JE W I S H WE S.TBRi^ B UL LE TIN.
. Friday, November 27, 1959
mars
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The largest turn-out at any public lecture in the Jewish community for a good number of years greeted novelist Meyer Levin, when he spoke, here last Saturday night. A gathering of over 500 people overflowed the Schara Tzedeck Auditorium.
Speaking on "The Search fori Identity," Mr, Levin explained ; that while he would be address-1 ing himself in particular to Jew-: ish aspects, that this was an area j of human development in which | Jews were the "litmus paper", the test for mankind. He described the search for identity as something "all - embracing" | which "goes on throughout our | lives and never ends except in ai case of a very rare individual." | Mr. Levin explained how indi-1 viduals often become "cramped [ and twisted with frustrations and hostilities" in modern so-ciet^y. He pointed out, however, ^hat today better avenues have pgened up by which people can pursue their search for identity through the psychiatric and psy-phoanalytical approaches. As a result many of us today have "a. gr,Qwing awareness, of ourselves ^nd are able to take comfort, in oyr own identity.." . gequp SEA^cjh. ' ; i. The author of the controyer:. sial novel "Compulsion" and tlie new novel. "Eva" also touched oh th^ question of: the fgroiip search for identity. He citefd-the current upheavals in Africa as ah example of the 7efforts of groups tp regain their- identity. 'Sometimes :this takes a ghastly course," he said, ''such as 'in the case of the Ma u Maus, but miore often it follows a peaceful pro-cesis, such ais in Ghana. •
"Such groups want the Hght . to' control their oWn educational and economic system as well as their own political life, even though what they are offered from the outside may be better.
"When a group searching for identity falls on our side", Mr. Levin declared, "we fayor it; but when it falls on a side we don't like, we call it chauvinistic or nationalistic ,terms which are charged with bad'connotations."
The author also: spoke of the dangers in the "drive to conformity" in the U.S. during the past period of years.. He pointed out that there is a moypmenti to. exr pose this drive to conformity a?^ cited:^such^ as^ -'The;
Ifiddeii Persuaders'' sihd "The
You Wholesale" and "What Makes Sammy gun,"
Leyin described, the former I novel by Jerome Weidman, as presenting "the portrait of the Jew in terms of Der Sturmer." He said that we have had "mo-.-'^i-of the same kind in desceriding social and literary order" up to recent years with one of the latest examples being "A Stone for Danny Fisher."
MEYER LEVIN.
Organization Man" as examples of this development.
He warned, however, against the "levelling out of ideas and opinions", so that a person will not express himself before he is sure what is the right view" or will not read a book before he knows "what is the right book to read."
PERIOD OF SELF-HATRED
The search for identity on the part of Jews in America, Mr. Levin said; developed into a period of self-hatred during the 1920s and 30s. . This may be traced through the novels of Jewish writers during those years.
This. begins to becpme apparent in the first classic novel of Jewish life in America, "The Rise of David Levinsky" by Abraham Cahan; the story of the imniigrant who comes to United States at the turn of the century and compromises, his religious, teachings in order to become a successful manufacturer,
. "The Jewish immigrant brought with him his sense, of ethical, values, carried down from Moses, but, he didn't understand, what he was up against in the American sense of values," Mr, Leviii stated:
He.suggestedjthat the self-hatred era developed when the Jewi.sh child was suddenly confronted with, anti-Semitism which he didn't expect. This is what led to the production of such novels as "I Can Get it for
Lando
|,T THIS time of year, in the Jewish calendar of events, the Vancpuver coinmunity pauses to pay tribute to one of its outstanding leaders at the annual Negev Dinner. At the .saine time, the community reaffirms its support to the task vpf rebuilding the State of Israel, since all Negev Dinner funds >^re used for land rPclamation.
.,1 Guest of honor this year will be Esmond Lando, whose vactivities in the Jewish community have been wide and varied. Mr. Lando is a former chairman of the Jewish Community ^jCouncil, the United Jewish Appeal, and the Vancouver State ;pf Israel Bond Drive. He is a founder and has the distinction of %eing Honourary Life President of the Richmond Country .Club. He is a member of the board of directors of the Zionist '^Organization of B.C. and a national vice-president of the ;-Canadian Jewish Congress.
- Outside the Jewis'h community, Mr. Lando's activities have been noteworthy. He is a director of the English Speaking Union, a member of the Canadian Club and a member of' the Institute for International Affairs. He is a former director of the Community Chest and Council.
Through this Negev Dinner, our community recognizes Mr. Lando's many years of devoted service to Jewish causes and echoes a "Chazak v'amatz" — a wish that he continue rendering such valuable service in the years that lie ahead.—L.H.M.
POSITIVE ASPECTS
Mr. Levin added that there have also been other more positive developments in the Jewish literary field in' America, exemplified by such novels as Ludwig Lewissohn's "Island Within" which deals with intermarriage, and his own book "The Old Bunch" which introduced the connection of American Jews with Palestine. He admitted, however, that "these novels did not have as big an.impact as the self-hating novels."
The speaker affirmed that the "germ of self-hatred" affected many Jews in America and this led to such things as changing one's name and contributed to assimilation. He admitted however that many Jews also found more positive outlets in their search for identity through their association , w i t h synagogues, Jewish centres or social service organizations.
Turning^ to 7his own novel 'Compulsion'', Mr. ; Levin> explained that one of his aims was to show thato the-ghastly experience, ofi; ih^y LeopQld-Loebj duo was also an expression of ,Je\v-ish- self-hatredr > - ■
' "After presenting ^ this^ h^g^t tive pprtraitVbto^^ catiPh' 'i '■ the sai^hofip 1; contih^ "I wanted tP preseiit; something Oh the positive side,': and- this is the aim pf; my new hovel ''Eva".
survival with'
"Eva cPnies froni the east Europe shtetel, but she is. not the same as a character from Sholem Aleichem,, because the shtetel, of, her era had^Iready becorne mod-r ernized,, althpugh, the Jewish environment was still intact. While there was. a movement away from religion, this girl was definitely still Jewish!'. He explained that the efforts of Eya, to remain alive under, Nazism was "not. just Ja. struggle for s^rviyal pn her part but a definite search to maintain her identity."
In his new novel, Mr. Levin affirmed: he sought to present a picture of ithe struggle for life. He expres.sed the view that "the resistance of each individual Jew to death from the Nazis must have been-very profound."
After . the war, the novelist continued; when. Eva found that she could not win her struggle to niaintain her search for identity under the Soviet system, she decided to leave for Israel.
SOVIET PROBLEM
Turning to the current situation, he spoke vof the problem of Jews in the Soviet Union as "one which concerns us all" and pointed out that the "thesis of assimilation is the official line" towards Jews in the U.S.S.R.
"Even Boris Pasternak", he said, "who dared to criticize the Soviet approach to the individual in his novel toOk the path of conformity on the thesis towards the Jews by suggesting that Judaism is merely an outmoded religious cult."
He said'that Pasternak was "echoing Professor Toynbee" on the matter of the Jews although the latter is.now correcting his views-on the "Jewish fossil." Levin suggested further that if
the doors^ of Russia are ever opened for the Jews, the possibility could not.be excluded that "Pasternak could, yet turn up in Israel and write another Exodus."
Turning to the problem of the world power struggle today, Mr, Leyin cited "the growth of. unilateral dictatorships which say that the individual must assimilate". This represents the contradiction of the democratic ideal of freedom of the individual. He i spoke of this as the "basic conflict . beneath politics" and said that many of us may not be aware of undercurrent influences" in this connection. ANNE FRANK CONNECTION
He concluded by citing a personal example of his unfortunate connection with the "Diary of Anne Frank". Hie related that he had been the one originally to persuade Otto Frank that a play could be done from his daughter's hook. -
Mr. Levin, had written the original dramatic version of the "Diary of Anne Frank?', "It was about to be prpduced when Mr. Frank was surrounded by a powerful Brpadway crowd," he asserted, "who suggested that the less said about Jewishness in the play, the better." The novelist cited several examples of how, the Jewishness. had been eliminated from the dramatic version of the "Diary" which was- produced.; His own version was; called "too Jewish", and when he was refused i)ermission to let it be produced' even by aniateur. grpuRS, - he brpught suit for plagiarism and wPn aiijury verdit, Mr; Levin disclosed, ; He charged that the "Broad: w4y- crowd" who had surrbiind-fed' Mr, Frank was "pro-Cominun-iiV' and said that they had put him on their"black list". He^ suggested that one of the unfortunate afiermaths of the rejection of iyfcGarthyism 'was that anyone who.spoke against Communism was too easily; labelled a "red-baiter".
GreayKesi life
S. K. COLE, C.L.U.
The Great-West Life Assurance Company, has announced that Sidney K. Cole, C.L.U,, has rejoined the Company as a representative in Vancouver,
He has resumed his former association with the Company in order to provide expanded.facilities and service to his many policyholders and clients.
Mr. Cole's office will be ,lo-: cated. at llOl West Georgia. Street, Vancouver 5. Telephone: Mutual 5-0421.
Leon Grestohl Bcafred from Old} Jerusqieinr.
JERUSALEM^^Leon DV Grest-qhl, Mpntreal Jewish MP was^
jarred from entering the Jordan-, held Old City of Jerusalem this week because he is a Jew;
Mr. Crestohl is a member of the nine-man Canadian parltar: mentary delegation now visiting;' sraeh The rest of the delegation went on to make the tour of the-holy places in the Old. City withr outf him, at his urging.
Earlier, the delegation was, • tendered a dinhepjin'- its, honor | at which Ganaidian-Israeli friend-ship was lauded by the. Knesset^ Speaker Nahum Nir and by Roland rMichener, speakerr of . the
House' of Corrimdhs.
GEDALIAH ZAKIFF DEAD AT 54
TEL AVIV—Gedaliah Zakiff, 54, General Secretary of the Jewish Ag"fency for Israel and former director of the Zionist" Organization of Canada passed away here Monday after a brief illness.
Due. lo:space limitations, the "Israel diary' 'series by Prof. Gross an* the-"Editor's:vi€:w"r feature- for this week^.haye been held over.'
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Chanuka _ _ _ ^. Dec. 26 -"^Jan. 2 Tu B'Shvat Feb. 13|
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Passover' ______ April 12 -19
The Jewish rn
FBIDAYi irOy^MBJSB 27, 1959
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