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Pare Eight
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, July 16, 1965
Seder Behind Saigon Sandbags. . . .
Chaplain Richard E. Dryere (holding up mattzoth), Jewish chap
lain with U. S. Armed Forces in Vietnam, officiates at Seder in
sand-bagged quarters of USO Club in Saigon, using supplies
furnished by JWB, personnel provided by IJSO and cooperation
of Catholic and Protestant chaplains. L. to R. at table, PFC Rob
ert Newman, Armed Forces Radio, Saigon, Chaplain Dryer,
LCDR Hal Sacks, lay leader of Jewish military congregation, and
Lt. Col. Joseph Sanders.
ful experience for the men sta-
Army Chief of Chaplains asking
my Command to cite funds for
air shipment of 2,456 pounds of
Passover supplies “requested by
Chaplain Dryer.” The cable also
contained the additional infor
mation that no one here suspect
ed, that the US Army Supply
Service Command in the Ryukyu
Island had requisitioned Passover
supplies for Vietnam. They were
immediately contacted by cable
to determine what supplies they
were sending us. Having received
their reply, the next step was to
coordinate with our Comptroller
for the fund citation and then
send a TWX to the Chief of
Chaplains requesting air ship
ment of 872 pounds of Passover
supplies as a supplementary
shipment.
Where to have the Seder was
the next problem. The military
operates differently here than it
does anywhere else. There are no
mess halls as we are normally
accustomed to them. All messes,
even enlisted messes, all operat
ed on a pay-as-you-go basis and
there is no surplus capacity for
special parties, receptions, or
Seder dinners. However, a short
while after my arrival in the
country, I met Gene Schram,
USO director for the Pacific
Area, Sam Anderson, director of
operations for the USO in Viet
nam, and Alan Sternberg, asso
ciate director of the USO Club
in Saigon, and this problem was
promptly solved as they insisted
that 1 allow them to donate their
facility and snack bar staff to
the project.
The Army supply system loan
ed us new plastic dishes for 100.
The Navy Mess Section loaned
us white tablecloths to enhance
the festive appearance. (We
would have gotten new china-
ware from them, but their back
up supply was destroyed in the
Brink Hotel bombing. Maybe
next year.) The State Depart
ment thru the US Embassy
helped too by lending us extra
‘Camelot’ JNext
At Starlite
All the splendor and glory that
was “Camelot” comes to the
Chastain Stage July 19-July 25
when Theater Under the Stars
presents James Daly in the great
Lemer Lowe musical. Glowing
with melody, glittering with wit,
fabulously beautiful, “Camelot”
has swept all America into a most
delightful love affair, wedding the
romance and nobility of a leg
endary age with that secret part
of each heart. Gaiety and majes
ty, a haunting love story and the
fierce conflict of great nations,
are all capatured in this, Broad
way’s newest legend.
Starring James Daly as the
proud and gallant King Arthur,
“Camelot” is a magnificent mus
ical and more. It is a great play,
and Mr. Daly will bring to the
Chastain stage a magnificent tal
ent for his demanding role. From
his nervousness as a bridegroom
in “I Wonder What the King is
Doing Tonight” to his poignant
appeal in the reprise of “Cam
elot,” King Arthur will live next
week on the Theater Under the
Stars stage. The exquisite Monte
Tmundsen as Guenevere will
weave her way through the ele
gance of this legendary kingdom
of Camelot, from the innocence
she ponders in “The Simple Joys
of Maidenhood” until she con
fesses her unfuifilled love in “I
Loved You Once In Silence.”
With an elegant melodious
score, full of colorful rhythms
and tender ballads, opulent sets,
and an ensemble at its finest,
“Camelot” will fill Chastain with
its stirring and magical atmos
phere. This is truly a sumptuous
musical play. At Atlanta’s Thea
ter Under the Stars from July
19-July 25. Good tickets now
available at the Howell House
Tr. 5-8338 or at one of 17 con
venient box offices.
tables and an extra stove.
Then, two days before the
Seder I was called by the Catho
lic Marine Chaplain in Danang.
Due to the tactical situation, the
Marine Commander would not
permit his 15 Jewish men to
come the 300 miles to Saigon for
our community Seder. He was
willing, however, to give them
the two days off and even a
separate tent for them to meet
together. What could I do for
them?
Thanks to JWB and a cons
cientious Protestant Chaplain
from their area, 1 could do plen
ty. This Chaplain came down to
Saigon and we arranged with the
Air Force for an immediate ship
ment of almost 200 pounds of
JWB ‘solo seders,’ a case of
kosher wine, macaroons, and
even a pesadich cake my wife
had baked and sent me, which
the Chaplain accompanied to
make sure it reached its proper
destination on time.
Of course, many more ‘solo
seder’ packages from JWB had
already gone out to men who
knew well in advance that they
would not be able to make the
community Seder. For example,
a Jewish doctor, the only doctor
in a miniscule Special Forces
detachment deep in the jungle.
No Army career man, only in for
the minimum two years, he
didn’t want to "waste” those two
years in a dispensary in the
States, so he volunteered for
Special Forces. He has now be
come an expert on exotic tropical
diseases, spends a good deal of
his time caring for children in a
nearby Vietnamese Orphan
Asylum, is looking forward to
getting back to civilian life, but
with no regrets and a great sense
of accomplishment during his
military career. When 1 last visit-
Alma Mardenfield, financial
secretary of £>F Club, left St.
Pete on July 3 for New Jersey
where she will visit with her
daughter and greet an old friend
from Los Angeles that she has
not seen in 25 years. “It will be
a happy reunion,” says Alma who
is all excited over this unexpect
ed meeting. Alma will spend the
rest of the summer months in the
North getting back on her im
portant job for the club some
time late in September.
Barney and Irene Socol stepp
ed on the gas—where are they
going?—they just don’t know. It
is their wedding anniversary, so
without plans they stepped on the
throttle and away they went.
They will be gone for at least
two weeks with the world their
“bowl of cherries.” Have a good
time Irene and Barney and don’t
forget the last stop on your re
turn is the Sunshine City.
Henriette Tirk back in St.
Petersburg Beach from Wisconsin
is having a “ball” wth her grand
daughter Lucy and believe me
Grandma will get fat over all the
joy she is going to get out of
having the young one with her.
Dr. Ted Tirk flew back with his
son Ted to Boston where he has
several important matters to care
for. He is expected to return to
his home in St. Petersburg Beach
next week.
Fourth of July, for those mem
bers of SF Club still remaining
in St. Pete was spent on the farm
of Harry and Bella Kaplow,
where an outdoor grill went to
work and the hot dogs, hambur
gers and what have you, was on
the menu. Many of the members
of the group, visiting north, had
something to be rnviioiui over.
Among those in attendance were
Kasper and Caroline Lowenstein,
Toba Rothman, Minna Epstein,
Nancy and Nathan Rubin, as the
usual crowd slimmed down due
to many of the “old timers" vis
iting their families hi the north.
ed him down in the Delta, he
was happy to take with him into
the jungle paperbacks on Jewish
philosophy and the life of Akiba
that JWB has sent to Vietnam
for the kind of religious educa
tion program that must be adapt
ed to hundreds of separated sites
with only one or two Jews at
each.
A Seder with its exciting story
of freedom from slavery is al
ways thrilling. But in the mili
tary, there is an added thrill or
two. I never cease to be thrilled
by the sincere and active co
operation I always receive from
the many non-Jews in and out
of the service, without whose ef
forts the holding of our Seders
would be virtually impossible.
It’s interesting too to teach Viet-
Molly Bauman will not go
north to visit her children in
Wisconsin, due to the incapacity
of Harry Bauman, who is unable
to make the trip and is not ill
enough to be confined to a hos
pital or a rest home. However,
the Baumans have many friends
in St. Pete and time will not hang
heavy on their hands.
Aida Upright, president of the
National Council of Jewish Worn*
en, of St. Petersburg, was on her
way to Texas when she met with
an accident that compelled her
to return to the Sunshine City
to care for herself and then leave
again for her destination in Dal
las. She is reported none the
worse for the incident.
The International Revue, the
annual show of the SF Club for
1965 and postponed until Jan
uary 1966, has had its date
changed again, due to a conflict
of dates with Hadassah. The
Revue will be given in February
and will be rescheduled for show
ing in the Jewish Community
Center at a matinee performance.
Ada Marx and Harry Rose have
written the Revue and rehearsals
will be stated about October 15.
Edna and Dave Fisher left St.
Pete for a month’s vacation in
New York with their children.
Dave is very active in the realty
business in the Sunshine City
while Edna is busier as an offi
cer of the SF Club. They have
been looking forward to this
northern trip for the past year. If
time will permit they may ex
tend their trip to another two
weeks.
Helen and George Birkhahn
have moved into their home on
St. Petersburg Beach, having
given up the apartment they en
joyed on the Gulf of Mexico for
these past many years. A house
warming is coming up this fall
as the Barkhahns are a very pop
ular couple and have friends ga
lore.
namese, who have never heard
of Jews, much less our customs,
how to make a kosher Seder. I
wish I could find the words to
describe the vigor with which
Mr. Truong Binh Kien, the USO
snack bar manager, acted as
mashgiah and diligently saw to
it that no crumb of chometz
came anywhere near our prepa
ration area.
Seder in Saigon was a wonder-
Leon and Meriam Katton have
given up the idea of going to
California this summer to visit
with their children. They will re
main in St. Pete and stay put:
Meriam is recording secretary
and a busy gal and she will make
good use of a long rest. Leon in
the meanwhile will be looking for
a 400 in spades, if he can find
enough of the crowd left to round
them up.
Betty Eisener has put her home
at 4460 37th Avenue No. on sale
and plans to take up residence in
one of the desirable apartment
houses in the windy city. Alama
Mardenfeld is looking for a buy-
yer for her home at 232 13th
Street North.
Charles and Bertha Alpert
have returned to St. Pete after a
very enjoyable northern vacation
of six weeks, visiting with their
family in New York City. .
Anne Livingston is back home
in the Sunshine City after spend
ing many happy weeks with her
family in North Carolina and the
New England States.
Morris and Bessie Brown are
having a wonderful time in the
State of Lincoln (Illnois) where
they will spend the entire sum
mer with their daughter and her
family.
tinned in Vietnam and Thailand
who attended (and a lone
woman—a Navy Librarian who
lit the festival candles for us),
but I think that we will be for
given for "amending” the tradi
tional text of the Haggadah to
read. “This year we are here.
May next year find us celebrat
ing the Passover in Israel or at
home with our loved ones.”
B’nai Israel
Hosts Clergy
Dialogue
Congregation B’nai Israel was
host at a session of the Tampa
Bay Clergy Dialogue, Thursday,
June 17, it was reported by Dr.
Morris B. Chapman, spiritual
leader of the synagogue.
Clergymen of all faiths rep
resenting the Greek Orthodox,
Roman Catholic and Protestant
churches and the Rabbinate par
ticipated.
The group assembled at the
synagogue for lunch and was ad
dressed briefly by Dr. Adiel J.
Moncrief, Religious News Editor
for The Tampa Tribune. Follow
ing the luncheon, Rabbi Chapman
conducted the guests through the
synagogue and interpreted its
role. An open discussion follow
ed.
The Clergy Dialogue was spon
sored by the National Conference
of Christians and Jews and was
designed to promote understand
ing of one another’s faith and
greater ecumenicity of spirit.
EARL has made a change
vformerly with Highland Beauty Salon)
is on the staff of
Jean’s Hair Styles
1015 Los Angeles Ave., N.E.
He invites von to call 875-2185
for an appointment today
Senior friendship News
By HARRY ROSE