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The .Southern Israelite A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Establis' ' >lC r Vol. XU ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1966 NO. 12 U. S. Bars Anli-Jewish Bias By Insurers in Medicare Field WASHINGTON (JTA) — The United States Social Security Ad ministration has taken steps to ensure that insurance companies selected by the agency to distri bute Medicare funds comply with regulations barring religious dis crimination against Jews and Catholics, in addition to steps al ready in effect against racial bias. U.S. Not Satisfied On Imprisonment Of American Jew WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The United States Government is pleased to have Syrian assurances as to future treatment of American citizens visiting Syria, but continues to disagree with Syria’s interpretation of facts in the case of Edward Levy, 25, of New York, who was held incom municado by Syria for almost two years. Levy, a Jew, is now back in New York. A State Department spokes man said Mr. Levy entered a restricted military zone on the Israel-Syrian frontier. Syria claimed he was an Israeli citizen because he was formally ex changed for a Syrian national. But the State Department does not view this explanation as adequate, it was indicated. Until Mr. Levy was turned over to Israeli authorities, his whereabouts were not known, either to Israel or to the United States Embassy in Israel, from the time he crossed over into Syria two years ago, after living at Kibbutz Ein Gev, near the Syrian border. There was never any doubt that he was an Amer ican, and not an Israeli. In an intensive effort to open Up executive positions in insur ance companies to Jews and Ro man Catholics, as well as to Ne groes and other racial minorities, particularly the top echelon jobs, the Department of Health, Edu cation and Welfare has set up a special staff in the Social Secur ity Administration to seek com pliance with restrictions against religious bias by the companies chosen to administer the program. The move grew out of a meet ing on the issue last fall between a delegation of the American Jewish Committee and Secretary of Labor W.'Willard Wirtz. At that time, the AJC complained that studies showed that less than 1 percent of the top management jobs in the insurance industry were held by Jews, in spite of the fact that they accounted for 8 percent of all college graduates. Mr. Wrtiz expressed concern over the situation, and indicated that more would be done to eliminate religious bias in this and other areas. Saigon Envoy Announces Decision To Exchange Diplomafs Wifh Israel WASHINGTON (JTA) South Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Van Thai announced this week that his Government “has decided to establish full and normal ‘de jure’ diplomatic relations with Israel, as a result of negotiations with Israeli diplomats just concluded in Bangkok.” The Ambassador said the decision was conveyed to him in an official cable just received by his Embassy from Saigon. He said "this decision re sulted from the detailed recent negotiations in Bangkok between Israeli and Vietnamese diplo mats.” Ambassador Thai expressed "great pleasure” at the news and voiced hope that the establish ment of diplomatic relations with Israel would “denote the begin ning of a larger Israeli program of assistance.” He recalled his visit to Israel in 1958, the deep impression made upon him by the kibbutzim, and the importance his Government attaches to training by "Nahal,” the soldier- farmer concept developed in Is rael. He cited his country’s “need and desire for Israeli technical assistance and supplies.” The Ambassador revealed that contacts with Israel for expanded assistance have been developing since July, 1964, and came to a climax after the recent Honolulu " conference “where Presi dent Johnson visualized and urged a more active Israeli role” in sup port of Saigon. Immediately after the Honolulu talks, said the Ambassador, “pro cedural diplomatic discussions with Israel were undertaken in Bangkok, leading to the decision now reported from Saigon to cre ate full diplomatic relations with Israel.” The Ambassador also revealed another cable from Saigon, dis closing that his Government, at the end of 1965, accepted an Is in brief LHJ Accepts Schwartz‘s Resignation WASHINGTON (JTA) — Ac ceptance of the resignation of As sistant Secretary of State Abba P. Schwartz, administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, and the Administration’s architect of the 1965 act that lib eralized the basic immigration law, eliminating the national origins quota system, was an nounced by the White House. Mr. Schwartz tendered his res ignation when, upon returning from a confidential Government mission abroad, lie discovered that plans for eliminating his State Department bureau had been in the works for months. He submitted Ins resignation to President Johnson. The White House confirmed that, instead of dealing with the resignation on the top level, President Johnson had merely referred the resigna tion to the State Department for “action.” Sen. Edward M Kennedy, of Massachusetts, a key figure in the passage of the new Immigra tion Act, said he was considering a hearing on the Schwartz resig nation by a Senate subcommittee concerned with refugees Neither the White House nor the State Department would comment on the reasons why the action to un seat Mr. Schwartz from his post had, been taken. Mr Schwartz was offered a post vaguely des cribed as that of special assistant to Mr. Rusk on refugee affairs. The American Jewish Commit tee urged President Johnson to move to retain the Bureau of Se curity and Consular Affairs within the State Department under the direction of Mr. Schwartz. TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Tele phone lines throughout Israel were out Sunday, and a number of citrus groves and farm acreage were damaged this weekend, when heavy rainstorms, accom panied by hail and sleet, with winds up to 72 miles per hour, drenched the northern half of the country. In the South, much of the Negev was in semi-darkness because of sandstorms. Many parts of the country were hit by temporary electric power break downs. The storms, the most severe to strike Israel since the start of the winter, came as a shock to most of the population, after many weeks of relatively balmy conditions. In Tel Aviv, the fire brigade w r as busy for most of the day, dealing with emergencies arising from the storms. Five families were removed from buildings in Jaffa, which were in danger of collapsing. Rabbi Talmon Fishman, 31, not seriously injured, and dined medical aid. was de- CLEVELAND, (JTA) — Nine youths were arrested here this weekend for harassing students and hitting a rabbi at the Telshe Yeshiva, in suburban Wiekliffe, police reported here Monday. Po-> lice said that the youths, ranging in age from 16 to 20, drove onto the grounds of the yeshiva in two cars. The intruders knocked skullcaps from the heads of stu dents, and struck a rabbi on the head. The latter, identified as NEW YORK, (JTA) — Uni formed members of the National Renaissance Party, a neo-Nazi group, held a public meeting at Robert F. Wagner Junior High School here last weekend, in front of a largely hostile audi ence. James H. Madole, founder and leader of the party, and other speakers, including Robert Bur ros, admittedly a former Jew, denounced Jews, Nfcgroes, civil rights and Communists. Their words were often drowned out by laughter and jeers from the audience. The meeting was the first to be held by the ultra-rightwing group in a city public school. Last month, the Board of Education granted a permit for the use of the auditorium, despite the pro tests of several Jewish organiza tions. The Board defended its action by asserting that legally, the school system could not deny the use of the school by any non political group. Protesters, how ever, said that Madole’s group is political. NEW YORK, (JTA) — Louis Stulberg, a prominent labor executive and an active partici pant in Jewish comnvunal affairs, was elected last weekend as president of the 447,000-member D. C. Jewish Council Mils Oil'll ome Itulc Negro Boycott WASHINGTON (JTA) The Jewish Community Council here criticized Negro groups which are leading a boycott of local merch ants, many of them Jews. The Negro groups are protesting against the failure of Congress to vote Home Rule for residents of the nation’s capital. The Coun cil, at the same time, reaffirmed its support of Home Rule and condemned “the actions of those who have unconscionably block ed Home Rule for more than a decade.” The statement singled out the city's Metropolitan Board of Trade for “opposing genuine self-government’’ for Washington residents, and urged the Board “to discontinue its opposition.” Then the statement added that the Council “must disavow the present boycott program by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and the Free D C Movement.” The Council said the boycott "coerces businessmen who may have no views on Home Rule and who have no voice in the de cisions of the Board of Trade, to commit themselves in favor of Home Rule, by a threat of a boy cott if they do not so commit themselves.” The Council declared such ac tions were "a violation” of the freedom of such merchants “to have an opinion on this subject, or to have no opinion, and an in vasion of their rights of privacy.” Moreover, the statement declared, “this kind of a program is irrel evant and ineffective so far as the achievement of Home Rule is con cerned, because it is not directed against the real targets.” International Ladies Garment Workers Union, succeeding David Dubinsky. Mr. Stulberg is a member of the board of direc tors of United Hias Service and is active in American Ort and Histadrut. WASHINGTON (JTA)— Rep resentative Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat, and a mem ber of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would de mand “concrete verification” of Egypt’s reported commitment not to increase cotton acreage in the 1966-67 season. He made the statement in connection with re ports that the Nasser regime in formed the State Department that, in order to qualify for con tinued U. S. food aid it would res trict cotton production to allow for the growing of more food. The development arose because of charges that Egypt was trading cotton for Soviet arms, with the United States indirectly subsidiz ing such deals by filling Egypt’s food shortages. NEW YORK (JTA) — Irving Spiegel, veteran reporter special izing in Jewish affairs for the New York Times, Saturday re ceived the first annual Stanley M. Isaacs Human Relations Mass Media Award, given by the New York Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, at its annual meeting. Mr. Spiegel was cited for his “consistently brilliant and perceptive reporting and analysis news of Jewish concern over many years.” Germany Announces Plan To Try Jewish Expert On Claims BONN, (JTA) — The State Prosecutor’s Office here announc ed Monday that Dr. Hans Deutsch, the internationally known Jew ish legal expert on German com pensation to Nazi victims, will be tried by a German court on charges of “inciting people to make claims for compensation they are not entitled to.” The date of the trial was not given. Dr. Deutsch. who holds both Austrian and Israeli citizenship, was arrested here in November 1964 while attending to a client’s claim at the West German Min istry of Finance. He has been held in solitary confinement in the Central Prison here along with a former SS officer and aide to Adolf Eichmann, M. Wilke, who is charged with having been raeli invitation to train 15 South Vietnamese agricultural experts in Israel. WASHINGTON (JTA)— White House sources revealed that—in line with new, relations between Israel and South Viet Nam — President Johnson would wel come an expanded Israeli role in The President was depicted as deeply appreciative of efforts by free world nations in South Viet Nam. It was made clear that the White House is especially inter ested in the “Nahal” concept, and would like to see Israelis in South Viet Nam to train the youth in the soldier-farmer concept of de velopment and defense. Israeli achievements in unifying and developing a nation of di verse peoples—under continuous threat of sabotage and attack— has been noted here. Israelis could render assistance that might help defeat the Communist Chinese “wars of national lib eration” by helping South Viet Nam develop a nucleus for units building social democracy that could defend themselves, in the view of top White House ad visers. Maconites Honor Dr. Moraansterris 85th Birthday Members of Macon’s Congre gation Beth Israel turned out in full force on March 18 to pay homage to one of the congrega tion’s most beloved members, Dr. Julian Morganstem, on his 85th birthday. Dr. Morganstern, who was pro fessor of Bible at the Hebrew Union College from 1907 to 1949 and president of the HUC from 1921 to 1947, was paid a glowing tribute hv Rabbi Harold Gelfman. Rabbi Gelfman, spiritual lead er of Congregation Beth Israel, is a former pupil of Dr. Morgan- stern. Messages were read from Rabbi Nelson Glueck and Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, leaders in Reform Judaism, who were also Dr. Morganstern's pupils. Following the Friday night services, a reception was given in Kaplan Hall by the Sisterhood and Mr. and Mrs. William A. Greenebaum, daughter and son- in-law of the guest of honor. M. Dietrich Revisits Israel, Sees Shazar .lEitc SALEM (JTA) — Presi dent and Mrs. Zalman Shazar re ceived Marlene Dietrich, who is currently visiting Israel Miss Dietrich, who was born in Ger- mmv but has been an American citizen for 30 years, later visited the Yad Vashem memorial where she lit a candle in memory of the Nazi holocaust. The film star, who visited Is rael once before, said she re turned because of hi r "strong at traction” for the Jewish people and admiration for Israel. She was warmly received by Is raeli audiences during her ap pearances hi re and she also gave benefit performances for the Is raeli armed forces Dr. Deutsch’s “accomplice.” At the time of the arrest, an influential Parisian newspaper, Le Monde, defended Dr. Deutsch and charged that the move was a "maneuver” by Bonn to dis credit the Jewish attorney and ' spoil his reputation.”