The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Page 8

THE WISCONSIN JEWISH CHRONICLE July 7, 1944 8 Strictly Confidential By AL SEGAL IP lain TT alk What Is It All About? Wisconsin Jewish (fiirottiefe NATHAN J. GOULD. Editor, 192S-1M1 Offic and Printing Plant: 240 N. Milwaukee SL, Milwaukee 2, Wis. MArqnette 2392 Member of the JewUh Telecnpble ArT.

Independent JewUh Pre Service and ven Art Femora ayadloaie. (Coatined frosa race I) So our good Hollanders simnlv re prolonging the war and, consequently, prolonging their fives. Both now consider every German soldier expendable, so what difference does it make to them if Nazi prisoners are executed in reprisal for murdered American prisoners of war. We have learned from bitter experience that desperate men can commit unspeakable atrocities. The Nazis and the High Command can carry out these threats of reprisals and we should be prepared for them.

Is this the final act of Nazi terror? Deportation, concentration camps, shooting of hostages; shooting airmen who tried to escape; and now the threat to murder prisoners of war. What a record! fuse to register any children Don't miss "The Nazis Go Underground," by Curt Riess It tells of the Nazi plans for the future, after the defeat even they know IRVING G. RHODES- -Newi Editor W. F. HEINEMAN- is lnevrtaDie in this war Which reminds us of the messages Ger HAROLD WOLFE Manager man war prisoners have been scat (On Leave with U.

S. Army) SAM BOROVOY Advertising Manager The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle forties correspondence on subjocts of Interest to ths Jewish people but disclaims responsibility for an endorsement of the Tlews xpreeeed by the writers. Communications will not be riren consideration nnlsse signed by name and address of writer. If requested by known writer name will be omitted In publlsheo- letters. All anonymous correspondence will be destroyed.

To insure publication in the current issue, all correspondence and news matter must reach this office by Wednesday evening of each week. $3.00 Per Tear Subscriptions in Advance A bewildered gentleman called on me with a matter that, he requests, be presented to the Voices of Israel in the U. S. He said it is about time that the Voices extricated themselves from their babel and got together on a statement of what being a Jew is all about. He has become awfully confused about that in the recent years.

He said it is like being in a noisy meeting in which you can't make head or tail out of anything. He finds it hard to bring up Jewish children in a riot of voices. His own youngsters are 15 and 17 and they are beginning to ask embarrassing questions about this Judaism. They hear the tumult of voices and they say, you can't call this religion, exactly. Is this Judaism? Intelligent children who want fair answers, they are growing quite indifferent about the matter of being Jewish.

If this confusion is all there is to Judaism they're not interested. The gentleman thinks the contending Voices are doing the future of Judaism no good at all. Intelligent youngsters won't have anything to do with a way of life that is just confusion. tering about the Michigan countryside while being transported from their camps to their places of work The messages, wrapped around candy bars, read: "Germany is better than the United States, and we will show you the next time" And here's Harry Hershfield's comment on the French Liberation situation: "They're trying to divide de Gaulle into three Book News Do you know how Thomas Mann came to write his famous series of "Joseph" novels, the final volume of which, "Joseph the Provider," has just been published Some eighteen years ago an artist friend asked to write an introduction to a portfolio of drawings of Joseph and his brethren And when Mann got out his Bible and read up on the story of Joseph, he de No. 18 Vol.

53 JULY 7, 1944 thought it was largely a social identity by which a man is governed in decent relations with his neighbors. He said a Jew especially should be a noble gentleman, considering his spiritual place in the history of man and considering- that the Jews inherited the Ten Commandments. Anyway, a Jew should try to be a great gentleman because all the other Jews get hell if he isn't. He didn't think that ceremonials and observances were much related to the main idea of being a Jew, but he wasn't quarreling ith anybody who observed the ceremonials provided he was a Jewish gentleman. The ceremonials are like bright garments on a Jewish gentleman but only false pretense on a Jew who isn't.

Ideas About God He had ideas about God. He saw God in His works, in a sunset and in a lovely rose, and in fine gentlemen whether they are Jews or Christians. He thought a gentleman was the noblest of all the works of God, even nobler than a mountain-peak. Yes, he was sure of God whenever he met a gentleman. He said that was about all he knew concerning the matter of being a Jew.

He was quite apologetic; the idea of him talking on religion! Wouldn't he seem ridiculous? "After he said, "I am only a haberdasher." I told him that our professional Rep. Celler's Charges Representative Emanuel Celler has voiced serious charges against Carleton Hayes, U. S. Ambassador to Spain. Action must be taken with regard to these charges.

President Roosevelt has appointed a War Refugee Board for the purpose of rescuing Hitler's victims. He has appealed to the peoples of the occupied territories, to our Allies and to the neutrals to assist in this rescue. Yet according to Representative Celler, "there has been consistent refusal on the part of Hayes to present to the Spanish government for its consideration any plan to facilitate the evacuation of refugees into and through Spain." Representative Celler further states that "had Mr. Hayes been willing to cooperate, thousands could have been saved." Ambassador Hayes stands accused by Representative Celler of callousness, the sabotage of humanitarian efforts and the refusal to abide by the specific directives issued by the President with regard to the War Refugee Board. Such charges cannot be glossed over.

They are too reflective on the morale of our diplomatic corps, and too intimately entangled with the life and death of thousands. An investigation is in order. A statement from the Department of State or the War Refugee Board as to these charges, is mandatory. cided that there was the theme for a work of fiction in which he could expound his entire philosophy of life Franz Werfel is He wasn't sure how to feel about mending rapidly, and is putting the finishing touches on another lengthy novel, dealing with Ger it when his boy he's the older of his two children told him he had dropped in at the Quaker meeting house one Sunday morning. many ine contention of diehard anti-Sovietists that Hebrew is forbidden in Russia has been completely exploded Regular The boy hadn't been dropping into anv of the synagogues.

He had shipments of Hebrew books from Palestine have been going to the Soviet Union for some time. read about the friendliness and brotherliness of Quakers and their sanity even in a time of war, and About People Between YOU and ME Benjamin Winter, late president of the American Federation of Po lish Jews, who recently died of a (Copyright. 1944. Jewish Telegraphic Arencr. Inc.) By Boris Smolar Congress Warns Hungary The House Foreign Affairs Committee, which seldom addresses a nation directly on matters which are ordinarily within the province of diplomats, last week adopted a resolution calling on Hungary to halt exterminating its Jewish population and warned the Nazi satellite that due punishment will be exacted from the perpetrators of the crimes.

Two weeks ago, it will be recalled, the Office of War Information broadcast, a similar warning to Hungary on behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The fact that those warnings came so soon on the heels of a statement by John W. Pehle, Executive Director of the War Refugee Board, to the effect that Hungary, where 800,000 Jews are facing extermination, is one of "the very black spots" in Europe the question naturally arises: Is our Government and its agencies in possession of information that the plight of the Jews in Hungary is even more tragic than it has been reported to be? Mr. Pehle, in his statement, said that 300,000 Jews had been deported from Hungary to concentration camps in Poland. Are the Nazis, with the aid of the Hungarian puppet regime planning to deport all of the 800,000 Hungarian Jews to death camps in Poland? According to Dr.

Schwartzbart, Jewish member of the Polish National Council in London, 100,000 of the 300,000 Hungarian Jews who were deported to Poland have already been liquidated by the Germans. Is our Government in possession of information that the same fate is awaiting the rest of the Hungarian Jews? The Lord knows these are painfuF things to write about. But how can one ignore them? Will protests and warnings help? Secretary of State Cordell Hull, in a statement approving the action of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that individuals, groups and organizations, private and public, and officials of all kinds, have been "vainly" protesting against the wholesale murder being practiced by the German Government and its puppets. Is this an admission that Hitler's hand of death and murder cannot be stayed? If so, we can at least find consolation in Mr. Hull's intimation that the Moscow "Statement on Atrocities" was intended to cover the crimes which the Nazis and their satellites have been committing against the Jews.

To the extent that it may be consoling, we Jews are eagerly looking forward to the "Day of Retribution," the day when the deliberate murderers of millions of innocent Jewish men, women and children will be made to pay with their lives for their abominable and criminal deeds. This will not bring back to life the millions of Jews who perished, but it will avenge the blood of those who died. religionists were generally so busy with their extra-mural affairs. It was about time the haberdashers and the columnists, the tailors, the dressmakers and the doctors spoke up. Judaism was made for them and not they for Judaism and they have much to say about its pattern.

Its pattern is too much like a surrrealist nightmare today. Yes, I am presenting the haberdasher's program for Judaism to all who may be concerned with his idea: That, for the sake of ending the confusion, the authoritative Voices should try to get together on a statement on what being a Jew is really all about. I think he presents a very fair sketch of a good Jew. I invite the rabbis to improve on it if they can. I observe particularly that in the concent of this simple-hearted he had stopped at their meeting house just to see what they were like.

What Is Religion? "Well, that's what I call religion," he told his father afterward. "It's all about being kind and decent and that's the whole thing, isn't it?" The boy didn't say he meant to be a Quaker but what was Judaism giving him? His father was glad that the kid had the essence of religion, despite the teachers and preachers of Israel who were so busy with extra-curricular activities far from the essentials of religion. Yes, the gentleman said, if the upcoming generation is to be saved for Judaism and for Jewish life the leaders should be getting soon to tell the children that Judaism lems His book presents these problems clearly and objectively Touching the Arab-Jewish problem, he predicts that the much-talked about Pan-Arab Federation will never be organized because there is no real unity among Arabs He then points to the fact that the Soviet Union is beginning to manifest her interest in Palestine He reminds us that Russia's claim to being protector of the Holy City led to the Crimean War Britain, he says, is not certain whether Russia's reappearance on the Palestine scene now is as heart attack, had been a sick man for the past ten years But he kept his illness a secret, because he wanted to participate fully in communal activities James N. Rosenberg, whom you know as a biggie in the Joint Distribution Committee, is having a one-man show of his paintings at the Ferar-gil Galleries these days Incidentally, his daughter Elizabeth, who is a physician, is serving in the British Army, with the rank of major Sam Koenig, old-time New York political leader, established a record at the Republican National Convention by serving as a delegate for the tenth successive time It's only recently that we discovered that Mrs. David O.

Selz-nick, wife of the Hollywood producer, is the daughter of film tycoon Louis B. Mayer Mrs. Selznick is so averse to publicity that she is doing some very important work on juvenile delinquency under another name Watch out for a new screen figure named Tony Eden No, this doesn't mean that Britain's Foreign Minister is going Hollywood Tony Eden is the screen name The Political Pot There is a good deal of resentment among leading Zionists over the fact that the national convention of the Republican Party saw fit to utilize the pro-Palestine plank of its platform for an attack on President Roosevelt. It is felt that the Republicans will gain little by trying to give the impression, as they do in their plank on Palestine, that Roosevelt only "pretends" to support the provisions of the Balfour Declaration, but actually has done nothing to see that they are carried out The Republican statement on Palestine would have been more appreciated if it were limited to its first section It can now be revealed that Gov. Dewey sent messages to leading members of the Republican Party endorsing the Palestine plank before the platform was adopted Others who worked actively for the adoption of this plank were Herbert Brow-nell, Dewey's campaign manager, and John Dulles, Dewey's personal advisor on foreign affairs No little credit for the pro-Palestine plank is due also to Dr.

Abba Hil- friend or potential foe As to Soviet Russia's attitude with regard to the Jewish claims on Palestine, the author sees no clarity at the present moment It is not clear to him whether the Soviet Union is inclined to continue her internal anti-Zionism in order to win over the Arabs, many of whom are greatly impressed by the recent rise of Soviet prestige On the other hand, he emphasizes the fact that certain Soviet diplomats is much more than this nasty He used to have some definite ideas himself about Judaism before he got all mixed up in the babel. He is no big-shot in Israel, isn't even on any committee, never has made a speech, and he was afraid to be considered impudent if he publicly gave his ideas of what being a Jew is. "Go ahead," 1 said, "it's ail rieht with me. No one else has privately disclosed their disap man the Jew is no politician; he has no ideas of separatism; he is no aspirant for statehood. There has been a lot of controversy some of it bitter over the statement of principles issued by the Reform congregation in Houston, Texas.

Some of it sounds a bit dogmatic but, anyway, the congregation is to be commended for being the only Jewish group in the United States seriously to consider what being a Jew is all about and settling the matter at least in its own mind to its own satisfaction. Anyway, these Houston people know which way they are going while other organized Jews flounder in confusion, doubt and indecision. The children of these others, as they grow up, may not allow themselves to be bothered with a Judaism that seems to have nothing to do with a way of life. They may walk out. (Copyright, 1944) pointment with the Arabs, accus been saying anything very clear ing them of being basically recept on the subject and it may as well ive to Fascist propaganda Mr.

Visson, however, is certain of the be you." Well, he said, his idea ot what fact that the Soviet Union will being a Jew is, isn't very compli given to a pretty youngster who was born Walda Winchell yes, Walter's daughter Monica Lewis, featured singer of the "Beat the Band" radio program, is a daughter of Leon Bloom, well-known New York musician, whose other daughter, the former Barbara Lewis, made her mark as a pianist Your favorite screen villain, Peter Lorre, is planning to do a Shakespeare series in Cali have to recognize the Arab-Jewish problem and will have to aid lel Sliver who spent a week in Chicago before and during the Republican Convention Speaking of Dewey, some members of the American Jewish Committee may still remember how Judge Pro-skauer, years ago, suggested that the Committee employ the services of a "capable young lawyer named Dewey" in its work of combatting bringing about an equitable solu tion of this problem as a measure cated and he might be laugne'l at by the rabbis who have made it awfully to understand. To his way of thinking being a Jew was first of all to be a gentleman in all- the directions of being a gentleman. This is to say, it means to bev generous and just. He of safeguarding her Asiatic bor ders after the war. Between Authors fornia colleges next fall Bandleader Charlie Spivak is sporting a service ribbon these days It's a special decoration awarded him by the Merchant Marine for services rendered by his band, which has made a lot of appearances at hospitals for injured seamen There's been a deal of confusion at a Southern Army camp recently due to the presence there of Privates Ben and Sam Springer (nephews of the late Hebrew au anti-Semitism in the United States Had this suggestion been accepted, the present Republican candidate for the Presidency would have probably been today one of the employees of the American Jewish Committee of whom little would be known.

The Jewish Front With the Presidential campaign in progress, it can be predicted that the Zionist campaign in America for Jewish rights in Palestine will assume new impetus Ef Central Africa By CHAPLAIN EDWARD ELLENBOCEN Chaplain Edward Ellenbogen, serving with the air transport command in Central Africa, tells of life on his lonely beat in the following article released by the Independent Jewish Press Service through the National Jewish Welfare Board. Editor thor Reuben-Brainin) Sam, Palestine Planks The Republican party platform, in so far as it deals with Jewish issues, must be satisfactory to all. The platform, as far as Zionists are concerned, meets with the approval of Dr. Silver. Although Dr.

Wise has criticised that part of its phraseology which questions the sincerity of President Roosevelt's espousal of the Balfour Declaration, Dr. Wise himself is doubtless satisfied with other parts of it, dealing with freedom of immigration to Jews, the purchase of land and the establishment of a democratic commonwealth in Palestine. The Republican platform also favors the perpetuation of the Federal Fair Employment Practices Committee and the removal of discrimination against minorities gen-eralty. The Democratic Party at its convention soon to be held will probably not offer less than the Republican party. In other words, we may likely count on both parties adopting platforms, which as far as Jewish issues are concerned, leave little to be desired.

To be sure, when a party comes into power it often forgets what it promised when it was running for office, and yet there is this much gain that once a party commits itself, the words of its commitment offer embarass-ment when it attempts subsequently to ignore these words. In other words, a victory at a party convention does not mean the war is won. But it does mean that an important battle in the "war" has been won. who used to box exhibition bouts for the Army, is drawing cartoons for the camp paper, and Ben, who Ada Jackson, who won the British National Poetry Prize in 1933, has now won another prize for her lengthy poem "Behold the Jew" just published by Macmillan The book is a profound paean of praise for the Jewish people and their contribution to humanity It is a poetic monument which will inspire many non-Jews to see things about Jews as Mrs. Jackson sees them Jewish readers will enjoy the book both for his poetic quality and for his warmth with regard to Jews Aleph Katz, Yiddish editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, has done it again I speak of his publishing this week, a new book of poems "Amol Is Geven a Mayse" (Once There Was a Sotry) This is Katz's sixth book, and will appeal to both adults and children in every home where Yiddish is read and spoken Adults will be deeply impressed with the war-and-ghetto motives, while children will be delighted with the' playful poems for kids which are easy to remember The book is published by "Farlag Ma-tones" which is one of the leading had started out to be an actor, is forts looking towards reviving the Palestine resolutions in Congress doing a gossip column The bovs are identical twins with will be renewed very soon In the meantime, leading local Zionists are told that it is of the ut the result that officers and non corns have frequently bawled out one of them for not doing what the other had been ordered to do most importance that they maintain contact with their local Congressman and Senators until the time when it will become possible to again bring up the Palestine re But the confusion will be over "Gee, I never expected to see a rabbi in this part of the world." I am the lone Tabbi of.

Central Africa, attached to the air transport command. There have never been Jewish communities in this part of the continent. My closest civilian colleague is 2,400 miles away. My nearest military colleague is more than 3,000 miles distant. My parish extends from the Atlantic to the doors of India.

When I set out on my magic carpet to visit all. my charges, I must soon For the Commanding of ficer has ordered Ben to grow a mustache pronto. (Copyright, solutions Many will be interest ed to learn that Joseph M. Pro 1944) skauer, president of the American Jewish Committee, sent a letter of Italian Newspaper Proposes greetings to Soviet Ambassador Trials for Murderers of Jews Gromyko on the occasion of the Discontent, though unfounded, cannot be lightly dismissed. Chaplains and other officers understand that at the bottom of the unhappi-ness is this hard fact we are essentially civilians, for all our training.

When we "came out" we came to fight, suffer and sacrifice for a good cause. But none of these things are required of us we are not even obliged to rough it. Imagine, if you can, the irony of leaving your country in time of war, and then having to admit, "I ain't never had it so good." "Come Again, Rabbi" It is our task to give men a sense of usefulness and purpose. To show them that our military installations are bringing victory, we are getting the "stuff" to where it is needed, the aircraft that passes through our hands is expert'y-maintained, its crews and passengers are cared for; in short "we do a job." Some day the war will be over, and the statistics of our work will be published and Jewish publishing houses in the country Dr. A.

L. Sachar, noted author and national director of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation, is anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Russia "With victory in the offing, this anniversary, which transcends national boundaries, takes on an added historic signifi becoming a radio commentator He will analyze news daily over a Chicago station Rabbi Philip Rome (JPS) II Tempo, official organ of Premier Bonomi's government has published a series of articles detailing the destruction of Italian Jewry under the fascist regime, the massacre of over 1,000 Jews, including women and children, in the past nine months, and proposing that those guilty of the murders be brought to trial without delay. S. Bernstein, author and editor of cance for all freedom-loving people," the letter emphasized Reports of the Joint Distribution Committee, which cannot be made travel nearly 10,000 miles before I get back to headquarters. It is my job to be Jewish chaplain to a large post (in the States it would seem microscopic) and to about a dozen small ones, and to make Judaism a living and helpful religion in some of the wildest and remotest spots.

I do everything other chanlains do, visiting the, hospital, offices, warehouses, shops, wherever the men gather, work eat, sleep. At stated hours I am at my office if men want to see me alone. There The Jewish Chaplain, reveals that public, indicate that rescue possi of the 247 Jewish chaplains serving in the U. S. armed forces, 22 have been promoted to the rank bilities are becoming brighter of Captain.

(Copyright, 1944) It is increasingly possible now to utilize underground channels effectively and bring actual help, food and medicaments to Jews in side occupied Europe There are also prospects of rescuing a number of Jewish children in Nazi-held and Nazi-dominated countries The United States Government has promised to admit 5,000 such children Canada is pledged to admit 1,000 children Some Latin American countries have also promised to absorb orphaned children from Europe. Hopes on Russia Threatening Reprisals As the war for the Nazis becomes grimmer, their desperation increases. This mad desperation is evidenced by a recent announcement of the German Supreme Command in the matter of alleged shooting of German prisoners by American soldiers. The announcement reads as follows: "Reports are being received that, in the Cherbourg area, members of the German army who have been taken prisoner and who were wearing the uniform of the Todt Organization or of the Reich Labor Service and who were clearly recognizable as combatants and had on their uniforms the swastika arm-badge or the badge of the German armed forces, have been shot. "If these reports should prove true, for every such murder committed on German combatants, ten United States prisoners of war will be shot." One would imagine that the German High Command would hesitate to make such a threat, especially in view of the fact that the United States has probably ten times as many German prisoners of war as the Germans have American.

Ordinarily this reasoning would be sound and correct, but when one deals with the Nazi mentality one must use a new logic and new reasoning methods. Although this twisted logic and reasoning characterized the Nazi Gestapo for a long time, it now seems to be characteristic likewise of the German High Command. A number of explanations can be offered for this change, but the one that seems most likely and logical to us is the fact that the Generals are persuaded that they, too, are in the list of war criminals and may be punished just as the Nazi gangsters will be punished. We believe that- the General Staff and the Nazis are now concerned only with The Jewish Calendar 5704- 1944 Fast of Tammuz July 8 Rosh Chodesh Aib July 21 Fast of Ab -JuiT 29 Rosh Chodesh Ellul August 20 5705- 1944 Rosh Hashanah, first day 18 Rosh Hashanah, second day September 19 Fast of Gedaliah September 20 Yom Kippur September 27 Succoth, first day October 2 Succoth, second day October 3 Hashanah Rabah October 8 Shemini Atzereth October 9 Simchath Torah October 10 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan October 18 Rosh Chodesh November 17 Chanukah, first day December 11 Rosh Chodesh Tebeth December 17 Chanukah, eighth December 18 Fast of Tebeth, December 2d Also observed previous day. then we will blush for having so long insisted, "T'warn't nothin'." There are minor and major irritants connected with my work.

A civilian visitor once said to me, "Rabbi, you chase around too much, how do you ever expect to get anything done?" But more significant to me is the questioning of a buck private or looie," who complains to me, "Hey chaplain, how often are you coming around anyhow? You haven't been here for three months when are ya comin' agen?" And so I reply, "I dunno but I'll be back as soon as I can," as I dash for the plane while the crew grumbles about being kept waiting. "Hey chaplain, when am I going home?" "Chaplain, if you would just guarantee me a good hot pastrami, I'd come to services every week." "Say chaplain, my mother thinks I'm lying I tell her there is no fighting around here, and she says I just say that so she won't worry write and tell her it's true." (Copyright, 1944) The prediction that Russia may play an important role in settling is little work however, in this field because by the time men arrive overseas, they have solved their problems or learned to live with them. It may seem incomprehensible to the civilian, but life at the front with all its ugliness and dangers, is considerably more tolerable to the servicemen than life in safe areas, such as my "beat" encompasses. At the front, even the humblest task is related to victory. The tasks in this area are unglam-orous.

After the day's work we -do almost everything people do at home see movies, engage in sports, dance, receive instruction in French, in Calculus. But the spiritual discomforts are as painful as the physical ones. Monotony can mortify the heart as completely as a bomb mortifies the body. Men complain that there is nothing to do, and this in turn is the root of complaints about the food, mail, laundry, movies and linen. We in the safe areas frequently have a desire to barter our safety.

the Arab-Jewish problem Pales tine is made by Andre Visson in his "The Coming Struggle for Peace." just published by Ihe Vik ing Press This is one of the best books on post-war problems published in this country Mr. Vis- son, a Russian-born expert on for eign- affairs who organized the East European department of the Office of War Information, is among the few political writers in America who reany nave an inti mate knowledge of world prob.