Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
Vo], XXXVII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1962
NO. 4
NY Slate Body Delays Billing
On Aramco’s Anti-Jewish Bias
Israel I^aces Electric Shutdown
As Engineer Strike Hardens
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The New
York State Commission Against
Discrimination postponed this
week for at least two months a
decision in a long series of legal
moves to end discrimination
against the employment of Jews
by Aramco, the Arabian-Ameri-
ean Oil Company, which operates
vast oil refining facilities in
Saudi Arabia
After two days of hearings
here by a three-member panel
of its commissioners, SCAD
ordered the attorneys for the
American Jewish Congress,
which initiated the anti-bias
fight, and counsel for Aramco to
file briefs by February 19. After
the datg, each side will have two
weeks more to submit briefs
answering the other side. Then,
SCAD will decide whether to
hold further oral argument.
One session was marked by an
unsuccessful attempt by Chester
Bordeau, attorney for ARAMCO,
to impugn the impartiality of the
SCAD members who conducted
the hearing.
Bordeau, asked the three com
missioners whether any of them
were ever affiliated with mem
bers, officers or employees of, or
contributors to the American
Jewish Congress or any organiza
tion afiliated with the World
Zionist movement. Citing from
the purposes of the American
Jewish Congress, Bordeau noted
that it was one of its aims to sup
port the establishment of a Jew
ish National Home in Palestine.
The Aramco attorney said that
if any members of the Commis
sion were affiliated with the
American Jewish Congress or
with a Zionist group, he would
ask that they be disqualified.
Describing Mr. Bordeau’s request
as "rare and unusual,” J. Ed
ward Conway, the presiding com
missioner, said that he would re
ject as improper that part of the
question dealing with affiliation
with the word Zionist movement
since the role of Israel was “ex
traneous” to the issues of the
hearing. Mr. Conway said, how
ever. that he would permit the
commissioners to answer the part
of Bordeau’s question dealing
with affiliation with the Ameri
can Jewish Congress.
Both Mr. Conway and another
commissioner, Mrs. Mary Louise
Nice, then said that they are not
Jewish, aijd not members of the
American Jewish Congress. They
also said that they had never
contributed to the organization
The third commissioner, Bernard
Katzeri, said he was Jewish, but
was never afiliated with the AJ
Congress and never contributed
to it He challenged the prioriety
of the question, however, and
said that the fact that he was not
affiliated with the AJ Congress
“should not be taken as dispar
aging” that organization.
The ARAMCO lawyer also
failed in an attempt fo seek the
dismissal of the charges of anti-
Jewish discrimination brought
against the oil company. Bor-
dean argued that there was no
evidence that Aramco had dis
criminated in its domestic em
ployment practices.
In reply, Shad Polier, vice pres
ident of the American Jewish
Congress, who is serving as the
organization’s counsel in the case,
pointed out that Aramco “uses
the possibility of travel to Saudi
Arabia as a formula to disguise
the fact that it is actually honor
ing a commitment to its business
partner — Saudi Arabia — to ex
clude Jews from any part of its
payroll, foreign or domestic.”
“The State of New York can
not require Saudi Arabia to ad
mit Jews,” Mr. Polier said. “But
SCAD can and should bar Aram
co from acting as the tool and
agent of a foreign power in vio*-
lating the laws of the State.”
MINNEAPOLIS, (JTA)—Pass
age by the St. Paul City Council
of a Sunday closing law touched
off a barage of protests this
week, including a denunciation
of the measure by the Minne
apolis Star.
Similar legislation is slated
for consideration by the Minne
apolis City council at a public
hearing on Jan. 30. The St. Paul
measure originally included an
option to exclude Jews, Seventh
Day Adventists and others ob
serving a day other than Sunday
as their Sabbath.
Most Twin City rabbis opposed
the measure. One of them, Rab
bi Bernard S. Raskas, said the
“state has no right to designate
an official day of rest” but he
also added that “when the Jew
ish community asks a special
provision because it observes the
Sabbath on Saturday, it is a
myth. Very few Jews observe
Saturday as a day of rest.”
Rabbi Raskas said he chal
lenged anyone “to find more
than two Jewish businesses in
St. Paul that are closed on Sat
urday because of the Sabbath
TEL AyiV, (JTA)—Spurning
return-to-work appeals from Is
raeli officials, the Engineers
Union extended its strike for
higher pay this week with plans
for a progressive shutdown of
electric pfiwor stations.
The 6,000 striking engineers,
chemists, architects and agrono
mists, who are employed in gov
ernment and public institutions,
are fighting as much to establish
the principle that professionals
should get better pay than those
without such qualifications as
for more pay.
As the strike continued, the
gap between public management
and the strikers widened. Prime
Minister David Ben-Gurion led
the critics. He told Israel’s Par
liament that the Government
would take “all essential steps
to insure vital services. Hista-
drut. Israel’s Labor Federation,
and various public and munici
pal bodies employing the strik
ers denounced the walkout.
The Ministry of Finance made
an offer for a seven percent
boost but most members of the
Engineers Union are holding
tradition other than the kosher
butcher shops.” He explained
that it was a “source of great
embarrasment” for him as a
rabbi to speak for a Jewish com
munity “that does not respect its
own tradition” and that, for this
reason, he had not opposed the
measure at a public hearing on
Jan. 4
PARIS, (JTA)—A suit claim
ing 10,000,000 francs in damages
for alleged libeling of the name
of the late Leon Blum, twice
Prime Minister of France, was
heard in civil court here this
week. The court announced that
judgment will be rendered on
February 24
The suit had been brought by
the family of the late M. Blum,
and by an organization called
“The Association of Leon Blum’s
Friends," against the publishers
of the Larousse French Encyclo
pedia The damages were sought
on the claim that the last edi-
fast to demands for a 16% per
cent increase. That was the fig
ure at which Rassco settled with
its union members.
Peace returned to one area of
Israel’s troubled industrial re
lations when a three year dis
pute between the Government
and Israel’s high school teachers
was settled. Abba Eban, Minister
of Education, and heads of the
Teachers Association, initialed
an agreement on salaries, pro
viding for wage increases as
well as certain fringe benefits
for the teachers in the secondary
schools.
High school teachers will re
ceive increases ranging from 25
pounds ($14 00) to sixty pounds
MADRID, (JTA) — For the
first time in centuries, the Catho
lic Church in Spain is taking
concrete steps to improve rela
tions between Catholics and
Jews, it was revealed here this
week by Max Mazin, president of
the Madrid Jewish Community.
Following disclosures during
the Eichmann trial, indicating
that many Nazis had taken refu
ge in Spain, Mr. Mazin said he
discussed Catholic-Jewish rela
tions here with Monsignor Lahi-
guera, Deputy-Bishop of Madrid.
“The Monsignor,” said Mr. Ma
zin “showed great interest in
the problems, and expressed his
desire to cooperate.”
Growing out of the discussions
with the Deputy Bishop Mr.
Mazin said, have been a series
of meetings between leading
tion of the encyclopedia helped
to perpetuate an old canard that
Blum was not a Frenchman but
“a / foreign Jew.” The encyclo
pedia article on Blum alleges
that the former Premier’s “real
name” had been been Leon
Kerunkelstein.
The publishers told the court,
in defense, that the article on
Blum had been written “by a
young and inexperienced grad
uate, who has since been dis
missed.” The attorneys for the
plaintiffs, however, insisted there
were "expressions defamatory
to Jews in general” in the latest
edition.
($33.60) monthly. They will also
get further increments over a
six percent raise if such an in
crement is granted to the engi
neers in public institutions now
on strike for higher wages.
In addition, a joint fund will
be established to help high
school teachers to continue ad
vance studies. This fund will
enable teachers to take a sab
batical leave, with 80 percent
net pay, every eight, years. There
will also be bonuses for teachers
completing refresher courses or
researches, increases for teach
ers holding university degrees,
and special bonuses for those in
charge of certain special sub
jects.
Jews here and the Propaganda
Popular Catblica. PPC issued a
pamphlet, sharply criticizing
“teaching of contempt” against
Jews, and declaring: “in any
way can a Chirstian reproach
the entire Jewish people for the
assassination of Christ. A series
of false, anti-Christian ideas, un
fortunately persisting up to our
days, have supplied a pretext to
commit thousands of horrors
against the God-chosen people.”
Twenty thousand copies of the
pamphlet were sold in the first
few days after its publication,
and a second printing was issued,
said Mr. Mazin. Later, a Chris-
tian-Jewish Action Group, called
“Amistad Judeo-Christina,” was
organized. The group adopted a
program aimed at eradication of
prejudice against Jews. The ex
ecutive board of the new organ
ization includes a representative
of the Bishop of Madrid, the
Mother Superior of the Order of
Our Lady of Zion, Mazin and
Louis Blitz, honorary president
of the Madrid Jewish Communi
ty-
There are 3,500 Jews in Spain
today, about a third of them liv
ing in this city, with the maj
ority in Barcelona, while others
are dispersed throughout the
country. Nearly all of the Jews
in Spain arrived between World
Wars I and II, but some came
during and after World War II.
There are two autonomous Jew
ish religious communities—Sep
hardic and Ashkenazi. In this
city, the two groups hold joint
Sabbath services. In Barcelona,
each of the groups has its own
synagogues.
Closing Law Touches Off
Heated Protests in St. Paul
Blum's Family Files Libel Suit
Against French Encyclopedia
Catholic Church in Spain Acts
To End Bias Against Jews
Southern Communal Leaders
4
BILOXI, Miss. — Jewish leaders from
166 southern communities unanimously
adopted a resolution endorsing the United
Jewish Appeal’s 1962 National Campaign
goal of $95 million to carry on immigra
tion to Israel and welfare activities on be
half of needy Jews in 27 countries over-
The acti<m, taken Sunday at the con
cluding session of the three-day United
Jewish Appeal South-Southwestern Lead
ership Institute on Israel and Overseas
Needs, calls upon American Jewry to raise
a Special Fund of $35 million to meet the
increase in the immigration of Jews from
overseas countries to Israel, and other
democratic havens, in addition to $60
million to carry out a world-girdling pro
gram of welfare activities.
The resolution, introduced by James L.
Permutt of Birmingham, took note of the
fact that the current Jewish migration is
of a character which has “already put the
greatest strain on the people of Israel
since the needs of the newcomers far out
strip the funds available for their absorp
tion. housing and effective incorporation
into Israel life.”
Summoning support for tht resolution
and the forthcoming campaign. Rabbi
Herbert A Friedman of New York, execu
tive vice chairman of the United Jewish
Appeal declared that “in all conscience,
American Jewry which has always re
sponded to the challenge to save and build
ittves, must now play its full share in
meeting this latest challenge to Jewish
survival."
"The survival of the Jewish people.”
Rabbi Friedman said, "is the single most
important task to which we, as the most
fortunately situated Jewish community in
the free world can devote ourselves, not
only because they are our co-religionists,
but because their survival is indispensible
for the survival of a democratic and free
mankind.
“Lives depend on our ability to raise
the needed $95,000,000. It is a challenge
which we can meet. We have already
Endorse UJA's Goals for '62
helped to rescue and resettle a million
refugees in Israel. We have brought sev
eral hundred thousand Jewish refugees
to other countries as well We have helped
hundreds of thousands to survive in pov
erty-stricken lands.
"We have been the miracle-makers of
our generation. Onee again, a miracle is
asked of us We must not fail to produce
it," Rabbi Friedman said.
The United Jewish Appeal Campaign
goal is based on the following budgetary
requirements:
$68,200,000 by the Jewish Agency for
Israel, New York, to meet the costs of
transporting immigrants to Israel, pro
vide for their initial assistance, absorp
tion and housing, as well as to complete
the task of integrating some 300,000 im
migrants who have arrived over past
years and who are not fully self support
ing.
$22,000,000 by the American Joint Dis
tribution Committee, to meet the basic
needs of 325,000 Jews overseas, primarily
in Europe, North Africa and Middle East.
The organization also maintains a net
work of 36 medical institutions in Israel
that care for and rehabilitate aged, sick
and handicapped immigrants.
$1,200,000 to the United HIAS Service
and the New York Association for New
Americans which help Jews migrate to,
and settle in, countries other than Israel
—principally the United States, Canada,
Latin America and Australia.
During the three day conference the
leaders also heard Joseph Meyerhoff of
Baltimore, general UJA chairman; Wil
liam Rosenwald of New York, UJA na
tional chairman; Avraham Harman, Is
rael’s Ambassador to the U.S.; Brig.
General Haim Herzog, of the Israel Army
of Defense; Mrs. Israel D. Fink of Minne
apolis, chairman, UJA’s National Wom
en’s Division; and Paul Kapelow, New
Orleans, conference chairman, and Label
A Katz, also of New Orleans, interna
tional president of B’nai BYith.