Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 December 1961 — Page 30

Ihe Nboonal Jewisn rudT ana Ok-irsuoiH'

Friday, December 1961

The emerging problem of possible conflict between the best interests of Jewish security in the Disapora versus the development and security of Israel bared itself in three seemingly unrelated areas. Are South African Jews to be held as “hostages” for Israeli diplomatic alignment with the emerging African states? Is Zionism a danger to the Jews of Morocco? How it can all work out to the detriment of Diaspora Jews is told in “World Jewry,” organ of the World Jewish Congress, by Barbara Schwartz, an American who looked particularly for Jewish points of interest in the Soviet Union. Let her tell the story: “ ‘Don’t mention a talis to me. I don’t want to hear the word.’ The frail old man turned pale and began to tremble. His voice shook with emotion as he blurted out: ‘Don’t talk to me about such things.’ “We had offered talaisim to a Jew in the only synagogue left in Kiev. The frightened Russian we upset so badly had just a jnoment before jovially welcomed us in florid, flowing Yiddish. He had even gone so far as to interrupt a friend praying to tell him excitedly that visitors had come all the way from the United States. He wanted to know who we were, what part of America was our home. His questions tumbled out eagerly, as from one meeting an old friend after many years of separation. Abrupt End “But our visit came to an abrupt end. At the mention of the gift we had brought, our badly shaken host, still quivering from the intensity of his outburst, snatched Ids timeworn and tattered siddur from our hands, spun on his heel, quickly resumed his seat and began to daven with fervour as if calling on the Almighty to protect him.” “A few days later during a meeting in a secluded park, a Russian Jew told us the reason for this hysteria. “Earlier this summer a group of tourists had visited the synagogue, the only one remaining of the 138 in existence before the war. Unobtrusively they left behind talaisim. An informer, of whom we understand there are a number in every shul, reported the incident. When the police came to collect the forbidden talaisim, Zionist literatlure fell from their folds, thus compounding the crime. “The hapless Jews who had found the prayer shawls were in trouble, and the tourists who were easily traced, had to leave the Soviet Union immediately.” Every Jew in Kiev was well acquainted with the incident, Miss Schwartz adds. And, obviously, must wonder at the new perils Zionist zeal exposed them to.

A far more direct, damning, blast against the effects of urging aliyah upon diaspora Jews comes, not surprisingly, from the head of an American Council for Judaism affiliate. Henry S. Moyer, head of the American Council for Judaism Philanthropic Fund, told this week of an extended trip abroad. In an address to the New York Chapter of the American Council for Judaism, he described, among other things, his findings in Morocco: “After spending 10 days in Morocco, I would say that if the Jews are suffering disabilities, it is because of the activity of organizations operating clandestinely in Morocco, spreading propaganda and fear in an effort to get the Jews to move to Israel. “The Moroccan Jew is not a second class citizen. He has all rights and responsibilities of Moroccan Muslims. While there are at the present time no Jewish ministers in the government, there are a number of Jewish deputies, and many Jews have important positions. In addition, there are Jewish officers in the army and police force. “Nevertheless, after talking to dozens of Jews in Casablanca, Marrakech and Rabat, I am convinced that the situation for Jews is NOT good. This is only because certain Jewish agencies have instilled them with fear.” In 1953, Moyer continued, there were a quarter million Jews in Morocco. Then came the Jewish Agency’s urging of aliyah. Before the Moroccan officials cracked down, banning further issuance of

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COMING EVENTS Saturday, Dec. 2 - Annual Chanukah Festival, starring Yaffa Yarkoni Larry Storch, Bokrim, Shaarim Dancers, Cantor Charles Bloch, sponsored by New York University, Jewish Culture Foundation at Loeb Student Center, 566 West Broadway, Washington

Square South, at 8:30 p.m. subscription 2.00 - members 1.25. Sunday, Dec. 3 - Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Jewish Leaders to receive Synagogue Statesman Awards from the Synagogue Council of America to be presented at a Reception and Din-

Organizational Directory If the orc»nUati<m you are Interested in Is not listed below, please write to Directory, National Jewish Post, 84 Fifth Ave., N. X. C. 11, and we will try to help yen.

American Friends of the Hebrew University — University House. 11 £. 69th St. NYC 21, YU 8-8400. America-lsrael Cultural Foundation 2 W. 45 St. NYC 36, OX 7-4030 American Red Mogen Dovid (Supporting Israel's Red Cross) 225 W. 57th St. NYC 19, PL 7-1627) Anti-Defamation League of B.B. 515 Madison Ave. NYC 22 Farband Labor Zionist Order 575 6th Ave., NYC 11, YU 9-0300 Herzliah Hebrew Teachers Institute 314 W. 91 St. NYC 24, TR 7-4885 hraei Government Tourist Office 574 5th Ave., NYC 36, CO 5-2750 Jewish National Fund 42 E. 69th St. NYC 21, TR 9-9300 Ka-.hruth Supervisors Union 205 W. 14th St., AL 5-7330 National Community Relations Advisory Council, 55 W. 42nd St. NYC 36, LO 4-3450 National Council of Young Israel. 3 W. 16 St., NYC 11, WA 9-1525.

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ner at the Essex House, N.Y.C. Sunday, Dec. 3 - First Israeli Chanukah Festival, featuring Yaffa Yarkoni, Shlomo Carlebach, Frances Alenikoff and the Aviv Dance Group at the Hunter College Auditorium, 695 Park Avenue at 2:30 p.m. admission: 2.50 - 2.00 - 1.75 - 1.50, available at the Hunter College Box Office. EXHIBITS “EXPRESSIONS” paintings, photographs, Cousins Gallery, Penthouse, 340 West 86th Street., hours: Sat & Sun. 11-6 p.m. Wed. & Fri. 1-6 p.m. Open through Dec. 23rd, Free. Marc Chagall’s gift to Israel “Stained Glass Windows” to be installed at Hadassah- Hebrew Medical Center Synagogue in Israel currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art, through Jan 3rd. “Exhibition of selected Paintings” by Israeli Artist, Hannah Sandberg at the Living Art Gallery, Educational Alliance, 197 East Broadway, N.Y.C. remain open through Dec. 19th. hours: Mon. through Fri. 11-3 p.m. Sunday, 6-8 p.m. Free. Sunday, Dec. 3 - Fourteen Annual Dinner for Progressive Israel at the Governor Clinton Hotel at 6:00 p.m. LECTURES Monday, Dec. 4 - “Intorduction to the Promised Land: 8000 miles of Contrast” by Eliezer Rafaeli, Archeologist Research Fellow at Columbia University. Sponsored by Newark Chapter of Hadassah and the Jewish Education Association of Essex County a£ Newark YM-YWHA, admission $1.00.

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Monday, Dec. 4 - “World Jewish Problems” by Rabbi Joachim Prinz, President, of the American Jewish Congress at B’nai Jeshuran Institute of adult Jewish Studies, 270 West 89th Street, N.Y.C. at 8:30 p.m. Free.

JOHANNESBURG (P - O) — South Africa’s premier urges his ruling Nationalist party not to become anti-Semitic in the wake of furor over his own thinly veiled

Golda Meir mass visas, 90,000 members of the Moroccan Jewish community had emigrated to Israel, said Moyer. ^‘Subsequently, a clandestine organization was established which launched a violent campaign to lure Moroccan Jews to IsraeL This was exposed last January when 42 Jews were drowned as they were being spirited illegally out of Morocco.” Then, the Moroccan government began issuing visas again — on an individual basis. Says Moyer, citing a “New York Times” dispatch for authority, “It is interesting to note that . . . emigration to Israel decreased in the two months after the visa restrictions were relaxed.” Poor Jews, Moyer continued, are easily lured to Israel “especially when a fearful future of poverty and persection is predicted for them if they remain in Morocco.” But better-off Jews, Moyer continued, are in the same position as Frenchmen whose property has been sequestered by the Moroccans. Still, “even they are becoming susceptible to Zionist propaganda and the results of anti-Jew-ish incidents often inspired by Zionist activity.” Moyer speaks of mass arrests of Moroccan Jews during a visit by Nasser. “There is no doubt that the Zionist agencies deliberately created, a provocation for these arrests by bringing out herds of young Jews with white caps with blue mogen d a v i d s on them to shout against Nasser.” Moyer concludes by asking “What countries will be next” in being subjected to “agitation, propaganda and other artificial methods . . . used to stimulate unnecessary immigration to Israel . . . are we to sit idly by while this ingathering mechanism rolls on inexorably?”

attack on this nation’s 100,000 Jews. Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd was commenting on reaction to a letter ho sent to a Capetown Jewish lawyer, Arthur East. East had written to Verwoerd to deplore Israel’s siding with the new African nations in recent censure action in the United Nations. In his reply, Dr. Verwoerd not only blasted Israel, but also spoke of Israel’s actions as “a tragedy for Jewry in South Africa.” He added: “Fortunately, the reaction of many South African Jews and Jewish organizations was such that what might have been worse was relieved, to a certain extent, by pro-South African reaction.” Further, Verwoerd said, it had “not gone unnoticed” that so many of South Africa’s Jews had voted against Verwoerd’s own Nationalist party in recent elections. “The South African Jewish Times” promptly c o m m e nted: “Our future will be dai'k indeed if the man at the helm is going to resort to threats such as those contained in the letter.” And the newspaper continued, Verwoerd’s letter is a “quite flagrant threat that Jews have just about jeopardized their future here by voting for the Progressives in the last election . . The newsapaper continues: “The Jew has never bowed to threats and is not going to be intimidated . . . when the man at the summit of affairs addresses us as if we were a ghetto group.” The “Times” assumes that Verwoerd chose his words carefully, and what they imply is that the Jews of South Africa are being regarded as hostages in forcing Israel’s hands at the U. N.” The “hostage” idea has apparently occured to some Israelis, too. According to a report from Israel by the New York “Daily News’” Joseph Fried, Foreign Minister Golda Meir is under fire from leadership of her own Mapai party for insisting that Israel continue its anti-racist alignment with African states. Payoff on her policy is expected through African support for Israel in the forthcoming U.N. vote on the Arab refugee

problem.

To the “Rand Daily Mail”, Verwoerd’s comments were “ridiculous.” To the “Cape Times”, they were “shocking”. Verwoerd himself, in his letter, had referred to earlier periods of South African anti-Semitism. “It is a fact, he said, that when a number of years ago there was antiJewish feeling in South Africa, even the critics regarded Israel with favor.” But now, he said. South Africa’s attitude toward Rs* rael is “fluid”.

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Verwoerd tried to draw a paral-

lel between South Africa’s official race separation policies and Israel’s own existence surrounded by Arab populations. But now, he indicated, Israel is alienating herself from the South African government for having for “selfish reasons” backed the new African states in their opposition to South

Africa’s apartheid policies. In a speech last week to Na-

tionalist Party leadesr, Verwoerd denied that he had intended to threater. South Africa’s Jews: “I£ I want to threaten the Jews of South Africa I will not do it privately — I will threaten the whole lot of them.” But, Verwoerd added: “I do not want to divide the white people of South Africa — I want to gather them in one group.”

HUNTER COLLEGE DECEMBER 3 and 10, 2:30 pm

THE 1ST ISRAELI CHANUKAH FESTIVAL YAFFA YARKONI SHLOMO CARLEBACH FRANCES ALENIKOFF ELIEZER ADORAM

and the AVIV DANCE GROUP

Manhattan Day School Choir, Yeshiva Rabbi Moses Soloveichik Choir and the Hebrew Academy of Nassau Choir, SEYMOUR SILBERMINTZ, director. Tickets: $2.50, $2, $1.75, $1.50 At Box Office on day of each concert

Write for tickets: J. Beinhom, 119 W. 57th St. {CO-5-4721)