A merica yewisk Paladin:1 Carter
January
P urely Commentary
Jews in the News
Mr. Simmons of Provo, Utah, and a
Refugee
There is another chapter to the story we pub-
lished recently relative to the unusual interest
taken in a Czech-Jewish lad by Almo B. Simmons,
a city treasurer of Provo, Utah. It will be recalled
that Mr. Simmons, a Mormon, became interested
in Johann Berman with whom his young daughter
struck up a correspondence. The Nazi invasion
of Czechoslovakia necessitated the issuing of an
affidavit for this young man. Many complications
set in. Mr. Simmons spent time, money, energy to
try to bring the boy to this country. He enlisted
the aid of HIAS, claimed Mexican citizenship
because he was born in Mexico of American par-
ents, in order to secure a Mexican visa when he
learned that the American quota was filled, went
to extremes to save the boy. Then the war broke
out. That did not dampen this plendid man's
enthusiasm. He incorporated the texts of all let-
ter and cables in a book which he appropriately
labeled "I Write in Anguish." Proceeds are to
go to help bring the boy here or to Mexico.
Last week, a new chapter began in this inter-
esting story. Mr. Simmons renewed his efforts to
bring this lad to this continent, and again evi-
denced determination to save the boy. Once again
he has begun to negotiate with Mexican officials
to help him bring Johann. It is a thrilling story,
and it has a lesson for those Jews who have failed
to write affidavits in behalf of unfortunate refu-
gees. Every affidavit, even though it may not im-
mediately save the persecuted, will at least help
Faye him from the concentration camp.
Mr. Simmons deserves highest commendations
for his great humanitarian impulse. He setsa
marvelous example to his fellow-Americans, Chris-
tians as well as Jews, in an effort to save the
degraded and persecuted of the Old World.
•
5
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
26, 1940
There is rightful indignation in Jewish ranks
over the appearance, in recent weeks, of a num-
ber of Jewish names in the headlines in connec-
tion with graft investigations. It is disturbing to
see men, who were born Jews, and who will
therefore lend themselves as excellent materials
for appeals to hatred at the hands of anti-
Semites, appear on the scene as law-breakers.
It is immaterial to the unreasonable that the man
who breaks civil laws also breaks Jewish laws—in
fact, he breaks Jewish law first since the basic
principles of ethical living have been handed down
to mankind by our ancestors. Also, the average
person does not know an important Jewish in-
junction—"Dina d'malkuta Mina",—which com-
mands the Jew to observe the law of the land he
lives in as his own law.
The Commentator mentions these facts not in
an apologetic tone but to emphasize what he
hopes all Jews know and Christians will learn:
that a law-breaking Jew is as obnoxious to us as
he is to our neighbors; then when Jews fail to
live up to Jewish traditions and to Jewish ethical
codes, which have become the principles of all
civilized peoples, they are transgressors of the
law. Knowing this, the Commentator feels, Jews
should avoid becoming jittery and disturbed over
such unfortunate occurrences. True, we wish to
see only the good and constructive about Jews
in the news. But are we not entitled to a few
bad ones? Since when has it been accepted that
Jews are the exceptions to the rule and that we,
who are painted as all-devils by the anti-Semites,
are in reality expected to be all-saints? There
are names of bad Jews in the news, but there are
also the names of exceptionally good ones. For
instance: Judge Charles Rubiner, one of the ablest
men ever to have served in the Common Pleas
Court, is the special graft prosecutor; Albert
Shapiro, a young man of fine character, one of
the ablest detectives on the Detroit police force,
and incidentally one of the country's best marks-
men, is among the police officers assigned to the
Detroit cases. Here you have a natural phenom-
enon: there is a shakeup involving the police and
grafters; there are Jews among the transgressors,
and there are Jews in the ranks of the law-en-
forcers. In a democracy—and we always thank
God that we live in the greatest libertarian coun-
try on earth—all the actors in this drama are
men, some of whom are good and some bad, with
the community out to uproot the evil of the
latter.
(But as an aside: we would prefer that crime
should be unknown among Jews. It is practically
unknown among a community of 500,000 idealists
in Palestine—where Jews are hailed before law
courts only on charges resulting from acts that
moved them to national self-defense. More Jewish
education may help. Too much ignorance about
Jewish things coupled with bad associations have
wrought havoc in the ranks of the handful of
young Jews who have turned into racketeers. Start
from the Aleph-Beth, enforce good training, give
the young a Jewish upbringing with a knowledge
of Jewish moral law, and the names of bad JeWA
will disappear from the news. Idealism and devo-
tion did it in Palestine. It can do it everywhere
as indication of our obligations to all nations and
peoples among whom we live and among whom
we must help enforce the highest principles of
decent living.)
•
CLIFTON AFINCI • CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
ginning of this century in 12 volumes, has any-
thing of this sort been undertaken. The first result
is a commendable one. Volume I reflects a spirit
of scholarship and good technical sense in the
physical make-up of the work. There is good selec-
tion of photographs, and being an extensive en-
cyclopedia the contents are naturally all-inclusive
of Jewish factual and historical material.
"Aaron to Azulai" are the contents of the
first volume. They begin with the brother of
Moses and conclude with the biography of the
18th century Talmudist, Cabalist, author, traveler,
and father of modern Hebrew biography and bibli-
ography. The volume includes lengthy discussions
of anti-Semitism, Jews in aviation, Jewish author-
ity, autopsy among Jews, arbitration, Jews as
artisans, Aryanism, Jews and art, the history of
the Jews in America, the stories of the Jewish
Committee and Congress movements, and the
many hundreds of others subjects—including bio-
graphical material—under the letter A.
Dr. Isaac Landman is the editor in chief of
this important work, and major credit for the
assembling of material goes to the executive and
literary editor, Louis Rittenberg, who is at present
the American editor of the London Jewish Chron-
icle and who was formerly the editor of the
American Hebrew. The 10-volume set will sell for
$100. Orders for it should be placed with the
Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc., 130 Clinton
St., Brooklyn, N. Y. Possession of it will be con-
sidered a treasure in any home, and it is indis-
pensable in libraries and schools.
•
Officers Chosen by
Call Starnes Alien
Bill Anti-Democratic By Bnai David Ladies
Attacking the Starnes anti-
alien bill as an "anti-democratic,
Civil
hyterical measure, ,
Rights Federation urged its affil-
iates to communicate with the
President and Michigan Congress-
men to defeat the bill when it
comes up for final passage.
Introduced by Representative
Joe Starnes of the Dies Commit-
tee, the bill is ostensibly aimed at
"alien spies and saboteurs", but
completely fails to define the term
"sabotage." The Federation point-
ed out that any strike action or
demand for higher wages could
be labeled "sabotage" by reaction-
ary employers and thus bring
unions under the provisions of the
bill.
The Federation urged immediate
action since the bill has already
passed both houses and only
awaits the report of a bi-cameral
conference before final passage.
At the last meeting of the Bnai
David Ladies' Auxiliary, the fol-
lowing officers were elected:
Mrs. Z. Needle, re-elected pres-
ident for the 3rd term; Mrs. L.
Nudelman, vice-president; Mrs.
Joseph 1Veingarden, treasurer;
Sam Zack, secretary.
Installation of officers will take
place Tuesday evening, Jan. 30,
at 8:30 October in the synagogue's
social hall.
J. W. E. W. 0. Branch to
Meet Wednesday
For UPHOLS1ERING
Mrs. Adolph Smilo will be hos-
REPAIRING, SLIP COVERS
tess to the members of the North
can
Woodward branch of the Jewish
STATE
Women's European Welfare Or-
ganization at her home, 2902
Upholstering Co.
Clements, on Wednesday, Jan. 31,
FAelusite but Not Expensite
A New Sample of Coughlinite Decency at 1 p. m. Mrs. Anna Goldberg,
In Business Since MO
president,
will
preside.
Plans
will
For Estimates call TO. 8-3696
The current issue of the Rev. Charles E. Cough-
completed for the clock pro-
Inn WOODWARD AVE.
lin's Social Justice carries another example of be
Near Collingwood
ject which has been postponed.
the Royal Oak oracle's lack of good manners.
Digging up the address delivered by the Hon.
Frank Murphy, when he was Governor of Michi-
gan, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary cele-
bration of Yeshiva College of New York, on Dec.
11, 1937, Social Justice devotes six and a half
columns to Supreme Court Justice Murphy's
speech and thirteen and a half columns to an
answer under the title "Social Justice Dis-
sents." The Coughlinite thesis commences with
an attempt to discount any possibility that
Jews will or can ever be driven out of
this nation, and then proceeds to lambast the new
Supreme Court Justice for his failure to start his
discussion of "elementary history of intolerance"
"with Christ Himself". Throughout the dissenting
rantings of the priest, who has already made a
sorry mess of himself in the eyes of all decent
Americans (especially since his association with
the so-called Christian Front which is now dis-
credited as a thoroughly un-American organiza-
tion), Coughlin attempts by innuendo to incite
against Jews and to raise issues of a theologic
nature which all truly faithful men have long
discarded.
Poor Rev. Coughlin! He is indeed to be pitied!
He tries to disavow connections with the Christian
Front, and a few days thereafter commits a ter-
rible blunder by displaying exceptionally bad
manners in the raking up of an old address by
the new Supreme Court Justice and by trying to
read into it a sickenly inhuman and intolerable
interpretation. It is no wonder that all good
Catholics are now so utterly ashamed of this
radio priest.
The countrywide outpouring of evidence to
prove that Coughlin is definitely aligned with the
Christian Front is totally unnecessary after the
radio priest's address last Sunday. He firmly stood
by the 17 men charged with being traitors to this
country and with plotting to overthrow this gov-
ernment. He emerged as the chief protagonist of
the Christian Front whom he defended "whether
they arc guilty or innocent."
An hour after Father Coughlin's address on
Sunday, an eminent Catholic, Monsignor Fulton
J. Sheen, spoke over the Catholic Hour on "The
Unity of Mankind." He emphasized the need for
a "Common Front" as opposed to a "Common
You Now Have an Opportunity to Get Insurance
Affront." He pleaded for community love to
With Total Disability Income
offset community hate, and he argued for
a true religious life on the part of Jews, Catho-
Most companies do not write insurance with disability provision.
lics and Protestants. The implications are clear.
The Catholic leadership of this country is dis-
Our company now writes for a selected class of risks and who
turbed by the activities of men like Father Cough-
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lin and his Christian Front all of whom stand dis-
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credited in the eyes of all decent people.
•
The only property that most people possess today is the income
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Beware of Meshumodim!
Missionaries are again at work in Jew-
ish sections of Detroit.
Children are being enticed, through no-
tices handed to them in public schools, to
so-called centers where they are given
lessons in sewing, are provided with
games and occasionally served refresh-
ments, and incidentally they are treated
to an hour of Bible study which is utilized
for proselytization.
Parents are therefore warned to be-
ware of such activities. Indications are
that far too many are misled by the candy-
bribes and game-enticements. But the
subtle way in which the missionary plan
is being carried out seems to be over-
A Great Literary Contribution
looked. There are Jewish centers where
For two weeks, this Commentator has been
thumbing the first of the 10-volume edition of the
they should be sent for their education.
Universal Jewish Encyclopedia which has just
The meshumodim should not be given en-
come off the press. It took years to produce it:
couragement.
we are assured that the next nine volumes will
We warn Jewish parents against the
come off the presses much more rapidly. The pub-
enticements of the meshumodim. Let them
lishers should be given encouragement to assure
the completion of this great work.
send their children to Jewish centers and
It is without doubt the most significant literary
Hebrew schools. That's where they be-
achievement in 40 years. Not since the publica-
long—not in the ensnaring rooms of mis-
tion of the only other available Jewish Encyclo-
sionaries.
pedia, in English, which was published at the be-
from total
disability
benefits.
BEST'S REPORTS RATES THIS
CO. EXCELLENT
COUPON
Cut out this coupon and send It to
Box 657—Detroit Jewish Chronicle, 525 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Mich.
without any obligation, send to the undersigned the information concern-
ing Insurance and particularly c
•erring Disability Insurance.
Nome
Address
Age
When Homo?
KADIMAH HEBREW SCHOOLS
ONE OF THE MOST MODERN IN
THE STATE
NEW PUPILS NOW BEING ENROLLED
at 11812 Linwood Ave., corner Tuxedo, upstairs
SIMON RICHARDSON, Principal
Private Lessons Can Be Arranged
Transportation furnished for children who live at a
distance from the school.
For information call HOgarth 1889