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OPINION
Sigh of Relief—Mr. K. Alive
One of the curious aspects of Monday’s
brief but sensational “Khrushchev is dead”
rumor was the almost universal sense of lo
cal relief evoked by the news that the tale
was greatly exaggerated. History plays weird
iokes. The reaction was a sign of how far we
tupre moved since the time of Stalin, whose
death, after the first bulletins about his stroke,
evoked emotions of relief, hope and anticipa
tion in much of the universe. Admittedly,
Khrushchev is still the man who suppressed
the Hungarian revolution in 1956 and less
than two years ago tried to sneak his missiles
into Cube. But he is also the man who has
shown a sober understanding and respect for
the destructive power of nuclear weapons and
who has declined to risk nuclear war even at
the price of a mortal struggle in the world
Communist movement. Plainly, manv people
feel the world is a safer place with his hand
on the Soviet nuclear trigger, than with a
new, unpredictable heir in charge. That may
only be proof of the old axiom that known
dangers are preferable to those unknown. It
may also reflect an awareness that the man
in the Kremlin is capable of serious com
munication .... The Soviet dictator has not
become nature’s nobleman; his empire is still
crowded with captives. But how many people
in the free world would choose at this mo
ment to gamble on his successor? Monday’s
suspense story seems to provide the answer.
—THE NEW YORK POST
A Talmudic Moral
TALE OF TWO SHABBOS GOYIM
By JACOB L. FRIEND
In the Old Country in Poland and Lithu
ania, the smallest Jewish town, as poor as
the Jewish people were in those times, had
a Rabbi, Shochet, Cantor, Mohel, Synagogue
Shamashim (sextants), the Jewish public
bath keeper, and a number of other Jewish
functionaries of minor importance.
But a very important non-Jewish func
tionary without which no Jewish communi-
ity could exist, was the “Shabbos Goy.” In
Orthodox homes, the biblical injunction of
not performing labor of any kind on the
Sabbath holy day was scrupulously observed,
and the “Shabbos Goy,” a non-Jewish neigh
bor, often a teen-ager, was engaged to light
fires in the stoves during the winter, to warm
previously cooked food, to turn off lights,
to make the “Samovar” for Sabbath tea, and
on farms, to perform necessary chores.
In the Babylonian Talmud, volume Pesa-
chim, p. 113a, there is the following quota
tion: “Our Rabbis taught. Three must not
be provoked, viz.: An insignificant (little)
Gentile, a little snake, and an humble pupil.
What is the reason? Because their kingdom
(future) stands behind their ears.” (They
will grow up and take revenge. This is re
ferred to Diocletian (245-313), though bom
of slaves, he afterwards rose to be the Em
peror of Rome, and avenged for the insults
offered him when he was in his lowly posi
tion.)
The truth of the above Talmudic dictum
is being verified in our very days. For act
ing as a “Shabboss Goy” in the home of
Chana Yankelevitz, now reported living in
Israel as recently as three years ago, Nikita
Krushchev was treated regularly to Chale
and gefilte fish, in reward.
In 1913, Nikita Khrushchev roomed in the
Yankelevitz home in Mariupol, South Rus
sia. On two separate occasions, Krushchev
became gravely ill, and Mrs. Yankelevitz
nursed him to health.
Once when the “Black hundreds” a ruth
less anti-Semitic horde was preparing an at
tack on Jews, Krushchev hurriedly organ
ized his friends to strike at the mob as it
was mobilizing. Krushchev was badly beaten
but the pogrom in Mariupol was averted.
Not many Ambassadors can claim to have
had experience as a “Shabbos Goy.” How
ever, the Yugoslav Ambassador to the Court
of St James, Mr. Srdja Prica, proudly boasts
of this distinction.
As a *h<1d of poor parents he lived be
tween the two world wars close to the Syna
gogue in the Sarajevo ghetto, which then
haa only three or four non-Jewish families,
and at a very early age he became the offi
cial (unpaid) “Shabbos Goy.”
How did he became interested? His home
had no electricity and he was fascinated by
the lights of the Synagogue and the many
switches. Hfe hopes soon to visit Be vis Marks
(London’s oldest Synagogue), though not in
the same capacity! . . .
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
and THE SUNCOAST JEWISH NEWS
weekly by Beetbsw Newspaper Enterprises, 888 Oeart
Nk, Atlanta X, Oeerrla, IE. 8-8*48, TE. 8-8248. SseenS
paid at Atlanta, Ga. Yearly sabsertptkm five deUan
Israelite invites literary untribnbina and estrs^snd-
met bat la net ta be considered as sharing tha views expressed by
writers. DEADLINE Is 5 PJL, FBIDAT bat material received earlier
will have a maeb better ahanae of pabUeattoa.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Kathleen Nease, Jeanne Loeb, Joseph Redlich
Georgia Press Association
Telegraphic
Agency
7 Arts Features
World
Auschwitz Trial at Frankfurt
Hears About Sadistic Murders
FRANKFURT (JTA)-DetaUed des
criptions of "latrocious, sadistic”
murders committed by several of
the defendants in the current trial
of 22 men who served the Nazis in
the Auschwitz-Birkenau death fac
tory. were given to the court here
as the long trial, begun lest Decem
ber, continued. Moat of the defend
ants, all but one of whom were of
ficers in the SS, were identified by
witness Irwin Olsvowka. As he en
tered the court room, he greeted
most of them by name. When he
came to one of thm, Franz Hoff
mann, he used the latter’s SS tile,
“Herr Obereturmfuehrer.”
Olsvowka, a Foie, said he had
been at Auschwitz from April 1940,
until the camp was abandoned by
the Nazis, in the face of the on
coming Russian Army, in 1945. He
implicated not only Hoffmann but
also Wilhelm Boger, Oswald Kaduk
and Klaus Dylewski.
The told the court about the death
march, in which the Nazis evacuated
the Auschwitz prisoners. “They
murdered with special sadism,” he
said. "With my own eyes, I saw
how Boger, who seemed tired, still
seemed to get very real pleasure
from killing people. At the start of
toe march, there were 1,000 to 1,500
inmates in my group. After three
days, the number was far smaller.
Prisoners who stood still a moment,
because they were unable to keep
walking, were shot down at once.
There was a trail of corpses a lot*?
the entire road. The SS men had it
easy. Most of the time, they rode
in trucks.”
The man charged Boger and
Kaduk with “going wild” when some
Polish prisoners, about to die, show
ed hatred for the Nazis. “Boger even
mistreated those who were already
hanging,” he declared. He accused
Dylewski of giving him 25 blows
with a bull whip at one time be
cause be had accepted some food
from newly arrived prisoners.
Consul Dover
Cootkmed from page 1
Agudath Achim Synagogue.
Cooperating in toe program were
Congregation B'nai B’rith Jacob,
Savannah Zionist Council, Jewish
Educational Alliance and the Sa
vannah Jewish Community Council.
On Simday, Consul Dover was in
Miami for an Independence Day
celebration, sponsored by the
Greater Miami Committee for Is
rael Bonds. A featureof the event
was presentation of the State of
Israel Medallion of Honor to Mr.
and Mrs. Sam Blank, pioneer pace
setters of south Florida communal
activities.
Additional appearances by Con
sul Dover have been scheduled
soon in Birmingham and Memphis.
Numerous other Southern Jewish
communities staged a variety of
special events cofhmemorating the
occasion.
Mrs. Baron Asher Wins
Writer’s Club Award
Mrs. Baron Asher was awarded second prize for serious
verse in the Atlanta Writer’s Club Spoken Magazine Con
test. Her prize winning entry was the following poem entitled:
GRANDMOTHERS OF HIROSHIMA
Were you busy on that morning
When the fiery blast took place?
Were you washing chocolate candy
From some little hands or face?
Did your “Grandma heart”'swell proudly
As the little one, now clean
Leaned its head upon your bosom
So contented and serene.
Were you singing praise to Buddha
For that little girl or boy?
Were you filled with great amazement
That the world held so much joy?
Did you kiss her and caress her
As she sat upon your knee?
Did you wonder as you rocked her
What her future lot would be?
My sister-heart grieves with you
That such horror filled your land.
I think of you each time I hold
My grandchild by the hand.
May God who made us all remove
The guilt from out our hearts;
And bring to every land the peace
That love alone imparts.
JEWISH CALENDAR
•8HAVUOT
Sunday, May 17, 1M4
(tint day)
Monday, May 18, 1984
(second day)
*EOSB HA8HONAH
Monday, Sept 7
Tuesday. Sept 8
*YOM KIPFUR
Wednesday, Sept. 18
•SUCCOTH
Monday. Sept. 21
Tuesday, Sept 22
8MHAT TORAH
Tuesday. Sept »
•HOLIDAY BEGINS
Sundmm Previoua Day
COMMENT
Vindication For Zeev Jabotinsky
Twenty-four years ago on the 29th of
Tamuz, the heart of Zeev Jabotinsky ceased
to beat. In exile, in one of the greatest cen
ters of the Jewish diaspora, his soul found
its rest while his body was buried in foreign
soil. Temporarily, the body of our nations
leader was laid in a cemetery near New
York. It was clear then to every Jew all over
the world that the remains of the man, whose
life was devoted to the liberation of his peo
ple and the redemption of his country,
should find its final rest in the land of our
ancestors, in the earth of the homeland for
which he had sacrificed all the talents be
stowed on him by God, and to the disposal
of which he placed all that was noble and
beautiful in his great soul. He left a will,
written with the blood of his heart during
the black days of dispair. In this will he ex
pressed his unfaltering belief that a day
would come and Israel would be free, reign
ing over the historical homeland, a master
of his fate and an equal among equals in the
family of states. The vision of a Jewish re
public is clearly reflected in his will ....
Sixteen years have passed since the estab
lishment of a Jewish government in our
homeland, and his body is still there abroad,
waiting for the day on which an order will
be issued to repay the prophet of the Jewish
State, the defender of Jerusalem, prisoner
of Acre and creator of the first Jewish mili
tary force—the debt owed him by the na
tion, for the sake of its own honor, and to
bring over his mortal remains so that they
may come to their eternal rest in the soil
of the eternal homeland . . . The delay in
executing his will .... caused pain and sor
row to everybody . . . With infinite patience
and forebearance, his disciples and those who
respected his memory waited year after year
for the day on which the Government’s in
structions would be issued. And this great
historical hour has finally arrived. The Gov
ernment of Israel rose to the stature of its
mission when it passed the resolution (on
Sunday, March 15, 1964) to transfer the re
mains of the national leader whose life song
still continues to thrill the hearts of his
people and fill them with respect and ad
miration ...
Bulletin. World Union of Tnnat HnHerut.
Jerusalem
Eshkol Speaks Up on Israel’s 16th
How would you characterize Israel’s gov
ernment today? I would say that we can look
back, first of all, on a period of stability. With
governments tottering in our neighboring
countries almost every “Monday and Thurs
day,” with so-called revolutions and counter
revolutions, with armed interventions by one
Arab country into the affairs of another, Is
rael stands out as an island of democracy in
the Middlle East. The change of government
following the resignation of Mr. Ben-Gurion
took place as easily as if the Jewish peoples
had been installing prime ministers without
interruptions since the time of Moses.
What are the prospects for Israel-Arab
peace? Unfortunately, there has been no re
sponse thus far on the Arab side to our over
tures. However, we will never give up the
hope that peace will someday come. Mean
while, we must maintain our deterrent capa
city as the only means of preventing war.
Maintaining an adequate deterrent posture
involves a heavy financial burden and a con
stant diversion of physical and spiritual re
sources. If the Middle East were relieved of
the nightmare of the arms race, both the Arab
states and Israel could apply these resources
to development and raising living standards.
How will an East-West detente affect Is
rael? Since the signing of the treaty partially
banning nuclear tests, we have seen the first
indications of relaxation of world tension.
While it is premature to draw conclusions, the
hope of a new era opening up in international
relations has received impetus. We hope that
ultimately the Middle East, too, will benefit
from a lessening of world tension. Israel has
welcomed Chairman Krushchev’s note on the
banning of war as a means of settling inter
national disputes. Do you see any hope of
improvement of Israel’s relations with the
Soviet Union? We certainly look forward to
such an improvement, and to a more positive
Soviet understanding of the nature of our
national revival and its constructive and
peaceful purpose ...
Premier Levi Eshkol, Replying to
Questions, Hadassah Magazine