THE JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, September 14, 1945
The Jewish Western Bulletin
Official Organ of the Vaneoover Jewisb Administrative Coimci]
Rob* L-. Zien._____......_________________________..Committee Chairman
Harry Musikansky....................................Advercising Manager
Ruth Toubman...........„...........................................Society Editor
Published Weekly Every Friday at 2675 Oak Street--BAy. 4210
Business Hours: 9 a.in. to 5 pjn., except Saturday and Jewish Holy Days. Entered as Second Class Mail Matter at Ottawa
"Believe not each accusing tongue.
As most weak mortals do; But still believe that story wrong
Which ought not to be true/'
. . . Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
VANCOUVER, B.C., CANADA, FRIDAY, SEPT. 14, 1945
EDITORIAL
Reconstruction
Peace has its battles no less than war—they are more pleasant battles, to be sure, but for all that, they are not to be underestimated.
That American Jewry must take the foremost part in the salvage and rehabilitation of world Jewish life is quite apparent. The most pressing of these problems is of coturse to decide what shaU be done for those Jews who still are in the camps in Germany and those who are looking about asking themselves whither they shall go.
The problem is not a simple one. It was reported this week that a number of Jews repatriated from the German camps, which now are imder American military supervision, found things on their return to Poland so displeasing that they ran back to the camps in Germany. One of these Jevjs told of seeing signs at the F^ilish railroad station, saying, ''Poland is for Poles. Go back, Jews."
A recent poll taken of those in German camps shows that the overwhelming majority wish to go to Palestine.
President Truman's statement this week on Palestine indicates that the issue is very much aUve. Despite all the rebuffs and set-backs, the logic of having one place where any Jew may find a welcome—-the appeal of a home land, seems irrefutable. Despite all the frustrations that have occurred in Palestine, a great foundation has been laid in Palestine—a foundation for what may prove a structure perhaps exceeding our fondest hopes.
—Seven Arts feature
Arab Propaganda
A report from London has it that the Pan-Arab league has decided on an immense propaganda campaign in England and the United States. The sum of $2,000,000 has been allocated for two offices—one in London and one in Washington.
The Arabs, a supposedly primitive people, are showing themselves very adept in publicity work. If anyone doubted that, he has but to recall the recent San Francisco conference. Next to the three great powers, the Arabs drew most of the newspaper space and radio comment. To be sure, it was the exotic dress of the Arabs which brought them much of this, but this was by no means the whole story. It was generally reported then that the American oil companies were managing their publicity. They could want no better tutors than these big interests, to whom engineering "public relations" is an old story.
The oil companies doubtless are ready to help further. The Jews may not have much money for these things, but if the $2,000,000 the pan-Arab league has allocated proves insufficient, doubtless the oil companies will not shrink from making more contributions for the Arab fund. The oil deposits in Saudi-Arabia are very rich.
This is opposition which will not be easy to meet. The Jews are supposedly a clever people, but generally they are not very clever in their own behalf.
—Seven Arts Feature
The New Year 5706
F'^^Mric milestones are rarely conspicuous except in retrospect But events have moved so swiftly during the past year that all historical perspective has been telescoped, and we find ourselves breathlessly face to face with the beginning of a new era. Not only the Jewish people, but all mankind is opening a new chapter as we enter the year 5706. We must undertake the building of the new world for which so many millions of our people died diuing twelve years of mass oppression. What kind of a world will that be What shall be the place assigned to the surviving remnants of the Jewish people? Neither liberation nor victory has solved the problem of the 1,250,000 Jewish survivors.
Although four months have passed since the defeat of Germany, the Jews of Europe find themselves in a desperate condition. They are without homes, without food, without clothing, without means of sustaining themselves. And many thousands remain in the concentration camps where they have suffered indescribable misery. There are many children who are homeless and parentless.
There is a grave need for the widest possible relief and rehabilitation measures on the part of the Joint Distribution Committee to place large numbers of Jews on the road to
Plain Talk
By ALFRED SEGAL The o^nions escpreesed by the author of this cohunn are not necessarily subscribed to by fiiis newspaper.
STRimif MFMTUL
O A GENTLEMAN, writing to one of the Jewish press, expresses the devout hope that this Mr. Segal will turn out to be a Zionist after all. He is Mr. Simon Miller of Indianapolis.
(Mr. MiUer was feeling that hopful because Segal, in one of these coliimns, had confessed he hadn't paid his $2 dues to the American Coimcil for Judaism. This is the anti-Jewish commonwealth group. This group says that Jews are Jews only becaiise of their religion and haven't any foreign political connections. Segal hasn't paid his ?2 because the American Coimcil for Judaism isn't doing much, if anything about Jewish religion, though its thesis is that we are omy a religion. A lot of its members know very little about Jewish religion. Segal isn't putting up $2 to emphasize the negative, as they say in the song.)
Well, Mr. Miller, ' you should know that Segal is already a Zionisti If "Zionist" means a man who is in favor of making Palestine a happy Zion for many homeless Jews, then Segal certainly is a Zionist.
A few months ago a cherished relative of his up in Minnesota died and Segal thought of what to do properly to memorialize his good name. To his local Zionist organization he sent a sum of money by which trees may be planted in Palestine in memory of his relative.
Yes, he thought, that's a most desirable memorial. The trees will grow to stately height and give fruit or even if they only gave shade that will be alright, too. In the coolness of their shade the toilers will rest.
"Thank God," the toilers wiU say, "for this shade in the heat of the day. Thank God there ia this rest for us and fruitful work as well. This is Zion."
Or, if they are olive trees, the workers will be thankful. "Thank God for this fruit of our labor. How fat ana these olives! The work of om- hands has been well rewarded. This is Zion."
Segal can feel that he has done well by his dead relative who was also a Zionist, though Segal can't be sure he was one in favor of a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine. (There are sol many varieties of Zionist nowadays. Many of them are people who would feel successful enough if Palestine were made flowing with milk and honey for the homeless and impoverished. They don't care at aU about Palestine politics.)
Segal himself is one of the lat ter. He thinks that the trees he planted- for his deceased relative have a much better chance of growing up if politics isnx icixed with the soil of Palestine. His relative was a fine gentleman and it wouldn't serve his memory well if the trees withered and died because of politics.
If these trees gre«r and flourished, the ghost of hid relative could feel that he, in death, has attained Zion in Palestine. It was being Zionist Enough.
You see, Mr. Miller, Segal is a Zionist who believes that the fate of Palestine is mors promising without politics and political controversy. He has in mind the al-
most unthinkable possibility that he mi^t in time set himself up as a farmer. (Segal is an inveterate city guy and nsrsil- would amoimt to anything as a fanner. He likes the steam heat of an apartment.)
But supi)Ose Segal were really cut out to be a farmer and bought a farm somewhere in his native country. Even before settling there he made an annoimcement to all the neighboring farmers: "I, Segal, am coming to settle among you. Because I am Segal I expect tdtimately to run the township in which my farm is situated. I'll be the boss of the township.''
He guesses the neighbors wouldn't like this. They would probably do everything they could to make his farm life miserable in order to get him out of there. Their boys would throw stones at his windows. They would chase all the rabbits into his cabbage patch. They might strew salt on his cornfield.
"Who", they would ask, "does he think he is? He wanting to take charge of our township! To hell with Segal!"
Mindful of this, Zionist Segal doesn't think it's for the good of Zion in Palestine for Zionists to say to the; Arabs: "We're going to take this country over. We'll make our own state here—a Jewish state, and what are you going to do about that?"
Zionist Segal doesn't think that's the way to handle neighbors especially if you are thinking of going into farming extensively, as in Palestine. In fact, the first essential thing for successful farming is to have peace with your neighbors. Wheat, olives and oranges can't be cultivated so well if you have to carry a gun in one hand and a hoe in the other.
If Segal thought of being a farmer in his country he could start out by establishii^g good terms with his neighbors. They woiild know him as a man who wanted to go along cooperatively with them for the benefit of the township.
Of coiu-se, he wouldn't even bring up the matter of who was to run the township. He would take it for granted that all the inhabitants should have an equal part in the government of the township; all together for the common good without anybody having and special privilege.
Thus, in peace, he would grow hb com, wheat alfalfa to plenty.^
Good Zionist Segal believes that the door of Zion regiures that Jews in Palestine go along in political imion with Arabs—in the same Qdnd of political tuiion that exists among the many varieties of Americans. It requires that Jews meet on common democratic groimd with Arabs instead of trying to stand on their own exclusive groiuid, as in a separate Jewish state.
Otherwise the trees Segal planted for his good relative—he was a cousin—won't grow well and may even perish by the destruction of warfare. He was a gentle-inan whose memory deserves to stand a long time and it would be a pity to see his trees fall because of warfare between Jews and Arabs.
—Seven Arts Feature
peace and world freedom.
recovery. The fact that there is no road back for great masses of Jews—^for the stateless and for the non-repatriable deportees—^has heightened the need for mass settlement and rebuilding in the Jewish National Home in Palestine through the United Palestine AppeaL It is this crucial post-war situation which has so greatly increased the responsibilities of Amercan Jewry and so tremendously enlarged the needs of the agencies of the United Jewish Appeal for Refugees, Overseas Needs and Palestine in the new year. It is our task to determine what kind of a world our fellow-Jews shall live in. It is our obligation to decide whether they shall have speedy reconstruction in Europe, whether large masses shall have a new life in Palestine, or whether they shall be doomed to disillusionment, frustration, homelessness or want. Let our first New Year resolution be a firm determination to redeem the hopes of those who have come back from the dead, to give them a piace of dignity and s^urity in the new world. They have richly earned a share of the fruits of
—Seven Arts Feature ^
FLASH
• FOREIGN correspondents in Germany apparently lack the necessary backgroimd to properly evaluate political trends in occupied zones. . , Not one of them commented on the Bavarian Government appointed by Col. Charles Keegan of New York. . , We are reliably informed by Albert Npr-den, the editor of "Germany Today" (a newsletter) that this recently appointed administration in the region that was formerly Hitler's preferred stamping ground is composed largely of anti-Semites. . . The Bavarian People's Party's political platform features anti-Semitism. . . It was therefore inexcusable for Col. Keegan to select leaders of that party as key men of Bavaria's post-war government. . . That kind of "democracy" for Germany is siurely not in the spirit of the Potsdam agreement. . . and the very same criticism can be made of the appointment of Hans Hitter Von Ss'isser as Munich's Comissioner of Police by the Allied Military Government of that city. ABOUT PERSONS
The feud betweea various Zionist leaders patched up before the London Conference will be renewed in the very near futtire. . . The Jewish Theological Seminary will confer an honorary dergee on Mr. A. S. Rosenbach, America's most famous book collector. . . Franz Werfel, who just died never left the Jewish fold althou^ the Vatican considered him one of its most efficient press agents. . . Pierre van Paassen was just advised that the Mayor of Gorcum, Holland, his home town, has placed a plaque on the house he was born in. . . The plaque pays tribute to van Paassen as Holland's most illustrious anti-Fascist fighter. PELL-MELL
Hats off to Judge J. Cullen of the Federal Coiui; in Philadelphia. The judge refused American citizenship to Frank Martin Edkelman a U-boat commander in World War I because the former German warrior heartily apjproved of Hitler's persecution of the Jews... .
which reminds us that the Philadelphia judge who whitewashed the Philadelphia policemen in the Anmuth case will be asked to resign. . . A committee of clergymen is now studying this miscarriage of justice an^ is preparing a public statement on t. . . To a reader from Pittsburg: No we do not know the record of Brig. Gen. A. F, Lorenzen (Ret.) and cannot tell you whether his work for "Appreciate America, Inc." is; a paid job. Why don't you Inquire from the Anti-Defamation League. . . The rumours that Henry Morgenthau is trying to buy a newspaper and radio station are being circulated by political opponents of the former Secretary of the Treasury. . . Morgenthau has no ambition in that field.
BETWEEN COVERS
We advise the delegates of Jewish organizations intending to viat Latin America to read Ray (Ax-gentne Diary) Josephs' article in the National Jewish Monthly. . . Josephs has this to say, among other things. . . "there has been a tendency by Jewish leaders in New York and elsewhere to handle the Jews in Latin America in the same way Latinon in general feel Uncle Sam has handled them in the past". . . Edward Grusd comments that the 600,000 Jews in Latin America want no Yankee imperialism in inter-American Jewish relationships. . . Arline Meyer, assistant secretary of fho Pan-American Jewish Committee is writing a novel on—Brooklyn... She got hte inspiration while in Mexico. . . The Jewish Blade Book issued by the World Jewish Congress, the National Coxmcil of^ Palestine, the J'^wish anti-Fascist Committee of Tvloscotf and the American Comittee of Jewish Writers, Artists and Scientists is ready for the printer. . . Albert Einstein, honorary sponsor of the book is represented in the Black Book by an important letter giving his personal views on the Jewish problem. . . Joe Brainin's "War Diary of a Home Frontier" will be published by Dial Press.
—Seven Arts Fegtuxe
Vancouver Peretz School
Enrolment Continued
May We urge those who have not already registered their children, to do so now, and avoid a last minute
rush
The opportunity of a thorough Jewish education is
now here!
Be sure that yotu: child takes advantage of it!
The following days will be open for registration:—
Each Tuesday..........................8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Each Wednesday....................4 p.m, to 10 p.m.
Also Sundays..........................10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
imtil October 1st when classes begin
NOTE: Classes begin OCTOBER 1st, and not September 18th as previously
announced.
Kindergarten and 1st grade children will be picked
up by bus.
For further information, Phone BA. 8787 or BA. 8412L
YOM KIPPUR—September 17
FIRST TWO DAYS OF SUCCOTH September 22-23
LAST TWO DAYS OF SUCCOTH-Shemini Atzereth—September 29 Simchath Tor ah—September 30
NOTE: Please remember that each of the above-mentioned Holidays begins the night before at Sundown.