The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Page 1

(ffirofnicfe crosnri AeeMy PapSsfor the Jewislrine Per Year $3 Vol. 53-No. 23 Entered aa aecond-claa matter at the poatoffioe of Milwaukee. Wii under tba Act ot March S. 1870.

MILWAUKEE, WIS, AUGUST 11, 1944 BUY naiM 1 BUT jL. 1 rrrm Jj. SBU0 JEWISH REFUGEES Welfare Fund Announces Creation of Milwaukee Jewish Education Bureau Programs of Existing Schools in Community to be Coordinated by New Central Planning Agency for Jewish Education The Bureau of Jewish Education of the Milwaukee community is now an established fact. Culminating the efforts of the past few years, the first meeting of the newly elected board of the Bureau held its first meeting at the Jewish Center on Wednesday evening, August 2. Elected as the first officers of the new organization were Norman N.

Gill, chairman; Morris Weingrod, vice-chairman; Edward Weinshel, treasurer; E. C. Voorsanger, Hungarian Population Demonstrates Against Deportation of Jews Crisis Develops Within Hungarian Government as Result of Protests Against Mistreatment and Arrests of Jews (icneva (JTA) Clashes between the Hungarian population and the police were reported here from a number of towns in Hungary as result of mass-demonstrations held there against the deportations of Jews. The demonstrations, which broke out in various parts of Hungary in the vicinity of Jewish ghettos and concentration camps, are believed here to have been inspired by important Hungarian personalities in Budapest. It is well Hailed As Champion Blood Donors Miami, Florida Abe Aron-owitz, local attorney and chairman of the blood bank committee of Miami B'nai B'rith, is being hailed as the new national blood donor champion of the country by Florida Red Cross officials.

Since the establishment of the Dade County Blood Bank, Arono-witz has given blood 31 times, making his total contribution nearly four gallons. Ben Hofstadter, member of Kings County (Brooklyn) lodge of B'nai B'rith, was acclaimed the blood donor champion of New York City when the Red Cross gave him a special certificate of meritorious service in recognition of his having donated 24 pints of blood to the Red Cross Blood Donor Center in New York. Palestine Refuses Visas for American Jewish Mission Jerusalem (JTA) The Palestine Government admitted that it has refused to grant visas to an American Jewish economic commission which desires to visit Palestine to make an economic survey of the country in connection with post-war immigration and settlement possibilities. Chief Secretary G. V.

Shaw told a press conference that the government had decided that the commission's work was not directly connected with the war effort, and, therefore, would not issue visas to its members, but would attempt to supply them with necessary reports. The commission, which is non-Zionist and independent, is composed of Robert Nathan, former chief of the planning division of the War Production Board, Louis Bean and Oscar Gass. They have been attempting to secure visas for the last five months. oped within the pro-Nazi Hungarian Government as result of the Jewish deportations and specific Bert C. Broude, president of the Welfare Fund stated, "I look upon the formation of the Bureau of Jewish Education as one of the real forward steps that have been taken by the Jewish community in great many years.

It should lead to the coordination of our activities in this field, the improvement of standards of teaching and a raising of the whole tone of all of our schools. There is no question in my mind that the whole community is behind this fine constructive effort." The next meeting of the board of the Bureau will take place on B'NAI B'RITH TO RAISE $3,000 FOR INEW BATTLESHIP All Wisconsin Lodges Will Participate in Serving SS. Wisconsin The Southern Wisconsin Council of B'nai B'rith has undertaken, in cooperation with all of the nai B'rith lodges in Wisconsin, to raise a fund of $3,000.00 to serve the Battleship Wisconsin. This program is one of the important segments of the national war service of B'nai B'rith, and is known as the "Serve A Ship Program." To date, B'nai B'rith has served ap proximately 435 vessels of the United States Navy. B'nai B'rith lodges in the States of Massachu setts, Missouri, New Jersey and Iowa have accepted the high honor and privilege of serving the Bat tleships of their states.

Paul L. Moskowitz, president of the Southern Wisconsin Council, has announced the appointment of A. L. Skolnik to serve. as the director of the program to raise the necessary funds.

The U. S. Battleship Wisconsin, one of the latest and largest ships the service of the Navy, is about to be commissioned for active sea duty. B'nai B'rith members of Wisconsin thus receive an oppor tunity to emulate the splendid ex ample set by members of B'nai nth of other states. The sum to be raised is $3,000.00, half of which is to be used imme diately, and the balance to be re tained as continued service to this battleship.

The chaplain of the ship has requested the following items: one complete recording address system, library of sacred musical recordings, two pianos and two portable organs, and a reference library for all chaplains. These items fit in with the B'nai B'rith concept of things cultural and religious. It is expected that immediate excellent results will innure to our people by this type of cooperation. The cost of the program has been equally apportioned to the various lodges in proportion to their sizes. All checks should be made payable to A.

L. Skolnik, executive director, Serve the Battleship Wisconsin Program, Empire Building, Milwaukee. Inasmuch as the U. S. Battleship Wisconsin is going to be put into active service in the very near future, Mr.

Skolnik urges immediate action, even if it requires a special meeting of a B'nai B'rith lodge during the normal vacation period. All lodges, which participate, will be mentioned in the presentation of the fund to the proper Naval officers. REACH U. S. FREE PORT AT OSWEGO Officials Welcome Survivors of Nazi Persecution to American Sanctuary New York (JTA) After sev eral years of living under Nazi and Fascist terror, approximately 1,000 European refugees, ai8 of whom are Jews, landed in the United States and were transported to the Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario, near Oswego, N.

which was established as a free port" on orders of President Roosevelt. They will remain there for the duration of the war. The arrivals include citizens of fourteen countries and many stateless persons. The: largest group is made up of more than 300 Jews from Yugoslavia who had been in Axis concentration camps in Italy. Others crossed from France into Italy to escape deportation by the Germans to extermination camps in occupied Poland.

Jewish "Organizations Meet Arrivals; Camp Will Have Synagogue Representatives of Jewish refugee relief organizations met the arrivals together with representa tives of the War Relocation Authority which will administer the Fort Ontario camp. The Jewish Welfare Board, it is understood, has arranged for the establishment of a synagogue in the camp and for the delivery there of a Sefer Torah and Jewish ritual articles. The War Relocation Authority announced that no persons will be permitted to visit Fort Ontario for a period of three weeks, except representatives of the press and cooperating agencies. Relatives in the United States will be permitted to write letters as frequently as they wish. Mail will not be censored.

Upon the arrival of the refugees, John W. Pehle, executive director of the War Refugee Board, which has been instrumental in saving many of Europe's persecuted Jews, also issued a statement welcoming the newcomers. "The arrival of almost 1,000 refugees from Italy demonstrates this nation's willingness to participate in an international program to find havens for the survivors of Nazi persecution," Pehle said. "In accordance with the terms laid down by President Roosevelt, they will be housed and cared for at tort Ontario, under adequate security precautions until the war is over and they can return to their homes "The sanctuary America offers this small group is but one aspect of the War Refugee Board's program to rescue and protect the persecuted peoples of Europe The refugees who landed are safe and they are welcome. Welcoming Ceremony Held; U.

S. Government Greets Arrivals The refugees were officially welcomed to the United States at ceremonies at Fort Ontario when Dillon C. Meyer, director of the War Relocation Authority, read greetings from Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes. "On behalf of the United States government," the message stated, "I extend to you a hearty welcome to this refugee shelter for the duration of the war, or until you can be safely returned to your homeland across the sea. I hope that this haven from the intolerance, suffering and persecution that you have undergone will in some measure ease your tragic memories." Russia, Lebanon Establish Diplomatic Relations New York (JPS) An Associated Press dispatch from London reports that a Moscow radio broadcast has reported that diplomatic relations have been established between the USSR and Lebanon, the small republic which was granted its independence in 1943.

affiliated and cooperating organizations through the United States if they have not previously done so. The member agencies in turn will register the names with the Central Location Index for clearance, after which the extensive overseas facilities of the member agencies, of the International Red Cross and of public and semi-public bodies, will be enlisted in the location of displaced people as rapidly as changing conditions permit. Central Location Index will not undertake any personal message service to persons in occupied countries. This service is being given by the American Red Cross which agency also receives inquiries regarding persons in occupied countries. The Index will be able to utilize the coordinated facilities overseas that are not available to each separate member agency.

The clearance with the ventral Loca tion Index will do away with du plication, overlapping and confu sion that now result when anxious relatives go from agency to agen cy in the hope that one will be able to locate a friend or relative soon er than another. secretary. Members of the board, in addition to the officers, are the following: Messrs. Nathan L. Bil-ler, Jacob Gold, Morris Gordon, Jos.

Itzkowitz, Sam Kamesar, Louis Perchonok, Jacob Rattner, Sam Rosen. Georee Rosenberg, Moses Smoller, Nathan M. Stein, David Strawitz, I. Tuchman, Morton Wax, Dr. L.

W. Blumenthal and Mrs. Louis A. Bernhard. A Bureau of Jewish Education for the Milwaukee community has NORMAN N.

GILL been discussed for a number of years, and at one time did exist in a limited way under the chairmanship of the late Ben Gill whose interest in Jewish education was well known in the community. The latest impetus to a central planning agency for Jewish education was given in 1939 when Nathan Stein, the then president of the Welfare Fund, in his annual message, recommended a survey of Jewish education so that the community might have proper information, in an endeavor to coordinate the program of Jewish education. The intent of the message as developed by the president was that it became the duty of the community to the institutions which are financially supported by the Welfare Fund, namely, Beth El Talmud Torah, Milwaukee Talmud Torah, Workmen's Circle School, and the Yiddishe Folk Shule, to initiate such a program. It was further made clear that the purpose of such a survey and the eventual results which might come there from was not to control any institution, but solely to plan, direct, and stimulate, ihe message of the president was ratified by the annual meeting of the Welfare Fund, and a survey committee on Jewish education in Milwaukee immediately appointed. The survey committee held its first meeting in October, 1939, and after making a self survey of the community and holding conferences with local educators, rabbis, laymen and others connected with schools, decided that a professional survey should be made.

This survey was authorized by the executive committee of the Welfare Fund in April, 1941. Expert Made Survey in 1941 Mr. Israel B. Rappoport, supervisor of the Board of Jewish Education of Chicago, was engaged to make the survey and, after working in the community for a number of months, completed what he called "A Report on Preliminary Survey of Jewish Education in Milwaukee." Based on the recommendations which were presented by Mr. Rappoport, the survey committee on Jewish education presented a report of its findings to the annual meeting of the Welfare Fund in November, 1941.

The report was unanimously adopted and its main recommendation, namely, the formation of a Bureau of Jewish Education, was concurred in. Meetings were then held with the local schools subsidized by the Welfare a plan for a Bureau of Jewish Education was presented. Thereupon an organizing committee composed of delegates from the various schools was immediately appointed, and after a series of meetings effected the formation of a Bureau of Jewish Education, and recommended the engaging of a part-time consultant who would direct the destinies of the newly formed Bureau. The board of the Bureau is now engaged in organization activities; committees on by-laws, research personnel and attendance have already been appointed. PS- a Sk if A.

a known here that leading person alities in Budapest have been recently protesting to the Hungarian Government against the mistreatment of Jews and have been drawing the attention of cabinet members to the consequences which the anti-Jewish deportations might have for the whole country. Reports reaching here from Budapest reveal that deportations of Jews from rural districts are still being continued. No mass-deportations are taking place, however, from Budapest because the population in the Hungarian capital is threatening to react with protest demonstrations, one of the reports states. The Swiss radio reported during the week-end that "assurances have been given by the Hungarian Three Ministers Ousted Berne (JTA) The Budapest radio announced that three numbers of the present Hungarian cabinet had been "relieved of their posts." The three, responsible in no small "art for the laws confiscating Jewish property, are: Bela Imredy, Minister of Economic Affairs; Ander Jaross, Minister of Interior, and Antal Xunder, Minister of Trade and Transport. Government to the Swiss Minister in Budapest that further deportations of Jews to Germany for labor detail have been temporarily suspended." Tne broadcast also announced that the Swiss Legation in Budapest has been authorized to facilitate the departure of several thousand Jews to Palestine and to assist Hungarian Jews in ghettos and in concentration camps with money and food.

Hungarian Cabinet Impressed by Appeals Washington (JTA) The Office of War Information received a report from Switzerland stating that an "acute crisis" has devel Strictly BY PH1NEAS J. BIRON Confidential Tid-Bita from Everywhere You Should Know The Fascist elements among Hungarian-Americans will be thoroughly exposed within the next six weeks as a result of quiet investigations The finds will also show other foreign language groups involved in an astounding anti-Semitic plot Helen Cahagan, wife of screen star Cpt. Melvyn Douglas and in her own right an actress, singer and California Congressional candidate, became active in political affairs after a concert tour through Central Europe in which she was forbidden to sing songs by Jewish composers and witnessed the social ostracism to which her Jewish accompanist was subjected After this experi- ence she canceled her outstanding European contracts and determined to do all in her power to prevent similar conditions from arising in this country Father Ford, of the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, will soon be the recipient of a great and well-deserved honor from an unexpected quarter Ford is a Roman Catholic priest who has given much time to a study of the Jewish question. From the Fighting Fronts Privates Michael De Luise and Anthony Aquilina, with our fighting forces in Italy, are most popular with the Jewish boys of their divisions because of the drastic lesson they taught to one of the boys who in his relations with his Jewish fellow soldiers proved that he didn't know what we are fighting for From a letter written by Private Michael J. Higgins, shortly before his death in action, to columnist Ed Sullivan: "Once at a field mass I saw a Jewish friend of mine kneeling in the mud Afterward I remarked casually to him of my astonishment His answer was: 'Mike, what kind of religious services you go to over here don't count What does count is, if I get it next, the Boss will know that I tried'.

Reader's Guide We do hope that the Warsaw Ghetto Diary now running serially in the Yiddish daily The Jewish Morning Journal will be published in English some time soon The au (Continued an Page 10) ally, the protests made against them. The report quotes the Swiss newspaper Basler Nachrichten as stating that a "deep impression" was made on Nicholas Horthy, regent of Hungary, and "even on members of the Sztojay government," the article said, by the appeals of the King of Sweden, the papal nuncio, and the International Red Cross to stop the deportations. Sztojay, the article continued, "ap parently hopes the responsibility for the deportations will fall upon the occupation authorities alone, not touching him as a collaborator" and that the cessation of the deportations will be credited to him. He is, therefore, willing to disassociate himself from the "extremist" members of his government, namely Andor Jaross, Minister of the Interior, and his two assistants, Lazlo Endre, Commissioner for Jewish Affairs and Laszlo Baky. According to the article, Baky and Endre are supported by the Gestapo, but Edmund Veesen-mayer, Nazi minister to Hungary, is willing to support a "more moderate" solution in order to avoid internal unrest.

Veesenmayer is believed to be willing to see Baky and Endre ousted and Bela Imredy, former premier and now Minister of Economics without Portfolio, given more power. MEXICO TO OPEN "FREE PORT" FOR JEWISH REFUGEES Camp to be Maintained by Kelief Organizations, Statement Says Mexico City (JTA) The Mexi can government has officially announced its intention to establish a "free port" for Jewish refugees along the same lines as the United States, provided that the refugees will maintain themselves, or will be maintained by relief organiza tions. The exact location of the proposed haven was not indicated in the announcement. The refugees will have to be mostly women and children and must return to their native lands "once the war circumstances or the persecution by totalitarian regimes has ine iun text 01 tne oinciai an nouncement reads: "The hospitality of our country toward persons of other nation alities who, suffering from political persecution in their homeland, take refuge among us, is traditional Therefore, following this tradition the Mexican government will provide facilities for the establish ment of a colony of political refu gees of Israelite origin. The col ony will be established in a zone to be determined, and will last only while a state of war continues which prevents the refugees from living their place of residence to which they will have to return once the war circumstances or per secution Dy totalitarian regimes has ceased.

"It is understood that the group to be formed will be made up in a large part by persecuted women and children. They themselves, or relief organizations, will provide their maintenance, not the government of Mexico, which will only grant them for a certain period the possibility of living under pro tection guaranteed by our laws. Christian Ministers Ask Roosevelt to Establish More "Free Ports" in America New York (JTA) The Christian Council on Palestine, representing 2,000 Christian ministers and religious educators in the United States, telegraphed an appeal to President Roosevelt urging that the United States open its gates to establish "free ports for refugees not to a mere thousand, but to tens of thousands." The President was urged also "to exert all pressure possible on the government of Admiral Horthy and compel them to cease all persecution of the Jewish people in Hungary." With regard to Jewish immigration to Palestine, the appeal asks the President to use his good offices "in urging the British government to abrogate the policy of the White Paper, and to lower the immigration barriers of Palestine." FLORENCE JEWS GREET ALLIES AS LIBERATORS Fake Amnesty by German Commandant Trapped Many Jews Rome (JPS) Bedraggled, emaciated, with tears smudging their wan faces and yellow patch es with the Shield of David still sewn to their garments, Florence Jews lined the streets of their beloved city to greet the liberating Allied forces rolling in by tank, jeep and heavy truck. And even as they welcomed their liberators they revealed details of a life of horror under Nazi occupation and of the last criminal act of the Nazi commandant before evacuating the city. Several days preceding evacuation, as the Allied forces were pressing forward, entrenching themselves in the suburbs and closine in on the Nazis, the Nazi commandant of Florence, Major Leschke, covered the city with placards announcing that he had granted amnesty to all Jewish res idents.

Of the many in hiding some were deluded by the an nouncement and argued against the advice of the more skeptical, that a military man would not dare break a promise proclaimed before 'all inhabitants. As they appeared on the streets, emerging from their hiding places, they were picked up one by one and led away to Gestapo headquarters. Torture and mutilation at the hands of the Gestapo in an effort to obtain from them information about others still in hiding, preceded the lured Jews' death in the courtyard before Nazi fire squads. Over sixty Jews were lured by this false amnesty. The victims included Adolphi Maskotshi, a prominent Jewish lawyer, his wife and daughter.

The Maskotshi family was forced to dig its own grave. A Jew greeting the liberating forces was asked why he did not tear off the yellow patch from his garments. He replied, a) that it is a means of identifying himself before his fellow Jews in the Allied armies, and b) that is was not a mark of humiliation to wear the Shield of David voluntarily. Humiliation stems from compulsion. At the time this dispatch was being filed, street fighting was reported still in progress in the streets of Florence, but the city's Jews assembled in the ruins of their synagogue, closed by the authorities over a year ago, were al ready holding a thanksgiving service attended by Jewish men who marched in with the liberators.

Even as they said their prayers, the dry cackling of rifles and the deeD rumble of heavy guns could be heard too near for comfort. The exaltation of the assembly, however, was so profound as to close out the awareness of battle. Switzerland Bars Asylum to Nazis New York (JPS) Departure by the Federal Council in Berne from its traditional views on the right of asylum in order to bar from its provinces Adolf Hitler and his lieutenants should they seek refuge there, was reported by Pertinax, writing for the North American Newspaper Alliance. A new set of rules sent by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Police to frontier officials reads: "The authorities are empowered to forbid a special category of refugees access to Swiss soil; namely, foreigners who, because of reprovable deeds, appear to have made themselves unworthy of being given an asylum, or else, by their own activities, have impaired or endangered Swiss interest." Instead of accepting the right of asvlum as a natural right, the National Government will regulate it on the basis of moral and poll tical considerations, according to the Svenska Dagblad, Swedish newspaper, Pertinax reports. August 14.

High Court Accepts Arms Trial Appeal London (JTA) The judicial committee of the Privy Council, the British Empire's last court of appeals, agreed to hear an appeal by Leib Sirkin, who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Palestine last September for illegal possession of arms and arms smuggling. Sirkin is basing his appeal on the grounds that the offense of which he was convicted is "unknown to Palestine law." Lord Simon, who presided at the hearings, said that the Judicial Committee was not concerned with questions of fact but -only with questions of law. As a result of the committee's decision Sirkin's solicitors are expected to file an appeal shortly. Sirkin was represented by the well know liberal barrister D. N.

Pritt, who is a Laborite mem- ber of Parliament. BULGARIA AGREES TO SUSPEND ANTI-JEWISH MEASURES Allies' Preliminary Terms for Surrender Accepted by Bulgaria Ankara (JTA) All anti-Jewish measures were suspended by the Bulgarian Government in Varna, Burgas and other cities along the Black Sea as a result of negotiations between the Allies and Bulgaria for the latter's surrender, it was reliably learned here. The restoration of full rights to Jews was one of the conditions in the preliminary terms for surrender which British-American military authorities presented to the Bulgarian Government through neutral channels. The terms were backed by the Soviet Government through its diplomats in Sofia and were reported to have been accepted by Bulgaria. The acceptance by Bulgaria of the Allied terms will also effect the Jews in Hungary and Rumania, it was predicted here.

Rumania, facing encirclement, is reported to be modifying its anti-Jewish policy to pave the way for surrender, while the pro-Nazi Hungarian Government, thoroughly frightened, is attempting to dodge the blame for the ruthless deportations of Jews and is ready to place moderate elements in its cabinet. Dr. Filderman Intervenes With Rumanian Premier for Rescue of Jews New York (JTA) Dr. William Filderman, president of the Jewish Community in Bucharest, has intervened with the pro-Nazi Rumanian Government for the admission of Jews from Hungary to Rumania in transit to Palestine on neutral ships leaving the Rumanian port of Constanza, the office of the Hias-Ica Emigration Association in Lisbon has informed its headquarters in New York. Inquiries by the Hias-Ica office in Lisbon with regard to the fate of Dr.

Filderman, elicited a reply that "Dr. Filderman, president of the Jewish community in Bucharest, is in good health and, together with other Jewish leaders, recently interviewed the Rumanian Premier Antonescu regarding the evacuation through Rumania of Jews from Hungary and elsewhere." The same report said that it i3 hoped that Ronneti Filderman, son of the Jewish leader, who was deported from southern France to an unknown destination, may soon be permitted to join his parents. "Negotiations are under way to this end," it added. Agency to Find Relatives In Europe Established In New York New York (JTA) The establishment of the Central Location Index, as a channel through which seven nationally known organizations will seek to locate persons displaced by war and whose whereabouts are unknown, was announced here by Moses A. Leavitt, president of the newly created agency.

The seven organizations which have combined to establish this cooperative service are: The American Committee for Christian Refugees; American Friends Service Committee; The Joint Distribution Committee; Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society; International Migration Service; National Council of Jewish Women; and National Refugee Service, Inc. Mr. Leavitt stated that the Central Location Index, which will be housed in New York City, will speed up clearance of the names of thousands of persons who are now being sought by relatives and friends in this country. The Index, Mr. Leavitt emphasized, will not deal directly with individual applicants.

Persons desiring to apply for location service can do so through member agencies of their.