Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 19^
VoL XL
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1965
.9
NO. 17
—Damage Slight
Fire Interrupts Seder
At Jewish Home
By ADOLPH ROSENBERG
Occupants of the Jewish Home
in Atlanta gathered for the Sec
ond Seder found out why Sat
urday night was different from
all other nights.
A flash grease fire broke out
in the kitchen vent above the
stove in the “fleishidicker” kitch
en, necessitating the evacuation
of the 57 occupants, most of
whom were in Garson Hall for
the Seder.
Damage was confined to the
vent area which extended
through the wall of a bedroom
on the second floor of the struc
ture.
All but four of the Home bed
rooms are on the ground floor
and have separate and private
terrace doors.
All 57 of the occupants were
evacuated when the fire broke
out, including about ten who are
bed patients and who were not
In Garson Hall where A1 Milt
was conducting the Seder. A
number of children were present
to add enlivement to the Seder
atmosphere.
The staff, numbering some 35
including chefs were well versed
hi safety precautions, Director
Louis Newmark indicated, so that
they knew what they should do
in an emergency of this sort.
When it was known that the
men and women seated at the
Seder table should be evacuated,
Mr. Milt encouraged the seven
or eight visitors, which included
his wife, and Mrs. Gerber, to
sing in order to discourage any
pania.
In the main, the men and
women walked out orderly or
were helped out, though one got
pretty excited, Mrs. Milt said.
' The blind woman I helped out
said “I smell smoke,” when we
got outside.
Later when things had calm
ed down, the fire extinguished
and most had returned to their
room, occupants talked about how
lucky it was the fire had not
broken out while they were
asleep.
When a photographer came and
look pictures, one of the occu
pants insisted on having herself
shown drinking a glass of wine.
The relevancy must have been
obscur to the cameraman.
The Seder itself had extended
through the first phase of the
ritual and the meal was being
served. The interruption came
after the soup course. Later
when things had calmed down,
the occupants returned and fin
ished the remainder of the meal.
Mrs. Bessie Russ, whose room
was damaged since the flue ex
tended through a wall of the
chamber, later went to spend a
few days with her brother, Harry
Moscow, and his wife.
Mr. Newmark said the damage
could be as much as five or ten
thousand dollars.
An architect specializing in
home for the aging is expected
in Atlanta soon to survey the
Jewish Home preparatory to con
sideration of a $300,000 addition
or improvements program.
Outline of Neu
On Middle East
by MILTON FRIEDMAN
CHIEF, JTA WASHINGTON, BUREAU
■oO
Policy
Seen
•
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The
outlines of a new United States
policy toward the Middle East
emerged this week. The policy
is highlighted by a plan to pro
vide limited arms to Israel and
four Arab nations, while Israel
is cautioned to use restraint on
the Jordan River water issue,
and patience until desalination
objectives are achieved.
United States officials said
Israel has been warned that the
U.S. will not tolerate military
action to prevent blockade of Is
rael’s river water sources. These
officials view the immediate
threat to peace in the region as
arising from what they see as
Israel’s plans to use armed force,
if necessary to bar Arab diver
sion of Jordan River tributaries.
The latest United States assess
ment sees Sino-Soviet attempts
to penetrate the Middle East as
not successful and President
Nasser as indicating a friendlier
response to the United States.
The State Department has
found a formula for making a
“very limited’’ response to Is
rael’s arms needs in a way that
may prove least offensive to the
Arabs. The new policy would
withhold major arms but make
minor shipments, on a case-by
case basis, to Jordan, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, as well
Bourguiba Says Nasser, Tito Knew
Of His Israel-Arab Peace Stand
PARIS (JTA)—President Ha
bib Bourguiba of Tunisia renew
ing his appeal for an end to Arab-
Israel hatreds, disclosed that
Egyptian leaders knew and ap
proved of his intentions to make
his views publicly known.
The Tunisian leader’s latest ef
fort was in an interview in the
French weekly, Nouvelle Observ-
ateurk in which he reiterated his
stand for a negotiated solution
of the Israel-Arab dispute. Spec
ifically, he urged “an end to the
bitter hatred which divides
Arabs and Jews and which leads
the Arab masses to a fanaticism
which will be dangerous the day
when negotiations will have to
start.”
Referrring to a recent visit to
Cairo, he declared: “I told Cairo
that I intended to make my views
publicly known, on condition that
I should not be accused of be
traying the Arab cause. Every
body agreed. There were some
differences of evaluation, but no
serious disagreements.” He also
said that President Nasser of
Egypt expressed, in an interview
from the French monthly, “Real
ities,” ideas “not so very differ
ent from my own.”
He asserted that he had reason
to believe the President Tito of
Yugoslavia did not support the
unrelenting hostility of the Arab
leaders against Israel. He hinted
that his recent talks with Tito
led him to believe that the Yug
oslav leader, “without doubt one
Continued on page 4
—Greenville, S. C.
Harry Abrams to Head
Israel Bond Campaign
Harry S. Abrams, one of
Greenville’s most active business
and civic leaders, has accepted
the chairmanship of tlje Green
ville Committee for State of Is
rael Bonds, it was announced
this week by A. J. Weinberg,
General Chairman for Georgia-
South Carolina.
Mr. Abrams, who for many
years was engaged in the shirt
manufacturing business, is re
tired. He still however acts as
consultant to this business. He
came to Greenville 28 years ago
from Troy, N. Y.
Mr. Abrams has served as co-
chairman of the Israel Bond cam
paign for many years. He is Past
Macon's Sherah Israel Planning
60th Anniversary Fete
as to Israel. The quantities will
be “modest” in all cases. The
shipments to Israel will not be
on the scale of Soviet military
equipment received by Egypt.
The reason given is that the
national security interests of the
United States require the avoid
ance of a Soviet trap, in which
the Russians would like to see
America linked with Israel in an
arms race, while the Arabs turn
to Moscow for arms and train
ing.
The new policy will create a
situation in which both the
United States and the Soviet
Union are supplying the Arabs.
It is apparent that the United
States response to Israel’s needs
, will be exceedingly reluctant,
''-cautious, and probably far be
low Israel’s actual requirements.
America is determined not to
link itself openly with Israeli se
curity requirements. The arms
sent to Israel will be on a piece
meal basis, accompanied by sim
ultaneous shipments to the sur
rounding Arab states. Experts
have advised President Johnson
that Premier Levi Eahkol will
accept the State Department’s
formulation in public terms but
will strive behind the scenes to
appeal directly to the President.
U.S. officials contend privately
that Israel has no real objection
to American arms sales to Jord
an, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi
Arabia. According to these offi
cials, Israel is vitally interested
in Jordanian internal stability;
Lebanon poses no real threat to
Israel; Iraq is removed by geo
graphy and concerned with other
problems; while Saudi Arabia is
embroiled with Egypt in the
Yemen dispute. Also, it was said
here, the Israel Government does
not want to see these countries
turn to Communist sources for
arms.
The State Department is cur
rently hopeful for a stabilization
of the region, but is deeply con
cerned lest Israel undermine
present trends by armed action
in the water dispute. Officials
have pointed out that the latest
studies show that the cost of con
verting sea water may prove
very economical, and that it
might be available within five
years. President Johnson is de
picted as believing that the joint
U.S.-Israel desalination program
now in progress may solve Is
rael’s water problem. Meanwhile,
it is hoped that Israel will dis-
MACON — Plans have been
completed for the gala Sixtieth
Anniversary celebration and ded
ication of the completely remod
eled and redecorated sanctuary
of Congregation Sherah Israel in
Macon. The Diamond Jubilee
celebration will take place April
30, May 1 and 2.
Rabbi Pierce Annes, spiritual
leader of the congregation, will
conduct Friday night services at
8:00 p. m. Rabbi Morton A. W^l-
lach of Temple Beth El, Birming
ham, and rabbi of Sherah Israel
in 1959 and 1960, will be guest
speaker. A Past President’s Pla
que will be dedicated.
Saturday morning, May 1,
services at 9:30 a. m. will be con
ducted by Rabbi Annes and Rab
bi Charles M. Rubel of Temple
Beth Sholom. Providence, R I ,
who led Sherah Israel from 1947
to 1958. Students of the religious
school will participate in Mussaf
Services.
Sherah Israel Sisterhood will
sponsor the Diamond Jubilee Ball
from 9:00 p. m. to 12:30 a. m.,
Saturday, May 1, in the Sherah
Israel Center. A cocktail buffet
will be served and music is to
be furnished by the Hallworth
Combo. Mrs. Kurt Schild is gen
eral chairman of the Jubilee Ball.
Her committee includes Mes-
dames Leigh Brody, Leon Ben
nett, Dolph Proskauer, Louis
Chanin, Henry Nirenstein, Irving
Wolf, Louis Haskins, Melvin
Kruger, Sol Schwaber, Myron
Koplin, Robert Schwartz and
Robert Rappaport. Mrs. Melvin
Kruger is president of the Sis
terhood.
Formal dedication of the sanc
tuary will be held Sunday, May
2, at 3:00 p. m. Louis Chanin,
chairman of the dedication com
mittee, will give the welcome ad
dress. Other speakers will include
B. F. Merritt, Mayor of Macon,
Alvin Koplin, chairman of the
fund raising committee, and Mel
vin Kruger, building committee
chairman, who will present the
keys to the synagogue to Dr. Hy
man Katz, congregation presi
dent.
Rabbi Harry H. Epstein of
Ahavath Achim Synagogue in At
lanta will deliver the dedicatory
address.
Mrs. Kruger and the Sisterhood
extend a cordial invitation to
those present to gather in the
Social Hall for a reception fol
lowing the dedication
HARRY S. ABRAMS
President of the Temple Israel,
B’nai B’rith, as well as past
chairman of the Federated Jew
ish Charities of Greenville. He
has been a member of the Elks
for 45 years, a Mason for 25
years and is a Shriner.
Mr. Abrams' and his wife,
Mary, have three children, Mrs.
Robert (Anita) Rovner and Mr.
Irving E. Abrams of Greenville,
and Mrs. Albert (Ruth) Koplen
of Danville, Va. They have 9
grandchildren. I
In announcing Mr. Abram’s
play patience and restraint on
the water issue despite Arab
provocations.
Another new tendency which
emerged here concurrently with
apprehension over, Israeli mili
tary moves was a reluctance to
reiteratp the standing commit
ments to support Israel in event
of war.
acceptance of this challenging
position, Mr. Weinberg stated
that he is confident that under
his leadership the Israel Bond
campaign will prove highly suc
cessful.
DR. NATHAN BLASS, prominent Atlanta dentist
and communal leader and chairman of The
Southern Israelite board, who will receive Gate
City Lodge’s “Distinguished Service Award” at
dinner at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, at the
|Standard Club.