The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, July 3, 1980 - Page 9
Oi^anizations and People
At Toroiito^s hew Massey Hall
6()^8feati^^ for singer
by SHEILA DROPKIN
TORONTO —
A RowJ? for Robeson Cornmittee has been organized hereto.estabUsh a 60-seat row in the new Massey Hali as a memorial to famed U.S. singer aiiid actor Paul. Robeson, who performed many times in Toronto.',
Among the honorary sponsors of the committee are such international luminaries as Maureen Forrester, Harry Bela-fonte, James Earl Jones, Lena Hornb; Dizzy Gilles pie^ Joan Sutherland, Ted Allen and . Dorothy Livesay;
The new Massey Hall, scheduled to open in 1982, will have 2,700 seats.
The Row R seats are being offered to the public for a tax deductible dona-
tion of SI ,000, payable over five years. Purchasers' names will be affixed to the seats with a decorative plaque. -
Sylvia Schwartz, secretary of the committee, was a close friend of Robeson's , and reminisced ' recently about the nurherous times she met with him and saw him on stage.
"His performance in London ih 1958 in Othello was iinforgettablci" she said. "Although other people called him a hero, he never claimed to be one. He always called himself a human being, with all the faults of a human being." .
Robeson ran into difficulties with the U.S. government because of his leftist tendencies and his openly admitted warm re-Mationship with the Soviet
Union. His American passport Was withdrawn: during the^ McCarthy yeai-s. in the early 1950s, and was not returned until 1958., . _
"I remember him conducting a concert in London from New York via telephone," Miss Schwartz said. "Harry
while participating in a Sholom Aleichem festival put on for '-show," Robeson gave a talk on the contributions made by the Jews to the Soviet war effort. He also spoke proudly ofthe fact that his U.S. grandchildren were half black and half Jewish.
(His son, Paul, Jr. is married to a Jewess.)
Robeson severed connections with the Soviet Union, after a 1963 visit there during which he saw the harsh manner in which that nation's intellectuals were treated.
He was a highly talent-
ed and accomplished singer and actor^with a large following in Canada, the U.S., Britain and Europe. After his death in 1977at the ageof 77, many eulogies were published bv leaders m the arts.
Donations should be sent directly to the New
Massey Hall Seat Endowment Program, 110 Yonge St., Suite 1703, Toronto, M5C 1T2, with a notation that they are to be applied" towards -Row R for Robeson—For information, call Mrs. Judy Simmonds, chairman, seat endowment program, 862-8266.
Belafohte later offered to W       • •
visit Belleville s Shalom pavilion
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costly. The concert rain for about an.hour and a half.
"He was also prevented from entering Canada during this time, and gave a. concert for Canadians while standing at the Peace Arch near the state of Washirtgton/B.C. border," she said.
Robeson Was" fluent in eight languages, including Hebrew and Russian. He frequently sang Yiddish and Hebrew songs during his concerts and had a close relationship with the Jewish Folk Choir of Toronto and numerous labor unibris.
According to a May, 1973 article in The CJN, Robeson-was one of the first people to speak out on behalf of Russian Jews. In early 1959, as a guest of the Soviet government.
By ANDREA PARKER
BELLEVILLE —
Approximately 4,000 visitors to the recent Shalom pavilion at the Quinte Ethnic Festival in Belleville examined the display of Jewish artifacts and were entertained by theAmi Hai Israeli dance company and international folk singer Berni Yablon.
The pavilion was located in the Sons of Jacob Synagogue.' Selma Bochnek, vice-chairman of the festival, said the pavil-, ion achieved what it set out to do — "to provide a better understanding of Judaism."
Thbfestival has been an annual event since it was
started three years ago in honor of the City of Belleville's centennial. Bochnek said the festival was held on two days this year. On Saturday, the Italian, Polish and Greek pavilions were set up in the nearby town of Trenton, which is celebrating its centennial. The next day, in Belleville, there were six other pavilions besides the Shalom pavilion, including Afro-Caribbean, Irish, Greek, Tibet, East Indian and German-Austrian.
1 hree six-toot tables ot display artifacts from members of the Jewish community "were intro-
duced for the first time and we must expand on it in the future," said Bochnek. There was considerable discussion about the prayer shawl, kiddush cups and menorahs and the significance and purpose of each was explained.
..Members of the audience were encouraged to dance the hora with the Ami Hai dance group and Yablon sang .songs with the crowds.
Tours were given ofthe synagogue by ycshiva student Larry Troster and two other men. "Everybody was allowed to blow
the shofar," said Bochnek.
The visitors were "transported" to Israel through a slide tour, provided by one of the members of the congregation who had just returned. The classroom served as an information and display area and the Canadian Jewish Congress provided a series of posters on Israel and Jerusalem.
There can't be a festival without food, and great quanthies of home baked snacks, such as mandel-broit, hamantaschen and noodle pudding were con-. sumed.
i
women
open campaign
at play preview
Famous singer, Paul j^obeson
ance o
Biy MOURA WOLPERT
PETERBOROUGH —
Col. Jack Mombaz, special emissary to United Israel Appeal of Canada, told a Peterborough UlA campaing meeting recently that it was 'important both for Jews and non--Jesvs to understand the reasons for maintaining, some distance' between Israel and her enemies.
If Yasser Arafat and the PLO were allowed to move to the outskirts of Jerusalem and to within seven milesof Tel Aviv, Mombaz said, the Jewish state would be "in grave peril, subject to harassment, bombardment and murder not only daily but hourly."
Introduced by chairman Mort Columbia, Cpl. : Mombaz expressed his pleasure at the opportunity to visit the : Peterborough Jewish community and reminded his audience that the last time he was ■■ in the city was some 12 years ago when he was Israel consul-general in Toronto.
■He painted a sombre picture of Israel, dwelling on the country's problems rather than its. achievements. The only way, he declared* in which Israel's internal problems can be solved is through a Project Renewal type of program supported by the Diaspora. .
Thanks to the efforts of campaign cabinet. members Isadore Black, Harry Cherney, Mort Golumbia and Joel Moldaver, there was an excellent turnout and Golumbia promised that everyone present would he able to canvas those unable to attend "with renewed vigor" and that Project Renewal would be continued at an accelerated pace. ; The Keren Hayesod 1979 special award for communities which excelled in their campaigns during that year was presented by UIA Ontario region executive director Ben Ocopnick, and accepted on behalf ofthe
TORONTO —
the career women's division of the Toronto Israel Bonds campaign launches its 1980 campaign, at. a preview of Charlotte Fielden's "One Crowded Hour," starring Araby Lockhart, on Wednesday; July 23 at the Pauline McGibbon Cultural Centre. •
Harriet Morton, division chairman, aihnounces also that a featured speaker at the event will be Susan Weikers, national chairman : of the career women-s division..
Morton; and her associate chairman. Sylvia . Shawn, expect' thdt the division "will gain more support this year than ever before."
Morton said.that "more
and more women involved in the work force are looking for the best ways to invest their money . . . to these women, Israel Bonds are a wise and meaningful investment."
Harriet Morton
Jack Mombaz
Peterborough Jewish community by Joel Mol-: daver. ..
• Ocopnick also presented a Project Canada plaque to Mr., and Mrs. Ben Abramsky. commemorating their special gift to the Jewish Agency for . the establishment of hostels for the absorption of new immigrants.
Following the annual : meetingbfthe 1980 Brant-ford UL\ campaign at Beth David Synagogue, held recently under the chairmanship of Leon . Roth- . berg," Lou Sklar. chairman of the Or .Yehuda area. Project Renewal, gave the community leadership .an up-to-date report onthe progress of the program. J, _ Commenting on the latest news from Israel, V Sklar said he hoped Jews all over the world would understand why^Israel has to make certain -decisions : |Whichi even though; unpopular elsewhere, are necessary for Israel's survival.
He painted a grim picture of the internal problems of Israel and stated that with the help of the Jews of the Diaspora through Project Renewal, life could be much improved for those»hundreds . of thousands of deprived Jews now living in the underdeveloped parts of the country. ; . A movie^^epicting Project Renewal>s needs was shown and pledges were later accepted Kom the floor.'
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THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE WIPARE OF SOU^
initiates
recreational and educational centre in development town of Kiryat Malachi.
Our appreciation and many thanks to the following groups who helped to launch this project:
LODZER LADIES CIRCLE. Cdl. David Laor, Chairman, Dept. of International Affairs, Assoc. for the Welfare of Soldiers in Israel, of Tel Aviv, Israel; and Teddy Fialkov, representing the Association in Toronto, present a Certificate of Appreciation to Mesdames L. Drew, President, and Regina Waldbaum, of the Lodzer Ladies Circle. - ,
NEIGHBORHOOD GOOD AGE CLUB present a cheque to the Association: (I. to r.) Louis Okun, President; Teddy Fialkov, representing the Association in Toronto; Gordon Mendly, Chairman for Organizations of the Association; and Max Cooper, Treasurer, Neighborhood Good Age Club.   ■ ■       ■ ■ ■
STASHOVER LADIES AUXILIARY executive members join in the Association's efforts at a fund-raising gathering. Presenting their contribution to Gordon Mendly, Chairman for Organizations of the Association are: (I. to r.) Mrs. M. Bulwa, Treasurer; Mrs. A. Wittenberg; Hospitaler; Mrs. G. Kates, President; Gordon Mendly; Mrs. Y. Sterenberg, Vice-Pres.; Mrs. R. Korolnick, Financial Secretary; and Mrs. P. Goldfluss, Recording Secretary. -
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS, JUDAEA LODGE NO. 52 donated Israel Bonds as their contribution to the Kiryat Malachi Centre. L. to r. are: Harold Cohen, Chancellor Commander; Charles Drutz. Grand Prelate; Gordon Mendly, Past Chancellor and Chairman for Organizations of the Association; Arnold Phillips, Past Grand Chancellor; and Don Doctor, Grand-Prelate.
The help of these organizations will enable the Association in Israel to set up a new centre in — ^        Kiryat Malachi.
Join us in this'effort to provide the soldiers of Israel with the recreation and education they so ri^tfully deserve.
THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE WELFARE OF SOLDIERS IN ISRAEL
788 Marlee Avenue, Toronto, Ont. M6B 3K1 Telephone 783-3053
Name' ''........
Address i . ^.
City    .   :/   .    . . ■ Protf: ^
Postal Code   .   ,      , .   ; - Tel.^
l.arn enclosing $.....„. cheque /..;./fnonev order