Either Jews are susceptible to sea-sickness or they have no desire to see the world. When the United States fleet steamed up the Hudson River yesterday, there were only 250 sons of Israel of a total of 35000 tars abroad.
Jews apparently prefer the army. In that branch of service the Jewish average is one and one half per cent, according to Isadore Abelson, director of Army and Navy Activities for the Jewish Welfare Board. He could only shake his head-when he was asked to explain these figure.
A Jewish Welfare Board representative was on the hand to welcome the Jewish gobs. Simon Barchak, New York representative, had spent two days contacting the Y. M. H. A. and the Jewish Community Center. As a result, the sailors were received with all the pomp of admirals and told these places were theirs for the duration of the fleet’s stay in New York.
SERVICES TODAY, TOMORROW
Services for the officers and men of the fleet will be held this afternoon and tomorrow at Temple Emanu-E1, 1 East Sixty-fifth street.
Practically all the Jewish sailors hail from this city. “Yes, sir,” the consensus of opinion was, “it’s all right to see the world, but they don’t serve home-made ‘latkes’ on board.”
There are no Jewish chaplains in the fleet, because under a navy regulation chaplains are chosen according to the representation of the various denominations in the navy, But while abroad ship, Gentile chaplains conduct Jewish services on all important Jewish holidays.
The long arm of the Jewish Welfare Board extends to Shanghai and Tientisin, where representatives are always on hand to given the sailors a welcome in traditional Jewish style. In Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Panama and the other cities the fleet usually visits, the Jewish gobs are guided to restaurants servicing kosher food and synagogues where special services are held for them.
At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Barchak holds meetings with the Jews among the men stationed there every Thursday. They discuss Hebrew history and culture, Copies of the Jewish Daily Bulletin are distributed.
All the ships of the fleet are supplied with Jewish Bibles and ceremonial garb for services by the Jewish Welfare Board. Dr. Cyrus Adler, chairman of the Board Committee on Army and Navy Affairs, keeps in frequent touch with K. F. Evans, chief of chaplains of the navy, and John A. Brady, chief chaplain of the fleet, to make certain everything possible is done to keep the Jews close to their faith.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
