The Canadian English-Jewish Weekly
VOL. XXXI
MONTREAL, JULY 8, 1949
No. 41
Dean Of Reform Rabbis Was Life-Long Opponent Of Zionism
Dr. David Philipson, of Cincinnati, Ohio, dean of the Reform rabbinate in the United States, died in Boston, Mass., at Beth Israel Hospital. He was 87 years old. Dr. Philipson was brought to the hospital from Bretton Woods, N. H., where he was attending the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Dr. William J. Brickley, Boston medical examiner, conducted a postmortem and announced that Dr. Philipson had been suffering from a heart condition and arteriosclerosis. It was also learned that Dr. Philip&on had suffered first and second degree burns while at a Boston hotel before going to Bretton Woods. He was treated by the hotel physician, to whom he said he had suffered the burns while taking a shower. Dr. Philip-son went to New Hampshire the next day, but was stricken and brought to Boston by automobile.
A staunch advocate of the com-patability of American and Jew, ne long opposed Jewish nationalism of any sort, particularly Zionism. He was, however, intensely sympathetic toward Palestine as a place of refuge fo: oppressed Jews of Europe and as a center of Jewish culture and learning. In 1943 at the Central Conference of American Rabbis he called for a resolution censuring the British for opposing admission of Jewish refugees into Palestine.
Dr. David Philipson continued to his very last days to follow in the path of his longtime friend, the late Rabbi Isaac M. Wise, in opposition to Jewish nationalism.
On the occasion of the establishment of the State of Israel, Dr. Philipson deplored the fact that the goal of Zionists had been achieved. Since that time he had told friends that he believed Israel jviaxitod help aa a refuge but that be no political con-
ous with our daily environment as American citizens thoroughly integrated into the life of our country, America, and steadfast in devotion to our religious faith, Judaism.
"Not on the basis of constituting a separate national group, or on vague secular sentiments, but on the firm foundation of a blending of the completely compatible philosophies of Judaism and Americanism should the rabbis seek to strengthen and bring inner security to the Jews of America. We share common religious beliefs with those in Israel who are Jews, but we have no political or national rights in or responsibilities to their state as they have no national connection with us.
"We seek to build here in America a Judaism that will serve as a shining example to the Jews of Israel and all other communities throughout the world."
Dr. Philipson retired in 1938 after serving fifty years as rabbi of Bene Israel Congregation on Rockdale Avenue, Cincinnati, the oldest Jewish congregation west of the Alleghenies. He had previously served four years as rabbi of Har Sinai Congregation in Baltimore.
He was credited with taking an
(Continued on Page Four)
Says Israel Expects Vast Aid Sum
Daniel Frisch, candidate for president of the Zionist Organization of America, said that of the $800,000,000 which Israeli Finance Minister Eleazer Kaplan deemed necessary to meet the new
Banker Was Noted For Racing Stables
Baron Edouard de Rothschild of the famous banking house, who was noted especially as a sportsman, breeder and owner of racing horses, died in his home in Paris, France, at the age of 81. Baron de Rothschild was n director in the family banking house and president of the North Railway in France. He also was interested in many other business enterprises.
On the Paris racetracks, his stables over the years were known for their excellence and for the unusual number of extraordinary race horses they produced, including the famous Brantome.
During the occupation, Baron dc Rothschild was deprived of French nationality and took refuge in the United States. His home, possessions and racing stables were seized by the Germans. The horses were all removed and the zUble only recently was reorganized.
There was a time during World War II, however, when it appeared that he would be stripped of most of his wealth and all of his power. When Paris fell to the Germans, and he and the Baroness and a daughter, Bethsabee, fled France, arriving in New York, July 10, 1940, among other personal possessions they carried with them a bag containing jewels valued at $1,000,000. Later in that year the Vichy government confis-(Contimted on Pag* Twelve)
Orthodox To Bolster Ties To Israel
Reform Rabbis Hear Israel Accused Of Curbing Religious Freedom
William B. Herlands, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the national body of the 3,000 Orthodox Jewish synagogues in the United States, is on a six-week mission to Israel to explore methods of strengthening its religious ties to American Jews. Mr. Herlands will confer with the religious leaders of Israel and survey the settlements, cultural and educational work and economic enterprises organized by religious groups. He will also study the religious needs of the thousands of immigrants flocking to Israel each month.
Mr. Herlands, former Commissioner of Investigation during the LaGuardia administration, was recently appointed by Robert P. Patterson, former Secretary of War and president of the New York City Bar Association, as chairman of the committee on law reform and member of the special committees on unification of courts, broadcasting and legislation relating to child-adoption procedures.
He has also been recently appointed chairman of the committee <m integration of synagogues of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Greater New York. In this capacity he will co-ordinate the use of the Federation's varied social services by Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Jewish congregations.
New Law Would Make Nation Pay Back Individual Victims For First Time
l v His most recent formal declara-~Ktion on Zionism and Israel was contained in a resolution presented by him and adopted at this year's convention in April of the American Council for Judaism in Chicago.
The resolution follows:
"The time has come for the American rabbinate to lead the way toward a revitalization of Judaism in America.
"The rabbis should stimulate all Jews to seek a knowledge of their religious heritage and imbue them with a firm determination to build here in America a way of life that shall be true to the best tradition of Judaism and perfectly harmoni-
than 800
delegate* representing thirty districts in the Manhattan Zionist Region, at their Sixth Annual Conference at the Park Sheraton Hotel, in New York, he said the money will have to come from two main channels, the United Jewish Appeal and large-scale private investments.
"In the next twelve months more than half the $800,000,000 Eleazer Kaplan requires must come from America," he said. "This can be done by the leadership of Z. 0. A. This money must and will come from the unified efforts of U. J. A., the American Zionist movement and private investments. Private investments would give impetus to more than half of our goal."
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victim* of NttU with an estimated 860,000,000 deutache marks, is tinder final United States Military Government staff study for approval shortly.
The projected law, passed by the United States Zone Council of States last April, marks the first time that a defeated nation will pay "reparations" not only to nations but to individual victims, many of whom now are scattered throughout the world.
It differs from an earlier restitutions law in that German state governments will be required to pay for such abstract damages as restriction of liberty � although a large share of the indemnities will be for stolen cash or other unidentifiable values.
The first restitutions law (Law 59) was restricted to individual restitutions of real and identifiable property. In the new law, one of the provisions calls for a monthly pension for every month spent in a concentration camp.
It is anticipated that Nazi victims who have since emigrated to the United States and other countries or who have been repatriated to their original homelands also will receive payments, probably in the currency of their present residence.
German proponents of the law are pressing to get it passed as soon as possible. They fear that if the new Western Government is organized before the law is approved by the Military Government, they will face further difficulties despite the fact that restitutions are among the reserved powers under the occupation statute.
Those less enthusiastic about this restitutions measure consider it "unfeasible," pointing out the tremendous drain it would have on the German economy in addition to the difficulty in administering it, checking legitimate claims and guarding against fraudulent ones.
John Porter, chief of claims in the United States Military Government property division, pointed out, however, that the basis for the measure is actually an attempt at rehabilitation rather than indemnification. The German economy, he pointed out, could never offer a real indemnification because the wrongs the Nazis perpetrated on their victims were "too great" and could never be equalized.
The purpose of the measure, he continued, was to give Nazi victims a new start in life, whether they were still in Germany or had moved elsewhere.
It is recognized that it will take many years to carry out the projected measure, says the New York Times. The first restitutions law is an example. Proclaimed by the American Military Government on November 10, 1947, affecting about
stantial eaaeav the first restitutions law resulted so far in the settlement of only 907 restitutions.
One of the biggest cases involves the famous Rosenthal china plant in Bavaria. Until a few weeks ago the same group that had attained ownership of the plant during its "Aryanization" was still in control. For two years Philip Rosenthal, the son of the Jewish founder, fruitlessly sought restitution. He has not yet been permitted to take over and his case still is being thrashed out.
Laws similar to Law 59 had been passed in the French and British zones nearly two years ago. Yet one of the biggest restitutions cases in Western Germany, involving the claims o� H. W. Rollman, a former German rubber shoe manufacturer, first entered the final phase of court action in the French zone just last week.
Mr. Rollman, -who has since emigrated to the United States where he has established a new international shoe corporation, is fighting for restitution of his plant in the court at Bernkastel. The present owner, Helmut Lemm, who Mr. Rollman points out, is a convicted Nazi, asserted he obtained possession of the property through ordinary legal bankruptcy proceedings. Mr. Rollman states the alleged bankruptcy was forced upon the family because of their Jewish ancestry.
These cases indicate that even persons of some means and influence are finding the legal procedures required under the restitutions law long and intricate.
These are examples of difficulties in restitutions to individuals in cases of identifiable property. The new restitutions measure promises to increase such difficulties, chiefly in the matter of judging claims.
For example, even though Nazis are prohibited from benefiting under the projected law, Dr. Philip Auerbach, general attorney for restitutions in Bavaria, said he already had received visits from Emma Goering and Frau von Schirach for restitutions of jewelry they said belonged to them and not to their husbands.
As Dr. Auerbach explained the law, 150 deutsche marks would be paid for every month in prison. Pensions would be awarded to widows and orphans of Nazi victims. Hospital and institutional fees would be paid for Naii victims,
Jews who have emigrated to Israel appear to be ready to make a collective claim on the Germans. In that case, Dr. Auerbach said, there was a proposal that prefabricated dwellings be sent to the Israel Government in payment of
(Continued  on  Page
Dr. Abraham J. Feldman, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, embracing the Reform rabbinate, warned against an attempt to institute any form of theocracy in Israel. Opening the sixtieth anniversary convention of the conference at Bret-ton Woods, N. H., he said that despite disavowals by the Israeli Minister of Religion and the Chief Rabbi, of theocratic intentions, there was a "refusal to give religious freedom to the Liberal Jewish communities in Israel."
Judaism has three branches� Orthodox, Conservative and Reform, Reform and Liberal are interchangeable. Dr. Feldman called on the assemblage to "send an appropriately worded representation to men like President Chaim Weiz-mann and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion for a fair and just consideration of this matter."
He asserted that while "the ministry of Religion in the new government and the Chief Rabbi may disavow the intention or the danger of a theocracy, whilst they offer assurance of complete religious freedom to Christians of all denominations and to Moslems, they assure religious freedom only to those Jews who are sharing in the theological views and convictions of the Chief Rabbinate, but refuse to give religious freedom to the Liberal Jewish communities in their midst."
Dr. Feldman declared, however, that there was a "sympathetic attitude of many members of the government toward a democratic and decent response to the cry for fair play."
"No Jews," he said, "ought to be constrained as to their methods of and forms of worship." According to the New York Time*, B* asserted that " ' ^ ~
of a strtetmttd Wgaliatic Interpretation of Judaism and are being subjected to the indignity of being compelled to conform in such matters as marriage and divorce. Unless they conform, marriages are illegal and divorces are impossible."
Dr. Feldman said there were three Liberal congregations in Israel, one each in the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, numbering some 600 to 700 families. He maintained that the leaders in Tel Aviv and Haifa had "no standing before the Rabbinical Court and are not permited to officiate at weddings without Orthodox supervision." He added that the spiritual leader in Jerusalem had a quasi-official standing at the Rabbinical Court and was licensed to solemnize marriages.
He urged the Reform branch in America to make funds available to the Liberal congregation in Israel.
Turning to Reform Judaism in America, Dr. Feldman urged widespread financial support of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the federation of almost 400 Reform Jewish congregations throughout the United States and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the seminary of Liberal Judaism.
"We in the Reform movement," he added, "find ourselves in a critical financial situation."
He urged expansion of*the activ-itites of the Union of American Congregations and the Hebrew college.
"Pulpit oratory" was deplored as a force for religious strength and Reform rabbis were urged to develop new congregational techniques for a more intimate understanding between worshippers and their spiritual leaders.
Rabbi Harry Essrig, of Grand Rapids, Mich., in a paper entitled ' "Jewish Religious Liberalism in the World of Tomorrow," told the rabbis, gathered at the sixtieth annual convention of the Central� Conference of American Rabbis, that they must exploit "the new and more challenging techniques" of congregational forums, group discussions, panels and symposia immediately after religious services.
Unless this is evolved, Rabbi Ess-rig asserted," we will fail in developing good lay leadership in helping our congregations to arrive at democratic decisions and in guiding people toward making their own personal discoveries of religious truths."
The development of such new techniques, he maintained, would rt'ftult in liberation "from our complete dependence upon pulpit oratory."
"We might come to have a broader view of the rabbis' function, not an ecclesiastic monopolizing the keys to salvation or a religious functionary convenient to have around," he said, "but we would come to see the rabbi as a creative thinker who helps mold a community of individuals in their way of thinking and living."
Rabbi Essrig warned against accepting "the fetish of ceremonialism aa providing the necessary alchemy of spiritual rejuvenation that will bring the Jew back to the synagogue; there ia frejater " we nay ufstafes tfee
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