David Horowitz: a Life Rememered (1903 - 2002)
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DAVID HOROWITZ: A LIFE REMEMERED (1903 - 2002) David Horowitz, veteran United Nations lived with Pola's parents in Chrzanow, Poland. correspondent, ardent Zionist, and founder of the David was on a mission, commissioned directly United Israel World Union, died peacefully in his sleep by Moses Guibbory, to warn the Jews of Poland in his Manhattan apartment on October 27, 2002. Born and eastern Europe of an impending great on April 9, 1903, in Malmö, Sweden, Horowitz persecution as predicted by certain Kabbalists in reached the venerable age of 99, just shy of his 100th Jerusalem. This warning had been printed and birthday. He was raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA, one of distributed by the two chief Rabbis of Palestine, eight children of Cantor Aaron and Bertha Horowitz. Rav Kook and Rav Meir. He contacted various The family immigrated to the United States in 1914. Jewish leaders, including the famous Hillel David went to Israel as a young Zionist pioneer Ceitlin, in a largely fruitless attempt to urge in 1924, staying through the end of 1927. During that emigration to Palestine before it was too late. Late time he learned Hebrew, worked on an agricultural in 1927 Nazi party propagandist Joseph Goebbels, settlement, and sought to be in touch with the biblical who was in Palestine to cement relations between the Nazi party and certain Arab leaders, had visited Guibbory. He had heard of the unusual “prophet of the tombs” and paid a curiosity visit. Guibbory sensed what might be coming and commissioned the young Horowitz to carry the warning. Horowitz stayed in Poland for six months and subsequently sailed for America intending to bring his young wife and newly born son Emmanuel to the United States, as soon as he could arrange things. He never succeeded in getting them to come, as the family was very attached to them and cashed the tickets for passage that Horowitz had sent them. Pola died Horowitz as a Pioneer in Israel (1927) unexpectedly in 1938 and Emmanuel and his whole family were swept up in the Nazi invasion roots of the ancient land of Palestine. From his earliest of Poland in 1939, and murdered at Auschwitz. days he was on a biblical quest. Late in 1927 he had a Horowitz returned to Jerusalem in 1932 remarkable encounter with a prophetic figure, one and spent an intensive year working with Moses Moses Guibbory, who at the time was living in the Guibbory on what they called the “Jerusalem northwest area of Jerusalem in the Sanhedria tomb Biblical Research.” Guibbory had written a vast, area. Horowitz details this meeting in his 1949 2000 page manuscript, in both Hebrew and autobiography Thirty-Three Candles (see display English, on facing pages, that claimed to open the notice in this issue of the Bulletin). This association key to all the mysteries and obscurities of the changed and shaped his entire life. Hebrew Bible, as well as to set forth the Divine Guibbory at the time had attracted the attention Plan for the arrival of the Messianic age. of various leading figures of his day, both inside and Horowitz returned to the United States in 1934 outside Palestine, among them Arthur Koestler, Rav and for the next decade put all his efforts into the Kook, Hillel Ceitlin, and Judas Magnes. David met and publication of this research. It came out in 1943 married Pola Kleinowna, who was visiting the Holy under the title The Bible in the Hands of Its Land at the time from Poland. David and his new wife, Creators, and caused somewhat of a stir at the now pregnant, left Palestine at the end of 1927 and time, attracting the attention of various influential PAGE 6 VOLUME 61, NO. 1 UNITED ISRAEL BULLETIN persons, including famous radio commentator Boake San Francisco and at Lake Success, NY. He Carter. A society was formed under the same name maintained his UN office for over 50 years, with the purpose of promoting this volume. Guibbory publishing a weekly syndicated column, which at its came to the United States in 1943 where he remained peak, appeared in approximately 40 Anglo-Jewish until his death in 1985. newspapers. Late in 1943 David Horowitz had a Horowitz was an sharp break with Moses Guibbory and in 1944 formed outspoken Zionist his own organization which he called the United and represented Israel World Union. The purpose of the organization Israel and Jewish was to preach a interests at the UN universal Hebraic during his long and faith for all distinguished career. humankind based In 1993, on on the Decalogue the occasion of his and the other 90th birthday, and universal the 50th anniversary Horowitz at the UN commandments of United Israel of the Torah. The World Union, and then again at his 95th birthday, his hallmark of the achievements were hailed by a diverse Who's Who of organization was the political and religious world, among them Isaiah's Benjamin Netanyahu, Elie Wiesel, Rabbi Alexander prescription that Schindler, Rabbi Irving Block, Rabbi Menachem “My house will Schneerson, John Glenn, and many others. become a house Unfortunately he had of prayer for all outlived most of those Horowitz Working on the Jerusalem Research peoples,” and with whom he had “Whosoever will worked most closely, call upon the name of the LORD will be saved.” particularly David Ben Integral to Horowitz's vision was the idea that the Gurion, Dag “Lost Tribes of Israel,” though scattered among the Hammarksjold, Abba nations, and having lost their identity, would be part Eban, and King Abdullah of the masses of “Gentiles” who would turn to the (great grandfather of the Hebrew faith, and join the Jewish people in present king of Jordan, pioneering a Messianic age. UIWU published a high with whom he carried on quality color magazine called the United Israel a passionate but friendly Bulletin until 1958 when it was changed to tabloid correspondence just Horowitz with Golda Meir newspaper style under the same name. At its height following the end of the the UIWU listed 18,000 members worldwide. In War). Horowitz Manhattan Horowitz associated most closely with the functioned as an late ecumenical Rabbi Irving Block of the famed “unofficial” Zionist Brotherhood Synagogue. Though Horowitz adhered lobbyist and influenced faithfully to his early Jerusalem experiences with the votes of three critical Moses Guibbory, he became quite ecumenical in his Central American states own right over the years, welcoming those of all in the UN vote for the faiths under the universal umbrella of “Torah faith for partition of Palestine on all nations.” November 29, 1947. He Horowitz obtained press credentials at the also communicated newly formed United Nations under the auspices of indirectly with President World Union Press, which he had formed as an arm Truman, through one of of UIWU. He was present at the opening sessions in his chief aids, urging him Horowitz with Kirk Douglas UNITED ISRAEL BULLETIN VOLUME 61, NO. 1 PAGE 7 to emphasize the biblical and prophetic destiny of the reestablishment of the State of Israel. In Truman's statement the morning after Israel's declaration of Independence, May 15, 1948, he refers to some of the ideas that Horowitz had passed on in a Horowitz at the UN with Khrushchev Horowitz Grave Marker private memo in support of the recognition of the newly formed state by the United States. Horowitz served as President of the UN WORLD UNION PRESS Correspondents Association and Foreign Press World Union Press (WUP) is the oldest accredited Association; he received a special “lifetime news agency at the United Nations. It was founded in achievement award” presented by Secretary General 1945 by veteran correspondent and publisher, the late Boutros Gali. He worked tirelessly to expose ex- David Horowitz, founder of United Israel World Nazis such as the Romanian Vallerian Trifa, who was Union. WUP is the press arm of UIWU and we are subsequently deported. He was instrumental in having pleased to announce that David's long time associate the terms “cunning, heretic, and extortionist” under Naomi Farrell is ably staffing things at the UN in our the entry “Jew,” removed from Roget's Thesaurus. He behalf, allowing David's 60 years of work in behalf worked and of things Zionist and Jewish to go on. Naomi is wrote tirelessly enthusiastic, talented, tenacious, and thoroughly for civil rights, dedicated to both David and the causes he lived for. both for African She recently published articles in the Jewish Post Americans and based on her latest observations as our “woman on women, as early the scene” at the UN. We would like to staff her as the 1940s. He office to the maximum and ask that those of you was particularly interested in this vital part of UIWU's work send active in contributions designated for the UN office so we can promoting the get it fully up and running. We will try to get independence of permission to archive Ms. Farrell's publications on indigenous our Web site. peoples, such as Horowitz Receiving the Defender of Israel that of the South Medal from Menachem Begin Moluccans. David Horowitz UNITED ISRAEL WORLD UNION WEB SITE received many honors and awards late in life. He was www.unitedisrael.org the oldest member of the United Nations Press corps. The United Israel World Union Web site is the He received the Defender of Jerusalem Award place to go for in-depth information regarding all presented by Yitzak Shamir in 1991; the Defender of aspects of our organization. There you will find Israel Medal presented by Menachem Begin in 1977, archive materials going back sixty years, a the Mordecai Ben David Award from Yeshiva wealth of historical and biblical articles, current University for Humanitarian Service in 1982, and the news regarding UIWU activities and programs Jabotinsky Award in 1990.