The Phoenix Jewish news., 1952-09-19
In The CasabIanca Ghetto
Joint Makes
Life Better
For NiSSin
By Moses A. Leavitt
Executive Vice-Chairman, Joint
Distribution COmmittee)
Copyright, 1852, Jewish TeIegraphic
Agency, Incl

Executive Vice Chairman, Joint
Distribution COmmittee)
Copyright. 1852. Jewish TeIegraphic
Agency, Incl
WITHOUT A doubt, Rosh Has
hanah 5713 will be the happiest of
Nissim Garbes' life.
Casablanca-born Nissim has not
seen too many Rosh Hashanahs, it
is true, since he is only IL. But
thinking back even year ago, to
Rosh Hashanah of 5712, Nissim can
recall without any difficulty at all
the blessings which have come to
him:
For the first time since he can
remember, the trachoma which af-
fected his eyes and might eventual
ly have blinded him, has disappear
ed.
Where, up until six months ago,
Nissim had never in all his life
known what it was to eat "enough,"
now a high point of his life are the
wonderful meals he gets each day
at the Canteen. His meals at the
Canteen have been one new taste
experience after another-although
he had never tasted them before, it
is with delight that he now eats
such things as butter, cheese, pow
dered eggs, jam and meat, and
drinks his daily ration of milk.
Another gift which came his way
this year was his first pair of shoes.
X X X
NISSIM, WHO never really
thought very much about the fu-
ture, but would eventually have
drifted into one of the few trades
available to the Jews Of the Casa
blanca ghetto, now is beginning to
dream of real future. For Nissim
is going to school daily, studying
Hebrew, French, the geography of
Israel and other subjects, and in a
year or two can enter trade school
to study electrical repair, metal
working, typewriter repair or other
trades.
With all of these new develop
ments, this past summer was the
most exciting of Nissim's life-for
he and many Of his friends were
taken out of the Casablanca ghetto
and sent off for real vacation at
real summer camp. And what
more could a boy ask for?
When he stops to think about it,
Nissim is firmly convinced that
what has happened to him during
the past year is nothing short of a
miracle. But Nissim knows that the
miracle has a name-and its name
is "Joint", the Joint Distribution
Committee.
X X X
FOR WHAT HAS happened to
Nissim is part of JDC's extensive
program on behalf of tens of thou
sands of needy Jews in the Moslem
world, particularly children. To
men, women and children in Mo-
rocco, 'Tunisia, Tangier, Algeria,
Iran and other areas, JDC is giving
- with funds provided by the
United Jewish Appeal-medical and
infant care, education and voca-
tional training and other assistance
which had long been denied them.
In 1862 JDC expects to spend ST.
100000 for aid to some 100000
Jews in Moslem areas. From 1916
to the end of 1861, JDC spent more
than Sc, $50, 900 in these areas.
If this aid should stop, there is
nothing at all that Nissim can do
about it. Though he has never seen
them, he knows who his benefactors
are-the Jews of America. And he
knows that it is their generous aid
which has kept him and thousands
like him alive.
So Nissim can do no more than
hope-hope that those who remem-
Der him today and remembered him
last year will continue to remember
until the day when life really be-
gins for him and he no longer needs
their aid to survive.