Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 January 1981 — Page 8

2,1981 Th« Jewish Po«t and Opinion t

Obituaries Zionist World Mourns Death Of Irving Miller

NEW YORK - The Zionist world mourned the death here of Rabbi Irving Miller* who at one time in his career held the reins of the important agencies of the movement ranging from the Zionist Organization of America to the American Zionist Council. He was 77 years old. £ He succeeded Rabbi \ Stephen S. Wise in the o presidency of the American Jewish Congress, and during World War II as secretarygeneral of the World Jewish

MMENBEM — Robert E. The United States Committee Sports for Israel, Inc., it's Officers and Directors ore saddened by the sudden passing of Robert Rosenberg, a dear friend, valued counsellor, and beloved colleague. His love of sports, Israel and young people was expressed daily in his more than 20 years of devoted service to U.S. Committoe Sports For Israel. In recognition and appreciation of this service we were proud to share with Bob, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, the establishment of the Robert Rosenberg Track and Field Scholarship this post November 6. The scholarship will be awarded annually to an Israeli athlete who has excelled in track and field, and wW enable the recipient to pursue graduate study in the U.S. Bob's work on behalf of both the Moccabiah Gomes, and the advancement of sports and physical education in Israel were a source of continuous joy for him throughout the two decodes of his involvement. Our current treasurer, he hod also served as President of U,S. Committee Sports for Israel and as a General Chairman of the U.S. Moccabiah Organizing Committee. As a dedicated statesman, Bob's wisdom, guidance, and calm presence were the hallmarks of his involvement over the post 5 consecutive Maccabiah Games. Not Holman USCSFI, President Leonard K. Straus, Exec. Director

Congress played a role in negotiations with the Allied Governments. In 1961 he served as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. His last rabbinical post was with Congregation Sons of Israel, of Woodmere, Long Island, where he became emeritus in 1952. He served congregations also in Far Rockaway, Youngstown, O. and Chelsea, Mass. Isador Feldman BAYONNE - Isador Feldman, civic leader and business executive, died here at the age of 84. He was a former member of the Board of Education, and was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1972 he was awarded the Prime Minister’s medal of the State of Israel Bond Organization. Chaim Miller NEW YORK - Chaim Miller, a national vice president of ORT, died here at the age of 67. He was executive director of the Sportswear Apparel Association.

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Martin Greenfield, 57; Touro Stamp Backer NEW YORK - Hours before he was to be guest of honor at ceremonies in Washington, D.C. unveiling the design of the Touro Synagogue stamp for which he had lobbied for years, Martin Lee Greenfield of Thomas ton died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Since his visit in 1976 to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RH. I., he has spent all his spare time fighting for inclusion of a stamp commemorating the oldest synagogue in the United States. He was 57 years old and was founder of Martin Greenfield Associates, an advertising agency in Great Neck. Frank M. Papish PHILADELPHIA - Frank M. Papish, 67, founder of the local chain of Bond Linen Stores and known for his fundraising on behalf of Israeli causes, died Dec. 18, at Abington Memorial Hospital. He was major contributor and fundraiser to Life Line for the Aged, an agency in Jerusalem that creates jobs for the elderly. He was honored by the Jewish National Fund for the planting of the 2,334-tree Frank and Reba Papish Grove in the John F. Kennedy Peace Forest west of Jerusalem.

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False Values Mar Anne Frank Diary

A new version of The Diary of Anne Frank came to TV recently. Melissa Gilbert, of Little House on the Prairie fame, played Anne pleasingly, but not brilliantly. The rest of the cast was also Gertel more than adequate, even good, but this was not a classic production. Yet Anne Frank’s story is so moving and poignant that the script itself no matter how loosely based on the Diary is an emotional and spiritual experience. This is true of the NBC production, and of all previous productions of the Diary.

WATCHING this (day in 1980 an even more emotional experience than it ever was before. Many Jews are familiar with Meyer Levin’s claim that Lillian Heilman and others convinced Otto Frank (Anne’s father) that Levin’s pioneering version of the play was “to Jewish” to succeed on Broadway. Levin insists that he was so anxious for the play to be seen in some form, that he gave in and signed away his right to produce his version of the play, which was

truer to the Diary.

Now that Mr. Frank has died, more and more facts about his tampering with the Diary in order to make it “less Jewish” have come to

light.

Out of curiosity, I recently re-read the Diary, originally translated by Doubleday Publishers in 1952. (Mr. Frank held it from the end of the War until then.) Contrary to what the play suggests, the Diary began before Anne went into hiding with her family. On June 30,1942, Anne mentions that, while her grandparents are against Zionism, she has a “leaning that way” and finds it “interesting.” NOW THAT ZIONISM has un-

justly become a dirty word, how effective it would be if the teenage heroine, Anne Frank, would be allowed to express her interest in it. More moving still is the Diary entry of May 8, 1944, when Anne records the intention of her older sister, Margot, to become a midwife in Pal-

estine!

When in hiding, Anne mentions (on Nov. 19, 1942) that she feels guilty watching from her window as people are beaten because they are Jews. She constantly refers to her family as “hidden Jews,” and continually identifies with the sufferings of “all Jews.” She describes how her

mother lit Sabbath candles each week. In the most poetic passage in the Diary, that of April 11, 1944, she declares that it is God who made Jews different, setting them aside even to suffer, so that after the War, "if there are still Jews left,” then Jews “instead of being doomed, will be held up as an example.” Most significantly, she concludes: “Who knows, it might even be our religion from which...all peoples ieam good.... We can never become just Netherlanders, or just English or representatives of any country for that matter, we will always remain Jews, but we want to, too.” THERE IS no mention of Zionism in the 1980 TV film, nor is there to be found that poetic passage which Levin preserved in his original version. Instead the celluloid Anne mouths words that the real Anne would have choked over, words that date back to the Broadway version that muzzled Levin: “We’re not the only people that’ve had to suffer. There’s always been a people that’ve had to...sometimes one race, sometimes another.” Were the Broadway writers hoping for more crematoria in other countries to support this “liberal” thesis? The 1980 film while not honest, was not offensive, either. There is even an attempt to play up Hanukkah as the Festival of Freedom. Ironically, there are passages in the Diary that are best left censored. On Dec. 7, 1942, Anne relates how daddy cheered everybody up by celebrating “St. Nicholas Day” along with Hanukkah. On Nov. 3, 1943, Dad who made a big deal of his “openmindedness” in literary taste) gave Anne a New Testament, much to the objection of sister Margot. IT WAS DIFFICULT for me to have any sympathy for the Otto Frank character. How tragic that, talented Jewish daughters like Anne Frank, who can be such eloquent spokesmen to and for their people, fall under the influence of assimilationist parents. And how tragic that a powerful play like The Diary of-Anne Frank can be mutilated by Jewish authors who make a mitzvah out of a vulgar and dishonest “universalism.” It is significant that the TV film was shown just before Hanukkah, which celebrates not so much a successful revolt against an external tyrant as an effective protest by authentic Jews against the ploys and inanities of assimilationist Jews. May Meyer Levin know such victory in the very near future! It is a victory that we owe to the memory of anne Frank.