Adventures in San Diego Jewish History, January 22, 1954, Part IV

Compiled by Gail Umeham

Lasker Lodge News

Southwestern Jewish Press January 22, 1954 Page 6

By Lou Levitt

Lasker Lodge got off to a great start for 1954 with President Ralph Feldman conducting his first meeting of the year.  Several important committee appointments were made, among them being:  Marshall Zukor, membership; Milton Fredman, ADL; Jack Lowenbein, special assistant to the President; Louis Levitt, publicity; A.A. Friedman, vocational guidance; and Sid Posin, BBYO.

At the installation ceremony January 9, special awards for outstanding service were given to brothers Edward Breitbard, Jerry Aronoff, Joe Kaplan, Ralph Feldman, and Past President Harry Wax.

The lodge is growing by leaps and bounds, having added 74 new members in 1953, and what with the stimulating meetings in store for the members in 1954, and the exceptionally fine food preparations by “Chief” cq Aronoff each week, all the members can look forward to a great year for Lasker Lodge.

Samuel I. Fox B’nai B’rith News

Southwestern Jewish Press January 22, 1954 Page 7

By John Kluchin

The new officers for 1954 for Samuel I. Fox Lodge were installed in an impressive but simple ceremony at Beth Jacob Synagogue, Sunday, January 17^th by Installing Officer Harry Wax, P.P. San Diego Lasker Lodge ably assisted by Henry Weinberger, P.G.P. District No. 4.

David M. Schloss who was installed as President will have as his staff of officers the following:  Irving N. Cohen, P.P., 1^st V.P.; Joseph N. Schloss, 2^nd V.P.; John Kluchin, P.P. Chaplain; Stanley Yukon, P.P., Grand President Representative; Ernest Green, P.P., Treasurer; Adolph Brodmanm, Secretary; Ralph A. Cohen, Warden; Joseph Gelman, Guardian; and Trustees, Meyer Goldberg, Joseph Spatz, Irving Small, Harry Cohen and Solomon Briskman.

President David Schloss announces the following Committee Chairman:  Irving Small, Americanism & Civic Affairs, Chas. D. Juster, Anti-Defamation, Ralph A. Cohen, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization; E. Manuel Rosenthal, Boy Scout Cooperation; Sanford Sack, Hillel, Joseph Spatz, Lodge Programming; Jos. N. Schloss, Membership Acquisition and Retention, John Kluchin, P.P., Publicity; Irving N. Cohen, P.P., B.B. Service for the Armed Forces and Veterans.

The Installation Dinner was well attended and a huge success due to Chef Stanley Yukon with the able help of Max Popik and Joseph Gelman.  Presentation of Colors by the Jewish War Veterans, Post 185 was impressive.  Mrs. Joseph Schloss sang the Star Spangled Banner and Mrs. Victor Weiss and daughter  entertained on the piano.  Rabbi Baruch Stern gave the invocation.

Charity Card Party Aids Polio Fund

Southwestern Jewish Press January 22, 1954 Page 7

The Junior Charity League has announced final plans for their Valentine Card Party to assist the Polio Fund.  The entire community is invited to attend this party at the Temple Center Feb. 4, 12 noon.

A turkey luncheon will be served, with fruit salad for those dieters who wish it.  The home baked cake sale which proved so popular last year is being repeated.  These are ideal for stocking one’s freezer and thus always being prepared for guests.

Hadassah

Southwestern Jewish Press January 22, 1954 Page 7

Rummage Sale–February promises to be a very busy month for Hadassah women, starting the 1^st day of the month, which will see the opening of that organization’s third Annual Rummage Sale, under the direction of Mrs. Al. Solomon and her committee, Mmes. Leonard Pearl, Leon Solomon, Jack Brisker, and Edward Kitaen.

Hadassah Sabbath–Hadassah members will be hostesses on Feb. 10 at Temple Beth Israel, Tifereth Israel and Beth Jacob Synagogues when in cooperation with the Rabbis, they will present the service and the Hadassah story.  Mrs. Al Slayen is chairman.

Forum–“Faith in Freedom” is the theme for the regular luncheon meeting on Feb. 17 when Mrs. Stanley Strimling, Education Chairman, will present an outstanding group.

Rabbi Morton J. Cohn, Rembert James, Alexander Marshall, and Paul White will comprise the panel.

Youth Aliyah Dinner– As a climax to an activity-packed month, Hadassah will honor its Youth Aliyah Minyon members at a gala dinner-program on Feb. 23 at Harbor House Restaurant.  A program based on the life of an outstanding Hadassah woman will be the featured entertainment.

Mrs. Harry Felson, chairman, has announced that reservations are limited to 300 and will be closed on Feb. 10.  Reservations may be made with Mrs. Felson at H-6-6735 (HO-6-6735).

*

San Diego Telephone Prefixes, Numbers Change Sunday

Southwestern Jewish Press January 22, 1954 Page 7

Have you made a mental note that your own telephone number will change next Sunday?

If you’re one of 175,000 telephone subscribers in the San Diego extended area, your number is scheduled to be changed to seven digits and also give a new prefix on that day.

The number change program will move San Diego one step closer to nationwide operator toll dialing which is contemplated in the near future.  Customer toll dialing will come about a little later on.

Harry Depert, Pacific Telephone district manager, pointed out that the first two letters of the prefix will be dialed after next Sunday, instead of only one.

He suggested three steps to good telephone service after the seven digit dialing pattern goes into effect:

1. Look up all numbers in the new directory
2. Before dialing, jot the number down.  With the number before you, when you dial, you will save time and the embarrassment of wrong numbers.
3. Listen; for the dial tone, then carefully dial the first two letters and the numeral in the prefix, followed by the remaining four figures in the number.  Remember to give your new number to the operator when placing out-of-town calls.

**

“Adventures in Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our indexed “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a daily feature until we run out of history.

Letter to the Editor: Don’t confuse military ‘decorations’ with ‘awards’

Editor:

I enjoyed Bruce Kesler’s  article, “Are service medals so unimportant that Pentagon can’t be bothered to remember the awardees?” of September 29 very much.  I found that the article was informative, well researched and scholarly.

I do have a slight correction please.

I am a US Army veteran (MOS; 96B; USAICS, 66th MID, 3d Cav, 1st PsyOp; 1975-1987).

In the Army, we were taught that the American military has three levels of the Pyramid of Honor;
1)  Decorations;
A)  Awards for Valor
B)  Meritorious Awards
C)  Commendation Medals
D)  Achievement Medals
2)  Good Conduct Medals
3)  Campaign Medals
4)  Service Medals
5)  Professional Development
6)  Reserve & National Guard Medals
7)  Foreign Decorations & Awards
8)  Unit Awards
A)  Presidential
B)  Foreign National Awards
9)  Badges
A)  Combat
B)  Qualification

So not as to belabor my critique any farther, perhaps the title of your article should have included the word “Decorations” instead of the “Service Medals” choice, which you can see does not apply to awards for valor.

Thanks much for reading my comments.

With much hope for your continued writing success.

Best regards,

Roger Parrish

PS; A recent television episode of “NCIS” two years ago, had the Medical Examiner character, Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard preparing for a formal affair.   On his tuxedo Jacket actor David McCallum (Born 1933, age 76) sported British World War I & II medals that he could not possibly have won including a Canadian Volunteer Medal.
My point being that even award winning professional television programs make errors when it comes to Military Decorations & Medals, so please don’t feel badly. RP

Links to recommended reading and viewing, #2

Judy Lash Balint in Jerusalem tells of “anti-freeze” demonstration, favoring continued construction

“Jewish Federations of North America Update on Rescue of Yemen Jews”

Donald H. Harrison, “Santee Lakes are models of recreation and reclamation,” Examiner.com (Don is now doing general sightseeing stories in addition to his work as editor of San Diego Jewish World.  Friends may follow the link and subscribe to his new column on things to do and see in San Diego County)

Donald H. Harrison, “Jewish surprises found on tour of Cuyamaca College” (This is the second story Don has placed on Examiner.com.  If you follow the link, and hit the subscribe button, you will receive emails with links to each story Don subsequently writes for that publication.)

Adam Levick, “Anti-Israelism and Anti-Semitism in Progressive U.S. Blogs/News Websites: Influential and Poorly Monitored”

Barry Rubin, “Let’s Get Real: Obama’s Foreign Policy is Failing; Time to Wake Up, Change Course, and Do It Right” in Rubin Reports.

Tablet Magazine has a video piece on Sen. Orrin Hatch (Republican, Utah) helping to create a new Chanukah song.  Hatch, a Mormon, routinely wears a mezuzah under his shirt.

Wedding video, YouTube has an Israeli comedy sketch of a photographer shooting photos at a wedding

Americans becoming increasingly multi-religious in their family practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. According to a new report based on a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, blending elements of diverse traditions.

The survey, conducted Aug. 11-27 among 4,013 adults reached on both landlines and cell phones, finds that many Americans say they attend worship services of more than one faith or denomination, even when they are not traveling or going to special events like weddings and funerals.

Underscoring the spiritual “openness” of American religious life, the survey finds that many blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects. And sizeable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups say they have experienced supernatural phenomena, such as being in touch with the dead or with ghosts.

Key findings include:

• One-third of Americans (35%) say they regularly (9%) or occasionally (26%) attend religious services at more than one place, and most of these (24% of the public overall) indicate that they sometimes attend religious services of a faith different from their own.

• Among those who attend religious services at least once a week, nearly four-in-ten (39%) say they attend at multiple places and nearly three-in-ten (28%) go to services outside their own faith.

• Among Christians, who make up an overwhelming majority of Americans, roughly one-in-five Protestants (18%) say they attend non-Protestant services, and the same percentage of Catholics (18%) say they sometimes attend non-Catholic services.

• Nearly half the public (49%) says they have had a “religious or mystical experience,” more than twice as high as in a 1962 Gallup survey (22%). In fact, religious and mystical experiences are more common today among those who are unaffiliated with any particular religion (30%) than they were in the 1960s among the public as a whole.

The report, including a summary and topline questionnaire, is available online.

*
Preceding provided by Pew Research Center

Neo-Nazi’s tatoos ordered covered up during his murder trial

TAMPA, Florida (WJC) –A neo-Nazi gang member accused of murder in Florida is to have his swastika tattoo covered by make-up during the trial against him, in order not to influence the members of the jury.

John Allen Ditullio has a 6-inch swastika under his right ear, barbed wire on the right side of his face and an extreme vulgarity scrawled on one side of his neck. A judge ruled that the state must pay a make-up artist to cover them up during trial, but added that any tattoos Ditullio had before his arrest in 2006 should not be covered.

The judge, acting on a request by Ditullio’s lawyer, ruled that the tattoos were potentially offensive and could influence a jury’s opinion in the state’s case against the 23-year-old accused of donning a gas mask, breaking into a neighbor’s home and stabbing two people, killing one of them. Ditullio’s lawyer said: “Whenever someone is facing the death penalty, they should get a fair trial.”

*
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress

Turkey promises ‘earthquake’ of consequences to Israel if it violates airspace in Iran attack

CAIRO (WJC)–If Israel were to violate Turkish airspace in order to conduct operations against Iran, Ankara’s reaction would resemble an “earthquake,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said in an interview with an Egyptian journalist.

Responding to a question about rumors that Israel had entered Turkey’s airspace for espionage purposes, Erdogan said that such a thing had not happened, but should it happen the consequences would be dire if it did. “[Israel] will receive a response equal to that of an earthquake,” he said, urging Israeli leaders to refrain from “using the relationship they have with us as a card to wage aggression on a third party.”

Ankara would not be a neutral party and stand aside with its arms folded, he said. Erdogan also alluded during the interview to last winter’s Gaza war, saying that Israel could not reasonably have expected to participate in a joint military drill with Turkey after “sweeping” the people of Gaza. He stressed that the Turkish government’s policy on Israel was both derived from and backed by the country’s voting public. “We cannot challenge the feelings of the Turkish people, who were greatly affected by what happened during the aggression on Gaza,” he said.

In a separate interview in the US, Erdogan said diplomacy rather than economic sanctions should be pursued to resolve the nuclear standoff with Iran. There “could be problems” if measures such as sanctions were taken against Iran without seeking a diplomatic solution, he said PBS’s ‘Charlie Rose’ show.

“We think that diplomacy is what we have to do – that’s what we have to do because I don’t think diplomacy has been exhausted yet. We believe that we can play a very important role between Iran and countries of the world.” Erdogan, who met with President Barack Obama two days ago, called Iran’s nuclear program “peaceful.”

*
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress

Amnesty International condemns Iran’s human rights abuses

BEIRUT, Lebanon (WJC)–Human rights violations in Iran are “the worst in 20 years,” according to a new report by the human rights group Amnesty International (AI). It describes patterns of abuse before, during and after the June election and includes various testimonies and case studies. The report also urges Iranian leadership to allow two key UN human rights experts to visit Iran and help the investigation.

“The Iranian leadership must ensure that the many allegations of torture, including rape, unlawful killings and other abuses are fully and independently investigated,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of AI’s Middle East and North Africa Program. “Members of militias and officials who have committed violations must also be promptly held to account and on no account should anyone be executed,” she added.

*
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress

Former SS man admits shooting civilians, ‘followed orders’

AACHEN, Germany (WJC)–The former SS hit squad member Heinrich Boere has admitted to killing three civilians in Nazi-occupied Holland. Boere, 88, told the district court in Aachen that he shot the three Dutch men in 1944, but said he had only followed orders by his superiors. Boere said he had learned “as a simple soldier to carry out orders; and I knew that if I did not [do so] I would be breaking my oath, and would be shot myself.” He added that he had been told that the shooting was a revenge for actions taken by the Dutch resistance, including the three civilians. “Today, 65 years later, I see it naturally from another standpoint.”

Prosecutors have charged him with committing murder. Boere, a native of Germany, moved with his family to the Netherlands, where he served after joining the Waffen SS in 1940. After the war he was found guilty of murder in Holland and sentenced to death. He fled to Germany. The Dutch death sentence was later commuted to life in prison.

*
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress

Spielberg presented top ADL award at celebrity-studded dinner

Steven Spielberg, left, receives award from ADL’s Abe Foxman
_______________________________________________________

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Press Release)– Steven Spielberg received the Anti-Defamation League’s highest honor — America’s Democratic Legacy Award — at the Annual Dinner Celebration on December 9 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.  ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman presented the award in front of a sellout crowd of 1,100.

“Steven, we honor you for your exceptional contributions to the well-being and security of the Jewish people,” said Mr. Foxman. “Your masterpiece, Schindler’s List, literally changed the way we teach about Jewish history and the Holocaust and it arrived at exactly the time when we started to see a startling rise in Holocaust denial.”

Previous America’s Democratic Legacy Award recipients include former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman; as well as Colin Powell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Justice Earl Warren, Saul Bellow, George Tenet, Henry Kissinger, Lee Iacocca, Walter Annenberg, Dwayne Andreas, Bernard Marcus and Cardinal John O’Connor.  The award has also been presented to distinguished institutions including Harvard University, The New York Times and the Columbia Broadcasting System.

Proceeds from the event will help ADL in its fight against bigotry, prejudice and anti-Semitism.

Drew Barrymore opened and closed the evening, citing her relationship with Spielberg since she was 6 years old and working on the movie “ET.” Kirk Douglas spoke and led the motzi (prayer over the bread) and Richard Dreyfuss also presented remarks.  Co-Chairs for the event were Harold Brown, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Richard Lovett, Ron Meyer, Bruce Ramer and Sid Sheinberg.

Speakers included two of the dinner co-chairs, Bruce Ramer, founding partner of Gang, Tyre, Ramer and Brown, Inc, and Sidney Sheinberg, founder of the Bubble Factory and former President and COO of MCA, ADL National Chair Robert Sugarman, Regional Board Chair Nicole Mutchnik and Regional Director Amanda Susskind.

Other special guests included “American Idol” finalist Adam Lambert singing the U.S. national anthem and Israeli singer/songwriter Noa Dori singing the Israeli national anthem.

Videos describing ADL’s work, the history of its America’s Democratic Legacy Award, and Steven Spielberg’s extraordinary contributions to the entertainment industry and philanthropy were shown.

Other celebrities attending included: Paula Abdul, J.J. Abrams, Matt Blank, David Franzoni, Greg Harrison, Walter Hill, Jeffrey Katzenberg,  David Linde, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, Kevin McCormick, Walter Mirisch, Rich Ross, Stacey Snider, Matt Tolmach, Michael Wright.

*
Preceding provided by Anti-Defamation League

Settlers demonstrate power of a religiously driven minority

By Ira Sharkansky

JERUSALEM–Israel’s limited, 10-month settlement freeze is not working like a well oiled Swiss watch, assuming that metaphor still has validity in the digital age. Settlers have massed to demonstrate against what they call the abominable anti-Jewish doctrines of the prime minister many of them had supported, and they are sending their teen age sons and daughters to wrestle with the inspectors who come to the settlements with orders to stop building.

The settlers do not govern the country. At least one of their threats–to block key junctions throughout the country during a morning rush hour–did not work. There were more police to keep the junctions open than settlers and their supporters who came to block them. Israeli officials are familiar with mass demonstration. It will take a lot more than the 10,000 estimated to have gathered near the prime minister’s residence to change policy.

However, the settlers and their supporters are a significant minority. Their efforts parallel all those Americans who oppose abortion. In both cases there is religious doctrine capable of exciting opposition to what a government might do. Government can move against such sentiment. Abortions do happen in the United States, but officials are chary in the extreme about supporting them with public money. In the case of the Israeli settlements, most likely there will be a damper on construction, at least in the smaller and most isolated settlements, and some of the smallest ones recognized as illegal are being dismantled. However, the prime minister has promised increased public funding for the largest of the settlements, i.e., those that function as suburbs for the major cities, and have wide support as areas that should not be traded away to the Palestinians.

Rather than accusing Israel of violating one symbol of good government, i.e., the efficient administration of government policy, what we are seeing is another symbol of good government, i.e., the flexible enforcement of a policy opposed by a substantial element of the population. The rabbis of the Talmud said in several contexts that even the laws proclaimed by the Highest Authority are subject to dispute as to their meaning for concrete cases; that one should respect local practice; and not seek to implement a measure that goes against the capacity of the community to accept it.

It is not clear what will come of this messy situation.

On the one hand, those feeling that settlements are indeed a blockage in the way of an accord might blame Barack Obama for what is happening. By raising the specter of a sweeping freeze, he mobilized the settler community to demand the freedom to build. The fervor generated might recruit more Jews to settle in forbidden lands than it persuades those already living there to leave for  housing more acceptable to the White House.

It is most likely that the whole bluster is irrelevant, except for the headaches provided to several clusters of Israeli officials and activists. We can read the behavior of the Palestinians for some years now–at least since they have been negotiating with Israelis–to indicate that the settlements are not the major problem. Moreover, the independent and feisty people in charge of Gaza have signed on to a no recognition, no concession posture toward Israel whose roots are in the Khartoum Resolution of 1967. Would a Palestinian state without Gaza be practical? It might end up being in the size range of Delaware or Rhode Island, surrounded by Israel, without direct access to the sea or to another country. And should Israel negotiate the possibility of Palestine in the West Bank while the nay sayers of Gaza remain intent on continuing the fight?

It is easier to ask these questions than to answer them.

*
Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University