Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1959-06-26

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COLUMBUS EDITION
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COLUMBUS EDITION
Vol. 37, No. 26
FRIDAY, JUNE 26,  1959
D*vttttd to Amtric«n and  Jowlih   Idsali
Prague Jewry Celebrates First Bar Mitzvah Since  1941
BY DAVID MILLER
(Special Correspondent of JTA)
PRAGUE—For the first time in 18 years the once-proud syna¬ gogues of Communist CSzechoslo- vakia are echoing to the ancient prayers of a bar mitzvah service.
"Ail the babies were killed dur¬ ing: the war. Until January there was not a Jewish boy of 13 in the country. We have had to wait for a second generation to grow up."
The words from Dr. Gustave Sicher, 79-year-oId Chief Rabbl of Prague, summed up the paradox of present-day life for the bare 18,000 Czech Jews who remain fronx a pre-war population of 380,000.
''We had 14 bar mitzvahs In the first five months of the year, an Important landmark in our re¬ birth," he said.
JProm 1941 to 1945, when the i Germans were In power, until a few months ago we did not know what it was to have a young Jew in Czechoslovakia."
CZECH JEWS have struggled painfully to regain a share of their pre-war life wheh they were prominent in the political, eco¬ nomic and academic life of the country, westernmost ot the Soviet-bloc  satellites.
The outlook continues grim des¬ pite the outlandng of anti-Sem¬ itism and the Cteeoh government's subsidies for the operations of the Jewish community and its agen¬ cies.
Official claims to the contrary, life In present-day Prague and other centers of Jewish life in Slovakia, Moravia and Bohemia Is as difficult as ever.
The mood is one of resignation
and acceptance of Ilfe as it Is. The Jewish populace, generally elder¬ ly, tends to avoid unpopular causes. But without question, the position of the Jews here has con¬ tinued  to deteriorate.
ON THE SURFACE, matters look much Improved. The coun¬ try's seven rabbis, 14 cantors and other religious officials are under salary to the Ministry of Educa¬ tion and Culture.
Interviews with key Jewish fig¬ ures are easily obtained. At one time, no responsible Jewish leader would meet a Western newsman without government permission or an official witness. Now, a request to Czech officials to inter¬ view the Chief Rabbi was dis¬ missed with a "no permission is required."
Kosher wtne and brandy are bottled   by  the   government.   Re¬
ligious instruction is available upon the written request of both parents each semester. Occasional antl-Semltlcs arc publicly chas¬ tised.
Two Czech teenage boys were fined earlier this month for throw¬ ing stones in a Jewish cemetery. Rabbi Sicher, Informed of the matter by the local police chief, said  other  cases  were  "Isolated."
ORAY-BEARDED, Vienna- trained Dr. Sicher, Chief Rabbi stnce 1947, and Dr. Rudolf Btis, general secretary of the Councll of Jewish Religious Communities In Prague, gave official answers to questions on the religious com¬ munity but shied away from po¬ litical matters.
Both stressed the critical short¬ age of rabbis and the prpblem of building for the future. They pro¬ claimed the.importance of identi¬
fying the Jewish community with the Czech- nation as a whole.
But the predominant fact of life for Jews here Is the shadow of Rudolf Slansky. Once the most important Jewish figure in the Czech government, Slansky, then secretary general of the Czech Qimmtinist Party, was hanged seven years ago in the last of the big Stalinist purge trials.
He and 10 others, including seven Jews, were denounced for treason and accused of plotting against the state, collaborating with Tito, conspiring to help Czech Jews immigrate to Israel and attempting to seize the gov¬ ernment.
Rabbl Sicher denied that the trial was anti-Semitic.
"Slansky himself waa not a practicing Jew. The trial did, how¬ ever,   unleash  a  wave  of  latent
antl-SemltIsm in people who al¬ ways have that tendency," he said. Yet at present no Jews hold Im¬ portant positions in the Czech government.
ON PAPER, freedom of re¬ ligion flourishes. But social pres¬ sure in the schools and Com¬ munist youth movements make it difficult for Jewish youth to fol¬ low  their parents.
There Is a universal under¬ standing that it is better to be with the population as a whole than as someone outside the state.
On Yom Kippur, however, both Prague synagogues were filled. About 1500 of Prague's 5000 Jews (compared to a pre-war popula¬ tion of 35,000) attended services In the 13th Century-old New Synagogue, oldest and most fa¬ mous synagogue In Central Eu- (Gontlnuod on page 4)
MRS. SGHEGTER'S ISRilELI REPORT
TO BE GIVEN AT BNAI BRITH GONVENTION
When the B'nai B'rith Women of District Two convene this weekend at Kansas City, Mo. for their 26th annual meeting, Mrs. Joseph D. Schecter, past president of Zion Chapter and of the Dis¬ trict, will present the Israel Re¬ port  to the  delegates.
Mrs. Schecter, who was a dele¬ gate from District Two to the Supreme Lodge Convention held recently In Israel, will report not only on the business of the con¬ vention, but will also give her im¬ pressions of Israel, and the many B'nai B'rith projects and installa¬ tions there, including the Chil¬ dren's Home, the Martyrs Forest, Moledeth B'nal B'rith, and other evidences of B'nai B'rith co-oper¬ ation In and assistance to the up¬ building of the State of Israel both before and since its birth as a state 11 years ago.
Mrs. tWhecter will also be a member of the Important Recom¬ mendations and Nominating Com¬ mittees, as well as play a key role In many of the decisions to be made by the delegates assembled from the 83 chapters in the eight- state district.
Also present from Columbus wiil be Mrs. Harry Schwartz, past president of Zion Chapter and of District Two, who as District Speakers' Bureau chairman will preside at one of the plenary sessions of the convention, and will also serve as chairman of the Resolutions Committee.
Other delegates from Zion Chapter include Mrs. Alex Clow¬ son, counselor and immediate past president; Mrs. Albert Becker, president; Mrs. Robert Bender, membership vice president; Mrs. Martin Marx, treasurer; Miss Helen Nutis, Bulletin and pub¬ licity chairman, who has won many prizes in District competi¬ tion in past years for her Bulle¬ tins.
Mrs. Louis M Levin and Mrs. Melvin N. F^irman, past presi¬ dents of Zion Chapter, both of whom have been active in District work, will attend eis field repre¬ sentatives. Mrs. Jack Schilling, vice president of the Ohio State Association   of  B'nai  B'rith  Wo¬
men, will also be there.
Candlelight Chapter will send its president, Mrs. Edwin Elleman, to the Kansas City meeting.
The convention will open on Saturday evening with an impres¬ sive Havdalah service, which will be followed by Mrs. Schecter's report on her pilgrimage to Israei, which she will accompany with the showing of slides ot pictures taken of both the Supreme Lodge proceedings and places of Impor¬ tance In the Holy Land.
With five lodges and chapters in the Kansas City area, the dele¬ gates to this convention are as¬ sured of the utmost in planning for the meetings and for the social events and hospitality which go Into making a successful con¬ vention.
Kansas City, "The Heart of America," will open its heart to B'nai B'rith men and women of District Two, from Saturday through Tuesday at the annual meeting of the districts.
U. S. SYNAGOGUE COUNCIL CHARGES RUSSIA WITH DESTROYING JUDAISM
N. J. 'Blue Laws' Are Criticized
NEWARK, N.J. (JTA)—Sharp criticism, of Gov. Meyner for signing the new state Sunday closing law was voiced here to¬ night by the American Jewish Congress. Adrlcm M. Unger of Newark, president of the state branch of the AJC, expressed "p r o t o u n d disappointment" at what he called the governor's "disregard of the need to protect religious freedom" in the state.
The AJC leader said that Gov. Meyner's action In signing the measure was "particularly dis¬ turbing" In view of assurances he had given that he would t^ife no action on the bill until protl^st- ing groups in the state had an opportunity to place their objec¬ tions before him at a public hear¬ ing. "Gov. Meyner's description of the bill as not involving any religious aspects ignores repeated protests brought to his attention in recent weeks by Jewish and non-Jewish religious groups," Mr. Unger  stated.
Mrs. Charles HyrnS^ left, of Minneapolis, president ot the Nationai Council of Jewish Women, accepts an award from Irving Canter, chairman of the National Research Committee, for "leadership in stimulating research in group work. Looking on Is Mrs. Stanley C. Mors of Miami, NCJW vice-president.
DR. HELLER ADDED TO NOTABLES LIST FOR ISRAEL DINNER JULY 5 AT MARAMOR
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CHRONICLE FACILITIES MOVED TO NEW LOCATION
The Chronicle has moved to new and larger quarters. Our new business office and plant address is
87 N. SIXTH ST.
Columbus, Ohio Our new telephone number is
CAPITAL 4-7206
More and better facilities to give you the finest in I service and quality.
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(Another Picture On Page 9)
Dr. James G. Heller, distin¬ guished rabbi and Jewish leader, win join George Jessel for the llth anniversary ot Israel dinner Sunday evening, July 5, at The Maramor, chairman Harold Schot' tenstein announced.
Mrs. Ralph Groban, Mrs. Jule Mark and Miss Edith Skilken, stated that many reservations had come In this week and those plan¬ ning to attend should lose no time in  getting theirs  in.
Mr. Jessel, reached this week in California, said he is looking for¬ ward to his return to C!olumbus after an absence of many years and sends his best regards and greetings to old friends. This Is Mr. Jessel's 60th anniversary year In  show  business.
Mrs. Sherman Sharwell, chair¬ man of the Women's Committee, and Samuel Zuravsky, co-chair¬ man of the Dinner (^Jommlttee, announced that many members of the Dinner Oimmittee are call¬ ing on their friends, having taken prospect cards when the commit¬ tee met recently at the home of the chairman.
They include Leo Blum, Mitchel Cohen, Dr. Ivan Gilbert, Jacob Gilbert, Leon Handler, Bernard Kanter, Arthur Katz, Louis M. Levin, Robert Meilman, Leonard Qulnn, WlUIara Schlff, Louis Schiezinger, Sam Schlonsky, How¬ ard Schoenbaum, Mrs. Joseph L. Schwartz, Stanley Schwartz Jr., Arnold Sher, Jack Sher and Joe Wsdaman.
Mrs. Jacob Gilbert is forming a committee of hostesses that will greet the dinner guests and help seat them. A cocktail hour will precede the serving of dinner at 7 p.m.
Danny   Deeds    in    cooperation
NEW YORK (JTA)—Delegates to a plenary session of the Syna¬ gogue (Council of America here charged that "despite disclaimers from Soviet leaders from Prime Minister Nikita Krushschev on down, evidence continues to come to light that the Soviet ideological campaign to destroy Judaism In the Soviet Union has never been halted and, at the most, only abated occasionally for world propaganda purposes."
The charge was contained In one of a series of policy resolu¬ tions approved by the delegates, who. also elected Rabbi Max D. Davidson of Perth Amboy, N.J., as president for a two-year term, and Rabbi Julius Mark of New York as first vice president.
"Reports continue to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain on the continued Soviet ban on ail phases of Jewish culture, except for showpiece announcements of rare publications in Yiddish for export only, the continued conver¬ sions of the last handful of syna¬ gogues Into worklngmen's clubs, and dispersals by police of the few groups of Soviet Jews who still seek bravely to worship on our High Holy Days, as well as similar suppressions," the resolu¬ tion on Russia stated.
The delegates urged the Chris¬ tian world "to continue to main¬ tain a close watch on these de¬ velopments and to brtng to bear the   power   of   its   organized,  re-
Dr, James Heller
with Mrs. Joseph L. Schwartz is planning festive table decorations for the occasion. Mrs. Max ZIs- Itlnd will be at the piano to help open the program and Rabbis Samuel Rubensteln and Harry Kaplan will deliver the Invocation and Benediction.
llgious bodies against the threat of a total spiritual destruction within the Soviet Union of its Jewish  people."
Affirming Synagogue Council support of World Refugee Year, the delegates urged all American rabbis and congregations to help "focus maximum public attention on the plight of 40 million victims of the postwar upheavals." They also urged the United States gov¬ ernment to implement a proposal of the U.S. (Committee for Refu¬ gees that a "speciai grant of $10 million be made to accelerate American aid to the refugees."
In another resolution, the dele-/ gates endorsed a proposal of th^ Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds calling fpr the broadening of the Fedenal Social Security System "to incIuHe hospital and nursing home care for persons over 65." \
The delegates urged that thi. President's Committee on Govern¬ ment Contracts, which seeks to induce employers holding such contracts to ban bias in their em¬ ployment practices, be given "sta¬ tutory status." The resolution said the Synagogue Council participa¬ tion in the recent Religious Lead¬ ers Conference of the President's (Committee had left the conviction that "the effective of this com¬ mittee in combating bias in hiring and firing by companies holding such contracts is severely limited by the advisory nature of the committee."
Israel - Jordan Battle Locusts
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel and Jordan started a joint cam¬ paign to fight the locust plague affecting the entire region. Within an hour after an agreement was made this morning, at a meeting of the Israeli-Jordanian Mixed Armistice Commission, teams of Israeli and Jordanian anti-locust fighters started their joint war against the pests.
Ground crews synchronized their activities along the border, and were to continue around-the- clock operations. By daylight, Israeli and Jordanian planes were to join In spraying operations in the affected areas alpng the bor¬ der.
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Chronicling The News
The grievance voiced by American Jewish leaders that Israelis lack knowledge of American Jewish life has had its effect. Read Boris Smolar on page 2.
Could It be that the Arabs are ready to abandon aggressive designs on Israel? For an Interesting view of the Middle East scene, turn to page 3.
Amusements         6 Socleljy        7
Editorials         2      ' Sports    10,11
Golden    ^li Synagogueo       8
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Immigration News Ban Is Discussed
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A six- member committee, consisting of three government officials and three newspaper editors, was formed here to study for a month tho government's ban on publica¬ tion of news about immigration unless such news Is issued offi¬ cially  by the  government.
The committee was named after a meeting between newspaper editors and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion. Most of the editors oame to the meeting firmly op¬ posed to the Immigration news blackout announced by the govern¬ ment last week. However, after listening to the premier, they agreed to give a trial to the Im¬ plementation of the new rule.
Representing the government on the six-man committee are one government official who win act as secretary of the committee, the chief of Army intelligence, and the government's chief ceh- sor. The committee is to resume discussion of the ban after a month's study.
Meanwhile, the Israel Govern¬ ment has issued a new order for the appointment of a military censor to implement its ban on publication of immigration news. The military censor oaji prevent. In advance,  publication of news.