America mak Periodical
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October 25, 1940
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
P urely Commentary •
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GLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNA:11 20, OHIO
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Legal Chronicle
By Philip Slomovitz
Creating Literary Values
The Power That Can Never Die
It is encouraging. to know that we have not
stopped creating true cultural values in the midst
of crises. Life goes on, and the elements of our
life are not losing their worth in spite of all the
barbarism that threatens to engulf the world.
During the past week, three valuable booklets
made their appearance. Each is a storehouse of
Jewish traditionalism, and each marks a contribu-
tion to Jewish literature.
One is a mimeographed program on RASHI
(Rabbemu Shlomo Itzhaki), published on the oc-
casion of the 900th anniversary of the great Com-
mentator's birth. Prepared jointly by the National
Jewish Welfare Board and the Jewish Education
Association of New York and the Associated Tal-
mud Torahs of Philadelphia, this manual is a
most all-inclusive collection. It contains a biog-
raphy of the great scholar, incorporated in it are
excerpts from his commentaries, there are repro-
ductions of the script used in the Raisin Biblical
and Talmudic Commentaries and explanations of
them, playlets in English and Hebrew, etc.
This Commentator believes that this manual
is by far the best product of its kind issued by
the Jewish Welfare Board, which already has to
its credit numerous other valuable literary works.
It is a program that should be made good use
of in centers, schools and organizations.
Then there is the splendid collection of poems,
"Gems of Hebrew Verse", translated from the
Hebrew by Harry II. Fein and published by Bruce
Humphries, 30 Winchester St., Boston, Mass.
These "poems for young people" are just as well
suited for men and women of all ages, for the
home and the classroom and clubroom. There are
71 poems by 34 authors—and among the authors
are Schneiur, Bialik, Fichman, Tchernichovsky,
Judah Halevi, Ibn-Gabirol, IbniEzra, etc., etc.
Mr. Fein has already earned a reputation for
brilliance as translator of Hebrew poems into
English. He has produced two other similar books,
and all are a credit to his ability. There are
humorous poems in his collection, legends, verses
dealing with personalities, the Sabbath and festi-
vals, and nature poems. All are informative, all
are marked by the same charm in translation
that existed in the original.
There is a thrilling forword, "A Diadem of
Gems", in which Mr. Fein tells his young read-
ers, "Lo, I have fashioned a diadem for you, my
children, a diadem for your souls!" This little
book is, indeed, just that.
And the third little book is similarly valuable.
.
It is "The Oneg Shabbath Book" edited by Dr.
Trude Weiss Rosmarin, an able writer who is also
the inspiration for the formation of the publish-
ing House that has issued this book—The Jewish
Book Club, 110 W. 40th St., New York City. Dr.
Rormarin is the author of the answer to Freud's
view of Moses in a book "The Hebrew Moses."
She also wrote "Jewish Women Through the
Ages." She is co-editor of the Jewish Spectator
of New York.
Her present little book makes it possible for
those who seek to popularize the idea of an Oneg
Shabbath to have such a Shabbath celebration in
its true form and color. Her booklet is an an-
thology for the Sabbath. It opens with selections
from the Bible, it proceeds to give legends from
the Talmud and other Jewish sources, then pre-
sents a section of poetry about the Sabbath, a
Sabbath Quiz, short stories and other features,
and concludes with songs for the Sabbath, ac-
companied with musical scores. Here is a hand-
book that can serve also as good reading material
and as a reference work on the Sabbath.
The interesting point about the three books
we have mentioned is that none is priced over $1.
The first mentioned can be secured for 25 cents,
the second for $1 and the third for 50 cents. This
places possession of valuable literary products
within easy reach of every‘jewish home.
•
We are indebted to the Free Synagogue Weekly
Bulletin for refreshing our memory about a great
book by reprinting a quotation from Stefan
Zweig's "Jeremiah".
Our readers will recall that during World War I
Mr. Zweig, then a resident in Germany, sought
to make a plea for peace. Since that could not
be done freely under the rule of the Kaiser, he
presented his thesis in the form of a Biblical
play, by rewriting the original theme of the story
of the Prophet Jeremiah.
The New York Free Synagogue's bulletin quotes
from Zweig's "Jeremiah", under the heading "Our
Faith in the Invisible", the following:
Howard and Lewis Rebuke the Nazis
I
and the
Since we have made reference to the John
Steinbeck letter in reply to those who sought to
discredit his works on the ground of his being a .
Jew—on the occasion of the revival of the nasty
anti-Semitic outbrust in Rome where an effort is
made to ban Mr. Steinbeck's novels—it will be of
interest to our readers also to know of the atti-
tude of two other eminent authors on the question
of Nazism and anti-Semitism. On the eve of
the publication of Sinclair Lewis' new novel
"Bethel Merridew," his publishers, Doubleday, Do-
ran & Co., released an interesting story about
the author. The story, although not new, is worth
repeating. After Sidney Howard had dramatized
"Dodsworth," a German theatrical agent who
wished to produce the play asked Mr. Howard
and Mr. Lewis to sign formal statements certi-
fying the fact that they were uncontaminated
Aryans. Lewis and Howard replied as follows:
Dear Mr. Bartsch:
I am afraid that with deep regret we shall
be unable to give you certificates guarantee-
ing that we are Aryan. Who knows what
ancestors we may have had in the last few
hundred years? We really are as ignorant
of them as even Hitler of his.
In answering, please use our proper legal
names: Sidney Horowitz, Sinclair Levy.
Sincerely,
Sidney Howard,
Sinclair Lewis.
Will this be a lesson to the Nazis and to iti
Duce's anti-Semites? We doubt it. People who
choose to hate will always make use of a con-
venient scapegoat.
Fortunately, Americans of the courage of
John Steinbeck and Sinclair Lewis are not only
strengthened in their determination to battle for
libertarian principles every time there is a new
outburst of bigotry and anti-Semitism, but they
have not lost their sense of humor. That, as
much as the courage of staunch Americans, will
help our democracy.
We wander down the road of suffering,
Everlastingly vanquished, everlastingly over-
thrown,
Forever enslaved, forever enfranchised,
Unceasingly broken, unceasingly renewed,
The mock and sport of all nations on earth.
We wander through the eternities,
A remnant,
Yet numberless, we march onward to God,
To God who is the beginning and the end,
To God who is our home.
"Get Acquainted" Dance on
Sunday Ushers in Social
Season at Center
America shall create a Council
to serve as the recognized spokes-
man for the Jewish community in
all local matters with the ex-
The first monthly dance spon- ception of religious affairs."
sored by the House League, the
representative body of the Center
membership, will be presented on
Sunday, Oct. 27, at 8:30 p. m., in
the Auditorium of the Jewish
Community Center, Woodward at
Holbrook. This dance will be a
"get acquainted" affair. A pro-
gram of entertainment has been
planned by the social committee,
under the direction of Norman
Weinstein, chairman. Acting as
hostesses for the evening will be
the Jacs.
At its last meeting, Lester
Kaufman was elected president
of the House League for the com-
ing year. Other officers selected
were Herman Raznick, vice presi-
dent; Bertha Cohen, secretary,
and Mrs. Frieda Firestone, treas-
urer.
Call
TYLER
5-8400
Leader Marches In—
Dirt Marches Out!
A. Z. A. Announces Book
Review and Debate
Subject
RUGS CLEANED
bY LEADER
are Clean fg Beautiful
•
The AZA Supreme Advisory
Council located in Washington,
D. C., announces the new book-
review contest to take the place
LEADER is not just a cleaner
Men can be slain,
of the previous English essay
—LEADER is a specialist in
But the God who lives in them
contest.
cleaning Rugs, Carpets and
Can never die.
It also made known to AZA
Upholstered Furniture.
chapters that the subject for the
CaNeful re-reading of Mr. Zweig's passionate 1940-41 National AZA debate
LEADER
expression of faith will indicate that his plea tournament will be: "Resolved,
Carpet
Cleaning
Company
during the last war is applicable to the present that every Jewish community in
conflict. It is the faith in the invisible, in the
intangible, that counts. That spirit of Godliness
which lives in man can not be slain. It is, indeed,
"the secret of our immortality."
Study These
•
What then is the secret of our immortality?
'Tis our faith in the Invisible.
Advantages of
Erman's
Fluorescent Lighting
A Rebuke to the Inhuman Element
Some time ago, New Yorker Magazine pub-
lished an exceedingly touching poem by W. H.
Auden, depicting the plight of the homeless
refugees. It is as timely today as it ever was,
since the sufferings of exiles are as great today
as they ever were, and since the number of suf-
ferers is increasing. The poem follows:
Say this city has ten million souls;
Some are living in mansions, some are living in
holes,
Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet
there's no place for us.
Once we had a country and we thought it fair;
Look in the atlas and you'll find it here.
We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot
go there now.
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-
In the village churchyard there grows an old
yew;
Every spring it flowers anew.
Old passports can't do that, my dear, old pass-
ports can't do that.
The Consul banged the table and said,
"If you've got no passport, you're officially
dead,"
But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still
alive.
Went to a Committee; they offered me a chair,
Asked me politely to return next year.
But where shall we go today, my dear, where
shall we go today?
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 TOwnsend 6-1698
BUICKI S Best Bet
Came to a public meeting; the speaker stood
up and said,
"If we let them in, they will steal our daily
bread."
He was talking of you and me, my dear, he
was talking of you and me.
GET IN TOUCH WITH
Thought I heard the thunder, rumbling in the
sky.
It was Hitler over Europe, saying, "They must
die . . .
0 we were in his mind, my dear, 0 we were in
his mind.
Jack Al kon
a poodle wearing a jacket, fastened with
a pin;
Saw a door open and a cat let in.
But they weren't German Jews, my dear, but
they weren't German Jews.
ALKON MOTOR SALES
Saw
Went down to the harbor, and stood upon the
quay;
Saw the fish swimming as if they were free,
Onl y ten feet away, my dear, only ten feet
away.
Walked into a wood; saw the birds in the trees,
They had no politicians and sang at their ease.
They weren't the human race, my dear, they
weren't the human race.
Dreamt I saw a building with a thousand floors,
A thousand windows, and a thousand doors.
Not one of them was ours, my dear, not one
of them was ours.
Ran down to the station to catch the express;
Asked for two tickets to Happiness,
But every coach was full, my dear, but every
coach was full.
Stood on a great plain in the falling snow;
Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro,
Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for
You and me.
It is a tragic presentation of the case of the
homeless wanderers and it emphasizes the major
need of creating homes for the homeless and of
finding refuge for the refugees.
You Will Do Much Better
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