Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 9, 1941 Page: 2 of 6
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THE JEWISH HERALD-VOICE
January 9, 1941
rfUefleutibU
HERALD-V
Houston. Texu
Published Every Thursday
1414 MrKinne) Are. Phene P*. *4*1
D H White_____
W. M White „
Lazar Goldberg
_____President & Editor
_____Business Manager
Asst. Business Manager
ertptiea Two Dollars Per Tear
(Hflee at H
of March t.
at the Pest
Texas, under the Act
IS?*.
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WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR
AMERICAN JEWISH LEADERSHIP?
THE AECOnSTRUCTIOniST
Viewpoint
The Jewish Reconstructionist
Foundation
IS West 84th Street. New York
<1UeMaMa? llud
FUNDS FOR PALESTINE
By Rabbi Theodore N. Lewis
Associate Editor, The Reconstructionist
The agreement of the Eastern leaders
of the Joint Distribution Committee and
of the United Palestine Appeal to part
ci mpany and to hold separate appeals for
funds will bring dismay and bitterness to
rdiny Jewish homes and communities.
It has been an open secret to those who
look With open eyes upon the Jewish
M-ne that our leadership has been dull
and uninspired. Yet even the most criti-
cal of us was unprepared for such a col-
losal h'under and the brazen cheerfulness
with which it was announced. Not in a
generation have Jewish leaders shown
tlemselves so wanting in common sense
and in a feeling for fitness of things!
Everywhere about us a stirring appeal
goes forth for National Unity. People are
moved by the tragic drift of events to for-
get class and political differences and are
making great sacrifices so that hope and
tiic future be not entirely dimmed. “Unity”
hu* come to he more than a concept of
war orul and hemispheric defense; to the
aieragr man and woman it is an emot-
ional symbol upon which he pegs all his
Napes and aspirations for the world of
tomorrow.
In this prevailing mood of harmony,
unity and National solidarity, our leaders
commit the unforgivable psychological
offence of directing the attention of every
|rw—that we—a pitiful minority, hound-
ed and battered as never before—cannot
unite and act together in our supreme
rffort of aiding the victims of persecution
aftd the establishment of a Jewish National
Home.
if ever leadership has proclaimed itself
bankrupt, Jewish leadership has done so
ib our day, dramatically, and before the
eyes of all Israel. In trying to bolster the
morale of a people badly unnerved because
o* d.Master following swiftly upon disaster
we have always given the impression
that there are in our midst men of vision
and influence who are looking for the
tfhimatc welfare of the Jewish group. The
hubb'e bursts—the myth is exploded—for
where are those men? Why have they
flo» heeled the breach?
Though Rabbi Jonah Wise, represent-
ing the J. D. C. and Rabbi Abba Hillel
Silver, representing the U. P. A. have an-
nounced their parting of ways in sugar-
a-jted terms, rest assured that very soon
this polite atmosphere will vanish and as
the rising tide of indignation on the part
*df the |cwish people becomes disturbing
-i-each group will blame the other for
breaking off relations and making a Unit-
ed Appeal impossible.
It you feel as I do that this division in
tjhe ranks of Israel at this time is dis-
heartening and an unmitigated evil—let
your voice be heard in protest. Write or
h’ re directly to Rabbi Jonah Wise and
Rsbbi Abba Hillel Silver and let your
voice be heard on behalf of a United
Israel. If enough of us become concerned,
bur leaders may still get themselves “a
heart of wisdom.”
RABBI SAUL E. WHITE
The United Palestine Appeal will soon
inaugurate a campaign for funds in behalf
of Palestine. It merits the largest measure
of support and sacrifice from American
Jews.
The claims of European Jewry have,
till recently, been given precedence, and
properly so in the emergency. But the
opportunities to assist substantially our
European brethren have unfortunately be-
come fearfully restricted. Of the three
million and more Jews residing in Poland,
two-thirds are now under Soviet rule,
which tolerates no organized relief what-
soever. The remaining third, as all those
who reside in Nazi-occupied territories,
Rumania, Hungary, etc., can be helped
but little, no matter how earnestly we
may desire to help them. As long as
the Nazis dominate Europe, this appalling
situation will remain.
The compulsory curtailment of Euro-
pean relief permits the liberation of larger
sums for Palestine and the demonstrated
importance of Palestine as a haven of
immigration suggests the desirability of
applying these sums to this purpose. It is
therefore to be regretted that the non-
Zionists in the administration of the
United Jewish Appeal could not be per-
suaded to see the cogency of this sug-
gestion when it was presented to them
by Zionist leaders. Reconstructionism lays
great stress on Jewish unity, but unity
must mean united action; it must not be
used as a slogan to justify inaction where
action is needed. We therefore feel that
the Zionist leadership was not only justi-
fied in withdrawing, but morally obligated
to withdraw from the United Jewish Ap-
peal, and run its own campaign for Pal-
estine, rather than see the needs of Pal-
estine slighted.
Fcr action is needed, and energetic ac-
tion at that, to enable Palestine to fulfill
its role in Jewish life, whether we think
of that role as insuring the collective sur-
vival of the Jewish people, or as salvaging
individual Jews from the Nazi inferno.
Money invested in Palestine is not relief,
or charity. It is a permanent investment,
wielding large and perpetual dividends to
the individual beneficiary and his family,
and to world Jewry in general.
The greatest service we can render to
the victims of Nazi tyranny is to provide
for them immigration facilities, and a
land to receive them. It is noteworthy
that Palestine, small as it is, has, since
the World War, admitted more Jewish
refugees than any other country, including
our own beloved land. It has admitted
them in spite of political intrigue and the
obstructions imposed by a short-sighted
British foreign policy. Also noteworthy
is the fact that, in Palestine, the refugees
are eagerly and enthusiastically welcomed
by the Palestinian Jewish community, the
Yishub, and not received, as they are in
other countries, reluctantly and with the
misgiving that their admission might jeop-
ardize the status of Jews already in the
country.
These facts establish the right of Pales-
tine to be the principal object of American
Jewish generosity during the coming
year. The more we give to Palestine, the
larger will become the absorptive capacity
of the land, and the greater the number
of homeless Jews it will be able to receive,
Jews who are ready to endure any danger
and hardship, even sailing on unseaworthy
vessels, to reach its shores. Every ad-
ditional arrival is not only a Jew delivered
from terror and the fear of death, but a
re-enforcement of the Jewish hosts engaged
in the rescue of their people and the re-
demption of their people’s honor.
American Jews should grasp the priv-
ilege and opportunity to show their true
appreciation of the role Palestine and the
Yishub have so magnificently played in
this darkest hour of Jewish history. But
our generous support of the United Pales-
tine Appeal should be based, not only on
what Palestine has been up to the present,
but on the more glorious promise it holds
for the future. It is our duty to provide
the Palestine Jewish Agency with the
financial resources to continue its large-
scale activities of immigration, settlement,
land purchase and development etc., in
the land which alone of all countries
remains open to our oppressed and pau-
perized brethren, fleeing the Nazi terror.
It is time that the American Jewish
public awake to the fact that the Jewish
tragedy cannot be averted, or even con-
siderably ameliorated by philanthropic ac-
The Editor, Jewish Herald-Voice,
Houston, Texas.
Dear Friend White:
I just read your editorial, “What can we
do for unity?”—and hasten to pen a few
words. I wonder whether you realize that
in the name of unity, the U. P. A. has
been trampled on for years; that, for the
sake of unity, dating back to 1930, the
first United Jewish Appeal, the Zionist
and U. P. A. forces have subordinated
themselves to the will of the antis (despite
their lip service, they have always been
anti-Zionist), have disbanded their or-
ganization, dissipated their leadership and
the one-constructive appeal in Jewish life
—Palestine.
What if we do force unity? What will it
be—J. D. C. domination again; support
of pet projects; the overwhelming con-
centration on German Jewish relief and
the Polish Jews and others may take the
leavings.
We have sold out to the J. D. C. again
and again for the sake of “unity”—and,
perhaps, an additional dollar or two for
the U. P. A, but have we not given up
too much?—the Zionist Organization has
become an aimless wanderer.
I have always been opposed to this sort
of (60-40) unity—and, I think, of all
people, you ought not fall for this hokum—
“unity” for the J. D. C. and “anti” crowd.
Cordially,
J. S. P. •
BUILDING FOR DEMOCRACY
Goodwill in action is commented on
editorially by the Los Angeles Herald-Ex-
press. Appreciation of religion is one sure
means of perpetuating democratic ideals.
“As is well known, Christmas is not a
Jewish, but a Christian holiday.
“At the same time, tolerance and good
will grow alike in Jewish and Christian
breasts.
“We read in the news reports that at
Fort Dix, on the East coast, Jewish soldiers
voluntarily offered to abandon their holi-
day leaves in order to man the cantonment
and permit those of the various Christian
faiths to go home for the Yule season.
“Such a spirit is a splendid reflection
of democracy at its best.
"Happily America has been largely free
from the intolerant racial or class antagon-
isms that have caused so much suffering
in lands across the sea.
“The self-effacing magnanimity of these
young Jewish soldiers will never be forgot,
ten by their Christian mates.
“Nor should any of us ever be drawn
into a hatred for any other race because
of bigotry or so-called ‘superiority.’
“In fact, no condition or race or position
can produce a superiority over these self-
denying Jewish soldiers at Fort Dix at the
Christmas season.”
A SUPPRESSION OF THE CHASSIDIM
from Here & There
By YOUR ASSOCIATE EDITOR
I [■ »»w*»***»w***#»»*»»*#*»»*»****». I
Chassidism. that widespread religious
movement especially in Polish Jewry, dates
back to the middle of the eighteenth cen-
tury. Its founder was Rabbi Israel ben
Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tob (Master of
the Good Name)—Besht for short. The
movement personifies the direct religious
sentiment as opposed to the formalism of
dogmatic ritual. In course of time and as
Chassidism progressed a bitter struggle
arose between the two schools. The rabbis
in particular were opposed to the new
movement. When the Chassidim appeared
in Lithuania the leaders were arrested at
the instance of the local rabbinical council
and their followers excommunicated. The
persecution spread to other parts and
finally, on the 21st of August, 1781, at a
council of rabbis held at Zelva near Grod-
no, the whole of the new movement was
formally excommunicated and the Chassi-
dim declared to be outside the pale of
Jewry.
tivity alone. Political action is necessary
and the political power of the Zionist Or-
ganization must be strengthened that it
may bring about the recantation by the
British government of its repudiation of
the right of free Jewish immigration into
Palestine. Great Britain and the world
after the war must be made to acknow-
ledge that no Jew who seeks sanctuary
from prosecution and oppression by re-
turning to his historic homeland can be
there illegally. The success of the United
Palestine Appeal, its over-subscription, will
serve as a symbol to the British govern-
ment and to the entire world that Israel
demands moral compensation for the spec-
ial martyrdom it has endured in recent
years, as a direct result of its homeless-
ness. Nothing but a restored Jewish
Palestine, open to any and all Jews seek-
ing to make their home there, will atone
for the agony Israel has endured during
the last decade.
Answer the United Palestine Appeal
with a united American Jewish response!
Make your contributions worthy of Pal-
estine and worthy of America!
Ho, hum, those Wednesday before Thurs.
day holidays plays havoc with the schedule
. . . No, I wasn’t the one who made all that
noise on New Year’s eve . . . No, I wasn’t
the one who ran to that all night drug-store
and pleaded for something, anything to
take that load off my ‘tummy’ . . . No, I
wasn’t the one who whooped it up on the
Main stem with that blond who kept yelling
‘we was a liberal in politics . . . And I’m
not going to be a snooper and tell you
what I saw and where and what I have
been told to high-light for the Nooyeaseve
goings-on . . But I will go back
And tell you about the BB Chanukah
Ball . . . Despite the cats and dogs Juplu-
vius dropped on Houston, despite the ker-
choos—there was a goodly crowd . . . And
as I glance about me, where, oh where
were those Houston Lodge 434 members?
Alfred Barnston, rabbi to be, kept it within
the Temple fold and squired petite Ger-
trude Kreisman . . . And a blond dream
was introduced to the crowd by the “late-
as-usual” Dr. N. Horowitz . . . Mrs. Abe
Sampson was seen with a flock of raffle
tickets and not a winner amongst them
. . . Rosalie Dubinski getting the rush she
so well deserves . . . District President M.
N. Dannenbaum and the Missus making the
rounds and greeting the many friends . . .
And a final cheer to M. H. Jacobs and his
Committee, Mrs. Ben Noble and her com-
mittee who made this traditional Chanu-
kah Ball the outstanding success it was.
On Sunday morning, leaning over the
counter at the Goodman's Meat Market
may be seen a select clique of pitch ex-
perts . . . The unofficial organization
meets quite regularly and the shuffling
includes the ages of seventeen to seventy
... the fly in the ointment is the expect (?),
but carefully checked by the other
players, scorekeeping of Aaron Goodman
. . . the highly intellectual and broaden-
ing forehead of Leon Schwartz berg . . .
the wild bidding of the Gabbai . . . and the
extreme good fortunes of Rev. Sol Good-
man.
I have heard it rumored, and this by
word of mouth and not by eye, that Sam
Rosenberg does all his gym workouts at
the table, pin balls to you, and celebrated
a good run of high games with a bow tie
the other day . . . Maurice Sacks on fur-
lough, said hello at home and sallied out to
take in eighteen holes at Hermann Park
. . . Inside info has it that one of our
black haired eligible doctors will soon
announce his engagement . . . And who
doesn’t want a glimpse of the new rebitzen
. . . Quite stunning was Mrs. Sol Gerber
at the M. M. Dance—those roses in her
hair brought out the blond loveliness—
no wonder hubby Sol was walking on air
. . . That was some party Dorothy Cook
tendered at her home New Year’s eve.
B’nai B’rith will present one of those
exceptional programs Monday night and
there is a mighty good chance of I’ll being
seeing you there . . . And let’s not forget
Rabbi Kahn, formally introduces the Missus
Tuesday eve .... Saints alive, but the
social whirl has got me dizzy . . . And
I’ve just heard the sweet singer visiting-
one of our synagogues recently left quite
a sour note.
JUST TWENTY YEARS AGO IN THE
JEWISH HERALD
I read that the Ben F. Leffs returned
home to W. Columbia after a several day
visit with Tyler friends ... And Jake Eisen,
prominent Beaumont business man, won
the “booby” prize at an interesting Tyler
party . . . And Palestine was soon to be the
home of the J. L. Keepers and daughter,
he going to do some auditing for the I. &
G. N. RR . . . An announcement—Mr. and
Mrs. M. Keller told the city that daughter
Sadie had had the solitaire placed on her
third finger left hand by Abe Wagman
of W. Columbia—mazel tov . . . The newly
elected officers and executive board of
the Mizrachi Zionist organization met at
the home of treasurer Abe Sampson to
formulate plans.
And your headlines on the Front Page,
four out of five, treated the news of the
day—Anti-Semitism—there was an article
against the Immigration Bill up in Con-
gress, branding it as anti-Semitic (and
you talk about your modem Reynolds)—
Bishop Broderick denounced the correct
anti-Semitic campaign—and Henry Ford
was doing his damdest . . . And so the
world turns on the same pivot . . . Herzl
Lodge installed M. Tiras as president . . .
the Chanukah Ball proceeds amounted to
$450.00 and were $200.00 to Jewish Child
ren Home; $75 each to Leo M. Levi Hos-
pital and J. C. R. S.; and a hundred dollars
for the adoption of a Jewish War Orphan
. . . (Where have we heard Chanukah Ball,
and War Orphans) . . . And among our
advertisers, Jake Sam was right on top
of page three. .
.
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White, D. H. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 9, 1941, newspaper, January 9, 1941; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1102146/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .