Newspaper Page Text
Page Four
Friday, Jan. IB, 19*3
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
What The Press Is Saying
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
and THE SUNCOAST JEWISH NEWS
—wup—
A Digest of Contemporary Opinion
1962 IN JEWISH LIFE
What kind of a year was 1962? It was a year
which sealed the fate of Algerian Jewry, reducing
an old-established prosperous community from
some 130,000 persons to a small, hardly viable
group of some 10,000. It was a year of continued
reduction in the number of Jews in Morocco and
Tunisia. Conversely, it was a year of a large-scale
"invasion” of North African Jews into France in
creasing the community to some 500,000 and cre
ating a number of extremely serious problems of
an economic, social and cultural nature. It was a
year of increased anti-Jewish action on the Latin-
American continent, particularaly in Argentina
and Uruguay, as well as of intensified neo-Nazi
and anti-Semitic manifestations and organization
in Great Britain. It was also a year of continued
international neo-Nazi and neo-Faseist activity all
over the world culminating in the establishment
of a World Union of National Socialists, the first
post-war organization of this kind intended to
cover the whole world. On the other hand, it was
a year in whch the UN General Assembly finally
adopted a unanimous resolution against racial pre
judice and national and religious intolerance .
It was a year of punishment ... of a large num
ber of Jews, among others, for economic crimes
in the Soviet Union ... It was a year in which
the Eichmann trial finally found its culmination
by the execution of one of the worst Nazis ... It
was a year of soul-searching within the Jewish
communities of the world on the future of Jewry
due to the particular circumstances in which the
Jewish people have been living since the end of
the war .
Dr. Nehemlah Robinson,
World Jewish Congress
HOW TO CURB NAZISM-FASCISM
It is now quite clear that no Fascist or Nazi
group can hold a meeting in England without
courting violence; this means that no meetings
can be held, as the police stop them as soon as a
broach of the peace occurs. The police cannot,
however, prevent public meetings from taking
place. The Minister of Works, who controls Hyde
Park and Trafalgar Square . . . can refuse to hold
meetings there. This he is doing at this very mo
ment—on the grounds that “they cause inconveni
ence”—but anybody can hold a meeting at any
street-corner or in any public hall. The British
Government is now facing a dilemma. Is violence
going to be the only weapon in the fight against
Fascism and Nazism? Are Fascists and Nazis to be
permitted to benefit from freedom of speech? Is
it not freedom of speech run amok? In short, the
old, old problem. Until now, the British Govern
ment has been marking time. There is no inclina
tion in Government circles to fight Fascism and
Nazism by administrative methods. They believe
in the educational approach. It may be an old-
fashioned British view, but many people here still
accept it. British Jews, by and large, are in favor
of legislative measures to contain those who
spread racial hatred. Mind you, they would not
want it to be a law to protect Jews as a minority,
they are in favor of a law to make incitement to
racial hatred a punishable offense. But the in
fluence of British Jews is rather small. They com
prise only about fixe-sixths of one per-cent of the
population. While their delegations are listened
to with sympathy, their actual power to sway the
Government is nil . . .
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 590 Court-
land St, N E, Atlanta 5, Georgia, TR. 6-8249, TR. 6 8240. Second
class postage paid at Atlanta, Ga. Yearly subscription five dollars.
The Southern Israelite invitee literary contributions and correspond
ence bat Is not to be considered ms sharing the views expressed by
writers. DEADLINE Is S 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
iEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
SEVEN ARTS FEATURES
GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Phoenix from the Ashes
GUEST EDITORIAL
It was inevitable that the recent National Conference of
the United Jewish Appeal and the Joint Distribution Com
mittee should once more catalog the needs and the hardships
of the hundreds of thousands of Jews overseas who must still
depend on outside aid for hope and the means of survival.
Many of these men, women and children—many of the over
seas communities—have been in need of this lifegiving assist
ance for lengthy periods and will continue to need help in the
forseeable future.
The fact that—after 25 years of UJA—the needs should
still be so great can make it seem that the Jews of America
are faced with a burden almost without end.
But one of the highlights of the JDC .session provided a
truer perspective, and helped to illuminate the goal and the
purpose of UJA’s efforts. This understanding came in the
person of Dr. Astorre Mayer, of Milan, Italy, the Chairman
of the Standing Conference on European Jewish communi
ties.
In essence, what Dr. Mayer had to report was that repre
sentatives of 12 West European Jewish communites who had
originally joined together to exchange information on com
munity programs, social work methods and other mutual
problems, had now undertaken to raise funds to assist the
Jewish community of France in meeting the needs of Algerian
and other North African Jewish refugees
This in itself is meaningful. But it achieves extraordinary
meaning when we recollect the desperate circumstances of
European Jewry in the aftermath of World War II and the
Hitler years.
The remnant which survived, which crept back from con
centration camps and from underground hideouts, found that
not only had six million human beings been wiped out, but
that the entire communal structure no longer existed.
No one should underestimate the vital importance of the
material aid which JDC supplied to the survivors — food,
clothing, drugs, housing, religious and educational items. But
it is equally to JDC’s credit that it dedicated itself from the
very first to the rebuilding and revival of the virtually deci
mated communities.
The influx of refugees into postwar France has now given
that country a Jewish population of more than 500,000 and
made it the fourth largest Jewish community in the world,
after the United States, the Soviet Union and Israel. It has
meant new needs and problems almost daily for French Jew
ry, as well as for JDC. But the note of hope is that French
Jews have been meeting these needs and problems as a com
munity; and it is equally gratifying that other West European
Jewish communities are now beginning to move forward
from their position as receivers of aid to a new role as givers
of aid.
To the tens of thousands of American Jews who have
contributed to this great and miraculous revival—through
JDC and through UJA—there is also a heartwarming reward:
the knowledge that with their help a phoenix has risen from
the ashes.
Samuel J. Goldsimth,
from The JewLsh Digest
Talmudic Treasures
Collected and Translated by
J. L. FRIEND
The Falashas, n tribe of black Jews living
in Ethiopia, claim descent from the tribe of
Levi. They celebrate the major Jewish holi
days, but do not know of Purim (Feast of
Lot) and Hanukah (Feast of Lights) both
of which are post-biblical. Apparently they
settled in Ethiopia at an extremely early
period, since they mourn the destruction of
the First Temple, but have no knowledge of
that of the Second.
The Royal House of Ethiopia claims des
cent from King Solomon who, according to
their tradition, had a son, Menelik, by the
Queen of Sheba The same legend relates that
King Solomon sent warriors from all of the
tribes of Israel as well as priests under the
leadership of Ebiathar, to live in her land.
Although Charlemagne (742-814) imposed
many prohibitions on the Jewish inhabitants
of the Holy Roman Empire, he gave them
the right to own farmland, and protected
Jewish merchants in their business transac
tions.
88th Congress
—from page 1
cess is achieved by liberals, many
measures previously bottled up
by conservatives may be brought
on the floor for action.
President Kennedy is expected
to submit a request for liberaliza
tion of the Immigration Act of
1952 (McCarran-Walter Act) in
the early days of the new session.
He has the full support of Senator
Philip Hart, Michigan Democrat,
who heads the Senate Immigra
tion Subcommittee. But Chairman
Francis Walter, of the House Im
migration Subcommittee, co-auth
or of the controversial act, will
try to block any really impor
tant changes in discriminatory
aspects like he national Trigins
quota system
The question of Federal aid to
parochial schools is expected to
be avoided, to get the education
bill through Congress. The mon
ey would be given to the 50
states, and the church-state prob
lem passed on witn it for decision
on a state level Growing dis
content over the absence of ef
fective moves to challenge rising
Soviet anti-Semitism will be
voiced in Congress. This difficult
problem will be subject to cauti
ous discussion between Jewish
groups and Congressional leaders.
Since the Arabs and the State
Department have equally ignored
amendments to Mutual Security
Acts deploring Arab discrimina
tion, boycotts, and blockades, the
new bill will bring a question of
whether it is worth repeating an
ignored amendment for yet
another year. President Kennedy,
however, is this year required to
make a report directly to Con
gress on measures to implement
the amendment. His report is
awaited with interest.
Congress will hear reports from
various Senators and Representa
tives who visited Israel and the
Arab states during the Congres
sional recess Their views will be
reflected in forthcoming legisla
tion. The two most recent visitors
were Senator Ernest Gruening of
Alaska and Senator Jacob K. Jav-
its of New York who also visited
Jordan. Senator Javits said dur
ing his visit tnat a new appraisal
of United States policy in the
Middle East was needed because
the balance of military power in
the area was changing to Israel’s
disadvantage
Attending Services
“We want to come to Temple Services and
Temple Study Groups—but, Rabbi, we just
can’t find the time!” Many of us will sym
pathize with the harrassed President of a
large university who deftly described his pre
dicament when he complained that he had to
learn how to divide his time between the
urgent and the really important matters. As
he put it so caustically, “what is important
is not urgent, and what is urgent is not im
portant.”
Though this observation of an exasperated
executive must be taken with a grain of salt
because it is exaggerated and oversimplified,
it nonetheless contains a keen insight into a
serious problem confronting individuals in all
walks of life. Preoccupation with a host of
oppressing yet relatively trivial matters
often leads to the utter neglect of the most
essential components of a worthwhile life.
A glaring example is afforded by the typi
cal business man who becomes so engrossed
in the management of his financial affairs,
that he simply has no time left for his family.
He will admit that to provide companionship
for his lonely wife who is starving for affec
tion or to offer fatherly guidance to his grow
ing children is certainly far more important
that the expansion of his business. Yet he will
plead that the pressure of his business is so
intense that he simply cannot extricate him
self.
Business men, of course, are not the only
culprits who are guilty of sacrificing the im
portant on the alter of the seeming urgent.
All of us have long lists of “musts” that we
wish to attend to some day. But, somehow,
we never get around to them because when
we are confronted with the problem of allo
cating our available time, we always assign
priorities on the basis of urgency. Some of
us never find time to read the Bible, because
we cannot resist the pressure of watching a
TV show. After all, the Bible will be avail
able tomorrow too. But tonight’s TV program
is an opportunity that presents itself only
once.
This is the same fallacious and delusive
argument used by youngsters to convince
their parents that it is more important to
go to a “special” party or “special” game
than to go to Temple. After all, they reason,
there will always be Study Groups and Fri
day night services to attend but that special
event takes place only once in a year or “once
in a lifetime!” Sadly, most unthinking par
ents are convinced. This makes of their chil
dren, irreligious, ignorant Jews and general
procrastinators who fail in life as well.
There are many people who deplore their
inability to find time for the reading of good
books, for serious discussions with their fami
lies, or for participation in philanthropic ac
tivities. I find it difficult to accept these pro
testations at their face value. For in the final
analysis, their real problem is not a shortage
of time, but the lack of proper perspective
and orientation.
Once we learn to distinguish between the
trivial and the important, we somehow shall
manage to MAKE time for truly significant
pursuits. To avoid spiritual starvation, we
must learn to make time for Torah. For what
is food to the body, the study of Torah is to
the soul of the Jew. And just as even the
busiest executive, somehow manages to make
time for meals, so must we also arrange for
regular periods devoted to spiritual nourish
ment. After all, we must not be so dominated
by our busy-ness that we cannot afford the
time to live.
— RABBI BENJAMIN ROSAYN
EM A News, Temple Emanu-El
Dothan, Ala.
JEWISH CALENDAR
•PITR1M
Sunday, March 10, 1963
•PASSOVER
Tuesday, April 9, 1963
(First Day
Wednesday, April 16, 1963
(Second Day)
Tuesday, April 16, 1963
(Eighth Day)
SHAVOUT
Wednesday, May 28, 1963
.(First Day)
Thursday, May 29, 1963
(Second Day)
ROSH HASHONAH
Thursday, September 19, 1963
(First Day)
•Holiday begins
preceding evenings