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DETROIT JEWISH

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.

President

JACOB H. SCHAKNE

t.ntered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, et the Post.
office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

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Editor .
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JACOB MARGOLIS
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
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T1•e Detroit Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on sub-
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bility for an endorsement of views expressed by the writers.

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 28 :10-32 :3.
Prophetical portion—Hos. 12:13-14 :10 ; or 11 :7-
12 :12 ; or 11 :7-14 :10.

KISLEV 6, 5701

DECEMBER 6, 1940

On Complacency and Riots

CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

Our Cultural Defense

In her inspiriing introduction to M. W.
Fodor's "The Revolution Is On," Dorothy
Thompson makes the following important
point: "The weakness of the democracies
lies in the fact that they are incapable of
envisioning a more reasonable, civilized,
just, and beautiful universe. and unwill-
ing to assume the responsibility for creat-
ing it. The Maginot Line s not only phy-
sical ; it is mental and spiritual."
It is in this spirit that Jews have been
importuned to strengthen their spiritual
fortresses, to be faithful in their adher-
ence to their traditions, to strengthen their
cultural values.
It is not enough to think negatively of
defense of our position. The fight against
anti-Semitism can become a purely nega-
tive one unless we also emphasize the
need for positive work in behalf of de-
mocracy. Similarly, Judaism can become
a defense mechanism and an apologetic
faith if we merely emphasize the need for
fighting bigotry. Judaism will not thrive,
however, unless it continues to be crea-
tive ; unless it gives emphasis to our cul-
tural values; unless it enforces the spit'
ual power of Israel.
We must continue to strengthen our
schools, to encourage research and the
production of books, to enthuse those who
seek to carry on our cultural traditions.
The Jewish Publication Society is one
of the major agencies in Jewish life which
strive to accomplish that end. It is a crea-
tive force in American Jewry; it encour-
ages scholarship and produces the works
of scholars; it provides adults and chil-
dren with the most desirable literature ;
it is both American and Jewish in spirit.
Rabbi Louis J. Haas, who succeeded two
years ago in creating many friends for the
Jewish Publication Society in Detroit, is
here on a return visit and deserves to be
given the encouragement that is due a
representative of this important Ameri-
can-Jewish cause. Instead of 200 members,
Detroit should have a minimum of 1,000
members in this society. Since every $5
membership gives more than its monetary
value in return in books, affiliation with
the Jewish Publication Society represents
a good investment; in fact, it is an ex-
cellent bargain. It is to be hoped that
Rabbi Haas will be given the cordial re-
ception that he and the cause he repre-
sents deserve.

December 6, 1940

• STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL •

Tidbits from Everywhere

By PHINEAS J. BIRON

NEWS COLUMN

The Vichy government, they
tell us, is deliberating on a mass
deportation of the Jews to Mada-
gascar . . . Note to our lady
readers: We hear that Gory
Goering's favorite perfume is a
concoction called L'Houro Blou.
. . . He uses it in his bawth .. .
Magda Lupescu is carrying a
lethal supply of poison on her
person these days, and will use
it if the Rumanian Iron Guard-
ists succeed in kidnapping her
from Spain . . . Rather death
than capture is her motto . . .
Since Hitler came to power, re-
veals Neal O'Hara, more than
$1,100,000,000 has been collected
for the Nazi Winter Relief Fund
in Germany—and no accounting
whatsoever has been given to
the public of the disposition of
all that dough . . . Lord Haw-
Haw, the renegade Englishman
whom Berlin uses as its English-
language propagandist, has chan-
ged his name from Joyce to
roelich—which means "joyful"
in rman . . . Latest Broadway
epithet for the Nazis is "Ber-
linsects" . . . Winchell relays the
story about the babies, one Ger-
man and one Italian, whose iden-
tification tags were lost . .
"How can you tell which is
which?" somebody asked the
nurse in charge . . . "That's
easy," she replied . . . "I just
say 'Heil Hitler'—and the Ger-
man baby lifts its right arm in
salute, while the Italian baby
immediately kisses the little
Heinie's little foot" . . . Along
the same line is Jimmy Dorsey's
comment: "The only thing Il
Duce can lick is Hitler's boots."

A group of Christian Frontists made
itself at home at the meeting addressed
by Dr. L. M. Birkhead at Central High
School last Monday evening and attempted
to stage a miniature riot. It was, a disturb-
ing occurrence for Detroit Jews because
they had read about such happenings but
never personally experienced them.
Upon calm analysis of what had hap-
pened, our people should realize that it
was not an incident to justify fear. We
always knew that this group existed, and
Dr. Birkhead himself explained after the
occurrence of the ugly demonstration that
YOU SHOULD KNOW
anti-Semites manage to stage hissing par-
The cultural life of Palestine
ties wherever he goes.
goes on despite war and black-
outs, with one exception, Dr..
To the Jews in the audience at Central
Nissan Touroff recently reported
High School last Monday evening we ex-
to the Palestine Hebrew Culture
Fund . . .. The publication of
press congratulations and gratitude for
books and the size of newspap-
their calmness during an abuse of all
ers has been sharply curtailed,
due to an acute shortage of pap-
common decencies and of the privilege
er in Eretz Israel . . . Jerusalem,
of free speech by a group of misbehaving
Dr. Touroff further revealed, has
become the refugee center of
guests.
the Near East . . . Did you read
What the occurrence teaches us is that
Pierre van Paassen's piece, en-
we must not become too complacent, that
titled "The Coming Battle for
Jerusalem," in last week's Lib-
we must realize that the poison of Hit-
erty Magazine? . . . We learn
lerism has invaded the shores of this coun-
that the late Robert Marshall,
try, and that the mistakes made by Jews,
forester and son of the Jewish
leader Louis Marshall, left the
Christians and o liberals in Germany must
Aid for "Red Mogen David"
major part of his fortune,
not be repeated here. Therefore, it is
"American Red Mogen David for Pal-
to over a million dol-
timely to declare to all good Americans: estine, Inc." is the name of a newly amounting
lars, to a foundation that is to
be on guard against the spread of bigotry incorporated group, the equivalent of the study ways and means of in-
stituting an economy based on
—the first symbol of Hitlerism.
Red Cross, which is to aid the Red Mogen the use-motive rather than on
David of Palestine, the Holy Land's coun- the profit motive . . . Joseph G.
The Center Cultural Program
terpart of the Red Cross. This organiza- Brin, publisher of the Boston
Advocate, is the author
was incorporated by the Order Sons Jewish
of a book that should be cir-
The Jewish Community Center's educa- tion
of Zion, the Zionist fraternal order.
culated among our would-be
tional department has earned the commu-
It is to be hoped that it will not be- speakers . . . It is called "Per-
nity's commendations for the constructive come necessary to send unlimited medi- sonal Power Through Public
program it is conducting this year. Its lec- cal and surgical supplies to aid war needy Speech," and is a very system-
ture-concert series includes a wide choice in Palestine. But in view of the threatened
of artists and speakers, and its general danger, it is well that responsible groups
educational program is simlarly deserv- should be prepared to supply the neces- UGLY TENTACLES!
ing of encouragement as a contributing sary material in the event of serious out-
factor towards building a thinking con- breaks of hostilities in the Mediterran-
stituency and towards fostering appre- ean. While there is still comparative se-
ciation of the best in the arts.
curity in Palestine, the dangers that loom
In spite of an overcrowded community on the horizon demand vigilant prepared-
program, the lecture-concert series of the ness. With the facilities of Hadassah on
Jewish Community Center has attracted hand, with many . of the needed supplies
large audiences. This is an indication of now being manufactured in Palestine, and
the community's appreciation of the ser- with the latest precautionary measures
ious efforts that are being made by the undertaken by the Order Sons of Zion,
Center's educational director, I s a a c it is to be expected that needs of the Pal-
Franck, and his associates to sponsor estinian population, as well as its military
forces, will be adequately cared for in the
wholesome programs.
A regrettable factor in our community's event the horrors of war spread to Eretz
program of overlapping activities is that Israel.
the numerous lectures sponsored by var-
ious organizations have been so grouped
Alien Registration Deadline
that they conflicted with each other. In
Dec. 27 is the deadline set for the
the months and years to come, it would registration
of aliens, and it is imperative
be well for the leading movements to get that non-citizens
should comply with the
together and to plan their efforts so that
law
and
register
at the nearest Post
the lectures can be distributed with a Office.
view to giving the local audiences breath-
The vast majority of the estimated
ing spells and at, the same time to assure 3,200,000 aliens
in this county have al-
large attendandes for all.
ready registered. In the remaining days
The Jewish Community Center's lecture- before the Dec. 27 deadline, the remain-
concert program appears to have become ing several hundred thousand must do
an established and accepted tradition on likewise. They will thus avoid prosecu-
the community calendar. Perhaps the Cen- tion under the law and will, at the same
ter is the prOper agency to plan concerted time, display a certain measure of grati-
efforts for the avoidance of conflicts in tude for the hospitality shown them by
our extra-curricular cultural undertakings. this country.

,

atic text-book on that subject.
. . . Erwin Piscator's production
of "King Lear," which is now
being readied for Broadway and
which will have Sam Jatfo in
the title role and Roger de Kov-
en in the part of Edmund, will
present the aged king as the
first and greatest of the dictat-
ors.

INFORMATION

Did you know that Georg
Brandes, the famous Danish
critic and literary historian, was
born Morris Cohen? . . . That
the Borough of Brooklyn has
582 Jewish societies and organ-
izations, 201 • of which are con-
gregations? . . . That the ma-
ternal grandfather of John How-
ard Payne, )vho wrote "Home,
Sweet Home," was one Aaron
Isaacs, who fled from Brooklyn
to Easthampton, Long Island,
before the advancing British
forces in the Revolutionary War?
. . . That Edward L. Bernays,
ace of the country's public rela-
tions counsel, started out as the
assistant editor of a medical
magazine . . . That way back
in the year 1295 the charter of
the Berlin wool-wealers' guild
contained a provision forbidding
the members of the guild to sup-
ply yarn to Jews? . . . That the
mother of the late David Bel-
asco, the great theatrical pro-
ducer, actor and playwright, was
a gYPsY 9
That the city of
Belfast, Ireland, had no Jewish
population whatsoever until 1851,
and that it wasn't until 1870
that the first synagogus was es-
tablished there . . . That Czar-
ina Theodora of Bulgaria, wife
of Czar Ivan Alexander, who
ascended the throne in 1345,
was a beautiful Jewess whose
original name had been Sarah?
. . . And that the Hindus call
the Beni Israel, the brown-skin-
ned Jews of India, by the name
of Shanvar Telis, which means
"Saturday Oilpressers" and re-
fers to their observance of the
Sabbath? . . . We could go on
like this for hours, and prob-
ably will in future columns .. .
As you may have guessed, the
source of our information is
the Universal Jewish Encyclo-
peida.

ABOUT PEOPLE

Franz Werfel will not accept
any more speaking engagements
this season . . . Within the next
few months a new forty-thou-
sand word novelette by him will
be published in an important
magazine.
Howard S.. Cullman, head of
the Port of New York Author-
ity, who is backing three Broad-
way shows this year, is by no
means a newcomer to the Great
White Way . . . It was Cullman
who, a number of years ago,
took the bankrupt Roxy Tretaer
and put it on its feet again.

by BRESSLER