Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
XXXVI
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 19fll
No. 13
Algerian Nationalists List
Algerian Jews as Algerians
Final Preparations for Eichmann Trial
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — A
statement differentiating be
tween the status of Algerian
Jews and European elements in
Algeria was issued this week in
a denial of anti-Semitism by the
representative here of the Al
gerian Front of National Libera
tion.
A Chanderli, permanent rep
resentative of the Algerian rev
olutionists, said: “With regard
to Algerian Jews, we consider
that they constitute a category
completely distinct from the Eu
ropean element. The Algerian
Jews are not colonial invaders.”
“On the contrary.” said the
Algerian nationalist spokesman,
“the 150,000 persons of Jewish
faith in Algeria are historically
among the earliest inhabitants
of the country. During the years
of colonial rule, Jews as well as
Arabs, being indigenous to Al
geria, have been subject to the
disdain of the European colon
ists. During World War II, with
pro-Vichy French elements in
control of Algeria, they were
subject to special discriminatory
legislation, humiliations, etc., in
accord with the anti-Semitic
policies of the governmental au
thorities.”
On the issue of whether Al
geria’s Jews were French na
tionals, “since 1871 by means
of a French Government de
cree,” Mr. Chanderli said, “The
Algerian Jews are in reality Al
gerians—by their history, their
language, their traditions. They
are not foreign colonizers who
have come to our land. Algeria
is their country and homeland as
it is the homeland of Moslem
Algerians."
“The very first proclamation of
the Algerian Front of National
Liberation in November 1954, de
fined as the primary aim of the
revolution the restoration of an
independent, democratic Algerian
state in which fundamental lib
erties shall be guaranteed to all,
with no distinction based on
race, creed or religion,” Mr.
Chanderli continued. “The first
policy statement of the provi
sional government of the Al
gerian republic, on September
26, 1958, again made clear that
Algeria, freed of colonialists,
will have neither first nor sec
ond class citizens and will make
no distinction due to race or re
ligion among those who wish to
remain Algerian.”
The statement by Mr. Chand
erli referred to the choice that
will be given to “Europeans of
Algeria” to either ask for Al
gerian citizenship or to be con
sidered foreigners. However, the
Algerian leader stressed that
Algerian Jews are Algerians,
completely distinct “from the
European element” This was in
terpreted here by some to indi
cate that Jews in Algeria might
not be considered French citi
zens under an Algerian National
ist regime despite the Cremieux
Decree issued by the French
Government in 1871, and thus
given no option to leave the
country when Algeria gains in
dependence.
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—A re
port on the preparations made
by the Israeli authorities for the
holding of the trial of Adolf
Eichmann, the Nazi leader who
directed the mass-murder of
6,000,000 Jews in Europe, was
given at a press conference here
by Yosef Nahmias, Israel Police
Inspector General. The trial
opens on April 11.
The complete details of the
trackdown and capture of Nazi
Adolf Eichmann “have not yet
been published” and may not be
known until the entire affair is
history, Mr. Nahmias said.
He discolsed that 474 of the
750 seats which will be available
in the Bet Haam courtroom
where Eichmann will be tried
next month have been set aside
Erie Schools
To Give Credit
For Hebrew Courses
ERIE, Pa. (JTA) — The School
District of Erie has been granted
permission by the State Superin
tendent of Public Instruction, to
award credit in public high
schools for the first-year course
in Modern Hebrew given at the
Jewish Center Hebrew High
School. This marks the first time
that full credit will be granted
by public high schools in this city
for the study of Hebrew. All stu
dents at the Hebrew High School
are regular students at the city’s
high school.
A Child Learns the Four Questions
Bv Betty Cantor
j j
The thick fringe of her dark lashes could not
hold hack the swell of brimming tears. It was Fri
day afternoon and coming home from school she
had remembered with self-reproach her Sunday
school teacher had told the class to learn the Four
Questions in Hebrew by next Sunday.
Rushing to comfort her, but so poorly pre
pared. 1 took the sheet of Hebrew transliteration
that had been given to the children in Sunday
School and said, "I’ll help you. It will just take
some work.” So we bravely began “Ma nish-ta-
na—She immediately announced, “The tune is
wrong.” I could struggle with the words, but alas,
I knew no nigun. So we were lost. I inwardly re
gretted anew my lack of a knowledge of Hebrew.
And freely her tears flowed.
Nothing could reassure her. The task was for
midable.
Much later when Steven arrived, he question
ed the cause of her unhappiness. “Oh, I’ll help
you,” he said with confidence. He had brought in
doors the warmth of Spring.
They sat on the steps, their favorite haunt.
Steven’s knees touched his chin. She looked into
his face and then began an enchanting chorus, “Ma
nish-ta-na—”
This time, a chant in loveliest melody, their
sweet harmony a religious experience to hear.
Over and over, again and again, tenderly they re
peated the lines. Their voices blended, his true and
clear, hers looking to him for support. Peeping
through the hall, hoping to capture this picture
for always, I saw them lost in their effort. Their
bodies touched, as did their hearts and minds
When her interest waned—a six-year-old gets
tired—he offered words of encouragement. “You’re
doing fine, Diane.” He likened the Hebrew syllables
to English words she knew. I smiled at his ex
planation of the sound, “Lia.” He said, “You know,
lye is a chemical.”
After dinner, they were back at work. This
time with the door closed. My husband and I mar
veled at their infinite patience. So charming was
the sound, we wanted to stand with ears glued to
the door.
Steven demanded perfection. I had felt com
pelled to intervene. When it was time to shoo
them off to bed, they were still on Question One.
“Why not let her learn them pretty well at first,
then if there is time, give them a finishing touch.”
He said a firm, “No.” He knew she would never
be happy with her “questions” that way.
The next morning 1 awakened not to the ex
pected sound of singing birds, but to this zealous
Passover preparation. They were hard at work
and now I could hear, “She-b'chol ha-lai-los.”
With the same gentle encouragement, this con
tinued at intervals through the day. Even at play
in the garden, I could hear their rhythmic chant.
Finally, she announced with glowing eyes, “I
know them!” What a contrast, this happy radiance
with the inconsolable gloom of the preceding day.
I was overcome. My heart could sing. Indeed was
approaching a holiday of Spring.
The Bible admonishes, “Thou shall teach thy
children when thou sitteth in thy house, and when
thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest
down, and when thou riseth up.” We are com
manded, “Thou shalt tell thy son in that day, say
ing: It is because of that which the Lord did for
me when I came forth out of Egypt.” How fitting
that the son teach his sister so lovingly.
Always before he had so enjoyed the privilege
of asking the questions. He was growing up. He
was giving this pleasure over to the youngest
child.
Bubbie came for lunch on Sunday and Diane
said the Questions for her. They must have been
just right. Their lips moved in unison, Bubbie's
unknowingly and inaudibly; Diane’s in clear child
like notes. Bubbie exclaimed over the wonder of
this accomplishment!
As the artist shows his finished work, the plot
ter his creation, Steven beamed with pride
Bubbie rhetorically asked, “Who deserves the
credit?”
With a beguiling smile directed to her brother,
Diane answered, "He does.”
for local and foreign correspond
ents. Sixty seats are reserved for
the Israel Foreign Ministry for
distribution to diplomats and
official observers. Thirty tickets
will be given daily to the Gov
ernment Tourist Corporation for
distribution to visitors from
abroad.
Only a few hundred seats have
been set aside for the Israel pub
lic, although the number of
seats for them presumably will
be increased as foreign interest
declines at later stages of the
trial.
It was also revealed here that
Eichmann had been taken from
his closely guarded cell to a
court in connection with a re
quest from a West German court
for evidence from him. The evi
dence was sought for a libel caae
involving Dr. Hans Globke, State
Secretary to West German Chan
cellor Konrad Adenauer, who
has been under fire on chargee
of anti-Jewish activities as an
official of the Ministry of the
Interior during the Nazi regime.
So. Members Named
To UJA National
Campaign Cabinet
NEW YORK, N. Y. — The ap
pointment of a 71 member Na
tional Campaign Cabinet to serve
as the top policy-making and
planning body for the nationwide
1961 UJA campaign for $72,740,-
000 was announced this week by
Joseph Meyerhoff, General
Chairman of the United Jewish
Appeal.
Cabinet members from the
Southern region arte: Nehemia
Cohen and Abe S/Kay, of Wash
ington, D. C.; Louis Fox, Jerrold
C. Hoffberger, Rabbi Morris Lie-
berman and Ejkan R. Myers, of
Baltimore; Benjamin J. Massell,
of Atlanta;'James L. Permutt, of
Birmingham; and Paul Kapelow
and Label A. Katz, of New
Orleans.
Teachers Still
Strike in Israel
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—The Is
rael Cabinet has decided that
secondary school teachers, who
have been on strike since March
5, in a bid for higher salaries,
will not be paid for the period
they are out, except for the two-
and-a-half week Passover recess.
The Cabinet made the decision
after approving a report by Fi
nance Minister Levi Eshkol in
his capacity as chairman of a
special Ministerial committee
dealing with the impasse. Mr.
Eshkol informed the Cabinet of
plans by the Ministry of Educa
tion to hold final examinations
for 4,000 high school seniors if
the strike was not settled by the
end of the current school term.
Education Minister Abba Eban,
moving into the situation im
mediately on his return from the
United States, told the Knesset
that the strike was “unjustified
and irresponsible.” He expressed
readiness for immediate negotia
tion of a solution by convening
of a roundtable of all parties
concerned, this week, if feasible,
to make possible restoration of
normal classroom activities at
the end of the Passover holiday.
Anti-Semitic Journal
Published in Ixmdon
By Hungarian Fascists
LONDON, (JTA)—The Agu-
dah World Executive has pro
tested to Home Secretary R. A.
Butler over the continued pub
lication in the United Kingdom
of a strongly anti-Semitic journ
al edited by a former member
of the Hungarian Fascist party.
The publication, Hidfo, con
taining pro-Nazi material, is
edited by the ex-Hungarian fas
cist from his residence in Ger
many while the periodical itself
is published here. The Agudah
executive had received protests
on the publication from rabbini
cal and lay leaders of the Cen
tral Board of Hungarian Jews.
Jews in Communist
Countries Permitted
To Bake Matzot
LONDON, (JTA)—Jewish com
munities in Poland, Rumania,
Hungary and Czechoslovakia
have been permitted by the au
thorities to make arrangements
to bake matzot for Passover, it
was reported here.
Five thousand Haggadas have
been sent by the Agudah World
executive to East European Jew
ish communities. The Agudah
also distributed more than 200
pairs of tefillin in Hungary,
Poland and Czechoslovakia.
Londoner to Lecture
At 3 Southern
B’nai B. Institutes
WASHINGTON — Dr. Louis
Jacobs, a member of the faculty
of Jews’ College in London,
will be the first lecturer from
abroad to participate in B’nai
B’rith’s adult institutes of Juda
ism series.
Dr. Jacobs will appear this
summer at three institutes in
the Southwest, one in Mississ
ippi, and two in Texas. He is
also tentatively scheduled to ap
pear July 23-27 at Wildacres,
N.C., where the concept of sum
mer institutes for adults was
first developed 14 years ago.
Dr. Jacobs was formerly rab
bi of the West End Synagogue of
London and of the Central Syna
gogue in Manchester. He is the
author of a number of books on
Jewish themes.
Topics Dr. Jacobs will discuss
in the United States are "How
the Talmud Came Into Being."
“The Torah and its Role in Juda
ism,” “Why the Synagogue” and
“The Challenge of the Physical
Sciences.”
Helen Hayes And
UJS. Theatre Group
Banned in Egypt
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A
touring American theatre group,
starring the leading actress,
Helen Hayes, has been refused
permission to give goodwill per
formances in the United Aral)
Republic because the troupe will
later perform in Tel Aviv.
The UAR authorities canceled
the appearance of the American
actors in Cairo, making known
that Egyptians did not care to re
ceive an “international goodwill”
undertaking that would include
Israel on its itinerary. 1110 Ameri
can actors, selected from the na
tion’s finest, are performing se
lected American plays abroad as
examples of this country's cul
tural achievements.
United States officials an
nounced that the group, which
was to have played the Cairo
Opera House on April 1, 2 and 3,
would visit Beirut instead of
Cairo. The troupe is traveling
under the auspices of the U. S.
State Department