The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], June 26, 1953, Image 1

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

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VOL 30— NO. 23
PLAIN TALK
BY ALFRED SEGAL
LADY WANTS ANCESTORS
It was at a cocktail party where
there was practically no end of
Martinis , Manhattans and old
fashioneds, and the big 'room was
buzzing louder and louder with
the freest speech."'
As I strolled about the room,
martini in hand, I came upon the
Jewish lady whom this piece is
all about. At the moment she was
in earnest converse with a scion
of one of our first families, as
they are called. She invited me
into their talk. The scion seemed
to welcome me breaking in on
them that way. You might say
that he pushed her into my hands
and left us there while he made
straight for a pretty young thing
on the other side of the room.
So I was left alone with the
Jewish lady who proceeded to
give me an earful... "I was just
being thrilled by what Mr
was telling me about the perfectly
fabulous history of his family. It
all goes back to the Mayflower
and the American Revolution. He
had ‘ah ancestor at Valley Forge.
It must be wonderful to have such
a history."
She said she herself, as a Jew
ish person, feels at a loss when it
comes to counting up ancestors
. . . “We as Jews are so lacking
in that,” she said. “No background
to speak of.”
While Mr. A. knew ances
tors by name as far back as the
Mayflower, she herself knew of
no ancestor to speak of beyond
her great-grandfather who came
over here from Germany in the
1850's and he was a peddler to
start with.
And what had he ever contri
buted to American history? she
asked. From having been a ped
dler he did manage to establish
quite a wholesale line, but that
wasn’t at all like having some
body from off the Mayflower.
(The fact is that the consider
able estate he left has multiplied
in the years since his death and
keeps his descendants in Cadil
lacs.)
After another Martini (I had
had but two) I felt fortified
enough to speak up boldly to the
lady ... “So you aren’t a May
flower descendant or a Daughter
of the American Revolution, but
your ancestors do date back in
the records of history a hell of a
lot farther, please excuse the ex
pression, than anybody that was
on the Mayflower. And, between
you and me, you should be
ashamed the way you make prac
tically nothing at all of your own
ancestors.”
I look her back as far as Sinai
and, in away of speaking, walked
up that hill with her to meet
Moses coming down with the tab
lets . . . "Your ancestors were
there," I said. 'They saw Moses
with the Commandments. They
didn't get their feet frozen at
Valley Forge but they heard God
in the thunder and lightning at
(Continued on Page 8)
AN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY SERVING ’AMERICAN CITIZENS OF JEWISH FAITH
THE OLDEST AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED JEWISH PUBLICATION iw THIS tttpptthpv
■ j
i
i
Maurice Samuel (left), noted author, and Prof. Mark Van
Doren, Columbia Univ., discussing “Words We .Live By,” The
Eternal Light radio program’s summer series, being broadcast over
a coast-to-coast NBC network from July 5-Sept. 6, from 12:30-1 PM.,'
EDST. Sponsored by The Jewish Theological Seminary of America,
“Words We Live By” is presenting the two distinguished men of
letters in a dialog based on Thomas Mann’s “Joseph and His Broth
ers,” a modern reinterpretaitoii of the biblical Joseph story.
ANTI-SEMITIC
PROPAGANDA MAILED IN
JAX, DISSEMINATED IN
MIAMI
MIAMI, (JTA) An investi
gation was being made of the
transmission through the mails
of quantities of anti-Semitic
propaganda addressed to resi
dents of this city.
The material, postmarked in
Jacksonville, included leaflets
which carried Post Office box
numbers in Atlanta and Bir
mingham. It bore the name of
the “Christian Anti-Jewish
Party” and called for enroll
ment in the organization to
“free America from the Jews”
and to “destroy Communism.”
The party is run by Jesse B.
Stoner, a former Klan official
and has failed to attract much
support.
The revelation that State Department officials
exhibited marked hostility toward Israel at secret
hearings before the House Foreign Affairs Com
mittee is both shocking and disconcerting. The
gentlemen who testified, it seems, were not only
bent on projecting anti-Israel views but in advo
cating a pro-Arab orientation which in fact and
effect would be a complete reversal of American
policy.
The guiding architect was Arthur Z. Gardiner
of the State Department’s Near Eastern Division,
who had the impudence to imply guilt to the Jew
ish people for Stern Gang terrorist activities which
were in fact condemned by every decent Jew in
and outside Israel. In addition, the State Depart
ment experts cleverly resorted to a map which
showed the discrepancy between Israel’s territory
today and the area allotted it under the U. N. par
tition plan, while conveniently forgetting the basic
BEHIND CLDSED DDDBS
* AN EDITORIAL
Established 1924
Published Every Friday
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, JUNE 26, 1953
SAVANNAH AGED TO BE
RECEIVED BY ATLANTA
HOME
ATLANTA, (JTA) —Jewish
aged from Savannah who require
institutional care will, in future
be accepted into the Jewish Home
for the Aged here under a com
munity support agreement be
tween the home and the Savan
nah Jewish Council.
v
The Atlanta institution, which'
recently observed its first anni
versary, is one of the most mod
ern homes in the country. Under
present plahs, community support
agreements will be entered into
with other Jewish communities
throughout the State for the care
of their aged in this home. A
similar agreement exists with the
Augusta community.
fact that Israel accepted partition but that it was
forced to spill blood in a war that was fought to
maintain a United Nations decision. That gentle
man also forgot to remind the committee that Is
rael was more than charitable in applying the
adage about the victor and the spoils.
The gentleman also sought to minimize Israel’s
accomplishments by claiming that cultivation in
the land had diminished considerably since the
exodus of the Arab refugees. The records are not
now before us. But if cultivation has been cur
tailed, the fault lies with the Arabs and their
friends. The hand that carries the sword cannot
simultaneously carry the plow.
The House committee, with small exception,
was obviously not impressed. If the Gardiner view
prevailed, the House Foreign Affairs Committee
would not have approved aid to Israel under the
Mutual Security legislation.
Sharelt Outlines Israel's Foreign
Policy
JERUSALEM, (JTA) Foreign Minister Moshe Sharelt told the
Israel Parliament this week that peace between Israel and the Arab
States was possible only on the basis of the territorial and demo
graphical status quo. Winding up a two-day debate on Israel's for
eign policy, he reiterated Israel's friendship for the United States
and announced also that Israel would "welcome renewal of diplo
matic relations with Russia."
Following conclusion of Mr.
Sharett’s speech, the Knesset
voted the Foreign Ministry bud
get of two and a half million
pounds.
In obvious reference to recent
recommendations by Secretary of
Stale John Foster Dulles, Mr.
Sharelt declared that Israel does
not see any solution of the Arab
refugee problem in returning a
portion of them to the Jewish
Stale. "One must not feed the
refugee on false hopes." he added.
He said that as long as there
was no peace Israel would oppose
shipment of arms to states which
refused to make peace with Is
rael. “We will oppose the arming
of the Arabs since the arms are
aimed at us and for no other pur
pose,” he declared.
In a comment on Jerusalem by
which Mr. Dulles had also refer
red Mr. Sharett insisted that
there was no change in Jeru
salem's status as the capital of
Israel. "The sacredness of Jeru
salem is deeply rooted and we are
TWINS HAVE 'DOUBLE
WEDDING' WITHOUT
BREAKING RELIGIOUS LAW
OAKLAND, Cal. (JTA) Rab
bi Joseph Greenbeyg of this city
worked with Cupid last week to
find away to permit the Fersh
leisher twins to have a double
wedding without violating reli
gious law which forbids such
ceremonies.
One of the twins, Toby, was
married just before sundown, at
7:30, in Temple Chevra Thilim, in
San Francisco. Her brother Irwin,
who will be discharged from the
Army next month, was married
an hour later, after sundown, and
thus, under Orthodox law, on the
following day.
ready to die for it. Jerusalem is
dearer to us than anything in the
world," he stressed. At the same
time, he stated, that "there is no
discrepancy between Israel's sov
ereignty over Jerusalem and in
ternational requests concerning
the Holy Places within the city.
“We are ready at any time for
the internationalization of the
Holy Places on condition that it
should not undermine Israel’s
sovereignty,” he emphasized. He
said Jordan had also promised to
internationalize the Holy Places
in its territory. He said Jordan
had violated the armistice agree
ment provisions guaranteeing the
Jews free access to the Wailing
Wall and other Jewish Holy
Places in the Old City.
No Signs, of Arab Desires
For Peace
In presenting his ministry’s
budget to Parliament, Mr. Sharett
said the government’s foreign
policy was based on three factors:
Israel’s wide international ties
evidenced by her recognition by
59 countries; Israel’s tempo of
development dependent to some
extent on foreign aid and loans
and contributions from Jews
abroad, and Israel’s living ties
with Jewish communities
throughout the world.
Mr. Shareil declared that not
all of Israel's international prob
lems had yet been solved. Some
of these problems were clearly
defined, he pointed out, but
others were "vaguely hanging in
the air." Israel has not yet reach
ed a peace settlement and it was
hard to foretell when the Arabs
would come around to bridging
the gap between the Jewish State
and its neighbors, he stated.
He underlined the fact that
Israel is still “besieged” on three
sides and therefore is obliged to
seek the closest ties of friendship
with far-off countries. The Arab
conflict “haunts us throughout
the world and we must mobilize
understanding and sympathy in
world opinion,” Mr. Sharett
warned.
In the debate which ensued
deputies of all parties partici
pated. Representatives of the gov
ernment Mapai and Progressive
parlies objected to the suggestion
by Mr. Dulles that Israel accept
some of the Arab refugees. Pro
gressive deputy Izhar Harari spe
cified that such action was impos
sible without the return of those
areas to Israel where the refugees
dwell.
Right-wing Herut leader, Dr.
Arieh Altman demanded a more
vigorous policy toward Arab ag
gression along the frontiers. Left
(Continued on Page 5)
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