Simeon Youschkevitch, Russian Jewish Novelist and Playwright, Dies

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Simeon Youschkevitch, well known Russian Jewish novelist and playwringt, died here.

Youschkevitch was born in Odessa in 1868. He graduated from the medical college of the University of Paris. His first novel was published in 1897 in the Russian journal. “Ruskoyee Begatstve” In 1902 he published a novel, Razpad.” (Disintegration). This novel, which was published in the Russian Jewish weekly “Voschod”, portrayed the charges in Jewish life which were taking place in Russia under the assault of the new social and economic factors. This novel gained him distinction as a portrayer of the life of the Jewish middle class and of the working masses. In the course of the thirty years of his activity, Youschkevitch wrote many short stories, novels and dramas. Some of his plays were produced with great success on the Russiansian, German and Yiddish stages. One of his plays, Mendel Spevack, was produced by the Yiddish Art Theatre, New York, this season.

Following the Bolshevik revolution, Youschkevitch left Russia and settled in Paris. He spent some time in the United States several years ago.

JEWS ARE NOT HENRY FORD’S ADVISERS, RABBI FRANKLIN CORRECTS BLOOM’S ASSERTION

Sir:

Since reading in your issue of February 7th the statement reported to have been made by Congressman Sol Bloom in his Syracuse address to the effect that Henry Ford’s closest advisers are Jews, and that I myself an his spiritual adviser, I had been tempted to write you a denial for publication. But I see that in your issue of yesterday in your Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters you have spared me the trouble of denying so ridiculous an assertion.

I thank you for having made clear to an all too gullible public that Mr. Bloom’s statement is without foundation. The fact is that Mr. Albert Kahn, an architect of national reputation and a Jew, does a considerable portion of Mr. Ford’s architectural work. Many years ago Mr. Harry Helfman, a Jew, was a member of a legal firm that had something to do with Mr. Ford’s affairs, but he was never Mr. Ford’s personal attorney. The other members of the firm were all non. Jews. As a matter of fact, he has not been a member of that firm for several years. Dr. Charles D. Aaron is momentarily out of the city and I cannot verify my statement that he is not his physician, but I do know that he is not on the staff of the Henry Ford Hospital, as he unquestionably would be if he were Mr. Ford’s physician. As for my being Mr. Ford’s spirtual adviser or that I ever was, the statement is too puerile to comment upon.

Again thanking you for setting me right in this matter.

RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN. Detroit, Feb. 1, 1927.

The Convention of the Young People’s League of the United Synagogue will be held in New York February 18th to 22nd.

The exhibition of the Jewish section at the Philadelphia Sesqui-centennial will be shown in connection with the Educational Exhibit of the Young People’s League at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, during the period of the Convention.

The Women’s Branch of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America has just issued the second volume of its Jewish Home Series, of which Rabbi Leo Jung is the general editor. The pamphlet, entitled “The Mhoro Festivals”, deals with Chanukah and Purim, and was written by Miss Hadassah Levine.