Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1943 Page: 3 of 8
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THE JEWISH HERALD-VOICE
TFe Reject...
(Continued from page 1)
emphasis. The first relates to the
political Zionist’s lack of faith.
For to maintain that postwar
Europe will be eternally and un-
changeably hostile to the Jew is
to call the objectives of the United
Nations so much poppycock and
to imply that the world tomorrow
will only carry on the evils of
the world of yesterday. It is to
accept a barren philosophy of
defeatism to believe that while
the Axis will be defeated, the
Axis ideology will be triumphant.
It is to grant Hitler NOW his
victory in making Europe “Jud-
enrein (without Jews).”
In such a world it appears to
me that it is a little naive to as-
sume that Jews who cannot be
safe in Europe can be safe in
Palestine. By what flight of the
imagination can we see a world
where the climate of public opin-
ion is so hostile to the Jews up
to the Eastern Mediterranean as
to force his emigration; but from
that point on, the climate miracu-
lously changes so^ as to offer a
peaceful home for millions of
Jews?
The second point that calls par-
ticularly for refutation is the so-
called historic homelessness of the
Jews which the political Zionist
continually stresses. Here I must
confess I don’t know what they
mean. We American Jews are
not homeless. The British Jews
fighting valiantly for Britain do
not regard themselves as home-
less. Nor do the Russian Jews
shedding their blood along the
2,000-mile front Nor do the
Polish Jews fighting with their
Christian fellow-citizens in the
ranks of the Polish army. If there
are Jews who feel homeless, that
emotion derives not from an ab-
stract philosophy but from the
reality of persecution. Palestine
itself has had within the last 10
years a large increase in its Jew-
ish population. But it was no
mystical concept of homelessness
that brought them there. Quite
the contrary, it was lack of de-
mocracy, it was fascism that sent
thousands of Jews to Palestine
from Germany and neighboring
countries, just as it sent thous-
ands of them to other parts of
the world. The problem was the
denial of fundamental human
rights. It was part and parcel
of the same onrushing forces of
darkness which sent hundreds of
thousands of refugees of Catholic
and Protestant faith out of their
homes and countries, and which
finally precipitated the war.
If Europe is emancipated — if
Europe after the war has a new
birth of freedom, there will be
no need for artificial lands of
refuge for forced migrants. And
if Europe and the world are not
so emancipated then there is
refuge nowhere.
The followers of Judaism look
upon Palestine as the cradle of
their faith, but they regard the
world as their domicile, so that
together with all other God-rever-
ing men and women, they may
work out a way of life which
shall bring justice and peace to
alL The Jews are essentially a
religious community, whose mis-
sion is to lead themselves toward,
and co-operate with others into,
the way of righteousness.
God bless the Jews who have
settled in Palestine. May they
find there, and we shall help
them to do so, the fullest develop-
ment of their religious, economic
LIGHTMAN CONTRIBUTES
TO SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
The 1942 issue of the American
Sociological Review, the official
journal of the American Sociolo-
gical Society, carried a critical
review by J. B. Lightman, execu-
tive director of the Jewish Com-
munity Council, on a publication
of the Philosophical Library of
New York entitled “The Sociology
of Law” by Professor Georges
Gurvitch of the new school for
social research, formerly one of
Europe’s foremost exponents of
the field of jurisprudence and
sociology.
Mr. Lightman, who ir^ addition
to his activities in social work,
has done considerable research
work in the field of sociology and
the science and philosophy of
jurisprudence, pointed out the
significance of Professor Gur-
witch’s book at this time and with
particular reference to scientific
efforts at building a better society.
ANNUAL REPORT .. .
(Continued from page 1)
“JUDENREIN” SLOVAKIA
CELEBRATES NEW YEAR WITH
BURNING OF JEWISH BOOKS
London (JPS) — Huge cere-
monial bonfires were ordered lit
on New Year’s Eve in the main
streets and squares of Bratislava
and other big Slovakian cities and
all Yiddish books and books by
Jewish writers in other languages
were ordered burned publicly to
celebrate the New Year and the
expulsion of almost all the Jews
from the country. Nearly 200,000
Jews have been deported from
Slovakia to Eastern Europe and
their property confiscated by the
Hlinka Guardists, the Slovak
Nazis.
NAZIS TAKE CONTROL
OF RED CROSS
Geneva (JPS) .— Red Cross ac-
tivity in Nazi-controlled countries
like Rumania, Hungary, Slovakia
and Bulgaria as well as in Nazi-
occupied lands, has been taken
over by German authorities. One
of the first orders of the newly
enlarged Nazi Red Cross was to
continue the policy, of refusing to
answer any inquiries about Jews
deported to Eastern Europe.
and cultural aspirations. After the
war we hope that as many Jews
who so desire may go to Palestine
and there become free Pales-
tinians whose religion is Juda-
ism even as we here are, and
shall continue to be, free Ameri-
cans whose religion is Judaism.
But what we want for Jews after
this war is what we want for all
people. We want a word in which
Jews, wherever they live, are
free citizens entitled to the same
privileges and subject to the same
responsibilities of all other free
citizens.
It is because the majority of
American Jews believe in this
that they reject Political Zionism.
No amount of paid advertisements
in the press with their long list
of endorsements by well-meaning,
yet misled Christians will change
our mind. Nor will the Zionist
spokesmen, who claim to speak
for all Jewry, persuade us.
The political Zionists have
looked backwards too long. Let
them turn around and see the
future; let them open their hearts
to confidence and faith that this
war of the United Nations will
end in die triumph of the prin-
ciples of the Atlantic Charter, and
in the re-assertion everywhere of
the dignity of all human beings.
bringing about a more cooperative venture on regional thinking.
And in this connection, I am happy to report to this annual meeting
that what we advised you of as a possibility at the last annual
meeting, has now materialized into a worthwhile concrete venture,
namely, the organization of a Southwestern States Region of the
National Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. This
organization met for the first time in Dallas last March, and con-
sidered the many problems with which our various communities are
concerned in this part of the country, in their two-fold fashion of
national interests and regional interests.
Only last week-end, it was the privilege of a number of us to
attend a board meeting of the region in Dallas, for the purpose of
reviewing some of our endeavors and planning ahead for this part
of the country, in terms of the present war economy and its in-
fluence and effect upon fund raising, dvic protective rights, and
kindred matters. One of the matters which concerned us at this
session, which was only touched on a year ago,’ but which looms
as a strong likelihood for the future, is the community war chest
All the major dries in the country today 'are going into the matter
at some length. Four Jewish welfare funds have already joined the
war chests and with very favorable results,—Detroit, Kansas City, St.
Louis, and Cincinnati.. It appears that the formula by and large has
been that Jewish-welfare funds receive either what they raised the
year before or an average of their appeals for the preceding three
years. That that question will arise in one form or another sooner
or later in our own community, we have no doubt. But this is some-
thing on which you will no doubt want to give your thinking in
connection with the entire problem.
Now if I may refer back to an earlier paragraph in this report, I
should like to point out that while national solidarity in jhe Icwish
community tends to bring about a sane point of view’ in the local
community, it does not necessarily follow so far as local issues are
concerned. If anything, national solidarity seems to have the reverse
effect, with respect to solidarity on local issues. Perhaps there is
something psychological in the fact that when our community
doesn’t trouble itself too much on matters of a national issue, it takes
the occasion to trouble itself a good deal on matters of a local
issue. Be that as it may, we do find that the problems of a Jewish
Community Center, of a Communal Hebrew School, of an attitude
with respect to religion in the public schools, of a Home for the Aged,
of local sentiment in behalf or opposed to the organization of a
Committee for a Jewish Army, on the inner conflicts of congrega-
tional life, and of a number of other matters, showed themselves in
our local community. There will be discussion on some of these
matters during the course of the meeting, but in passing, I should
like to tell you that with respect to one matter, namely, that of the
Home for the Aged, that is still of extreme active interest in our
community, that the President of the organization assured me that
their group would appoint a committee that would meet with a
committee authorized by our organization, for the purpose of going
into the entire merits of the proposition. This is as it should be, for
our Jewish Community Council represents the Jewish community of
Houston, and such projects as are undertaken of a welfare nature in
the community naturally affect the community as a whole.
I would stop at this point, if our good friend, Major William
Salman, who so successfully conducted our fund-raising appeal this
year with the able and intimate assistance of Mr. M. M. Feld and
his campaign associates, Mr. Simon Sakowitz and Mr. Joe Weingarten,
were here today. But we are proud that the Chairman of our
drive was chosen by the United States Government in a major ca-
pacity, to be of active service to our country, even though we miss
him in our communal undertakings. Since he is not here to make his
report, as Chairman of the Campaign, I should like briefly to tell you
what you of course already know, that this was the most successful
fund-raising effort that our community ever conducted. We are
wont to review the figures every year, for comparative purposes, so
here again I should like to point out very briefly, that whereas
in 1937 we raised $45,000
in 1938 we raised $85,000
in 1939 we raised $105,000 .
.in 1940 we raised $116,000
in 1941 we raised $127,000,
in 1942 our community raised $131,000, of which you have already
heard from the Treasurer’s/eport, the great preponderance has already
been collected, and at that, a bigger collection record for a similar
number of months after the campaign, than we have ever realized
before. Once again, and as has been the case every year consistently
in our history of giving and allocating, we have met our commit-
menu on all campaigns up until this one, to the extent of 100%,
and from the present rate of collections, we know that we will*be
able to meet this year’s commitmenu likewise 100%.
In closing this report, 4 should like to express a word of thanks
to all members of the Council and the various chairmen and members
of the committees that have worked so closely with us during what
was indeed a very hectic year. It was a year in which, from a local
angle, perhaps the most outstanding aspect was that we realized a
five-year dream and projected undertaking; namely, the purchase
of a community building that serves as a home for die Jewish Com-
munity Council and the Jewish Community Center. The untiring
efforts of Mr. Robert Kaplan, President of the Center, and of other
leaders in our Council, have well been rewarded by an institution
that is already proving too small for the many needs to which it is
being put. It is a token of the fine communal responsibility mani-
fested by our Jewish people in the City of Houston, and if we say this
without modesty, our community, in iu relationships of a focal,
regional, and national nature, is quite often pointed to on the outside
as being quite outstanding in its communal development. Let
hope that this may be continued. Thank you.
J. L. ZUBER, President.
Refugee Head •. •
(Continued from page D
or likely to be absent or uncer-
tain immediately after the war . .
“We would be unwise to aaeuaae
that either the cepedty or the
will of countries to receive
migrant* will be unlimited in i
years immediately following
end of the war. To find
for the refugees we aha!
tainly have to resort to all II
four methods mentioned. 1
effort will have to be made,
to keep the number down to i
ageeble proportions. This
be done in two ways. Fit
many as possible of the
cuted should bo enabled to :
to the countries from
were expelled; secon
which might otherwise
immediate exodus of a
of refugees fhould be
Sir Herbert takas
of the fact that “Jews are
lng every form of ]
a diabolical ingenuity
There are millions i
escape tomorrow if they'
to do so.
No wonder that
these countries as places in
they cannot live in the
It is to stem this
movemsnt” that Sir
gesU that “in
peace (the United Nations)
at once annul all
legislation and sod all
trative measures of
tion. They must
affected classes the rights i
zens and guarantee th
and protection of life
erty. These
the sanction of
True, this alone will
out the legacy of hatred
judice which Ns
behind. Time is the only
solvent”
London — Mohamad
self-styled President of
lem Committee of
Africa, in a
Paris called upon the
of the world to declare a
War against the Jews aa
Americans in Algeria ant
rocco.”
3d
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White, D. H. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1943, newspaper, January 7, 1943; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1102900/m1/3/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .