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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, July 16, 1971
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Published weekly by Southern Nimptyv Rnterprim, If# Courtlnnd
SL, N. E„ Atlanta, Georgia 30)#3, TK I-U4I, TK #-824#. Second claw
footage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Yearly aabaeriptioa, 175#. The
Southern Israelite invites literary eoatiibutiofM and correapoadence
but is not to be considered as sharing the views expressed by writers.
DRAGLINE is 5 PM. FRIDAY, but material received earlier will
<■•*0 a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Kathleen Nease, Vida Goldgar, Edward M. Kahn •
Kathy Wood, Betty Meyer, Gertrude Burnham
lrrMstt *
NeNpAper
Ataoclatlon - Founded 1885
Georgia Press Assn.
Seven Arts Features
Jewish Telegraphic
Agency
Work! Union Press
'tssoCV
Hail “Champ” Klutznick
Jt’s good to meet a gladiator like Phil Klutznick on a
no-holds-barred basis. He intimated in Atlanta that various
components of the body Judaica-rorganizations, nations,
rabbinic, whatever—should not object to a little thing like
name-calling, differences or the lacings which characterize
“family life.” Naturally it follows that he will only thank
us with lovable genteelness for meting out to him some of
the medicine he would have others take. We will try not to
be personal, but it’s comforting that a publicity hungry per
son like himself will not resent a slip, in case it happens.
Klutznick is a master of what we call the American intel
lectual mallaise—the capacity to nitpick at anything and
and everything until finally the Archilles heel is located.
They stand affably by with sharp, but friendly family type
dissecting knives, poised skillfully to undermine and pare
away the kind of support it takes decades to build and
develop. Their quasi-leadership reminds us of the five-year-
olds who can expertly take everything in a household apart—
watches, tv, toaster, vacuum cleaner—anything within reach
and sight. But put it together. Never in a coon’s age!
This is the difference between the Klutznick-type and
the Jewish press of America. Were we to submit Jewish
leaders, for instance, to the kind of “in-depth, think through
treatment” he longs for, there would be no leadership at all.
Leadership would likely and quickly evaporate in expose of
their frailties and mistakes.
No matter that they’re all we’ve got for the thankless
task of leadership. No matter that they are sincere, dedicated
individuals giving their all to achieve goals in a world where
success is a guaranteed impossibility.
But pick them to pieces, the Jewish press could do—in
depth. Discourage them, dissuade them, creating such chaos
and havoc as the TQutznicks do not~h8Ve the competence even
to imagine. This would be the easy way, the spectacular way.
No, the role of the Klutznick 'indicted Jewish press is
on the positive level—to interpret the meanderings of the
leadership, to filter the programs, michigas and pardon the
expresssion the “hozerie” which is shoveled out on the na
tional level so that confidence and hope which exists at
the grass-root level are not eliminated and the panic-button
pushed.
The Jewish press has consciously, without even faint
suggestion of recognition or credit, been following the path
of building,, or shoring up, of calling attention to defects
without destroying, for more decades than Klutznick has
seen life. t
We suspect he has been reading the wrong Jewish
newspaper in the first place. And we are not about to sug
gest that he subscribe to The Southern Israelite. We’ve
nor nearly Cassandra enough to suit him and do not in
tend to succumb to such divisiveness in the foreseeable fu
ture. We shall leave to him the dubious honor of being a
champion of negativism, his own words to the contrary
We want no part of it.
A Sweet Guy Named Bill
.When future historians review the achievements of the
Fiftti District of B’mai B’rith, perhaps the greatest single
accomplishment will be seen as “producing a Bill Wexler.”
Dt Wexler has furnished not only fabulous leadership
for the fraternal order but has become one of the top handful
of leader* of American Jewry.
It was in the Fifth District that Bill Wexler of Savannah
secured his initial and maturing leadership experience, the
charisma which made men willing to follow him, the wisdom
of encouraging men to higher goals without shaming them
for shortcomings. His is a rare combination.
B’nai B’rith has furnished and developed much leader
ship of quality in the Southeast. We are pleased particularly
with the Wexler brand. Though he is not yet out of office,
w? add our congratulations for his great productivity during
his tenure in office with this fraternal order
JEWISH CALENDAR
•TISHA B*AV
Aug. 1, Sunday
•ROSH HASHANA
Sept. 20-21,
Monday, Tuesday
•YOM KEPPUR
Sept. 29, Wednesday
•SCKKOT
Oct. 4-5,
Monday, Tuesday
•HOLIDAY BEGINS
•HOSHANA RABBA
Oct. 10, Sunday
•SHRMINI ATZERET
Oct 11, Monday
•SIMHAT TORAH
Oct 12, Tuesday
•HANUKA
Dec. 13-20
Monday-Monday
8UNDOWN PREVIOUS DAY
Background For Modern Persecutions
KISHINEV
From the Encyclopaedia
Judaica
Volume 10
KISHINEV, capital of Molda
vian S.S.R., formerly with Bes
sarabia. A Jewish cemetery is
known to have existed in a vil
lage near Kishinev during the
18th century. When Kishinev
became the capital of Bessara
bia under Russian (1818) it de
veloped rapidly, becoming a
commercial and industrial cen
ter, and many Jews moved
there from other places in Rus
sia.
From 10,509 (12.2% of the total
population) in 1847, the num
bers of Jews in the city grew
to 550,23 (46%) in 1897. At the
close of the 19th century, most
of the Jews were engaged in
commerce, handicrafts, and in
dustry. In 1898, 29 of the 38
factories of all kinds in Kishi
nev were owned by Jews. Large
commercial houses and printing
presses were also owned by
Jews and employed thousands of
Jewish workers.
Kishinev was the seat of the
Bessarabian headquarters of
several Jewish organizations:
these included the Jewish Col
onization Association, the Amer
ican Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (after World War I)
and the American Joint Recon
struction Foundation. In 1898
there were 16 Jewish schools
in Kishinev with 2100 pupils;
700 Jewish pupils attended gen
eral schools.
Persecutions and
Pogroms
The name of Kishinev became
known to the world at large
as a result of two pogroms The
first, initiated and organized by
the local and central authorities,
took place during Easter on
April 6-7, 1903. The pogrom was
preceded by a poisonous, anti-
Jewish compaign led by the di
rector of the Bessarabian news
paper Bessarabets, who incited
the population through a con
stant stream of vicious articles.
In such a heated atmosphere any
incident could have dire con
sequences, and when the body
of a Christian child was found,
and a young Christian woman
patient committed suicide in the
Jewish hospital, the mob be
came violent. (It was later
proved that the child was mur
dered by his relatives and that
the suicide of the young woman
was in no way connected with
the Jews.) According to offic
ial statistics, 49 Jews lost their
lives and more than 500 were
injured; 700 houses were looted
and destroyed and 600 busi
nesses and shops were looted.
Public outcry throughout the
world was aroused by the in
cident and protest meetings
were organized in London Paris
and New York. Under the pres
sure of public opinion, some of
the perpetrators of the pogrom
were brought to justice but they
were awarded very lenient sen
tences.
On Oct. 19-25, 1905 riots broke
out once rpore. Nineteen Jews
were killed, 56 were injured and
houses and shops were looted
and destroyed.
1914-1939
During World War I, when
Russian units retreated from
the Rumanian front in 1917-18,
they looted Jewish houses on
their homeward journey Ru
manian rule which lasted for
22 years (1918-40) made no im
provement in the condition of
the Jews who were still ha
rassed by official and unoffic
ial anti-semitism.
By German-Russian agree
ment, in June 1940 Russia an
nexed Bessarabia. During the
year of Russian domination
(until July 1941) all Jewish in
stitutions were closed down and
the Zionist movement outlawed.
There were 70,000 Jews in the
town on the eve of the Holo
caust.
Holocaust
On Jlily 17, 1941 Kishinev was
occupied by German and Ru
manian units. The massacre of
Kishinev’s Jews began immed
iately and by the time the con
centration of Jews into a ghet
to was completed, about 10,000
had been slaughtered.
On Oct. 4, 1941 deportations
began to Transnistra. The exact
number of dead is not known,
but taking into account the pro
portion of those killed in Bes
sarabia from the time of the
Rumanian and German con
quest until the deportation to
Transnistria on the one hand
and the number of those who
died in Transnistria on the
of the 65,000 Jewish inhabitants
other, it may be estimated that
in Kishinev in 1941, 53,000 per
ished.
Contemporary Period
Restrictive measures were
imposed on the Jewish com
munity in the 1960s The bar
mitzva ceremony was forbidden
in 1961; all synagogues but one
were closed in 1964; and mo-
halim. were repeatedly warned
to cease performing circumcis
ions. In 1970 the Jewish popu
lation was estimated at approx
imately 60,000
THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDA
ICA IS BEING PUBLISHED IN
15 VOLUMES IN JERUSALEM,
ISRAEL BY THE KETER PUB
LISHING HOUSE LTD. ALL 15
VOLUMES WILL BE COM
PLETE BY THE FALL 1971.
— OBITUARIES —
Jeroff M. Bersch Mrs. Celia Udinsky
Jeroff Maxwell Bersch, 54, of
Atlanta died Wednesday, June
30.
Funeral services were held
July 2 with Rabbi Alvin Su-
garman officiating.
Mr. Bersch, a builder, was
born in Ontario, Canada,
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Shirley Caplin Bersch;
daughters, Mrs. William R. Gig-
nilliat III, Miss Barbara Bersch
and Miss Sheila Bersch, all of
Atlanta; sister, Mrs. Benjamin
Levy of Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Mrs. Mabel H. Minis
Mrs. Mabel Henry Minis, 101,
of Savannah died Thursday,
July 1.
Graveside services were held
July 2 at Laurel Grove Ceme
tery.
She was a native of New York
City, but had lived in Savannah
since 1902 and was a member
of Temple Mickve Israel. During
World War I, she was a member
of the American Red Cross
Survivors include two sons,
Abram Minis Jr. of Savannah
and H. Phillip Minis of Prince
ton, N.J., six grandchildren and
five great-grandchildren.
Mitchell Wildstein
Mitchell Wildstein, 69, of
Brooklyn, N. Y., died Tuesday,
June 22.
Funeral service and interment
were held in New York.
Survviors include his wife,
Estelle; sons, Dr. Albert Wild
stein of New York, Dr. Gilbert
Wildstein and Dr. Walter Wild
stein, both of Atlanta; and three
grandchildren.
Mrs. Celia Udinsky, 94, of Sa
vannah died June 29. Funeral
services were held June 30 with
Rabbi A. I. Rosenberg and Can
tor Baruch Erblich officiating.
Interment was in Bonaventure
Cemetery.
Mrs. Udinsky was a native of
Russia and had lived in Savan
nah since 1919. She was a mem
ber of B’nai B’rith Jacob Syna
gogue.
Survivtys include three sons,
Isadore Udinsky of Atlanta,
Aarin Udinsky of Savannah and
Nathan Udinsky of Jacksonville
and three daughters, Mrs. A. L.
Cooper, Mrs. M. Womble and
Mrs, Harry Branzel; 15 grand
children, 30 great-grandchildren
and one great-great-grandchild.
LEGAL NOTICE
NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT
STATE OF GEORGIA
COUNTY OF FULTON
On Appliestlon of BENNET GRUDE.
STEPHEN AARON and DAVID POlt
FRANTZ. Articles of Incorporation
have been granted to “BERNIE’S INC."
by the Honorable Oagood william.
Judge of the Superior Court of Fultoa
County, In accordance with the ap
plicable provision of the Georgia Buxi
nes* Corporation Code. The registered
office of the corporation la located xt
1038 West Peachtree Street, N. W.. At
lanta, Georgia and Its registered agent
at such address In Bennet Grude. The
purpose of the corporation la the op
eration of restaurants and eating ea
ts bli aliments, and all necessary and
Incidental businesses: In addition, any
other business not tUagal In the State
of CeoMla. The Mlalmum capital with
which the corporation shall continence
business Is $300.00.
July! 6,23,30, AuflS