Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 9, 1944 Page: 2 of 6
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HERALD-V
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
1414 McKinney At*. Fairfax M»1
D. H. Whit*
____Editor
THE JEWISH HERALD-VOICE
November 9, 1944
Advisory Committee: M. M. Feld, William
Salman. Ab* Sampson, Jo* Weingarten,
J. L. Zuber
subscription Two DoUara Per Year
S7th Year of Continuous Publication
Entered as second dees matter at the Poet
Office at Houston Texas, under the act
of March 8, 1878.
TO THOSE WHO MISINTERPRET
ZIONISM BECOMES A BOGEYMAN
Ii is not unusual for two divergent
points of view to bring forth discussion.
Certainly the presentation of the “case”
for the American Council for Judaism
needs to be discussed i n the light of re-
ality rather than in the fanciful theory
as was presented nearly two weeks ago
at the Abe M. Levy Memorial Hall.
Points of differences and interpretation
need an Open Forum and questions alone
do not satisfy; especially so, when the
answers arc evasive and contrary to the
accepted and actual facts.
The “case” of the ACJ as presented by
Mr. Rosenwald was concise and might
have points of merit, even though, as he
statpd, it was motivated by a fear psy-
chosis. It was presented without rancor,
without an attempt at forensic flair. In
fac% one might say, it was presented with
a certain degree of self-conviction which
was not always borne out by the facts.
Quite to the contrary was the second por-
* tion of the “case” as presented by Ber-
ger. H's obvious attempt at interpreting
history; at reading into Zionism the im-
perialism of his imagination; his attempt
to tell the kind of “integration” of the
Moses Mendelsohn family was a little too
much for even the seemingly uninformed.
But to get to the point ip question at
the Sunday meeting. Zionists are not
democratic, stated Mr. Rosen wald, but I
dare say that if it were not for the Zion-
ists who were present the hall would
havje had at least 50 per cent less attend-
ance. If one-third of the number of non-
Zionists would a^end Zionist meetings
they, at least, would receive the other
point of view, a clearer picture of the
actual scene would be had by all, and an
intelligent attitude adopted.
One point in question and one asser-
tion in question hits us between the eyes.
In another country, not so long ago, it
was stated in the German tongue—there
they called it “oet Juden,” here, you
scream “Zionists.” According to your quo-
tation, given reader publicity in the Hous-
ton Press the following day “how can any
Jew who has enjoyed the great privilege
of American citizenship and who is de-
viat'd to his country endorse the concept
of the national state?”
We rise to a point of order, Mr. Rosen-
wald, and tha includes all the alleged
45(10 adherents of the American Council
"for Judaism. We do not permit the line
to he drawn between Americans simply
because they hold our point of view or
yours. Our boys, I could name hundreds
of them from this community alone, are
out there fighting the good fight. THEY
ARE AMERICANS! THEY BELIEVE
IN THE PRINCIPLES OF ZIONISM!
Art you doing Jewry any good, are you
doing the cause of democracy any good,
by giving more ammunition to the dem-
agogues who go the breadth and length
of the land preaching that Jews are not
good Americans?
You who sit on the directive boards of
the Civic-Protective organizations. You
who look out for the good name of the
Jew. What would you say if this statement
were mouthed and broadcast by the
Father Coughlins and Gerald Smiths?
Would you not fight the inferences of
this contention? Would you not seek to
rectify the wrongs of such a statement?
Would you not say that these demago-
gues were attempting to undermine and
impugn the vast majority of ou rAmeri-
can Jewish community ? It is not to your
advantage—it certainly is not to our col-
lective advantage, Mr. Rosenwald, to
continue on this bogey phraseology. Take
stock, Mr, Rosenwald — tike a good grip
on vour hates and vour fear reactions.
We have yet to learn of the first instance
when a Nazi hatchet man asked whether
a certain Jew, or Jews, were Zionists or
not before letting the hammer fall.
You weakened your case with mis-
statements. Your Rabbi Berger botched
it up even more. Insist all you want to,
let Rabbi Berger insist, but it cannot alter
the case. You built up an unnatural bar-
rier between sound logic and common-
sense when you stated that Jews would
not be able to get into the United States
under immigration quotas if there were a
Jewish Commonwealth. By what reason-
ing? Does the Council now control in-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Mr. D. H. White
Editor Jewish Herald-Voice
Houston 2, Texas
Dear Mr. White:
October 30, 1944.
13 Heshvan 5705.
in the
.
About a month ago I read an announcement in your worthy paper that Lang's
Restaurant was to become a strictly Kosher Restaurant, under the supervision of a
“Mashgiach" who would be on the premises at all times; two sets of dishes—“Milachek”
and “Fleishek” would be installed in the Kitchen; and that the restaurant would be
closed on the Sabbath and on the Jewish Holidays. ,
I was rejoiced on reading this, and I was happy to learn that at last Houston could
take its place with the large Jewish Centers, and that Houston Jewry and the many
Jews who visit Houston (and there are plenty) could enjoy eating a Kosher meal, pre-
pared in accordance with the rules and regulations of our Dietary Laws found
Shulchan Aruch.
How astonished was I when several days later, I received several telephone calls
from reliable sources, that this restaurant was not being run in accordance with the
ad placed in your paper. After personally speaking to the gentleman who was sup-
posed to be the “Mashgiach” at this restaurant I was dumbfounded to hear him em-
phatically deny that he ever undertook to be a “Mashgiach” there.
After a proper investigation on my part, I found to my sorrow, that this restau-
rant is “Kosher” only as far as the sign on its windows, and that on the inside, meat
and cheese sandwiches were served on one table together with meat products; coffee
and milk served with “Fleisheka” soups; the same set of silverware and dishes was
used to serve both “Milachek” and “Fleishek” orders; and that last, but not least,-the
place was kept open on the Sabbaths and on the Jewish holidays.
As a Rabbi of the Orthodox Wing of Judaism (“Lamaan He Ernes,” for the sake
of the truth), I feel it my duty to let our co-religionists know that this restaurant is
rernational agreements? Would the mere, operating under false colors, and misleading the general Jewish public to believe that
fact of your say-so make all Jews citizens
of Palestine if the Commonwealth were
created? No, there are inviolate interna-
tional agreements, and each citizen of a
certain country is a national of that coun-
try—you to the contrary. And if they do
not now look into a man’s religion be-
fore granting him a visa, they certainly
won’t if the Commonwealth is created.
Yours is a negative case. There is
nothing constructive in anything you
presented. You are for immigration into
Palestine? Good! But what are you go-
ing to do with this immigration when
it gets there? Organize soup kitchens?
And what if the immigration makes the
Jew a majority? What then? You say you
support Palestine? Who built the Pal-
estine of today? The adherents of the
Council? Would we intrust the future of
Palestine to those who have opposed it?
Would you, Mr. Rosenwald?
These and many points of view need
clarification. The Republican party was
repudiated because it did not have a pos-
itive program—only a negative program
of criticism. We did not choose to en-
trust the grelt international problems to
isolationists, neither do we want to
chance entrusting the problems of Pal-
estine to anti-Palestinian*. We are all
concerned with our Jewish people. We
believe in Jews as individuals and as na-
tionals and as religionsts. We do not want
to single them out—but the Poles singled
them out, the Roumanians singled them
out. Fn Germany, unless history is noth-
ing but bunk, they were singled out
Even in the United States we have been
singled out by demagogues who question
our Americanism. We want to live at
peace with our neighbors. We want to
respect their rights and have our own
rights respected. In fact we want every-
thing you want, because it has been in-
cluded in our program. This United
States is our land and here we and our
children shall stay, but we also see the
plight of Jews in lands not so blessed as
ours; we hear their cries; we want to
help them. We want to give them the
chance they want, not what we want or
believe they should have. If they want
Palestine, we shall see to it that they are
given every opportunity to have it. It was
promised to them by the Balfour Declara-
tion and international agreement and
understanding. If we fight for the validi-
ty of international agreements we must
stand on the sick of justice and demand
that Palestine be established as a Jewish
.Commonwealth. There can be no other
alternative.
they are being served “Kosher Food ’ there. Once and for all we must look the truth
in the face. The owners of this restaurant must realize that they cannot fool the
public, but should replace the sign “Kosher Restaurant” with the proper sign “Jewish
Style Cooking” that should rightfully be there.
Thanking you for your courtesy in printing this letter, I am,
* i
Sincerely yours,
MAX GELLER, Rabbi
Beth Jacob Congregation.
To the Editor of the Jewish Herald-Voice:
Herein you will find a letter I received from a mece of mine, the only survivor
of her family, who spent nearly four years in a German concentration camp and
was recently returned to England.
She thanks her life to the lucky accident of being technically an English subject,
having been in London during World War I, where her parents, who lived in Antwerp,
took refuge from the same Germans at that time.
I submit to you her letter for publication for two reasons: 1. To dispel any doubt
that may be lingering in the minds of Jew and Christian
the atrocities .... 2. To cry with all my might from the depths of my sorrow, the
indignation at the spurious philosophy of the so called “Amercan Council for Juda-
ism,” which seeks to gratuitiously assuage the bottomless misfortunes of the Jewish
people by long misproven nostrums and against which the protest of our prophet of
old seems to be directed: : "Ho-omrim Shalom, Shalom, v’ane shalom"—Those whq
cry peace, peace whftre there is ne peace.
The Jews of the conquered countries were not asked to decide for themselves
whether they were Jews or Frenchmen, or Belgians, or Dutch. The Gestapo did not
even take pains to submit the* solution of this problem to the decision of the Ameri-
can Council for Judaism—chalk up that one to the discredit of the Gestapo. “You are
Jews,” they cried to their trembling victims. Men, women and children.' “You are
Jews and because you are Jews you must die!” And they died by the millions as Jews.
So I say to the Council: Gentlemen, your task is finished. Alea jacta est So dissolve.
My Dear Uncle and Auntie:
Yesterday I received your long expected letter and I was so glad with it
your first letter I ever got and I hope that many others will follow this one.
I feel so happy to be here in England. I really feel reborn, freed of the German 1
brutes. I sometimes wonder if all here is true and I still wonder and can’t grasp the
reality. The change has been very great to me, and liberation came very suddenly.
I try very hard to forget the past. I go to pictures, plays, but even at my work my
mind wanders off faraway from here to those I left behind. God knows where.
I have seen too much, suffered too much, learned what it means to be hungry,
that nothing frightens me any more. I am glad that life in London is a rush, so I
have no time to fret I‘would be so thankful if I could laugh again with all my hear
Yes, Antwerp has been liberated but I can’t rejoice. Antwerp as been liberated, I fear,
too late. Although I am only 25 now, I sometimes feel like 60; faith has been very
hard on me. It has taken everything from me and destroyed my home, and still 1
should not grumble. I should consider myself happy when I think back on all my
friends being deported to Poland. My little sister was only just 14 years old when
suddenly she disappeared, and since three years there is not a sign of life about her.
This has been too much for my poor father. My sister Bella has been deported last
year, and her 3-year-old child was left behind alone. My brother-in-law is here in
England and I stay with him. *
Why were we so bitterly punished?
I am sorry I had to write you such a sad letter; I feel relieved when I can open
my heart I hope you are all in good health, and do enjoy as much as you can of life,
life is so short and there are so little pleasures.
A bit late I still send you the best wishesfor the new year, and with my best love.
Your niece,
LILY.
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White, D. H. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 9, 1944, newspaper, November 9, 1944; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1102046/m1/2/?q=+date%3A1941-1945: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .