Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Is 1
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry —
XXXIV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1959
NO. 3d
Bias Against Jews in Country All Israel Mourns Death
Clubs 'ClearrCuC-Marrow Of Chief Rabbi Herzog
NEW YORK, (JTA) — Non-
Negro membership in social and
sports clubs such as the West Side
Tennis Club of Forest Hills must
not always be attributed to dis
crimination whereas the absence
of Jewish members generally can
be, Dr. Alfred J. Marrow, chair
man of the New York City Com
mission on Inter-Group Relations,
said this week.
He said that as there was a
sparsity of Negroes who were
able to afford private club mem
berships, each case had to be
looked into carefully. “But where
Jews are concerend,” he added,
“the religious discrimination is
clear-cut. Men who are the best
of friends in business will blind
ly accept their divisiveness when
it comes to joining country clubs.
Christian or Jewish, they go to
their separate clubs.”
Dr. Marrow discounted asser
tions that the “Jewish clubs”
were equally guilty of discrimin
ation." I don’t think there are
many Jews who would hesitate
for a moment to join a country
club that happened to be pre
dominantly Christian,” he com
mented, “but the reverse is not
true. So the Jewish country
clubs are solely defensive clubs’’
Dr. Marrow, 54, is a manu
facturer, industrial psychologist
and expert on human relations
problems as well as a public
servant. In interviews this week,
he stressed his belief that prej
udice was acquired as “part of
our culture” and insisted that as
culture was man-made, it there
fore could be changd by man. He
saw little value m appeals to
"brotherhood” and “fair play and
said they might give the illusion
that things were improving when
they weren’t.
“Experience during World War
II under the FEPC law and our
more recent experience in inter
racial housing developments, de
monstrates that a go-slow policy
worsens the conditions it seeks
to improve,” Dr. Marrow said
this week. “It gives the opposi
tion an opportunity to organize
the attack. It implies that the
policy makers are not confident
of the success of their recom
mendations and therefore want a
go-slow policy to protect them
selves.
“Whenever a basic change in
discriminatory practice is con
templated there will be strong
antagonism. But once the change
has become a fact we shall see
that little of the expected resist
ance develops. The nettle does
not sting if grasped firmly.
Bulgaria Honors
Sholem Aleichem
UNITED NATIONS, (AJP) —
According to data received here,
Bulgaria has followed the lead of
the Soviet Union in honoring
Sholem Aleichem. “Bulgaria To
day,” a finely-edited magazine
published in English, declares in
a recent issue that “among the
celebrated scholars who are be
ing honored by cultural circles
in all countries this year for their
humanistic ideas, an honorable
place is taken by Sholem Alei
chem, the classical Jewish writ
er. The centenary of his birth
was marked in our country by
articles in the press, commemora
tive meetings, and recitations pf
his works.”
‘Soulener Rebbe’ Reported
Arrested in Rumania as “Spy”
NEW YORK. (JTA) — A frail
and ailing 65-year-old rabbi, who
provided a home for dozens of
orphaned Jewish children in the
post-war period, in Eastern Eu
rope, has been arrested, along
with his son, by Rumanian au
thorities on charges of “suspicion
of treason and espionage,” it was
learned here this week.
Rabbi Alexander Portugal, {he
“Rebbe of Sculene,” was arrested
last April with his son, Rabbi
Hillel Portugal, and has been
held in prison in Bucharest (lend
ing completion of an investiga
tion into their activities.
The elder Rabbi Portugal’s res
cue activities began during World
War II when he was deported to
the Transdniestra area which the
Hitler regime had permitted Ru
mania to annex. He assembled
Jewish orphans there and at the
end of the war, led hundreds to
Czemowitz, which the Soviets
had annexed, where he started an
orphan asylum. He was arrested
by the Soviet authorities and
subsequently released.
According to reports, the home
less throughout Rumania learn
ed of his kindness and began
coming to his asylum. A group
of Jewish children in Odessa len
the Soviet asylum there and Join
ed Rabbi Portugal in Czemowitz.
The Soviet authorities responded
by arresting the rabbi but releas
ed him to go back to “my chil
dren.”
Early in 1947 he moved to
Bucharest where he resumed his
work with Jewish orphans and
again attracted the displeasure
of the Communist authorities,
who closed his asylum. The Com
munists arrested his four aides,
releasing them after four months
of detention.
Many of Rabbi Portugal’s
wards went to Israel during 1950
and 1951 but there were still
many homeless orphans in Ru
mania for him to assist and he
continued his efforts traveling
from town to town despite warn
ings to stay home. Finally, on the
second day of Passover, last
April, the police came to his
home, arrested him and his son
and several friends.
Ten Airlines to Israel
NEW YORK, (AJP)—The Is
rael Government Tourist Office
here has announced that ten in
ternational airlines are currently
servicing Israel. These include
El Al, TWA, Air France, DEA,
Alitalia, Swissair, Sabena, KLM,
Olympic aid Cyprus Airways.
Lod Airport handles 46 flight
arrivals and 46 departures a
week.
Wildacres Institute
WILDACRES, N. C„ (AJP)—
Three distinguished rabbis—Em
anuel Rackman, Mordecai Wax-
man and Ephraim Fischoff—will
present a contrast of Orthodox,
Reform and Conservative views
on modern Jewish thinkers at
the 12th Annual Institute of Ju
daism (B’nai B’rith) at the Blum-
enthal Wildacres Temple Height
in Little Switzerland commenc
ing August 2 and lasting through
the week.
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — Chief
Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog, who
died peacefully in his sleep July
25, was buried July 26 in the
Sanhedria cemetery as all Israel
mourned his passing in one of the
most solemn rites ever held in
the Holy City.
The regular Sunday meeting of
the Cabinet was recessed and all
members of the Government
joined with yeshiva students,
kibbutz members and men and
women from all the fighting ser
vices among the thousands who
lined the route of the funeral
procession for Israel’s Ashkena-
zid Chief Rabbi.
Rabbi Herzog, who was 71,
died after a remarkable recovery
from sclerosis attack last Pass-
over. He had served Israel and
world Jewry as a spiritual lead
er for nearly a quarter of a cen
tury. He had assumed the post
of Chief Rabbi after the death
of Chief Rabbi Abraham Kook.
Also attending the funeral
were judges of the Supreme
Court, labor leaders, workers and
Moroccan Police Charge Three
With Aiding Jewish Emigration
PARIS, (JTA) — News of the
arrest last month of three Jewish
residents of Tangiers by the Mo
roccan Government on charges of
aiding Jewish emigration from
that country, was reecived here
this week. The three were named
as Itzchak Lavy and his wife
Lucia, French citizens, and Da
vid Mellul, a Moroccan Jew.
According to reliable sources,
the French Consul in Tangiers
has been unable to secure the re
lease of the Lavy couple. Mr. and
Mrs. Lavy are the proprietors of
a small three-story tourist hotel
near the Tangiers waterfront
where some 500 Jews from all
parts of Morocco are now staying.
Mellul worked in the hotel. It is
believed that the three persons
are being held in a Tetuan jail.
(It was reported at Geneva that
King Mohammed V of Morocco,
currently vacationing in Montre-
ux, received a three-man Jewish
delegation this week. The delega
tion reportedly asked permission
for the transfer of small Jewish
communities in southern Moroc
co to the big cities, discdSsed the
possibility of Jewish emigration
from Morocco to Israel and cited
possible danger to the Morrocan
Jewish community from discus
sion of Arab-Israel relations at
the forthcoming Arab League
meeting in Cassablanca. The
King’s aide declined to confirm
the report.)
Agency Seeks *Mama Sitters'
To Share Homes with Aged
HOUSTON, Tex., (JTA)—The
Jewish Family Service of Hous
ton has undertaken a program
to find "Mama Sitters” for elder
ly persons who are economically
independent and wish to remain
in their own homes, the agency
disclosed this week.
In many cases, the elderly folk
offer free room or free room and
board to a working person in or
der to have someone else in the
house at night in the event of
need. No other obligation would
be imposed on the sitter except
that
The Agency is cataloguing in
formation from people with
homes they wish to share under
these conditions and from young
er working people who would
be interested in entering into
such arrangements.
With the problem of the aged
increasing in scope, the Jewish
Family Service is expanding its
efforts to permit people over six
ty to remain in their own homes.
The service’s case workers make
regular visits to many of these
families in the area and provide
nursing facilities where needed.
The new approach is aimed at
keeping as many men and women
over 60 independent of institu
tional care as long as possible.
To meet the mounting needs
of the aged who require institu
tional care, work was started this
week on a new wing for the Jew
ish Home for the Aged which will
provide an additional 25 beds,
bringing the total capacity to 75.
Trustees of the Home pointed
out that it had a long waiting list
Grant Rejects Request to Repudiate Anti-Semitic Article
WASHINGTON, (JTA)— Maj
Gen. U. S. Grant, 3rd, grandson
of the 18th President of the Unit
ed States, who disseminated an
anti-Semitic article in connec
tion with the U S. Civil War Cen
tennial Commission of which he
is chairman, rejected a reauest
from the Anti-Defamation Lea
gue of B’nai B’rith to repudiate
the article, it was disclosed here
this week.
The centennial commission of
which he is chairman is sponsor
ed by the U S. Government, Mai.
Gen. Grant, who ia 78 years old,
admitted that the article he dis
tributed appeared previously in
Father Coughlin’s anti-Semitic
publication ’’Social Justice” and
In the American Mercury which
is known for publishing anti-
Jewish articles. However, ne con
tinued to defend the article in
which “Jew financiers” are
charged with exploiting the Civil
War.
Accusing the Anti-Defamation
League of committting “a great
disservice to historical truth and
to contemporary goodwill among
Americans,” May Gen. Grant
said that what “international
bankers” did a century ago “can
not by any reasonable person be
considered a reflection of the
many, many good Americans who
are Jews. “He justified recom
mending the anti-Semitic article
foment prejudice against Jews.”
to a group of descenaents of Civil
War veterans by saying that they
“may not have known of the in
terest and participation of the in
ternational bankers.”
The article distributed by Gen.
Grant, carrying the title "Abra
ham Lincoln and the Roth
schilds,” alleged that the Roths
child family, together with Dis
raeli, plotted in London; Judah
P. Benjamin, Confederate cab
inet member, was termed their
secret agent. An innuendo at
tempt was made to link Benja
min with the assassination of Lin
coln. The ADL had charged Gen.
Grant with using “the reprints
furnished by Floyd Fleming, the
local agents for the infamous
John Kasper’s seaboard White
Citizens Council.” Gen. Grant re
fused to identify “the member of
the loyal legion” from whom he
obtained his material.
Herman Edelsberg, ADL di
rector, replying to Gen. Grant,
said: “You have reached a ven
erable age and you bear a great
name. Surely, you do not want
to close your public career by
bequeathing that name to the
fabrications of the warped minds
who operate in the anti-Semitic
underworld.”
Mr. Edelsberg suggested that
Gen. Grant consult the many
reputable historians, associated
with the Civil War Centennial
Commission. He expressed con
fidence that any of them “will
declare the article a tissue of
lies maliciously concocted to
foment prejudice against Jews.”
professionals who paid homage
to the beloved spiritual leader.
Prime Minister David BenGur-
ion, who was absent from Jeru
salem, sent a message of con
dolence to the family in which
he said their mourning and sor
row was the mourning and sor
row “of all Israel.”
Addressing the widow, the
Prime Minister declared: “May
you be consoled by the great and
faithful service being performed
by your two most capable and
talented sons who I hope will
continue to serve the State of
Israel for many years.” He was
referring to Brig. Haim Herzog,
commander of the Negev de
fenses and former military at
tache in Washington, who recited
the Kaddish, qnd Yaacov Herzog,
Israel Minister to Washington,
who was unable to attend the
funeral because it would have
required his traveling on the
Sabbath. He will sit shivah in
Washington.
The funeral services began at
the home of the Chief Rabbinate
where leading personalities min
gled with the thousands who
wept openly. A deputation of the
diplomatic corps also was pres
ent. Rabbi Yitzhak Nlssim, Sep
hardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Jacob
M. Tolendano, Minister of Reli
gions, Chief Rabbi Isar Yehuda
Unterman of Tel Aviv, and Rab
bi Shlomo Zewin, editor of the
Talmudic Encyclopedia were
among the spiritual leaders who
delivered eulogies. Rabbi Herzog
was praised as a spiritual leader
learned in the sciences and phil
osophy, and termed a great scho
lar and humanitarian.
All Government buildings and
institutions, and offices of for
eign missions, the United Nations
and embassies and consulates
(Continued on page 4)
Soviets Claim
Credit for Sinai
Withdrawal
UNITED NATIONS, (AJP) —
In a USSR Embassy statement
distributed here at the UN, the
Soviets take the main credit in
the UN action which forced Is
rael, Britain and France to with
draw from Sinai and Egypt in the
October, 1956, operation against
N&sscr.
The statement, called "The
Soviet Union and the UN”—
giving a general outline of UN
accomplishments and which says
that “the UN can become a migh
ty means for preserving and
strengthening the peace” — con
tains the following paragraph
on the part the USSR played in
compelling the three democracies
to withdraw from Egypt in 1956:
"It is generally known that at
the insistence of the Egyptian
Government the Security Coun
cil, on October 10 1956, began
considering the question of the
“Measures for the immediate
cessation of Israel’s military op
erations against Egypt,” as well
as Egypt’s complaints with re
gard to the aggressive actions of
Britain and France. From Oct.
30 to November 5, 1956, the
question was discussed by a spec
ial session of the General Assem
bly and the Security Council. The
first position, taken at this ses
sion by the Afro-Asian countries
the Soviet Union and other soc
ialist states, forced Israel, Brit
ain and 1'rance to withdraw their
troops from Egyptian territory.
It should be stressed that the ces
sation of military operations in
Egypt was in great measure pro
moted by the Soviet Govern
ment’s resolution warning to the
aggressors.”
The statement makes no men
tion of the fact-that* at the time,
the United States had voted with
the Soviet Union against Israel,
France' and Britain.