1958 OUTSTANDING WINNER UN's William Epstein Gets Beber Award A Canadian-born world peacemaker has been named the the SH FAR 1958 recipient of AZA's annual "Sam Beber Distinguished Alumnus Award." He is William Epstein, 46-year-old Joint Secretary of the United Nations' Disarmament Commission. The award is made each year to an alumnus of AZA who Official Publication of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization has made outstanding contributions in his chosen field. It AZA-BBG-BBYA is named for Sam Beber of Park Forest, Ill., who founded AZA in Omaha, Nebraska in 1924. A former practicing lawyer, 35TH YEAR 6 NOVEMBER, 1958 Office of Publications, Baltimore, Md. Send address changes Epstein is now rounding out 12 ent of the AZA Distinguished to The Shofar, 1640 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Washington 6. years in the service of world Alumnus Award, peace. Previous winners were: Philip In 1946 he was assigned to his M. Klutznick of Park Forest, Survey Shows BBYO,er Enjoyed first U.N. post-membership on Illinois, president of B'nai B'rith, the Preparatory Commission of wartime Federal Commissioner of the United Nations in London. the Federal Public Housing Au- One year earlier he had served as Jewish Educational Experiences (see ALUMNUS, page 3) sécretary to the Canadian Claims Commission, also in London, From his Preparatory Commis- sion post, Mr. Epstein was re- BNAI BRIT 1100 Respond turned to New York and assigned To Questions as Senior Political Affairs Officer of the U.N. Secretariat's Political In National Study Division. He held that important job from 1946 to 1951, moving A vast majority of BBYO over in 1951 as Chief of the members enjoyed their Jew- Armaments and Enforcement Sec- ish educational experiences, tion of the Political and Security results of a nationwide sur- Council Affairs Department. He vey released this month currently holds that job, in addi- showed. tion to his post with the Disarma- ment Commission. Based on a sampling of On Palestine Mission some 1100 members in 24 varied sized communities, In 1948 alumnus Epstein dis- more than three out of four tinguished himself while serving as senior officer with the U.N. BBYO'ers have a positive Palestine Commission under both feeling for their Jewish edu- the late Count Folke Bernadotte cational experiences. of Sweden and the U.S.'s Ralph The results would appear to Bunche. run "contrary to an opinion long A United Nation's public in- held by Jewish youth workers formation spokesman has de- that the resistance to the intro- scribed Mr. Epstein as "one of duction of Jewish education into the most widely experienced and a club program was traceable to capable members of the U.N. Sec- a negative attitude toward Jewish retariat." The Secretariat is the education developed from earlier United Nations' paid professional experiences in Jewish schools," staff. said Dr. Irving Canter, BBYO By virtue of his Disarmament FOR BETTER CITIZENSHIP, BBYO'ers Sandy Towsner, BBG international president (second National Director of Program and Commission post, Mr. Epstein from left), Sheila Snowhite, past p resident of Was hington, D.C.'s Frances Slanger BBYW (second Publications, coordinator of the is in on the decision-making of from right) and Howard Dennis (far right), AZA's international Grand Aleph S'gan, pose with survey. what has been called one of "the B'nai B'rith's two Citizenship and Civic Affairs Chairmen at the recent National Citizenship Confer- The survey found that on the world's most vexing, protracted ence in Washington-Sidney Kusworm, left, and Mrs. Michael Shapiro, center. Mr. Kusworm, treas- whole, more girls had positive and delicate issues." urer of B'nai B'rith, is chairman of the order's Citizenship and Civic Affairs Commission. Mrs. feelings about their Jewish edu- The Commission, which has Shapiro holds the same post for B'nai B'rith Women, The quintet was photographed during a lull cational experiences than their been asked by the U.N. General in proceedings at the two-day parley. The BBY O'ers attended the Conference as official BBYO male counterparts, Assembly to continue its study of representatives. Sandy, in addition, served as a member of an Adult-Youth panel. It found also that only 4 per- disarmament proposals, deals cent of the boys had no Jewish with conventional as well as OPENS THIS MONTH education at all, as against 18 atomic weapons. percent of the girls. A one-time member of Calgary BBYO Featured In New B. B. Respondents represented a di- AZA 31, Calgary, Canada, Mr. versity of socio-economic and re- Epstein was educated at the Uni- ligious backgrounds. Their Jewish versity of Alberta, where he re- educational experience ranged ceived his law degree. He was awarded a Gold Medal, in recog- Building Museum Exhibit from once-a-week Sunday school attendance to attendance at Jew- nition of his high scholastic ish all-day schools. The Second Annual Exhibit on American-Jewish history of national coordinating agencies. Of the 77 percent who express- opens in the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Exhibit Hall of Over 50 national and local organ- ed a positive attitude toward the B'nai B'rith Building in Washington, D. C. this month. izations including BBYO, cooper- their Jewish education, 32 percent Major theme of the exhibit will be the "Development of ated in lending materials for this said they "liked it very much." Jewish Community Services." exhibit. The other 45 percent "liked it Featured prominently in the ex- 17. Another exhibit, of personal in- somewhat." Only*7 percent of the hibit will be a section on BBYO- This is the first time that an terest to many who are in their 1100 teenagers interviewed ex- middle years, is the "Saga of pressed dislike for their Jewish depicting its earliest development exhibit of this magnitude has been attempted on this topic. In- Jews in the Garment Trades." education. The remainder had "no though the present. In addition to photos of BBYO activities, the cluded are documents, prints, This exhibit provides a pictorial particular feeling either way." exhibit will include a number of photographs, books and memen- panorama of history of the mass Religious Preference historic documents, including the toes which highlight the history migration of the early 20th cen- original hand-written report of tury, the entry of Jews into the A majority of the BBYO mem. of Jewish service agencies over a "sweatshop" garment industry, bers interviewed expressed a the Board of Commissioners of span of 150 years. perference for Conservative Juda- the Youth Auxiliary of District the turbulent early years of On display will be materials on Grand Lodge 4. The document, strikes and labor-industry fric- ism-58 percent. Another 23 per- WILLIAM EPSTEIN social services, hospitals, youth- dated January 26, 1895, reports tion, and the beginning of an era cent indicated a preference for serving agencies and centers, of progress with the "Protocols Reform Judaism, while 12 percent achievement. the formation of the first B'nai agencies combating discrimination of Peace" established by Louis D. said they were affiliated with Following his graduation, he B'rith youth group on Sept. 17, and anti-Semitism, educational Brandeis, Orthodox Judaism. Only 4 per- went to London on an overseas 1894. The group, organized in San and vocational services, service to "Abraham Lincoln and the cent said they were "non-relig= Francisco, consisted of 80 mem- immigrants, institutions for the ious." traveling scholarship to study in- bers between the ages of 13 and Jews" is the caption of a timely ternational affairs at the London aged and for orphans, and work display of letters and documents The survey found that Sunday School of Economics. Upon his that tell of Lincoln's friendship (see SURVEY, page 8) return he entered the private prac- tice of law which he pursued from BBYA's Levy Gets 6-Month Army with several important Jews and of his concern with the famous 1935 to 1942, when he interrupt- Call; To Remain On As President General Order No. 12, expelling Where To Find It ed his career to enlist as a pri- Jews from the area around Padu- BBYA's International president Martin Levy last month Aleph Godol's vate in the Canadian Army. He cah. These documents are brought was inducted into the army. His six-month hitch will expire together for the first time. Message rose to the rank of captain and Page 3 served overseas from 1943 to next April. Several current exhibits will be BBG President's 1945. In a memo to members of the order's executive board, Levy changed materially so that inter- Message Page 5 Mr. Epstein is one of two AZA announced his intention to continue to hold office during his esting and significant items now BBYA President's alumni currently holding top military service. As a result of his departure from the imme- stored in the B'nai B'rith Arch- Message Page 2 posts with the United Nations. diate scene, however, he urged exec. board members "to work ives, will be seen for the first BBYO Life Page 4 The other is Milton P. Siegel of harder because of this." time. "Contributions to Canadian Chapter Chater Des Moines, Iowa, Assistant Di- As an indication of his declaration to continue to serve as Democracy" will be altered, as Page 7 rector General of the World an active president, he also announced tentative plans for will "B'nai B'rith Aid to Overseas Names In The News Page 7 Health Organization, one of the BBYA's annual mid-year executive committee meeting to be Jewry." The latter will depict the On Tap Page 8 U.N.'s specialized agencies. held during a scheduled 15-day leave he expects some time after record of aid to Jewish war suf- Pen Pals Page 3 Eighth Winner December 15. ferers, victims of pogroms and Shofar Feature Section Page 4 Levy is currently stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. Mr. Epstein is the eighth recipi- persecution, and refugees, over What Do You Think? three-quarters of a century. Page 4