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The Southern Isra
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A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Establ
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XXXIV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1959
NO. 13
New Court Fight Looms In N.O.
Synagogue On Mixed Seating
NEW ORLEANS, (JTA)—The
possibility of a new court fight
loomed this week in the embat
tled Congregation of the Chevra
Thilim Synagogue which is pre
sently operating under a court
injunction forbidding mixed seat
ing in the synagogue.
The injunction was issued by
the late Judge Frank J. Stich
after a lengthy hearing which at
tracted national attention and in
which national orthodox officials
testified. The trial was the result
of a suit brought by a group of
members of the congregation to
ban institution of a family seat
ing plan approved by the rest of
the congregants.
Judge Stich had ruled that the
matter was not subject to maj
ority vote because mixed seat
ing would violate the conditions
of the original donation given to
build the old Chevra Thilim Syn
agogue. The donation required
the congregation to follow “the
Jewish Orthodox Polish ritual,’’
a requirement extending to any
new synagogue in which proceeds
from the sale of the original syn
agogue was used.
A set of proposed amendments
to the congregation’s charter has
been mailed to congregation fam
ilies with notice that a meeting
would be held April 12 to discuss
and vote on the amendments.
One of the amendments would
delete the phrase "Orthodox Pol
ish Jewish Ritual” from the
charter. Another amendment, re
stating the objects and purposes
of the congregation, has no ref
erence to mixed seating. A Third
amendment provides for changes
in the by-laws by a majority
vote of the Board of Directors.
Foes of the proposed amend
ment contended that the changes
Trumpledor Remembered
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Special
ceremonies were held this week
to honor the memory of Joseph
Trumpledor, a h6ro of the early
days of the Jewish settlement in
Palestine, who, with a number
of other young Jews, was killed
in 1921, while defending what
was then the northernmost Jew
ish settlement near Tel Hai. A
special Army parade was held,
and youth organizations marched
to Trumpledor’s tomb.
were designed to pave the way
for an attempt to change the
congregation to a Conservative or
eventually a Reform congrega
tion.
Sponsors of the original suit
warned that if the proposed
amendments were approved, they
would start new court proceed
ings. They warned also that ap
proval might expose the backers
to charges of contempt of court
as long as the Stich injunction
was in effect.
Anti-Semitism In Germany
Discussed At International Parley
MUNICH, (JTA)—The question
of resurgent anti - Semitism in
Germany occupied a major place
on the agenda of the Congress
of European Resistance Fighters,
which convened here Monday.
“The resurgence of anti-Semit
ism and national Socialism must
be met with strong measures,’’
Georges Bidault, former Prem
ier of France, told the Congress
at its opening session. However,
M. Bidault stated, the “real en
emy" now “is in the East.”
Rudolph Pecher, well-known
author, expressed apprehension
about the danger of fascism in
Germany, declaring that “Nazis
and anti-Semites again play a
role in German public life.”
Former resistance fighters, he
said, “are being systematically
defamed and denounced by old
Nazis, and there are no laws or
regulations to stop them.”
On the other hand, Dr. Joseph
3 Welfare Fund Groups To Hear
Noted Middle East Expert
John Stanley Grauel, noted ex
pert on Middle East affairs will
be the guest of honor and guest
speaker at three affairs to be
sponsored by 1959 Welfare Fund
campaign groups this Sunday
and Monday.
On Sunday, he will address the
annual fund raising dinner of
the Physicians and Dentists di
vision at the Mayfair Club, 6:30
P.M. Dr. Marvin Goldstein and
Dr. Irving L. Goldstein are
chairmen of the division.
Mr. Grauel will speak at a
brunch Monday sponsored by the
Special Gifts group of the Wo
men’s division to be held at 11:30
A.M. at the Mayfair Club. Chair
men of the division serving as
his hostesses are Mrs. Sidney
Janus, Mrs. Hyman Morris, Mrs.
Morton Nathan, Mrs. Herman
Popkin and Mrs. Harley Ross.
He will conclude his round with
an address to the Scrap Metal
division which will gather at the
Mayfair Club for dinner that
night at 6:30. The dinner will
be preceded by a cocktail party
tendered by the leaders of the
division, M. William B reman,
Bernard Cohen, Pincus Koplin
and Max London.
Mr. Grauel began his career- -
in the Protestant ministry and
served several parishes in New
England. He subsequently be
came deeply interested in the
postwar problems of the surviv
ing Jews in Europe. Mr. Grauel
helped to organize and was later
named Executive Director of the
American Christian Palestine
Committee in Philadelphia, an
organization which befriended
homeless Jewish victims of Nazi
brutality. He enlisted in the
forces of Haganah, the under
ground military service of Pre-
Israel Palestine.
In 1947, Mr. Grauel voluntar-
Senate Group Hears Testimony
On Synagogue Bombings, Mail
WASHINGTON, (JTA)— Sen.
Kenneth B. Keating, New York
Republican, told the Senate Judi
ciary Committee this week that
a factor behind the bombing of
synagogues and schools might be
the fact “that too many of those
responsible for the bombings
have gone unpunished.”
Calling for enactment of a fed
eral anti-bombing bill, Sen. Keat
ing told the committee that “a
Better record of successful law-
enforcement would be a strong
deterrent to the bombers.” Ac
cording to the Senator, wide
spread southern defiance of the
“American Mercury” Uses
Innuendoes In Promotion
MIAMI, Fla., (JTA)—Promot
ional material for subscriptions
to the American Mercury loaded
with anti-Semitic innuendoes has
been received by many Greater
Miami residents, including many
Jews, it was reported here this
week.
The material includes a “warn
ing” about the “coming war in
the Middle East” in which Amer
ican support of Israel is asserted
to be “to the detriment of our
country." The statement charges
that “the secret manipulators"
were “arranging things so as to
have us Christians fight” Mos
lems, Arabs and Hindus.
Another item in the promot
ional material assails Eleanor
Roosevelt who "has nothing but
praise for Israel and the Soviet
Union.” The material describes
Mrs. Roosevelt as a “racial trou
blemaker.” In an equation of
Judaism with Communism,
Zionism and Israel and with al
leged plots at world domination,
the pamphlet declares that “Mer
cury warned you. The Roths
childs interests ‘advise and guide’
the Rockefeller interests. The
anti-Christ forces are making
real progress in their determined
efforts to weaken and divide us.”
The American Mercury, under
the editorship of the late H. L.
Mencken, was a leader In the
shaping of American literary and
social opinion. In recent years,
according to the Anti-Defamation
League, it has become “crudely
reactionary,” frequently using
language “which to the bigot can
have strong anti-Semitic mean
ings.”
Supreme Court’s desegregation
decision “is a substantial contri
buting cause of these acts of vio
lence.” He cited a “tremendous
increase in hate mail” as another
contributing cause of violence.
He said legislation should be
adopted that would curb such
hate mailings without interfer
ing with freedom of speech.
“The plain truth is that only
the FBI has the necessary juris
diction, skills and manpower to
do a thorough job on any inter
state conspiracy,” he said. He
pointed out that this nation has
federal laws controlling lotteries,
mail fraud, and transportation of
women for immoral purposes but
has no legislation dealing with
use of interstate facilities for
bombing synagogues and schools.”
Sen. Keating charged that “it
is because of the absence of such
a federal law that the Depart
ment of Justice has generally re
fused to intervene in these cases,
and even in the case of Atlanta
had to turn the defendants over
to the state authorities for prose
cution/’
In Birmingham, Sen. Keating
reported, bombing attempts
against Jews and Negroes were
found by local police to have
the appearance of “an interstate
conspiracy” but the FBI turned
down a Birmingham police in
vitation to enter the case, accord
ing to Sen. Keating. He said the
FBI claimed that federal law on "
the subject was absent. As a con
sequence none of the culprits in
the Birmingham terror were
caught.
JOHN GRAUEL
. . . Witnessed “Exodus” Fiasco
ily joined the crew of “Exodus
1947”, a vessel which set out
from Europe with 4,500 Jewish
displaced persons from the Ger
man concentration camps, all of
whom were seeking a haven in
Palestine. The ship was overtaken
by units of the British Navy and
(Continued on Page 8)
Mueller, Christian Democratic
deputy in the Bavarian Parlia
ment, 4rho had been during
World War II a liaison officer for
the Vatican in the fight against
Hitler, warned against “over-esti
mating” the danger of neo-Naz
ism.
“There are Nazi underground
organizations all over the free
world," said Dr. Mueller, “in
cluding Texas, U. S. A.” Reports
that influential Nazis occupy im
portant positions in the German
Federal Republic are “in general,
exagerated,” he declared.
Dr. Mueller denied that there
is any danger that former of
ficers of the SS would infiltrate
the new German army. He de
clared that careful screening by
the West Germany army com
mand has kept down such former
SS applicants for commission*
from 150 applications. There are
less than 50 former SS men
among the new army’s officers,
he said.
BERLIN, (JTA)—Responsible
West Germans are fighting the
resurgence of anti-Semitism in
the country by organizing acti
vities especially among the Ger
man youth.
A group of youths here an
nounced that an exhibit on anti-
Semitism and its-diaatreua con
sequences during the Hitler re
gime is being organized for show
ing in major cities throughout
the Federal Republic. The pro
ject is receiving the support of
the Berlin State Institution for ,
Political Education, under the
sponsorship of West Berlin’s
Mayor Willy Brandt.
A further manifestation of the
fight against anti-Semitism was
seen here today in an announce
ment by the Germany Students
Association, which has just held
a meeting at Marburg, that it is
organizing a demonstration
against antiSemitism to be con
ducted in May at the site of the
former Bergen - Belsen concen
tration camp. Similar student
demonstrations will be held at
the same time on the campuses
of all leading universities and
colleges throughout the Federal
Republic.
WASHINGTON (JTA) — No
West German government will
ever again condone anti-Semit
ism and it is a group of Arab
students that is now a main
source of anti-Jewish agitation in
West Germany, Jakob Altmaier,
a Jewish member of the Bunde
stag, told a press conference here.
Georgia Institute of Judaism
Planned For July 26 At Jekyll
Applications are now being ac
cepted for the third Georgia In
stitute of Judaism, to be held on
fabulous Jekyll Island on July
26-30, it was announced this week
by Dr. Rose Lahman, chairman of
the planning committee.
Open to all adult Jewish men
and women, the Institute offers
a combination of stimulating dis
cussions on current topics of
Jewish interest with wonderful
opportunities for a varied sea
shore vacation. Jekyll Island is
a famous and unusual resort
playground off the Atlantic coast
of south Georgia, near Bruns
wick.
The theme of this year’s Insti
tute will be concerned with solu
tions to problems of today
through modern Jewish literature
and philosophy. The distinguish
ed faculty includes Charles Ang-
off, foremost author, editor, and
literary critic, and Rabbi Jacob
B. Agus, noted author and an
eminent authority on modern
Jewish philosophy. Both Mr.
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