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Press Notes
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 3
By Julia Kaufman
Before he left the country, Ernest Michel, West Coast representative of the U.J.A. accepted my invitation to be a guest columnist. The following is a letter received from him from Bangkok, Thailand, dated August 21:
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“Dr. P. B. Jacobson is the Honorary Consul General from Israel in Thailand. He lives on the second floor of Jacobson’s hospital, on the main road here in Bangkok, amidst an unusual collection of Siamese and Oriental art.
How Mr. Jacobson became the Israeli Consul General and what brought him to Bangkok in the first place makes one of the most fantastic stories I have heard in a long time.
Dr. Jacobson or Consul General Jacobson comes from Germany. He was about to be arrested in 1933, together with his wife, when he gathered all his German temper and with a great deal of nerve–and ignorance–as he wistfully adds now, told the arresting Germans that he would make them pay heavily for this act. The bluff paid off. He was temporarily released and left Germany that same evening with barely enough money and a briefcase full of medical instruments.
For the next three years, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobson became the “wandering Jews.” With their four children following behind them whenever he thought he had established himself. If, his wanderings included Hungary, Abyssinia–where he served as the personal physician to the Emperor Haile Selassie–Aden, Egypt and then to India. Living most of the time from hand to mouth, Dr. Jacobson decided to make one final move, and vie Elephant transportation, arrived in Thailand in 1936. He has been here ever since and is known today throughout the country as the leading eye specialist. An extremely modest person, of great personal charm, he speaks quietly and only reluctantly about himself. I learned later that, among other things, he is also a Lt. Colonel in the Thailand Army.
How did this man become the Consul General from Israel? Shortly after diplomatic relations were established between Israel and Thailand, officials of the Israel Foreign Office visited Bangkok. Impressed by his stature and personality, they invited Dr. Jacobson to become an Israeli citizen and act as its diplomatic representative. After visiting Israel for ten days — his only visit outside of Thailand since 1936 — he accepted the honor.
His car now flies the official emblem of Israel, his chauffeur wears the insignia of the State and in front of Dr. Jacobson’s hospital, which is also the Consulate of Israel, flies the Israeli flag. The Consul General serves without pay; as a matter of fact, he pays for the entire operation of the consulate out of his own pocket.
And that is how a former Nazi refugee, after wandering half-way around the world, became a leading physician in Thailand and at the same time the Consul General from Israel.
Fantastic? But true!
Now just a little local color: Bangkok has 30 Jewish families but no official congregation. Most of the families come from Europe, a few from India and the Near east. All are well-to-do. Bangkok is also the most expensive city in the Far East; almost compares to Paris. The Temples and shrines are breathtaking in their beauty and it is a photographer’s paradise. The city is very modern compared to other Indian (sic) cities. People dress Western style. I was received in audience by a member of the Royal Household but that is a story in itself.”
Mr. Michel’s next column will be on India.
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These are some of the views expressed by David Ben-Gurion, filmed in the library of his home in Tel Aviv, and telecast by NBC-TV on its “Wisdom” series.
“I would like to see every Jew here (in Israel). But I know that there are many Jews who feel comfortable where they are–will stay as long as they can. But I know there are at least two million–or rather a little more–who cannot stay where they are — and sooner or later will have to come to Israel–and they’re coming. We have now an immigration of 7,000 a month, which, on the American scale, would be 700,000 a month–compared to the size of the countries.”
“If I were there (a Jew living in America), I would go to Israel. Because I have seen once a sign ‘Restricted’ — and I asked what does it mean?–and they told me ‘restricted’ means that Jews cannot buy it (a piece of land). Well, I won’t tolerate that. But I understand almost all the Jews in America feel at home there, and they prefer to stay and I wish them to be happy there — but I would like some young pioneers who have still that spirit of adventure–of creative adventure–young scientists–to come over to help us build this country.”
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(Asked why he started to learn Green at 54).
“One of our poets said reading in translation is like kissing a sweetheart through a handkerchief. There were a number of Greek thinkers whom I read before, but I felt that I don’t know them intimately until I will be able to read them as they have written themselves. I will not know, really, what they have meant.”
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“There are different definitions of Zionism, and everyone has his own definition. My definition of Zionism is — a Jew should make, shape his own life in his own country according to his own desires, needs and ideals. And this can be only when he’s living in Israel. This is my view of Zionism.”
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“This is what we are trying to combine in this country — and I believe other peoples can do the same — to combine high ethical values without which no human society can exist–or it isn’t worth living–with the high development of science and technology. They both must go together.”
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Irving R. Stone New Psychology Head
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 3
Recently, Irving R. Stone was elected Chairman of the Psychology Commission for the City of San Diego. Mr. Stone was appointed to this commission by the Mayor in July 1956. The Commission was established in 1949 to eliminate the wide-spread quackery in San Diego when unqualified individuals were setting themselves up as Psychologists without experience or training. San Diego was the first city in the United States to establish licensing for qualified Psychologists.
This past weekend he attended the annual conference of the California Council for Retarded Children. This local organization has one of its major projects the training of the retarded at the Child Development Center in Mission Valley.
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Season of ‘Collective Privacy’
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 3
Essentially, of course, the High Holy Days are the season of personal stocktaking. During these Days of Awe, the Jew is engaged in an intimate confrontation with himself and his Maker, during which his past actions are soberly evaluated and his future course hopefully charted. In the calendar of Jewish observances, this is the time preeminently associated with personal repentance and private resolution.
But the privacy as one might expect from the unique ethnic character of the Jewish religion, is not limited to the individual, the personal, the egoistic. There is a group dimension to the Jew’s encounter with Divinity. This, in its sociological context, has been aptly described by Ben Halpern in The American Jew as “collective privacy.” It makes of the personal confession and prayers an affirmation of the group’s life, an identification with the collective whole.
Jewish secularists, agnostics, even atheists, have been known to visit the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Were these Holy Days purely of religious significance for the individual Jews this phenomenon could hardly be explained. But they are not. When the time comes that Jews the world over gather in their synagogues for a tradition-hallowed communal experience, the secularist may feel impelled to assert his identification with the group. By his act he means to transcend the limits of dogma and ritual, which he privately chooses to spurn and to embrace the cause of his people, which he desires to affirm.
The Synagogue ritual points insistently to its character of “collective privacy,” bringing the individual closer not only to the God of Israel but also to the people of Israel. The pages of the prayerbook are replete with references to the collective experience of the Jewish people, their historical memories of glory, of suffering, and of triumph. Even in the Jew’s most intimate disclosure before his God, he asks forgiveness for “the sins which we have sinned…” The season proclaims the unity of the Jewish peoplel and strengthens the bonds which bind them in a common destiny.
Jewish unity is not simply a relic of past history. It flows as well from the Jewish situation today and imposes obligations for its preservation. For a Jew deeply conscious of these responsibilities nothing Jewish is alien and no Jewish problem, wherever it may arise and whatever form it may assume, is too distant for his concern or too tenuous for his sympathy.
If this is true of Jewish communities throughout the world, it applies with particular force to American Jewry. As the largest and most prosperous Jewish community, it has devolved mainly upon us to protect Jewish rights and succor Jewish lives wherever they are placed in jeopardy. We demonstrate our faith in the unity of the Jewish people and in its creative survival by giving our full support to Israel in its struggle to develop in freedom and security. It is largely our responsibility to care for our unfortunate brethren fleeing from oppression or living under a tyranny of fear and to defend their liberties as we would or own. It is for us to provide the initiative and the means for the development of a rich Jewish knowledge and for the support of those institutions dedicated to meaningful Jewish living.
These are formidable tasks. But on pain of losing our identity as a people we cannot but shoulder them as part of our collective responsibility for their fulfillment. — From the Congress Weekly
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As the Psychologist Sees You
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 3
By Irving R. Stone, Psychological Consultant
Budgets
Most adults can recall how we saved our gasoline ration coupons during the war years, hoarding them for a special emergency or event and some of us can remember way back when during the first World War we did the same with sugar stamps. It took something important for us to use these stamps and coupons, except for day to day needs. We were forced to plan carefully lest we ran out of them.
Budgeting became a skill in those days but today it is becoming a lost art. Except for an emergency we dislike the thought of budgeting of any sort. It is true that most of us think of budgets only in terms of finances. Only when the dollar does not stretch as far we’d like do we say to ourselves, “Guess we should have a budget.” It is now almost of our culture to spend up to and perhaps a little more than our paychecks. Buying on time is now our great American pastime.
However, budgets are not restricted to finances. We would be far happier if we learned to budget our time and energy. Both of these were part of our training when we were children, but as adults we seem to have forgotten them. Now, as adults, we are setting a rather poor example to our younger generation so that youngsters today are as great offenders as we are.
Procrastination is one of our habits and we seem to believe that we should put off until tomorrow whatever should be done today. The letter to be written, the hedges to be trimmed, or the homework to be completed are but a few examples of this dependence upon the word “Manana.” ver good examples are the last minute rush to pay taxes or to file for the renewal of auto registrations. If we used this period of delay for useful purposes there might be no need for the second budget need, that of energy. Unfortunately, we expend so much energy on useless wandering in circles that we are too tried, physically and emotionally, that there is nothing left for necessary tasks.
Some of us may protest that this time is used for recreation activities and while there may be a point in favor of this argument, unless we budget both time and energy, we find that we have used too much for either one at the expense of the other. Thus, too much recreation, or as we call it, having a little fun, makes us put on such a burst of activity to make u p for the work that has been neglected that we use far too much time and energy compressed in a tight space. If we budgeted, we could give each its rightful share at a pace that would not hurt. It is like the person who saves a little only to pay off far too many bills. Stop in at a bank shortly after the first of each month and notice the many people who are cashing in their savings bonds.
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Negba Club Pioneer Women
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 4
The Pioneer Women, Negba Club, will hold their annual Succoth Festival on Saturday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Beth Jacob Center.
Chavera Tania Bercutt of Los Angeles will be the guest of honor. An interesting program has b een arranged and refreshments will be served.
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Cottage of Israel Invites Visitors
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 4
“The Cottage of Israel is in the pink of condition,” Mrs. Geo. Borushek, president, announced Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8 at the annual election meeting of the Cottage.
Mrs. Borushek was elected to her second term as Cottage president. Also serving with her are the following: Fred Yaruss, vice-president; Seymour Gates, Recording Secretary; Mrs. Hy Parrell, Financial Secretary; Mrs. Alwin Feiler, Corresponding Secretary and Philip Abrams, Treasurer. Delegates are Mrs. Rose Brook and Mrs. Bernard Veitzer.
Following a picnic supper, the new officers were installed by Dr. Peter Lee, president of the House of Pacific Relations, of which the Israeli Cottage is a member.
The Cottage of Israel in Balboa Park is open Sunday afternoons from two to five. It has recently been re-decorated and now features pink decor and many new and interesting displays of Israeli craftsmanship.
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Singletons Hold New Year Dance
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 4
The Singletons, a club for all single Jewish adults, 21 years and over, will hold a dance to celebrate the Jewish New Year on Sunday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m., in the lounge of Tifereth Israel Center at 30th and Howard Sts.
Old timers, and newcomers, to San Diego are cordially invited to join the celebration and partake of the delicious refreshments to be served during the evening.
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T.I. Sisterhood Hold Luncheon, Oct. 8
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 4
The members of Tifereth Israel Sisterhood are having their next luncheon meeting on Tuesday, October 8, at 12:00 noon, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. The October meeting will be “Something for the Girls,” presenting Miss Peggy Whalen of Slenderella International, who will discuss “High Fashions and Figures.”
Reservations are now being taken by Circle Captain, Mrs. William Missler — AC 3-3706; Co-captains, Mrs. Fred Sturn–JU 2-5126, and Mrs. Irving Singer-AT-4-6214.
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“Teahouse” Current At Old Globe
Southwestern Jewish Press, October 3-4, 1957, Page 4
“Teahouse of the August Moon,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy by John Patrick is the current attraction at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. The popular play, which ran for two and one-half years on Broadway, is being presented by the San Diego Community Theatre nightly, except Mondays, at 8:30 p.m. through October 20.
Tickets for “Teahouse of the August Moon” are available at the Globe Theatre box office in Balboa Park. The box office is open daily 9:30-5, and Sundays 2-5 p.m. Telephone reservations may be made by calling BE-9-9139.
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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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