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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE April 16, 1982
The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper lot Southern Inery
fsublnhed 1925
Vida Goldgar
A righteous gentile
Vida Goldgar
Editor and Publisher
Bambi Jo Eaton
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Withdrawal pains
April 25, which somehow seemed so far in the future when the
Camp David accords were signed, is almost upon us. That, of
course, is the day the Sinai is to be returned to Egypt.
Despite some dissatisfaction with Egypt and the ongoing
problem with squatters in Yamit, Prime Minister Begin has again
given assurances that Israel will honor its peace treaty
commitment.
Still, his assurances of no delay in withdrawal were less than
unqualified and other members of the government are more
outspoken about the possibility of postponing the withdrawal
until problems with Egypt are worked out.
President Reagan has dispatched high level diplomats
Nicolas Veliotes and Walter Stoessel to the area. Veliotes
was given a long list of Israel’s complaints against Egypt. These
include: President Hosni Mubarak’s refusal to visit Jerusalem,
which caused his scheduled trip to Israel to be shelved; allegations
that Egypt has deployed more troops than allowed under the
peace treaty in areas of Sinai it already controls; and charges that
Egypt is drawing closer to the Palestine Liberation Organization
and is helping the PLO smuggle arms from Sinai into the Gaza
Strip.
Most of the complaints aren’t new but who can blame those
Israelis who say that by ignoring Israel’s protests, the Egyptians
have crealed an atmosphere of suspicion and uncertainty which
Israel wants dispelled before it gives up Sinai.
Obviously, Israel will suffer political damage if it delays the
pull-out. Still, all too rarely is any heed given to the enormous
sacrifice Israel is making. Loss of the oil wells Israel developed
will, alone, cost her struggling economy dearly. Relocating the air
bases to the Negev presents great complications. Internal
dissatisfaction about resettling those who created homes and
businesses is pitting Israeli against Israeli. And on and on.
Still, Israel was willing to pay the price in her desire for peace.
Can anyone blame her for wanting to be certain that Egypt carries
out her responsibilities?
The death last week of Dr. Ered Crawford will
make this year's Yom Hashoah observances
memorializing Holocaust victims especially poignant.
While many of us feel we have
done our duty by giving a few
hours once a year to memorializing
the Holocaust victims, Dr.
Crawford’s entire adult life was a
manorial. His untiring efforts on behalf
of his "Witness to the Holocaust”
project—untiring efforts even as
painful illness racked his body—
provided indisputable evidence toij
those who questioned or disbelieved the horrors of the
Holocaust.
Of those who would not believe the truth from
Jewish sources, Dr. Crawford asked, “What evidence
will they accept?” That was the beginningof his search
for others who—like himself—had come in contact
with concentration camps during the closing weeks of
World War II.
Imprisonment was not an abstract theory for Fred
Crawford. Asa 20-year-old fighter pilot in World War
II. he was shot down over Hungary and almost
lynched by civilians. They thought he was a Jew. It
was only when a gold cross on his dog-tag chain was
exposed that they imprisoned him, an experience that
sensitized him to human suffering.
It was the hope, at first, of Dr. Crawford and the
Center for Research in Social Change at Emory
University to locate 10 or 12 individuals who had
witnessed the horror when the concentration camps
were opened and publish their actual accounts of the
atrocities. As news of the search was publicized, more
and more witnesses came forward until more than 500
names were on the list. He collected testimony and
photographs as well as reproducing little-known
publications such as “The Seventy-First Came...to
Gunskirchen lager." The booklet had been printed in
1945 by the men of the 71 *l Division, according to the
foreward by Maj. Gen. Willard G. Wyman, providing,
“damning evidence against the Nazi war criminals , in
the hope that the lessons learned in Germany will not
soon be forgotten by the democratic nations” and to
ensure "a permanent, honest record of the crimes
committed there."
Dr Crawford came across a copy of the booklet,
with its damning photographs, drawings and personal
accounts, 34 years after its first printing. The CRSC
arranged to have it reproduced.
Ever short of funds, the Center for Research in
Social Change operated largely with the assistance of
volunteers, student interns, small grants and
donations.
Much of the data collected by Dr. Crawford
provided new information about the camps at the time
of liberation and about the smaller camps not usually
mentioned in histories.
One of the saddest pieces of mail I received this
week was a release from Emory. On Thursday
evening, April 22,at 7:30p.m. research matenalsfrom
the “Witness to the Holocaust” project will be
presented to the Cantor Isaac Goodfriend Collection
of Holocaust Materials in Emory’s Robert W
Woodruff Library.
The news release says, “Dr. Fred Roberts
Crawford, who was to preside over this ceremony,
died suddenly on Thursday, April 8."
In Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, the memorial to the
six million Jews which symbolizes the determination
of the Jewish people never to forget, is approached
along a tree-lined way, the Alice des Justes Each tree
honors one of the “righteous gentiles” who risked, and
sometimes gave their lives to save Jews. Dr. Crawford
shared the determination that the world should not
forget ^
He was truly a “righteous gentile.”
In memoriam
by Alex Gross
The Jewish people of Atlanta,
America, and indeed the entire
world, mourn the loss of Dr. Fred
Crawford, director of the Emory
University Center for Research in
Social Change. He was a
champion of liberty and justice for
all people, who devoted his entire
life to so many vital causes dear to
all of us~ Jews and non-Jews
alike.
He fought all his life against
prejudice, and worked on many
projects which will help people
understand the evils of fascism, no
matter in what form, whether it is
the Klan, National Socialism,
communism, the John Birch
Society, or revisionist groups. No
matter how they masquerade, their
purpose is the same—the
destruction of freedom and
Judaism.
Dr. Crawford worked tirelessly to
document the witnesses to the
Holocaust, providing irrefutable
proof from American and other
Allied soldiers about the
Holocaust atrocities, which they
witnessed when they liberated the
extermination camps—death
factories for the elimination of the
Jewish people.
I n the past few years, he suffered
from cancer which attacked his
body, but he never let his family,
friends and colleagues know how
the excruciating pain sapped his
strength, to the point he could no
longer bear it.
Those of us who were privileged
to know him and work with him
could not help but admire, love
and appreciate him; we wanted to
emulate his great devotion, hard
work and determination to wipe
out hate and prejudice, but there
was only one Fred Crawford.
Dr. Crawford was honored as
a life member of the Jewish War
Veterans, by Hemshech —i
Organization of Holocaust
Survivors- by Hadassah and by
many of the Jewish and general
organizations.
He was truly a righteous gentile,
a devoted and great humanitarian,
a champion of peace and liberty
He was a wonderful husband to
Jane, and a devoted father to
Gwenyth and Carl B. Crawiord
They hope his work will continue
and all donations in his memory
will go to a fund to keep his work
going.
It has been a privilege and an
honor to have known and worked
with Dr. Crawford and 1 hope that
every person will help financially
or as a volunteer, with his very
important causes, which could go a
long way to avoid another
Holocaust for us.
Dr. Crawford was always
concerned that his work must
continue, not just by a few. He felt
most people are concerned and
good, but unfortunately, most do
not show it or don't know how to
bring out the best within
themselves.
Those who wish to honor Dr.
Crawford and his life's work are
urged to send donations to Fred
Crawford Memorial Fund,
C.R.S.C., Emory University,
Atlanta 30322.
Dr. Crawford had a profound
effect on all who worked with him,
but most of all, he contributed his
entire life for a better
undeiat-r.ding of truth and justice
for all.
We should, in honor of Dr.
Crawford, also rededicate
ourselves to work tirelessly for
truth, justice, and the betterment
of all Jewish people, whether in
Russia, Syria, Israel, or anywhere
in the world, and to re-educate our
children and people of all faiths so
we can live in peace, and harmony,
and for a better world to assure no
Holocaust will ever occur again