Leave Hate Behind

Every year on the Sunday nearest July 22nd, Cleveland Founders’ Day, One World Day is cele­brated.

Dedicated to the idea of the Cultural Gardens -that all nationalities can work together in har­mony–One World Day is a demonstration in col­orful pageantry enriched by the unique folk art con­tribution of each national culture.

One World Day has been celebrated since 1946. In 1947, a resolution was offered, stating that, act­ing in accordance with the ideals which had in­spired the United Nations, the Cultural Garden League undertook the observance of an annual One World Day in Cleveland. It was further resolved that a copy be sent to the United Nations with the hope that they establish an annual international One World Day to be observed by all peoples in fur­therance of a spirit of world-wide amity and peace. The resolution was adopted by unanimous vote on the occasion of the second observance of One World Day, July 20, 1947.

These celebrations which have been conducted annually under the direction of a committee headed by Mrs. Lewis W. Phillips, are characterized by the participation of groups resplendent in their beauti­ful costumes of the Old World in the natural am­phitheatre in the Jugoslav Garden. The programs open with the advancing of the Colors by the Amer­ican Legion Guard. The singing of the National An­them and other patriotic songs is led by some out­standing choral group of the city, and music of the nationality units fills gardens with old world melo­dies. In the amphitheatre, addresses are delivered by nationally known cultural and political figures, and folk songs and dances are offered by gifted ex­ponents of various national cultures. Thus, one span of a radiant Sunday afternoon may comprise a Hun­garian Czardas, an Irish jig and ballad, chants by a Greek Orthodox choir, a Polish mazurka, Slovenian hymns, a Ukrainian harvest dance, an Italian tarantella, a German polka, Palestinian folk dances from the Holy Land, and will terminate with a grand finale of the singing of “God Bless America” by all the groups present. These programs are followed by conducted tours of the garden chain, and by exhibits the various individual gardens.

In 1950, One World Day observance marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Cultural Gardens. The parade on this occasion was led by drummers and fifer representing the famous figures in the “Spirit of ’76.” Clevelanders wearing tradi­tional costumes marched in the Old American, Czech, German, Dutch, Greek, French, Chinese, Japanese, Hungarian, Hebrew, Irish, Lithuanian, Po­lish, Roumanian, Rusin, Russian, Norwegian, Da­nish, Finnish, Swedish, Scotch, Slovak, English, Welsh, Ukrainian, and Lebanese groups. Lieutenant Colonel Jack Persky was marshal of the parade, the units of which were welcomed at the Jugo-Slav, Garden by a S4,ovene group in native cos­tume.  Charles J. Wolfram, then president of the Cultural Garden League, traced the history of the gardens’ development. Mayor Thomas A. Burke hailed the’ garden movement as proof that people of differing national backgrounds can live together in unity. Historical characters from the pageant, in­cluding Joshua and Isaiah, were introduced. The program concluded in the Hungarian Garden with the unveiling of a bust of the Hungarian tragic poet, Imre Madach.

Dr. Joseph Remenyi and the Reverend Andor Lef­fler were principal speakers, and prayers were offer­ed by Dr. Stephen Szabo and the Reverend Eugene Tabakovich, the three divines representing respec­tively the Evangelical Lutheran, Hungarian Reform­ed, and Catholic faiths. Congressman Frances P. Bolton came from Washington expressly to partici­pate in this affair.

In 1952, the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce became joint sponsor of One World Day, together with the Cultural Garden Federation and the city recreation department. Dr. John S. Millis, president of Western Reserve University, in the principal ad­dress called Cleveland a melting pot ad nationalities and a living demonstration of the American dream of human brotherhood. “We are all heirs to a com­mon culture,” he said further. “We are all the bene­ficiaries of the literature of science, music, art, and the law of all nations. The university is the trustee of this common knowledge. Western Reserve Uni­versity is a testament of the belief in One World and of the opportunity to preserve the culture of all races and all nationalities.” The program, which began with a flag-raising ceremony, and included national songs and dances, ended with a tour of the gardens conducted by George N. Kalkas, vice-president of the Cultural Garden Federation.

The 1953 One World Day observance was a gala civic event dedicated to the Ohio Sesquicentennial. Curtis Lee Smith, president of the Cleveland Cham­ber of Commerce, said that Cleveland‘s creation of its own “One World” of nationality groups should serve as an example to men and women in other parts of the country and of the world. The pageant symbolized the contributions of the various nation­ality groups to the development of Cleveland and of Ohio. Indians, Moravian missionaries, and Moses Cleaveland and his band of settlers from New Eng land, figured in the procession. An Indian dance and an Hungarian folk dance especially delighted the crowd. The arrival of Irish. German, Hebrew, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, Italian, Slovene, Lithuanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, and Finnish settlers was dramatized. The pageant closed with a representation of the Statue of Liberty by Miss Lily P. Volosin, a member of the board of directors of the Cultural Garden Federation. Spirited music was furnished by the Cleveland Municipal Band, directed by Milton W. Foy.

In the direction of this program, as in past previ­ous events, Mrs. Winifred M. Hodges, superintend­ent of the Bureau of Music, City Division of Rec­reation, cooperated actively with the Garden Fed­eration.

Earliest observances of One World Day were held on the grounds at the foot of the hill west of the lower East Boulevard, used for baseball games. Later, the event was transferred to the Slovak Gar­den, and still later, the lower portion of the Jugoslav Garden, which forms a perfect amphitheatre, was chosen as the site for the annual observance.

During the year of the celebration of Cleveland‘s sesquicentennial, a featured event was a parade of floats, in which the Cultural Garden units were participants, depicting in beautiful floral designs the cultural backgrounds of the various elements of Cleveland‘s population.

A novel feature of the 1954 observance was an array of booths on the slopes leading to the lowest portion of the amphitheatre. Objects characteristic of Old World folk art were displayed.

Suggested as a suitable inscription for the en­trance to the Cultural Gardens has been a paraphrase from Dante: “Leave hate behind, all ye who enter here.” In keeping with this sentiment, One World Day accentuates the purpose for which the Cultural Gardens were created, and sets forth the meaning of their existence.