Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
XXXVI
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1961
No. *
"Bei Mir’ Composer Sold Rights
For $30; Gets Ownership Back
NEW YORK, (JTA) — Sholom
Secunda, who sold the lights to
his “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” for
$30 soon after he wrote it and
then watched other people get
rich from it for two decades, be
came the owner again this week
of his international hit song when
the copyright reverted to him.
Under United States law, a copy
right expires after 28 years and
can be renewed only by the
author or composer or by some
one he designates.
For the first time since he wrote
it in 1937, Mr. Secunda will begin
to share in its continuing earn
ings. He signed a contract with
Harms, Inc., the music publisher
which promoted the song into in
ternational fame. Mr. Secunda,
under the agreement, will get
about $5,000 in royalties. If he
had kept the copyright, he would
have received more than $300,000
by this time.
The 66-year-old composer of
France Re-Examines
Payments For Victims
Of Nazism
PARIS, (JTA)—The French
Government decided this week to
re-examine the system under
which compensation to the vic
tims of nazism in France will be
made. The decision concerns the
sum of 400,000,000 deutschemarks
($100,000,000) which West Ger
many handed over to the French
Government as final settlement
for indemnification of French
victims of Nazisin.
The money is to be paid to
those victims who have suffered
persecution “outside the laws of
war.” Jewish organizations and
associations of victims of the
Nazis have been consulted by the
French Government and will
have a chance to make their
views known again before a
system for' allocation of the in
demnity funds is worked out.
Yiddish musicials for the Second
Avenue theater in Manhattan was
not embittered, however. He said
the loss bothered “everyone else
more than it bothered me.” Any
way, he said, he didn’t think
much of the hit tune as compared
to some of his symphonic com
positions.
Mr. Secunda composed the
music for the song as he was
walking with his wife on a Far
Rockaway boardwalk. He and his
lyricist needed a theme song for
yiddish musical they had writ
ten. A few years later, Mr. Se
cunda was offered $30 for it
which he accepted. The next
thing he knew, the melody was
being sung by an unknown trio
called the Andrew Sisters. It has
since sold 250,000 copies in sheet
music and 2,500,000 records.
New Arrests of Moroccan Jews
Panic Jewish Population
PARIS, (JTA) — The entire
Jewish population in Morocco
was reported here to be in a state
of panic following mass arrests
of Jews in various Moroccan
towns. The report, which came
from Rabat, indicated that the
fear among Jews was greatest in
the southern Moroccan towns,
particularly in Fez, Meknes and
Sefrou.
The number of Jews arrested
during the last few days was
estimated at about 300. Mdre than
30 Jews were arrested in Fez,
Meknes and Sefrou. They in
cluded the head of the Jewish
community in Sefrou. All of
them have been charged with
participation in distribution of
anonymous leaflets calling on
the Jewish population to leave
Morocco.
The reports indicated that tor-
Fulbright Attacks Israel;
Cites Charges in Senate
WASHINGTON, (JTA) —
Chairman J. W. Fulbright of the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, took the Senate floor this
week to criticize Israel—alleging
that Israel practices undemocrat
ic censorship—and to reveal the
contents of private correspond
ence with Israel Ambassador
Avraham Harman.
Senator Fulbright, Arkansas
Democrat, told the Senate that
“last spring after I had visited
in the Middle East I was taken
severely to task by the Israeli
Prime Minister because I re-,
ferred to censorship in Israel.”
As a result, he said, he ex
changed correspondence with the
Israel Government to make
known his displeasure at such
criticism.
Senator Fulbright revealed
anger, in the correspondence
made public this week at Israeli
allegations that he misrepresent-
Regional JWVParley Called
For Atlanta on March 11, 12
Representatives of 35 posts of
Jewish War Veterans in 5 Sou
thern states and the District of
Columbia will convene in Atlanta
during the weekend of March
11-12.
Regional Commander Irving
Libowsky this week announced
the conference will be climaxed
with a banquet the evening of
Sunday, March 12, in conjunction
with Atlanta Post 112, at the Pro
gressive Club.
U. S. Senator Wayne Morse
will be the principal speaker.
The veterans conference com
prises the Fourth Region JWV
Convention and will assemble
delegates from Virginia, Wash
ington, North and South Caro
lina, Florida and Georgia.
They will be guests at a recep
tion the evening of March 11 at
the Progressive Club.
At lunch on March 12, the dele
gates will hear a panel discussion
on the "Role of JWV in the Jew
ish Community in These Turbu
lent Times.”
Among JWV notables expected
in Atlanta will be National Com
mitteeman Irving Koslow, Wash
ington; Israel Altman, Charles-
ed facts and made statements
“apt to be misleading.” Defend
ing his charges, Sen. Fulbright’s
correspondence insisted that Is
rael censored the press, “invaded
the Sinai Peninsula,” violated
United Nations Armistice agree
ments, and sought to minimize
the actual number of Arab refu
gees as enumerated by the United
Nations.'
Senator Fulbright informed
the Senate of criticism of him
self by Mr. Ben-Gurion and
quoted Mr. Ben-Gurion’s state
ment that, “There was no basis
for such talk by a responsible
person who heads the Foreign
Relations Committee of such an
august institution as the U.S.
Senate.”
Continuing his attack on Is
rael, Sen. Fulbright Vrovght the
controversy up to date by in
serting into the Congressional
Record a number of news dis
patches from Israel and Cyprus,
published in the New York Times
and Washington Post within the
last month, containing references
to the use of censorship by Is
rael in the Lavon case.
British Tanks
Arrive in Israel
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Fourteen
Centurion tanks purchased from
Britain have arrived in Israel
aboard the SS Kineret after a
stormy pasage through the Med
iterranean, it was disclosed. Un
loading of the tanks proceeded
immediately after the vessel was
anchored at an undisclosed point
off Israel’s coast.
tures were carried out against
the arrested Jews, particularly
in the police headquarters of
Meknes, where the tortures were
described reliably as of an almost
Nazi-like character, including
the use of pincer instruments on
sensitive parts of the victim’s
bodies.
The Council of Jewish Com
munities of Morocco called a
special meeting to discuss the
growing Moslem-Jewish tension
and released a communique de
nouncing the “persistence of the
anti-Jewish press campaign
which uses false and defamatory
statements.” The communique
also strongly protested against
the “pretensions of responsible
elements whosoever they may be
and whatever their reasons.”
The Council reaffirmed the
loyalty of Moroccan Jewry to
King Mohammed V whose liberal
attitude toward the Jews of
Morocco was lauded. The com
munique assailed the anonymous
leaflets distributed to Moroccan
Jews as the possible work of
provocateurs “who aim at sow
ing discord between the Jewish
and Moslem populations.”
The communique evoked a
cool reception from Moroccan
Jews who noted that it made no
reference to arrests and tortures
suffered by Jews in recent
weeks.
The Council is appointed by
Moroccan authorities and not
elected. The communique was re
garded as fresh proof of the
Council’s inability, because of
fear, to speak up for the Moroc
can Jewish community. Moroc
can Jews had been expecting a
statement denouncing the Nazi-
like tortures suffered by some
Jews in Moroccan police sta
tions. There was a widespread
feeling that the communique
was lacking completely in force
or firmness.
The European director of the
American Jewish Committee,
Zachariah Shuster, went to Mo
rocco to observe the Jewish
situation in the country. He
hoped to be received by the
Minister of the Interior, Mr. Bek-
kai. Meanwhile, he met with
several leaders of the Moroccan
Jewish community, including
David Amar, secretary-general
of the Council of Moroccan Jew
ish communities.
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The mid
winter conference of Hadassah
concluded here this week with
approval of a resolution appeal
ing to the Human Rights Com
mission of the United Nations
to urge the Government of Mo
rocco “to remove the ominous
restraints and repressive actions
against Jews and to halt the
fostering of such action through
pernicious and inflammatory
propaganda.”
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Sena
tor Jacob K. J a vita, New York
Republican, asked the State De
partment this week to inquire
into widespread reports of mis
treatment of Jews in Morocco.
22 Adopt Judaism
In Morocco
CASABLANCA, (JTA)—Twen
ty-two conversions to Judaism
were carried out during 1960 by
the Rabbinic Court of Casablan
ca, it was reported here. The
figure represents fewer conver
sions than were carried out in
1959, mainly because the Rabbin
ic pourt began putting more
difficulties in the way of those
wishing to convert.
Nine of the 22 persons con
verted last year were Americans,
while the rest were of either
French or Spanish nationality.
While the majority of the con
verts adopted Judaism in order
to marry Moroccan Jewish girls,
there were some purely “religi
ous” conversions motivated
solely by love of Judaism. In the
latter category was a United
States Army Lieutenant who de
cided to embrace Judaism after
several years of studying the re
ligion.
Moroccan King
*Solicitous’ of Jews;
More Arrests Listed
PARIS, (JTA)—King Moham
med V has asured a delegation
of Moroccan Jewish community
leaders of his “solicitude” for
Morocco’s 200,000 Jews and ask
ed the Jewish leaders to “com
bat current attempts to divide”
Morocco’s Jewish and Moslem
citizens, it was reported here
from Rabat.
During the audience, the Jew
ish delegation expressed the
"steadfast loyalty and attach
ment” of the Jewish community
to the king after presenting him
with a list of grievances of the
community. The delegation was
led by Dr. Leon Benzaquen,
former Minister of Telecommuni
cations, and Meyer Obadia, presi
dent of the Casablanca Jewish
community.
Shortly before the king met
with the Moroccan Jewish lead
ers, 15 young Jews were arrested
during a 48-hour period and kept
in Casablanca jails. The police
accused them of taking part in
the recent distribution of leaflets
to Moroccan Jews urging them
to emigrate to Israel.
Birmingham to Host Southeast
Regional Convention UOJCA
U. 8. SENATOR MOR8E
ton, regional vice commander,
and Louis Shrier, national pro
gram director.
Another feature of the banquet
will be the presentation of the
“Distinguished Citizen’s Award”
by Post 112 to Max Cuba, for
several decades an outstanding
Jewish communal, civic and busi
ness leader.
Representatives of orthodox
Jewish congregations from eight
southern states will gather in
Birmingham the weekend of
March 10-12 to participate in the
16th Annual Convention of the
Southeast Region of the Union
of Orthodox Jewish Congrega
tions of America (UOJCA).
Host to the UOJCA will be
Knesseth Israel Congregation, of
which Rabbi Seymour Atlas is
spiritual leader and Sol Shapiro,
president.
Sam S. Margolin of Memphis,
president of the UOJCA South
east Region and dean of Southern
Law University, announced the
appointment of Harry Asman and
Joseph Brown, both of Birming
ham, to serve as co-chairmen of
the event.
The delegates will address
themselves to policy and program
in phases of religious and com
munal development in workship,
panel and plenary sessions.
Youth and college students’ needs
and religious education will re
ceive special study. Questions of
church-state relationships and re
ligion in the public schools will
also be debated, as will relation
ships between Jews in the United
States and Israel.
Israel Spy
Appeals Case
HAIFA (JTA) — Kurt Sitte,
the Czech-born scientist who was
sentenced to five years’ imprison
ment last week on charges of
espionage, filed an appeal in the
Israel Supreme Court Prof. Sitte,
until his detention last fall, was
head of the physics department
of the Technion-Israel Institute
of Technology. He was convicted
of pas»i^g secret material to for
eign agents.