tre
ROMICLE
PAGE FOUR
rl EDLTROIVEIVIS/1 of RON ICU
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 22:2-25..9
Prophetical portion—Micah 5:6-6:8
Readings of the Torah for Fast of Tammuz,
Sunday, July 17
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 32 :11-14 ; 34:1-10
Prophetical portion—Is. 55 :6-56:8
July 15, 1938
Tammuz 16, 5698
Good News from Evian
It is too early to be able to forecast the
amount of good that is destined to come
for the refugees from the intergovern-
mental conference at Evian. But this much
is clear:
Even if it were only as a means of defi-
nitely placing the dictators on trial and of
revealing before the entire world the ex-
tent of brutality that is rampant today, the
conference is certain to accomplish great
good.
' Aside from this fact, it now appears cer-
tain that some means will be established
for the settlement of large numbers of
refugees, for the creation of an agency to
care for the refugee problems and for
keeping before the public eye vigilantly
this problem which looms as the most seri-
ous result of conditions created by a large
portion of the world that has gone mad.
There are also very many saddening fac-
tors about this important and historic con-
ference. The determination of several of
the larger powers not to open the doors of
triieir countries to immigrants, the declara-
tion by our own government that there is
t4 be no modification of our quota law,
tie shifting of responsibility in order not
tq create colonization possibilities for the
dhfortunates who are today homeless and
totally helpless are all symbols of our de-
caying civilization.
I It is to the credit of the South American
i puntries that they are the first to hang
p welcome signs and to express a willing-
thousands of unfor-
tunate people who are the victims of the
Nazi-Fascist coup. • It is to the discredit
Oi vast and unpopulated territories like
Canada and Australia that they refuse to
end a welcome hand to the downtrod-
en.
But in the long run much good will come
from Evian. The hand and voice of Presi-
4ent Roosevelt, even though they can not
order the opening of the doors of this
dountry to the refugees, will be blessed for
long time to come for having taken the
i itiative to convene this important hu-
anitarian gathering.
r
Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo
Justice Benjamin Nathan Cardozo was
the philosophic and poetic genius of the
United States Supreme Court during the
five years of his active service. He brought
to the highest court in the land the same
preciseness in dispensing justice, the r. ,n-
partisanship and the lack of bias• which
distinguished him in the preceding 19
Years in the New York courts.
' He was a great American and a great
.tew. Only a few people know how seri-
ously he took the existing Jewish situation;
that he was one of a handful of men who
pleaded in behalf of the oppressed in Ger-
many, interceded in their behalf with Pres-
ident Roosevelt and urged measures of
relief for them.
Reference to Cardozo's name in last
week's "Purely Commentary" colurim, in
A quotation from a letter by Dr. Jacob
Billikipf, reveals at once the concern that
this great jurist showed for the Jewish
position in the world today. It is possible
that the knowledge of the sorrow of Israel
in the present world crisis added to the
heart-aches which caused his death last
Saturday.
, On May 24, 1931, at the sixth annual
commencement exercises of the Jewish In-
ititute of Religion, Justice Cardozo, then
Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of
the State of New York, delivered an ad-
dress on "Values" and discussed the choice
in studies made four centuries ago by
Tycho Brahe of Denmark, who diverted
his activities from law to astronomy. Exiled
hen the king's messengers reported that
rahe's dreams are fruitless, Brahe admin-
shed that "this work of ours would lead
victories for the coming age" and added
In the verses quoted to the rabbinical
graduates by Justice Cardozo:
"Their's be the palms, the shouting
and the praise,
Ours be the fathers' glory in the
sons."
He then urged the graduates of the
Jewish Institute of Religion that their
choice of values be the same as Brahe's.
"The submergence of self," he said. "in
the pursuit of an ideal, the readiness to
spend oneself without measure, prodigally,
almost ecstatically, for something intuit-
ively apprehended as great and noble,
spend oneself one knows not why—some
of us like to believe that this is what
religion means. True, I am sure, it is that
values such as these will be found to have
survived when creeds are shattered and
schisms healed and sects forgotten and the
things of brass and stone are one with
Nineveh and Tyre."
In this address was incorporated the
poetic genius of the great jurist, just as
• in all his legal opinions he injected a po-
etic spirit that made him stand out as the
master interpreter of the law.
America and Israel are bereaved in the
death of this great man.
--
sod THIL LEGAL CHRONICLE
The Palestine Riots
Who is the evil genius behind the hor-
rible events in Palestine?
What powers are financing the out-
rages which have already cost hundreds
of lives?
These questions are yet to be answered,
but in the meantime it is clear that sinister
powers are striving to prevent progress
in Palestine and to make it impossible for
Jews to settle their rebuilt Jewish National
Horne.
Liberal Rumanians An Ancient Dispute and Its Hordes Delivers
Hit Anti-Semitism Lesson 'for Modern Jewry
Radio Addresses
Liberal Rumanians in Wayne
on National Fund
County Joined on July 4 in con- Biography of Rabbi Jacob Emden Brings
demning anti-Semitism and in
pledging support to the movement
against fascism in Rumania as
well as in this country.
Meeting on that day at a picnic
at Hemrich Park, at the same
time that reactionary Rumanians
were holding a picnic near Grass
Lake, resolutions were adopted
commending Carl Davilla, former
minister to this country and now
an expatriate in Paris. Resolu-
tions were also adopted thanking
Juliu Maniu for his work against
the fascists.
There were 24 organizations, in-
cluding two religious groups, rep-
resented at this picnic which was
attended by 8,000 people. Another
picnic is planned for Labor Day
when the anti-Semitic Rumanians
also plan a similar gathering.
Whenever the anti-Semites and
fascists gather, the liberals also
arrange to meet in order to off-
set the reactionary activities.
Apparently the sad events are planned.
In 1929, when Jews effected unprecedent-
ed unity at the international conference of
the Jewish Agency for Palestine, under
the leadership of the late Louis Marshall,
the bloody riots served to check Jewish
achievement. In 1935 the peak immigra-
tion of Jews served again to arouse en-
mity which resulted in the troubles of
1936. The consistent appeals that have
come from all parts of the globe to the
intergovernmental conference at Evian for
the opening of the doors of Palestine wide
for Jewish settlers and to make the Land
of Israel the major colonization center for
Jews may be responsible for the outbreak Perfection DeMolay
of trouble during the past two weeks. Is Boat Event Monday
it possible that British officialdom has re-
laxed its forces in order to use the new dis-
On Monday night, July 18, Per-
turbances as an argument against a large fection chapter, Order of DeMo-
lay,
will hold a floating formal
Jewish immigration into Palestine? The
aboard the D. & C.
early reports from Evian stated that the dinner-dance
"Western States." There
British representatives were mobilizing Steamer
is to be dancing and entertain-
forces against the consideration of Pales- ment while the ship cruises on
tine as an immigration center. Murder and Lake Erie.
A dinner in keeping with the
destruction is helping the cause of the excellent
cuisine of the D. & C.
British muddlers-through in Palestine.
Line will be served. The steamer
The situation in Palestine comes at a will leave from the dock at the
time wh9n we can least afford the addi- foot of Wayne St. at 6:30, for
tion of another center of trouble to the a at cruise . on Lake Erie, returning
boiling cauldron of worldwide trouble in
At this time it appears to the
which Jews are seething today. It is to committee in charge that the af-
fair
will be a complete sell-out.
the discredit of the liberal powers in the
However there are still a few res-
world that they not only permit the horrors ervations
open, They can be ob-
in Fascist- and Nazi-controlled countries tained by calling Irving Lachman,
master
councilor,
at University
but that they do nothing about the open-
Oscar Bank, junior coun-
ing of avenues of escape for the perse- 1-4223;
cilor, Tyler 4-3329; or Marcus
cuted millions.
Sonne, chairman, Trinity 1-3663.
It is clear that if Jews do not help them- Reservations will not be accepted
selves there will be very few others to help after Sunday, July 17, at noon.
The committee in charge is
them. Only by presenting a united front headed
by Marcus Sonne, chair-
and by affirming our determination not to man; Robert Goldstaff and Carl
Chaifetz,
co-chairmen.
recede an inch from the path we have al-
ready trodden in Palestine will we be able
Mothers' Clubs Calendar
to impress the fact upon Arabs and Brit-
ish alike that Jews are in Palestine to stay,
Council of Mothers' Clubs sup-
that we shall continue with the work of re- per picnic to be followed by eve-
ning
concert, Tuesday, July 19,
deeming the land and building upon it,
and that murder, destruction and incen- at Palmer Park.
3 to 5 p. m.—Games at the
diarism are not sufficient to deter us from playground
and children's swim
the policies of making Palestine the Jew- in the pool.
6:30 to 7 p. m.—Supper at the
ish National Home.
grounds.
At the same time, of course, there will picnic
to 9:30 p. m.—Concert by
have to be a reaffirmation of the earlier the 7:30
American Federation of Mu-
established principle of self-restraint in sicians' band near the Hamilton
Palestine. The Revisionist madness which Ave. Casino.
is driving young people in Palestine to
resort to the dastardly tactics of the Arabs
must not be permitted to spread. Our
earlier weapons of restraint and of refus-
ing to reply with murder to the destruc-
tiveness of the Arabs must again be en-
forced. Before long the Arab masses, who
already resent being misled by the selfish-
ness of their self-appointed leaders, must
Bellefaire, the Cleveland Jew-
rebel against the vandalism and brutality
ish Orphan Home, will be the
of non-Palestinian Bedouins who have in- scene
of a dual celebration on
vaded the land to destroy and to pillage. July 22, 23 and 24, when the
Jewish self-restraint will hasten the day of 50th anniversary of the founding
of the Alumni Association and the
peace.
to Light Important Factors in 18th
Century Rabbinic Controversy
From the press of the Dropsie College for He-
brew and Cognate Learning, Broad and York Sts.,
Philadelphia, Pa., recently came a most significant
biography which serves not only to bring to light
an important chapter of Jewish history but also
to give credence to the belief that there is nothing
new under the sun—especially in human conduct
and human conflict.
It is Dr. Mortimer J. Cohen's "Jacob Emden:
A Man of Controversy" ($3.), and it deals with
much more than the life of Rabbi Emden, as the
title implies. In fact, it is a biography of two
men: Rabbi Emden and Rabbi Jonathan Elbe-
schuetz, the two principals involved in the famous
controversy that created havoc in Jewish life and
divided communities into two hostile camps. It is
an historical narrative that splendidly reviews the
history of the period and throws light on matters
that were hitherto unknown even to Jewish his-
torians.
The petty jealousies between rabbis and lay
leaders, the brawls into which people were drawn
as a result of the Emden-Eibeschuetz conflict, the
vile vituperations put to shame even some of the
controversies between Jewish leaders in our own
time.
In contradiction to the view adopted by Hein-
rich Graetz, Rabbi Cohen now only takes a stand
against Jacob Emden but completely exonerates
Jonathan Eibeschuetz who was the Chief Rabbi
of the Triple Community of Altana, Hamburg and
Wandsbeck, then a part of Denmark.
The biographer bases his defense of one and
indictment of the other on the contention that the
controversy over the use of amulets was merely
a smokescreen for vital economic and social issues
of that time. The charge of Emden against Eibe-
schuetz that the latter was a Sabbatian and re-
sorted to the use of amulets used by the false
Messiah is completely disproven. The author in-
stead points out that Emden's jealousies of his
opponent, the fact that he did not receive his
father's post as Chief Rabbi, the additional fact
that Eibeschuetz was elected by the votes of the
poor people have led to the controversy Into which
were drawn practically all the important Jewish
communities in Europe and Palestine.
It is interesting to note that Rabbi Cohen con-
cludes his splendidly written book with the para-
graph: "In a little cemetery rests the dust of two
'warriors of the Torah' whose controversy once
stirred the hearts of their generation. In life,
their destinies were intertwined by some strange,
inexplicable Fate. In death, they lie but six graves
apart—a symbol and a warning." But the warning
apparently is not sufficient, even if the symbol is
there, because the experiences of the 18th century
repeat, themselves in every generation, serving
merely as proof of the aspirations of human be-
ings which lead to conflict and to strife.
This biography provides excellent material in a
discussion of the development of European Jew-
ish communities on the eve of the emancipation
era which is now proving to have held out so
many false hopes to our people. It inclues within
Its scope so many studies of Jewish social prob-
lem and is so frank in dealing with the human
frailties even of outstanding rabbis, that it must
be treated as a work that is that result of an un-
biased mind.
Rabbi Cohen worked for five years on "Jacob
Emden." He has given ample evidence of scholar-
ship and ability to compile data. What is of even
greater importance in a work like this is that he
showed a genius for research into 18th century
rabbinic literature.
DETROITERS ACTIVE IN PLANS FOR
60" ANNIVERSARY OF BELLEFAIRE
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, JULY 22-24
Vatican Defense of Jews
70th birthday of the institution
will be marked. It is expected
that several hundred alumni from
every part of the country and
many distinguished members of
the board of trustees and direc-
tors will be on hand for the three
day period of festivity.
Maurice A. Enggass of Detroit
is a director of Bellefaire, while
Herbert Klein is president of the
Detroit Alumni Chapter.
Nate Balaban of Detroit is a
member of the board of directors
of the Alumni Association.
Among the prominent alumni
of the home who now live in De-
troit is Harry B. Friedman, man-
aging director of the Belcrest
Hotel and past treasurer of the
Detroit Hotel Association. At
present Mr. Friedman is on the
finance board of that organiza-
tion.
Adolph Finsterwald, member of
the board of the Jewish Welfare
Federation and an honorary true-
tee for life of Congregation Beth
El, is another of the graduates of
the home who has been a leader
in the Detroit community.
The first Cleveland Jewish Or.
phon home was formally dedicated
by its founders, members of Dis-
trict Grand Lodges Nos. 2 and 8
of the fraternal order of Bnai
Brith on July 14, 1868. At the
20th anniversary of this occasion
in July, 1888, the second of the
three building developments of
the "Home" was dedicated and
the Alumni Association was or-
ganized. The importance of the
relationship between the Alumni
group and the Home was demon-
strated in 1929 when Bellefaire,
the third and most recent of the
homes, was opened and the recre-
ation building, gift of the Alumni,
was dedicated as Alumni Hall.
Bellefaire Is supported by com-
munities located throughout the
Middlewest and by a portion of
each Bnai Brith member's dues, in
this territory. Almost 5000 or-
phoned or dependent children
from this section of the country
have been admitted to the home
during the past three score and
ten years of its existence. Since
1922 its superintendent has been
Michael Sharlitt, while since 1926
the president has been Fred Laz-
arus, Jr., of Columbus, Ohio.
to deal with the situation that had
arisen.
The plight of Dr. Kurt von
Schuschnigg was like the plight
of the author of this volume.
During the final hours Herr Lenn-
hoff was torn between faith and
despair, between confidence and
uncertainty, between optimism
and pessimism, but not until the
last moment did he finally realize
that the game was up, that the
end of Austria had come. So sud-
den was the realization that he
did not have time to say goodbye
to his parents, whom he called
on the telephone to bid them fare-
well at the very last moment.
Even when he reached the Czech
border it was already too late for
him and the thousands of other
refugees to escape—the border
was already closed—and only a
quick escape to the Hungarian
border, not yet closed at the end
of the fateful five hours, gave
him an opportunity to flee from
danger and from certain incar-
ceration in a concentration camp.
The morning after his escape he
found an issue of his own paper
—published as the National So-
cialist Telegraph. There was no
interrruption in the appearance
of the paper—the Nazis had en-
tered through the front door of
the editorial office as he escaped
through the rear door.
There are brief references to
the status of the Jews in Austria
during the final and horrible five
hours. The salesmen of the por-
nographic Stuermer published by
Julius Streicher were among the
key men who watched the situa-
tion for the Nazis. But in the
early hours of Austria's demise,
Lennhoff tells us, the -cries "Hang
the Jews" or "Pack them off to
Palestine" "were not much taken
up, for, according to secret orders
issued by the party leaders, loud
anti-Semitic calls and Jew-baiting
were to be postponed for 24
hours."
In the final analysis, it becomes
clear to the reader of this great
reportorial record that if Schu-
schnigg had surrounded himself
with trustworthy associates in the
government it might never have
come to the tragic ending suffered
by the unhappy Austria. The
blunders, however, led to much
worse conditions than had been
expected, to the flooding of for-
eign consulates with demands for
visas, especially by Jews, to a
sudden transformation which
found the government's loyal sup-
porters helpless. There are de-
scriptions in 'The Last Five
Hours of Austria" of Jews rob-
bed, of Aryans refusing to .Pay
their debts to Jews, of a debtor
who told LennhofT's friend Dr.
Glassman that he would not
transgress German laws which
would soon apply to Austria by
paying his debts.
To the very last, the Jews
stood by the side of Schuschnigg.
Lennhoff was preparing for a
special edition of the Telegraph
in which were to appear inter-
views with prominent leaders on
the eve of the plebiscite which
was cancelled as a result of the
Hitler threat and invasion. One
of the interviews was with Dr.
Desider Friedmann, president of
the Jewish community of Vienna.
A significant statement appeared in the
July 5 issue of Osservatore Romano, Vati-
can City newspaper. Asserting that
propaganda against the Jews has pro-
duced results "unworthy of 20 centuries
of Christian civilization," the Catholic or-
gan proceeded to say:
"It is inevitable that any time we aban-
don the life of the Gospels, human lives
perish. Toward the Israelites we are not
only extremely anti-Christian and anti-
civil, but inhuman.
"For them the misery of exile and out-
lawing is not enough; it goes on to the
pillory, beatings, wounding and death.
• • a Propagandh against Jews assumes,
wherever it is organized and led, propor-
tions unworthy of 20 centuries of Christian
civilization."
This is a tribute to the best in Catholic
tradition. There have been regimes in
Catholicism which were vicious in their REFUGEE RELATES
opposition to the Jews. But the majority
AUSTRIA'S DEMISE
of the Popes came to the defense of the
persecuted. The Osservatore Romano (CONCLUDED FROM PAGE ONE)
statement follows a tradition for liberality
and kindness and in condemnation of the a land of glory that disappeared
bigots who are today undermining freedom over night because the function-
in the world.
ing government was not prepared
The Congress Elections
The 10,477 men and women who voted
in the elections of the American Jewish
Congress gave answer with their ballots
to the claims of a minority that Jews have
no right to speak as a unit; that demo-
cratic procedure is not necessary in the
discharge of Jewish duties; that Jews have
no right to express their sentiments as a
national entity. The fact that more than
10,000 Jews went to the polls to vote in the
elections in Detroit is a triumph for the
democratic idea in Jewish life. It is the
beginning of the organization of a national
body which will rightfully speak as the
popularly-selected mouthpiece, and which
will be in position to go to the Jews of
America with a mandate to demand the
enforcement of unity when dealing with
the problem of Jewish defense.
Laughter and Race
"You can't laugh that off" is the edi-
torial comment of Digest and Review on
the following quotation from Eddie Can-
tor: "It's' getting now so people laugh at
your jokes, then stop to inquire the na-
tionality before they applaud."
.This is the saddest commentary on the
spread of bigotry throughout the world:
that even laughter is being measured by
race and nationality standards.
July 15,
He and Dr. Wiener in Second of
Series This Saturday in
Hersi Memorial Hour
William Hordes, an active
leader in the Jewish National
Fund Council of Detroit, last
Saturday evening commenced a
series of educational talks re-
garding the fund over Hyman
Altman's Jewish Radio Hour, on
Station WMBC. This series will
be continued this Saturday night,
from 8:30 to 9:30 o'clock, and
for several succeeding Saturday
nights.
This Saturday night, in addi-
tion to the talk by Mr. Hordes,
an address will be delivered by
Dr. Israel Wiener. Both will de-
vote their addresses to the anni-
versary of the death of Dr. Theo-
dore llerzl which occurs next
Tuesday.
In the course of his address
last Saturday night, Mr. Hordes
described the objects of the Jew-
ish National Fund as the land
redemption agency of the Zionist
movement. He quoted from the
Talmud to show how it is tradi-
tional for Jews to teach their
children trades, and how ancient
lore called for every person to
aspire to know how to earn his
livelihood by the use of his hands
and how it is obligatory upon
every Jewish man and woman
to aspire to have some claim to
land—thus emphasizing the back-
to-the-land movement encouraged
by the Jewish National Fund.
Trees Planted in
The Butzel Forest
The Jewish National Fund Coun-
cil of Detroit acknowledges the
planting of a tree in the Butzel
Forest in Palestine in honor of the
25th wedding anniversary of Mr.
and Mrs. Maurice H. Zackheim,
by Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Shul-
man.
One tree was planted by Mr.
and Mrs. D. Feinberg in memory
of Morris Rosenstein; one tree,
honoring Robert E. Clinton, by
his daughter, Ilene; one tree, in
memory of Meyer Rosenstein, by
Rodelle Broder; two trees, hon-
oring Nissan David Katz, by Mr.
and Mrs. David Sheraga; two
trees in memory of their sister,
Emily Solomon, by Mr. and Mrs.
Saul Solomon.
Trees may be planted in the
Butzel Forest by calling Mrs.
Philip Slomovltz, 17417 Stoepel
Ave., University 1-6972.
Democratic party leaders in at
least one Southern State have
been asked to pledge their dele-
gation to the 1940 presidential
convention to Herbert H. Leh-
man.
Royal Society Accords
Regal Honor to Freud
LONDON. — (WNS) — A
privilege hitherto accorded
only to British kines was
granted to Dr. Sigmund Freud,
w o r Id- famous psychiatrist,
when the charter book of the
280-year-old Royal S o c i e t y.
was taken to his home for his
signature. Freud has been a
member of the Society since
1936 but because he had for-
merly lived in Vienna and is
now forbidden to leave his
house the book was taken to
his home. It had never before
left the organization's head-
quarters except for the signa-
ture of a king.
Schlesinger Again
Tennis Champ
Emerging victorious from the
last round of the annual Public
Parks Tennis Tournament held at
Waterworks Pork in Detroit last
week, 21-year-old Jack Schlesing-
er retained the title which he won
for the first time in 1937. Schles-
inger swept through a strong
group of contestants, and quali-
field for the national play-offs to
take place in Los Angeles on
Aug. 15.
In a match that made tennis
history, last Saturday, Jack
Schlesinger defeated Max Gurman
3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. The superior
steadiness and . clever headwork
that always marks Schlesinger's
brand of tennis again gained for
him the much coveted title of city
champ from a final play-off in
which all of the finalisk were
Jews — Sammy Rotberg, Irving
Bloomfield, Max Gurman and Jack
Schlesinger.
Friedmann pledged that "in self-
defense against racial hatred and
in unswerving love for our Fa-
therland we shall vote 'Yes'." He
and other Jewish leaders later
paid a heavy price for such lo-
yalty.
The planned special issue nev-
er appeared but a resume of the
collected interviews appears in
Leninhoff's book.
There is a pathetic but beauti-
ful tribute to the Jews for their
loyalty to tradition. "On the Sab-
bath," Lennhoff writes, "every
profane act is forbidden to the
Jews by the word of the Bible.
It was awful to think that these
peaceable, holy men would not
even raise a finger in their de-
fense if the armed troops of
Blackshirts and Brownshirts re-
ceived order today to begin the
dreaded pogrom." But Jews never
had the opportunity to defend
themselves in Nazi-ruled lands.
Lennhoff's "The Last Five
Hours of Austria" Is splendid not
only for its own contents but be-
cause of the historic background
of the occurrences in Germany
contained in the introduction by
Paul Frischauer. The book was
tranlated Into English by Leigh
Farnell. It :13 a volume that must
be recommended as indispeLsable
for an understanding of the pres-
ent situation in Germany and
Austria.
1938
PURELY COMMENTARY
Py PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Lex Talionis—A Misunderstanding
The first edition of the Detroit News on July 8
described the hanging of Chebatories as the invok-
ing Of "the Mosaic law of a life for a life." The
writer of these lines, which were wisely omitted
from the later editions, fell into the grave error
which haunts most non-Jews who think of the
"Ayin Tachas Ayin, Shein Tachas Shein"—"An
Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth"—as mean-
ing that the Mosaic law advocated the death pen-
alty as punishment for crime. Nothing could be
further from the truth than such an interpreta-
tion of the Lea Talionis. In reality, the interpreter'
tion of this injunction is that punishment shall be
in the value of the loss of an eye or a tooth, such
assessment to be set by qualified judges.
Misinterpretation of the so-called vengeful at-
titude of the Mosaic law is especially unfair to
Jewry today, at a time when we are charged with
all sorts of faults which, when applicable to in-
dividual Jews, are mere human failings ascribable
to all human beings. In reality Jews, as a people,
are opposed to capital punishment. It is true that
capital punishment was practised in ancient Israel.
But it is equally as true that Jewish law provided
for hedging prisoners about in order to give them
every opportunity to escape the death penalty.
Furthermore, there is on record an historic say-
ing, in the Talmud, of 'Rabbi Tarphon and Rabbi
Akiba who stated: "If we had been members of
a Beth Din there would never have been a death
sentence." This is the attitude of Jews today, We
wrote in this fashion on two occasions when the
capital punishment issue was before the voters of
Michigan. We repeat it today and wish to be
placed on record as commending Governor Frank
Murphy for his statement that "when an execu-
tion takes place it debases and brutalizes to a
certain extent every one in the state." We are
with him to the very last in fighting against capi-
tal punishment in this as well as in every State in
the Union.
•
How Many Speak Hebrew?
At the Masada convention held a short time ago
in Cleveland, the brilliant educator, A. H. Fried-
land told the young Zionists that while there are
only about 200 fluent Hebrew-speaking persons
among Cleveland's Jewish population of over 80,-
000, 65 out of the 100 Cleveland Jews who visited
Palestine during the past two years belong to this
group of people who know the Hebrew language.
As we listened to Mr. F•iedland's address, we
began to make comparisons. We asked ourselves,
how many Jews are there in Detroit who speak
Hebrew, how many have visited Palestine during
the past few years, what percentage of these
tourists know Hebrew? Is it possible that we can
match Cleveland's ranks of Hebrew conversation-
alists? But we certainly can't boast of having
sent very niany Detroiters as emissaries to Pales-
tine.
But it is possible that we have made up for
this deficiency by having given Palestine a greater
number of young men and women pioneers. In
this respect Detroit Jewry has done Its duty
towards Palestine.
•
•
Sheep, Wolf and Fox
A visitor from Palestine sums up the conflict
that is harassing the Jewish position by stating
that it is a struggle involving sheep, wolf and fox.
He calls the Jews the sheep, the Arabs the wolves
and the British the foxes in his fable. There is
much truth to this description, and the foxy char-
acter is the one primarily to blame for the con-
tinuation of the terrifying game of destruction
in which the Jew dare not change his akin and play
a retaliatory role.
ZIONISM'S NEW LEADER
(CONCLUDED PROM PAGE ONE)
When he pointed to the need for
a synagogue annex and school
building early in 1937, the sum
of $225,000 was raised in prac-
tically one sitting. It was while
the building was In the process
of being constructed that the call
came to him from the Keren
Kayemeth (the Jewish National
Fund) of Americb as well as the
world office at Jerusalem to make
a tour of South Africa in the in-
terests of the Zionist land-redemp-
tion fund. His congregation at
first became alarmed. But the
loyalty he instilled in his mem-
bers for the Zionist cause pre.
veiled and the original feeling
that the gigantic task may be
jeopardized immediately disap-
peared. In his parting address
he engendered so much enthusi-
asm that his congregation re-
solved to surprise him upon his
return to this country with a com-
pleted building. They did. He
returned to America in August,
and in October the building was
dedicated with a cultural pro-
gram to which reference has al-
ready been made.
His Published Works
Rabbi Goldman does not belong
to the group of book-reviewing
preachers. But when he does re-
view a volume he usually selects
the latest Hebrew creations in
Palestine and the books which are
nit of the creative national
aftievements of the New Zion.
The friendship that exists be-
tween Ur. Goldman and A. H.
Friedland, director of the Bureau
of Jewish Education and the He-
brew school system of Cleveland,
had its foundation in joint lit-
erary efforts. While it is general-
ly known that Rabbi Goldman Is
the author of "A Rabbi Takes
Stock," "The Jew and the Uni-
verse" and "The Golden Chain,"
an antholog-y.in five volumes the
first of which has already been
published, it is not common knowl-
edge that he has prepared numer-
ous textbooks and Hebrew an-
thologies, In collaboration with
Mr. Friedland. Together they
published the following works:
A Hebrew students' library,
"Sifrim Lemislamdim."
"Hashvil," a textbook for the
study of Hebrew, for adults.
A students' textbook in modern
Hebrew literature, richly anno-
tated with a complete vocabulary.
"Stories and Poems by David
Frischman, with copious mar-
ginal notes for students and a
complete dictionary.
A students' text of Z. Feier-
berg's "Leon" ("whither").
"Essays and Letters of Achad
Ha-am," with a vocabulary of
2,600 words.
A volume of short stories by
Perez, with notes for students.
Dr. Goldman has just ptibliahed
a prayerbook and hymnal in which
are included modern Palestinian
folksongs and selections from the
works of Bialik, Yaakov Kahan,
Rachel and other Palestinian au-
thors. He has dedicated this
prayerbook to his friend and col-
laborator, A. H. Friedland. At
the present time Dr. Goldman Is
preparing for publication by Har-
per's another volume of essays.
His interest In and devotion to
the cause of Hebrew learning has
led Dr. Goldman to finance the
publishing of numerous volumes,
and he was the largest individual
contributor to the Ilistadruth Iv-
rith fund for the publication of
the anthology of Hebrew poetry.
He sends to Palestine large gifts
to help support Hebrew publish-
ing houses and Hebrew magazines
and his excessive liberality has
aroused worry in his synagogue,
with the result that his friends
are planning to raise a fund to
enable him to carry on his work
of love.
As master of the Hebrew word,
as brilliant writer, as orator par
excellence, as an organizer and
as an administrator, Dr. Solomon
Goldman now assumes a national
role of importance which is inti-
mately bound up with interna-
tional affairs. Those who know
him—as the entire Jewish world
will anon learn to know him—are
confident that with his adminis-
tration will commence a new era
of cultural as well as political
achievement in American Zionism.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
(CONCLUDED MOM PAGE ONE)
us that he knows a synagogue
in Jesus Maria Street, Havana
•
NAT•ZI HOT STUFF
We just fired one of our agents
for giving us a bum steer on that
item a few columns ago about a
pow-wow of Jewiaiters pipposed
to have been held at the Jewish-
owned Edison Hotel in New York
. . . We have since learned that
no such meeting was either sched-
uled or held in that hotel .
Our apologies to the management
• . . Don't be surprised if Fritz
Kuhn, number one Nazi here-
abouts, does a sudden disappear-
ing act . .
The Nazi bigwigs
feel he talks too much and are
anxious to get him out of the
country . . . In fact, the whisper
is that some of his lieutenants,
acting on orders from Berlin, ac-
tually kidnaped him on the eve
of the recent McNaboe commit-
tee hearings in New York and
tried to hustle him aboard a Ger-
man liner .. But Fritz, display- •
log a most un-Nazi-like reluc-
tance to face his Fuehrer, man-
aged to break away . . . A coal
dealer in New Mexico whose busi-
ness was falling oft' for no ap-
parent reason has suddenly dis-
covered that the cause was the
use of the trade name "Swastika
Coal" . .
The American Ger-
man Society of Detroit has
dropped the word "Bund" from
its name because the German-
American Bund has given the
word an un-American flavor . •
Smarting under plenty of raps
for having called of production
of "Exiles," an anti-Nazi film,
Sam Goldwyn has changed his
mind and has again scheduled it
for production ... One of Holly-
wood's tourist guides is said to
be himself an object of interest
because he's a brother of the late
Captain Rochm, head of the Nazi
storm trooper, who was liquidated
in Hitler's 1934 purge . . . The
Hollywood loehm, who is an
American citizen, had to leave
Germany because he was anti-
Nazi.