The Reader’s Forum

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Editor, The Jewish Daily Bulletin:

The article on “Panama’s Jewish Colony” by your correspondent seems to miss the main points of this fine set of people, and thus creates a posiblity of willful negligence, rather than dogged persistence, which is the true state of affairs.

The predominant type of Panamamain Jew is of Spanish extraction and dates back to the days while that section was still Columbia.

They were not permitted to worship publicly, so they held services in caves. The less courageous lost their identity. Not being permitted an ordained rabbi, they elceted one, who usually seved for life. They gradually frifted away from Hebrew but maintained their solidity by fromwning on intermarriages.

Their ranks were gradually augmented by arrivals from other countries and they formed a society for the purpose of building a house of worship. Owing to the prohibitive lax on such a place.

That was the condition of things up to 1915 (during the war, the American authorities leased a plot to the Colon colony for $1.00 per year). Captian (Dr.) Michelin, Sgt. Shcwartz and myself began intersting the native Jews of Panama City in a collaborative move between themselves and our Jewish soldiers. We were successful in organizing a “Y” and took qurters near St. Anna Plaza. Those most active in the movement were Angle de Castro# (first president) and other de Castros, Abraham A. Sasso, David A. Sasso and other. Sassos, Cardoze, Del Valle, Halman, Segal, Kanisher, Chirques, Maduro, Lindo, etc.

Mrs. Esther Naduro began a Sunday Hebrew School and was assisted by the young ladies.

During the first Hight Holiday services we were compelled to arrange two desperate hotel rooms for the occasion (one for the orthodox-Russian-Arabic-element, and another for the reformed-Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese-element).

The latest infformation I have from Panama says everything is progressing nicely.

Your correspondent may have been unacquainted with the local problems and of an orthodox frame of mind like myself, at first, so he did not grasp the philosophies and Judaism of these fine examples of our race.

When I first arrived in Panama, I was struck by the absence (?) of Jews in the community. My friend siad, “Wait until the High Holy days and see how many businesses are closed.” I checked up and I was amazed to see supposed East Indian, Greck, Arabian and native stores closed.

I do not know what contact the Panamanian Jew has with the outside religious activities now, but I know they had practically none then.

(I left Panama Thanksgiving Day, 1918, after three and a half years there)

Maurice Sarett, Commander, Brownsyille No./ 38 Jewish War Veterans.

EDITOR, JEWISH DAILY BULLETIN:

There are many Jews like Rabbi Samuel Horowitz who are inclined to minimize the extent of Catholic persecutions in Spain, Russia and Mexico. But if we are to believe the reports current in the Catholic press, and there is certainly no sufficient reason for doubting their truthfulness, the plight of Catholics in these countries is perhaps as miserable as that of Jews in Germany.

My attendance at two Jesuit institutions has brought me into contact with a class of men possessing the highest ethical principles. I do not believe that such a goup would deliberately falsify and publish what so many among us regard merely as exaggerations.

If we turn back the calendar recall that the press, outside of that strictly devoted to Jews and Jewish interests, did not assign an especially large part of its space to the news of the horrible riots instigated by anti-Semitic students in most of the European universities. Even today, when our Jewish and English Jewish newspapers and periodicals decry the persecutions and discriminations against Jews in Poland, Austrial, Latvia, Rumania, hungary, South Africa, the Ukraine, ande practically every other country in the world, the American press remains on the whole mutely silent.

Persecutions of Catholics in Mexico are increasing in intensity. The Federal government recently ordered that no priest unless authorized, should offer mass. It has also continued to close churches, turning the property over to the States or to non-Catholic groups. One of the anti-religious edicts limits the number of priests in Mexico to only 1,024 to serve a population of approximately 15,000,000. Every province has been affected by this legislation, In Tobasco for instance one priest is allowed for 224,000: and Chiapas with a population of 525,000 individuals has only four priests.

But the persecution of Catholi# has not been confined to Mexi# alone. Up until the last election in Spains, communist control w# responsible for unspeakable indi# nities directed against the Catholclergy and Church property amouning to almost $30,000,000 was co#fiscated.Even in Russia, where accordi# to William Zukerman, writing “Opinion” for professions, Judicia# and Administration have a great percent of Jews than of any oth# nationality, and anti-Semitism regarded as a crime against tl# State,” Catholics are being sore# mistrcated. Walter Duranty, wl# certainly cannot be accused of bei# pro-Catholic in view of his mar# favorable reporst about Russia, a serts that the peasants, most # whom are Catholics, are slow starving to death in certain section of the Ukraine.

We Jews have asked and right so, for the cooperation of Chritians both Catholic and Protestar# in our fight against anti-Semitism For Christianity has the moral du# to portest aganst such a practi# by those who call themselves Chri#tians but who violate the fundame#tal tenet of their religion, “Lo#thy neighbor as thyself.” But # Jews, we also have a moral obligation to lend our voice in prote# against the rising tide of Commu#ism which though seemingly fr# from any taint of anti-Semitism Nevertheless openly hosfile and u# deniably cruel towards our brother Catholics.

Israel Harold Mistovsky.

Jersey City, N. J.