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Ps«» 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE April 1, 11
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JACK QELDBABT
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Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Georgia Press Assn.
World Union Press •
Society of Professional
Journaliata, Sigma Delta Chi
3 Passover :
a time to end
discrim ina tlon
Many Jewish holidays are philosophically complex and
their relevance is often unclear — but Passover is an easy one
to figure.
This is the time we celebrate the Children of Israel’s flight
from oppression and it is also a time when Jews should
remember to be vigilant not to become trapped by discrimina
tion again.
Private clubs and institutions that discriminate on the
basis of race, religion or natural origin often operate in a
low-key manner which has become known as 4 “gentleman’s
agreement.” It is a pernicious kind of evil that can creep up on
you, especially when such discrimination by exclusion is
tolerated. It is doubly dangerous since we tend to accept
almost anything if it comes in small doses.
Passover is a time to deplore such infringement on our
freedom. Even more, it is the time to do something about it.
An example of what can be done took place last summer when
the American Bar Association, holding its annual meeting in
Atlanta, removed ah business and social functions from those
clubs which were pointed out as being discriminatory. This
action hit where it hurt — in the pocketbook.
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Publisher: Jack Geldbart; Managing Editor:
Vida Goidgar, Office Manager: Cathy Wood; Advertising
Dimeter: Mike Taaas; Advertising Sales: Martin Gelb,
Kathleen Neaae, Alva Engelhard, and J. Allen Anderson; Cir
culation: Sarah Du well
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A fable for Pusoyar
Once upon a time the Jeers were being perseeut- and raised their voices in protest. Angry letters
ed by the Russians. These Russians never smiled and cables came pouring in to the Kremlin. The
— Pope called for freedom for the Jews. African
leaders turned from the bloodshed in their own
countries and told the Russians they should not
and gave the Jews only the most
menial jobs and constantly pres
sured them to give up their re
ligion in favor of the godless
principles of Communism.
Because of this oppression,
the Jews became very restless.
There was a great deal of dis
content, some of it just grumb
ling, but many were brave
enough to openly protest the repressive atmos
phere under which they lived.
Those Jews who publicly argued against the
Russians were treated harshly and became out
casts. Many lost their jobs (such as they were) and
persecute the Jews. In South America, anti-
Semitic strongholds such as Argentina protested
the treatment of the Jews. Even the Arabs acted
ashamed of the Russians. Only the PLO remained
silent.
And in the United States, the land of liberty and
freedom, the average citizen suddenly became in
censed over the mental and physical abuse of the
Jew in Russia and began to create such an outcry
that President Carter and Ambassador Young
made it plain to the Russians that the United
States could no longer stand by and witness the
many more were sent to that ominous land in the relentless oppression of the Jews. They insisted
north — Siberia. , - that the Russians stop.
The Russians also accused the Jews of being And then, as though by an unheard signal, the
spies, even though there was no evidence to sup- Russian Jews packed up their belongings and
port the charges, and many Jews were put in jail began to march to freedom. They began to walk
without trial. The Russians often came for them in out of Russia toward borders that promised an end
the middle of the night and dragged them away to tyranny. They crossed mountains, they crossed
without explanation. rivers (there is even a rumor that the Volga parted
Many of the Jews wanted to leave this place, to let them by), and they moved in long streams of
Some made elaborate plana to sneak across the humanity toward freedom.
During this march the Russians remained
strangely silent and did not attempt to stop the
Jews. They were frightened by the outpouring of
sentiment from all over the world and they were
afraid to incur the wrath of President Carter and
the other leaders. But, most of all,, they feared the
anger of the average citizen. *
And ao the Jews came out of Russia into the
Promised Land. Only then did the Russians realize
what had happened and cried out in despair over
the escape. They made as if to pursue the Jews but
it was too late, for the mountains and the rivers
had already been crossed.
Wise men say that the Jews were able to escape
at Passover because people all over the world —
the ordinary people like you and me — cried out,
“Stop” and “Never again”, and the Russians
became afraid. And so the Jews were able to leave
repression and persecution behind and live happily
ever after..
I swear by Moses’ beard that it could happen.
border, where there was freedom. But many
applied for exit visas to go to Israel and the
Russians became very angry about this and called
these people “refuseniks” and singled them out for
severe mistreatment
The Russians even prohibited the Jews from
bringing in matzoe, the unleavened bread that is
the very symbol of freedom at Passover, and the
Jews became very upeet about this and raised a
protest which was heard all over the world.
This protest seemed to fail on deaf ears, but in
certain places people began to listen and some
leaders even raised their voices in protest. Leaders
in Israel cried out, “Let my people go,” but the
Russians ignored them. Jewish leaders in the
United States issued agonized statements of
protest, calling for the Russians to stop the repres
sion of the Jews but the Russians went about their
business and paid no attention.
And then, on the first night of Passover, a very
strange thing happened. People everywhere
suddenly realized what was happening in Russia
A tempos actor remembers
It seems a violation of Passover’s spirit for anyone to
patronize clubs and institutions which practice discrimina
tion and we count among these the Capitol City, Piedmont
Driving and Cherokee country clubs in Atlanta. In addition,
the Master’s golf tournament is sponsored by a club which
has traditionally excluded Jews from membership.
If they have changed their policies, let’s hear it. In the
meantime, if they don’t want us as members, why dignify
them with our presence?
Goodbye ‘gentleman's agreement'
by Kirk Douglas
Although every sort of an
tidiscrimination law imaginable
is now on the books, I have to ask
myself how much things really
have changed since I was a boy
growing up in Amsterdam, N.Y.
Then, at least, there was no
hypocrisy about it: I couldn’t get
a job delivering newspapers
because I was a Jew, and no Jew
was allowed to work at the
largest factory in town. No one
bothered to hide behind a mask
of false piety, however. ‘
I was about 11 years old when
a bunch of kids pounced on me
one day, beating me bloody and
yelling: “You killed Jesus
Christ.” When my mother asked
me what happened, I wailed:
“They said I killed Jesus Christ
and I don’t even know who he
is.”
When I went to college at St.
Lawrence University, the frater
nities had a big rush week at the
beginning of the school term.
They pursued the freshmen they
wanted as members, and their
first stop waa to invite the
prospect to dinner at the frater
nity house.
I was invited, so I put on my
one suit and tie and waited for
the upper-classman who was
supposed to come and escort me
to dinner. I waited and waited.
They had made a mistake in my
case: Demsky was my name
then, and they had thought I was
Polish. When they discovered I
was Jewish, they lost interest.
Later, by a strange fluke — a
change in the system of voting
— I was elected president of the
student body. (The alumni
association was furious.) After
that, though, I was offered
“house privileges” at a fraterni
ty.
This meant I could pay dues,
eat meals, live at the house, even
attend fraternity dances. But I
could not attend their meetings,
and I guess they wouldn’t have
taught me the secret handshake.
I declined the invitation.
There weren’t many Jewish
students at the university, but a
group came to me and suggested
we form a Jewish fraternity. I
thought not. “In destroying the
enemy, you’d better be careful
not to become the enemy.”
Today, those fraternity
members are grown men, and
they spend their weekends
(those, at any rate, not Upped
for Cabinet poets) at clubs that
exclude blacks, Jews and
Chicanos.
All I have to do is look around.
Not far from my home is the Los
Angeles Country Club — a
beautiful layout with two 1&-
hole golf courses in the middle of
some of the most desirable land
you’ve ever seen. It excludes not
only Jews and blacks but almost
everyone from the world of
entertainment. Can you imagine
blackballing a whole industry?
Jews certainly are not inno
cent in this silly game. For years
fancy Jewish clubs were
dominated by German Jews who
looked down on Polish and Rus
sian Jews for having arrived in
this country after they did.
Years ago, I visited former
President Eisenhower at his
home in the Palm Springs area.
What a charming man! He lived
at Eldorado Country Club,
which doesn’t have Jewish
members — not even German
Jews — or blacks — not even
rich ones.
A couple of months ago, Presi-
dent Ford vacationed at
Thunderbird Country Club in
Palm Springs. It’s just as dis
criminatory. President Ford lik
ed the place so much he may
decide to settle down in that
highly restricted neighborhood.
And so in many places a
“gentleman’s agreement” is still
in effect. It’s all so polite. Rich
Jewish members of Hillcrest
Country Club have lunch oc
casionally with rich gentile
members of the Los Angeles
Country Club.
When will it end? Maybe with
the next generation.
It will end when we dare to
dislike, as well as like, a person
for his or her own sake, not
because of color or religion.
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