Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 December 1947 — Page 10

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The NATTONAI JEWISH POST Pablltibril aTery Frida; ky Tha National denial) I'oat. Kditorlal and rlrrulation office S«7 K. Venn., Indian* apolla 6.

G. M. COllEN Ktlitor Mid Publisher 4ANE CALVEI.AGE Maiutifing Editor NORMAN SUGG National Representative KENTUCKY EUITION Phil Levine, Editor 4*1! Citizena Hldg. W A-4959 lafuisviUe, Ky.

CALENDAR I*urtm Fri., March 25 Passover Sun., April 24, 25 Shavnoth Mon., June IS, 14 Tisha B'Ab Sun^ Ang-. 15 ( All holidays begin on the preceding evening at sundown). Friday, December 19, 1947

The Editor's Choir. JUST FOR FUN I asked some of those at the United Jewish Appeal Conference what they thought U, S. Jewry would raise for the U.J.A. in 1948. I promised I wouldn’t print their estimates and would announce oniy at this time next year who was the best prophet Several of the guesses were over $250,000,000 and one was $300,000,000. If any readers want to join in, just write to me and I’ll file your estimate away for a year. • • • 1 HAVE a short note from Leon Gutterman, whose “Our Film Folk" appears on our women's page, which since it is a categorical statement on a subject our readers will remember was left up in the air, I am printing: “Believe me, Gabriel, Ingrid Bergman IS Jewish . . . She speaks the most fluent Yiddish I’ve heard in ages. She is, however married to a non-Jew. Her father and mother are Swedish Jews. And incidentally, Paulette Goddard also is one of the best Yiddishe girls we have out here. I have an interesting column coming up on her shortly with a Palestine angle. After reading that, see if you don’t go over on my side. Meantime, Hollywood still loves you regardless of what you think of it. Happy Chanukah r

Dr. Mendel Sllber Honored NEW ORLEANS—Dr. Mendel Silber, rabbi emeritus of Gates of Prayer Congregation here, was honored at a congregational reception on the occasion of his 65th birthday last week.

Dr. I-elpsiger To Be Honored SpBcijU NEW ORLEANS — Dr. Emil Leipzlger, rabbi of Touro Synagogue, will be honored on the occasion of his seventieth birthday at sefvices tonight. Temple Sinai and Congregation Gates of Prayer will Join in the services.

Rabbi Wlnokur Installed LOS ANGELES—Rabbi Abraham N. Winokur was installed as spiritual leader of Southwest B’nai Zion Temple last Friday,

Rabbi Bolensky Installed Special YOUNGSTOWN, O.-A union Friday night service with all the city’s rabbis participating marked the installation of Rabbi Harry Bolensky as spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-EL

Ki-n.-.eth Israel Marks Century Special PHILADELPHIA — A centennial dinner was held by Keneseth Israel Congregation last week to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Members will raise $100,000 to aid other Reform congregations in the city

U.J.A. Conference A Lesson In Democracy

A LTHOUGH the United Jewish Appeal was xV forced Into It, the truly remarkable conference last week-end at Atlantic City—truly remarkable for its almost complete freedom for expression and its important achievement in giving the 1948 drive the kind of start It needs—was a lesson In democracy. Last year’s Atlantic City conference was almost disnip:ed at several points, and not a few of tfie delegations went away with a bad taste in their mouths. But this year’s meeting was something else again. The all-day meeting of the committee of 130 which set the $250,000,000 goal (the full body later ratified this decision) was almost completely in the hinds of the committee members. There was no attempt to stifle any discussion, not only here, but at any other place In the conference, and except for a few speakers who were ready to speak when strategically needed, the conference was the culmination, in this respect, of the drive from many quarters to give the national organizations back to the people who constitute them. The Post nevertheless was dissatisfied, but Its complaint has nothing to do with the running of the 4-day meeting. (The U.J.A. had a perfect right to keep The Post’s representative out of the meeting of the committee of 130, although The Post feels they used poor judgment). The Post has covered most of the Important meetings in the U. S. Jewish Community over the past 10 years. In .that background of knowledge and experience lies a great part of this paper’s strength. The Post’s sense of responsibility has never been seriously challenged. The U.J.A. knows that what went on in the meeting could not possibly have been kept from

The Post. Would it not have been better therefore—from the U.J.A.’s standpoint—to have permitted The Post’s representative to sit in on the meeting to hear at first hand what transpired? The Post representative was told by Henry Montor that he should not be Inside. His point was that all newspapermen had been barred. The guard at the door contended that only committee members were being admitted, but The Post can furnish a list of fifty men who were admitted as observers. The Post has a complete report of what went on in the meeting. Two men offered it their notes. Here are parts of it as written down: "Montor—distribution—first $50,000,000, 55 per cent to J.D.C., 45 per cent to U.P.A. Next $75,000,000, 45 per cent to J.D.C., 55 per cent to U.P.A. Above $125,000,000 25 per cent to J.D.C. 75 per cent to U.P.A. Ceiling on Jewish National Fund, $1,500,000. Haganah as of January, 1948, whatever raised credited to UJ.A. U.S.N.A. a beneficiary up to its needs. Cincinnati moves $185,000,000. No second. “Carl Marcus (The Post can’t vouch for the spelling), Los Angeles, $250,000,000. “Los Angeles $300,000,000. "Rothberg $300 to $350,000,000. “Dallas—Stop all capital fund drives—temples, centers, etc. “Gilman—tops (The Post presumes this meant as a speaker, but could mean he wanted the top goal set). “Goldwasser—motion. “Conditions—minimum goal $250,000,000. Any amount over 250 100 per cent to U.P.A. “Lehman—seconded. “Passed. “Morgenthau—chairman—accepted."

It Can Be Done

T7' DWARD M. M. Warburg’s observation that .E/ the success of the 1948 U.J.A. campaign for $250,000,000 depends on, how well the job of "communication” of getting, access to the Jews of the U. S. the great need and the great opportunity is accomplished, warrants repeating. As was generally agreed at the Atlantic City Conference this past week-end, the U. S. Jewish community is financially able to meet the 1948 demand; and the' opportunity offered in 1948 for a glorious achievement in Jewish history warrants asking for a quarter billion dollars. On these two points there was almost complete unanimity. In fact it must be recorded as a real achievement In leadership of the U. J. A., and a distinct sign of maturity of the leaders of local Jewish communities that there was this wil-

lingness to assume this tremendous financial task facing U. S. Jewry In 1948. But the one fear expressed was in the ability to “reach" the Jews of the U. S. so that they too would be imbued with the necessity of attaining the minimum quota. In fact were it possible to bring the Atlantic City conference to every local Jewish community, the goal. The Post feels, would be reached. A job of education, then, faces the UJ.A. This year’s devices will probably be Inadequate next year, even had they proved effective in 1947. In Its camp, the U.J.A. has the greatest emotional appeal ever held by any organization—the creation of a Jewish State. In any event, 1948 is a year of destiny for the U. S. Jewish community. In its hands it holds the answer to the age-old Jewish longing for a land of its own, and perhaps for normality of existence for Jewries of all the world.

This Canned Editorial Egregiously W'rong

TN a “canned" editorial which you may read X in your local Anglo-Jewish paper under the Impression that it was written by your editor, you will come across the following serious inaccuracy: “In nearly all discussions about the problem of Jewish education In the United States Jewish educators, rabbis, writers and others are apt to concentrate on the Jewish school. Sunday school, afternoon school, Hebrew kindergarten, parochial school—all these are dwelt upon and their problems and relative merits assessed. The role of the Jewish home in rearing a Jewishly-minded generation is usually forgotten." This is a “canned" editorial sent out by The Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, a subsidiary of

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency. There is no call in the Jewish group, which claims an intellectually high level, either lor papers which print these editorials or news agencies which send them out In the instance quoted above, any fair observers, or for that matter an unfair one, would know that our educators, our rabbis and even our lay leaders, are blue in the face from pointing out for years and probably on back to Moses himself how fundamental it is that the home, the great conservator of tradition and ethics must be Jewish if Judaism is to survive and that no Hebrew School, no Sunday School, no Synagogue can offset the effects of a home barren of any Jewish values

Between Yon and Me By BORIS SMOLAB

TEWISH Agency represen ta- «| fives are making serious efforts in Washington to secure tanks and planes for the defense of the Jews of Palestine. . . . The Arab countries have already acquired $41,000,000 worth of surplus U. S. war material left in the Middle East at the end of the war. . . . The embargo recently Imposed by the State Department on arms shipments to Palestine or other Middle East countries hits the Jews and plays into the hands of the Arabs. . . . The State Departmen’s newsest policy is reminiscent of the “neutrality” displayed by the United States during the SpanWASHINGTON ish civil war, TRENDS which -as all admit now—served only the interests of Franco fascism. . . . Who, in the period from 1936 to 1939, did not know that Franco was receiving arms and planes from Hitler and Mussolini, and that only the Loyalists needed American aid? . . . And who, now, does not know that the Arab countries can buy all the arms they want from any country they wish, and that only the Jews depend on the U. S. for arms? . . . Moshe Shertok had several private conversations this week on the subject with officials of the State Department. . . . And more talks on the same point are to be expected. . . . Zionist leaders in America are determined to do what they can to convince the U. S. Government that the lives of the Jews in Palestine depend primarily on the amount of defense material they can get from this country. . . . Ai 'VHE Jewish Institute of ReX Hgion in New York and the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati will soon merge. . . . The final terms are now being negotiated by Dr. Stephen S. Wise and the Board of Governors of the Cincinnati institution. . . . Plans are being prepared to bring more than 200 distinguished American Jews and non-Jews to Palestine as guests of the Weizmann Institute. . . . They will be transported on a chartered ship and will arrive in time to attend the formal opening of the Weizmann Institute this spring. . . . Make no mistake about the American Jewish Conference becoming a permanent organization. . . . The leaders of the Conference are anxious to make it clear that as a result of the Chicago decision, the Conference will cease to exist as such. . . . The new permanent organ!COMMUNAL zation may not AFFAIRS even bear the name of the Amerean Jewish Conference. . . . However, all assets and litbUities of the conference — and, without doubt, its staff—will be transferred to the new organization. . . . Incidentally, L L. Kenen, administrative secretary of the Conference, who was "loaned” to the Jewish Agency during the United Nations session on Palestine, has decided to remain with the Conference. . . . Don’t be under the impression that the problem of the displaced Jews is solved now that a Jewish state is coming into existence. . . , Under the best of circumstances, Jewish leaders in Palestine do not foresee the possibility of accepting more than 75,000 displaced Jews annually for the next two years. ... And the total number of Jews M refugee camps in Europe today exceeds 200,000. . . . Jewish leaders In the United States are still hoping that Congress will pass the Stratton Bill.