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Death of a President
By Howard Burnham
Where were you when you
heard the news that the President
of the United States had been
shot. I don’t guess you will ever
be able to forget. I know that
the way that I heard it will leave
a scar on my mind for the rest
of my life. I was having lunch
at a diner not far from my of
fice.
A tall man in a bus driver’s
uniform came in and said, “have
you heard the CHXJD news?
Somebody shot the President.”
Another man sitting nearby
laughed and said, “some joke, I
only wish that someone would
kill that nigger lover.” A third
man, who was on the telephone,
gleefully announced that the bus
driver was right and that the
news was indeed good.
I ran from the cafe to my car
and turned on the radio. The
words of the three bigots still
ringing in my ears. I heard that
Mr. Kennedy was alive. Fear shot
through me. Not just that a man
was dying, but fear that a way of
life, a system of government had
or would be similarly snuffed out.
1 could only think that the rad
icals had won a victory and that
we so-called moderates had final
ly forfeited all we claimed to hold
sacred.
This incident in the "Crescent
City” of the glorious south was
not an Isolated one. A man I
work with told of hearing the
news while making a deposit at
the bank. He spoke to the teller
and aald how horrible the event
was The teller replied, “I think
it is wonderful.”
A local rabbi devoted his Fri
day evening sermon to the trag
edy. He told of seeing a man
running down the main streets of
this city crying with a clutched
fist, “vengance, vengance, we
finally got that nigger-lover."
Why am I telling you these
things? Why do I feel compelled
to relate these stories? I do it *'
dispell any notions that the ,
I and others feel is equally shi
—Turn to page ,
mi
too
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
■ m
Vol. XXXVIII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1963
No.
Shazar Heads Israel s
Delegation at Funeral
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Is
rael’s President Zalman Shazar
and Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s
Foreign Minister, participated
Monday in the formal funeral
services for the late President
Kennedy.
Mr. Shazar came here by El
A1 Airlines plane from Israel
Sunday night, and was sched
uled to return to Israel Tues
day. He was met upon arrival
at the airport here by Secretary
of State Dean Rusk. After the
funeral services, Mr. Shazar and
Mrs. Meir were among other
foreign heads of state and lead
ing diplomats received by Presi
dent Lyndon B. Johnson. They
were also received by Mrs. J.
F. Kennedy. During the obse
quies, President Shazar and Mrs.
Meir attended the pontifical re
quiem mass for President Ken
nedy at St. Matthew’s Cathedral
here.
The Israeli President headed
a delegation of four, including,
in addition to Mrs. Meir, Israel’s
Ambassador to Washington, Av-
raham Harman; and Ran Ranon,
the Israeli Embassy’s military
attache here.
Both President Shazar and
Mrs. Meir attended a commem
orative service held at the Wash
ington Hebrew Congregation as a
memorial to Mr. Kennedy con
ducted by the Washington Jew
ish Community. At this solemn
event, they were present as
participants in a Jewish religi
ous, devotional service, rather
than in their official capacities
as representatives of the State
of Israel.
Monday, observing American
national Day of Mourning, all
Israeli consulates throughout the
country, including the Consulate
General in New York, were
closed.
Mrs. Meir made public the
contents of a telegram she sent
to Secretary of State Rusk as
soon as she had learned of the
assassination of President Ken
nedy. She was in this country,
heading Israel’s delegation to
the United Nations General As
sembly. In her message to Mr
Rusk, she emphasized that “no
words can adequately express
my shock and sorrow over this
tragedy.”
Southern Jewry Joins Nation
In Grief Over Death of JFi
Synagogues Packed With Mourners
News of the President’s death,
sent Jews of the South flocking
to their synagogues, in Rosh
Hashonah like crowds.
In Atlanta, all of the syna
gogues were open most of the
weekend and on Monday, the na
tional day of mourning, the spec
ial morning services were jamm
ed with standing room only
crowds.
It is fitting, Rabbi Jacob Roths
child told his congregants, “that
like children running home after
being hurt, you have returned to
your spiritual home in this time of
deep grief and travail. Here we
can find solace and reaffirmation
in faith and in the sharing of the
burden.
“The mere knowledge that
others are grieving seems some
how to make the load more bear
able.”
In many pulpits, rabbis were
overcome with grief and halted
their sermons before being able
Israel Mourns Death of Kennedy
Knesset Holds Special Meeting
JERUSALEM (JTA 1 — All of
Israel Monday mourned the death
of United States President John
F. Kennedy. The Knesset, Israel's
Parliament, held a special com
memorative session, heard a eu
logy by Acting President Kadish
Luz, and adjourned. At the Yesh-
urvn Synagogue, here, services
were conducted by Chief Rabbi
Yitzhak Nissim, with the eulogy
spoken by Dr. Zorach Warhaftig,
Israel’s Minister for Religious
Affairs. El Mole Rachmim was
recited.
From all government building
on all levels—national and local
—flags flew at half-mast. All of
ficial functions, and many of an
unofficial nature, were canceled,
as Israel officially observed a
three-day period of mourning de
creed at a special meeting of the
Cabinet.
Messages of condolence had
been sent immediately after news
of Mr. Kennedy’s assassination
had been received by President
Zalman Shazar, who flew later
to Washington to attend the fu
neral; by Prime Minister Levi'
Eshkol; and by former Prime
Minister David Ben-Gurion. Mr
Eshkol, in a cable to President
Johnson, said:
“The Government and people
of Israel, and I personally, are
shocked and deeply grieved by
the tragic and dastardly assassi
nation of President John Fitzger
ald Kennedy. In his all-too-brief
term of office, he proved himself
to be a great and dynamic Presi
dent of the United States of
America, and a courageous leader
of the free world, who aroused
hopes in the hearts of all man
kind. He was, during his Presi
dency, as during his earlier ca-
ceer, a stout friend of Israel.
Please convey the deepest sym
pathy of the Government and
and the people of Israel as
well as my own sincere con
dolences to Mrs. Kennedy, her
children and all members of the
late President’s family, as well as
to the Government and people
of the United States on their ir
reparable loss
Monday, Mr. Eshkol received
from President Johnson the fol
lowing response: “The Kennedy
family, the American people and
I deeply appreciate your message
of condolence for the tragic death
of President Kennedy. I know
you share our sense of loss. His
friendship for Israel was in the
tradition of the close bonds which
link our two countries. 1 intend
to carry on the tradition to the
best of my ability. You have my
sincere thanks for your thought
ful expression of sympathy.”
The impressive, special com
memorative session of the Knes
set was attended by U. S. Am
bassador Walworth Barbour. Mr.
Luz, regularly the Speaker of the
House, but now acting in the
place of the absent President Sha
zar, said Mr. Kennedy had seen
himself as “the standard bearer,
not only of a mission on behalf
of the United States of America
but for the entire world.” In re
gard to Israel, Mr. Luz said, Mr.
Kennedy “showed understanding
of the spiritual motif of Zionism
and the vision of Israel's inde
pendence in its homeland He felt
it was the duty of the United
—turn to page 4
to continue.
In Atlanta, Congregation Beth
El entered their Educational Fa
cilities, where services are held,
and found the place almost a
shambles because of vandalism.
The roof had been partially
torn off and rain had poured into
the auditorium facilities. Services
for Sabbath eve and services in
memory of the President were
conducted at one end of the as
sembly hall while in the other
end, a clean-up crew sought to
sweep away the pools of rain
water. The dampness was sym
bolic, in a way, of the tears Beth
El mourners shed for their fallen
national leader.
In all the services in Jewish
synagogue*, special sermons eul
ogized the President and rabbis
developed the theme of the les
sons to be learned from the Dal
las Tragedy.
The special prayer for leaders
of the nation and government was
emphasized in many services and
Kaddish was said by entire con
gregations as though President
Kennedy had been a member of
each one.
No reference was made to his
being a member of another faith.
The staggering news had dis
rupted the normalcy of everyday
lives—in business and in private
—and things slowed to a funeral
slowness.
JWt,
which
Jews in Various Countries
Hold Memorial Services
LONDON (JTA)—Jewish con
gregations throughout the United
Kingdom, led by Dr. Israel
Brodie, the Chief Rabbi, held
memorial services for the late
President John F. Kennedy and
heard him eulogized as a man
who had sought peace and equal
ity for all. The Chief Rabbi of
ficiated at services in St. John’s
Wood Synagogue and recited the
traditional Hebrew memo rial
prayer for the assassinated Presi
dent
PARIS (JTA)—French Jewry
in general, including the Jews
of Paris, participated in mourn
ing for the late President John
F. Kennedy. Commemora t i v c
services were held in many tem
ples and synagogues. At the main
synagogue here, on Rue Notre
Dame des Victoires, leaders of the
Paris Jewish community held
special commemorative services,
during which the Kaddish was
recited and in which Mr. Ken
nedy was lauded as “a true friend
of the Jewish people.” Participat
ing in these services were Dr.
Jacob Kaplan, Grand Rabbi of
Paris; and Louis Kahn, head of
the French Jewish Conslstoire.
Other Jewish leaders attended the
official American service* held at
St. Joseph’s Cathedral In the
presence of the American diplo
matic corps.
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) —
Professor Fritz Feigl, president
of the Confederation of Brazilian
Jewish Communities, expressed
the condolence of Brazilian Jewry
to American Ambassador Lincoln
Gordon over the tragic death of
President Kennedy. Prof. Feigl
described the late President as a
“champion and fighter for human
rights and men’s freedom.”
BUENOS AIRES (JTA)— The
Argentine Jewish community has
canceled all scheduled functions
as a mark of respect for the late
I*resident Kennedy and is ob
serving mourning. The DAIA, the
central Jewish body in Argentina,
and other Jewish groups have
sent messages of condolence to
U. S. Ambassador Robert Mc-
Clintock.
A major function, the dedica
tion of the new building of the
Bialik School in La Plata, at
which the Governor of Buenoa
Aires Province, the Israel Am
bassador and other notables were
to have spoken, was canceled
when news of Mr. Kennedy 1 *
death was received here. The f »■
affair was to have been held No
vember 25.
With radio and
abandoning all prtrrtovuOy i
uled programs to focus on
developments, famltlO spent’
precendented amounts of
with attention riveted to thar-i
strument.
The fast-moving,
coverage in the press of all
was fantastic, bringing every
tie detail to whoever cared
watch and listen.
This seemed to include
body. Movies in many towns ;
deserted. Parties were
Nearly all Jewish
were cancelled, although
school classes were held—but:
as usual. Emphasis in
on the terrible tragedy
occurred and what
ing in consequence.
Israelis were
relieved when it
that the assassin in no wey
be tied in with Jews,
versely get the blame for
thing.
That this innenuendous poasi-1
bility cropped up in the assassin's]
slayer seemed an additional bur-1
den upon the spawning of vk>-|
lence and more violence the shot]
seems to have promoted.
In Atlanta a meeting of the I
Southeastern Region Of the Anti- |
Defamation League
poned. Social clubs were all but j
deserted.
Only the Branded University
memorial tribute dinner to tbie
late Ben Massell and the Sidney
Wiens went on. ' •
Only now, President Abram
Sachar had a new person to :
arialize. At the sorrowful dinner,
which went on because sponsors
felt it was in the spirit of
orial and not festivity, Dr. Sachar
told feeling of KennedyV as
sociation with Braadete»<Uabgf* > i
sity. 11 V‘f-1
“Each of us as Americaiast
build a legacy around- JfK -in |
light of our personal
with him. We at Brandt**']
a legacy of involvement
identification with Kennedy
is parti cularly precious anfl|
meaningful.
“As Senator from Massac
sets, he never missed one of
Commencement exercise*?’ ’’I*''!
“It was on the Brandeis cam-]
pus, Dr. Sachar revealed, in a I
weekly interview conducted by]
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt that Ke
nedy first announced his
dacy for tti# presidency.” - «
Later, Dr. Sachar added, "I
the rare privilege of placing
hood of an honorary degree
fate shoulders as Brandeis
ed him an honorary degree."