JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, July 27, 1945
FAir. 1228
130 W. 5th Ave.
FOR RENT
One furnished room for rent.
Board optional
Apply to Mrs. J. Eisenstein 3110 WiUow St.
Young girl desires furnished room. Cambie Street District preferred
Apply BAy. 4210.
• Watch This Space For The Opening Date Of
Rubin's Delicatessen
1036 Robson St.
Future Home of HIGH-CLASS FOODS
Featuring Real Quality Sandwiches
• TO MAKE certain that the goods shipped by the JDC from Teheran to Poland reach the Jews of that country in good condition, the huge bales of United States lend-lease supplies were carefully repacked under supervision of an independent staff in Persia.
Diamonds Our Specialty
International Jewellers
AND TRADING CO. LTD. 413 West Pender St. at Homer
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. . PfflNEAS BIRON
. . AL
SEGAL
. . GOODMAN FLORENCE
. . CHARLES BENSON
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• ONE OF the cases of soap ssent from Canada to the Jews of Poland through Moscow. This shipment was a gift of the Ezra Ladies Society of Montreal through the United Jewish Refugee and War Relief Agencies. An earlier shipment of soap valued at $10,000 had been sent by the UJR and WRA through the Polish Embassy in Russia.
Tru Canadianism
(Reprinted From "The Jewish Post")
The reaction in Jewish circles to the news that a larger number of Jewish students than usual—about 20—have been admitted this year to the Medical Faculty of the University of Manitoba is not entirely a happy one. Mixed with the gratification at such recognition of Jewish scholarship is a slight uneasiness. "It is a little too good! It's more than enough!" is the tenor of the comments.
These comments show that people have missed the point about the complaint which was made to the legislative committee last year, and the findings of this committee and of the Board of Governors of Manitoba University. Since this writer acted in the matter before the legislative committee, perhaps it will not be out of place to clarify the issue.
The complaint was not made that too few Jewish students were admitted to medicine in Manitoba but that an undemocratic practice had sprung up whereby there were preferred and non-preferred groups of applicants from which the medical committee made selections. It was submitted that a public institution drawing most of its maintenance from public funds could not legally or morally discriminate between student-applicants but had to proceed in its selection purely on the basis of merit, applying the same reasonable standard to all. In short it was a violation of the democratic principle to discriminate on any grounds, especially the grounds of race, ethnic grouping and religion. There could be no defence to such a practice and none was offered. The charges were proven to be true and the Board of Governors immediately undertook to change the system of selection so that there would be no further cause of complaint. The Board submitted that the facilities of the medical college were limited but within such limitations it undertook to select students on merit and on no other basis. The Board did not state that it would admit more Jews and fewer Anglo-Saxons, but it did undertake to scrutinize the hst very carefully so that the better-class students, whatever their racial origin, would get the first call. And judgmg by the group selected in 1944 and again in 1945, the Board of Governors has carried out its promise.
Jt is purely incidental to the question that 20 of these students were Jews. They applied as Manitoba residents—as Canadians—and were accepted on that basis. It is a far healthier outlook to regard the whole controversy as an issue in Canadianism rather than of race. If the public—^both Jews and non-Jews—would pay less attention to race theories and more to democratic principles, Canada would be a happier place in which to live. If Jews wish to be consistent in their appeals to justice, they should not even concern themselves that 20 Jewish students were accepted to the medical college. They are not concerned that most of the locomotive drivers in Canada are of Scotch descent or that most of the fishermen in our northern lakes are Scandinavian. It is of equal unimportance that there are more or fewer Jewish doctors, dentists or garment workers. All that can be asked is that when a man applies for a job or does a service he should not be required to go through a blood test or an inquisition in race origin.
CAPITAL LETTER
By CHARLES BENSON
By CHARLES BENSON O WASHINGTON—Your columnist sits bent over ths typS" writer, straining for an idea. Up and down the hall, across the street, and even in the shadow of the capital dome, fortunate ones have packed, pulled the covers over their machines, or the blinds in their offices, and departed for vacation. Some to think about their gardens, others about the shortage of teimis and golf balls, but all united on one idea. That during these golden weeks of leave they will unfetter themselves from Washington routine.
The Supreme Coiurt has closed down for the summer. Congress would very much like to go do likewise. There is little likelihood of that at the moment, with their calendar occupied by the United Nations Charter, the Bretton Woods agreement, anticipation of a report by the President after his return from the Big Three Conference, wage and tax legislation, poll tax repeal.
Congress would like to be in the position of the young navy wife. According to her usual routine. One morning recently she got out
of bed, Slipped into her slippers, Got into her robe, Raised the shade, Uncovered the parrot. Put on the coffee pot, Answered the phone, "Hello honey—just got off the ship
I'm coming right over!"
So, the young wife unlocked the
door, Took off the pot, Covered the parrot, Pulled down the shade. Stepped out of her robe. Took off her slippers. Slipped into bed, And heard the parrot mumble:
"Judas Priest! What a short day
that was!"
^ ^-
It was interminable hours that Congress strained and pulled before it emerged with the moth-eaten but life-saving compromise giving the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) a mere ?250,000 with which to operate through next June, ,
The thousand of wires and letters which poured into Congressional offices from FEPC supporters throughout the country combined with able leadership in the Hoiase, rescued the wartime agency from the quick death which its bitter southern opjwnents had planned. A vote of thanks is due particularly to a dogged group of Representatives, marshalled by Representative Vito Marcantonio, nd including Representatives Mary Norton of New Jersey, sponsor of a biU for a permanent FEPC, Emanuel Celler of New York, Hugh De Lacy of Washington, George Bender of Ohio and Frank Hook of Michigan.
Public pressinre, having effected this partial success, should now be applied even more strongly to secure enactment of a permanent FEPC. A petition to bring the bill for such an agency to the House floor for debate needs seventy more signatures. The chances for passage of the bill are considered good, once it escapes from the southern stranglehold.
If enough of you teU your congressman you want him to sign Uie petition, and that then you want him to vote for the bill, hell sign, and hell vote. Like the store-owner who recently called his staff together and suggested that perhaps the time was approaching when it would be well to remember that the customer is sometimes right. Seven Arts FeaU
Zionists Reconcile Wise'Silver Break
O NEW YORK (WNS)-In a joint statement this week hailing the end of the breach in the Zionist movement in America, Drs. Wise and Silver, co-chairmen of the reorganized American Zionist Emergency Council, declared that the "American Zionist front is once again tmited and strong" and that "we :can now speak effectively in the name of the entire Zionist membership of our country at the forthcoming World Zionist Conference in London."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Zionist leaders here and throughout the coimtry.
The return of Dr. Silver to active leadership of American Zionist political work marks an end to a dispute over iwlicy and methods which has existed in Zionist ranks since December, 1944, when he resigned. The reorganization is expected to unite Zionist leadership of this country behind a program of vigorous action.
Claim Injustice By British Authority
9 JERUSALEM (WNS) — The Jewish National Council of Palestine, the Jerusalem Jewish commimity Council and the Agudas Israel submitted a joint memorandum to the Acting High Commissioner, declaring that the Jewish residents of this city will refuse to recognize the British commission to administer municipal affairs. This body, the memorandum said, has no moral or juridicial basis.
Protesting against "the injustice done to the Jewish residents of Jerusalem by robbing them • of their lawful representation and share in the management of mimi-cipal affairs," the memorandum said that Jewish leaders would not give evidence before the inquiry commission appointed to investigate the municipal administration, despite their high personal regard for Chief Justice William Fitzgerald, who comprises the entire investigating commission.
Rumanian Minister Charges Zionism Useless Cause
• BUCHAREST (WNS) - Petro Constantinescu-Jassy, Rumanian Minister of Propaganda, declared here in the course of an interview on his government's policy toward Jews that he believed "today, Zionism with its desire to create a Jewish state is useless."
At the same time he stressed that "the aims of those Jews who want their own state cannot be considered dangerous to any country, and the Rumanian Zionist organization, and its activities, will be permitted to function.
Declaring that Rumania will not bar Jewish emigration to Palestine, the Propaganda Minister observed:
"I do not consider that there is any necessity for Jews to emigrate from Rumania, because Rumanian Jews have had all their rights restored. Nevertheless, if Jews decide volimtarily to emigrate to Palestine, the Rumanian government will not make any difficulties for them."
Celebrate End Of Polish Ghetto
• MOSCOW (WNS)-July 22, the second anniversary of the de-' struction of the Warsaw ghetto by the Germans, will be observed as a day of mourning by Polish Jewry, the Lublin radio said this week. The broadcast also rejxwted that another mass grave of persons miurdered at the Oswiecim death camp has been discovered at Pszczyna.
The Hakoah club in Lodz, which before the war was one of the most popular Jewish athletic clubs in Poland, has resumed its activities, it was reported here. The majority of the members of the club are Jewish partisans and Jews who fought in the uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, the report said. Local authorities have promised to provide the club with an athletic stadium.
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