2 . The Canadfon Jewish News; Frrday, Feb,.10, T96T
I'HE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
PUBLISHCP EVERY FRIDAY
Dorothy C. Nurenberger, Publisher M. J Nurenberger, Editor 1396 Eglinton Ave. West., Toronto i.\0). Ont tclephonu RU. 7-6031 •
. VOL.' II, NO. 6 (59)
Subscription: $5.00 Per Year; Foreign: $10 Per Year
Authorized As Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottowo THE ONLY JEWISH NEWSPAPER IN ENGLISH IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
: FACE AND Uii
The statement by the Moroccan Minis-te£_of Information, for from allaying apprehensions concerning the fat€ of Mor-~occan Jewry, will only intensify them. It is absurd to sayTBat the position of Moroccan Jews is "enviable"; it is deplorable.
This .is not altogether the fault of the Moroccan authorities; centuries of economic and spiritual stagnation would in any case lead many Moroccan Jews to seek a better life elsewhere. But their insecurity has be-^n aggravated by the anti-Israel wnd anf .Zionist policies of the Government wf^t ,h make it virtually impos-
sible to distinguish between Jews^nd Zionists. ~~-_As a result many who migtrt otherwise have wished to stay in Morocco are anxious fo leave.
If the Moroccan Government values its good name as a civilized State, it will take imniediate steps to calm Jewish apprehensions, and bring the police who exceeded their authority to trial.
If it allows prejudice ond fanaticism free play, whatever the political rationalisations it adduces, everyone stands to lose.
THE NEW CLANTON PARK SYNAGOGUE
A new impressive edifice will be consecrated this week-end in Toronto The Clonton Pork Synagogue, o little place of worship only a few years ago is now becoming one of the great Orthodox Synagogues in our Province.
The dedication-of o new House of Worship in our community, especially one
built with fervour ond enthusiosm by a group of young Torontonions, should be hailed by all of us as o step forward in the continuous growth of Jewish Toronto.
The dedication week program is very interesting and will certainly-attract many of our community,.
We wish the new synagogue well.
GROSSMAN HITS BIGOTRY
The first public statement by Minister-Without-Porfolio Allan Grossman deserves Dur full endorsement. He certainly spoke in the best of our tradition when condemning the "singling out" of ony particular group as the element responsible for specific evil.
An Italian immigront hod claimed in 0 statement to five cabinet ministers that o "Jewish-owned plant in Toronto was exploiting immigrants" Mr. Grossman rightly blasted this accusation "as o stupid statement"
If workers ore being exploited, the.foct should be brought to the attention of the government, Mr. Grossman continued. 'There ore Jews who would exploit Jews
"NOW HOW ABOUT SURVIVORS PROM THIS.OTHIR PLANE THAT WE DOWNED?"
Contemporary Hebrew Poetry
- The End Of The Battle
By NATHAN ALTERMAN
Now has ended the battle of Saul, day and eve and the cries,of the fleet, for the king on his sword did fall and Gilboa lay clad in defeat. In the land, till the dawn was abroad, there ceased not the runner's run. A javelin dripping with blood announced that the battle was done. Now has ended the battle of Saul, for the king on his sword did fall.
When on the mountains the daylight shone, came the runner to his mother's door, and falling at her feet with a moan, he covered her legs with his gore. — "Oh with scarlet hF-covered her feet and the dust of the battl&field^ A.S she said: Rise O son_from defeat-tears his eyes with darkness sealed.
And he told her of the battle of SauJ, How the king on his sword did fall.
Then she said to the lad: Ah, blood
will cover a mother's feet.
but sevenfold does a people bud
that on its soil lies slain in defeat.
The king has received his due,
but his heir in good time will arise—
for Saul on his soil did rest
the sword on which he lies.
Thus she spoke and .shook with each
word.
So it was. And David heard.
THE READERS' FORUM
Opinions and Suggestions
A'
iBLY
A BABBI'S POINT OF VIEW
and Italians who would exploit Italians", our new cabinet minister concluded.
To inject into the employment problem a racial or ethnic insinuation, to cost an aspersion upon one group of the population for- exploitation of labour, is as ri- ^^j^. at 2: p.m. but ran on till. service In speaking to th« con-.iiculous as saying that another group is ^ delegate to the recent | after 3: p.m. The Communal j vention, and that the delegates responsible for the bod weather in the win-' lath Regional Conference of the | Services Sessions was to have | should all be thankful for their ter or for the heat in the summer. It is [Canadian .Jewish Congress held i started at 2: p.m. — It didn't; j great wisdom, and guidance.... only "a stupid statement". It is dangerous in -Hamilton, I wish to express'— and it continued tilj well j Congress made appealing ef-because it is one of the "foolish remarks" - my dlssat-isfaction and my dlsap-: after 5; p.m. i forts to bring the representatives
of the small communities together, to participate in the workshops — yet these same repre-
that sow misunderstanding and are poi-I pointment with the result of the The keynote speakers were soning the otmosphere of ony. society. 1^^^^'''^"=' " ^^^''^^^^^ ^he Sun,: either Congress Officials of To-
CONGRESS AND A BETH DIN
., , , . :day afternoon ses.siona which j^ntoniaiui. The ■MnaJl-communi-
No evil and no virtue are the exclusive ended in fiasco. : ty - delegates, after having sentatlves had no opportunity
- f.fjweTifHi long rfisfnnfoo «af 1 to express their views and!
Interesting observotions on a Toronto-nian in the Fredericton Daily Gleaner:
Mr. John Bassett, publisher of The Toronto Telegram, is a man who, practises what he preaches. A noted advocate of Christian-Jewish brotherhood, he has just provided six scholarshpis under which Israeli students will study at two Canadian universities - one of them UNB.
Mr. Bassett considers himself his brother's keeper. He mode this clear following the disastrous Northumberland Strait storm which left the wives and children of many New Brunswick fishermen destitute. When contributions were being sought in Toronto, Mr, Bassett threw the weight of his mighty Telegrom behind the
characteristics of any particular group, | A regional conference as I unr tj-jiyelled long distances, sat |'o express people or rod fi-ers^and it. is an assembly of captive, in their seats, but had attitudes.
representatives from all the Jew-i opportunity to express their
MM ■MMr-w MMBriii ■ ''-""^ Comnumities in . Ontario., gentjments or problems.
BASSETT FDRbIILA nunng the year there ansa prob-; ^^^^ were ' scheduled
UngOUII lUnH.ULM ■ ^ •^'"^ '^e sm^l .Jewish Co^^ ..^^^^^ p^^^^^^^^^^
drive ond did more than his shore to put, rSLd^,;:'St:rS CoS^S ^^'.^X the Disaster Fund over the top. ^ .J^^sej...ers^^yor.^^
Mr. Bassett has been to Israel. There i the Regioj^ic^iiferericejn^t^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ members,
he sow cross-sections of two million Jews '^"^J^^ ^^^^^^^'"^^ o to the restless
from all over the world. The lesson he P^biente di.scuss tftem wlffr'w-1 ^^^^^^ • ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^
I presentatives from other small . .
learned was that. Israel is building first-class citizens out of new arrivals and is i creating the entity of a mother country in the minds of Jews everywhere. He sow Israel as a bastion of democracy in the Middle East which is festooned with fued-ol states and dictotorships.
If there were more people of Mr. Bas-sett's philosophy and generosity, ' the world, would be a better place today for meri of all races.
' cotnmunities. and together find a satisfactory solution.
But — what really happens at these Regional Conference.'^V
Firstly — the ses.slons were far behind schedule. The luncheon session was to have ppn-
EWANN TRIAL: PROBLEMS
he "is very relaxed and content — and continued on with his speech; .^ome speakers .simply left the convention after having
delivered their .speech; Apparent, j Ji-<3ommunU;:.": ly they had satisfied their ego, j Rabbi I). Klrshenbanm
felt that they had given a great j London, Ont.
I feel it IS hign time that the ; Congress leaders must realiie | that when a Regional Conference is called to deal with problems of interest, then surely., these same delegates should not .serve ,15 a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE to the egotistical long-winded speeches by Congress leaders, or Toronto Welfare Fun4 Authorities.
Perhaps there is a great d6"al of truth expressed by one hiunble commmiity delegate:
"There are many things which even the big city could learn
r
REPLY FROM MYER SHARZER
Dear Editor:
1 extended its time and was the this kind for sessions. Although,
You were good enough 'o ask I initial factor in throwing the time the Canadian Jewish Congress to ! schedule for Sunday afternoon
Promptness is an important factor in the administration of justice, and however unprecedented the Eichmann trial may be, this feature of least remains constant.
The manner in which the Israeli authorities grappled with the legal and administrative problems involved in the trial at first evoked respect and approval everywhere and did much to alloy the oppre-. hensions a roused, by the circumstances of Eichmann's capture.
The Israel Government's decision to cover the full costs of the defence by a German . lawyer further strengthened the favourable impression: Since then, however, a measure of dilotoriness and ineptitude, which te^ifies to the lock of d proper sense of proportion, have become evident. . .
In the first place, there is reason to fear that the trial,will be for too. long; there is talk of its- lasting anything from Ihree imonths to a year,.a historical maro-Ihon which will deaden its potential im-
pact on the world Press and .public opinion.
comment on Rabbi Kirshenbaum's j letter to you and we are glad to do so.
Let me say Immediately, on
"out of kilter." ;
It should also be noted that we were a.'isured by very many of the participants — and it is very definitely the impression
it will present some problems, It appears likely that next time the conference will ha\-e at least" two full days rather than the slightly over one day that it had this time. ,
The committee niembers are also aware that one or two of
Dear Editor: i I have read in your recent ; issues with great interest, and! have personal knowledge too, i of the good work done by the , various departments of Congress. However, I am rather puzzled | when I see comparisons dr^wn ; which show the U.fe. in an unfavourable light and how far, the Canadian Congress i,s ahead , of our neighbours to the South j when Community services are | considered. ]
What' puzzles me is liow we j can pat ourselves on the back j so approvingly wnen the first I thing one must look for.in these matters, a Beth Din (Rabbinical coinDfor Canada, Is so conspicuous by.its absence.
Toronto has a Jewish population of over 80,000, Montreal roughly the same. How does it come about that in all the years, no properly established Beth Din | exists? \
In Englad there is of course a Beth Din In txjndon, but this is not the only one. Towns like Liverpool and Glasgow with only about 7,000 Jewish population each has its own B6th Diii, and Leeds with 25.000 and Manchester
with 35.000 each has an important Beth Din.
May I respectfully submit that it is high time that Canada saw to this. What is the reaction of the Community's leaders, when for the lack of a recognised Beth Din we are obliged to call in Rabbis from the States to pronounce uiXDn an improved casting pen for Toronto ShechitahV Mr. Shemen of the Religious .Affair's department of Congress infomied' me that on the one hand, his department takes care of all the "religioaV matters that a Seth Din is usually called upon for, and on the other hand, Congress has a Community Services department which deals with the "Din Torah" cases by providing Courts of Arbitration.'
In these circumstances, vhy not finish the job and organise a complete Beth Din? This would give Canadian Jews dignity and standing in the eyes of the general population, improve our own self respect, as well as the respect due to our community in the eyes of world Jewrj'.
Kahbi Frank Coheu
Toronto
behalf of those who were invoW ________^ ........^________
Naturally, the trial should be of suf-! ed in the planning and arrange-1 of all of us — that the conference ficient length to ensure justice, but the j ments for the 13tn Regional Con-1 ^as most successful. Well over [ the "keynote speakers" and the proposals as to its duration hove been | ference. that we are aware of; 300 persons took part: 19 com- discii-ssants ran over the time motivated more by the intention to en- the .shortcomings in its proceed j munities were represented; there j allotted to them, and although lighten world public opinion than by legal i'"S-^- ^^'^''^ disai/polnted ■-^as a great deal of worthwhile we are verj- plea.sed by the num-
necessities Secondly t-he time-toble js!'^'- ^^^P''*'' careful planning | dl.scussion.... and many constmctl- ber of community representatives not beind adhered tA Althouoh the for- consfderable effort, the ses-! ye ideas were put forward. j that participated in this way, SnPrel had mode 0^^^^^^^^^ Your readers generally, a^ul {there is a definite feeling that !
eign. rress naa maae arrangemenrs to ; jta^jng the workshop.s .Sun-j j^^^^ended in particular time umits should be strictly
send emmentiQurnal.sJS to cover the^tr|al,S day aftenioon prevented.the d^^^^^ in learl^i'g adhered to. i
gates from hearmg Rabbi Kir-1 ^^^^ thorough a.s.seisment of I All in all, however, your news-?u"^-!^.*"l°"f„.°'"l^° "'^"'^: the Conference in all its aspects • paper was correct in our opinion
i is planned, and undoubtedly there in assessing the conference as one
the date has already been postponed, because the Attorney-General was too busy with the Lovon affair.
The promiised handing over of the list of charges to Eichmann's counsel has been delayed; when it. is eventually delivered Dr. Servatius may well qsk for a further postponement of the trial to give him proper time to jsrepare his defence.
The preparations for this historic trial must continue to be treated with the dignity, .seriousness, and efficiency which marked its initiation. Gf this we ore convinced.
THE RESIGNATION OF BEN GURION
who could not stay on.
At the same time, it should be dear that the participants from the communities did participate
will be recommendations to
of the most successful and
remedy the shortcomings that j worthwile in the history of the
eiiterged. Arnm.sementj; committee
ver>- actively In all the sessions n^embers tentatively have already
and workshops and the disfus sions that took place. Indeed, it was this very • Intensive participation by delegates in the discussions at the Public Relations
come to the conclusion that, while it was necessary to deal with all the items on the agenda in Hamilton, there should be
session Sunday morning. that more time at a conference of
Central Region. We shall take Rabbi Kir.>henbauin's admonitions seriously in working out the plans i and arrangements for future! conferences.
:>Iyer Sharzer
Executive Director, CJCL
A LITERARY LETTER FROM PARIS
By JbSEPjf
One-musf deplore the manner ln„which Ogvid BeQ::JGurion lost week- said Good-' j).yejto the7goyer^menrof Israel. No matter h.5w"great d man,""he stiould never con-: ^ider himself greater than the combined inteNigehce of on. entire people. Ben-Gijr-Iprt is a great statesnnari-and a remark-, able, talented politician.. We can only regret fact that aj_ some nidments-the poirtician-defeats the statesman. •
On many'an occasion in the past Mr. Ben-Gurion hod created political crises on the'ground thbt certain parties or individuals had not accepted the democratic principle of; majority decision. In conjunction with this fundamental Mr. Ben-Gurion spoke of "collective responsibility" of eqch' and every >nember of a government for carrying oijta^policy or CI resolution voted bythe majority.. In the Lovon Affair the majority both, in the government and in the Mapai party hod voted against Ben-Gurion. • Hod the vote been on an issue of policy, the Prime Minister would have been justified in drovying the inevitable conclusion that :he cannot hiead a cabinet whose [Xilicies he opposes.
- However, in' thi^/case -it was a strict personal matter assuming, at; some time
the features of a vendetta. Bein-Gurion should have set an_example of discipline . by accepting the decision, of the majority, -"Qx is it too much to ask from Mr. Ben-XGuribn to be satisfied^ vyith the vej;dLct unless he agrees with the judge?
It speaks well for_democrqcy in Israel, for its^vffd|ity and permanence that one man, no matte;r how greot, cannot prevail Qgainst^he elected representatives of the people. This incident underscores-the difference between.the political climate prevailing in Isrdfel ancTfhqt of its neighbours; No one can be right against Nasser or King Hussein or any other dictator. In Israel, as in the most qdvqnced countries of the Vyest, the people are always right no matter how right or. wrong a leader may consider himself to be.
Mr. Ben-Gurion may have said Goodbye Jast_week to Israeli politics. Or-he m^y-'h^ye only uttered the words Au re-vpir, as on preyious occasions. No matter what the outcome of this governmentql ^'crisis, it Gertairtly is not a crisis of the re-I, gime: Leaders and governments in a'de-■\mocracy come and go butthe people and tite-country continue to forge their destiny.
-He noticeiimir long-shadows, no tfueker than pencil strokes —on-ihcedge of the snowfield
just beyond the gully._The wolves stood in a rrow,. their heads, raised and their viuzzles
■ pointing towards .. the house, baying at the moon or at tts silver reflection on the win-
. dows.—
Horis Panternak'ii "Doctor zhi-yago". :
Their love—Zhivago's for Lara, which was Pasternak's for Olga-— bothers them.beyond the grave, and they came for Olga and took, her away before the body of her poet-lover was .quite cold In lt« coffin. "She must have been arrested in thc^stteet," He' iad written of hi^ hero's^sweetheart, "and she ,dled or vanished soriie-where, forgotten as a i^amelesB, number./ on a list which later was mislaid, in one of/the, in-
numerable,:: mixed or women's .concentration—: camps-=-ln the north." . .
Paatgmak-Zhivago met Olga-Lara after the war. He was married ; she had b«en; both Tiad children. They were nilddle-aged "lovers, whose love makes that of younger lovers look thin arid bloodless.
In. the time of Stalin, wlien Zhdanov rode .herd on Soviet writers, Olga Ivinskayal refused to testify against Pasternak, though she .was tortured by Be-rta's poUce and sent to her-^flrst concentratlbn canip. (The story of the torttire .was told by the poet to a Western professiar just before the '^hlvago'^ affair and retold by; him In the London TimesJ. And when Russia was released ' by / Stalin's death, shie was released frim her camp, and I she returned to life
with. her. lover, helping with his translations,- helping__^th her typinjL of J[!Zhlvago," helping him wlthuh.erself. - .
We know nothing —ahdevery-thing — abdut Olga Ivlnskaya. We know she is beautiful; there Is the picture pf her at the poet's grave, strong . and handsome in her ,sileiit grief. . .•
"Yury &ad 'Lara could have loved ..and lost anywhere, at any time," says Strachey In'his extraordinary r essay in Encounter. "Nevertheless, the love story in 'Zhivago' is, from the Riissian government's — and most other governments' — point of view, profoundly subversive ... Paster-, nalc has somehow conveyed to us the force of their love; he has shown'Its intolerant power in action^' And that was not easily tp'be forgiven him, for he
( (Continued On page 1)
SERMON FOR THE WEEK
AS LIFE
Our Sidra >lishpatini .-itands adjiicem to .lethro, the portion of the Decalogue; .it is rhf sSquel to the Sinaitic Revelation. To many Bible student.s there is an unmistakable decline here. The flaming mouiitahi. erstwhile alight with the fire of God, is now covered with a grey pall of smoke, of legalism — the law of the slave, the thief, the goring ox and the like. The .spirit of Judaism ■has taken a deep pluntsu rrom the empyrean heights yf religiou.s and ethical inspiration, the .■iumniit of Civilization, to the lowlands of courts, and hiwyors and penalties. 'What a pity! .slabs ni.a'ny a modemisi.
Curiou.sly, our special Martir. Slu-kaliin. coiiipiements the picture .wiUi an antithetic .parallel. The children bl ■ Israel have to be counted; a census Is orrlered. Population enumeration, may, be a statistical necessity, but it can hardly be constructed as a .source, of religious- exaltation;
■ it is unlikely material for the kindling of the soul's hal-,. lowed flame. Yet Judaism, scattering its spiritual largesse with strange, indiscriminate liberality, transmutes the desert censijs into sanctuary-building. The half-shekel lays the foundation of the national .shrine; fires-the altar's
■ ceaseless oblation.
Is this erratic lioundering from the spiriiual to the . seciilar and from the material to the religious a weakness of Judaism, a symptom of an inner confusion that makes the secular~artd the-sacred interchangeable?. No ! this, is ' not weakness, .but.^strength; not confusion,_but luirunous. prophetic thinking,. The Torah rejects the deceptive -apartheid between ■ .the material and the spiritual that .our age has created. Life is one, life.is whole. The secular and the-sacred are-an,undivided continuum. The Sanctuary is gateless; power streams;^ forth=from-it -in a; perennial river of llfegiving water, and wherever men bathe in its healing waves they are- renewed. The ultimate values Of rellglon^^know neither-time nor place. You. may find 'the. Shechina in the Rialto,; or at a sick man's bed, or in the prisoner's cell. Only beware of the shrine.where they traf.fic in mitzvot; they will sell you cold ash(?s, the sacred fianie of which was.quenched in shame.
. They tell of tlie G-ioii otVilna' that one day his conscience smote him. He felt that 'the Ivory tower of his saintly Beth Hariiidrash had. become a snare to him. Men bowed to hiin as to a king; but there, was no prophet among them to .speak to him a.? did Nathan to DaVid or. Isaiah to Hezekiah. So Lhe commanded the Maggid of . -Dubnowto--^ach to. him,^iq disclose to him the naked Musar-truth.. Reluctantly, tremblingly, the famous Maggid spoke; Great Gaon, your *rorah-knowledge is Incomparable; your saintliniess Is unimpeaciiable. But where do you live? Only In your study. WTiat is there ,fo tempt, you to evil? Go forth into the market-place, into the.grimy,:merciless arena of the struggle for existence.-There meet life's challenge, and. still remain, if yoU: can, the; Vllna Gapn I
28
50
4438
56