Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Isr**
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — t
XXXIV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1959
x oo
NO. 36
Jewish Merchants in Cuba Need
Fear No Blackmail. Castro Says
MILWAUKEE, Wis., (JTA) —
Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba
gave specific assurances, in a
recent 90-minute interview with
a Milwaukee attorney, that dis
crimination against any religi
ous or minority groups including
Cuban Jews, would not be tole
rated by his regime, it was re
ported here this week.
The assurances were given by
the Cuban leader to N. Paley
Phillips former president of the
Wisconsin chapter of the Nation
al Association of Claimants and
Compensation Attorneys, during
the interview which took place
last week. The Cuban leader told
Mr. Phillips that “no longer
would there be any necessity
for Jewish merchants—or any
other, for that matter—to pay
‘protection money’ to stay in
business,”
Mr. Phillips also reported that
he had talked with many Cuban
Jewish businessmen and that
they told him they were experi
encing more freedom in business
and communal activities, as well
as in religious practices. Mr.
Phillips said he had found
that attendance at synagogues
had increased in recent months
and that more Cuban Jews were
attending services than previous
ly.
(irant (iuardediy
For Distributing
Apologizes
Bias Article
A guarded retraction and apo
logy for distributing an article
blaming Jews for the Civil War
was received from Gen. Ulysses
S. Grant, III, by the Jewish War
Veterans of America on Wednes
day.
General Grant who heads the
U.S. Civil War Centennial Com
mission distributed a reprint of
an article bumptiously blaming
American Jewry for plotting the
War Between the States, maneu
vering both sides of the conflict
and then killing President Lin
coln.
Efforts to secure the resigna
tion of General Grant from the
Commission have come from
numerous Jewish and non-Jew-
ish groups.
The Jewish War Veterans has
taken the attitude that the mat
ter would be best treated with a
repudiation and retraction.
This retraction was announced
in Washington Wednesday morn
ing by Joe Barr, national ex
ecutive director of the JWV, to
whom the following letter was
Atlanta Religious
Schools Anticipate
Record Enrollment
A record number of boys
and girls will return to Jew
ish religious schools this week.
The Atlanta Bureau of Jew
ish Education has announced
that approximately 2,000 pu
pils will be enrolled in the
congregational Sunday schools
which begin this weekend.
A total close to 900 is ex
pected in the afternoon He
brew Schools, which reopen
ed on September 9 for the
new season.
Washington Told Israel Has Sold
More Arms to West Germany Army
Washington Expects
Highest Enrollment
Ever in Jewish Schools
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Near
ly 9,000 students are expected to
enroll for the new term in the
31 Jewish schools in Greater
Washington, according to a sur
vey by the Jewish Community
Council. This number exceeds
last year’s registration of 8,738
which represented a 76 percent
increase over seven years.
The survey showed that the
growth in school enrollment is
iar greater proportionately than
the growth of Jewish population
in the area. More than half the
registration expected will be from
children residing in the suburbs.
It also disclosed that Jewish
education is being started at an
earlier age and at least six
schools are conducting weekday
nursery schools with a program
of religious and Hebrew content.
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Unit
ed States Army observers of the
current German Army maneu
vers have reported to Washing
ton that Israel has sold more
arms to West Germany and that
the Bundeswehr is now using
Israel-made machine guns, it
was learned this week.
The new development in Is
rael-German arms relations un
folded publicly when German
Defense Minister Franz Josef
Strauss had inadvertently posed
for a photograph while inspect
ing one of the newly-acquired
Israeli-weapons.
U.S. Army observers had pre
viously reported the acquisition
by West German forces of thou
sands of Israeli sub-machine
guns. Contracts have also been
negotiated for a quantity of
heavy and light Israeli mortars.
The Israeli mortars and ma
chine-guns were thoroughly test
ed by the German Army and
found to be among the deadliest
weapons on the world market.
It was also reported here this
week that the German Army is
testing an Israel-made wire-con
trolled anti-tank rocket. It is
reportedly based on a NATO-ap
proved French missile.
United States Army sources
revealed that Germany has . de
cided to equip its new panzer
armored divisions with Israeli
sub-machine guns, having found
these weapons superior to the
Thompson sub-machine gun.
Both American and German ord
nance officers have praised the
Israeli weapon for its simple
operation, durability and effici
ency.
It was pointed out that Ger
many is buying Israeli arms be
cause they are cheaper in price
than other weapons of compar
able quality. Mortar ammuni
tion, for example, was 20 per
cent less than Germany had been
paying France, its former source.
BALTIMORE, . (JTA) —Disclo
sure that the West German Ar
my is using weapons acquired
from Israel, has caused “extreme
embarrassment” to Defense Min
ister Franz Josef Strauss, the
Baltimore Sun reported from
Bonn this week.
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—West Ger
man reports that several West
German military units, especial
ly paratroopers, were equipped
with Israel’s famous Uzzi sub
machine guns, brought confir
mation here this week by gen
erally reliable sources that Is
rael has sold such weapons to
West Germany. It was emphasiz
ed that the. sale was effected
with the agreement of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
It was pointed out here that
NATO is interested in stand
ardizing NATO arms. Several
units of the Dutch Army have
already been equipped with the
Uzzi sub-machine gun which has
been tested and proven superior
to other small arms of the same
caliber. Several other NATO
units are known to have the
weapon.
No announcement has been
made here of a deal with West
Germany for sale of this weap
on, but it was recalled that
Premier David Ben Gurion, in
his speech to a Mapai Party ral
ly said that “I am proud that
Israeli arms have been sold to
Germany.” Israel’s exports of
arms munitions and explosives in
1958 totalled $4,000,000, accord
ing to figures disclosed this
week.
Congregation Aids
Suburbanites to Set Up
‘Daughter Synagogue’
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., (JTA)
When many members of Con
gregation Rodeph Sholem moved
out of the city to suburban Fair-
field, the congregation helped
its former members found and
maintain a daughter synagogue,
sharing the services of an edu
cational director and other con
gregational servants, and con
ducting several joint programs
Legion Chooses Rabbi as National Chaplain
addressed:
In reference to the article
“Abraham Lincoln and Roths
child,” which was distributed
with the Loyal Legion Bulletin
of June, 1959, you will recall my
statement that to my knpwledge
it had never been contradicted.
I have since learned that it has
indeed been contradicted.
Intent as I am upon ascertain
ing the truth I have made such
research as has been possible
into the statements contained In
the said article and find that it
contains articles and implications
unsupported by sound historical
authorities and so are probably
false.
You may be sore that had I
suspected this, I would not have
distributed copies of the article
to our membership.
On October 8, I shall make my
report as Commander in Chief
to the annual meeting of the
commanderies In chief and I
shall include the foregoing state
ment in my report
Very sincerely yours,
Ulysses 8. Grant III
The letter was the result of a
series of conferences with the
78-year-old descendant of the
Civil War general. Participating
were several JWV notables in
cluding Mr. Barr, past national
JWV commander; Paul Ginsberg
of Atlanta, and Bernard Weizer,
JWV legislative officer.
Mr. Barr told the Southern
Israelite over long distance Wed
nesday morning:
"I never felt that General
Grant distributed the article
through anti-Jewish motives or
bias and I am happy that the
matter has been so happily re
solved.”
and activities.
The new congregation, Fair-
feld Synagogue, nas now named
its own rabbi, but he will also
serve in certain activities with
the mother congregation, parti
cularly in the field of adult edu
cation.
In an editorial hailing the
“happy solution” found by Con
gregation Rodeph Sholem in
helping its former members and
in maintaining close contact with
them, the Connecticut Jewish
Ledger said this week that the
arrangement worked out here
“points the way for synagogues
in other parts of the country to
combine the experience and
stability of established congre
gations with the enthusiasm
and creativity of new groups.”
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
(Chief of JTA Washington Bureau)
The American Legion, Ameri
ca’s largest veterans group, has
selected a rabbi as national chap-
plain at a time when the Legion
is embroiled in its most bitter
racial controversy.
Sen. Jacob K. Javits, a Legion
naire, has vigorously protested
the vote of the Legion conven
tion to bar Negro veterans from
the Legion’s subsidiary organiza
tion, the 40 and 8 Society. Other
Legionnaires of Jewish faith
have expressed shame and in
dignation.
The Legion’s publicaton of
Anti-Israel propaganda, opposi
tion to Displaced Persons legis
lation, and other controversial
actions are recalled. But it is
also true that the Legion has at
other times opposed Egypt’s Nas
ser regime ana militantly fought
Nazism.
Jews have always been wel
comed by the Legion. Some take
leading roles. In many cities and
states the Legion does much to
combat anti-Semitic hate-mong
ers. Most Legionnaires see no
anachronism in the election of a
rabbi as national chaplain.
There was world notoriety for
the Legion in the wake of its
Minneapolis convention. The
Legion voted 1,650 to 1,388 to
bar Negroes from its 40 and 8
Society. An American minority
that patriotically served despite
the widespread denial of equali
ty was again insulted.
The Legion chose Rabbi Rob
ert I. Kahn of Houston, Tex., as
its new national chaplain. This
typified the Legion’s split per
sonality. It was dignified and
American to have a rabbi take
a turn at the chaplaincy. But it
was “un-American” to admit
Jewish refugees from the very
Nazism the Legionnaries fought
While the Legion concentrated
on its “Back to God” movement,
it flouted brotherhood of man
by rejecting the human dignity
of Negroes.
Hope has been voiced that Rab
bi Kahn, a distinguished leader,
will spiritually reach the prej
udiced elements to show them
the way to democracy and God.
Certainly, the rabbi does not
countenance the barring of vet
erans on a racist basis from the
Legion’s honorary 40 and 8 So
ciety.
Senate Majority Leader Lyn
don B. Johnson, of Texas, ad
mires Rabbi Kahn. When the
rabbi became Legion chaplain,
Sen. Johnson told the Senate:
“The Lone Star State is proud of
this honor that has been bestow
ed upon Rabbi Kalyi, for he is
indeed a distinguished man of
faith. Rabbi Kahn is known in
Texas for his intelligence, his
character and capacity for lead
ership, and his warm sensitivity.
I am delighted that the Ameri
can Legion has made this
choice.”
A tall Texan, Rabbi Kahn at
48 has served 15 years as spiritu
al leader of Congregation Ema-
nu-El in Houston. He is the third
Jewish clergyman in the 40-y£ar
history of the Legion to serve
as its chaplain
Commenting on his Army ex
perience, the rabbi said he did
not expect his being a non-
Christian would be a handicap.
"When I was in the Army,” he
explained, “I was rabbi to the
Jewish soldiers but chaplain to
all men of the outfit.”
Rabbi Kahn noted that in
many public functions the Legion
calls on the clergy of all three
major faiths—Protestant, Cath
olic, and Jewish. Asked if he
had seen any results of the
Legion's “Back to God” move
ment, Rabbi Kahn observed that
they had been more in auality
than in quantity. He said ne re
ferred to the quality of the serv
ices at Legion conventions, the
response to Legion telecasts and
the feeling among Legionnaires
that the “Back to God” effort
was not empty piety, but honest
recognition that religion plays
an important role in all of life.
Rabbi Kahn was endorsed for
national chaplain by the Texas
Department of the Legion. This
Department said he brought it
“the very best in spiritual guid
ance” during his term as Depart
ment chaplain.
The rabbi, an adherent of Re
form Judaism, was born in Des
Moines, Iowa, in 1910. He re
ceived an A.B. degree from the
University of Cincinnati, Ohio,
in 1932. In 1935 his rabbinic de
gree was conferred by the Heb
rew Union College, Cincinnati,
and in 1950 he earned a Doc
torate in Hebrew Letters from
the same college. His thesis was
on “Anglo-Jewish preaching in
the 19th Century.”
Hebrew School for
Retarded Children
PHILADELPHIA, (JTA) — In
what is believed to be the first
experiment of its kind, a Hebrew
school is being opened here for
retarded children, to give them
religious training and enable
them to participate in Jewish
life according to their ability.
Chicago Synagogue
Reestablished on New
University Campus
CHICAGO, (JTA) —Congrega
tion Beth Hamedrash Hagoaol
Anshe Dorom, established in
downtown Chicago 93 years ago,
will be re-established on tne
campus of the Jewish Univer
sity of America at Skokie, it was
announced this week.
Samuel J. Tobin, congregation
president, said it will, be for the
“use of Orthodox Jews who live
in the immediate vicinity of the
college.” Services will be held
in the new location during the
High Holy days this fall.
A synagogue established In
Chicago in 1898 by immigrants
from Kroz, Lithuania, will soon
occupy a modern, new home in
the Albany Park district, the
first synagogue in the Chicago
area to be built on a bi-level.
The structure, to be reared at
a cost of $150,000 will have a
special concrete roof which may
be used as the floor for an addi
tional story if it becomes neces
sary to add to its facilities. The
congregation is known as Con
gregation Beth Shalom Anshe
Kroz.