JEWISH WES^EBN BULLETIN
Friday, JSeptember 13,1940
The Jewish Western Biilletm ^ •
Official Organ of the Vancouver Jewish Administrative Council Philip Lesser
-Ghairman 'Administrative Council ____Business Manager and Publisher
Harry Musikansky____________________________
2675 Oak St., BAy. 4210.
Business Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Saturday and Jewish Holy Days. Entered as Second Class Mail Matter at Ottawa
Give according to your ineans, or God will make your means according to your giving—John Hall._
VANCOUVER, B. C, FEIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1940
B'NAI B'RITH
ERSHIF DRIVE
Vancouver Lodge B'nai B'rith is putting on an extensive membership drive, llllr. Jack Hoffman, chairman of the membership committee has issued a stirring appeal for new members. In a concise straightforward manner he ably points out the necessity of all eligible Jews to be members of B'nai B'rith.
It would take many pages to recite the great volume of valuable work the B'nai B'rith is imdertaking, not lonly for the benefit of Jews, but in the interests of humanity at large, exemplifying democracy in its true sense.
In these troublesome times when mankind is faced with many difficult problems, we must persevere without interruption the education of our youth in order that they may be able to cope in a capable manner, perplexing situations, even far more difficiilt than we have today, when they take lOver the leadership from us.
Foreseeing the value of such education, one of B'nai B'rith's major activities is the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation movement, a major expansion of which has just been announced by providing for the opening of 12 new units at as many colleges and universities at the begining of 1940-41 college year will extend Hillel programme to 10,000 additional Jewish students.
The opening of the 12 new units will bring to 43 the nimiber Of Hillel Foundations and Hillel Coimsellorships maintained by B'nai B'rith. With 11 others scheduled to be established by the time the school year is under way, there will be 54 Hillel units serving 30,000 Jewish students.
According to the reports of the delegates who attended the Grand Lodge Convention recently it is proposed to establish a Hillel Foundation unit at the University of British Columbia, which will be of the greatest value to Jewish students in this province.
It is enterprises, such as this, that has made B'nai B'rith an institution renowned on this continent for its noble humanitarian work, respected by Jew and non-Jew alike. It shoiild be an honor to belong to B'nai B'rith and a privilege to be associated with its membership.
1 -• -
Strictly Confidential -'
By PHINEAS J. BIBON FROM FOBEIGN PABTS
•If Nazi bombers feel that they must do some damage in London, why don't they concentrate on 93 Chancery Lane, W.C. 2, the home of the militant "Christian Pfeitriots," who publish anti-Semitic literature for distribution throughout the colonies of the British Empire? . . . . Good news for kiddies is the rumor that the Nazi occupation of Norway will cause a considerable shortage
of Cod Liver Oil this season.....
The Berliner Illustriorte Zeitunghas published an elaborate illustrated supplement, printed on excellent paper in fair Eiiglish, for U.S. consumption. . . . The pictures in that issue—which, incidentally, reach a new high in technical achievement— ate designed to prove that the Germans are the world's most fearless fighters and make the most gentlemanly army of occupation of conquered lands in history. . . The ill-hess of Pinchas Rutenberg, which forced him to resign as the head of the Jewish National Council in Pal-eistine, comes at a most inopportune moment. . . . He is one of the few personalities in the Jewish Homeland who could achieve unity among the too many political parties there. NOW IT CAN BE TOLD
Jean Giraudouji, head of the French Information Bureau while France was still at war, believed in Hitler's racial theories. . . . When the last French war cabinet discussed surrender and Georges Mandel, the only Jewish member of the ministry, insisted on fighting on, Jean Ybarne-garay, who represented • the Fascist Croix de Feu, jumped up and shrieked: "Of course YOU have special reasons to keep, on fighting. . • Hitler would never make peace with YOU." . . . That was Mr. Ybarne-garay's revenge for Mandel's having thrown some of his Fascist colleagues into prison. . . . Strange though it may seem, an isolated case of German humor does occasionally come out of France. . . . There is, for example, a poster that's plastered all over the occupied territory, with the caption "We missed the bus because we used parachutes". . . . The poster shows a German parachutist dangling on the Eiffel Tower. . . . you SHOULD KNOW
Some Jewish organization should check on the charge, made by Arthur Settel in the Protestant Digest, that there is in this country a group still actively circulating the "'Protocols of the Elders of Zion". . . . The head oif the group is reported to be none other than W. J. Cameron, who holds the. important and well-paid post of public relations counsel to Henry Ford. . . . The Nazi-loving papers here, which were all set to support Willkie, felt hit over the head when the Republican nominee disowned the support of the Bund element in
this country. ... In a quandary because, while they don't like Willkie any more they still hate Mr. Roosevelt with all their might, one paper, after much sweating and deep thought, found the formula. . . .It runs something like this: "We don't like. what Willkie says, but we're sure that, being of German stock, he can't be quite as bad as Roosevelt." SCREEN DEPT.
We wish Walter Wanger would heed Sidney Skolsky's plea to remove from his picture "Foreign Correspondent" a sequence that spoils the whole film. . . . We refer to the glorification of a confessed colum-ner, who, after having betrayed his country, is permitted to die a hero's death. . . , When this happens the foreign correspondent is heard to say: "I don't care how he lived — he died like a hero". . . . Such nonsense shouldn't be allowed even for the sake of a movie thrill. , . . Would Mr. Hays permit such dialogue in reference to a gangster and a confessed murderer? . . . Hollywood is making a great many anti-Nazi films these days—but certain producers, still convinced that business comes first, are negotiating with the Nazis for permission to exhibit American pictures in Nazi-occupied lands. . . . THIS AND THAT
The original John D. Rockefeller was regarded as an eccentric because he distributed dime tips only, but the members of the Rothschild fi'.mily went one better when they arrived in this country, tipping only a nickel at a time in the classic t places. . . . They changed their wa>3 after embarrassed friends called their attention to the fact that American waiters don't buy their groceries with French currency.....
Cinderella won't have a thing on the patrons of Ohrbach's Department Store, down on New York's Fourteenth Street, pretty soon. . . Ohrbach's is planning to introduce an all-glass slipper—^with a pyrex heel, if you want to know. . . From Ohio comes word that a new ice cream specialty is being featured in a number of little towns. . . . It's advertized as a "Hitler Sundae—half nuts" ... A lady of our acquaintance, who spent most of last winter knitting sweaters for French soldiers, was horrified the other day to receive a note from Germany, saying: "Der Fuehrer thanks you for your kind efforts in our behalf. . . " JEWISH NEWS
The formation of a Jewish "civil service" organization, which would include the employes of all important Jewish organizations and provide for them some sort of security in their jobs, is well under way. . . Now that the American Jewish Press Club seems to be on the road to being firmly established, it may not hurt to reveal that about ten years
In our town there occurred recently the national convention of the Agudath Israel, the organization that has to do with preserving ultra-Orthodoxy.
Some of our people were embarrassed by the large number of rabbis with long coats and long beards who were going about town. Some of them wore the satin, padded coats and the wide fur-trimmed hats of the chassidic persuasion. There was special distress in our community because one of the daily papers printed the picture of a large group of these bearded rabbis—a veritable forest of beards, some thought.
It was asked: "What will people say when they look at this? Is such an exhibition good for us? No, it isn't good for us."
I confess that I myself don't like beards. So deeply did I feel on the matter of these beards, especially because of their implications when seen on Jewish faces, that I was on the point of Issuing an appeal to the visiting clergy: "Reverend sirs, be so good as to remove your beards during your stay in our city. The non-Jewish public is against beards and you will do a great service to Israel in our city if you took yours off. Our Jewish people feel that beards are un-American.
Doubtless, the rabbis would have protested. Who was I to repeal an ordination that was established in the Torah? Beards, they would have told me, contain more or less sacred connotations. I should as soon invite them to mass in St. Peter's Cathedral as to ask them to remove their beards. It was the same kind of affront.
"But gentlemen," I would have argued, "a lot of our people feel dreadfully Upset on account of your beards. They say your beards make for anti-Semitism. It is like evil fruit growing out of your beards, you' might say. Remember, gentlemen,, JeWs have given up much Tnote'than^ beards for the sake of Israel. Many
ago Joe Brainin incorporated the American Jewish Press Association' for exactly the same purpose, but then decided it was a premature undertaking. . . . The well-known artist Elias M. Grossman has made some fine reproductions of his splendid portrait of the late Vladimir Jab-: otinsky, and is selling them at the cost price of ten dollars. . . You can order your copy from the Jabotinsky Portrait Committtee at 1123 Broadway, New York. . . .
THE LAST ACT
Walter Hasenclever, the witty and gifted dramatist, rang down the curtain over his own last act recently. . He had been living in France, and when the Nazis marched in he tried to escape to Spain. . . . Vl^en Spain refused to let him in, he hanged himself in the waiting room of the bor-dertown railroad station. . . Hasenclever, in case you don't remember, was in pro-Hitler days one of the most successful and sought-after dramatists in Germany. . . . He was regarded as surefire box office, a sort of one-man combination of George S. Kaufman, Eugene O'Neill and William Saroyan. ...
ABOUT PEOPLE
It does one's heart good to know that Albert Bassermann, the German actor, well on in tiis seventies, who fied Hitlerland because he couldn't stomach the Nazis, and who when he arrived in the U.S. couldn't speak a word of English, will soon be starred in his own right by HoUjnvood. . . . His performance as Professor Koch in "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet" and as the Dutch statesman in "Foreign Correspondent" is considered tops. . . Don't be surprised if he gets the Academy award for the best supporting role of the year. ... It now seems definite, incidentally, that Luise Rainer is, Hollywood-bound again, and we do wish her luck with her new picture. ... A reader wants us to tell you that Morris E. Adelstein of Rapid City, South Dakota, is the president of the Northwestern Engineering Company, which has just completed two sections of the famous Pennsylvania Turnpike. . . . The Mexican painter Diego Rivera, who for ai time was the late Leon Trotsky's host, isn't so sure that the Trotsky assassins haven't him on their list too. ... At least, they say that Rivera, who's now painting a mural in San Francisco, keeps a couple of pistols on the scaffolding beside him at all times. ...
in olden-times give up tkeir lives: Can''you not^ for Israel's sake sacrl-' fice your beards for the period you are in our city?" ' '
Finally the wisest one among them surely would have said: "All right then, Mr. Segal, I'll remove my beard. It's the least a man can do for afflicted Israel in your city. God will forgive me, knowing as He .does, that I have done it for the happiness of Israel in your community. I shall go and submit myself to the barber. Lo! My entir^ countenance will be nakedly exposed to the sight of men and my beard will no longer give offense to any Jew or non-Jew."
That's the idea, reverend sir! It's all a matter of being pleasing. We must please everybody and then everything will be all right with us."
"But, Mr. Segal, I must confess something. It's between you and me. That's understood, isn't it?"
"Yes, perfectly!"
"I shall tell you: I have a wart on my cheek! When my beard has been cut away this wart will be discovered."
"But rabbi! What's a wart? A lot of people have warts. A wart's nothing to worry about.
"Yes, my friend, but you don't understand! Mine is a Jewish wart! That makes a big difference. Millions of people have warts which are tolerated. But consider: Will they tolerate my wart when it is exposed? Remember, it is a Jewish wart. The anti-Semites will say, 'He can't fool us. His Jewish beard is off but look at the-Jewish wart on him. We are against Jewish warts the same as we are against Jewish beards.'
"So you see, my dear Mr. Segal, it would be a vain sacrifice of a beard. I should delight to do anjrthing I could for the happiness of the Jewish people of your city but what's the good if a Jewish beard is removed only to expose a Jewish wart?"
After considering the matter in the light of this wisdom I decided to drop the idea of persuading the rabbis to take off their beards while in our city. I tolerated them the whole week they were in town. Through the unimpeded vie that my own clean-shaven face offers my eyes, I could see that they had a unique idea.
It had to do with God and on account of Him they were having this meeting. There hadn't been any big meetings for God's sake. Jewish conventions have had to do more with Hitler and what to make of hjm and other anti-Semites. In Jewish life God hadn't been of late the old Comforter who healed the pain of the fathers. In some sections of Jewish life, as in a large area of non-Jewish life, God had become an antiquity foreign to a streamlined age.
But these bearded people had come to our city with the idea that God is ultimately of far greater importance in the affairs of the world than Hitler. Hitler was an evil phase; they weren't troubled as riuch about him as about the status of God in the world.
They were particularly distressed because people have been inquiring, "Where is God? This God of justice about whom we were taught? The Grod of mercy of whom it was written that he sustained the living with loving kindness and healed the sick and quickened the dead? Where is he?"
These questionings suggested that God was no longer in the hearts of many men and that the ancient faith no longer was a hot flame to keep their souls warm in adversity. Ifj God was no longer in their hearts, j then Hitler had won a great victory. —greater than the conquest of France and Belgium, Holland, Norway and Denmark. He had caused men to lose their faith in God and to give their fearful reverence to the power of Stukas, tanks and bombs. Hitler had dethroned God.
And if God was not in the hearts of men what became of compassion and Justice, or righteousness and loving-kindness? These lights gone. Hitler will have wrought a complete devastation.
These meditations oppressed the souls of the rabbis who had come to our city to do something about restoring God. They know Him well from old as the one to whom a thousand years were as a day. The cur-lent moment was but a wink of God's eye and the day's events were no more than an evil dream that passes in the darkness. In their eyes the only reality was the ever-living God.
If many Jews pointed scornfully at their beards these rabbis looked sadly at the hearts of Jews. I had "to confess that what Jews have or do not have in their hearts is more important than the hair on their faces. This dazzling enlightenment helped me to tolerate the rabbis' beards all week.
PIONEER WOMEN '
■To open tiheir fall seaspn, the-:Pio-neer Women will hold a social evefx-, ing at the hWe of..Mrs| H. Faghin, 806 West 19"th A^yepue on Satu^dayi September 21. Cards will be played and refreshments served.
T^ud toraK Ladies \ \ Auxiliary
The Jfirst regular meeting will be held on Thursday evening, September 19, at 8:00 p.m., in the Community Centre. Members 9-nd friends are urged to attend. .■
Wm THE WAR^BUY WAR SAVINGS BONDS
SGHARA TZEDECK
ale of Seats
FOR THE fflGH HOLIDAYS
At The Synagogue, Heatley Ave. and Pender St., and Heather Hall, 2547 Heather St., cor. Broadway.
FOR MEMBERS ONLY Sunday, Sept. 22—10 a.m.-l p.m.; 7-9 p.m.
General Public
Every Day Following: - - 7-9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 - - 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 - - 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 1 - 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
All sale of seits for the Heather Hall and the Synagogue will take place at the Synagogue only
Members are urgently requested to take advantage of the day allocated to them to secure suitable seats
M. Miner, Executive Secretary.
Beth Israel Congregation High Holiday
Seat Reservations
Beth Israel Congregation takes pleasure in an-nouncing to the Community at large that services for the approaching High Holidays vnSl be held in the PETER PAN HALL, 1636 W. Broadway. Services will be conducted by Rabbi Samuel Cass and Cantor Jacob Sivowich, assisted by the Choir.
In order that members of the Community may make then* seat reservations, the committee on seat assignment will be in attendance at the Community Centre on the following dates:
FOR MEMBERS ONLY Sunday, Sept. 15 - 4.00 to 6.00 P.M.
GENERAL PUBLIC Wednesday, Sept. 18 - 7.30 to 9.00 P.M.
4.00 to 6.00 P.M. 7.30 to 9.00 P.M.
Sunday, Sept. 22 Wednesday, Sept. 25
Sunday, Sep*-
Tuesday, October 1
Worshippers are kindly asked to co-operate with the committee by making their seat reservations as early as possible, on the above ^tes.
7.30 to 9.00 P.M.
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Divine Services
5701—1940
Tishri 1—First Day of New Year................................Oct. 3
Tishri 3—Fast of Gedaliah............................................Oct. 5
Tishri 10—Yom Kippur ..............................................Oct. 12
Tishri 15—First Day o£ Tabernacle ........................Oct. 17
Tishri 21—Hoshanah Rabbah ...................................Oct. 23
Tishri 22—Sh'mini Atseres............................,...........Oct. 24
Tishri 23—Simchas-Torah..........................................Oct. 25
Cheshvan—Rosh Chodesh ......................................Nov. 1-2
Kislev—Rosh-Chodesh ..................................................Dec. 1
Kislev 25—First Day of Hanukkah..........................Dec. 25
Tobet—Rosh-Chodesh ............................................Dec. 30-31
Holidays begin on the evening preceding the dates designated.
* Also observed previous day.