Friday, May 22, 1959
JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Page Seven
Bulletin bookshelf
'Exodus' by Uris and Harry Golden's America
REVIEWS BY A. J. ARNOLD
EXODUS, by Leon Uris Doubleday Publishers, $4.95 626 pp*
LEON URIS' "Exodus" is a contemporary historical . novel about the development of the Zionist movement and the rise of the State of Israel, written on the scale of a Hollywood^ epic. Running to more than 600 pages, it nevertheless does not make up in length what it clearly lacks in depth.
From the very first pages we were immediately struck by the stereotyped presentation of its characters; including the American reporter Mark Parker, the nurse, Kitty Fremont, the Israeli hero, Ari Ben Canaan and his associates, and even the Jews o Germany, when confronted with Hit-lerism and the Polish Jews who struggled so heroically in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Of course, we must hasten to poin out that the Jewish characters in Exodus are something of a new variety. They are neither the self-negating Jews of many an American novel, nor the grasping Jewish characters of some of the novels of the 19th century which came to personify the classic anti-Semitic stereotype. However, Leon Uris has succeeded in creating an enturely new brand of stereotype. His Jews are almost all heroes, inwardly inspired by the call of Zion and externally fashioned after the model of Hollywood actors and actresses.
It was not until we had ploughed through the first 200 pages and reached the point where Uris begins to relate the story of the rise of the Sonist movement from the days of the Chovevei Zion (LbVers of Zion) in Eastern Russia, that we began to feel that his characters were becoming a little more human. This is the farthest back Uris goes in terms of the span of years covered in his novel. But even in this episode, as he gradually returns to modern times, the characters again begin to take on the aura of unreality.
Nevertheless, "Exodus" is filled with many exciting episodes, which have undoubtedly contributed to placing it near the top of the best seller list for these many months. The passages which set forth the relationship between the Ben Canaan family and their closest Arab neighbors, and those sections dealing with the fight of the Aliyah-Bet organization with the British authorities, and with, exposing the position of the British administration are among the better aspects of the novel.
However, to find a book in which every Jew takes a very positive approach to his Jewishness and to fine the differences in the pre-independent Yishuv, limited to those which existed between the Haganah on the one hand, and the "Maccabees," the fictional name given by Uris to the Irgun extremist group on the other is merely a further evidence of the lack of depth in this novel.
Yehudah Lev, a member of the Aliyah-Bet, who served in the very iinit of the Palmach in which Uris' hero, Ari Ben Canaan is alleged to have been a member has seriously questioned the novelist's presentation of the Israel underground movement in the mandate era. Writing in the Chicago Sentinel, Lev has even called Exodus "a dangerous book," because of its effort to be a propaganda tract for Israel.
Ml
NOW AVAILABLE
Two Best' selling ImoIcs about Israel
EXODUS" by Leon Uris
"BEN GURION"
by Robert St. John
Place your order now!
World Wide News
867 Granville
MU. 5-9023
ONLY IN AMERICA— By Harry Golden Nelson, Foster & Scott Ltd. pp., $4.75
HARRY GOLDEN is a phenomenon that could only happen in America. He is a character who was bom into the f olks-mensch tradition of Jewish life, and brought up at the grass roots of the American way of life.
The author of "Only in America" truly looks at life and writes about it from an inter-cultural viewpoint. His Jewish heritage and tradition is especially dear to him, but he writes with equal understanding and appreciation of his American background. He displays an iasight into the problems of the north as well as the south and writes with equal versatility about history and politics, art and culture, sex and religion.
Harry Golden is a very prolific writer. Judging from his first book as well as from his unique publication, the Carolina Israelite, one would get the impression that he puts down on paper virtually every thought that comes into his head. As a writer, this is very probably his major weakness. Surely no man can be so talented that he can turn every thought into scintillating prose. Nevertheless, there doesn't seem to be a single subject on which Harry Golden doesn't have something to say; and almost invariably he says it in an interesting manner, even if one does not always agree with his point of view.
"Only in America" is a book of personal essays, most of them quite short and none of them more than a few pages long.-As is well known by now, the book is taken almost in its entirety from Harry Golden's own one-man newspaper, the Carolina Israelite. It also includes some articles
which he had written previously for other publications. It is divided into nine sections. The first section is entitled *Death and the Call Girl" and deals mainly with the mores and moral climate of America.
Section two is entitled «We Toast the Journey for Two Cents Plain.** This is maiinly about life on the east side of New York in the days o: Harry Golden's youth.
Next comes **Does it Sell Ffoor?", a potpourri about American methods of salesmanship and evangelism.
Part foiu* is entitled **The Vertical Negro** and this begins with Golden's famous "vertical Negro plan" to end segregation in the South. It continues with about 140 pages of essays mainly about the Negro problem in the South and relationships between Jews and non-Jews. This is followed by "Galli Cure! and Bubblegum** which features impressions of famous cultural personalities in real life as well as in literature. In this section, Harry Golden gives his views on William Shakespeare's character Shy-lock in The Merchant of Venice, among other things.
From culture. Golden goes to politics in the section headed, *Tam-many, 'XsaammyJ' He then goes on
to a section on evangelism and more impressions of great personalities. This section is headed, •*Meny Christmas, Blliy Graham.*'
In the next section, **The Frozen Rabbi,** Golden deals with relationships between Jews and non-Jews in the so-called "brotherhood" field. The ninth and final section is headed '^Complaints and Free Advice or Twenty-six Notes in Ciosang** which is "takke a mishmash."
All in all. Golden is a very entertaining writer. His book has become a best seller and lias made him very 'amous.
Almost everyone should find much of great interest in this book. There is enough variety to satisfy almost every taste.
YOUTH AFFAIRS
Bnai Bnth
Youth
COUNCIL MISSION
(Continued from page 6) Agency is some $116 million in the I and The Jewish Publication Society
AZA 119 remind all their members of the May Weekend taking place May 21-24 . . . The semi-formal, taking place Saturday, May 23 at p.m. at the Admiral Hbtel is open to all parents, who are urged to attend. Tickets are $3.75 per couple . Dave Sorin is arranging rides for those alephs unable to make their own arrangements . . . The meeting of June 7 will be election meeting. *      * ♦
ELANA No. 669 is holding a meeting dedicated to Lag B'Omer on Tuesday, May 26 at the home of Jenny Puterman, 428 West 58th Ave. . On May 29 at 8 p.m. a house Sabbath will be held at the home of
acquie Toll, 261 West 26th Ave____
The May 31 general meeting will be
'MAGIC BARREL' WINS AWARD
PHILADELPHIA — A poll of 2,000 booksellers and librarians across the country was taken earlier this year to select nominees for the best books published in 1958 in the fields of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. From this poU, a leading number of contenders were tabulated and a committee of eminent judges made final selections. • The winner in the field of fiction was THE MAGIC BARREL, by Bernard Malamud, a collection o: 13 short stories co-published in May, 1958 by Farrar, Straus and Cudahy
for Health, Fun and Sunshine, at Stanley Park.
TAMAR BE Girls No. 269 wiU meet Sunday, June 7 at 1 p.m. at the Community Centre. Election of officers for the coming term will take place ... At the last meeting Leslie Gorkin was elected as chapter delegate to the B'nai B'rith Girls Convention to be held in Whittier, California in June, and Heather Graham was elected as alternate . . . Girls 14 years of age or in grade 9, who are interested in joining Tamar, please contact Elaine Dodeck, TR. 6-8565 who will act as "Mit Mother" for the coming term.
ANY BOOK
reviewed or advertised on this page may be ordered through our Book Deportment, Main Floor.
<^'^T. EATON C*'
■ ■ BRITISH COLUMBIA ^^••«
UMITEO
Mutual 5-7112/LA. 2-2741
A. Quarfermcaine and Sons
LES QUARTERMAINE, Proprietor
GENERAL PAINTERS AND DECORATORS
Interior — Exterior Spraying — Wallpaper — Paper Hanging
Phone: REgent 3-2711
1476 W. 8th Ays. VANCOUVER 9, B.C.
istobllshed 1913
current fiscal year. Less than half of that has come from the UJA. The balance comes mainly from the Israel Government, from German reparations, from drives in other countries, and from loans.
The loans.which the Agency has had to resort to because of the shortage of income from other sources has brought about a very serious situation. Some $22 million of the $116 million budget is going for loan payments; and that does not include payments on the $73 million in loans from our welfare funds.
In our discussions with Agency officials, we conveyed the desire of our member federations and welfare funds for continuing assurance that the funds they provided the Jewish Agency are used completely and solely for philanthropic needs, and in no way for political purposes. This applies particularly ' to the grants given to party organizations for their welfare activities to avoid separate campaigns by these groups here.
The Jewish Agency, we learned, has caused these party organizations to set up separate corporations for such welfare activities, so that there will be no mingling of these philanthropic funds with funds for any other purpose. This process has just been completed. The operations of the new philanthropic bodies will be subject to the approval and control of the Agency. STRESSES LONG RANGE PLANNING
At the same time, we expressed the feeling in many communities that the dollars we give through the UJA for the Jewish Agency should be used to the maximum extent possible in Israel where they are needed most. Where funds are used outside of Israel, we urged a careful re-examination to see whether other local sources can be found to finance these purposes, so that the Agency's funds may be released for use in Israel itself. That re-appraisal, we understand, is now under way.
Our group's main conclusion on the work of the Jewish Agency was that j its needs cannot be regarded as year- [ to-year emergencies. Rather, the group |
of America. Upon publication, this volume received high critical acclaim because of the beauty of the author's style and the spiritual overtones of the stories.
These awards are sponsored annually by the American Booksellers Association, the American Book Publishers Council and the Book Manufacturers Institute in order to give recognition to the most distinguished books written by American authors during the preceding year.
felt, the backlog of needs created by the heavy influx of immigrants in recent years would require a massive program of aid for perhaps five years. It would be well to spell out those needs and formulate a program to meet them.
Habonim news
WORKSHOP MEEXmC: Friday, May 22 at Amnon's house . . . KJVL BET, Saturday, May 23, at Ricky Col-lerman's. Members who have been approved for Bonim Chevra will be announced at this meeting . . . K.M. MEETING, Saturday, May 23, at Anmon's. Imperative that all leaders attend . . . LAG B'OMER OUTING: celebration has been postponed for one week and will take place on Sunday, May 31. This week, neshef rehearsals and tryouts. Those interested in joining the Habonim Choir, under the direction of Mr. Toft, come o Marsha Toft's house Sunday, May 24 at 10:30 a.m. "Busy Day," Junior and Senior Dance Group and marching rehearsals at 2 p.m. at the Centre.
Jewish artists of the Pciris school
ALGIERS (WJA) — A weU-illus-
trated study by Waldemar George on The Jewish Artists of the Paris School' has just been published by the World Jewish Congress North African Bureau here. Its author was editor of a number of leading French art journals and has published a series of monographs, among  others on Matisse, Picasso, Utrillo and Chagall. He is at present in charge of the axts column of the French Jewish monthly 'L'Arche*.
If you ijke the Bulletin recommend *it to your friends.
3 Months Free To New Subscribers
HARTT Shoes for Men
Size 7 to 13 WidtOit A to E
Freedman Shoes
LTD.
2867 S Granville RE 1-4010
ESTATE PIECES
I A M O
DIRECT IMPORT —
Consult
— ALFRED EVANS —
B.C. Collateral Sales Ltd.
60 years In business 77 E. Hastings St.
MU. 1-3557
WHITE LOAVES BROWN LOAVES BEIGEL & ROLLS
carrying the MOTHER HUBBARD brand name or the letters M.H. are baked on our own premises.
Mother Kisbbard Bakery
RYE BREAD EGG BREAD PUMPERNICKLE
Only Breads
LIMITED 1100 West- Broadway
REgent 8-5165
Bi