American ,etifish Periodical Center CLIPTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO 5 DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle Commentary p urely Christian Front's Diabolical Tactics Trees in Palestine By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ FLOWER DAY OF NATIONAL FUND THIS WEEK - END adult Zionist groups will sell flowers for the raising of funds to redeem land in Palestine for the settlement of persecuted and expatriated Jews. The solicitations for this year's Flower Day began on Thursday at the convention of the Jewish National Workers' Alliance (Far- band). Nathan Spevakow, treasurer of the Jewish National Fund Coun- cil of Detroit, is advisor to the committee in charge of this year's Flower Day. The Hour, that magnificent weekly bulletin The annual Flower Day of the A Chronicle reader has clipped and sent to us brief item from Printers Ink of May 17, 1940, published at 11 W. 42nd St., New York, this week Jewish National Fund will be ob- a under the heading "Trees for Palestine" which revealed the new tactics planned by the Christian served in Detroit this week-end, reads: "The New York News last week had a Front in the following expose of the anti-Semitic Saturday night and all day Sun- picture of Mrs. James Roosevelt, mother of the group's latest diabolical scheme: day. president, and Mrs. Herbert Lehman, wife of the Under the co-chairmanship of meeting on May 13 in the back Secretly Governor, showing them in animated conversation Dorian Neimoff and Dinah Gold- of a store near 54th Street and 9th Avenue, at a luncheon. The announced object of the lunch- smith, volunteers representing 20 Christian Front leaders discussed a new eon was to raise funds for buying trees to be youth organizations and several method for spreading anti-Semitism in the planted in Palestine. It would be nice for Pales- city of New York. Briefly, the technique is have some more trees. But can't the proj- this: Christian Fronters will be assigned to tine ect to wait for a while until some other important busy street corners, where they will strike matters are disposed of? How about using the up conversations—between themselves and tree money to help buy food for women and with innocent bystanders—about the Jews children in Europe who, as a result of Mr. and their "role" in the present war. The Hitler's war, are starving?" regular street meetings formerly held by the Our correspondent has appended to the clip- Christian Front will be relegated to a sec- ping a note of his own which reads: "The Editor ondary importance while the new method of fomenting racial hatred is tried out. may be correct." To the credit of our reader let it be said that According to those who proposed the new he does not hide under anonymity—as some cor- technique, it has certain distinct advantages. respondents unfortunately do at times—and that In the first place the very anonymity of the A Fine Summer Camp for Boys in he has appended his name to the note. It is quite . method offers benefits. At old Christian Front evident that he is sincere in his concern over this street meetings, the speakers were immedi- ALGONQUIN PARK, ONTARIO question for trees and the problem of providing ately labeled for what they were; in the new food for needy. Nevertheless, we wonder why he procedure, onlookers will believe that the • Mature staff—one Counselor to four boys in cabin- did not, when he read the article in Printers' Ink, vociferous anti-Semite is simply another well- • Complete relief from hay fever- xpressing his opinion. In the ay to himself that in view of the negative atti- e meaning citizen s tude of this periodical on a Jewish question the second place this method will be harder to • Horseback riding and all camp activities included in the one fee. combat than were the former tactics. Pro- editor may be either correct or incorrect. democratic groups, which previously held Phone or write foi appointment or information to: The fact is that this editor is wrong. One must counter-meetings in order to offset the Front understand the value of a tree and the significance propaganda, will now be unable to antici- of planting it before reaching a conclusion on pate where and when the Fronters will be tree planting. The planting of a tree in Palestine spreading their "gospel." In other words, the is unlike the planting of a bush in Detroit or in Fronters will be appearing in small numbers Cleveland or in Los Angeles. It represents life. at unexpected but strategic points throughout It means labor. It means a livelihood for people. the city. A third aciyantage is that the Chris- It means honor and dignity for a people. It rep- tian Front itself Minot be held responsible resents the foundation for a homeland for a for the public disturbances that will be the people. TYLER 5-2259, Evenings hoped-fur result of the arguments started. 2516 PINGREE, DETROIT Let us, at the outset, understand the interpre- TYLER 5-8600, Days (And this is an important consideration, in tation given by Jewish tradition to true charity view of the fact that the Christian Front has —to Zedakah which means not alms-giving but been advised by influential parties not to justice. Maimonides described it as a gradation openly cause too much trouble until the pres- in eight steps. The first degree is a gift made ent Federal trial of their fellows is con- with reluctance and representing the donation cluded.) of the hand and not of the heart. The second step is to give cheerfully but not proportion- It is pointed out that a successful test case ately to the distress of the sufferer. The third has already been made of the technique. On step is to give proportionately and cheerfully but Sunday, the day previous to the secret gather- not until solicited. The fourth step involves the ing, a selected pair of Front adherents ex- putting of the gift in the receiver's hand thus perimented at Times Square. The results ob- inciting in him the painful emotion of shame. The tained were "highly satisfactory." And so fifth step, marking commendable conduct, involves it was decided to put into effect immediately the tieing of alms in the poor men's cloaks so the new method, on a wide scale. "Discus- There is no need for your family ever to be faced that the needy may take the gifts unperceived. sions" are to be started within the next few with the handicap of unpaid bills and accumulated The sixth grade rises even higher, the benefactor days in and around Times. Square, at 96th debts if you should die unexpectedly. The Great- remaining unknown. Even more meritorious is Street and Broadway, at Willis Avenue and the seventh step, involving the bestowing of kind- West Life can provide you with a policy—plan 59th, and at other advantageous p o ints around ness by an unknown benefactor to whom the adjusted to suit your needs and your earning power the city. needy also remains unknown. But the eighth step —that will give your family a fair start in the is the most commendable of all. It anticipates This revelation spells warning. The big danger struggle which would face them if you should be charity by preventing poverty, by assisting the that may result from such a dastardly program is called away unexpectedly. See me for particulars. reduced fellow-man by teaching him a trade, or that it will either create panic in Jewish ranks, by putting him in business so that he may earn a or that it will so un-nerve some Jews that they livelihood and not be forced to the alternative will turn hot-heads and will offer battle. Both must be avoided. A great deal of tact will have of holding out his hand for charity. to be exercised, and Jews will have to control This is the principle that must guide us in 1512 Union Guardian Building their tempers. At the same time, it would be considering the value of a tree which means so calamitous to ignore the threats of such a scheme much to Palestine. When a person orders the Telephone — Randolph 0446 planting of trees in Eretz Israel he does not and not to plan to offset its impending menace. Our leaders are put to the test by such diabolical merely buy a sapling and have it planted. He does more than that: He helps redeem land for tactics. They must think of the future and know ASBUNANCE COMPANY hISAO OPPICII• •ININNIPIO how to face the issue that will be created by the colonization of harassed Jews; he buys the such an un-American and hate-breeding plan. seed for cultivating this land; he employs labor Time will of course, solve all problems, in- to work the land; he saves lives by giving people a home and by providing the means of a livelihood cluding this one. But time may be on our side now, and later it may work against us. Let our for these people. In brief, he rises to the highest leaders plan for action before it is too late. degree of kindness as prescribed by Maimonides. Ile reaches "the summit of charity's golden ladder," as the Maimonidean code is described. One important point must not be forgotten. Suspension of Gottheil Medal What the miserably-treated Jewish people needs is a home. Ask the average German Jew for an Writing in behalf of the trustees of the Gottheil GET IN TOUCH WITH explanation of the policy adopted in the past Medal, which had been offered annually by Zeta seven years of taking the young people out of Beta Tau Fraternity to the person who had done Germany, and he will tell you that he and his the most for Jewry during the past year, James fellow-Jews were primarily concerned that the R. Katzman, chairman of the trustees, writes: youth should be saved and given a home. That "The trustees of the Gottheil Medal at a thought came before the urge for food for them- meeting held on May 4th, 1940, received from the selves. More important than charity involving editors of the Anglo-,Jewish press a large number food for the starvation is self-respect for the of worthy nominees for the 1939 award by the living. Dignity and self-respect are possible only Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity of the medal for dis- when people are at home and are beginning to tinguished service to Jewry. acquire freedom. If the attitude expressed in "The trustees are of the opinion that at a Printers' Ink were adopted by peoples and gov- time when millions of Jews are undergoing in- I Wyandotte Detroit Phone I ernments, then we would have to stop building credible privation, when thousands of acts of Phone 0650 Vinewood 2-3060 schools and universities, we would be called upon heroism are being performed by Jews and non- SALES AND SERVICE to abandon better housing programs, we would Jews in the cause of humanity, and Americans forget the need for impriving health conditions; Wyandotte, Mich. have contributed so richly of their wisdom and 2400 Biddle Avenue through adequate hospitals. their means to the solution of the problem of What is a tree? It is a symbol of life and the Jew, which is the problem of civilization, the growth and happiness. It represents toil and the selection of any one individual for the Gottheil joy of working for a living. It is an emblem of award is neither feasible nor desirable. The self-respect and a nation's dignity. In Palestine award of the medal is, therefore, suspended this it means all of that, and more: it means, for year." the Jewish people, the reconstruction of a self- It took a long time to reach this decision. The respecting existence away from the misery of fact is that adults are not children, that there the ghetto and the degradation of oppression. It ought not to be a need for "rewards" for Jews means self-help and a return to a national crea- who come forth to serve their people. tive life. It is much better to plant a tree and Nevertheless, the reason advanced sounds weak. thereby to help rebuild a home for Israel and After all it has been true for a decade, and is to provide means for earning a livelihood to the not peculiar to the present year. On the con- hordes fleeing from persecution, than merely to w e believe that it is more difficult to select We invite your mortgage business. hand out alms without planning and thus to per- trary, an awardee today than it has been in years. The petuate poverty and despair. The poor must be It will receive our careful considera- crushing of the Jewish spirit abroad has also fed, and the needy must be helped; but a people affected us here, and it has hurt our standing tion from inception to completion. with vision must not limit itself to hand-outs but as a creative force. It is something to think must plan for the future. A broken mart's life about seriously. must be reconstructed; a broken people's existence We are in favor of the complete abandonment must be made secure. That is why we are seeking of the practice of distributing medals, and favor colonization centers for Jews, in Santo Domingo instead the spread of greater concern over our and in the Philippines and in Alaska, as well as status as an ethnical and ethical entity. kt there General Discount Corporation In Palestine. To abandon the planting of trees be less thinking of awards and more concern over f- would mean also the abandonment of colonization the need of creating values for ourselves and our 1605 BARLUM TOWER ood for the starving is self-respect for the neighbors. Let us start building our defenses cul- people can not and will not do. Palestine will have turally and spiritually. When we have done that trees because the people settling in Palestine must we will once again have given more than we have life. The tree remains the symbol of life— are giving now to America and to the world. and life goes on. Camp [TAMAKWA LOU HANDLER DIRECTOR Assure Them of a Clear Start HARRY 01MELSTEIN ".GREAT-WEST LIFE • BUICK'S Best Bet Jack Alkon You Will Do Much Better ALKON MOTOR SALES EXPERIENCE ABILITY — SERVICE APPROVED F.H.A. MORTGAGES •