The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, April 29, 1966, Image 5

The Southern Israelite., April 29, 1966, Image 5

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Newspaper Page TextFriday, April 29, 1966 THISOUTHERN ISRAELITE rift wtn Southern Obituaries Kaplan-Kaplan Unveiling Unveiling ceremonies in mem ory of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Kap lan will lx* held at 2:30 p m. Sunday, May 1, at Greenwood Cemetery. Rabbi Harry H. Ep stein and Cantor Isaac Good- friend will officiate. Mrs, Hyman Friedman Mrs. Pauline Kaplan Fried man, 50, of Brunswick died April 15. Funeral services were held in Savannah April 18 with Rabbi A. I. Rosenberg and Rabbi Isaac Aisenstark officiating. Interment was in Bonaventure Cemetery. Mrs. Friedman was a membe'r of Temple Beth Tefilloh and the Sisterhood. A native of Brook lyn, N. Y., she had lived in Brunswick 14 years. Survivors include her hus band, Hyman Friedman; a son, Morris Friedman; a daughter, Miss Eunice Friedman, all of Brunswick, and a sister, Mrs. Ethel Weinstein of Los Angeles. Benjamin Greenholtz Benjamin Greenholtz of Savan nah died April 10. Funeral services were held April 13 with Rabbi A. I. Rosen berg and Rabbi I. M Aisenstark officiating. Interment was in Bom^enture Cemetery. Mr. Greenholtz was a retired merchant. He was a member of Congregation B’nai B’rith Jacob. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Ethel K. Greenholtz; two sons. Seymour and Lester Gretn- holtz; a daughter, Mrs. Abe Pas- sink, and four grandchildren, all of Savannah. Mrs. Harry Schur Mrs. Dora Cooley Schur, 67, of Savannah died April 16. Funeral services were held April 18 with Rabbi A. I. Rosen berg and Rabbi I. M. Aisenstark officiating. Interment was in Bonaventure Cemetery. A native of Savannah, she was a member of B’nai B’rith Jacob Synagogue, Hebrew Women’s Aid. B’nai B’rith Jacob Sister hood and the American Red Cross. Survivors include her husband, Harry Schur; two daughters, Mrs. Harry Reinhard and Mrs. Julius Kaminsky; two brothers, Ben Cooley of Birmingham and Sam Cooley of Savannah, and six grandchildren. Mrs. George Solomon Mrs. Julia Feist Solomon 85, of Savannah, died Friday, April 15. Funeral services were held April 18 from the Temple Mickve Israel with Rabbi Joseph Buchler and Rabbi S. E. Starrels officiating. Interment was in Bonaventure Cemetery. Born in Louisiana, Mrs. Solo mon had lived in Savannah since 1903. She was the widow of Rabbi George Solomon of Temple Mickve Israel. She was a past president and honorary president of the Mickve Israel Sisterhood and past president of the Sunday School. Survivors include three nephews, four nieces and a num ber of grand-n e p h e w s and grand-nieces. Mrs. Ghana Schwartz Mrs. Chana Schwartz of Ben der, Russia, sister of Cantor Jos eph Schwartzman of Atlanta, died March 31. Mrs. Schwartz had planned a visit to her family in the United States next month. Other survivors include a son and a daughter in Russia, a sis ter, Mrs. Rose Kligman of New ark, N. J., four grandchildren, and a brother, Chaim Schwartz man, of Bender, Russia. Office: JA. M-44U Morris H. Manheim, Jr. MONUMENTS Home: TR. 4 IIU LETTERS EDITORS DEAR SIR. Contrary to Mr. Rosenberg’s assertion, I do not believe that Mr. Frank Wittow “deserves to be raked over the coals” for his production of “The Merchant of Venice.” The only rational and justifiable basis on which Mr. Wittow may be judged is as to whether or not he Chooses a satisfactory work of art to pro duce, and whether or not h« directs it well. "The Merchant of Venice” certainly falls into this latter category. Although not one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, it adequately portrays its theme of legalism vs. the ethic of love, or the letter vs. the spirit of the law, each of which is embodied, according to Shakespeare, in Judaism and Christianity respec tively. If Mr. Rosenberg had stayed to the conclusion of the play, he might have seen this. One may argue with Shakes peare’s premise, but there can be no doubt that the play is a work of art and in no way com parable to the didactic anti- Semitic ravings found in “The Protocols of Zion.” Mr. Rosen berg’s comparison is, at best, fallacious. As regards the question of sup port for the Academy Theatre, I. for one did not find such Jewish ’ support in evidence when “The Dybbuk” was pro duced earlier this season. Fur thermore, I question the impli cation that plays should be chosen or not to suit a particular community; a given play has merit only in and because of its artistic value. If this is lacking then, and only then, is criticism valid. Furthermore, I am certain contrary to Mr. Rosenberg’ opinion, that such a play wil not affect anti-Semitism on< iota. One brings to a work o art what is already present ir oneself. Therefore, while Mr Rosenberg beseeches the Jew ish community to boycott th< Play, I feel reasonably certain th .^?„“ the K) an and men of ill will ’ whom he names are cer tain not to make a theatre party night out of “The Merchant ol Venice;" I suggest the rest of the community do! „ ,, r MRS B WERZBERGER !!," KilT th S Merchant as a work ,/ , Art liemem b e r , Hitler’s Yuden-Rein Scheme too was a masterpiece of anti-semitic art (ousidcr its sweep, Us scope, Us all-encompassing inhuman ity . Un ‘h was the epitome of de moniacal art, bestial art—the ex periments, the lampshades. Be cause anti-semitism existed any where, m whatever form, is no reason why wholesome people anywhere should tolerate or seek out Us depravity. As for the Klan, ij a Jewish director can accom plish their spread of hatred and Wit tow’s Shakespearean pro ductions are geared for high school and college audiences — why should they waste time to duplicate their efforts by attend ing such a vehicle? —THE EDITOR Dear Editor, As a Jew, I thoroughly respect your loathing of Anti-Semitism, your anger against anyone stupid enough to say that Jews are nat urally evil, and your disgust ate any display of prejudice. It seems rather obvious however that when you saw the "Merchant of Ven ice,” you allowed your defensive attitude to overrun your under standing and intelligence. You ask people not to judge Jews without first seeking to under stand them. I ask you not to make the same mistake with this play. To regard the "Merchant” merely as anti-semitism and to dismiss it at that is absurd. In the first place, you have totally misconstrued Shakespeare’s point Throughout all his plays, Shake- spearer tries to show life and people in crisis. From seeing them under such stress, he seeks to bring out some fundamental understanding of humanity. Yes, Shakespeare is Anti-Sem itic. A man of his times, he ap pealed to the prejudice of his au dience. But as a great artist, he transcends his times. In Eliza bethan England, steeped in an Anti-Semitic tradition, it is astonishing that Shakespeare could even hint at any goodness m Shy lock. The play, like all of Shakes peare’s, is much too complex to categorize and forget! But any sensitive viewer is immediately aware of the more profound im plications of it. In the first place, Shakespeare is very sympathetic to Shylock, a man stripped of his fortune, his daughter and his honor. Shylock’s flaw lies in his insistence on revenge. He right fully protests the “Christian” at titude toward Jews — hate and prejudice. But, ironically, he makes the same mistake by hating them back. Shakespeare poignantly describes Skylock's tortured condition: . . . and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affectio n s , passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, sub ject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? (Ill, i, 50-58) The viewer sees Shylock’s warped sense of justice in the last line. Unfortunately, he re volves to meet the Christian on his own terms. He uses their own methods against them. And therein lies the basic significance of the play. Wittow’s choice of the play thus appears to be justified, whether it be fifty years ago or now; for this play is appropriate to men of all creeds and times. That you should demand that this play be boycotted by Jews is ludicrous. First of all, we cannot allow ourselves the same mistake Shylock makes—to let this stig ma of Jewish persecution and suffering exclude our love of humanity. Second, “The Merch ant of Venice" is recognized as a work of art and that by itself warrants it continued production. For you, as a Jew. to reject the “Merchant” because it is anti-semitic, is just as prejudiced and limited an outlook as a seg regationist rejecting the play "Othello” because Othello is black. As a respected journalist, you should allow your readers anoth er interpretation of the play. Respectfully, Brent M. Cohen (17-year-old) H’e arc indeed prejudiced against anti-semitism in any shape or form, even by the Bard himself and are particularly intolerant of anyone of Jewish origins who has a hand in its spread. A hun dred years from now, perhaps society will be so free of anti semitism that it may be neces sary to revive the Merchant to illustrate to the public how it op erated. This generation—Jewish and non-Jewish—is too close to virulent Nazi era to need any such object lesson even in the realm of fine literature . . . We have seen the play several times dec ades ago and have read its great literary gems and its vitriolic de testations. We went this time to see if the poison had at least been diluted. It was not. To have to imbibe it for two acts even to hear Portia and Shylock ex change those imperishable third- act words is unworthy of the ex perience. In Wittow’s advance publicity, it was noted that not a word of the original had been changed, that the role of Shylock mould not be the blatantly anti- semitic Shylock as appeared for centuries on the boards. Even so it was too blatant for our tastes More’s the pity that the words were not changed. Witforn did not hesitate to abbreviate other Shakespearean works. Why then NY Marks Israel Anniversary (Continued from page 4) of the New York City Council. Council President Frank O’Con nor will preside at that session and will present a resolution in the spirit of “Israel Independ ence Week” as proclaimed by the Mayor. The American Section of the Jewish Agency and the Ameri can Zionist Council held a joint reception to mark Israel’s Inde pendence Day. The reception, attended by leaders of the Zion ist movement and of other Jew ish organizations, was addressed by Mrs. Rose Halprin, chairman of the American Section of the Jewish Agency, who stressed that the 18 th anniversary of Israel's independence is of special significance because “it is the year of ’Chai,’ eighteen, which in Hebrew means life.” “No word is more meaningful to Israel than ‘chai,’ ” Mrs’. Hal prin said, "because Israel, more than anything else, is life. It is life to the more than a million Jews—survivors of the Nazi holocaust, refugees from impov erished Africa and Asia—who have made Israel their homeland in the eighteen years since its establishment. It is life for the Jews of the Diaspora who, from the cultural vitality of Israel, derive the sustenance that is so mighty a force in the never- ending battle against the assimil ative -forces that are concom- mitant of the free society in which we live. And it is life for the millions more who will come to Israel in the future.” BOSTON. (JTA) — Yohanan Cohen, Israeli Consul here, ad dressed a joint session of the Massachusetts State Senate and House of Representatives here Monday after which both branches of the Legislature adopted a resolution extending “greetings and best wishes to the State of Israel upon the 18th an niversary' of its founding.” The Israeli Consul had been invited for the address by the president of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. He was received at the State House, prior to his appearance before the joint session, by Gov. John A. Volpe. Mayor John F. Collins, and many other state and city dignitaries, as well as heads of foreign consulates here. Later, Mr. Cohen held a reception in honor of Israel’s Independence Day at his Government’s consul ate here. PHILADELPHIA, (JTA) — Mayor James Tate Monday de clared Israel’s 18th Independence Day as “Israel Day” in Philadel phia and participated in a cere mony here this morning at the historic Liberty Bell. Greetings were extended by Israel’s Consul-General in Phila delphia, Yissakhar Ben-Yaacov, from Prime Minister Levi Esh- kol, who was made a freeman of the City of Philadelphia during his visit here two years ago. Yesterday, some 2,000 persons took part in a community-wide salute to Israel. did this one have to be staged in its original pristine anti-semitism. Wittow, it seems to us, as direc tor is shouting "look, I’ve put ruffles on the gas nozzles and chinz curtains on the windows, therefore it's okay to come into the extermination chamber. We do not buy this camouflage and we do not hesitate to let our readers know the imminent dangers of the gas chambers or the Shakespearean play. Excuse Shakespeare if you trill for not knowing better and thus mirror ing his times We cannot excuse Wittow who should know better. Your perceptive letter however draws my admiration as a com position from a 17-year-old stu dent—THE EDITOR. little i Potato Leek A Key She® Outoide eervice I>«j Night Mb MIN Tr. M1H MIAMI, (JTA) — El Mundo, a newspaper published in Ha vana, devoted an article in Sun day’s issue to the 18th anniver- «ary at the founding of Israel, lauding the Jewish State’s ac complishments in agriculture, education and industry. The newspaper expressed the “sin cere wishes of the Cuban people for the happiness and prosperity of the industrious Israeli people and its friendly Government.” WANT ADS WANTED High school and college students as bus counselors for school year 1966-67. 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