Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 August 1945 — Page 3

Friday, August 17, 1345 THE JEWISH POST Pag* Thro* Morgenstern: NOT TERRIFIED AT ALL, EVEN PLEASED A LITTLE BIT, BY PROSPECT OF JEWISH STATE

(opyrletit, 194i, Tk« Jewlah I’Oat CINCINNATI—Declaring his “sympathetic understanding and appreciation of Zionism,” Dr. Julian Morgenstern, president of Hebrew Union College, Reform seminary here, said in an exclusive interview last week that he is “not terrified at all by the prospect of a Jewish State in Palestine.” Morgenstern added that he “wouldn’t be disturbed, even pleased a little bit, by a Jewish Commonwealth.” Dr. Morgenstern admitted that there was a time when he was a pretty strong anti-Zionist, but he declared he has changed his mind. “Today I am definitely nonZionist,” he said, “with however, I am very glad to say, a sympathetic understanding and appreciation of Zionism.” Opening Message To Be On Zionism Dr. Morgenstern seemed glad to have the opportunity to tell the Jewish community of America of his feelings on Zionism. He said his annual message at the opening of the new college term next month would be devoted to the subject. “Up to a few weeks ago,” Dr. Morgenstern said, referring to the Labor Party victory in the recent English election, “I saw no prospect of such an actuality (Jewish State), but now the Commonwealth is not so impracticable or unrealizable as it seemed then." But Dr. Morgenstern does not anticipate great things from Palestine. He doesn’t feel that the “gepius of the Jew lies in self government,” but he expressed the hope that the Jewish State might develop not like others but into the “finest type of political entity the world has ever known.” Says Nationalism Harmful To American Judaism As to the policies of the American Zionist, Dr. Morgenstern was in bitter opposition when it came to their emphasis on this nationalism of the Jews of the United States. “If our American Judaism which we are in the process of building is based on a program of Jewish nationalism then as a corrolary, it must be de-

structive for the Jewish community of America. I am intensely opposed to centering everything in American Jewish life on nationalism and I regard it as exceedingly dangerous, for it runs contrary to the fundamental principles of Americanism and American institutions." Dr. Morgenstern doesn’t feel that the Jews of the United States should or can maintain themselves a distinctive people in any sense other than religious, “The American nation,” he declared, “repudiates the principles of minority, national or racial groups, and recognizes only separate religious groups and organizations.” In explaining his stand, Dr. Morgenstern said that “cultural pluralism,” the banner under which the nationalists defend their position is not American but a European principle, “advocated by a few, comparatively few, people of foreign birth ” The corrolary to minority groups would be minority rights, and we don’t want that here, Dr. Morgenstern explained. U. S. Judaism In Process of Evolving Dr. Morgenstern bases his outlook on the theory that in each country where the Jew lived, he assimilated from his environment, adapted things into his Judaism, which over a period of time he made peculiarly Jewish, and that that same process is in the course of evolving in the United States. This faculty of the Jew, Dr. Morgenstern believes, has been in part responsible for the Jew’s ability to live in all kinds of environments. He sees in the emphasis on Palestine the imperilling of this normal development of a strictly American Judaism, acknowledges its ties to Jews all over, but native to this country. He pointed out that Isaac M. Wise, founder of Reform Judaism in America, named all the institutions he founded "American,” and not “Reform”— Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Central Conference of American Rabbis, etc.

Jewish State Now Is Demand at Close of World Zionist Meet Jewlslt 'I'eleifruphlc Agency LONDON After two weeks of deliberations, the World Zionist Conference closed here with a proclamation endorsing the request submitted by the Jewish Agency to the British Government asking for an immediate decision on the establishment of Palestine as a Jewish State. A Mizrachi proposal to elect a hew executive of the World Zionist Organization was voted down jby the conference by 53 votes against 16. The Mizrachi then announced that their representatives will continue to stay out of the executive. THE CONFERENCE adjourned with a stirring appeal by David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency, to bend all efforts "to end the Jewish tragedy and build a Jewish State.” While a number of matters arising out of the conference were referred for decision to the Zionist Actions Committee; the conference in its proclamation emphasized that, in addition to demanding an immediate decision from the British Government on the demand for a Jewish State, ft was also requested that the Jewish Agedby for Palestine be given authority to bring into the country as many Jews as possible and to develop the resources ’ of the country and that an international loan be granted the Jewish Agency to bring the first million Jews from Europe. It was also requested that Germany make reparations to the Jews for the rebuilding of Palestine, that all German real estate in Palestine be used to settle European Jews, and that transport facilities be arranged to bring the emigrants Into Palestine. THE CONFERENCE also appealed to the Arabs to realize the tragedy of the Jewish people and expressed the hope that the peoples of the Middle East will appreciate the spirit of Jewish work ki Palestine. A resolution offered

1ST NEW JEWISH COMMUNAL BUILDING SINCE PEARL HARBOR GETS UNDER WAY

Kpecial

TUCKAHOE, N. Y. — W h a t probably is the first construction job on a "Jewish communal building since Pearl Harbor will reach the corner-stone laying stage at ceremonies this Sunday. The new edifice will house the Genesis Hebrew Center, of which Rabbi Leo Shubow is spiritual leader. by leaders of the Hashomer Hatzair that Palestine lx* established as an Arab-Jewish State with a Jewish majority was rejected by the conference. The Zionist Actions Committee appointed a commission of five to go into the legal details of proposed changes in the composition of the world Zionist executive with a view to having Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Dr. Stephen S. Wise included in the executive as full fledged mem-

bers.

At the closing session of the World Zionist Conference, Dr. Silver emphasized in a stirring speech that the next twelve months are crucial in Jewish history. “We are fortunate in.having friendly governments,” he said. “America and England must make an all-out effort to achieve a just solution of the Jewish prob-

lem.”

Frankfurt Jews’ Torah On Way Back From U.S. Special FRANKFURT — Their o w n Sefer Torah, which had been taken to the United States for safekeeping at the height of German persecution, will soon be returned to the 150 surviving Jews of Frankfurt-on-Main by Rabbi Alexander S. Rosenberg, whom the Joint Distribution Committee is sending abroad as a member of its overseas staff. It is hoped that the Scroll, which has been kept in a Manhattan synagogue founded by Frankfurt refugees forffhe past several years, will reach Its destination in time to be used in the Rosh Hashan&h services.

Asks for Bomb Control

DR. LISE MEITNER Cooperation in-tween nations for future control of the atomic bomb was urged this week by Dr. Use Meitner, the woman scientist whose research aided in its development, in a radio interview with Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dr. Meitner spoke from her home in Leksand, Sweden, the country to which she fled after being exiled from Germany because of her Jewish origin. Mrs. Roosevelt was in the NBC newsroom. The interview was Dr. Meitner’s first over the radio. German Jews Still Nazi Victims Jewish Telegraphic Agency LONDON—The London press carries a report from Berlin stating that surviving German Jews are finding it difficult to obtain work in the American-held zone in Berlin because many in posts of authority to provide work are anti-Semitic followers of the Nazis.

Palestine Partition Suggested Again Jewish Telegraphic Agency LONDON Partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Holy places separated from both states, was suggested this week in a London Times editorial which calls for urgent action in order “to avoid serious trouble” in the Middle East over the question of establishment of a Jewish state. “No one has successfully disputed the contention of the Royal Commission that only partition can reconcile the growth of a Jewish national home whose destiny shall be entirely under Jewish control with the rights of the Arab community to secure pursuit of their own political development” the Times editorial said.

Pan-Arab Conference To Discuss New Set-up Jewish Telegraphic Agency PARIS—Leaders of the PanArab League will shortly confer on the Palestine question in connection with new political developments in England, the Madrid radio reported in its broadcast in Arabic. The conference will take place in Cairo at the end of this month, the broadcast said. The French Telegraphic Agency reported from Palestine that Saudi Arabia asked the AmericanArabian Oil Company to establish the terminus of its oil pipeline not in Haifa, but in Gaza "because the Saudi Arabian Government objects to the pipeline crossing into Jewish territory.”

Poles in Dachau Still Anti-Semitic Jewish Telegraphic Agency LONDON — A representative of the Intergovernmental Committee for Refugees declared this week that non-Jewish Poles in the Dachau and Allach camps “are still actively anti-Semitic.” He emphasizes In his report that there were complaints that until distribution of clothing and other supplies wqpe made directly to the Jewish group, the Jews in Dachau had generally received less than others. “I must point out that these complaints were invariably connected with members of the Polish group,” he says in the report. First Nazi Criminals On Trial In Austria Jewish Telegraphic Agency VIENNA—The first trial of Austrian war criminals opened this week with four Nazis charged with killing 102 Jews five months ago. The central peoples court, where the trial is being held is crowded. The case receiving wide publicity. The four defendants claim they only carried out orders but admit they flogged Jews to death and tortured many in concentration camps.

Foundation Gives ?, More Gifts CLEVELAND—President Finfred G. Leutner of Western Reserve University today announced the receipt of two checks from the Beaumont Foundation, through Nathan L. Dauby, Morton J. May and Nathan Loeser, trustees, for 200,00$0 and $20,000 respectively.

LAST 2 ASSAILANTS OF 2 JEWISH MEN ARE CONVICTED BY CLEVELAND COURTS Special

CLEVELAND, O.—Two more participants in the V-E Day attack on Dr. Israel Katz and Nathan Dolin have been found guilty of assault and battery. One was sentenced to 90 days and $100 fine and the other was sentenced to 60 days in the work-

house and costs. The third assail ant was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $100 last week. The Jewish Independent said the three convictions seem to have established the precedent of prompt police action in controlling racial acts of any kind.

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