Compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff
Personals
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 2
In the future Lt. Robert Waller will receive his Jewish Press airmail. If any of his friends wish to give him first hand news, phone the Press. (Incidentally, he likes salami.)
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Mr. and Mrs. Morris Weinstein, formerly of San Bernardino, are now residing in San Diego. Mrs. Weinstein is a sister of Mrs. Pauline Press and is also an ardent worker for the Pioneer Women.
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Ilene Heiman and Judy Friedman attended the three day SCFTY Youth Conclave on Nov. 2, 3, 4, as representatives from Temple Beth Israel.
Visits Exchanged
Gail Kahn, sophomore at UCLA, visited with Sherry Newman, a student at Stanford, when she attended the UCLA-UC game in Berkeley. Sherry, while in Los Angeles for the Stanford-UCLA game, stayed with Gail at the AE Phi House.
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Sophomore Brenda Heiman is the newly elected representative for the Student Council at San Deigo State College.
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Coming and Going
Back home again from five weeks in the East, Saul and Eve Chenkin were surprised to learn that friends had noted their visit to Grossingers in the New York Times.
Glicka Brenner reports all o.k. in Washinggton D.C. She paid a visit to her daughter and son and law, Mr. and Mrs. Marvine Greene.
While Mr. and Mrs. Maury Ackerman are in South Dakota, their daughter Linda will be the houseguest of big sister Barbara Bloom.
Thank You
Mrs. Anne Godes wishes to express her deepfelt thanks to her many friends who have been so kind during her recent illness.
“Thank you,” says Mrs. Bessie Cohen to her friends who were so kind during her illness.
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The children of Esther and Louis Moorsteen are making an East-West switch. Their daughter, Betty Lou Slater, and her family moved to Connecticut where their son-in-law will be Articles Editor for the Women’s Home Companion. Son, Richard, and his wife will be moving to Santa Monica where Dick has accepted an appointment as consultant with the Rand Corporation. Upon his return from Russia, he received his PhD in Soviet Economics from Columbia University. He will visit his parents in San Diego before going to Los Angeles.
November’s Girl
Susan Solof was elected November’s “Girl of the Month” at San Diego High. She is Colonel of Sergeanettes, Secretary of the Jr. Red Cross, sings in the Hilltop Choir, is Queen of the R.O.T.C., recently appeared in the Sisterhood Follies, teaches baton twirling and in Sunday School. Ask her dad and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Solof, how she does it.
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The November birthdays of Will Neuman and Henry Fink will be celebrated at the Hebrew Home for the Aged on Saturday, November 17. The party will be sponsored by family and friends and an invitation is extended to members in the community who might be interested in attending.
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Proxy Shower
Betty Prager held a bab shower today for Iris Lynn Strauss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Freed Leeds. Aunt-to-be, Andi Leeds acted as proxy for her sister, Iris, who is in Cherry Point, No. Carolina, where her husband, Marine Lt. Mathew Strauss is stationed. Thirty-five guests attended the shower.
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Engagement Told
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 2
Mr. and Mrs. Irving Krasner announced the engagement of their daughter, Florence, tol Richard Alan Godes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Godes. All reside in San Diego. A late spring wedding is planned.
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Abrams-Rosen Betrothed
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 2
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Abrams of San Diego announce the betrothal of their son Alvin to Carol Rosen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P.R. Rosen of Los Angeles. A reception part will be held i the bride’s home on Sunday, Nov. 25.
The bride-to-be is a student at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and the prospective bridegroom is studying for his M.A. in Psychology at Claremont College in California.
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Hadaassah H.M.O. Luncheon Nov. 39
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 2
The new ballroom of the Lafayette Hotel is the setting for the 11:30 a.m. November 29th Hadassah Medical Organization luncheon meeting.
The Chanukah theme, “Give a Gift to Hadassah,” will prevail. Members are asked to make their donor pledge for the year at this time. Hadassah, in turn, will give a gift to every member in appreciation. Fashions of new designs from a leading store will be modeled by Hadassah women.
The dessert feature includes the presentation of our Hadassah Book, “Great Ages and Ideas of Jewish People” the living presence of 4,000 years of heritage, commissioned by Hadassah, written by experts, and edited by Leo E. Schwarz. These books will be presented to San Diego State College and San Diego Public Library by Mrs. Maynard Hurvitz, Hadassah’s education chairman.
Mrs. Ethel Solomon, who recently purchased a certificate for Hadassah’s Golden Doorway, will be presented with this certificate by Mrs. Morton Thaler.
Mrs. Phyllis Zifferen Deutsch, prominent Los Angeles attorney and leading Hadassah woman, is guest speaker of the day.
Mrs. Morton Thaler, Hadassah Medical Organization chairman, and MRs. Sam Stein will be assisted by Mmes. Charles Sorkin, Allan Schreiber, Edward Cherney, Max Okun, Louis Sahfran, Harry Brookler and Mrs. Max Rabinowitz.
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Cradle
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 2
Mr. and Mrs. Hy Glaser announce the birth of a son, Bill Norman, on October 20. He will share the nursery with his sister Debbie, age two years.
Maternal grandparents and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Levy of San Francisco; paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Simon Glaser of San Diego. Great grandmother is Mrs. Leah Rosenthal of San Franciso.
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Mr. and Mrs. Harold Dickstein announce the arrival of their first son, Paul Warren, born on Tuesday, October 23, weight 7 lbs, 11 ozs.
Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. A. Seldman and paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. Dickstein of Tucson, Airz.
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And now there are two boys at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Louis (Bud) Samuels. Mark Richard joined his brother, Lee David, 3 years, on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 3:45 a.m.. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 ozs.
The Bris was held on Nov. 15 with Rabbi Monroe Levens and Dr. Phillip Rand in attendance.
Maternal grandparents and Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Brodman and paternal grandmother is Mrs. Lee Samuels of Sa Diego.
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Press Notes by Julia Kaufman: Guest Columnist: Ida Nasatir
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 3
I’m glad when a Meshulach comes to San Diego!
Yesterday afternoon as I watered the flower beds in the back of the house, I noticed that the gay ladies of the fuchsia plant, dressed to their best, were waltzing merrily in the wind. As they danced they seemed to be talking one to another. So forceful was their message that it communicated itself thusly to me: “Be of good cheer, Lady Nasatir, for ‘that man,’ the Meshulach, is coming to town!”
This thought cheered me no end, for I am delighted when a Meshulach comes to San Diego. To you, recent graduates of Vassar and Princeton, a Meshulach is looked upon as a member of a vanishing race. He is a unique and remarkable fund-raiser, and while only a very few come to “our town,” yet, wherever Jews live they are visited by these venerable gentlemen who raise the moneys which maintain many o the yeshivos of America and Israel In fact, the meshulach is an institution in many a Jewish community.
His lot is not an easy one. Basically he is a salesman, and he is constantly on the move, living by bus and train timetables, making every minute count, trying to see as many people as he can. Unlike a salesman, however, he has the problem of obtaining kosher food. In the majority of cities, where there are no kosher restaurants, his problems increase. Standard equipment for many meshulachim often includes, in addition to credentials and lists and receipt books, a dry salami, a box of stale Matzos, an electric hot-plate for tea. If the meshulach is lucky he can arrange to stay with a kashruth-observing family; a few stay with the Orthodox rabbi, but most take hotel rooms and live alone with their salami.
I can spot a mesulach a block away. He is a black-hatted, bearded figure, dressed in a “kapote.” In one hand he carries a bulging briefcase, in the other a list of names and addresses of those who have been known to give. The most astonishing thing about the meshulach is this He knows nothing at all about modern techniques of fundraising; he has no knowledge of this thing called “psychology of giving,” he does not have the benefit of organizational backing or public regulations, he is even without an adequate command of English — yet the meshulach is an expert fund-raiser. Of course, his approach varies according to the age and temperament of the individual meshulach; yet the basic method is the same. It is simple, direct, earnest: “My yeshiva is remarkable, it has so many students, we do not have enough money to feed and clothe and teach them; here are my credentials and pictures of the institution, here is my letter of recommendation; you, as a Jew therefore must help us.” … Few can refuse to give something.
But the strength of the meshulach goes deeper than this appeal. Dressed as he is, speaking Yiddish as he does, his appeal is primarily emotional. For me, the sight of a meshulach evokes nostalgic memories. The beard may remind some givers of their own fathers and grandfathers, the long black kapote is like the one seen in the old “shtetl a half century ago. This appeal is probably the meshulach’s most powerful weapon. The receipt book he carries is a thing to remember. It is usually bizarre and colorful, with a picture of the institution, perhaps a photograph of the student body, and a personal message to the donor in Yiddish and English: “In the merit of the act of faith to help the students of _________ in Jerusalem, the Holy City, may the father in heaven reward you, with all kinds of prosperity, you and your children, and your children’s children.”
Once he has given, the donor is a marked man. He is visited year in and year out by the same meshulach and eventually as news of his generosity seeps out, by other meshulachim as well. Many business people, resigned to their fate, set aside a special fund to be used for the visitors. Thus it is that every meshulach develops his own select clientele, a list of names which often rivals that of the local federation.
What the spear was to the ancient warrior, this list is the meshulach. Guarded, treasured and cherished, the list is his basic equipment. With it, he can proceed with confidence. Without it, he flounders and must discover for himself who and where the givers are; or, as a last resort, he is forced to go to the local Jewish fund raising agency and apply for an allocation. This is the last resort because relationships between many federations and meshulchim are, to say the least, strained. It is true that a number of local agencies allocate money to yeshivos, with the understanding, of course, that no meshulachim will visit those communities which allocate funds. But most meshulachim look with disdain both at the agencies and their allocations.
In some communities, this atitude has resulted in a small cold war between the central fund raising agency and the meshulachim. Some federations even go so far as to instruct their “big-givers” not to contribute to any meshulach unless the giver first obtains clearance from them — which is rarely forthcoming. But Jews being what they are, the givers continue to give, and vow each year that this is the last time. Some boast with pride that they have been vowing thus for twenty-five years.
While it is true that a part of every dollar goes to the meshulach, himself, the meshulachim are definitely not mercenaries. The fact remains that few yeshivos could exist without them, and the meshulach in his highly specialized field undergoes considerable physical and spiritual rigors. But the matter goes deeper than this. Would Jewish community life in America be better off without them? Have they really made no contribution at all to the Jewish scene?
Meshulachim are more than takers, they give almost as much as they receive and the Jewish community owes a debt to them for the intangibles which they contribute to it. By their number they serve to keep alive the tradition of tsedaka (chairty) as it should be practiced. The doing of tsedaka thrives on repetition. “Better to give one dinar 100 times than to give 100 dinars at one time,” says Maimonides. For giving has beneficial effects upon the giver as well as the taker. A hundred individual gifts means a hundred separate feelings of mercy and compassion. It is an excellent emotional exercise.
“But why do they have to dress that way? If only they would dress like everybody else they wouldn’t be noticed so much…” Here, too, there contribution is a real one. By their “kapotes” and beards and demeanor, they seem to step from the pages of Jewish history and there is something poetic and even exotic about them. In a time of monotonous conformity, the very incongruity of their presence is valuable. In addition, they represent yeshivos and places hallowed in Jewish tradition: Slobodka and Telz and Slonim; Kaminet and Lomza and Mir, Ponovez and Lubavitch — the very words on the reciepts conjure up tender memories of what was once a thriving and literate Jewish life. Indeed, the meshulach can with justification be described as the American counterpart of the celebrated maggid of Europe. His very being and presence bring something positive to every community. In his baggage he carries more than lists and credentials; he carries the Jewish traditions of Europe.
Ah yes, I hope those gay predictions of the waltzing ladies of the fushia plant come true, for I am glad when a meshulach comes to San Diego. Did I remember to tell you what warmth their hearty “Sholom Aleichem” brings to the heart?
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Understanding Israel
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 3
How easy it is for some people to sit in their comfortable little world and criticize Israel for its actions. If these people were not themselves torn by inner conflicts tey would be able to see the actions of iIsrael in its true light.
Objection is made by some that no cause, however good, can justify the use of force. To adopt this pacifist principle is to hand the world over to the law breaker. This is not an armchair theory–we have plenty of hard experience of its truth. Twenty years ago, the doctrine of “All sanctions short of war” handed Abysinnia over to Mussolini and shattered the League of Nations. A couple of years later, the doctrine that the Sudetenland was not worth a European war handed Czechoslovakia to Hitler and made World War II inevitable.
Col. Nasser has fruitfully followed the Hitler-Mussolini pattern. He has sworn to obliterate Israel. He has defied the United Nations over the passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal and then seized the Canal without regard for the rest of the world. When eighteen nations presented him with a fair plan for settling this matter, he defied them because he was convinced they would not act. He proceeded to form the Egypt-Syria-Jordan axis with deliberate aggressive intent against Israel. This is the man with whom, along with his Communist backers, American policy makers found themselves aligned. The excuse for this stand was “in the interest of peace.”
Peace will not come to the Middle East until the State of Israel is secure behind her borders and free from the murderous attacks of Pan-Arabic “Hitlers.” The economic boycott imposed bon Israel by the Arab States must be ended. In this area alone, the United states can play an important part. Its influence in world trade–used in the right direction–would end an intolerable situation. Those who criticize Israel should try to understand her isolated position in a hostile Arab world.
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Jewish War Veterans Aux. To Hold Dinner
Southwestern Jewish Press, November 16, 1956, Page 3
President Jennie Turner wishes to inform all members of the Post and Auxiliary of the Jewish War Veterans that a no-host dinner will be held at the Lafayette Hotel on January 27, at 6:30 p.m., honoring Department President, Adele Hoffman, who will make her annual visit.
The regular meeting will follow the dinner in the hotel Circus Room.
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Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a regular feature until we run out of history. To find stories on specific individuals or organizations, type their names in our search box, located just above the masthead on the right hand side of the screen.
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