The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], September 01, 1944, Page Page Three, Image 3

About The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992

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Iptember, 1944
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BT independent Monthly Serving American Citizens of Jewish Faith
Bp Southern Jewish Weekly is Printed Monthly for the Duration
I “The Oldest and Most Widely Circulated Jewish Publication
in this Territory”
■ the absence of Major Moscovitz, now in the military service, the
paper is being edited by Mrs. Moscovitz
■ Printed Monthly as a War Economy Measure at 819 Flagler St.
I o. Box 903 Phone 9-4044 Jacksonville, Florida
Bitered as Second-Class Matter, at the Post Office, Jacksonville, Fla.
Under the Act of March 3, 1879
Subscription One Year, $2.00; Six Months, SI.OO
I Member of THE JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY~
Member of the Independent Jewish Press Service
I FORWARD TO 5705
In 5702 Jacksonville began to suspect that something should be
B>ne about the development of its Jewish communal organizations.
■ 5704 it finally began to do something about it. And if plans go
■rough 5705 will see the beginning of model Jewish institutions in
Bis city.
Last year the Community Council began to crystalize into its
Bial fqrm of a council representative of the Jews of Jacksonville,
Bd declared as its program not only the collection of funds for the
Biited Jewish Appeal and other Jewish causes, but also, as its name
Bplies, to serve as an instrument for united Jewish activity within
Be city. Recently a public relations man was brought here to serve
B a “good-will’ councilor between the Jewish and non-Jewish com-
Bunities, and in intra-Jewish relations.
Looking forward to 5705 the Jacksonville Jewish Center has an-
Bunced a greatly increased budget to meet an intensified program
B youth guidance and youth and adult Jewish education. Like the
Buncil the Center is bringing directors and trained personnel to
Be city to guide its program.
The programs are now being put down on paper, but 5705 will
B a test year for Jacksonville.
The Council program will be a very difficult one to handle—
Bom the viewpoint of satisfying the entire Jewish community.
Bually organizations of this kind either neutralize themselves in an
Bfort to meet all opinions, and so lose all of their force and ac-
Bmplish nothing, or they yield to the side which contributes the
Bost money. And in the majority of cases the ones who control the
Boney bags are the Jews who have a negative attitude toward every-
Bing Jewish.
However, Jacksonville is a comparatively little city, and most
B its Jews are of middle class wealth. It still takes workers to
Bing in a goodly portion of the Council funds. In the worker and
Be average contributer lies the power to make the Council what
Bey will.
■ We (and this is our own opinion) would like to see the Council
Bork for local Jewry as we would like to have the American Jewish
■onference function for in the American Jewish national
Bene as a democratically elected body through which the Jewish
Bpulation can speak. It could be an instrument through which
Be majority and minority groups can be heard.
Again this is a plan on paper. Democratic procedure in Jewish
Bganizations in Jacksonville (probably as in a great many cities)
Bsually fail because of lack of interest. Witness the handful who
■tend the meetings at election time —or even general meetings for
Bat matter. However, we do believe that a plan of rotating boards
B committees and a limited term of office for executives could of-
Br salve for the wound. This plan has been used in other instances
Bith excellent results.
Yet it is true it will take more than salve to heal the infection
Bf dis-interest which permeates our community.
It is a problem which the directors of the Jewish Center have
Baken cognizance of for some time. They have realized that it is
B failure of Jewish education and in 5705 they plan to do something
Bibout it. The Center will also meet with problems. The Center
Bill have to evince a complete about face in its outlook. Hereto-
Bre it has been an organization which raised money. To provide
Br an intensified educational program it will have to spend money.
Bnd a board which has been accustomed to seeing its money go
But to erase a debt or to paint a wall wity find it difficult to see
Bothing in return for its expenditures at first but a demand for
Bore expenditures.
We however believe the men of the Center to be idealistic men,
Bnd 5705 can see the beginning of an idealistic plan materialize for
Bur community.
I Happy New Year
\ “L’Shonah Tovah Tihasavu
I With your publisher, a Major of Infantry, on active
duty for more than three years, we have continued the pub
| lication of this newspaper during his absence.
We appreciate sincerely the very kind cooperation ex
tended us by both our readers and advertisers, and say
thank you” as we embark on a New Year, trusting in
God that peace this year shall find us all together
and that national arrogance and oppression in foreign lands
j shall have passed away, and that men of all faths may en
| joye the blessings of a life of happiness and good will.
May the New Year bring a world order founded on
I freedom and justice among all nations.
This, as has been the custom of this publication for
fttl consecutive years of publication, is our annual New
J Year’s wish for our Rosh Hashonah holidays.
THE SOUTHERN JEWISH MONTHLY
A Letter From
The Editor
SM>§ o 'Mr ' |§yj|i
W$ Illljf Wi
||||| \% y^£i
Major Isadore Moscovitz
(Although The Southern Jewish
Monthly is being edited by Mrs.
Isadore Moscovitz during the ob
sence of Major Moscovitz, who has
for the last three years served as
an Infantry officer with the Unit
ed States, letters of advice and
guidance frequently arrive from
the former editor to help steer
the publication on its course dur
ing these tumultous years.
Major Moscovitz first became
associated with Jewish journalism
a month after he graduated from
the University of Florida and re
ceived his Bachelor of Science De
gree in Journalism. At that time
he became editor of the Florida
Jewish News, which was founded
by Louis Mendelson and the late
Morris Ghelerter in 1924. Five
years later he purchased the in
terest of this publication and pro
ceeded to develop its circulation
and frequently until in 1938 it
reached South-wide interest and
became known as The Southern
Jewish Weekly-
The paper is now being publish
ed monthly as a war economy
measure. After the war the news
paper will again resume its form
er frequency and continue to ex-
pand its facilities so that The
Southern Jewish Weekly will
reach its ultimate goal of having
practically every Jewish home in
the South listed as subscribers.
The following letter was receiv
ed as the publisher prepares to
spend Rosh Hashonah on duty
at Camp Wolters Texas:)
“ ... It looks as If this fright
ful war will at last come to a suc
cessful end during the next few
months. It is our New Year’s
wish that Americans of all creeds
be returned safely to the homes
of their families and loved ones,
and that the principles for which
we have been fighting at such a
terrible cost be established not
only here in America but also
throughout the world.
“Following the war there will
be a greater need than ever for
a newspaper such as this to take
an aggressive part in champion
ing the cause of freedom and jus
tice for the Jewish minority
group as an integral part of the
American nation.
“It is true that ours Is a parti
san press which clamors vocifer
ously for the rights of Jews. But
it is also true that the fight for
justice for a part of the world is
a battle for all humanity. In
this sense the Anglo-Jewish Press
cannot be called partisan, for op
pression for any of our American
citizens is a blow to the very
foundation which have made our
nation great.
“Editorials in the Southern
Jewish Weekly as far back as in
1933 cried out against <the insid
(Continued on Page 9)
SUMMARIZING A YEAR ?!
*
This being the season of con
fession and penitence, let us con
fess to collective omissions and
commissions of which American
Jewry has been guilty. A great
deal of money has been spent by
Jewish organizations during the
year for fighting each other. If a
goodly portion of that money had
been diverted to the rescue of the
Jews of Europe, for “corrupting”
Nazi officials and satellite border
guards, for the chartering of addi
tional boats, more Jews might
have been saved from Hitler’s
trap. If some of the monies spent
on so-called public relations,
which to frequently consists of
“building up” personalities, had
been spent for the rescue of Eu
rope’s Jews, we would today be
less guilty before our own consci
ence and history. But our Jewish
communal life has unfortunately
become restricted to two functions
public relations and fund-rais
ing and more frequently than
not while the public relations re
sults in more funds, the incoming
funds result only in more public
relations. Your columnist does
not mean you or you or you. He
speaks the word en masse. And
he confesses on this occasion his.
own guilt- He lacked the cour
aged and the alertness to do his
full share of brickbatting the
guilty, and is therefore partner
to the sins.
Oswego Incident
A painful, exceedingly em
larrassing thing happened right on
our doorstep. Less than one thou
sand “token” refugees were
brought into the “free port’ at
Fort Ontario, Oswego, New York.
When the President announced the
number to be admitted, there was
a great deal of editorial criticism,
due quantity of grumbling among
Jewish leaders. And yet, when
the refugees finally arrived, the
disorganization at the camp re
vealed that during the time that
elapsed between the President’s
announcement and the arrival of
the refugees, there was very little
liaison between Jewish organiza
tions and the government agencies
in charge of the refugees’ trans
portation and settlement, for had
there been such liaison there
would have been less chaos on
their arrival at Fort Ontario.
What Price Unity
Speaking of omissions, the
starkest tragedy in the history of
the Jewish people failed to bring
about in American Jewry the
cohesion that fear and common
danger bring among species less
intelligent than human beings.
Polish Jewry vanished, half of
Hungary’s Jewry disappeared be
fore the various Jewish groups
finally got together for a joint
protest demonstration in New
York’s Madison Square and to
draw up joint demands for the
rescue of Hungary’s Jews. If this
is not criminal negligence—what
is?
If we had been in Europe’s
trap and watched across the
ocean, across miles and miles of
our dead and in the shadow of our
own imminent death at the en
emy’s hands, our American breth
ren petulantly procrastinating
with regard to rescue action, what
would our measure be for Ameri
can Jewry and its leadership
For each and every American
Jew?
Theorizing While Jews Die
And in the midst of this tragedy,
there were groups still engaged in
theoretical squabbles as to whe
ther we are a race, a nation or
merely a religious sect And some
of the hatred that should have
been channelized for our enemies
and to assist their victims, was
used against Kashruth - observ
ing, Hebrew - speaking, Zionist
thinking Jews. Delegations rush-
By ARNOLD LEVIN
i
ed to Washington to produce be ’
fore Congressional Committee *
the “latest proof’ that some Jew l
were planning a theocracy, ai }
autocracy, etc; that some Jew; «
were planning to deprive the Aral <
of his rights; that there was
international Zionist conspiracy
afoot to force dual allegiance up
on the Jew. They feared lest the
Allies have too much compassion
for the slaughter and actually give
the survivors the security of a
homeland.
As Myopic As Ever
It seemed that there was po
tential unanimity among Jews on
a great many points with regard
to the future of European Jewry,
with regard to Jewish postwar
demands. But some organizations,
too interested in enhancing their
own prestige to act in unanimity,
drew up their separate peace
formulas and only contributed to
the confusion. Again the thought
strikes us that the money spent
for this unnecessary separatist
activity could well have been |
spent more usefully. To some,
however, there is no highere aim
than Jewish disunity, that being
to them- the spice of life.
FrOm all the trials through which
ewry has passed too many Ameri
can Jewish leaders have, with re
gard to thought and action, emerg
ed unscathed, unchanged, as myo
pic as ever.
Culture
While some were engaged in
quarrels-as-usual, others went
about their way building quietly,
modestly, the more durable things
that are American Jewry. Dropsie
College and the Yeshiva College
announced new scholarships- The
Jewish Publication Society added
to the splendid list of its publish
ed volumes. The Union of Ameri
can Hebrew Congregations and the
Central Conferences of American
Rabbis resisted efforts to “purge”
Reform Judaism of certain new
values it has obtained during the
past two decades as a result of
reorientation and because of the
growing number of men in its
Rabbinate alert to their respon
sibilities and profoundly steeped
in Jewish culture. The Vaad
Hachinuch Hacharedi, Jewish Re
ligious Educational Council of
Mizrachi, could proudly point to
its achievements in the field of
Jewish Education. The number of
Yeshivoth Ktanoth, all-day or
parochial schools, strongly sup
ported by Mizrachi, increased
during the year. B’nai B’rith was
there as usual, active on many
fronts on the campus through
the Hillel Foundations, in the war
effort in manifold ways, at the
Oswego “freeport and everywhere
showing its versatile interests in
all that is Jewish living. The Re
constructionist Movement continu
ed to progress, slowly but marked
ly. I speak only of cultural ac
tivities, and in this sphere, too,
there were many remarkable
achievements which I may have
omitted. May He who forgives
our bigger sin, forgive this minor
sin.
YOUTH GUIDANCE PROGRAM
As the Holy Days come upon
us and we meet in the Temple
and in the Synagogue to pray with
our fellow man for our fellow
men a feeling of good-will among
Jews seems to have spread
throughout city. The latest pro
posal for unity is a program of
unified youth guidance for all of
Jacksonville Jewish youth regard
less of organizational affiliation.
The program is yet to be work
ed out in detail. The idea behind
it is a good one and a highly
idealistic one. It is something
for our leaders to think about.
Jacksonville may yet set a pat
tern for the entire country.
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