JewishT-,ife in Eastern Europe Described by Rabbi Bick
Although there are only 70,000 Jews remaining m Poland out of the three million who lived there before the war. On seeing the new life there "one must come to the conclusion that the cultural spirit of the three million is intact in the 70,000," stated Rabbi Abraham Bick at the second of his two lectures in Vancouver recently.
Rabbi Bick visited Israel, Poland and other European countries last summer. He attended the European Jewish Cultural Conference in Paris, and the World Jewish Congress in Mbntreux. His lectures in Vancouver were sponsored by the United Jewish People's Order.
Very few Jews remain in central Poland, Rabbi Bick said. In Warsaw there are only 6,000 to .7,000; in Lodz, 13,000; and in Bialystock only 400. "Anti-Semitism has been rooted out politically in Poland," he said, "but not psychologically.
"In Lower Silesia, liowever," Rabbi Bick stated, "the territory newly gained from the Germans, you see amazing things. Close to 50,000 Jews live here in a healthy and productive economic life. In Wroclau, formerly German Bres^ lau and once the seat of Hitlerism in this area, there is now a Jewish: population of close to 9,000. This was the cradle of Jewish reform culture in Germany where the.' great Jewish historian Professor Graetz lived. Now you hear Y^^idish •spoken in the streets. The town has a Jewish theatre, two Jewish musical schools, a choir of 500, and a Jewish institute of higher edu^ cation.
"In the town of Walbzich, form-;^rly Waldenberg," the Rabbi con-tiinued, "the coal-mining center of • Poland, I found 800 Jewish coal ;'^iiners. .., > ^.
"I visited a small town called sbrun), a winter resort like Banff, ^brun, a winter resort like Banff, where. Goering used to have, his winter palace. Now most' of thfe Jews come here for theii' vacations. When I was there they gave me the nicest room in the'palace, where Goering himself used to sleep."
; Discussing Jewish education in Poland, Rabbi Bick pointed out that Jewish schools there are part of the general educational system and are supported by the government. He gave figures showing that the proportion of Jewish secular education is now higher in Pojand than it is in the United Stales. He also pointed out that the study of three languages is obligatory, including Yiddish, Hebrew and Polish.
Rabbi Bick related that he was present on the opening day of the school term in a Jewish school in the small town of Bulava (foriner^ ly Bilau). Three children were called forward to recite poetic se-. lections. One recited a Hebrew
poem by Bialik, another recited Pei-etz's poem "Brider," and the third, a poem by Julian Tuwim in Polish. There v^^as a radio in every classroom and later the children listened to an adress by the Minister of Education, who happens to be Jeshi Boraisha, a Jew, and the nephew of the late great poet, JMenachem Boraisha.-
Discussing the other countries of Eastern Europe Rabbi Bick attested to the fact that about half of the Jews of Bulgaria have left for Israel. Asked about the anti-Zionist measures recently introduced by the Romanian government. Rabbi Bick stated that these measures were taken not against the Zionist movement as a whole but only against those Zionist groups which were considered to be in opposition to the government and the new system it is introduc-' ing there. He pointed put that the Mapam, the left-wing United "Workers' Party is still permitted to function and conduct all its activities, Asked about religious freedom in Eastern Europe Rabbi Bick expressed the view that every faith. in ■ these countries.is perfectly free to conduct all its religious activj. ties. Only, when religious leader^i indulge in anti-government activi-. ties, he said, are restrictions im-' posed and prosecutions launched. '■ ^Discusssing Israel Rabbi Bick alleged that the Western Powers represent a greater danger to the independence of the Jewish staie than do the Eastern Powers. Th6 government of Israel leans to the United States for financial aid, he asserted, while the opposition in the. Kness<5th Israel claims that a "deal" has been made to limit de-velopms^nl xW^^^.
JDC Terminates Supplies For Overseas (SOS) f Coileci-ion
New York—Declaring that "the weight of the Joint Distribution' Committee's threefold task of assistance to Europe's Jews has emphatically shifted from relief to reconstruction and emigration," the JDC at a special meeting in Nev/ York City announced the termination of its SOS (Supplies for Overseas Survivors) Collection.
The SOS Collection, a project of the JDC in cooperation with 17 Jewish women's . organizations and other groups, in United States and Canada collected more than 26 piiHion pounds of food, clothing aijd other, relief supplies for Eui'ope's surviving Jews in the past 39 months. (January 1946 to April .1949).
Condemned and Defflolisherf! The Salvation Army is now without a home
Both the old Citadel and the Men's Hostel were condemned and have been demolished.
The important work of the "Army" must go on. You, with other Vancouver citizens are being asked to join together in helping to supply new quarters. By so doing, you wOl be a partner with the Salvation Army in providing help to those who need it.
Many will remember the last drive for building funds conducted by the Salvation Army 25 years ago. As a result, Grace Hospital was built.
$250,000 is needed NOW!
The appeal is urgent and you are asked to send your contribution to Salvation Army Building Fund Headquarters, 179 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Help the
SALVATIOM ARMY
Help Others
'i'he American Jewish Archives, established at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati last year with Prof. Jacob R. Marcus (above) as Director, is making available the results of research on early American Jewish life in its schoU arly publication, American Jewish Archives, the second
issue of which has just appeared. Among the ma* teriais the Arcluves is collecting are minute books of congregations and boievolent societies like those lustrated) of the Ass^n. for the Relief of Jewish Wid. ows and Orphans of New Orleans (18S4) and Congregation Gates of Prayer (1850-1884) of the Mine city.
Salvation Army Building Campaign
The Salvation Army Building campaign with an objective of $250,000, which opened officially on May 16, got under way with a good start when two donors, who wish to remain anonymous, contributed $5,000 each.
The present campaign is the first mapor expenditure appeal made in Greater Vancouver by the Salvation Army in the past 25 years, when funds were sought to help build* the Grace Hospital.
Proceeds of the current drive will be used to help in the financing of the building of the new Citadel ■ at Gore and Hastings and to purchase, remodel and furnish a building to be used as a Men's Hostel.
"Six hundred volunteer workers are on the job,'' said Hon. W. C. Woodward, president, "canvassing industrial plants, small and suburban businesses, and 'Special Names.* There will bie no door-to-door canvass in residential areas." Donations may be sent to the Salvation Army Building Campaign, 197 West Pender Street. "Help the, Salvation Army to help those who need help!""
Dreams Have Taken On Flesh
In Israel, the daydrea.ms of the ages have taken on flesh and blood, have become realities, a state, a government, a Parliament. It seems a natural wonder, and I tiy.first to remember how it was: before May 14, 1948. But the greatest of all wonders is the open gates. This dream too has come true. It has actually happened. Jews and their people are coming every day, tens of thousands every month, by sea and by air, all kinds of Jews from all countries, young and old, not by permission from the Lonjdon office, begging for certificates. It is so simple. They just come.: The barbed wire of Cyprus safeguards now only the shame of Great Britain. All its former inmates are here, free in the land of Israel.
Arie we, you and we, capable; only of winning the one war, or are we also capable of accomplishing that for which the war has been fought and won? Are these masses of Jews only to remain refugees in Israel or are they going to be citizens of Israel? The answer to these questions depends very largely on how the Jews of the United States and Canada respond to the call of the United Jewish Appeal, to make it possible for us in Israel to fulfill these promises.
GOLDA MYERSON
End 'Missing Persons' Hunt for Nazi Victims
NEW YOBK (WNS) — One of the greatest "missing persons" hunts in history, during which thousands of survivors of war and Nazism were united with relatives all over the globe, came to an end this week when the Central Location Index suspended operations.
An estimated 50,000 locations were made by the Index since its founding in May, 1944, the final report of the agency declai'ed. Of these, 40,000 were persons who had survived, and information on their whereabouts was forwarded to their families; location information on the other 10,000 verified reports of their deaths or deportations.
Appeals for aid in locating more than 750,000 persons throughout the world were received and processed by the agency's staff of 75, most of them trained searchers.
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ITALIAN SENTENCED FOR SUBBENDEBLVG JEWS TO GEBMAX S.S.
ROME (WJA) — For surrendering 60 Jews into the hands of the German SS instead of bringing them to safety in Switzerland, four Italian frontier gufdes were sentenced to prison terms ranging from four to 18 year's* by a Milan appelate court. The guides had promised the Jews during the Nazi occupation in Northera Italy to bring them across the fiontier into Switzerland,
BELGIUM JEWISH COUNCIL DISSOLVED
BBUSSELS (WNS)—The Council of Jewish Or'ganizations in Belgrium, representing a majority of the Jewish political and cultural organizations in the country, has been dissolved, it was disclosed here this week. The reason given for the dissolution was that most of the Council's leaders had emigrated to Israel. The World Jewish Congress is expected to take over the functions of the Council.
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