THE JEWISH WESTBBN BUI/I/ETIN
The Jewish Western BuUetin
Published Every Tbureday by THE VAircrOuVEE JITWISH ADBUNISTBATIVE COXTircrL 2675 Oak Street, Bay. 4210 - - Vancouver, BXJ.
Acting Editor: DAVID ROME BULUBTIN CWMMITTEE:
Chairman—J. W. Herman Phil Lesser, Mrs. J. Biely, N. G. Levin, Rabbi Samuel Gass and
D, B. Wodllnjrer
Send all news items to the Community Centre. For advertising rates. Phone Community Centre Secretary, Bayvlew 42i0
Thursday, July 12, 1934
Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, July 12, 1934
EDITORIAL
CHAYIM NACHMAN BIALIK
Thousands of Jews wept, tears of holy sorrow as Chayim Nach-man Bialik breathed his last and joined the sparse company of his peers of whom there are but a few in 4000 years of history.
The sorrow is too great and the moment of Ms departure too near for us to appraise his work, and the occasion is much too painful for us toeulogise the departed (what are words before such a loss!). We can only stand in mute pain, land hope that we can, as we will and we must, survive the loss.
It will be difficult to live in a world witihout Bialik. Perhaps
we never needed him more than we d!o now, but it is petty to count our loss the face of such a. tragedy.
We can only coffer up a blessing to God for the privilege of having allowed us to be ihis contemporaries for a time (at least, a privilege that has beien given to only one generation in all our history.
Happy the generation that lived with Bialik! Woe to the generation that lived to see him die!
MUSICAL EVENT
For the first time Vancouver will have an opportunity to listen to a concert of Palestine songs, when Cantor B. G. Nossowsky of Tel Aviv and San Francisco will sing at the Community Centre on Sunday, July 15th, at 8.00 p.m.
. Cantor Nossowsky is very well equipped to render this concert, for he is an expert in this field, having contributed to an excellent book caJ.!-ed "Mizimrath Ha'aretz (Prom the Songs of the Land)" that was published by the Jewish National Fund under the editorship of S. Rosovsky and the supervision of Nathan Bic-
READING NOTES
THE CANADIAN JEWISH CONGRESS
Vancouver Jewry availed itself of the opportuni^ offered it to h^ar a report of the work of the Canadian Jewish Congress from its general-secretary, H. M. Caiserman. The capacity audience during ^e rea,ding of the report land the care vdth which the members iof the various committees followed the activities of the Congress bear adequate witness to the deep roots t"at the Congress ideal has struck within Vancouver Jewry.
At this point we can only express our appreciation of the self-sacrificing work of the secretary—and his staff—and wish them continued success in their undertakings. We pledge them our interest and co-operation, and our most understanding appraisal of the tasks they have undertaken and their efforts in solving their problems.
We would only stress the need for increased financial support
of the institution, and a greater empha,sis on hitherto neglected phases of activity, such as publicity and public (relationship.
But Mr. Caiserman can take back a message that Vancouver is behind the Congress and its present administration.
THE EDITOR'S REPLY TO A READER'S VIEW
In our last issue we published an article sent in by a reader who prefers his name omitted from the discussion, which takes exception to an article in our issue of June 14th. Our article merely reported as news, the arguments that Mr. W. Zukerman used in his analysis of Fascist (?) elements in Zionism. We also reported the claims of S. Rosenfeld in the "Tog" and Greenberg in the "Kaemfer". In that article we very carefully excluded comment of our own in order not to obscure those of Zukerman, Rosenfeld, and Greenberg. We cannot, therefore, see how we "added to the confusion". The reader is obviously not in agreement with Mr. Rosenfeld. That is of course- his own business. He may believe, and many will join him, that Fascism .should be exposed wherever and whenever found, even '1 Zionism. He may also believe that Facsism in Zionism may be dangerou«i. Surely, however* he cannot have seen in the article an apology for Fascism!
The reader sees the power of Fascist elements in Zionism not as an independent political phenomenon but as a fact determined by his class conditioned economic system. The reader is, of course, free to believe whatever he likes. It is not even necessary for him to take all the facts into cog-ni.:ance. But if he wishes to convince others, less credulous, ho had better consider more of the facts
about this situation. Not all middle-class Zionists are infected with Fascism. Many of the Fascist elements of Zionism are working men, not capitalists or middle-class.
But we realize how unimportant facts are compared to "revolutionary edeology."
We also realize how easy it is to say "-The logical line of reasoning then is, undoubtedly, that Zionism must be abolished." For what is it to a man with "idealogy" (a new name for a new religion) that millions of Jews depend on Zionism to save them, that hundreds of thousands have already been saved, that Zionism is the expression of centuries of Jewish life, the form of Jewish dreams and aspirations, of hopes and labours, of tears and joys, of men and of minds, of the 4000 year old past and the infinite humane future, of prophets and of seers, of Herzl and of Bialik? What is all this compared to a theory!
This is a view common among Jews who do not know the facts about Jews, who have no Jewish education, who do not realise that the solution to the Jewish social problem is being worked out in Palestine, that chalut-zim. too. are interested in classes, and are attempting to solve the class problem that exists, not merely invent a cheap formula and apply it indiscriminately.
For even a good formula when indiscriminately, un.sympathetically, and nnintelligently applied, becomes a cheap formula.
REMARKS OF LOUIS LIPSKY (Continued from Page 1)
looking to the nations responsible for his appointment for adequate support of the tasks which have 'been assigned to him. They have assumed no responsibility; neither .in terms of financial and nor in terms of service or aocom-modation; they have -merely shifted all their responsibilities to Mr. McDonald. The burden therefore rests upon us to help Mr. McDonald deal with the problem of the refugees. They must not be allowed to become a souree of social or economic irritation.
"Despite the current efforts of Mr. M(JDonald, however, the only open door through which a substantial number of the exiles have passed during the last twelve months is the door that opens into Palestine. Down the road that leads from Berlin to Trieste and thence to Haifa, there came, since the advent of the new German government last spring, over thousand Jews from Germany, out of a total entering Palestine in 1933 of over 40,000. From the heavily clouded skies of the German Heich and the sultry atmosphere of refugee camps, in other European lands, into the sunny land of promise the exiles are now moving with regularity and system; and as the road becomes more familiar and the possibilities of the land l>ecome more generally known, a way is being prepared for thousands of others to follow them in due course. At first they came timidly, with suspicion and fear, but by now the land is farr/iliar ground, climate, customs, language and people are no longer strange; and !n a surprisingly short time a lawyer of Jewish life that only yesterday s^vam in a sea of anti-Semitic troubles In Germany, has been added to the fosindatic.is of the Homeland."
Cantor Nossowsky stritzky. Cantor Nossowsky has also
been sent by the Jewish National Fund to the Galleel to sing before the Cha-lutzim, and he has done much io organize singing groups in Palestina, especially for the Ishurun Society and the Oneg Shabath. He has sung and conducted choirs in the great synagogues of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and has the highest references from the greatest authorities and rabbis in Palestine and America. For the last four years Mr. Nossowsky has been acting as the cantor for the Orthodox Knesseth Israel Congregation of Sau Francisco. He is in Vancouver on his vacations, and he has taken this opportunity of conducting services i:i Vancouver and Victoria.
The new music of Palestine is one of the most interesting features of the new life that has grown up in that country in recent years. The music is a natural growth, fostered by the new environment but carrying within it many of the aspects of our past life. However, there have b^en added many of the aspects of the new life, as well as the peculiar elements of the environment from which the Jewish people have become estranged. It is therefore interesting to watch this growth. The result has been a work of great beauty and charm.
Another interesting item to look at! A Hebrew Opera programme published by the Palestine (Golinkin) Opera on its tenth anniversary. The play is Verdi's "Traviata," in a Hebrew translation from the Italian, and the programme has an English section.
• • •
This spring Tel Aviv reached the hoary age of 25. Celebrations took place, and delegates from Italy, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Yugo Slavia, Greece, Latvia, Esthonia, Lithanla, Poland, Syria, Hungary and Roumania, came. On the occasion the city of Tel Aviv published a small booklet with the programme, greetings, pictures.
• • •
The Montreal Jewish Chronicle does not frequently have exclusive articles of a very high rank, but its current issue features one by Dr. Michael Bervowitz "I Knew Herzl," which is very interesting and contains material showing iHerzl's changing attitude to Hebrew. At first he gave Hebrew up as a national living language, but he later learned that Hebrew had never died, and his Hebrew edition of "Judenstadt" contained his revised, and more optimistic views on our language.
* » *
The clearest narration of what happened in Germany during "the-coun-ter-second-'counter-revolt - revolution-riot - shot - while - trying-to-escape-affair" is printed in the; TIME of July 9th- It makes disgusting reading because it deals with disgusting people doing disgusting things, but students of current affairs these days have to suffer much.
* * *
"The Judaea" and the "Canadian Zionist" both feature articles by Rabbi J. L. Zlotnick.
When Abie's mother took her son to Goldstein's clothing store to buy him a pair of trousers, she told him that he was now old enough to select his ow-n clothes, and told him to make his own choice. Abie looked over the stock and finally made a selection.
"That's my choice, mother," he said. His choice bore a card which read: "These pants can't be beaten."
strangely haunting melody, and queer retentivity.
He will conduct services in the Sha'arei Tzedeck Congregation on Friday night, admission free, and the concert will be given Sunday night. (Silver collection, part of the proceeds for the Jewish National Fund). Every Jew is expected to be present.
RESOLUTION
B'nai Brith Convention Headquarters Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, B.C. July 3rd, 1934.
Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin, 2675 Oak Street, Vancouver, B.C.
G-entlemen:
Enclosed you will please find a Resolution adopted at the seventy-first Annual Session of B'nai Brith District Grand Lodge, No. 4, in which the members unanimously and unequivocally adopted a resolution condemning the exhibition of objectionable films. The delegates considered this a matter of great importance, in view of the Jews' present position and it was, therefore, voted that the Jewish Press give this resolution complete publicity. The B'nai Brith now joins the great Christian and Jewish bodies that have already 'expressed themselves on this vital issue.
Very truly yours,
SOL SHjVERMAN, Chairman.
WHEREAS the motion picture industry commands weekly attendance of millions of people in America; and
WHEREAS, it can be of a power of great evil or good in its influenoe upon children, adolescents and adults alike, and
WHEREAS, it has frequently exhibited motion pictures of salacious romances and sensational crimes which engender anti-social outlooks and tendencies; and
WHEREAS, world conditions demand that every effort be made to strengthen the moral fibre and social responsibility of humanity;
NOW THEREPX3RE BE IT RESOLVED: That the B'nai Brith, District No. 4, embracing eight western states and British Columbia, {jo on record as unanimously favoring the elimination of all films in the motion picture industry, which tend "to lower the moral standards of individuals; and further, that it commends to motion picture pro-ducei-s, the production of those films which promote wholesome entertainment, aesthetics and education, for the peace and culturfe of civilized society.
Respectfully submitted,
SOL Sn^VERMAN, Chairman MAURICE L. RAIPHELD SAMUEL EDELSSTEIN RABBI SAMUEL H. GORDON RABBI WILLIAM M. STERN
SHA'AREI TZEDECK CONGREGATION
announces that this Friday services will be conducted by
CANTOR NOSSOWSKY
of Palestine and San Francisco
AuiiOuIiCllig
A PROGRAUME OF
by the famous cantor and musical student
BEN GERSHON NOSSOWSKY
accompanied by IVaSS HELEN ROME
at the
COMMUNITY CENTRE
Simday Evening at 8.30
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