NEW YORK — An official body of the Soviet Governinent has published a book for pppular consumption which attacks JeAys and the Jewish r e 1 i g i.o n by using I^azi-like caricatures and an extens iy e glossary of crude anti-Semitic diatribes.
Morris B: Abram, President of the American Jewish Committee, wliich has long been com-r bating the Sbyiet policy of anti-Semitism, revealed the publication of the laO-page Ukrainian language book entitled Judaiism Without Embellishment. He discussed the Soviet's official'policy olf anti^Semitisni ^t a press ironferericehere at the American Jewish; Gomirdil^e^^ Jnstitutei of Human - Relatibiis,; its hatiohal headquarters. The book, which bears the official.imprimatur of the. Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Hepublic, is- one of two, copies said' to be available in the. West-erli world.
xnillion Russian Jews are being used as scapegoats for internal economic problems." Mr. ^^bram added:
Tl^e situation of Soviet Jews' continue to- worsen as the Sor viet government regresses to: the crudest forms of anti-Semitism. The government is resdrting to stirring up ; long smoldering
hatreds which have been particularly strong in the Ukraine lor generations^^r prec the Russian revolution; These are shiockingly cyriicai and rfeaction-iary tactics which can only lead to even greater threats against the security and well-being of Si^veral million JeWs in the USSR."
The United Jewish Appeal Pre-Campaign Diijner will take iilace this Sunday, March 15, at; the Jewish Confin^unity Ceri^jce. \ It will commence at 6.30 p.m.
The dinner will mark ; the' opening of the 1964 UJA Cam-; paign, and . will occasion jthei honoring of workers from ithel 19,Qa:> Campaign; and the ejii!QiU«i
Of the United.l^atipns ^uhicom-mission on the Preventioh of piscriminatipii and Protection of Mporities. He recently submitted; toi iihie Subcommissioh a draft cbriyiention on the problem of racial and religious discrim-iriatibn,' / -aiid he has been especially actiye in drawing international attention to anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Ukrainian publication bears the imprint of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The author of the book is M. K. Kychko; it carr ries the dateline of Kiev 1963.
Mr. Abram stressed that the Soviet anti-Semitic booklet "re-fleeted in a most priinitive and Vulgar fashion the Soviet government's official anti-Semitic campaign in which some three
High
hew
All attending the dinner willi have an ^opportunity to pai^cl-pate in *i door prize draw > ^the; prize being a weekend at Harri-; son Hot Springs li9iel.[; . : > Reservations for t^e' dinner,; at a cost? of $2r.50 per. plate,, aiay' be made by calling the UJA-office at 261-8101. There will be no solicitation for funds at the function.
Guest speaker will be a top Israeli foreign expert, Shmuel Bendor. He is Deputy Director General of the Prime Minister's office, and will be making his first official visit to our city. Mr. Bendor has held numerous key. diplomatic posts on, behalf of the Israel Government, and| will bring a'first^and; report oif
SHMUEL BENDOR
the Israel scene in 1964.
The chairman of this year's drive, S. H. Rosen, has called upon all workers and supporters of the yJA to turn out in large nuniibers to hear Mr. Bendor's message, and indicate support iot the important tasks of the
NEW YORK—-west, German authorities have sought assistance of World Jewish Congress in New York in new investigations about the Nazi massacre of several thousand Jews in 1941, in Mogilew, Russia.
Several high - ranking members of the SS, one of whom has already been sentenced for atrocities, are under investigation. The charges against them involve the kiiiing of several thousand Jews in October, 1941, in the area of Mogilew. Accused of master-minding the murders is an SS Major-General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, twice convicted of crimes, who is presently in prison.
Tiie investigation how in process involves several other members of vor* dem Bach-Zelewski's staff.
According to information received by World Jewish Congress, West German prosecuting authorities are proceeding in the belief that those SS-officers who participated in the Mogilew mur-
ders were also responsible for the annihilation of several thousand Jews in the area of Bialy-stok.
World Jewish Congress is seeking witnesses to both incidents and anyone who can offer testimony is requested to contact: Institute of Jewish Affairs at the World Jewish Congress, 15 East 84th St., New York 28, N.Y.
Brazilians return from Soviet Union
RIO DE JANEIRO — Official figures disclose a total of 231 Brazilians, including many Jews, have been repatriated to Brazil from the Soviet Union. It was indicated SCO more seek repatriation.
Over i,000 Brazilians relinquished their citizenships several years ago and left for the USSR to settle permanently. All have since sought return to Brazil
Judaka fund
The Judaica Collection at the University of British Columbia Library, established by Canadian Jewish Congress in commemoration of the Bicentenary of Jewish settlement in Canada, will be augmented through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Esmond Lando, and Mr. and Mrs. M. I. Lerman. The Lando contribution was given in honor of Mr. and Mrs. M. I. Lerman's fortieth wedding anniversary and the Lerman gift was donated to honor Mr. and Mrs. Ben Kanee on the occasion of their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
An effort is being made to raise funds for the Judaica Library in order to provide for the purchase of new books. Dr. Sam Rothstein, Dean of the School of Library Science, has stated that the collection is already an impressive and much used addition to t\\e University library. __
Mr. Abram charged that the book is a "hodge-podge, of misinformation, distortipn,, malicious gossip and insulting references to Jews and Judaism.'' H6 said that the book; "venom ously attacks' Jewish holidays and the ethics of Judaism, as well as age-old Jewish traditions and practices,"
Mr. Abram pointed out that while the book itself "plunged to the lowest possible level of anti-Semitism, the policy of Soviet discrimination has penetrated the highest level of government involvement and official policy."
He said that there were three main areas in which the Soviet Government has been regressing to reactionary measures:
1. Religious observance is harrassed in an increasing
,■ degree; ' , " ^r- --'^
2. Education a n d cultural self-expression is thwarted;
3. Legal standards in relation to religious groups recog-
V iiized: by civilized coun-_j,,-^>.^':-tries;.^e'SeV^^ ' ■.
in^.'|h^^;.SO^ itIniOiiL's^;g^ 'mtt^i^iigiousfe
put for ttie; Jewi
Ish group is refused the mihimal rights grahteii ptiier faiths; and Jewish congrega,tions must function in utter isolation.^' .yi The American Jewish Com-: ihiitee was IbUnded in 1906 in the wake of pogroms in Kish-iiij^ in Czarist Russia. The Committee is the oldest human relations agency in the country, combating bigotry, protecting civil and religious rights of Jews, and advancing the cause Of human rights for all:
At the United Nations Mr. Abram confronted his Soviet counterpart, Boris S. Ivanov, with the documentary evidence of official Soviet anti-Semitism. See DIGEST (Continued on Page* 8}
Israel's Chief weekend dispatched more than half a ton of matzot by plane to Moscow following an urgent request from officials of the Moscow suburb syjiagogue in Marina Roscha.
Low of refurn
JERUSALEM — Amendment to the Law of Return will be soon proposed ending the existing procedure of automatic citizenship to Jewish immigrants. The change will provide a waiting period before granting citizenship which will reduce the possibility of Israel Taeing used, as a refuge by criminals or as a* means of individuals acquiriiig citizenship 'arid a passport d^' their sole aim. ' .*
JERUSALEM — Only close friends and relatives attended the wedding of Israel's 68-year-old Premier Levi Eshkol to a long-time family friend, Miriani Zelikovitch, 34-year-oId senior librarian of the Knesset. The Prime Minister's- previous wife died in 1959.
Conversion reporf*
JERUSALEM — During the last ten years since 1954, 200 jews in Israel have become converted to either Christianity or Mohammedanism, while 407 Christians, Moslems and Druzes have embraced Judiaism. During the 1962-63 academic year, about 900 Jewish pupils attended classes in 11 Israel Christian schools — about half the usual tptal reported annually.
jleaders expressed o^j>bsitioii to ^ Bians adjppted: at Ithe; retren|| Arab ;*"summit';conferenc^'' ihlifeairbfr to divert ^eadwater^ of> tlifi Jor-dan River in an effect to ;tnwar^ ^ Isriael's ! Negev iririgatipri pro-' ject. AlccordingV to thidj Cairo plan Lebanon would receive a smaller share of the Jordan River waters that was alloted to it under the Johnston Plan, Lebanese leaders pomted out.
In the Lebanese Parliament, meanwhile, fear was expressed that, in the event of an Arao attack on Israel, Lebanon might be overrun by Nasser. It was also stressed that the Johnston Plan had the support of the , Western. Powers with which Lebanon maintains close ties.
KAREL DE ROO. president Fairview Branch 178, Royal Canadian Legion, presents a transistor radio to J. P. Vernon, administrator of b.V.A. Shaughnessy hospital. Looking on from left to right are Nels Holland, deputy zone commander, Vancouver city zone; RaS>bi Pincus L. Goodbiatt, Fairview branch chaplain; and Bill Woltman, first vice-president, Vancouver lodge, B'nai B'rith. This gift was made possible through the combined efforts of Vancouver ledge 6S8 and Fairview branch.