The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], March 25, 1949, Image 1

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

Image provided by: University of Florida

                
' ■ . , ' I
AW INDEPENDENT WEEKLY SERVING AMERICAN CITIZENS OF JEWISH FAITH
OLDEST AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED JEWISH PUBLICATION IN THIS TERRITORY
VOL. 26 NO. 9
Behind The Heodlines
In Israel
BY ADA OREN
(Copyright, 1949, J«wlsh Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)
TEL AVIV—
A special controller of all not
strictly military expenditures has
recently been installed at the
Ministry of Defense to carry
through drastic reductions in non
essential spending. In the course
of this reform services are being
amalgamated or reorganized on a
level suited to the limited means
of Israel.
Among supply services the first
to be disbanded is the fuel sec
tion, whose return to competitive
civilian hands will probably re
duce expenditures to less than
half the cost of maintenance of
the army fuel administration and
will also release many hands for
productive employment.
Next on the list is the veterin
ary service. It is probable that
army port services will be the
third to be reorganized.
The Chief of Staff, General
Dori, recently expressed himself
publicly to the effect that Israel’s
Army had excelled in battle, but
its administration was its weak
side because no amount of devo
tion can outweigh the lack of ex
pert training and experience in
this field. This consideration is
expected to play an important role
in the current reshaping of the'
whole set-up of all Israeli Army
units in connection with the re
lease of non-essential personnel
of various categories.
* * * *
Recruits and volunteers from
the English-speaking countries are
being trained as military police
men and will be attached especi
ally to units serving in the big
cities in order to deal with their
fellow-countrymen who do not
yet speak Hebrew.
The chief of staff recently
opened the first Tel Aviv club for
volunteers from abroad. The
building, formerly a well-known
case and nightclub, has been
completely redecorated and pro
vided with all necessary ameni
ties, including arrangements for
weddings. There is a full enter
tainment program.
A spacious and well-appointed
central soldiers' club for the
Negev is being set up in Beer
*neba at a cost of $45,000.
The numerous soldiers’ clubs
scattered all over the country are
serviced by many thousands of
volunteers from local communi
ties in addition to employees of
he army welfare agencies and
the Soldiers’ Welfare Committee,
a Vo | u ntary organization whose
contributors provide most of the
. for the upkeep of these
institutions.
* * * *
One of the most important
aining centers of the Army of
* rae l is the central camp for
ou th Battalions (Gadna), where
r °ung people, from seventeen
up are sent for instruction,
j? testin 9 of their aptitudes and
«dls, etc., preparatory to their
into the armed services,
teat care is taken to conserve
® c °N e »i° n of groups of pioneer
tiers so as not to interrupt
ur preparations for common
ving and achievement in the
wture.
Tv'S- •: • ■ I ■
National Jewish
Youth Week To Be
Observed May 15-22
The second annual National
Jewish Youth Week will be ob
served throughout the country
from May 15 to May 22, Arnulf
M. Pins, chairman of the JWB
sponsored National Jewish Youth
Conference, has announced. Jew
ish Youth Week is a Conference
project.
Jewish Youth Week will dram
atize Jewish youth activities, ac
complishments and needs the
year round, and will have as its
general theme, “Developing Jew
ish Youth Leadership.” Among
the activities which Jewish Com
munity Centers, local Jewish
youth and young adult councils
throughout the country, and na
tional Jewish youth organiza
tions will sponsor in observance
of Jewish Youth Week are Jew
ish Youth Sabbaths, program in
stitutes, local youth conferences,
exhibits of youth activity, local
Maccabiads, youth festivals of
arts, drama and music, Israel
Youth Conferences, Jewish Com
munity Days and other special
events.
Southern B'nai B'rilh Lodges Donate
' Equipment To Georgia Foundation
WARM SPRINGS, GA.—Especially designed office equipment
donated by B'nai B'rith to the famous Infantile Paralysis Foundation
here March 12, gave polio victims, who are deprived of the use of all
their limbs but a single hand, new hope for useful careers in
commerce.
This gift of unique office equip
ment valued at approximately
SIOOO.OO was formally presented
on the behalf of the 97 lodges in
B’nai B’rith District 5 by District
President Maurice Goldberg of
Washington, D. C., and District
Secretary Julius Fisher of Roa
noke, Va. The gift was made in
conformity with the B’nai B’rith
tradition of service to the com
munity and as part of the District
Grand Lodge Americanism and
Civic Affairs program.
Keyboards of special typewrit
ers are arranged specifically for
persons who can only use either
their right or left hand. These
right and left handed typewriters
make it possible for ofte-hand
ed persons to attain speeds rang
ing from 30 to 70 words per
minute. Included in the gift are
dictaphones and equipment for
replaying dictated materials.
The B’nai B’rith group who
visited the Foundation for the
presentation met Ruth Ben Ary,
a former patient, whose robust
ness and jaunty spirit was testi
mony to the courage of the many
who had profited by the practi
cal therapeutics of the Founda
tion. Miss Ben’Ary, who entered
the Foundation as a polio victim
12 years ago, remained to join
the staff as a teacher. Her sym
pathy and understanding of fel
low victims ideally equip her for
the task of conducting the com
mercial course of vocational
training at the Foundation.
Her experiences as both pa
tient and staff member of the
Foundation made her most suit
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1949
To Build 5,000
Dwelling Units
In Israel
ALFRED LEVITT
Alfred Levitt, Long Island ar
chitect and builder, who just an
nounced his firm’s plans to build
5,000 American-style dwelling
units on a 300-acre strip in Is
rael, six miles south of Haifa. The
project to be completed on July,
1950 is the largest investment of
private American capital, so far,
in Israeli housing.
ed to describe the great value of
the B’nai B’rith gift. The prac
tical value of this gift was mani
fested when she informed her
listeners that research had re
vealed that the sedentary occu
pations found in office work of
fered the best opportunity to
those persons who do not have
the use of their legs. Now, with
the special equipment donated
by B’nai B’rith, even those who
only have the use of one hand
can look forward to useful car
eers in commerce.
Teen-age boys and girls who
survive polio with the ability to
use both arms are not a great
(Continue on Page 5)
Local Jewish Home For Aged To
Gelebraie Third Anniversary Sunday
River Garden is celebrating its third anniversary on Sunday,
March 27. 1949, with an Open House from 2 to 5 P. M.
Under the sponsorship of Jacksonville Jewry. River Garden has
become known throughout the State of Florida, as a haven for its
aged Jewish citizens. With the new addition and its modern infirm
ary, clinic and physiotherapy rooms. River Garden is now able to
give every type of care to the aged and infirm.
Guest speaker for this auspic
ious occasion is Rabbi Sanders A.
Tofield of the Jacksonville Jew
ish Center. „ ♦
Hostesses for . the afternoon
social wiU be the Ladies Hebrew
Sheltering Aid Society’s mem
bers, an auxiliary of River Gar
den. 3
Mrs. Judith Epstein To Appear
In Miami On March 26-29
Mrs. Judith Epstein, national political chairman of Hadassah,
will be the principal speaker and act as advisor at the Southeastern*
Regional Conference to be held in Miami, March i 26 to 29th. Mrs.
Epstein has played a large role in shaping the political and social
policies Hadassah, and as a result Hadassah women assume active
leadership in the struggle for Jewish rights and independence in
Israel and in the struggle for world peace. Mrs. Epstein is a brilliant
speaker and a most charming woman. She served Hadassah as
national president for six years and has lately returned from the
World Zionist Council meeting in Tel Aviv.
10,000 American
Tourists Expected
To Visit Israel
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The pre
diction that 10,000 American
tourists both Jews and non-
Jews—will visit Israel within the
next five months was made here
this week by Albert Schiff, pres
ident of the Israeli Corporation
of America, in connection with
the announcement that the U. S.
State Department is removing
all restrictions on the issuance
of American passports for travel
to Israel.
• Mr. Schiff revealed that the
Israeli Corporation of America
is now giving consideration to
the building of hotels in the lar
ger cities in Israel to accommo
date the influx of tourists. He
also disclosed that the Corpora
tion reached an agreement with
the Jewish Agency for the joint
construction of low-rent housing
units in Israel.
*
Government Urged To
Act To Save Jews
In Arab Countries
TEL AVIV —The Israeli press
demanded this week that the Is
raeli Government and interna
tional organizations take speedy
action to alleviate the plight of
hundrds of thousands of Jews
facing persecution and death in
Moslem countries.
The papers noted the recent
wave of anti-Jewish persecution
in Iraq where seven Jews have
already been hanged for alleged
“Zionist affiliations” and fourteen
“more are to be tried.
Chairman Ira Stein announced
that there will be a morning bus
iness session at the Home for the
Officers and Board of Trustees,
including the out-of-town dele
gates and committee members.
Annual elections will be held in
the afternoon.
Uniquely, the Southeastern Re
gion is credited with the only
Hadassah chapter outside conti
nental United States. Puerto
Rico, with a Jewish population of
about 75 families of which 30
families are regarded as perman
ent residents and th remainder
transients, has an active chapter
of 13 paid members keenly in
terestd in the projects and pur
pose of Hadassah. Mrs. Helen
Farber, an earnest and sincere
prson, leads this small group in
fund-raising and educational pro
grams. Mrs. Farber and at least
one delegate will attend the
Miami conference.
This fine Jewish spirit, this urge
of our Jewish womanhood to be
identified with the historical
movement of building Israel into
a strong and purposeful nation is
also clearly shown in the widely
scattered little cities of the South
eastern region. The little Polk
County chapter of Winter Haven.
Fla., draws in members from 25
to 50 miles away—from Lakeland.
Plant City and Haines City. This
little chapter has raised as much
as some of the larger chapters in
funds and has an outstanding ed
ucational program. The Thomas
ton-Griffin chapter draws mem
bers from Elberton, Gainesville
and surrounding towns. They
meet first in one town, then in
another and share prlgrams with
other chapters nearby in the re
gion.
Many small towns throughout
the southeast with a Jewish pop
ulation too small for a chapter of
its own, unite and form working
groups. Orlando, Fla. has mem
bers living in Leesburg and one dr
two other towns around it in a
radius of 50 miles. There is the
town of Spartanburg, S. C., whose
membership is composed of
women from Sumpter and Cam
den who are doing a splendid job
of fund-raising. .
Each of these towns are send
ing delegates to the Miami con
ference and will report on the
activities of these group chapters.
It is inspiring, and becomes very
real when you witness this spirit
of Judaism in far off places and
in the far corners of our states.
Hadassah is growing steadily.
Today our national membership
is about 250,000 American Jewish
women. Hadassah links its Zion
ist ideology with the broadest
concepts of progressive service to
humanity, both in the United
States and in the Holy Land, and
our Jewish women proudly take
their places in the broad scope
of Hadassah's activities.
$3.00 A YEAR