THE JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, February 21,1947,
The Jewish Western Bulletin
Official Organ oi the Vancouver Je^h Administrative Conncil Published Weekly Every Friday at
2675 Oak Street--- BAy. 4210
Business Hours: 9 a.in. to 5 p.m., except Saturday and Jewish Holy Days.
Nathan Slutsky ..._____.________..___________________Committee Chairman
Ruth Toubman ....______..................................----------.Society Editor
I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true
Hiooutr[ woypjiqy— _Entered as Seconi^ Class 3Wail Matter at Ottawa._
VANCOUVER, E.C., CANADA, FRIDAY, FEB. 21, 1S47.
Samuel J. Zacks
Chess Club
Through the mediation of the Red Cross Society two members of the Jewish Chess Otitiv D. Creemer, T. Wainwri^t, will ^ve a simultaneous exhibition at the Shau^meissy Ho^tal on Sunday afternoon, February 23rd, also a friendly match game, between the
B. C. Jewidi Chess Cliib againist the patients of the Shaujiihnessjr Hospital was arranged for a later date.
Mr. Koltanowski's simultaneous and blindfold chess exhJbitiou will take plkce at the Banquet Hall of iiie tHdadilly Restaurant on Sunday, B/Iarch 9th at 8 p.m. Adndsdon. for exihlbitidn and refreshments ?l,00. ^cicfets for sale will be distributed to membMs, \
.Under the sponsorship of the B;
C. Ch«B Federation an.internatioin-al ^txJh js being arranged bcAween
: the. state of Washington and. RC. 'to take .t)lace at Moimt Vanon an Sunday, March 9th.
As an added feature to this joaixii
• a game 6f chess will be played be- , tween'Mr. Dake of Portland, Ore., and Mr. Ulvestad of SeatQe^ Wash. "These two masters were oca t^e !IJiS.A. team in their match against U.SJSJEt. An in all an interesting proigram has been arranged. -
It is necessary that thtf 6.C. Jew-teh Caites Cltflj will be wdi te^tae^ sented. We urge ittenites w^TiOng to {>^cipate in this ittafi^'to give their names to A. JOikaiaA, Kj^iis-dM^ 8405, or L. Hort^tz; Marine
• 5910.
jChess play:^ who are not affiliated with any dhess club and ^e
^ interested in participating in the fprthcooning tournament can do so
. by contacting tiie alM>ve-mentioaed parties Participants may take their wives and families- along.
. Closing date for entrants as Wednesday, Feb. aetii.
.The A and B class club tournament is off to'a fljring'start. Enrolment for the C class tournament is still open until Wednesday, February 26th.' The cup for the "winner of the C class toiuxna-ment has been donated hy B. Weston,
The club is now in the midstof a membership drive and we urge every membe rto enroll a new member.
Henrietta Szold
Our February social "will be held at the home of Mrs. Myers 3326 West. 14th. Let's all turn out and have a good evening.
Jessie Gorman wishes to thank all the girls for their excellent response for parcels to. send to displaced persons in Europe. Our girls are to be congratulated for their co-operation at all times.
Don't forget the Youth Aliyali Limcheon Wednesday February 26th.
REMEMBER MONTE CARLO NIGHT.
Plan to attend the B'NAI B'RITH PUREW DINNER DANCE
in aid of HILLEL FOUNDATION THURSDAY, MARCH 6TH 9:30 - 1:00 a.m.
at the COMMODORE CABARET Professional Floor Show
B. B. Auxiliary To Hold Social
Vancouver .B'naL Brith Chapter 77, held their mseting on the 15th of February, at which Mrs. R. Levy made an appeal for infant necessities for the Belsen Gamp to which all the members responded most wonderfully. It ias also been suggested tha\ appeal throu^ this mecv'v^n made to all those membei^ . "i were not present at this meetkig. Please take note' that Sadie Stone has offered to be in charge of these contributions and anyone wishing to contribute babies clothing and babies toiletries etc., should phone MArine 7875.
Plans were also formulated for a social to be held Saturday even-mg March 8th.
Plans are in progress for celebrating the 20th year in existence of this chapter.
A suitcase which was donated by Mrs.'Mxlle Herzog was raffled and won by Mrs. Oelia Weiner holder of the lucky ticket number 119.
Council of Jewish Women
The iaiarch meeting of Vancouver Section is being changed from Wednesday, March 12 to .Tuesday March 11 in order that Mrs. Chsffliea Hymeii of Minneapolis can appear at the meeting, Mrs. Hymes, National Oiadrman of Service to ^iff^iiHJS, is touring the Nortiiwest ior Cotmcil. Special arrangements have been made with the New York office to have he appear in Vancouver. Please keep this change of dates in mind.
B. B. Weekend Now Bein^ Pialnned
It's coining at last. The B. B. Weekend you've heard all about It will be held March 14, 15, 16. Watch fo]^ further detaOs about it in the next edition of the Bulletin.
The next meeting will be Sim-day, February 23rd at the Community Centre. It will be held at 7:00 pjn. instead of 8:00 p.m. as scheduled, to allow B. B. G. members to attend the debate held by A. Z .A., 119 and Totem. Be su^e to be there on time as there is a lot of business concerning the Weekend to discuss.
Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority
The Delta Phi EpsUon Sorority of the University of British Columbia will sponsor a youth danoe at the Community Centre on Sunday Night Mar ch 2. The admission which is fifty cents will include a door prize. Everyone welcome-Remember the date March 2nd.
Pioneer Women
The Tikvah chapter of the Pion'ser Women extends a hearty invitation to the Jewish Community of Vancouver to attend cur Purim Sude, March 6th at 6:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Centre. A grand evening is asured to you all. Convener for the Purim Sude is Mrs. J. Slobin. 523 West 26th Ave., Fair 3371^Y For reservations phone Mrs. Mar-goUus, BA. 9689-L, Mrs, Shafron, Fair. 6249-M, Mrs. Bogoch Bay. 5520.
PIONEER WOMEN - TIKVAH
AFURIM SUDE
J
WILL BE HELD ON
AT THE
jsmsH coMMUNmr centee - nth & oak ST.
Come and Bring Yotur Friends KOSHER CHICKEN' DINNER A REAL FURDH ATMOSFHEBE
G:38 JMSS.
I hesitate to reflect 'upox]t:and report my impressions of the proceedings of the twenty-second World Zionist Congress in Basle. It was my first Congress and for many days, I confess, I was completely dazed and bewildered. There was so much going on. ;
Some days I was expected to be at tlu-ee or four places at one time, on the scenes an!d behind the scenesr for Palestine was on parade. There were meetings—endless speeches— a big JJT.F. Conference for two daysr-U.P.A. receptions—a boat trip on the THine arranged by the Palestine Maritime League with lots of food and speeches. Films and piictures arranged bylhe Haganoh of the trek of the refugees through Ehirope; a dinner by the Hetoriew University; the Technion reception; the elaborate dinner of the Weizmann Sci-entiiic Centre where the Swiiss Jews and Christians led by Dr. Rappard, honored Dr. W^zmann. And, of course, there were the caur cus meetings of the General Zionist Confederation—a strategy subcommittee—a Briti^ Empire section—a group of DIP'S from Vienna —another group from Hungary— the 4th Maritime League from Sicily, etc.
Everytliing was urgent. 1. was beseiged by a talented singer who had just spmta year in Flaleistine and had found foiir artists in Switzerland whom she wanted to take to Palestine for training^ And I could not enter or leave the Budget and Finance Commissioa witii-out passing her. I was'expected to drop everything else and help her over her project. I can't offend anyone. '
It is important to see bow the Soutii Afiicahshavemade somuch. progress in ttie upbuilding of Pal-;, estine. There is a film on .the new Tiberiah development: There is an interesting exhibition of I^estine wares. The corridors are always buzzing—ibusier and more croiVded than the large hall of the Muster-messes where the sessions are held.
Ruihoios fly. Ben-Guri(m will hot sit in oh a Weizmaiui-dbminated ^ executive. Silver will liot go. to the London conference, he Mapai; is now in the seventy-second liour v of deliberation. All other activity must halt. A resolution is apporach-ing a final vote. The last division is 70 to 30. But it looks as thou^ Tobenkin is coming aroimd.
One asks oneself: "What is this? Is there any plan or progress? When does the work really begin?" We have been here for, nearly two weeks and we see nothing accomplished, 'Es kocht zich.'
Someone tells me the Congress is a kitchen and sometime there are bad oders in the kitchen. The food * is just being prepared.
Someone else says: "Don't expect anything from the Congress. Nothing ever happens at Congresses. You will only see the results when tiie broad policies are laid down at ths Ibsz session."
I ask myself: "Is this not the Parliament of the Jews"? Are we not going to discuss at great length and deliberate like parliamentarians the merits and demerits of the propositions before us and end up with a program? Or is this too much to expect? Actually very little was decided.,
I lurk in the corridors of the Mustermesse - at times just to warm up. Hera every delegate and visitor is a master statesman, holding court. The delegates love Chaim Weizmann, especially his Yiddish speeches, but they say he is too Britih.
It is my considered view that if a vote were taken on Weizmann he would have been reelected because Hoshomer Hat-zair would Iiave supported him and Ave might have come to a very different conclusion regarding the entire Congress.
The political resolution, which, in effect meant the ousting of Wciianann, was carried by only a very small majority. It is, therefore, doubtful whether this resolution really reflects the thifi spirit of the Congress. Everything was left open and presumably to the Actions Committee which sheets at rare intervals.
In the meantime, I am worried by the receptionist at my hotel. ' I must find another room. The , forty-eight horns are up. I have a sick roommate v/ho cannot en- '. dure the unhsated hotels in Basle. I diall never forget the /
raw, damp cold of Basle in December, especially after one has moved in and out of three or four hotels, none of them first class.
To add to my anguish; I struggle every day' with a judge who is seventy-eight years of .age, obtained his judicial training in Germany, who is a bit of a humorist and who presides over the Congress Court -./here the fate of the nine Canadian delegates is to be determined. The Com t is constituted and deliberates on the, basis of the party "Shlisel" (key). The judge is intent on making sport of the Canadian delegation. He refuses to recognize our mandates. Moshe Dick-stein, who wants to appear brave, says it is more important to know the judge than the law.
And then I had just left Weiz-mianh who lucidly and dearly'ex-poimds Ms program. Weizmann is warm, courgaeous, stoical and full of fight. His wisdom, his good humoiu* and general. demeanour exhilerate you. You are amazed at his youthful spirit. You forget his age.
He says we must go to the London Conference. What will the wolrd thirJc of us if we do not.
He says he would be hap^y to accept partition. 'Ihe timing ds bad. The nations of the -world 'J are not much interested in new -small nations. We are in a bad cycle. ^ovae thousand square 'mUes would be a good start. Terrorism can be the undoing of Zionism. It is not part of the heritage of the Jewish peopite. You run into DP*s evexy-where. They say fliej^ will not support Weizmmm. Be is too ready to compromise. Axe y<ou in favour of Eneh? Peih^ps. He is young, he is brilliant. He has closely analyzied and thought out thei' pi<oblem; but has he a solution? No. All he says is that nothing can be arranged from England. England's policy is the White Paper policy We must fii^t England. Is that a senidfole solution?
And then we come to the magnificent representaUves of the Yi-shuv. They say we must strengthen Haganah. The world 'does not tmderstand resistance , and Weizmann is not dose enough . to the Yishuv, to interpret le-, sistance. He vuider.<rtof)d the Jew of fifty years ago but thiere are different Jews today. They say we are a new type. We are creators, builders. We have no fears, no illusions. No one will stop, us and we will go on alone, if necessary. We must indicate to Britain that the Jews have lost confidence in her. The administration of Palestine has been unjust and British soldiers in Palestine have acted worse than Nazis. The world mut know what this means. Our close relatives are "langtushing in Europe, dying. We must bring them to Palestine at once. We want to save them.
The World General Zionist Confederation meets every day. The General Zionists are trying to find themselves. They are endeavouring to determine what their policies really are. NumeriT cally ' they are the strongest group, stronger than the Mapai, who, although in power, still do not realize that they only repre- . sent 26% of the Congress. The burning question is: "Can the Zionist Organization of America and American Hadassah get together?" Goldman land l4ipisky stand by and wonder whetiier the General Zionist Confederation can.', mean anjrthing if 'oroken into fra.gments. Silver and Emmanuel Newman and Daniel Fiiisch would like to introduce 'iron discipline, the decision of the party to be binding.
Yes, one'hesitates to reflect on the Congress. It was with mixed and sad feelings that' I went to Basle. I fully wdl realized the sad state of Jewish affairs. I knew that it would be difficult to move a callous world. And one often gets a sense of futility about the whole business. Why waste one's time? Why call a Congress al-
PI
am
Talk
By ALFRED SEGAL
Tho cpinioBs racpxessed by ihs aothoir of tills column are not necessarily subscribed to by this news]|»aper.
EX-SHAMMOS----
My neighbor, Mrs. ABC, was telling me. (In this alphabetical sequence she should feel distinguished enough.) The story had to do with her yoimg son Jimmy, which isn't his real name' either. I remembered it as a story from old times. I heard it ^vhen I was much yoiUiger than I am now; but an old story is fresh and bright if it is apropos. This one was apropos to one of avx Jewish iwroblems.
Our political make believe that the problems of the Jews have to do only vdth magnificent distances and remote horizons, like the misty blue horizon that's over the hills m Palestine, ^u.t every parent knows that his ;main problem is no farther away than his own Mds and what's to become of tiiem. This, of coxirse, is the main problem of all piarpnts, whethier Jewish or Gentile, but for the Jewish parents there are ^some spedal cott^iexes: How easy will it be for the hoy to get a job at his dhosen profession, what of anti-Semitism and aU that?
Th&x, for the jFewish parents, there is the burden of thneless traditions: A boy ^must b6 tiraiiied for medicine, or tiie law.'pi^ tiie rabbinate or, anywaiy, to be an engineer of one of the many kinds. He must mak^ F!hi Beta K^fipau How will it look if he doeii't tiiii^e Phi Beta Kappa?
Weill, Mrs. AiBC's bpy» Jinimy, Qiasn't been^^^^ PW Beta Kap|>a; he.j^y^^ indication whatever. He is fcnd 6£ basketball, football aiid baseball. He's a great kid ihoxi^ So when, reeaitly, there:, was a parents' evening fotr h&. to .get the-low-down oh Jiiiuny's pinispiBcts. The 'teachers who had him every day should know. , .
She looked up the dean of boys. Himself not Jewish, he is learned not only in Greek but .also in Jewish lore. "What do you thihk of my Jimmy?" she asked him.
He looked up Jimmy's grades in the filing cabuiet. Wise as well as learned (wisdom doesn't always go with learning) he didn't look at al! distressed as he gave his verdict.
"I don't iihmk,".he said, "your boy will make Phi Bfeta Kappa when he gets to college."
He said this as one who didn't think it to be in the least impartant to wear a Phi.Beta Kappa key, though he has one* himself. A wise, educator, he knew of other importances' that are much more important. "I'U tell you a story," he began, "It is about a Mr. Cohen." He hoped it woxdd be a\l right with Mrs. ABC for him to tell a Jewish story.
Mr. Cohen had come from Poland and, after looking in vain here and there, w'as happy, finally, to get a job as shammos in a sdiul.
"Of course, you know what a shammos is, Mrs. AiBC?"
Mr. Cohen timied out to be a most dilligeht 'shammos. He was ecquainted with all the domestic fimctions required of a shammos. He was quick to hand out the talith to the occasional worshipper who had none of his own. He was meticulous with the jahrzeit candles for those kaddish sayers who asked him to burn a candle for them on the anniversaries of their dead. Everybody was saying what a good shammos Mr." Cohen was until the
day of the crisis. On that day there was no one in the scbul to lead the congregation in tiie prayers^ of the morning and Mr. Cohen, as shammos, was called upon for this fimctioh.
This was a catastrophe for Mr. Cohen. He had to confess that he could neither read nor write Hebrew, and so how was he to lead in the prayers of the morning? He had been the most tmderprivi-leged of children in Poland."and that was about the ultimate of xmderprivUege in a land where most Jewish children scarcely had any break at alt. .
The sdiul's board of directors was awfully sorry, but in the office of shammos they required a man who had some' education. Mr. Cohen was out of a job and went his sorrovirful way with the unemployed who were plenty in the City a ttfaat time. But Mr." Cohen lackmg any scholarly .attammeni. had other virtues. Among other things, he had charactra- which Admonished him, "Cohen, you ain't no scholar and can't never hope to be one, bu^ anyway, you can make a decent 'place for yoitrself in the world. What if you can't read the prayer? of the momiiig. You can nsake it up with God in other ways, like being a good man."
Ihe years passed. Mr. Cohen had found another job and by diligent 'toil had ihanajged'to save enou^ to ixshiS ills issasiy ov^. His lisd. > est£A>li£^ed a Utile business of his own. It had grown. He had boui^t a house in one of iSss. siSssAs. Mr. Cohen was: e respected and substantial citizen. .
Qne-day/won a downtown street, a friend met him. "What's your hurry Cohen? Where you going?" , His friend was one who was a member of the >board of ^rectors of the sdhul the time he was fired as shammos. Mr. Cohen pleasured himself to inform him that he was on the way to the bank to borrow. a million dollars. Hie needed a million to expand his btisiness. "Come alonig. Til, show you how a million dollars is borrowed." (It seems Mr. Cohen still was new enough to success to be rather . crude in the enjoyment of its pleasiures.)
The bank president was profuse in his welcome to Mr. Cohen. The, million-dollar note was all ready for Mr. Ctohen to sign. He sdgned vdth an X mark. His friend looked on goggle-eyed. Mr. Cohen's X mark was trusted for a million dollars, "Think", he said to Cohen, afterward, "what you might have turned out to be if you had been an educated man!"
Mr. Cohen replied: "Yes, if I had been an educated man, I would stUl have my job as shammos in the schul."
Having finished telling the story, the dean of boys said: "You get what I mean, don't you Mrs. ABC?"
Mrs. ABC quickly got the idea that .there's a lot more than scholarly attainment that's important in the .upbringing of children, and how significant is Phi Beta Kappa, really?
The other evening Mrs. ABC v/as pressing Jimmy to do -his lessons more thoroughly. "She—sh", admonished Mr. ABC, "if you push him too hard he may turn out to be a shammos."
together as it may only bring out the worst and not the best?
Our parties and our leaders bicker and fight and very often forget the cardinal principles. They refuse to close ranks in this tragic hour.. We must attempt to enforce unity. We admire ^d must emulate the great determination of the remaining survivors of Europe. Surely we will not fail them this time. The background of the scsne Is gcfim. Six million Jews dead. Mountain-hig^ piles . of Jewish bones- close by the crematorium not so far from Basle: They stare us in tiie eyes, evcrsrnherc. The^ .young spokesman of the DFs reminds us 0$ them. ;Be knows what he wants. He <dls OS we can save a miiiion ana a quarter Jews whidi the worid, after eighteen
months of peace making, has so far neglected.
And th-en there is the Jewish Agency that needs strengthening. It has been the main hope of the Jews throughout the world and it has tried very hard to reason with the British Goviemment. and with other great jxwers. It has pleaded for a break for the suffering Jews, There have been many conferences in San Francisco, London, Paris, Xiake Success, New York, and there has -'been the Anglo-American CJom-missicn. But still no light nor hope.
Those of us who had high hopes for the rebkth of a noble nation after World War 11 saw with every confersnce, one dream after another shattered. We conclude, his is iSi hard world. Civilization (See Meeting—Page 4)
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