Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1958-12-26

              COLUMBUS EDITION
COLUMBUS EDITION
3P0^^   Serving Columbus, Dayton and Central Ohio Jewish Communities  \\7AK.
Vol. 36, No. 53
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26,  1958
D«votad lo American and Jewtth  Idsali
Yenkin Named Chairman Of Joint Group
Herbert S. Levy, president of the United Jewish Fund, and Richard J. Abel, president of the Jfewiah Community Council, joint¬ ly announced the appointment of Fred Yenkin as chairman of the Joint United Jewish Fund-Jewish Community Council Study Com¬ mittee.
At the Oct. ,¦50 delegate body meeting of the Council and the November board meeting of the Fund a resolution wa.s approved to setup a Joint Study Committee to examine and evaluate respec¬ tive functions and organizations in light of present day needs.
FOR THE PAST several years the Jewish Community Council has recommended such a study. Richard J. Abel, newly-elected presiden of the Council, presented a resolution at the Council's Executive Committee and Dele¬ gate Body that such a study would only have value if conduct¬ ed under the Joint auspices of both the Fund and Council.
He explained that both (com¬ munity-wide organizations have had a long and valued hi.story in the community. Both have been instrumental in helping to de¬ velop a. cohesive community, to bring Individuftls, groups and or¬ ganizations together on many major matters of common con¬ cern. Both have developed lead¬ ership for the community, initiat¬ ed new services and programs.
With the incrca.se in population —now aproxlmately 10,000 — the expansion, addition and planning . qJ,_cgmBiunal services, the need of a more effective way of handling oommuniliy-wicle problems and heeds through one organization rather than through two central bodies' has become apparent it was agreed. There has been a great deal of overlapping and duplication of leadership, commit¬ tees, mtietings, per.sonnel result¬ ing at times in the retardation of community work.
SOCIAL PLANNIN(i is a very important community function to¬ day. It has been lodged in the Council but has been ineffective and somewhat dormant since the Council is unable to influence or implement its recommendations without funds. The United Jewish Fund, on the other hand, pro¬ vides large amounts of money for local needs, yet is not organized for social planning. Both func¬ tions are essential.
Mr. Abel stated that the num¬ ber of communities having two central bodies have become fewer in number as communities are finding that one one organization, properly organized, can do the community's work most effective ly. He stressed that whatever was studied several basic points must be kept in mind:
• Neither organization should supplant the other; there must be one new organization.
• The valid basic needs which both organizations were set up to do and are doing currently shall bep reserved and continued with¬ in the framework of the one or¬ ganization without any impair¬ ments.
THE FOLI^OWINO resolution was passed:
That there be a Joint Study Committee established consisting of representatives of the United Jewish Fund and Jewish Com¬ munity Council to undertake at once a study of the functions and organizations of both bodies. This Joint Committee will determine how the community can preserve the basic and primary functions of both organizations and to ac¬ hieve their purpose most effec¬ tively with either the present central organizations or with a new   community   organization.
He stated that the whole matter would be subjected to a very care^ ful and deliberate study process to assure a broad community ac- ceptancy of whatever rccommen- iooatlnued on p»|e 1)
Polish Jewish Communities Under Fresh Attack By Reds
Abe VenUin, campaign chairman of the 1959 United Jewish Fund, has announced the appointment of Mrs. Aaron Zoclcs, left, a* co-chairman, and Mrs. Benjamin W. Abromson, right, as eliairman, of the women's division.
15 COLUMBUS UJF LEADERS ATTEND NATIONAL CONFERENCE
There were llj Columbus United Jewi.sh Fund leaders present at the three day annual national conference of the United Jewish Appeal j-ecentJy held in New York.
The conference was concluded with the iidnption of a decision to raise a .$100 million special fund for the UJA "over and above" the regular nationwide UJA campaign — to care for thousands of newcomers pouring into Israel from Eastern Europe and to start rehousing 100,000 earlier immigrants still living in makeshift shanty towns.
PItKSENT FKOM Columbus were Mr. and Mr.s. Herbert S. Levy. Mr. and Mrs. Abe 1. Yen¬ kin, Mr. and Mi'S. Herman Katz, Mr. and f.lrs. Charlen Goldsmith. Mr. and Mrs. Bon Y<'nkin, Mr. and Mr.s. Robert W. Schiff. Mrs. Simon Lazarus, Mr. Herbert H. Schiff and Ben M. Mandelkorn.
More than 1200 Jewish com- J'.uinity lenders from all parts of tile nation attended the confer¬ ence. The delegates re-elected Morri.s W. Beriilstein to his sec¬ ond consecutive term as UJA ;eneral chairman to lead Its 21st yearly campaign.
BBSIDE,S  VOTING   to  conduct
the special fund drive, the dele¬ gates charted plans to raise the maximum possible amount through the regular UJA to imeet the needs of UJA beneficiary^ hu¬ manitarian agencies requiring more than $105 million. Through both the special fund and the> proceeds of the regular campaign the UJA seeks to provide urgent¬ ly needed migration, resettlement, rehabilitation and welfare aid to more than 630,000 persons in Is¬ rael, 24 other countries abroad and the United States during 1959. Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman UJA executive vice-chairman, an¬ nounced that the campaign now closing had benefitted more than 540,000 Jews in need throughout the world in 1958. He said that the 6,30,000 who look to the UJA for help in 1959 come under these major  programs:
• Jewish immigrants coming to Israel from Eastern Europe "They have been arriving at the rate of several thousand a month since early Fall," he, said. "We have no way of laiowing how long they will continue to come in such numbers, but v/a must be certain that all who can come v/ill get the necessary help."
• Speeding    housing   to   move
(ooDlfnued on p»K« i>
VIENNA iJTA) The fight that has been brewing behilnd the ;cenes for a long time between Polish Jewish Communities, on he one hand, and the organized fewish religious community on 'he other hand, ha.'j broken into the opcT). according to the Folks- limmc. Yiddish - language daily newspaper published in Warsaw. Emergence of the "kultur- kampf"   nmnnf^   the   Polish   Jews
Lebanese Boat Is Captured
TEL AVIV (JTA) — A small Lebanese fishing smack with a crew of three was captured In Israeli waters off the northern border of the country in the vicin-
ty of Aziv.
The vessel and Its cargo will be sold   and   the   proceeds   deposited
>ending a court's decision as to its final, disposition. The fishcr- ¦nen, when captured, asserted that
hey could find no food fish, in Ijcbancse waters so they con¬ tinued south until they encoun- 'ered  fish.
intt) an open fight was seen in two .separate articles that ap¬ peared in the latest issue of the ne'Wspapcr, received here. One of the articles reports factually about two meetings held by t,hc organ¬ ized .lewish religious community. The second article is a virtual declaration of war against the re¬ ligious organization by the Com- munist-dominate<l Unit(?d Jewish Cultunal Organizations of Poland.
AT THE MEETINGS of the re¬ ligious group, a report of the or¬ ganization's activities was given by Itzhak Frankel, an engineer and chairman of the religious community. He reported that the organization has extended its work of providing Hebrew school teachers who conduct courses In religious subjects; runs kosher kitchens providing free noonday meals to about 1,500 Jewish peo¬ ple: has trained men for the pro- , fcssion of kosher slaughtering; is [ increasing the number of men trained to perform circumcisions; has reorganized the conduct of ritual baths in Polish Jewish communities.
The religious Jews adopted res¬ olutions calling for establishment of their own matzoh-baking plants in Poland, and to improve super¬ vision over Jewish cemeteries. An¬ other resolution called for the religious community's executive committee to hold meetings reg¬ ularly every two months. A hint Of the fight with the Jewish Com¬ munists was seen in one resolu¬ tion which "criticized flections of the Jewish community that carry on work not acceptable to relig¬ ious Jews."   '
COUNTERING t h e religious group, the Folkstlmme articles de¬ clared that "some elements in the Jewish population are attempting to transform the congregational organizations into a political or¬ ganization." It particularly at¬ tacked the religious group for its interest in the kitchens providing free meals, declaring that there are people who obtain these free meals and "as a result lead a parasitical existence."
The article reported that the Cultural Organizations held a na¬ tional executive committee meet¬ ing which adopted a resolution de¬ claring: "The executive commit¬ tee and all' local organizations are instructed to concentrate their activities against those elements which attempt to direct the feel¬ ings of religious Jews toward political aims and purposes which have nothing to do with freedom of religious practice."
Israel's finance minister Levi Eshkol, right, is shown open¬ ing valve to permit water to flow into new reservoir which will eliminate danger of water shortage in Jertisalem. Reservoir cost $1.1 million, was built with Israel Bonds.
First Alaskan Congregation Formed
BY niMA FINN (Copyright, 1958, JTA, Inc.)
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — The ony civilian Jewish congregation in Alaska was formally organized on   Oct.   3,   1958.
The organizational meeting took place following Sabbath services, conducted under lay leadership, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Burton Goldberg of Spanard, .*„ Ancliorage suburb.
E.XCEI*T FOR a short-lived congregation in Fairbanks prior to 1905. there has never been a civilian Jewish congregation in Alaska.
There are some 40 Jewish fitmilies in Anchorage, not all of whom affiliate. For those eager to maintain their religious tra¬ ditions, doing so has been a dif¬ ficult job.
It's been difficult for civilian Alaskan Jewry to carry on their tradition because they have had no rabbi, no house of worship of their own.
TIIE'i'   HAVE   not   been,   how¬ ever, completely without religious I guidance,   thanks   to   the   United States Air Force.
For several years a Jewish chaplain has made his headquart¬ ers at Elemendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, along with chap¬ lains of the Catholic and Protest¬
ant faiths.
At the present time the Jew- sh chaplain is Lt. Joshua Wacht- fogel, a 24-year-old Orthodox rab¬ bi from Philadelphia, Pa.
Chaplain Wachtfogel conducts Friday evening and holiday serv¬ ices at the base to which Anchor¬ age civilians are invited. He also performs religious services at military installations at Fair¬ banks, Kodiak and the Aleutian chain.
HOWEVER, Chaplain Wacht¬ fogel is the only rabbi in Alaska. Ho cannot cater to the needs of all Jews in a state over twice the size of Texas.
The needs of Alaskan Jews are great. There Is the need for a spiritual leader to perform burial rites, to pass the tradition on to the children, to perform mar¬ riage ceremonies. There is also the need for a house of worship.
On Oct. 3 the small group of enthusiastic workers pet out to begin willing those needs by es¬ tablishing the only Jewish con¬ gregation in the new state. j TO THE ORGANIZING group that met Oct. 3, the day was an auspicious one. To them It meant a reaffirmation of their faith. It meant that with the advent of an organized Jewish community, the job   of   maintaining   their   faith
would bo loss difficult.
It has been difficult for two reasons for Jews to maintain their traditions in Alaska. Take the matter of dietary laws. Ex¬ cept for some processed meats. It is impos,Hible to buy kosher meats in Alaska, meat slaughtered ac¬ cording to Biblical law. Some Jews send to Seattle for kosher products: but few can afford to do this.
SECOND, tradition, which plays so large a part in Jewish family life, no longer has the impetus of family solidarity. Most Alaskan Jews have left their families out¬ side. There Is no longer the need or desire to please parents or grandparents who hold the tra¬ dition dear. For the most part, Alaskan Jews are cut off from any  kind of Jewish  environment.
The needs of the group arc great. Their tangible assets in¬ clude some 25 prayer books which have been ordered but which have not yet been delivered; a silver wine cup: a liair of silver candle¬ sticks: anti a pledge of a breast plate.
MIK'H US NEEDED, the group realizes. Their greatest need Is for a Torah, a hand copied scroll con¬ taining the five books of Moses. But the Anchorage group is op¬ timistic.   They   believe   that   like
statehood these things will come — in time.
To date the group has not af¬ filiated with any of the branches' of Judaism: Reformed. Conserva¬ tive or Orthodox.
IT IS THE HOPE of the new¬ ly-formed congregation that they will be able In time to support a rabbi; that they will be able to establish a houiic of worship; that they will be able to Institute a school of religious education for their children. During the last few years, children in the com¬ munity have attended Sunday School provided by the Air Force on the ba:^e.
Services conducted by the group have been carried out In the pion¬ eering spirit typical of Alaska. Services are held in a private home because a house of worship is lacking. The service is read from mimeographed sheets be¬ cause prayer books are lacking. Services are held despite the lack of a Torah and arc.
But the services are carried on with. an enthusiastic spirit. The prayers arc said; the songs are sung; the candles are blessed each week by a different woman in the congregation. And each week among the congregants there Is a renewed feeling of vigor and determination.
EGYPTIAN JET SHOT DOWN RY ISRAELIS
TEL AVIV (JTA)-An Egyp¬ tian-piloted MIG-17, one of the planes supplied to the United Arab Republic by the Soviet Union, was shot down when Is¬ raeli patrol planes encountered eight MIGs over the southwestern portion   of   Israel.
Seven of the eight planes, flying in two formations of four Jets at six miles up, escaped into Egypt when the eighth was downed. A parachute was seen opening as the Israelis turned back and re¬ sumed their patrol.
THE PILOT who made the kUl, an Israeli-born 26-year-old officer, said at a press conference later that it was "not a fight, but a pursuit" because the Egyptians had no stomach for combat. He said the Egyptians were so rat¬ tled that they failed to release their spare gas tanks to give them extra maneuverability when the Israeli fighters descended on them.
At this point, Col. Ezer Weiz- marm, commander of the Israel Air Force, who was also present at the press conference, interjec¬ ted grimly: "The Egyptian's prir mary mistake, for which he was shot down, was his penetration of Israel's air space." Several times in the last few weeks, Egyptian and Syrian based planes have flown over Israeli territory, chiefly at night, on photo reconnaissance missions.
FOR THE FIRST time this morning, Radio Cairo admitted that Egyptian planes had flown over Israel. In its version of the fight which cost the United Arab Republic one MIG-17, the Arab radio—in a Hebrew language broadcast — charged that Israeli planes had penetrated Egyptian air space over the Sinai Peninsula and had been "chased" back "deep into Israel territory."
EARLY DEADUNXl! ! I
Because of eaj-ly deadlines during the next two holiday weeks, uU copy must be In The Chronicle office by 9 t^ta. IMonday.