The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], January 30, 1953, Image 1

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

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29th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
| AN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY SERVING AMERICAN CITIZENS OF JEWISH FAITH
THE OLDEST AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED JEWISH PUBLICATION IN THIS TERRITORY ”
VOL 30 NO. 2
PLAIN TALE
By Alfred Segal
INTRODUCING: THE
SHAMMOS
In a recent column I summoned
all rabbis—Orthodox* Conserva
tive, Reform—to a solemn con
clave for the purpose of invent*
bag a Jewish Santa Clause. I did
it for the sake of a troubled lady
who had called me up to ask.
"Why not a Jewish Santa Claus,
too?" (And I hope nobody will
consider it too long after Chanu
kah for me to report the sequel
of the matter.)
The lady said her three small
children had only the Christian
Santa Claus to depend on for evi
dence that there’s really a lot of
goodness traveling around the
world, and wKat better witness to
that than Santa Claus?
The lady confessed that Santa
Claus comes to her Jewish house
"but, believe me. I'd rather have
s Santa Claus of our own for
Chanukah. We take Santa Claus
Into our house because there has
been no substitute."
She makes the point that chil
dren being what they are (that
is to say, just children) they ap
preciate more the personalized
symbol that is Santa Claus than
they do the idealistic abstractions
that are of Chanukah.
"So it's hard to compete with
Santa Claus, especially because
Chanukah and Christmas come in
the same season," the lady argued,
and would I, please, by the power
of the press that presumably is in
my typewriter, get matters start
ed toward building up a Jewish
competitor for Santa Claus . . .
"I feel sure that Santa Claus, fine
eld gentleman that he is. won't
mind the generous competition of
another fine old gentleman who
happens to be Jewish," she said.
"As you see, I have nothing at
all against Santa Claus who is a
great and good Christian but why
can’t we have our own Jewish
Santa Claus. Nor am I saying
anything against Christians. Some
of my best friends are Christians,
including Santa Claus."
Well, responding quickly to the
lady’s appeal, I sent out my call
to all rabbis to come together and
do something to create a satis
factory Jewish Santa Claus in
time for Chanukah. There was
not the least rush of rabbis, in
response. I could guess diet they
were afi pretty busy telling the
world how it should bo run right,
or what should be dene about the
economy of Fstagenle, or efher
far-off matters with which rabbis
like lo concern themselves. Yes. it
soema that as usual the minds of
rabbis were all around the world.
So Chanukah came and wont
without a Jewish Santa Claus that
I was aware of. I was about to
give the whole idea up and let the
Christian Santa Claus have his
monopolistic way all by himself
when I heard there da « Jewish
(Continued on Page 52)
Sharrett Warns Israel
Will Not Remain
Silent in Face
of Libels
JERUSALEM, (ISI) lsrael
this week served notice upon the
nations in Eastern Europe which
have launched a vicious campaign
of anti-Semitism against world
Jewry and Israel, that these libels
and slanders would not go un
answered. Speaking .before the
Knesset (Parliament), Mr. Moshe
Sharett, the Foreign Minister, em
phasized that “the State of Israel
will not rest silent in the face of
an attempt made by any power
to defame the name of the Jewish
people and of a danger threaten
ing the Jewish masses wherever
they may be.”
Mr. Sharett was referring spe
cifically to the charges levelled
by the Russian Government
against nine doctors, seven of
them Jewish, of carrying out
medical murder against top-rank
ing Soviet officials. But his words
had special meaning as well in
relation to the newest in a series
of charges put forward by the
Moscow magazine “New Times”
that the entire Zionist movement
had “sold out” to American im
perialists and was helping the
United States in its struggle
against Communism.
TO OPEN DRIVE FOR NEW
ATLANTA COMMUNITY
CENTER
ATLANTA, (JTA) A $750,000
campaign is being launched here
for the construction of a modern
new community center for the
Atlanta Jewish community. Actu
al construction of the edifice on
the eight and a half acre site al
ready purchased and developed,
at a cost of $212,000 into one of
the most complete recreational
areas in the South, is expected to
start this year. An additional
quarter of a million dollars to
ward the costs of the center will
be forthcoming from sale of the
old Jewish Education Association
site and from allocations from the
Atlanta Jewish Welfare Fund.
Miami Beach Conference February 14 and 15 Will Concern
2,500,000 Jews In Eastern Europe
The outbreak in Iron Curtairf countries of wide
spread anti-Jewish pressures that have given rise
to fears for 2,500,000 Jews in these lands will come
under the closest scrutiny two weeks from today,
February 14 and 15, at Miami Beach, Fla., as the
United Jewish Appeal formally opens its extra
ordinary 1953 nationwide campaign at an emer
gency National Inaugural Conference.
With Soviet-inspired anti-Jewish tension reach
ing new peaks of intensity both in the U.S.S.R. and
in the Satellite states of Eastern Europe, the UJA
rushed completion of plans this week for the for
mal launching of what is already being heralded
throughout the country as the most crucial nation
wide campaign since the end of World War 11.
The attention of the more than 600 outstanding
communal leaders Who will assemble for the cam
paign opening at the Saxony HoteL on Saturday
and Sunday, February 14 and 15 will be focussed
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1953
Warns Against
Russia
Rudolph G. Sonneborn
Israel is the “sole hope of re
settlement” for any large-scale
movement of Jews from the Iron
Curtain countries provided that
the American Jewish community
helps to make available the nec
essary funds through philan
thropic sources, Rudolf G. Sonne
born, national chairman of the
United Israel Appeal, said. He
spoke at the 17th annual meeting
of the United Israel Appeal’s
Board of Directors’ which was
held last Sunday at the Waldorf-
Astoria Hotel.
Warning that Israel is currently
ill-equipped to handle a mass-mi
gration, Mr. Sonneborn stressed
that “the people of Israel have
the will and the desire to wel
come the Jews but the tragic fact
is that we have lost precious
years when we could have helped
to consolidate the economy of the
Jewish state were sufficient funds
made available.”
Mr. Sonneborn termed the pres
ent situation in Israel “very pre
carious” and attributed it, in large
measure, to the marked decline
in philanthropic funds during per
iods of “less dramatic intensity”
when efforts were made to con
solidate and strengthen the foun
(Continued on Page 1-A)
They predicted the break would
be initiated by Moscow following
the imminent trial of the nine
doctors accused in a “Jewish plot”
to assassinate the leaders of the
Soviet Union. The Kremlin, these
sources declared, would use the
conviction of the doctors as
“proof” of the hostile intent of the
Jewish State and therefore as the
reason for the break.
The New York Herald Tribune
reported from London that in at
tacking the Israeli leaders, "the
Soviet leaders evidently seek to
provoke Israel into breaking re
lations so as to spare them from
taking the initiative." It pointed
out that "in the event Russia suc
ceeds in promoting a break with
Israel, it is taken for granted the
Eastern European satellites will
follow suit.
“This,” the dispatch noted,
“would destroy the hopes of the
estimated 2,500,000 Jews who
want to emigrate from Commu
nist countries to Israel.”
Israel Will Not Severe Relations
With Satellites
That Israel, regardless of the
provocation, would not take the
first step to sever diplomatic re
lations with the Soviet Empire
was made clear in Jerusalem
where every person feels the need
to maintain, at all costs, the tenu
ous links to the Jews trapped be
hind the Iron Curtain represented
by the Israeli legations and con
sulates there.
In a press conference broadcast
over the Israel Radio. Foreign
Minister Moshe Sharett affirmed
that the Israel Government did
not contemplate breaking off dip
lomatic relations with Czechoslo
vakia and Poland. Both these
Communist regimes had declared
Israel's envoy. Dr. Arieh Kubovi,
sharply on developments that have come as a
shock to the Jews of Israel, the United States and
other parts of the free world.
The emergency-dominated Conference will be
addressed by Jewish personalities drawn from the
highest echelons of Israeli and American affairs,
and will mark the launching of the United Jewish
Appeal’s 15th successive annual nation-wide cam
paign and its first great drive against a background
of danger to Jews in Communist countries.
The Inaugural Conferees will include both the
most vigorous leaders of America’s more than
5,000 Jewish communities and those who have
been the largest contributors to local campaigns
on behalf of the United Jewish Appeal. In the
light pf the new situation in Eastern Europe, these
contributors will be faced at the end of their
deliberations with the responsibility for setting
higher individual and corporate giving standards
than at any time since 1946.
Moscow Is Seen As
Breaking With Israel
(Copyright, 1953, By The Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
As Moscow continued its press and radio attacks on the Jews
and on the leaders of the State of Israel last week with unbridled
ferocity, diplomatic circles in London forecast the severance .of
diplomatic relations between Israel and the Soviet Union.
persona non grata.
Mr. Sharett said, however, that
for the time being, Israel will not
nominate a successor to Dr. Ku
bovi in the dual post.
A JTA dispatch from Tel Aviv
last week reported another move
by the Polish authorities to de
stroy all contacts between Jews
in Poland and their coreligionists
abroad. The Polish Legation in
formed a local attorney seeking
information about the family of a
client that it would no longer give
information to Israelis about
Jews living in Poland.
JDC Ends Hungarian Aid
Program
The American Joint Distribu
tion Committee announced that
“in the light of present develop
ments in Hungary,” it was no
longer possible for the agency to
operate there and its relief activi
ties in that country were being
terminated forthwith.
'The J.D.C. in its work of relief
and rehabilitation of Jewish vic
tims of war and persecution has
scrupulously refrained from its
principle of exclusive adherence
to its humanitarian role/' Edward
M. M. Warburg. JDC chairman
declared. "In the program of aid
in Hungary, carried on in behalf
of the aged and the sick, of wid
ows and children since the end
of World War 11. the J.D.C. has
remained faithful to these prin
ciples.
“In the light of present develop
ments in Hungary, it is no longer
possible for the J.D.C. to continue
to operate and it is therefore ceas
ing its relief activities in that
country as of this date. However,
the J.D.C. as the representative
agency of American Jews will
continue to manifest its deep con
cern on behalf of other Jewish
victims wherever they may be.”
The Jewish Agency announced
in Paris that it was ready to pay
"the total cost" of emigration to
Israel of all Jews who can escape
from behind the Iron Curtain.
The London Daily Telegraph
reported from Vienna that the
Rumanian, Hungarian and Czech
radio networks have intensified
their jamming of programs from
Israel and Hebrew programs from
the British Broadcasting Corpora
tion beamed to Israel.
Moscow Assails Ben Gurion,
Sharett, Eban as "Spies"
In a direct attack on the heads
of the State of Israel, the New
Times, official organ of the Soviet
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
branded Premier David Ben Gur
ion and Foreign Minister Moshe
Sharett as “agents” of the United
States, “carrying out instructions
from the State Department”
. •**« .*■ ill. r, -
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