Newspaper Page Text
P»C* Four
Friday, Jan. 11, 1963
Wliar The Press Is Saying
—wup—
A Digest of Contemporary Opinion
BIBLICAL ARAD COMES TO LIFE
Another new town has been planted in Israel’s
and Negev Southland. It is Arad, whose 43
“founding families” celebrated “settlement Day”
on November 21, in the presence of over 2,000
guests, including the Prime Minister . . . Beduin
sheikhs and a delegation of students from the
Afro-Aaian seminar. The new town, situated amid
breathtaking landscape on a rocky plateau over
looking the shores of the Dead Sea, will be the
capital of the 125,000-acre Arad region in .the
Eastern Negev. The first families, all of them
veteran Israelis who have left their established
homes to start life anew in what is now a wilder
ness, will, according to plans, be the foreruners
of a population of 25,000, who will be employed
at the Dead Sea Works at Sodom and in indus
tries based on the area’s natural resources. The
settlers are now living in temporary asbestos
houses, and although they moved in only several
weeks ago, they already have a clinic, a .post of
fice, a school, shops and natural gas supply in
each apartment piped from the nearby Rosh Zo-
har gas field . . . .
The Israel Digest
WHITHER THE BIRCHERS?
The John Birch Society, the extreme right
wing group which patterns its organizational
techniques after the Communists, has ostensibly
remained silent on matters of anti-Semitism. There
was an apparent attempt to remain aloof from the
gutter politics of hate mongers. But this week the
Birchers openly succumbed to the hate poison of
the extreme right. It happened in Boston and
was reported by the Boston Herald. Speros La-
goulis, financial backer of the "American” nazi
party, will operate a book store in Boston under
the sponsorship of the John Birch Society. It is
the first open link between the Birchers and the
neo-Nazis’. One now wonders if the John Birch
Society will go all the way. Or will the more
rational, truly patriotic members of the group be
able to stem the virus of anti-Semitism which has
now apparently been injected into its body?
B’nai B’rith Messenger, Los Angeles
Israel’s Vote on South Africa
Recently a resolution to expel South Africa
was passed at the UN. The vote was 67 for and
16 against, with 23 abstentions. The newly-inde-
pendent nations of the Afro-Asian bloc, plus the
Soviet bloc, voted for it. Israel cast her vote with
them. The 16 nays all came from Western nations.
Cynics will maintain that Israel’s decision was . . .
solely determined by political motives, to secura
the friendship, the votes, of the twenty-odd new
black African states. As it often happen to cynics,
they couldn’t have been more wrong. Three of
them, for instance, Ghana, Guinea and Mali, re
ceived and gratefully accepted technical and medi
cal aid from Israel for years, only to suddenly turn
against her in the Nasser-dictated Casablanca de
claration. We always knew, at least since the days
of Jeremiah, that it is dangerous to lean on a
hroken reed. Why then the vote? Why the delib
erate estrangment of a government which was
always friendly to Israel? Why the possible caus
ing of insecurity or even danger to its Jewish
community and to its considerable contribution to
Israel’s economy? The answer to these questions
can best be summarzed by a stattement made by
Ambassador Dafrom ... He said: ‘The basic tenet
of our faith and our ethics, proclaimed thousands
of years ago, sees in man the image of God, and
thus we are all free, equal and brothers. Any de
viation from this concept would be a negation of
our own selves . . .” Thus, Israel’s position has
been made clear as one based entirely on our
spiritual tradtion and our own experience. What
ever the consequences for South African Jewry . .
it seems to us that good politics sometimes have
to give way to good principles if a nation is not
to lose its soul—and the let the consequences go
down the drain
Rafael da Coata, Miirarhi Woman
Jewish Treasure Trove
HISTORICAL TID BITS TRANSLATED
AND COLLECTED BY J. L. FRIEND
A venerable and famous tree, “Abraham’s
Oak’’ (Eshel Abraham) grows at Mamre west
of Hebron. It is surrounded by a wall over
which it projects. It was opposite this oak,
according to tradition, that Abraham pitched
his tent before the three angels visited him.
In 1852, lightning struck a large branch, and
eight camel-loads of wood were removed. In
former years, a terebinth grew to the north
of Abraham’s oak, which the historian Jose
phus claimed had existed since the very be
ginning of humanity on the globe. In Ha
drian’s time,—it was under this tree that the
great sale of Jewish slaves took place, num
bering over 15,000.
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
and THE SUNCOAST JEWISH NEWS
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprise*, 390 Court-
tanri St., N E„ Atlanta 3, Georgia, TR. 6 8249, TR. 6 8240. Second
class postage paid at Atlanta, Ga. Yearly subscription five dollars.
The Southern Israelite Invites literary contributions and correspond
ence bnt is not to be considered as 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, Kathleen Nease, Jeanne Loeb
JOURNALISTIC AFFILIATIONS
AMERICAN JEWISH PRESS ASSN
JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
SEVEN ARTS FEATURES
GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Happy Birthday
One of our contemporaries whose type' is in Yiddish-
script—the daily Forward in New York City—is currently
observing its 65th anniversary and we are frankly delighted
to join the tens of thousands of its well-wishers throughout
the land who would like that newspaper to reach and sur
pass the proverbial 120-year mark.
The Jewish face in America was not yet sharply deline
ated when the Forward came on the scene not only as a
carrier of news to the Jewish immigrants from the Yiddish-
nests of Eastern Europe but as a catlyst in their adjustment
and Americanization.
The Forward in its early days was unsure of foot and
lacking in positii'e Jewish identification. It was concerned
as a product of thinking that envisaged Socialism the ulti
mate answer to all human confrontations, including of course
the Jewish problem. History however was to prove those
theoreticians wrong, and in the end the Forward bent to
reality—a sure mark of a great newspaper.
Still a labor newspaper, with a political outlook in the
tradition of good American liberalism, the Forward in trans
formation over the years jumped from extreme anti-Zionism
to a concept of Jewish nationalism that is closer to Zionism
than Bundism—the Jewish socialist movement. In this guid
ing it had the unique hand of Abe Gahan, the giant who gave
character to the paper in its founding days.
It is said by the wise that the price of growth is decline.
The Forward however has defied that verity. At sixty-fivey,
is is still a vibrant organ of expression, fearless in its views
and one of the best foreign-language newspapers in the world,
one that compares favorably in reportage and editorial ma
terial with the outstanding newspapers in the country.
—The Jewish Chronicle, Indianapolis
Letters to
MENTOR SUGGESTS
PREPARING PAPAS
FOR BAR MITZVAH
Dear Editor,
Having very often been pres
ent at Bar Mitzvah celebrations
in Atlanta synagogues, I want to
venture a few observations:
To begin with I wish to ex
press admiration at the expert
manner some boys perform in
their reading and chanting the
Maftirs. A great amount of hard
labor is obviously spent by the
youngsters and their teachers, 1
am told sometimes as much as
six months, in preparing them
for the great Bar Mitzvah day.
And certainly a good amount of
work is involved.
Here, vis-a-vis the youngsters'
performances, are noted the poor
and often the disgraceful showings
on the part of some parents and
close relatives. At times one is
under the impression that these
grown-ups are in a synagogue
for the first time. When given an
honor or when having to read a
few Hebrew words, or make a
blessing over the Holy Scroll, the
ignorance shown is both scandal
ous and disgraceful.
May I suggest ‘.hat the Atlanta
Hebrew schools, or perhaps the
Atlanta Bureau of Jewish Educa
tion, organize such classes for
the “preparing of fathers and
adults for Bar Mitzvah." The
curriculum to include 1) Re
freshing the reading of Hebrew
and 2) Synagogue customs in
connection with tlu Bar Mitzvah
ceremonies, and 3) Synagogue
usages and practices It is indeed
unfortunate that some people had
no opportunity to study and fam
iliarize themselves with such
matters. However, it is never late
to learn instead of being caught
flat-footed . . .
While on the subject of the
synagogue, I wonder who put the
queer idea into the heads of the
powers-that-be to imitate the
Gpyim and serve cold punch at
the Editor
Friday Oneg Shabbats? During
the hot season-there may yet be
an excuse for this dreadful bev
erage being served, but during the
cold winter Friday nights, a hot
cup of tea is the ideal whole
some drink. Why bring a fine
evening service to a close by
giving the people stomach-ache
and freezing their systems?
—MENTOR
(Name Withheld)
Dear Editor:
Would like to know where I
can buy the book on Jewish
wisdom; best seller in Poland
that you wrote about in your
paper of Nov. 30.
-^J. ABEL
Wilmington, N.C.
“Full title is “Jewish WLsdom
(Wit),” the author Alkeksander
Drazdzynski, illustrator Szyman
Kobylinski. Now in its tenth
printing, the volume might be
secured from the Universal Dis
tributing Co., 52 W. 13th St.,
New York City 11; 4 Continent
Book Corp., 156 5th Ave., NYC
10; or Polish Embassy, 2540 16th
St., N.W., Washington. Thanks
to the Atlanta Public Library
for these suggestions which we
pass on to Mr. Abel.
—THE EDITOR
JEWISH CALENDAR
♦PURIM
Sunday, March 10, 1963
« •PASSOVER
Tuesday, April 9, 1963
(First Day
Wednesday, April 10, 1963
(Second Day)
Tuesday, April 16. 1963
(Eighth Day)
SI1AVOUT
Wednesday, May 28. 1963
(First Day)
Thursday, May 29. 1963
(Second Day)
ROSH HASHONAH
Thursday, September 19, 1963
(First Day)
•Holiday begins
preceding evenings
A Job for Mr. Klutznick?
The Chicago Daily News has written a
generous editorial for Ambassador Klutznick,
which we are reprinting, with a comment,
just as generous of our own:
“The resignation of Philip M. Klutznick as
U S. ambassador to the United Nations closes
another chapter in a remarkable career. It
is the misfortune of the UN to lose his serv
ices, hut Chicago gains by having him active
again on the local scene. ^
“During this stint of government service,
Klutznick worked with Ambassador Adlai
Stevenson as chief US. spokesman on,eco
nomic policy. He masterminded important
American projects in the UN—among them
the Congo Bond Issue that rescued the or
ganization from imminent bankruptcy, and
President Kennedy’s proposal for a UN de
velopment decade.
“This was not the first time he had been
called on to tend his talents to government
affairs, and it may not be the last. Men who
combine such high qualities of business acu
men and social stewardship are ever in de
mand and sometimes overloaded with thank
less tasks.
“Along with a hearty “welcome home,” Mr.
Klutznick has earned another “well done”
to add to his string of achievements.”
We cannot legitimately voice our hope—
a selfish one—that Mr. Klutznick will at this
point find it possible to devote himself to
some Jewish cause as against service in the
general community. If the call comes for
work for the community as a whole, or if the
government needs him again, for the very
reasons that have made him a giant in Jew
ish community work, he will respond to that
call.
On the other hand we can point out
that Mr. Klutznick’s vigorous leadership is
difficult to equal in the Jewish community.
He combines the quality of Democratic lead
ership with a grass roots knowledge of the
Jewish community that has prepared him to
do a job—perhaps the big job of uniting the
U.S. Jewish community—that others cannot
hope to achieve. ^
Mostly this strength is that he does not
look down on Jews from a higher level, but
is so loving of his people that he is their
true servant.
National Jewish Post, Indianapolis
Topic of the Day
—WUP—
By David Benarone
UN MAGIC
There's something about the United Nations—
atmosphere lacking elsewhere around the world
a certain magic visibly changing the outlooks and
attitudes of dipomats who come here to serve
their national interests.
One need only recall Senator Knowland, known
as a rabid isolationist, who served on the U S
delegation some years back and thus had a good
chance to meet and learn more about foreign
diplomats.
Knowland left the UN a changed man.
Russia’s Dobrynin served pi the Secretariat
several years. Today he is one of the most friend
ly and amiable Ambassadors serving in Washing
ton.
Then there’s the magic which makes repre
sentatives of small states feel equal with the diplo
mats of the Groat Powers. Their voices are heard^
here and-, reckoned with. It was the small coun
tries 50 of them that intervened in the Cuban
affair.
Also, for the first time in UN history Israel
fourtd herself with many supporting friends among
the small states during the 16th and 17th sessions.
Quite a number of the small nations urged the
UN to adopt a resolution calling upon the Arabs
and Israel to negotiate their differences directly
Although not adopted, the resolution constituted a
great moral victory for the Jewish State.
Yes, there s something magical about the UN.
and it might do some heads of State some good
to come here periodically so as to permit thus UN
magic to broaden' their narrow nationalistic out
looks for the common good of world amity
The writer of these lines this week proposed
to Secretary General U Thant that he invite the
heads of the contending parties in the Congo,
Tshombe and Adoula, to come to UN headquarters
and remain here until they reach a definitive
settlement.
Who knows?—perhaps the UN magic will do
the trick!