against him were Jewish survivors from Nazi death camps who had been brought from a number of for eign countries, including Israel.