The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], November 16, 1951, Image 1

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

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AN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY SERVING AMERICAN CITIZENS OF JEWISH FAITH
, THE OLDEST AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED JEWISH PUBLICATION IN THIS TERRITORY
VOL. 28 NO. 43
PLAIN TALK
BY ALFRED SEGAL
The Unkosher Microphone
Byway of being something of
an antiquarian (I do like to
browse among tombstones in old
cemeteries) I picked up a quaint
item in "Jewish Opinions" pub
lished in New York. "Jewish
Opinions" is the voice of Agudath
Israel which is ultra-Orthodox in
organized form.
The editors were feeling deep
ly distraught on account of mic
rophones in synagogues. They
said a microphone in a synagogue
was in violation of Torah, not
kosher, in other words.
That you may share with me
the old-world charm of how
nese editors feel about a micro
phone in schul, I give you their
editorial on the matter, as print
ed in "Jewish Opinion" of Octo
ber 12th: -
"A Wrong Which Must
Be Rectified"
“It is a source of satisfaction to
all serious-minded Jews to note
that the Agudath Horabonim
(Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the
U. S. and Canada) has at long last
issued a clean cut ruling on
rophones in schuls . . . The ban
on the use of a microphone in a
schul on Shabbos represents the
first time that a concerted public
effort has been made to stem the
tide of introducing this forbidden
innovation in orthodox syna
gogues.
'Torah-Jews, therefore, can
only view with the greatest
alarm and dismay the attempt of
the Rabbinical Council of Amer
ica (Histadruth Horabonim),
comprising graduates of several
American Yeshivos, to nullify
this ban by issuing a circular let
ter to all its members permitting
the use of the microphone in an
Orthodox synagogue on Shabbos.
“No one can deny the greater
competence of the Agudath Hor
abonim in deciding such ques-'
tions of Halochoh. Furthermore,
for the Rabbinical Council of
America to rush out to their
members a ruling permitting the
use of microphones after the
Agudath Horabonim has already
publicly announced its ban, is
more than over-reaching all
bounds of good taste and ‘respect
to elders.’ It is an outright defi
ance of established Torah author
ity which bears no precedent in
the annals of Orthodox history in
America.
"It is hoped that the heads of
the Rabbinical Council will con
sult with eminently qualified.and
universally recognized Torah
authorities in this country and
will have .the courage to admit
their grievous error to their
membership, before the entire
issue takes on far-reaching im
plications and repercussions."
I happened to show all this to
my friend Zilch who is a practi
cal-minded man without any ap
preciation in the least of the
charm of old tombstones and of
outdated old furniture and ideas.
(Continued on Pago •)
SWEEPSTAKES WINNER INVESTS IN ISRAEL BOND
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Mrs. Bessie Kksch of Brooklyn, New York, who was a winner of oneofthe.
$140,000 first prises in this year’s Insh Sweepstakes, invested some of her prize
in a State of Israel Bond. Mrs. Kirsch, who bought the bond for her
Sflbild, is shown presenting her SSOO check to Edward S - Stiver, Chief
nt District Attorney of Kings County, who is Chairman of the Brooklyn
Division of the New York Bond drive. The $500,000,000 Israel Bond issue is
the central factor in the future economic development of Israeli The proceeds
of the Bonds are being used for the expansion of industry and agriculture, for
the development of electric power and for the purchase of machinery to assure
the economic Independence W Israel within a short period of time.
Israel's Aid in Middle East
Defense Would Be Valuable
Says. London Times
LONDON. (JTA) The Times of London, in an editorial on
Israel and the defense of the Middle East, described the Govern
ment policy statement in the Israel Parliament as: inevitably one of
guarded approval that avoids specific commitment.
Special Miami Anti-
Bias Probers Urge Jews
Report Bomb Threats
MIAMI, (AJP) A special
community-wide committee of
laymen was organized here last
week in the wake of a., reign of
anti-Semitic terror and the
group’s first action was to urge
residents to immediately report
any threats received from van
dals. ' .
Disclosure of the organization
of the new committee by the Ad
.visory Board of the B’nai B’rith
Anti-Defamation League was
contained in a letter to the rabbis
and residents of synagogues in
the Greater Miami Area that suf
fered threats of bombing or in
timidation during recent weeks.
Dinring the past several months
Ku Klux Klan-inspired vandals,
were charged with bombing one
new synagogue, threatening
others, posting anti-Semitic signs
and damaging a Jewish ceme
tery.
Formation of the special com
mittee was disclosed by Burnett
Roth, an official of Miami Beach.
He said that members of the rab
binate and veteran groups had
joined the committee.
Roth said the committee had
been organized “to coordinate all
phases of cooperation with law
enforcement agencies, church,
civic and community organiza
tions” and governmental agen
cies. 1
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1951
The editorial pointed out that
Israel’s orientation to the West is
conditioned by its fear of losing
the Jews behind the Iron Cur
tain. It added, however, that
“most people (in Israel) know
that in the last resort the ident
ity of the country’s interests with
those of the Western world would
determine its attachment if war
should break out. \
JEWISH BOOK MONTH
AN EDITORIAL
As our forefathers developed and nurtured our enriched Jewish
festivals and customs, so must we too. living here in America,
develop a series of cultural and communal events suited to the
special, expressed needs of American Jewry. These events, in order
to be endowed with the life-giving qualities so necessary to the
sound growth of a thriving American Jewish community, must com
bine the treasures of a magnificent cultural heritage with vivid ex
pressions of creativity in democratic America.
Such an event is Jewish Book Month, conducted annually under
the national auspices of the Jewish Book Council of America, a
National Jewish Welfare Board-sonsored organization. That Jewish
Book Month, and events like it, may hold the answer to the grip
ping and gnawing hunger of the American Jew to recapture his
heritage is borne out by the wide response to the occasion through
out the Jewish communities of America.
It must be remembered that while Jewish Book Month has not
yet compeltely recaptured for Jewish books their accustomed place
of honor in Jewish life, battles worth the fight are not won over
night.
Jewish Book Month, then, reflects an earnest, inner need of
American Jewry to express itself creatively as Jews and as Ameri
cans. To the gratifying extent that it is filling that need, we wel
come and endorse the Month, and commend the Jewish Book
Council of America and the JWB for making such magnificent
strides towards the development of an American Jewish culture
that is genuinely American and genuinely Jewish.
—Fred Stern
GOLDEN JUBILEE SET FOR
JAX JEWISH CENTER
SUNDAY NIGHT, NOT. lith
The beautiful new auditorium of the Jacksonville Jewish Cen
ter, Third and Silver Street, will be in readiness on Sunday night.
November 18th at 8 P. M. when a South-wide celebration of the
Golden Jubilee of the Jewish National Fund is expected to bring a
large attendance of friends of Israel.
Heading a local committee
making plans for the celebration
of the 50th year of the most
popular of Jewish funds, the J.
N. F., which buys and develops
the land in Israel, are I. J. Edel
stein and Isadore Moscovitz, co
chairmen. The Jacksonville Zion
ist District, Senior and Junior
Hadassah, Masada (Young Zion
ists) and the Young Judaean
groups are cooperating to assure
the success of the affair. The
Jewish War Veterans will also
take part in the program.
Highlighting the celebration
will be a special concert by the
Jewish Center Choral Group, led
by Cantor Abraham Marton, who
will present several Israel selec
tions; and an address by" Dr.
Alisa Klausner Eskol, first wo-
;“This does not meaty” The
Times added, “that Israel would
not make the best bargain that
she could if her help were want
ed. With the exception of Turkey,
she is the only Middle Eastern
State that possesses armed forces
that are, by Western standards,
effective, and her people are
well-organized for self-defense.
“In many ways, Israel’s parti
cipation in regional security ar
rangements would be valuable to
the' West as well as to herself.
Since, however, her inclusion
would rule out the Arab world,
the Four Powers cannot invite
her help unless her differences
with the Arab States can first be
composed.”
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Cantor Abraham Marton
man to receive a Doctorate in
Philosophy and modern Hebrew
literature at the Hebrew Univer
sity in Jerusalem, where she was
born. Dr. Eskol will bring with
her a reputation as a most in
spiring speaker, informative, dra
matic, personally attractive,
quick wit, ready sense of humor,
delightful personality, complete
sincerity, and a fine ambassador
for Israel. She will relate some of
her exciting experiences as a
member of the underground in
the war against the Arabs. Her
appearance is expected to do
much to build up the morale of
everyone interested in the future
of Israel, friends who understand
that Israel cannot be built in a
day, that Israel must continue to
grow from strength to strength
until it again points the way to
permanent world peace and jus
tice; that such growth can be
achieved only through ever-in
creasing organized effort of all
Jews toward education, invest
ment in Israel bonds, larger con
tributions of time and money to
the United Jewish Appeal, and
greater membership in Zionist
organizations—for as long as may
be necessary.
A reception in honor of Dr.
Eskol will be held at the home of
Mr. Edelstein, 3012 Walton Road,
following the celebration.
Social Democrat
Women Back German
Approach to Jews
BONN, Germany, (JTA) A
conference of the women’s divi
sion of the German Social Demo
cratic Party held at Fulda last
week voted approval of the West
German Government’s “belated”
attempts to come to an under
standing with the Jews of Ger
many, world Jewry and the State
of Israel.
$3.00 A YE Aft