Americam 'Nick fkriodical Carter

'Detroit Jewish Chronicle

SECTiON ONE

VOL. 42. NO. 52

N. Y. Education
Group Greeted
By Roosevelt

and The Legal Chronicle

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1940

Story of the Hasmonean Scroll

By MOSHE DAVIS

Chanukah, the Festival of
Lights commemorating the suc-
cessful Hasmonean revolt and the
subsequent birth of freedom, is
universally observed today. It
was not always so. Originally,
serious attempts \me made to
depreciate its importance, as is
evidenced by the fact that Han-
ukkah was invested with no aura
of sanctity. (Work is permitted,
except that in the evening when
the lights are burning, the wo-
men must cease their labors.)
Launching its campaign to Moreover, except for the lighting
complete a budget of $250,000
for the current year, the Jewish
Education Committee of New
York Sunday night held its an-
nual Chanukah dinner at Hotel
Astor with almost 1,000 guests
1\
•
in attendance. A high point of
interest was the reading of let-
ters from President Roosevelt and
Gov. Herbert H. Lehman, in
which they stress the importance
of religious training for children
in a democracy and congratulate
the committee on its program to
extend and improve religious ed-
ucation for the Jewish children
of New York.
The letters were read by Hon.
Samuel I. Rosenman, president
of the committee, which was
formed a year ago as a unified
community effort on behalf of
Jewish religious education. Jus-
tice Rosenman reported on the
extensive program which has al-
ready been gotten under way
during its first year.
Frederick F. Greenman, chair-
man of the dinner committee,
presided, and the speakers in-
cluded, in addition to Justice
Rosenman, Harry H. Liebovitz,
vice president; Mrs. William
Jasie, honorary president of Iv-
riah, the Women's Division;
Frank L. Weil and Bernard Sem-
el, members of the board of
trustees, and Dr. Alexander M.
Dushkin, executive director.

Committee Told of
Importance of Reli-
gious Training

Zionist Labor
Conclave Jan. 5

of the candles, no specific ritual
was devised. But strangest of all
is the fact that Chanukah, al-
though dated in a period which
provides us with a plethora of
source material, is consciously
disregarded by the writers of that
time. Hardly a trace of this
whole glorious Maccabean era is
found in all ancient Hebrew lit-
erature. Outside of the MACCA-
BEES I and II in the Apocry-
pha, no accurate description of
the observance is given.
The reasons for this strange

"MN Frtuit of Eights"

:ZINN\N'\

This Paper Printed in Three Sections

10 Cents Single Copy; $3.00 per Yea/

Book Week Is
Observed Here
At Two Affairs

Dr. Grayzel Speaks at
Center; Yiddish Pro-
gram Sunday

Yiddish Book Week, nationally
celebrated during the entire week
of Chanukah, was given a prom-
inent place on the cultural cal-
endar of Detroit Jewry.
Two events mark observance
in Detroit. An inspiring program
was presented at the Jewish
Community Center on Monday
evening, Dec. 23, and another
program will be sponsored by
the Yiddish groups this Sunday
at the Workmen's Circle Bldg.

By BRESSLER

.

DR. BARNETT R. BRICKNER

The Center Program

Dr. Leo M. Franklin, a mem-
It is anticipated that 1000 dele- ber of the board of the Detroit
gates from organizations and Library Commission and former
guests will participate in the president of the Commission,
celebration of the 20th anniver- presided at the Center program
sary of the Histadruth and the on Monday. He opened the fes-
annual conference of the Ge- tivities with an appropriate
werkshaften campaign, which will Bible reading, and in The course
be held Sunday, Jan. 5, at the of his remarks made a strong
appeal for cooperation with the
Statler Hotel.
The conference will be ad- Jewish Publication Society, the
dressed by Rabbi Barnett R. non-profit Jewish publishing or-
Brickner from Cleveland and ganization which has produced
David Wertheim, general secre- the outstanding Jewish classics.
tary of the Poale Zion party, He called attention to the spe-
cial exhibit sent here by the
See GEWERKSHAFTEN—Pg. 8 ish Publication Society which
may still be seen during the en-
tire week. There is also on ex-
hibit a collection of Hebrew
books, which were gathered by
the United Hebrew Schools, un-
der. the supervision, 9f the. stfkg..
of teachers.
Rabbi Louis J. Haas, extension
director of the Jewish Publication
Society, who was a guest in
Detroit for three weeks, ex-
The President's Letter
plained the exhibit to many of
President Roosevelt in his let-
The Mid-West Federation of the audience who displayed in-
ter to Justice Rosenman said:
the Hebrew Teachers will hold terest in the books after the
"Please convey my best wishes
1 convention here celebration.
its s ixt h annual
to your co-workers in the Jewish
silence are threefold. First, there
Dr. Grayzel's Address
Jan.
2
to
4.
Education Committee of New
was no love lost between the
The
principal address at the
Eleven
states
will
be
repre-
York, at the annual Chanukah
Rabbis and the Hasmonean dy-
was delivered by Dr.
dinner. Please tell them for me
nasty. The rulers, each in his rented at this convention. Mem- celebration
Solomon Grayzel, editor of the
how much I believe in the value
turn, added the crown of king- bets of the National Council for
Jewish Publication Society, who
of their endeavors to extend and
ship to the priestly office. Such Jewish Education who live in the
Mid-West
and
members
of
the
Lay
Leaders'
Association
will
spoke
on the subject "Literature
improv e religious education
contempt for tradition was not
Jewish Survival."
and Jewish
among the children and youth
to be tolerated, for it was close-
lit-
without Jewish lit-
of the Jewish faith in your city.
ly taught that only the descend- join the delegates in two ses-
sions to discuss problems con- erature is almost inconceivable,"
"Our modern democratic way
ants
of
the
royal
line
of
David
11
all three groups.
of life has its deepest roots in
The convention
will open on Dr. Grayzel said in his inspiring
were entitled to rule as kings. cerning
address. He declared that the
our great common religious tradi-
In the second place, the Hasmon-
tion, which for ages past has
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2 p. m. in the greatest danger to J Jews is from
The collapse of France holds ean dynasty identified itself with
taught to civilized mankind the
Sittig
Cohen
Building,
Lawton
Ave.
At the
second 13226
ses- within, when there is weakening
the Sadduccees, thereby contend- Rose
as-
of the spiritual and cultural as-
dignity of the human being, his a lesson to America. That which ing with the Pharisees (the Rab-
8:30
p. pects of the people. Drawing
equality before God, and his re- happened to the great republic binic party). The third reason sion, Thursday, Jan. 2,
sponsibility in the making of a at the hands of the Nazis • may is to be found in the fact that m., representatives of various lo-
cal organizations will greet the upon the Chanukah lesson, he
better and fairer world.
happen anywhere if the liberty- the prevailing political circum- convention, and Albert Ela- said that the Hellenized Jews
"Everywhere in the world
stances were adverse to such ob-
zar, president of the Federation, disparaged Jewish culture and
there are men of stout heart and loving people will be blind to the
will report on the Federation's therein
to their lay
people.
the greatest
"The Scribes,"
danger
firm faith now engaged in a threats that come from the ene-
See CHANUKAH—Page 16
great spiritual struggle to test mies of mankind and those who
to the public.
he is
declared,
"implanted in Jews
activities.
This session
open
a love for their point of view.
whether that ancient wisdom is seek to totalitarianize humanity
to endure, or whether it must and to reduce human values.
The delegates and the Hebrew These men of fortified minds and
give way to the older, discarded
teachers of Detroit will attend staunch hearts had to reject pag-
Heinz Pol knows whereof he
doctrine that sonic few men shall
the Friday night services at anism to fight for Judaism."
speaks. He was arrested by the
Declaring that to this group
dominate multitudes of others and
Shaarey Zedek where Dr. Leo
Nazis on the night of the Reich-
dictate to them their thinking,
L.
Honor,
director
of
the
Board
was
due the success of the Mac-
their religion, their living. This stag fire, escaped to France, then
of Jewish Education of Chicago, cabees, Dr. Grayzel added that
went to France where he was
"Jewish survival was attained on
conflict has found its most ter-
will be the guest speaker.
rible expression in a war which in a position to watch develop-
An Oneg Shabbat is planned the hard benches and bare tables
ments
and
see
the
rise
of
the
has now engulfed a large portion
for Saturday, 2 p. m., in the of the Yeshivahs of Poland."
of humanity. In its more peace- menace that destroyed the coun-
try's
freedom.
He
managed
to
See BOOK WEEK—Page 16
ful aspects, the same struggle
See TEACHERS—Page 8
The quarterly meeting of the
See FRANCE—Page 12
See ROOSEVELT—Page 8
Jewish community council held
last Sunday afternoon in the
Workmen's Circle Educational
By RUTH HILL
Center attracted an audience
observing
Jewish Book Week, it is interesting
which taxed the capacity of the
An Evaluation of the Palestine Leader Who
Editor's Note: In
published
auditorium. In addition to view-
to note the publication of a series of five text-books
Stirred Up Controversy Recently
has held the position
ing literature displays from the
by Dr. Simon Greenberg, who since 1932
natural agencies, the delegates
By ,LOUIS LIPSKY
of Lecturer in Education on the faculty of the Jewish Theo-
logical Seminary of America. Dr. Greenberg's booklets, in-
heard reports on the various as-
elementary grades, mark a
Mr. Pincus Rutenberg has there were rumors of trouble and pects of the council's work and
tended primarily for use in the
from established custom in the field of Jewish
used his retirement from the then he resigned, giving illness as accepted with regret the resig-
vital
departure
Presidency of the Vaad Leumi the reason. After a silence of nation of William I. Boxerman,
education, inasmuch as for the first time an effort is made to
as a fit occasion to issue a pub- weeks, a franker explanation executive director of the Council
introduce religious and ethical ideas into elementary text-books.
lic statement, which has raised came in the statement he gave since its organization in 1936.
of the
to
the
press.
The
discussion
that
a sharp discussion and created
Dr. Simon Greenberg, lecturer the children a knowledge
Simon Shetzer, in' announcing
a lot of Months ago, statement aroused is still going Mr. Boxerman's resignation, paid in education at the Jewish Theo- ancient Hebrew tongue, but even
more in inculcating an under-
Mr. Rutenberg was induced to on in Zionist circles.
logical Seminary of America, and
Mr. Rutenberg is the one man tribute to the progress that the rabbi of Har Zion Temple in standing the tenets of Jewish
accept the position of head of
organization has made under his
religion and ethics, Dr. Green-
the organized Yishuv in order in Palestine with whom "glam-
leadership. Mr. Boxerman is Philadelphia, Pa., has just pub- berg has managed to prepare
or"
and
"power"
are
associated.
to unite all elements in support
lished a series of five booklets
leaving
Detroit
to
accept
a
posi-
the texts so that both purposes
of war emergencies in Palestine. The "glamor" is not his idea;
tion as regional director of the which may mark a revolutionary
The Yishuv needed a "strong" nor does he like it. It was wished Anti - Defamation League with change in the method of teaching can be achieved at the same time.
Each lesson in the texts contains
man, and it was agreed that Mr. on him by his checkered career.
headquarters at Miami, Fla., elementary Hebrew in this coun-
Rutenberg fitted the description. His name is linked with the
try.
See EDUCATION—Page 16
Ile tackled the job with his usual
Interested not .only in giving
See COUNCIL--Page 12
See RUTENBERG—Page 9
determination and energy. Soon,

Hebrew TOachers
Convene Jan. 2-4
Dr. Honor to Speak
at Shaarey Zedek
Friday Night

France's Plight
Warning to U. S.

Collapse of Republic Is
Told in "Suicide of
a Democracy

Local Council
Hears Reports
Quarterly Meeting Is
Told of Recent
Activities

Pincus Rutenberg, the 'Strong' Man

Departure in Jewish Education