ALEPH GODOL, SIDNEY SHAPIRO'S REPORT TO THE PHILADELPHIA AZA COUNCIL JUNE 18, 1947 My Brother Alephs: As I stand before you delegates this evening to deliver my closing report on the activities of our council, I am suddenly cog- nizant of the fact that I have the esteemed privilege of addressing this body twice consecutively in the capacity of Council Aleph Godol. In my December report I said that I desired to see closer ties established between AZA and its sponsoring B'nai B'rith Lodges. In order to manifest this idea your Aleph Godol has spoken to some twenty men's and women's lodges and chapters. In addition to the many B'nai Frith groups that I have addressed here in Philadelphia, I have visited Vineland, Patterson, Newark, Camden, and New York. During these visits I have attempted to point out two things; namely the responsibility of B'nai B'rith to AZA and conversely, the duties and obligations that we youth have to our Lodges, our order, and above all to our Jewish Community at large. Included in and combined with this speaking tour was a choral group of which you will hear more later. One of our selections was a song titled, "Ani Mamim", "I Believe", "Ani Mamin, B'emunah Shlomoh, B'viyat Hamohshiach, Ani Mamim "I Believe with the deepest faith in the coming of the messiah". It is the song which was sung by the Jews of Europe as they prepared to enter the death chambers and crematoriums; and although there may no longer be crematoriums in operation, we still have in Europe today a situation which could truly be referred to as a "Hell on Earth." Yes, DP camps are floursihing in a world which has just fought a war for peace, equality, justice; the many phrases which were used to aid in moral support during the second major world catastrophe are now residual platitudes. The wandering Jew is identified with a new terminology, "Displaced Person". Displaced because he doesn't have a home? Displaced because he doesn't want a home? No! Displaced because governments don't believe he should have a home and displaced because of the malfeasance and unconcern of these governments. Once again the wandering Jew has come into the world spotlight and his age old struggle for survival was placed on the agenda of the United Nations Council. Almost everyone in attendance submitted some plan to end this peoples revolution in the Holy Land; but did any of them attempt to do anything concrete? No! Here we have a situation where a person is in a burning house and fifty-two firemen stand outside and argue and debate over which is the best method to put that fire out and get that person out safely. They stop arguing. They say that they will take it up at a later date. They leave. That burning house is Palestine! How long can that man survive, and how long will it take for that house to burn down? We can't say for sure; but of one thing you can be sure, that our Jewish People are fighting and will con- tinue to fight until he and every one of our brothers in that house and houses like it all over the world will be either safe or dead. Yes, I too say "Ani Mamin" "I Believe" not only in the coming of the Messiah but I believe that I, and Jewish youth like myself have a specific job to perform. Our job is one of awakening, of awakening to the fact that we are once again making a bid for our very existences It is our solemn obligation to aid ourselves in securing our inter- national rights under international covenants. Judaism's plea to humanity must be heard. This time our combined forces are weakened