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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, March 24, 1381
A Congregation’s Faith
We never cease to “schep nachas” from
the special zeal which sweeps over groups 'of
our people and inspires them to achieve
ments seemingly beyond their numbers.
The dedication which has carried first one
group after another into new houses of wor
ship has been a consistent source of sustain
ed pleasure to this editor—and Sunday Jve
experienced the exhilaration again when
Congregation Beth Jacob in Atlanta official
ly broke ground for a new Synagogue.
Members of Beth Jacob have consistently
demonstrated this dedication to the Orthodox
principles of their faith and in a scant 17
years nave steadily advanced in numbers as
well as in improvement of their physical
facilities.
A $400,000 Synagogue is an ambitious ob
jective for this relatively small group. But
the members are not for an instant phased
and just as they have succeeded in securing
the services of a dynamic spiritual leader
and then a competent cantor so they are now
progressing into the new dimension of what
promises to be one of the most distinctive
synagogal structures in America.
But it is not the concrete foundations
which have already been laid for this syna
gogue, which excites us, nor the columns of
brick arising to support the circular main
auditorium itself. It v is the special faith
among Beth Jacob members, which as their
rabbi Emanuel Feldman declared, is our Jew
ish “spirit, the sense of dedication, the sense
of sacrifice which has permeated us for the
last several years, binding us together etern
ally, irrevocably.”
Nor are we building solely for our chil
dren or grandchildren, he demurred.
“We are building for God, erecting a
House of God, a holy and sacred place where
we can come and worship and know it is the
place for Torah.”
No higher ideals ever motivated our peo
ple anywhere, nor carried them more surely
towards th goals they seek.
Let Us Retain Privilege
Of Nominating From Floor
We’re opposed to the plan to ban the
time-honored American privilege of making
nominations from the floor, such as suggest
ed for the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation
(Temple) members in Atlanta.
While the new proposal enables anyone
in the congregation to make nominations—
these must be submitted in writing fifteen
days in advance.
In the main, this formalizes the process
of nominations and eliminates the spontanei
ty and strength of “the floor.” Here members
feel they have the democratic privilege of
arising and forthrightly exercising their
rights without the overwhelming, steam
rolling disadvantage of facing the formid
able power structure pressures alone.
The only good reason we can see for the
new suggestion is that it s eliminates em
barrassment of quite good persons who
often have to be talked into accepting the
post in the first place. Then to meet un
expected opposition! We share their em
barrassment.
Seldom however are nominating commit
tee suggestions either contested or defeated,
but it seems to us that this contingency is
far more desirable than the stifling formal
ism which will result if “the floor” privilege
is denied.
Actually, nominations from the floor per
mit a wholesome counterbalance to any en
trenched, moribund status-quo. We recall a
superlative example which occurred within
the Temple family itself about ten years
ago. The old-guard dominated Sisterhood
nominating committee dropped a vice presi
dent whose ability and service entitled her
to advancement to the group’s highest office.
Her sole disadvantage was that there was a
Zionist affinity in her family. This nomina
tion injustice was too much for the rank
and file of Sisterhood members to stomach.
The discarded vice president was nominated
from the floor, winning the election and
serving the group brilliantly during her
term of office.
We can understand the feeling of nom
inating committees, who too often have to
plead with members of most of our organ
izations to stand for office, in wanting to
have assurance that their sincere and volun
tary efforts will be accepted. Theirs is a
tough and thankless assignment. But we do
not want to surrender this precious—if sel
dom used—prerogative of ttottpcracy Jo
make easier the role of nominators, how
ever conscientious.
The Southern Israelite
and THE SUNCOAST JEWISH NEWS
PibHshed weekly by South era Newspaper Enterprises, 390 Conrt-
Und 8t„ NR., Atlanta 3, Georpta, TR. 0-3249, TR 0-8240. Second
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The Southern Israelite Invites literary contributions and correspond
ence bat Is not to be considered ns sharing the views expressed by
writers. DEADLINE Is 5 P.M., FRIDAY, but material received earlier
will have a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Gustav Oppenheimer, Herman Lerner
Sylvia Kletzky, Kathleen Nease, Jeanne Loeb
Ruth Kahn, Betty Cantor
JOURNALISTIC AFFILIATIONS
NATIOnml editorial
sy i As @ >c 0 T, t N
blllHHIMIAim
AMERICAN JEWISH PRESS ASSN
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
SEVEN ARTS FEATURES
GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Israel Court Rules in Favor
Of Televising Eichmann’s Trial
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Plans to
televise the proceedings of the
forthcoming trial of Adolf Eich
mann were authorized today by
the three-man tribunal who will
try the Nazi war criminal next
month. Defense counsel Robert
Servatius had objected to the
filming of the trial on the
grounds that it would interfere
with the proceedings.
In a decision handed down by
the president of the tribunal,
Supreme Court Justice Moshe
Landau, the court ruled that
“televising the court’s delibera
tions not only is not unfitting but
may well serve important values
connected with the performance
of justice.” In over-ruling the
objection by the defense counsel,
the judges held that, when there
is wide public interest in a case,
the publicity should be of a com
mensurate nature.
The decision followed a visit to
the site by the three judges, Jus
tice Landau and District Court
Judges Binyamin Halevi and
Yitzhak Raveh. The court’s rul
ing concerned only the principle
of televising the proceedings, but
did not concern the question of
whether exclusive kinescope
rights could be given to Capital
Cities Broadcasting Company, an
American firm. •
David Landor, director of the
Government’s F’ress Information
Office, said today that the Cap
ital Cities firm was given exclus
ive rights to the filming in order
to ensure the widest possible dis
tribution of the proceedings of
the trial, in view of its great
moral and educational import
ance. He said the American firm
would make the entire film and
tape available in full, without
censoring or cutting the material.
The concessionaires, he said, were
doing this as a public service and
would contribute all profits to a
charity designated by the Israel
Government.
It was learned that at the re
quest of Latin American broad
casting firms, the trial proceed
ings would be made available
daily in Spanish and Portuguese
translations, in addition to thn of
ficial English, French and Ger
man translations from the He
brew. The daily proceedings
will be fully recorded “from
gavel to gavel” by camouflaged
and noiseless equipment which
was demonstrated to the press
today.
JEWISH CALENDAR
•PASSOVER
Sat., April 1
(1st Day)
Sat., April 8
(Last Day)
•SIIAVUOT
Sunday, May 21
•ROSH HASHONAH
Monday, Sept. 11
•YOM KIPFUR
Wednesday, Sept 28
•Holiday begins
preceding evenings
W. Barbour Named
UJS. Ambassador
To Israel
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Pres
ident Kennedy announced his in
tention to appoint Walworth Bar
bour, 52, as United States Am
bassador to Israel. Mr. Barbour
is a career diplomat with previ
ous experience in Cairo and
Baghdad. He is presently deputy
chief of mission in London.
A native of Massachusetts, Mr.
Barbour entered the United
States Foreign Service in 1930
after graduating from Harvard
University. He served a number
of years in Italy, Greece, Bul
garia and in 1941 was assigned
to Cairo and then to Baghdad.
Rogosin Changes Plan
To Settle In Israel
NEW YORK, (JTA) — Israel
Rogosin, American Jewish in
dustrialist and a leading private
investor in Israel, issued a state
ment here reporting his decision
to defer further investments in
Israel and to postpone his mov
ing to Israel for permanent
settlement there.
“It is a change of mind—not a
change of heart,” he declared.
He said he had decided to change
his plans to settle in Israel now
even though he had already sold
his home in America. He was
deeply disappointed, he explain
ed, by the lack of receptiveness
to his continued plea for a sound
er approach to the encourage
ment of private foreign invest
ment.
He stressed that be had at
tempted to set an example of
how basic industry could be de
veloped in Israel on a profitable
0 and sound economic basis with
out government subsidies and
protective tariffs. He had hoped
that by this example he could in
duce companies in other fields
to participate in similar invest
ments in Israel, he pointed out.
Mr. Rogosin said he strongly
felt that the time had come for
Israel to move away from joining
forces with manipulators and
promoters to make a “fast buck.”
Until his views fall upon more
receptive ears than at present he
was unwilling to expand his in
vestments in Israel, Mr. Rogosin
said. He emphasized that his
decision was by no means final,
and that he would return to
Israel shortly to review the situa
tion.
The Thirteenth Passover
This year we are celebrating the 13th
Passover since 1948. It is a Passover which
leads us into the 13th Anniversary of Israel s
independence—the Bar Mitzvah anniversary
and commemorate.
The ancient Exodus that' we commem
orate was the precursor of the great modern
Exodus which has led to the creation of a
mature Jewish homeland. The American
Jewish community has played a great and
decisive role in this significant reversal of
the trend of history. Through the United
Jewish Appeal, America’s Jews were able
to bring their strength as a community to
bear upon the problems of Jewish homeless
ness and oppression. Through the United
Jewish Appeal we were able to help Israel’s
people develop their democratic haven for
the anguished, persecuted and poverty-
stricken Jews of other lands.
Passover, the festival of liberation, will
for all time now be linked together with
Israel’s recurrent anniversaries of freedom.
Exodus and homeland—the two pivots of
Jewish freedom are symbolized for us at
this Passover season.
The 13th Passover since Israel’s creation
is truly a Passover with special meaning for
us. During the years since Israel’s rebirth
we have matured as a community just as
Israel has matured as a nation. All of us,
therefore, are coming to a sort of renewed
spiritual Bar Mitzvah during this Passover
season. We have come to a new realization
of our responsibilities, just as does the thir-
teen-year-old lad when he is charged with
the responsibilities of maturity.
The Jewish future is what we will make
of it. Let us take renewed inspiration from
the joyous events we celebrate this spring
and let us commemorate our joy by giving
more than ever to the United Jewish Appeal
and working harder than ever so that others
may give—in the spirit of Passover and in
the spirit of the greatest Bar Mitzvah in
history.
Off The Record—By Nathan Ziprin
Passover
Its theme is freedom, redemption, release
from bondage.
It is redolent with values for all men, for
all times, for all climates.
It is a universal theme, transcending bor
ders and faiths and tongues. For it is a holi
day that speaks to the hearts of men in
simple semantics, evoking longings and
dreams that are as much if not more a part of
man than bread. More men have died fight
ing for freedom than for bread.
It is an ancient holiday, but it has perhaps
greater relevance in these tumultous days
than in its beginning times. We were but a
few when we crossed the sea that brought us
to Sinai and destiny. Today hundreds of
millions of people throughout the world are
hankering for freedom, for exodus from fear,
for release from chains, but there are no
miracles of the sea today only perhaps be
cause they who are to be saved are lacking
in the faith to plunge in, to dream, to dare,
to imagine, to want, to aspire.
The men who plunged into the sea in the
exodus from Egypt must have had a premoni
tion, a foreboding of Sinai and its promise,
or else the watered wall would have stopped
them. Their faith was tested by Sinai and
it did not fail them in the hour that meant
the* difference between oblivion and ascent.
Time has darkened our path over the cen
turies since the faithful plunged into the sea
for freedom, but the writ on the ancient
parchment on man’s struggle for freedom re
mains eternally' fresh, for its weave is of a
radiant essence, a verity that defies time and
tide for all time.
There is no redemption in bondage.
The price of slavery is death.
Only in freedom can man’s and a people’s
spirit survive.
That is the meaning of Passover—a vision
that encompasses liberty, life, the pursuit of
happiness, the dignity of man and the
supremacy of God.
Passover is the holiday of man’s entry on
the path to the promised land, his reaching
out into a sanctum where bounty and bless
ing spell tranquility not strife.
The seas that once opened up may yet
again come assunder, but only if we demon
strate that our generation is worthy of an
other Sinai.
The Pharoahs are many in the lands and
unyielding of heart. But «ur dilemma, as in
the ancient days, is not how to find a way to
Phnroah’s henrt. but how to limp the path to
redemption.