Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
XXXIV
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1959
ISRAEL ROKACH DIES
Eisenhower Pledges Strengthening
Ties Between America, Israel
American Firm Denies
Conforming With
Arab Boycott Terms
NEW YORK, (JTA) —Merck,
Sharp & Dohme, export division
of Merck & Company, issued a
denial this week to the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency of an Arab
report that the pharmaceutical
_ firm had been removed from
’ the Arab League boycott list af
ter allegedly conforming with
the League’s anti-Arab policies
on trade. A report to this effect
was broadcast by the Baghdad
Radio.
A spokesman for the expert di
vision said that "to the best of
our knowledge, we have never
been placed on an international
‘blacklist, adding that while the
company had “no direct opera
tions” in Israel, its products,
“are being sold in Israel by dis
tributors.”
The spokesman said that it
was company policy to “make
available the products of our
e x t e n s i ve pharmaceutical re
search throughout the world
without discrimination. We place
no restrictions on the export of
our products to any country, ex
cept those imposed by United
States law.”
Milton Eisenhower
Main Speaker at
B os pit at Dedication
BALTIMORE, (JTA)—Dr. Mil-
ton Eisenhower, president of
Johns Hopkins University, will
be the principal guest speaker
at formal dedication exercises
September 20, for the $20,000,000
Sinai Hospital. Greetings on be
half of Maryland and on behalf
of Baltimore will be presented
by Gov. J. Millard Tawes and
Mayor J. Harold Grady.
The new hospital, one of the
largest of its kind in Baltimore,
is the only general hospital in
the northwest section of the
city. All patients’ rooms are air-
conditioned and decorated in
soft pastel colors. Parking space
is available for 800 cars. Accom
modations are provided for rela
tives of very ill patients who
wish to remain overnight.
Sinai Hospital, a constituent
agency of the Associated Jewish
Charities of Baltimore, is non
sectarian in admission polices.
2,400,000 Settlement
For BB Property
Confiscated by Nazis
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
B’nai B’rith has concluded a
lump sum agreement with West
Germany to receive $2,400,000
as restitution for properties con
fiscated by the Nazis in 1937,
Lodge officials have announced.
About half of this sum would
be payable immediately. The
other half is due in March 1962.
The agreement covers only mov
able properties, including paint
ings, furnishings, libraries, cash
deposits and securities. Fixed
properties were returned to B’nai
B’rith some years ago, most of
them badly wrecked by bomb
ings. The B’nai B’rith Board of
Governors endorsed the settle
ment.
It was also announced that
the former B’nai B’rith head
quarters building in Berlin had
been sold to the city of West
Berlin for $280,000 He said funds
received from West Germany,
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Israel Ro-
kach, for many years Mayor of
Tel Aviv and a leader of the
General Zionist Party in Israel,
died here Sunday following a
heart attack. He was 62.
Mr. Rokach, who was deputy
speaker of the Israeli Parlia
ment, served as Minister of In
terior from 1953 to 1955 when
the General Zionists participated
in the Government coalition. He
was among the party’s leading
candidates for the forthcoming
Knesset elections.
Born in Jaffa, Mr. Rokach was
an electrical engineering grad
uate of the Polytechnical Insti
tute in Zurich, Switzerland. He
was a member of the Tel Aviv
Municipal Council from 1922 to
1953 and served as Mayor of the
City from 1936 to 1953. He had
been a member of the Knesset
since 1949, for four years com
muting between Tel Aviv and
Jerusalem while holding the dual
posts of deputy and Mayor of
Tel Aviv.
Almost a thirty year dream
will come true next weekend at
the University of Georgia.
Strangely the state with the
largest Jewish student body at
its university has heretofore
been unable to provide the boys
and girls with a Hillel House of
its own.
Hillel directors have limped
about with makeshift quarters,
although for several years the
program was conducted quite
adequately on property in joint
use by the Athens congregation.
Since the post war years, this,
arrangement deteriorated and
one Hillel director conducted
the Hillel program literally
from his vest pocket. This was
more his own choice, however
than the actual necessity of the
case.
However, efforts of the Geor
gia Association of B’nai B’rith
Lodges a couple of years'ago be
gan to move decisively and slow
ly congealed opinion throughout
the state towards purchase of
the former Tau Epsilon Phi fra
ternity house.
This brick structure has now
been renovated and is ready for
the official opening at 3 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 27.
Harry G. Popkin, president of
the Georgia Association, has
called a meeting of the group’s
executive committee at 11 a.m.
that Sunday to inspect the
premises and to go forward with
other details attendant to the
operation of Hillel House.
Mr. Popkin announced this
week that the renovation has
been effected through the serv
ices of Harry Kuniansky, an
alumnus of the University of
Georgia himself and a staunch
under the now agreement, would
probably be used to help re
establish the shattered commun
al lives of former German
B’nai B’rith members now liv
ing in Israel, South America
and Europe.
WASHINGTON, (JTA) —
Praising the people of Israel for
having “created a dynamic so
ciety,” President Eise n h o w e r
this week pledged the United
States Government “to strength
en the already close ties of
friendship and mutual under
standing” between the U.S.A.
and Israel.
Mr. Eisenhower’s pledge was
voiced to Avraham Harman, Is
rael’s new Ambassador here,
when he presented his formal
letters of credence to the Presi
dent in a ceremony at the White
House.
Mr. Harman expressed to Mr.
Eisenhower “the gratitude of
the Government and people of
Israel for the help and support
Ben B’rith-er, and Nathan Jay,
Athens businessman who for
years almost conducted a one-
man campaign in behalf of
Hillel at Athens.
The decor and planning of the
interior has been supervised by
Mrs. Irving Goldstein Atlanta,
wife of Dr. Goldstein, a former
state Association president, with
the cooperation of Mrs. Charlotte
Wilen, president of the B’nai
B’rith Women of Atlanta.
The Atlanta chapter has sent
down a quantity of furniture
and supervised the collection of
other badly needed items to out
fit and furnish the rooms of the
former fraternity house. The
special project of the chapter has
been to outfit the study of Rab
bi Nathaniel Zimskind, the cur-
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Authori
ties on three continents co
operated in an effort to release
a Jewish woman from a situa
tion under which, according to
Jewish religious law, she could
not remarry, it was disclosed
here this week.
Leah Klimnowski was married
in 1936 in Poland to a Russian
Jew. When World War II broke
out, the couple fled to Russia.
The woman was allowed to pro
ceed into the Soviet Union but
Communist officials arrested
her husband and she never saw
him again.
Several years later, she man
aged to reach the United States.
She immediately began a search
for traces of her husband, be
cause under Jewish law, she
was an “Agunah,” a wife who
we have received” from the
United States Government. He
added that this is a solemn mo
ment for me, for I am deeply
conscious of the firm ties of
friendship between the United
States or America and Israel.”
Referring to his previous tour
of duty in this country, when he
was Israel Consul-General in
New York, Mr. Harman told
President Eisenhower “I know
I can look forward to under
standing.”
“To us,” continued Mr. Har
man, “the United States of
America stand as a mighty na
tion whose policies are Based on
the sanctity of human life, and
are directed to the Biblical vi
sion of peace and fraternity
rent Hillel director.
Other furnishings may still be
needed, although donors should
contact Mrs. Wilen or Mrs. Gold
stein first.
Meanwhile, Mr. Popkin and
Hyman Jacobs, treasurer of the
Association, have issued a joint
statement about the Athens Hillel
for which both have worked for
many years. It follows:
“We have begun an important
and meaningful project at the
University of Georgia for our
Jewish youth and with the sup
port of B’nai B’rith members we
intend to make it into a succes-
ful, vibrant and dedicated ad
junct to the lives of our young
men and women at the Univer
sity.”
The formal dedication of the
facilities will take place at a
later date.
could not remarry because she
could not produce proof of her
husband’s death.
She turned to American rab
binical authorities who referred
her to Chief Rabbi Abraham
Katz of Petach Tikvah. Rabbi
Katz has a record of successful
solutions of such problems.
When he received her request
for help, he contacted a group
of Japanese scientists visiting
Israel who later visited the So
viet Union. One of the scientists
visited the Russian Ministry of
the Interior in Moscow who pro
vided due notice that the wom
an’s husband died in 1949. The
death certificate was sent to
Rabbi Katz who forwarded it to
the United States where the
American rabbis declared the
woman free to marry again.
among the peoples of the world.
The young State of Israel seeks
to guide its development in ac
cordance with this vision, which
it has inherited from its ancient
prophets.
“In dedicating myself to the
furtherance of the friendship be
tween our countries, I hope that
I may be privileged to receive
at your hands tne encourage
ment which was extended in
such generous measure to my
distinguished predecessor.”
Replying to Mr. Harman’s ad
dress, the President told the
new Ambassador:
“I am deeply grateful for the
sentiments you nave expressed
about my country’s dedication to
peace and our efforts to that
end. Indeed, no nation is too
large or too small to share in
the great task of securing peace
in the world: In pursuing this
cause, both of our countries
draw inspiration from a com
mon spiritual heritage, and are
guided by our belief in the dig
nity of man and the right of all
nations to enjoy freedom and
in dependence.
“The people of Israel, many of
whom have embarked on a new
life in new surroundings, have
created a dynamic society, whose
achievements in the social, eco
nomic and scientific fields have
won widespread admiration. The
United States is pleased to have
assisted Israel in its economic
development, tad wishes tod
every success In its endeavors
to build a prosperous and stable
economy
“As you undertake your duties
here, you may be assured that
the United States- Government
will extend to you full coopera
tion in making your mission a
successful one, and will work
with you to strengthen the al
ready close ties of friendship
and mutual understanding be
tween our two countries.”
lyir. Harman also extended to
Mr. Eisenhower, on behalf of
Israel’s President Itzhak Ben
Zvi, “his best personal wishes
for your continued good health
and for the welfare or the United
States of America.” Among the
Israeli people, Mr. Harman told
General Eisenhower, “your name
is cherished, in a direct personal
way, as the commander of the
forces who delivered the rem
nant of our people in Europe
from the evil which was laun
ched against humanity 20 years
ago. The greater part of these
survivors are today free citizens
of Israel.”
In -esponse, Mr. Eisenhower
told the Ambassador: “I should
be grateful if you would trans
mit to His Excellency, the Presi
dent of Israel, my warm person
al regards, and my hope for his
continued good health and for
the progress and prosperity of
Israel.”
Mr. Harman is Israel’s third
Ambassador to Washington.
Eliahu Elath served in that post
two years and was followed, in
1950, by Abba Eban, who head
ed the Embassy here from 1950
to May, 1959.
Official Opening of Hillel
House at Athens on Sept. 27
By ADOLPH ROSENBERG
Officials on Three Continents
Help to Release “Agunah”
World Bank Weighs
$40 Million Suez Development Loan
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The
United States Department of
State has given tne World Bank
no official indication of the
American attitude on the United
Arab Republic’s anti-Israel
blockade at the Suez Canal, al
though the international finan
cial institution is preparing to
grant a $40,000,000 loan to the
UAR for a canal improvement
project.
Bank officials made this state
ment this week as they prepared
to study recommendations from
a World Bank mission in Cairo
in connection with the projected
loan. Decision on the Suez loan
may come at the end of Septem
ber when the Bank’s board of
governors meets here. Both Israel
and the UAR are members of the
World Bank - the International
Bank for Reconstruction and De
velopment.
World Bank informants were
inclined to discount the signifi
cance of a letter from thirteen
members of the House Banking
and Currency Committee asking
the Bank to refrain from making
the loan to the UAR until the
UAR recognized Israel’s rights
to freedom to passage. They said
the letter should have been ad
dressed to Robert B. Anderson,
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury,
rather than to Eugene R Black,
president of the World Bank.
Secretary Anderson, it was point
ed out, is in charge of American
relations with the Bank and the
Bank looked to the Administra
tion, rather than to Congress for
advice.
The States Department is gen
erally believed to be in favor of
the loan to President Nasser of
the UAR because of improve
ments in American relations with
the Nasser regime.
In their letter to Mr. Black,
the thirteen Congressmen stress
ed that the Suez Canal should
be open to all nations. “Instead,,’'
they pointed out, “it is being
used as a weapon in relations
between the UAR and the State
of Israel.” The barring of the
Inge Toft from transit because
the ship carried Israeli cargo
was cited as “the most recent of
a long series of illegal actions
which violate the Constantinople
Convention and the United Na
tions Security Council decision.”
As long as the Suez Canal “is
being used for belligerent ac
tion” by the UAR said the sig
natories, “we are deeply disturb
ed that an international agency
is considering a loan to improve
and enlarge it.”
The signatories were Rep.
Seymour Halpern, New York;
Rep. Hugh J. Addonzioy New
Jersey; Rep. Byron L. Johnson,
Cqlorado; Rep. James C. Healey
New York; Rep. Florence P.
Dwyer, N. J.; Rep. Edward
J. Derwinski, Illinois; Rep. Wil
liam S Moorhead, Pennsylvania;
Rep. Charles A. Vanik, Ohio;’
Rep. Martha W. Griffiths, Mich
igan; Rep. Abraham J. Multer,
New York; Rep. William H. Mil-
liken, Jr., Pennsylvania; Rep.
Paul A. Fino, New York and
Rep Gtordon L. McDonough,
California.