Vol. X No. 8 AUGUST, 1955 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT BRITAIN 8 FAIRFAX MANSIONS. Office and Consulting Hours: FINCHLEY ROAD (Corner Fairfax Road), Monday to Thursday 10 a.m.— I p.m. 3^6 p m. LONDON N.W.3 Friday 10 a.m.^l p.m. Telephone: Maida Vale 9096/7 (General Office) MAIda Vale 4449 (Employment Agency) ^eon Zeitlin: the students, which is prompting lUniversity GERMAN SCRAPBOOK teachers to warn against any precipated attempt of winning over students for one cause or another Summer 1955 by an appeal to " emotions." That, they argue, would do no good. The German students are ^HENEVER we former Gentian Jews revisit ferences took place in Frankfurt/Main, where the very matter of fact, hard working, thinking of little . the old country," we are actually in search British Centre had joined forces with the local else but of how to earn as much as possible within Q,,p ,P^* one, and are most likely reminded of a branch of the Associations for Christian-Jewish as little time as possible. They are no longer Pafr, u ^^^^'^ '™^ ^"'^ ^ga'" ^y 'he Jewish Co-operatjon. Considering the numerical insignifi­ easily deceived by a grandiloquent racial, nation- "n >? m Scholem Asch's stirring tragedy cance of Jewish Communities in the Federal istic, or ideological phraseology.. On the other Jewf-)'. °" ^^'' Rache "—•'Does it benefit the German Republic, the strong appeal exercised by hand, their behaviour discloses a mystical trait. Of I vh-i A ^'^'though it was the fourth time when this kind of " organised unselfishness " on men and the two Jewish " Grand Old Men " who enjoy the scim f *\^rmany a few months ago, still subcon- women, belonging to the intellectual and spiritual profoundest respect and even affection in Germany, durin u- ^^^ question intrigued me But strata of the new German society, is both astonish­ it is Leo Baeck who appeals to the elder genera­ Erarl n pursuit of "a new, brave world," it ing and gratifying. There are more than 20 of tion, but it is the mysticism of Martin Buber " Tin- "'^'^"'"'•ed to me that one should not ask: these societies to which the Jewish Secretary- which is strongly attracting German students. Ger^^ It benefit the Jews, or the Jews and the General of their Central Office, Mr. Leopold Buber's lecture in Munich University's " Auditor­ Goldschmidt, untiringly devotes his services. 1 had ium Maximum" was attended by about 1,500 at ™^e? " ''"* " °°^^ '* '^"*^* *'"'"^" *'^'"^^ the good luck that no less a person than Professor students, and in Munster, one of the smaller indir').'''.!'?'^*^'^- ^^^^ ^*s ^^^ subject (directly or Franz Boehm appeared and took me on the plat­ German universities, about 600 students listened at fh^' °^ '**''^^ conferences, arranged for me form. We discussed the crucial problem, whether almost spellbound to his speech. Which ^"SSestion of the British Cultural Centres " the Powers that be "—the State, national, racial, interpf^!^^ taking a sympathetic and constructive political, economic, social, or religious groupings— Chance for Democracy Hum 'D™'' ^ffoi'ts to approach the problem of remain the eternal enemies of the individual's It is, of course, a risky business to predict future from "^'ghts from an educational rather than " human rights," or whether the steep up-hill way developments, but whilst I was in Germany there '" a political angle. The first of these con- via an emotionally maturer mankind might ultim­ were hopeful indications that the students might ately lead to more balanced " human relations" finally choose a truly democratic way of life. The between individuals. strike of the Gottingen students did not only receive general public applause, it has also greatly THE KASTNER AFFAIR Optimistic Approach strengthened the belief that the spirit of resistance Th against reactionary and totalitarian encroachments The Conference came down on the side of those is very much alive in German students. to uT /^TiWe trial in Jerusalem, which is likely firmly believing that higher social-ethical standards still t"^ remembered as the Kastner Aflfair, is than hitherto are not beyond man's spiritual That, in the course of these talks, the " Jewish deiiv^"f,''"'^'"' though the first verdict has been faculties, thus confirming that there js something question " was given much prominence, goes with­ to be said for an approach to German universities out saying. Although it would be over-optimistic know u ^ •'^*' ^'•- ^^'•^^' Kastner, a well- to accept without reservation statements such as of ,V^" ^ungarian Zionist and now a senior official with the view to treating these problems less indifferently than is the case now, and by no "Nazism and Neo-Nazism are dead" (conveniently a j'v^. {f aeli Labour Party, was found guilty by used by German diplomats for consumption witth thth l x^"""^'."X ^ hayinu<iviiig knowinglKnowingly coiiat>oraitecollaboraiteda means in Germany only. But it was the third m Nazis in a scheme, which, through decep- Conference, which had to deal with this pertinent abroad), no unprejudiced Jew could possibly deny, tiohunrn i ^A '^"'"'•uption, abetted the murder of issue. In the meantime, I had to attend a " Brains that not only the influential Societies for Christian- Ka«t ^ of thousands of Hungarian Jews. Dr. Trust " on Human Rights, prepared by the Diissel- Jewish Co-operation, in which the Churches play devil".f •"• '^^ '^°"" ^^^^' ^^'^ " ^°'-^ ^'^ ^°"' '° "^^ dorf British Centre, in which, under the chairman­ an important part, but also many other well-known P ship of the Director of the Centre, the other organisations sharply rebuke anti-Semitism, where- (^ ^en if comment were free, it could not easily " brains trusters " were Mr. Karl Marx, the well- ever it may appear. However, there remains still be a u!^^ *''*' competence, for the question must known publisher and editor of the " Allgemeine much reason for dissatisfaction. Time and again, Possihi ' ^^ " **^ '" ^''^ Times, "whether it is Wochenzeitung der Juden in Deutschland," one of I emphasised the growing bitterness about indem­ "nch 11 ^^^" '*''* '^P^^ °^ '™^' '° arrive at any the legal attaches of the British Embassy in Bonn, nification delays. My political friends gave the and ^ "Seable conclusion regarding the motives and the headmistress of a German High School for assurance, that both the CDU and the SPD are Utidp**^''*'"^ of individuals and groups who worked girls. As a matter of fact, one should not expect fully aware of the urgent need for a speedy too much from such performances. But I am glad amendment and improvement of the current legis­ now ^?"'''''ons of strain, danger, and difficulty lation, and I have no doubt of their sincerity. It imapi^" • ^^ ^ appreciated by an effort of the to say that the about 80 well-educated growing up and grown-up people who were present, were the is, therefore, only fair, that I also voice their gination." grievances. They regret that Jewish resentment, 'SSUP 5"^*''°" ^' °°^ raises a very much wider right audience to be reminded that statements, whether made by politicians, scientists, or even justifiable as it is, so often ignores that the " other to h '^^ far was it at all defensible for Jews Germany" did always exist, even in Germany's in tif^"^ any dealings with the enemy ? Clearly, religious leaders, will hardly produce a " Human Rights conscious" generation, unless mankind's darkest days, and that it is the " other Germany " be tf"^ peculiar position, hope could reasonably which still needs and deserves encouragement. armed^° in either of two operations—either in burning need of intellectual and spiritual maturity is being grasped everywhere and by everyone. Must it, they ask, always be identified with Nazi- eated "^^^'^fance or in one of the more sophisti- Germany, which, despite brutal terror, never last ~^"*''es of apipeasement. Resistance was at For the third Conference, the Berlin Free succeeded to crush completely the spirit of resist- did n in Warsaw, and though the attempt University, whose buildings, institutes, and ever ' Prevail, the heroism that staked it will for colleges are widely scattered all over the Western Continued on page 2. col. i foi.j, '^^T'ain a glorious inspiration. Elsewhere the suburbs of Berlin, was chosen at the request of Wits circumstance caused Jews to rely on their Professor Blomeyer, Dean of the Legal Faculty, BUNDESENTSCHAEDIGUNGSGESETZ Can' ^" u "° °"^ ^^° ^^^ ^°^ ^*" '" 'h^''^ place following up a similar meeting last year. However, Verlaengerung der Anmeldefrist i^'dfinT' ^ '^^^^^ conscience presume to pass whilst then only members of the legal faculty Wir hatten in den letzten Nummern der " AJR were present, this time Professor Blomeyer had Information" darauf hingewiesen, dass die aM^f Jewish leaders found the responsibility too invited the Deans of all faculties as well as a repre­ Anmeldefrist auf Grund des Bundesentschaedi­ Ghett ^^^''- -^dam Czerniakov, in the Warsaw sentative of the " Liga fiir Menschenrechte." gungsgesetzes am 1. Oktober 1955 ablaeuft. his K u'^''"^ *° ''"i himself rather than to allow I resist the temptation to report in detail on Der Bundestag hat jetzt auf Grund eines in Lo?*°''en to be k.lled, but Chaim Rumkovski, this high-spirited discussion with the formidable Initiativ-Antrages der Parteien ein Aenderungs­ of (v, ,• decided otherwise, and so did the chiefs team of seven Deans, representing the various gesetz zum Bundesentschaedigungsgesetz verab­ are e.Joodse Raad in Amsterdam. Their actions faculties of the Berlin Free University, with— schiedet, durch das die Anmeldefrist um 1 Jahr, so to speak—" Seven Pillars of Wisdom." It can das heisst bis zum 1. Oktober 1956, verlaengert fouJ^^^^^f'stically the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad be summed up in Professor Blomeyers' suggestion wird. Die Bundesregierung und der Bundesrat been J° ^^^ K.astner affair " nothing that had not —unanimously agreed upon—that a theme, rele­ haben dem dem Gesetz zugestimmt. Die riftc— ".pne by the Joodse Raad to a far worse vant to the deliberations of our Round Table Con­ Veroeffentlichung des Gesetzes wird also in KSH ^^ 'his.