Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1948-04-16

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D|\V/~Seryhig Columbus and Cenfa-al Ohio Jewish Communily \^AIK
Vol. He, No. JO
COLUMBUS, OHIO, PRIDAV, APRIJ, 10, 1048
Devote tn American and  Jewish   Ideal,
Plain Talk
Our Own Anti-Semitism . . .
BV AL SEGAL
In our town, recently, a private siiowlng of "Gentlemen's Agreement" was given in advance. Tiie audience was a selected group of citizens. Among tfiose present were the superintendent of public soiiools, the superintendent of Catholic schools, and the executive director of our mayor's friendly relations committee, wtilch has to do with keeping racial and religious peace in the community
"Gentlemen's Agreement" Is almost a documentary on anti- Semitism and our citizens were ail glad to hear the vile wWs- perlngs of antl-Semltiam brought out into the open-oi' a moving
gictune that's to show in the e.st theatre. Yes, it was better that a festering garbage can that lias been deep down In a daric cellar, poisoning the inhabitants of the house, be brought upstairs and exposed to the fresh air. The picture gave our citizens all the familiar anti-Semitic cliches they had heard about Jews, ail the dirty little names that liave been applied to Jews. They had heard ¦all this often before; now, in this picture, it was brought out as the vile thing it always had been, something to be ashamed of, iiice a stinicing dead rat tliat had been found In the closet of one's house.
By now you doubtless know the story of "Gentlemen's Agree¬ ment." A magazine writer.(Greg¬ ory Peck) is commissioned by a magazine to blow the lid off an¬ ti-Semitism and show it up for what It really is. After long troubling, he decides on an angle: The best way to know and to write about anti-Semit¬ ism was to suffer IL
So this writer, Philip Green, plaS« Jewish for six montlis in order to feel what It is to be a Jew. H© Ijecomes Philip Green¬ berg. As the Gentile PhlUp Green he writes letters of ap¬ plication to the best universities, the l)est hotels, the best clubs, to emfdoyers who have good Jobs to offer, and is accepted. As the Jew, Philip Greenberg, he writes to the same universities, the same hotels, the same clubs, the same employers and Is rejected or gets no reply. Mind you, as Philip Greenberg nothing has changed In him. He Is exactly the same guy as Philip Green — same good character, same In¬ telligence, same capacities, same honorable reputation — but he isn't wanted because of his Jew¬ ish label.
Anti-Semitism la reduced to the absurdity It ia, to call It a politer name than it deserves, and our prominent citizens could laugh bitterly at it out of the depths of their abdomens. There were several Jews at this pri¬ vate showing of "Gentlemen's Agreement" to whom the case of Philip Green was an old story' that reflected experiences of their own or which they had heard about from others. They could see, though, that "Gentle¬ men's Agreement" was not alone /or the moral Instruction of Gen¬ tiles. There was something in It for the anti-Semitism of Jews as well. It was Just a brief, quick incident but it hit hard.
In the office of the magazine for which Philip Green is writ¬ ing his series on anti-Semitism a certain y'oiing lady secretary
is employed. She is a Jewish girl who, by changing her name, managed to get her Job with the magazine. It nad been the policy of the magazine's personnel man¬ ager to hire no Jews, but this girl had deceived his prejudice.. One day the publisher of the magazine finds himself carried angrily away by his own new¬ found zeal against anti-Semitism. When he hears from Philip Green that even on his own right-minded magazine it had been a policy to employ no Jews, he gets up in the air, as they say.
Immediately he orders a want ad printed in all the daily papers: "Wanted—A secretary, a com¬ petent person is desired, regard¬ less of race or religion." Strange¬ ly, the Jewish secretary who had obtained her Job by altering her Jewish name, isn't at ali hapupy to hear about this. She speaks to Philip Green, to whom she has been assigned as private secretary. (She had told him in strictest confidence that she was Jewish.) No, she says, she doesn't like this in the least. If Jews are to be accepted for work in the magazine's office, it might turn out to be bad for her. There might be some undesirable Jews getting into the office and that would do- her no good if they ever found out that she was Jewish... "Ybu know how that is, Mr. Green. A bad Jew hurts all of us".. .No, she didn't want any more Jews In the office.
This must have fallen heavily on the conscience of the several Jews in the select audience. Yes, wasn't this the same Idnd of anti- Semitism that is in a lot of us? We say, sure, we're all right but there afe those "other" Jews. They're the ones who get us all in bad. Now, if only all Jeiws were lilce us. We peurot the an¬ ti-Semite who says "You, per¬ sonally, are all right, but there are those others. You are a white Jew." We take up the anti-Se- mit's lash and lay it on other Jews. We are tolerant of sin¬ ners in pther groups.'.. "Well," we say of thom. "It takes all kinds to make the human race." ... But for Jewish .sinners we tiorrow the way of the anti.Se- mite who puts the Jewish sinner on the back of every Jew.
The Jewish secretary, dis¬ tressed because thereafter Jews were to be accepted for employ¬ ment in the magazine office, was not unique. I have heard of Jews who reside in select neighbor¬ hoods bitterly deploring the re¬ port that another Jew was about to move in on the street... "We are well accepted here, and you can't tell what another Jew may do to our happy situation. How did he mahage to get in here?"
Well, after two hours the show was over and Gentiles and Jews started home, feeling refreshed, as after a cleansing bath.
PASSOVER
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Zionist Actions Committee to Establish Jewish Authority
TBli AVIV —The Zionist Actions Committee unanimously decided this week to establish Immediately a central Jewish au- thprity which will officially begin to function May 15. The de- cisioh was taken at the concluding session of the parley.
Until May 15, the Committee will seek to obtain Internation¬ al recognition of the provisional Jewish government by approach¬ ing Individual governments. It is understood that the new cen¬ tral authority will also endeavor to secure an Intematlpnal loan.
The Actions Committee also ratified, by a vote of 44 to 32, the Haganah-Jrgun agreement and decided to float an internal loan of $20,000,000 for defense pur- poges.
A?ter the decision to establish the central authority .was taken, Zaiman Rubashov dramatically read a "Declaration of Jewish In¬ dependence." It follows in part:
"After 27 .years of foreign and. atrocious rule, which the Manda¬ tory Power received as a trust from the world to establish a Jewish National Home and de¬ ceived that trust, the Jewish Na¬ tion will establish its state and independence in the homeland. The state to be established will be ruled through Justice, free¬ dom and equality for ail inhab¬ itants, regardless of race or creed."
UJA Broadcast Sunda}!
Gone Kelly, noted motion picture star, will be featured in the United Jewish Appeal broadcast over CB8 Simday (Apr. 18), 4:30 pm., to 5 (l«T).  ¦
This original radio dratna — entitled "Tho Promise"— tells the poignant human story of refugees in Europe (and Palestine). This program Ih one of a .series In behalf of the »2J50,0O0,00O UJA drive for 1048.
Local station WBNS will carry the program toniorrow, at 4:.TO.
EARLIEST  KNOWN MANUSCRIPT  OP  BOOK OP  ISIAH   DISCOVERED
N«w Haven, Conn. (JTA)— The earliest known manuscript of the entire book of Islah has heen discovered in Palestine, it was announced here by Prof. Millar Burrows of Yale Univer¬ sity, director of the American school of Oriental Research at Jerusalem. The manuscript was found in a well preserved scroll of parchment.
SCHONTHAL CENTER BOARD TO )H0LD ITS QUARTERLY MEETING
Mr. Rudolph Kiemperer, preS' Ident of Schonthal Center Board, announces that the reg¬ ular quarterly meeting wili be held at the Center, 8 o'clock, Thursday evening. It will in¬ clude an agenda replete with In¬ teresting and stimulating items.
The Survey Committee, con¬ sisting of Dr. E. J. Gord6n, chairman; Justin Sillman, Harry Gilbert, Mr. Kiemperer, Dave Goldsmith, Pred Yenkin, and the secretary wlU report on the re-
comraendatlonjr of .the Jewish Welfare BoaEfl Survey Coramit- teei as approved by the National Council at Plttebtrfg last May.
Dr. Don Shusterman wiii ren¬ der ,the athletic account of the recent Midwest JWB basketball tournament in Canto,p. Mr. Wal¬ ter Franc will outline some Vis¬ ual Educatlonai projects. The fi¬ nancial picture wiil be portray¬ ed by J. W. Steinhauser. Miss Rose Sugarman and I. S. Cheroff will speak on "Resent Trends
¦   ¦     i     ¦
and New Developments in Cen ter Work," and "Activity Ac¬ counts,'" respectively. Miss. Ruth Schaffer is scheduled for an ac¬ count of JJCC recent and pro¬ spective programs. ' In addition Girl Scout Troop No. 32 will demonstrate how a junior group conducts a meet¬ ing at the Center, offering spme insight on how our junior citi¬ zens are- preparing for futiire participation ih communal af¬ fairs.
GENERAIi MEETING ON HOME FOB AGED
A general meeting relating to the core of tho aged and chronically 111 will be held ZulO pm., Sunday, at Schon¬ thal Center. Mr. Maurice Pearlsteln, Regional Director o( tlie ConncU of Jewish Ped- crtions and Welfare Funds, will address the meeting. Mr. Pearlstelif will have vital In¬ formation as to what other conimunltles aro doing In re¬ lation to this problem, nnd how Columbus ean. Ht Into this program. Tho entire community Is Invited to at- tend, and participate in tlie discussion.
Va'ad Hoir Group
Officers Elected
Election and Installatln of of¬ ficers of Va'ad Holr took place last week at Agudath Achlm Ed¬ ucational institute. Serving for the ensuing year wiil be: Chief Justices Rabbi L. Greenwald, Rabbi M. Hirschsprung, and Rati- bi N. Zelizer; President, Harry Beckman; vice-Pres., Lou Levin; Sec'y, Morris Horwitz; Treas., W. H. Olvets; Board of Trustees —Abe Wolman, Agudath Achim; Louis Schlezinger, Tifereth Is¬ rael; Lou Levin, Beth Ja6ob; Wm. Givets, Ahavath Sholom.
Membership of Va'ad Holr is comprised of three representa¬ tives from each Synagogue as well as all Jewish sciioctlin, butchers, and chicken dealers in the city.
In expressing its appreciation for the cooperation of the com¬ munity In making effective the work of Va'ad Hoir during the past year, the cotnmittee went on record as requesting the con¬ tinued fine cooperation of the members of the constituent con¬ gregations In the future, to the aim that the enforcement of the laws of Kashruth, etc., which are the primary purposes of the Va'ad Holr, shall be imple¬ mented.
Special commendation and
?rai.se wa? bestowed upon Mr. acob Krakowltz, the retiring president, for his splendid work since the formation'Of this com¬ munity-wide committee.
"PALESTINE NIGHT" AT HILLEL  FOUNDATION
In Palestine It's 1776!!" This Sunday evening at 7:30 is "Pal¬ estine Night" at Hillel Founda¬ tion. Mr. Charles E. Martz, co- chairman of tfie Columbus Amer¬ ican Christian Palestine Com¬ mittee, wiii be the speaker for the occasion. There will be a movie, "Assignment in Tel Aviv," with Quentin Reynolds as narrator. Those attending will also have an opportunity'of see¬ ing an exhibit of Palestinian art objects from New York and in¬ clude oil colorings, paintings and ceremonials.
There is no admission charge for "Palestine Night." The public is invited.
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES APR. 18-25 POR BROAD ST. TEMPLE
Because of tbe Model Seder — full luncheon, with sym¬ bolic Passover foods and pAe- tlclputlng Passover rltiials — there will bo no Sunday School at Fair Ave. School t^ morrow for .the Broad St. Temple Sunday School mem- bers. There will be a cliH- dren's Passover service 10:30 am., a week from tomorrow (Sunday, Apr. 25), so there will be no classes tbat day, either, but attendance at the services is mandatoi7.
ADL CONVENTION AT LOS ANGEiLES
More than 500 delegates repre-' senting every state and several Canadian provinces are expected to atiend the annual meeting of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith in Los Angeles, May 5-7.
The three-day conclave — marking .the 35th anniversary of the League — has been called: to reexamine on a natlonvride scale the status of bigotry in America, and to stimulate an all- inclusive program to meet the problem.    . '
PASSOVER BROADCASTS
A dramatized program entitl¬ ed "The Forgotten Letter," a story of the first Passover cele¬ bration in America in 1655, will be piresented under the auspices of the .^erlcan Jewish Commit¬ tee Sunday, 1:30 to 2 pm., EST., over the Mutual Broadcasting System network.
A   religious   service  program will be presented under the aus- , pices  of the  American  Jewish Committee Thursday, April 22, 5:30 to, 5:45 pm., EST, over CBS.
Participants will be Rabbi Ar¬ thur J. S. Rosenbaum, director of Interfaith activities for the American Jewish Committee, ana Cantor David Putterman and the choir of the Park Ave. Syn¬ agogue,  New York City.
BERNIE STREGEVSKY
IS   LUCKY   WINNER
At last Sunday's meeting ot B & P Women's Hadiissab, Mr. Bernard Stregevsky, 1040 Geers Ave., was pronounced the lucky winner of the free trip to New York City. Mr. Stregevsky Is a social worker at Schonthal Coinniunlty Cen¬ ter.