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JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, July 27, 1945
The Jewish Western Bulletin
OfSdal Organ of the Vancouver Jewish Administrative Cooadl
Robt. L. Zien................................................Committee Chairman
Harry Musikansky....................................Advertising Manager
Ruth Toubman........................................................Society Editor
Published Weekly Every Friday at
2675 Oak Street--t<Ay. 4210
Business Hours: S a-m. to 5 p.m., except Saturday and Jewish Holy l>ays. 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, JULY 27, 1945
EDITORIAL
Three-Power Conference
The meeting of the United Nations at San Francisco is now followed by the meeting of the Big Three in Germany. This fact makes clear the point that notwithstanding the "world charter", the realistic fact remains that power is exercised by those who have the power.
In fact, the charter of the United Nations very frankly conceded this truism by giving the five great powers a dominating control in the United Nations, and a vetoing power as against one another.
All of this boils down to the fact that the political and diplomatic ways of doing business have not greatly changed despite the war.
In some respects, as far as specific Jewish issues are concerned, this is not an entirely undesirable thing. Thus, it was a fact that at the San Francisco conference the Jews had no standing as delegates, whereas the Arabs were a power. At a diplomatic conference at which the Big Powers are represented it would seem that the Jewish demands may have a fairer hearing.
Whether the Palestine question is to be taken up at the meeting of the Big Three is not yet known, but is not unlikely that it will be broached, though perhaps not too much may be expected right now when so many problems of more immediate pressure to the great nations press for
solution. —Seven Arts Feature
The Mufti Still
Amid the tragedies of war, there are some which would be comedies, could we forget their tragic aspects. The case of the former Mufti of Jerusalem is a case in point. The laugh in this case, unfortunately, is not one which decent people may enjoy, but doubtless the Mufti himself is enjoying the laugh.
You remember the Mufti. When the dagger of Germany came almost to touching the very heart blood of Palestine and the British Empire and, yes—the United Nations—the Mufti was exerting himself on behalf of the Germans. Hitler had no better agent in the Near East than he. The Mufti knew what he deserved and so took no chances, and retreated with the German army into Germany.
Then the Allies came to Germany and the Mufti was taken prisoner. It seemed like the good old days for the Mufti were gone. No longer the banquets to which Hitler had treated him. So one would have supposed. But no. The reports from France indicate that France is treating the Mufti in a royal fashion. The French, knowmg how violently anti-British the Mufti is, propose to use him m Syria. And the British not wanting to irrtate the Arabs, have made no demands that the Mufti be extradited.
So this enemy of the United Nations goes on livmg sumptuously. The Mufti apparently will go on stirring up trouble and go on being banquetted! For the United Nations, for the Jews in particular for whom the Mufti has been such a cause of trouble, the matter is scarcely comic at all. It is in fact,
very tragic. —Seven Arts Feature
PI
am
Talk
By ALFRED SEGAL
The opinions expressed by the author of this column are not necessarily subscribed to by this newspaper.
by Cfaaim Sonnenstand
e THIS MR. Segal has a fatality for getting himself involved, • it seems. His wife says you're always getting your foot in it and it's about time, at your age, that you behaved like respectable citizen's who know enough to keep out of things.
Segal said thank you to this, for his wife's fault-finding suggested that there is a mischievotis boy's spiiit in him, despite the touch of arthritis in his right hip.
Everybody knows how the Zionists have pushed him aroimd, even to the point practically of excom-mimicating him from association with all true men in Israsl, as some of them said they had a good mind to do.
Now he is getting it from the non or anti-Zionists who regarded him as their good friend and now look at him as a sort of traitor; though more in sorrow than in anger and none has suggested that he be hanged for it.
Segal's latest sinning has to do with his reluctance to pay the §2 dues that he owes to the Council for American Judaism which "is the anti-Jewish Commonwealth organization. (The matter was reported here several weeks ago.)
As a member of that group he suggested that the Council for American Judaism, since it insists that being a Jew is a religious identity only, take steps to convert its members toward being religiously Jewish. It really didn't make much sense to hear people saying that they are Jews by religion only and, at the same time they are not Jev/ish religiously at aU, and, in fact, scarcely iknow what Jewish religion is all about.
Segal couldn't see paying $2 to a cause that was merely against somethmg and had no positive program at all. He asked: If the Council for American Judaism is for being Jewish only in a religious way, why doesn't it do something toward a Jewish religious revival? Jewish religion is really in a very sorry state.
Since he wrote this Zionists have become some of Segal's best friends and those of them who used to despise him on the highways come up to shake his hand and call him an honest man. On the other side of the street, anti-Jewish Commonwealth people are unhappy in him as one who has gone \vrong after a long spell of virtuous living.
Sorrowful letters have come. One from Rabbi Elmer Berger, executive secretary of the Council for American Judaism; another from Mr. Norman Buckner of TPon-tiac, Mich, who is connected with the Pontiac temple that, among others, has separated itself, by official action, altogether from the idea of Jewish nationalism.
Mr. Buckner says (he is disappointed in Segal and that, as a citizen who doesn't like the idea of a Jewish state, Segal already has gotten ?2 worth of benefit from the Coimcil for American
Judaism, and why don't he go ahead and pay his dues?
"You seem to exi)ect too much from the Coxmcil for the short time it has been in existence."
He says the Zionists, during 30 or 40 years, have put out tons of propaganda, to say nothing of the support of the Anglo-Jewish press and of the rabbinate. In two years the Council for American Judaism has gathered in 7500 members—all people who are against a Jewish state and "has influenced Jewish opinion out of all proportion to its size."
He goes on:- "Manifestly it is not within the scope of the Council to teach religion. That duty belongs to the rabbinate, to the theological seminaries, to the Hebrew Union College. Perhaps if Dr. Morg-enstern and the directorate of the Hebrew Union College, of which, I understand, you have the honor to be one, would explain to the undergraduates the difference between Judaism and Nationalism, they might go forth as bearers of light, rather than bearer of discord. As far as the Council is concerned, with its limited'facilities, it can merely express the truth; it can not teach."
WeU, that's the way it goes witJi Segal who lets himself into situations where he gets pushed around, first by one side, then the other. Now it's Mr. Buckner, and what can Segal say to Mr. E'uck-ner's suggestion that rabbis really should begin to think of preaching Jewish religion. This is the first affirmative idea for Judaism that has come out of the Council for American Judaism.
It does seem about time that rabbis got aroimd to that. From time to time Segal interests himself in the titles of sermons that Christian ministers preach, as reported in the press.
They speak on such topics as "What a Man Owes His Conscience," "What Does God Require of Man?", "Where Love is, There God Is," "Your Own Corner of This World."
They preach religion which has to do with the way people live and conduct themselves in relation to their neighbors. They try to be architects of lives, imlike many of our rabbis who are much more ambitious.
They thhik of themselves as nation-builders, architects of international destiny . . . politicians, statesmen. Their pulpits are town hall forums and Member Zilch seeks in vain for coimsel on the way of his own confused life and how to make it Jewishly good.
Segal thinks that he might get his ?2 worth of the Council for American Judaism if it could do something to bring rabbis around to the idea that their function has to do with Mr. Zilch and the way of his life and to come down from being political prophets.
Segal's wife says now you're involving yourself with the rabbis. And the matter of the $2 isn't settled yet.      —Seven Arts Feature
One Man's Thoughts      Goodman Florence
9 In his column entitled, "In Our Time," by Barry Mather of the News-Herald, which he writes each Saturday, he took occasion on July 21st, to facetioiasly dicuss "Science and Man."
V/hen I came to the paragraph, "And when will some scientist give us a gadget, a lightweight, spare, moveable street car seat which can be converted, as needed, into a crowbar and steel chisel for opening street car win-ows?" I said, "Ah!, there's a man after my own heart—right down my alley." What did you think, if you read his column—which by the way I would recommend for he generally writes some very simple things of the heart and the home.
Sometimes I think that we ere a shallow civilization, now having become so because we are afraid to have fresh air circulating about us. What have you thought when you have seen air circulating a-bout us. V/hat have you thought when you have sebii >ne who appeared to be a strong strappmg
healthy man stride into a street car, of which a number of windows were open—and he is not even in his seat before DOWN GOES THE WINDOW—afraid of the caress of a sxveet gentle Dreeze. Pity him, maybe "his mammy and his doctor told him to beware of draughts. ,
Have you ever walked down a residential street in the morning, just a while before most people are stirring— and nave you marvelled at how few windows are open even six inches. How on earth do people sleep without fresh air coming into their rooms.
I am sure that fresh air inside and outside will do as good if not a better job than most of the fragrant soaps that our radios constantly blare at us about. There is no profit in selling fresh air so there does not seem to be any cause for advertising it— no profit to the advertising agency, no tourist lure, all countries have it, and for free, maybe that is why it is not highly touted. I   have   often  noticed people
riding in automobiles, with all their windows closed, how do they manage it. They are so afraid of the air, or jjerhaps just too lackadaisical to notice it. Even having to signal a left-hand turn, some drivers are so lazy about it, that they lov/cr their window only enough to get their fingers out at the top of window which should mean a right-hand turn, but they intend it to mean left.
I have seen three strapping workers driving in a coupe (these particular fcllov/s I have seen many times) with aU windows closed the warmest of days. What kind of workers can they bei anyhow? They were obviously out-of-door workers, so one would have thought a little fresh air on the way to the job would condition them for the days work.
And what do people think when they sit in crowded blue-hazed atmospheres at meetings or beer-parlors—where usually very few windows are open. Dare one breathe deeply in these places? Can one breathe even normally in
such places? Can many of those assembled think clearly or intelligently in such places? Of cotu:se there may be some reason for not thinking either clearly or intelligently in beer parlors or night clubs for that is the reason they likely go to such places—but I thought people go to meetings to think and contribute something of themselves—but some of the confused nonsense and tmawarenoss exhibited at some of the meetings I have attended cannot possibly be due entirely to lack of brains or common sense, for some of the worst violators are otherwise successful individuals in their respective personal spheres—but then maybe under our present economic system success m our personal spheres may be the result of muddled thinking.
It is good to see increasing numbers of people? at the beaches—for apart from the value of sunshine taken in sensible doses and the added benefit of the ocean water, out here — there is the cooling, cleansing, refreshing action of the
WITH THE ARMED FORCE-S e CONGRATS to Dinah Shore, of the Shore-nuff beautiful voice, on her rating in the second annual poll by Billboard magazine on what the boys in the U.S. A. camps want in musical personalities. . . . Dinah came out tops in the feminine vocal division — and you can be sure the boys overseas agree with their buddies here. . . . Back in civilian life is Sgt. Dave Rose, on a medical discharge. . . . Dave, you remember, is one of those fortunate few whose career wasn't interrupted by his military service, for his Uncle Sam found his musical gift extremely useful. . . . His discharge follows several months' confinement in a hospital. MUSICAL NOTES
Did you know that the Stadium Concerts,    those popular-priced open-air offerings of good music given every summer at the Lewis-holn Stadium of New York's City College originated 28 years ago as a two-week concert series for servicemen? . . . Then, as now, Mrs. Charles S. Guggenheimer, chair-m.an of the Concerts, ran the show . . . More than 50,000 servicemen are expected to attend this season's 54 concerts   (on week-end nights men in imiform are admitted free). . . . An up-and-coming young violinist is Paul Wolfe, who combines study at Queens College with serious symphony orchestra work. . . . He's the son of composer-pianist Jacques Wolfe, and his ambition is to become the con-certmaster or conductor of a symphony orchestra. . . . The Metropolitan   Opera's  "Italian tenor," Jan Peerce, feels flattered when people call him the second Caruso, but insists that reaUy he is the first Peerce. . . . And he's not kidding there, for he actually is the first one to bear the name Peerce. . . . The name was created for him by the late Roxy, who "discovered"  his  singing  gift,  and who thought that the name Jacob Pin-kus Perelmuth was a little im-wieldly for a tenor. . . . Right in the groove dug by the Gershwm film   biography,    "Rhapsody in Blue," are two new Victor Red Seal albums of Gershwin masterpieces. . . . One brings you the
famed Rhapsody, and the other is an orchestral arrangement of the only Gershwin opera, "Porgy and Bess."
STEIN SONG
One of the cutest of the multitudinous Gertrude Stein stories is the one concerning a royalty check sent her by her publisher, Bennett Cerf. . . . Feeling that Gertie would appreciate a little Steinese, Cerf made out the check for "two thousand dollars". . . . Whereupon Miss Steui lapsed into ordinary English just long enough to cable him: "Cut out this nonsense and make my check out properly". ... In case you've been wondering how she managed to live in relative peace during the Nazi occupation of France, you should know that it was aU due to a French gendarmerie occupation of France, you should know that it was all due to a French gendarmerie captain, who did a little expert fmagling with her identification pass and his report on her (which should have been sent to the Nazis, but-wasn't). . . . Recently, after the liberation, the captain told her why: "I thought you v/ere too old to go to a concentration camp." TIDBITS
Jack Skirball, the movie producing ex-rabbi, may invade Broadway again next season, for Franz Werfel has promised him first reading of the new play he's working no. . . . Tlie play has a postwar theme. . . . Another Kurt Weill musical is expected on the Great White Way this year, with a book by Maxwell Anderson. . . . It should be something—and tliat means something good. . . . Among the actors whom Broadway may see during the coming season are those veteran matinee idols Francis Lederer and Joseph Schildraut. . . . Schildkraut, we understand, is a little annoyed with the tjlolly-wood masterminds who didn't give him the title role in the film version of "Uncle Harry," the hit in which he was starred on Broadway a couple of years ago. ... If you're interested in the theatre or are planning to carve out a career in that field don't miss Harold Clurman's fascinating history of the Group Theatre, "The Fervent Years."        —Seven Arts Feature
wind and even the breeze. He who cannot enjoy the delicious coolness of the breezes upon his body—is not aware of living. I am always amused, when I hear people explaining the cause of their "colds"—^they can tell you the exact draught that caused their cold—^when the truth is more likely to be that they haven't been allowing their skins to get enough draught.
We are all looking for the solution to two outstanding problems that are increasingly gravor-these are the personal health of our people, and the economic health of our civilization. Sometimes, in fact many times I have thought that the solution lies in both cases —in our changing our ways drastically. We have got to get out-of-doors more than we have been doing of late years.
We have got to stop delegating work to others, or pretty soon w^e will be doing nothing for ourselves. We are already living far too vicariously.
Sometimes I think it were better for our civilization, if more of us used our hands and our bodies more—and our wits less. I think that we must definitely encourage cur young people to be active physically while they are young so that they may build into themselves good strong muscles and tissues.
Sometimes I think that a great many individuals wotdd get a real healthy thrill out of life, if they took a hand in helping build their own homes, digging their own gardens, and keeping them in trim. Sometimes I think that more of us ought to build more of the furniture and conveniences which our minds should be able to conceive.
Sometimes I think that if our economic structure were to operate satisfactorily—it will have to be stripped of a lot of useless unnecessary trimmings that accomplish nothing except keep men and women racking their brains— instead of their bodies.
Sometimes I think we have got to so arrange our affairs that we will get out-of-doors more during the daylight hours, and that indoors work be done after dark.
Sometimes I think, that we must rearrange our affairs so that people may travel more — and breathe the air and drink tlie water and experience the heat and cold of other areas and other altitudes.
Sometimes I think, we should be doing more diversified jobs—so ■that we may be able to develop every part of our bodies and our mmds. I believe that we have tended far too much to specialization—resultmg in warped, lopsided bodies and personalities. Perhaps our progress lies in developing a civilization in which all of us are workers, scientists, inventors, experimenters—thriUing and pulsating to life and interest.
Sometimes I think what is needed is less of respect and kowtowing to the greatness of organ-izmg and administrative genius, political leaders, great scientists, artists, and orators and so-called statesmen—and that we develop a
greater respect and admiration for the dignity of honest-to-goodn»3s hard work and sweat.
Sometimes I think, "Thou shalt eai;n they bread by the sweat of thy brow" Avas just good advice —and cer*'<inly not a curse.
Endorsation Granted
J^ates Name Purpose Amount
June 6th to June 30th Van. Aux. No. 77 B'nai B'rith Raffle July 1st to Aug. 15th    Vancouver Peretz School   Building $10,000.00
Hanita Club Raffle LiUian Freiman Hadassah Concert Lillian Fi^eiman Hadassah B'azaar
July, Aug. & Sept. September 24th only November 15th only
VANCOUVER JEWISH ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL ENDORSATION BUREAU