A merica apish PerioNcal Cotter. CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle April 11, 1941 P urely Commentary • Liberation versus Escape Our files yield a clipping carrying a report of a Passover sermon delivered by Dr. Stephen S. Wise on April 28, 1929. Speaking to his Free Synagogue congregation, Rabbi Wise then said: "There is an absence of liberty in those Jews wh o rejoice in the homelessness of the Jewish people, who reject the Jewish way of life and who have no part in the Jewish con- sciousness. "Much if not all of the un-Jewishness of our life is rooted in the acquiescence of the Jew in that homelessnes s of spirit which did not hurt him as long as it was unavoidable, which hurts him woefully now, now that he is free to become a creative participant in the unbuilding of a Jewish life in the Jewish land, whether he dwells in Palestine or in the lands of dispersion." Rabbi Wise then defined "escape" as being "merely from outward circumstances," while "liberation" he described as being "from a kind of thrall or bondage that lies within ourselves." Then, referring to the liberation from Egypt, he spoke of the Jews of that time: "In a literal sense the Jews escaped, but they had not liberated themselves, because thy hankered for the fleshpots of Egypt and because they reared an idol from a molten calf. Afterward, when God in his wrath smote their souls rather than their bodies, they were on the way to liberation. Libera- tion only began when the Jews said, All that the Lord has said that will we do.' "Today it has come to pass that Israel is called upon to rebuild a land and a life, and if Israel refuses, it is because of the failure of many Jews to understand the difference between escape from bondage, which may lead anywhere, and liberation, which leads to and is freedom." t Much water has gone over the dam during the intervening 12 years. But the rebuke of Dr. Wise to the Jews who accept a state of homelessness and reject true liberation is more timely than ever. The truth of his assertions is evidenced in the revival of anti-Zionist senti- ments, in the refusal of Jews to participate in the great reconstruction efforts in Palestine, in the "escapist" views which harm the cause of self-emancipation. There has been justification for the ques- tion whether Jews welcome liberation in a home- land. There are too many who continue to suffer from nostalgic pangs not for freedom and inde- pendence but for the fleshpots of Egypt. These people represent the antithesis of justice and freedom. It is against them, more than against the taskmasters, that the spirit of Passover cries out in this hour. • The Right of Free Speech Our attention is called to a most significant sentence in the "Essay on Liberty" by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), which reads as follows: "If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." We share it with our readers as being one of the most significant statements ever uttered on the question of the right of free speech. Its truth is more apparent today than at any ether time in history. This leads us to another important statement, made by President Wilson on May 10, 1919, in an address at the Institute of France in Paris. PM, the fighting liberal New York daily newspaper, quoted it recently at the suggestion of Attorney-General Robert H. Jackson. Presi- dent Wilson's statement follows: "I have always been among those who be- lieved that the greatest freedom of speech wa s the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking. It cannot be so easily discovered if you allow him to remain silent and look wise, but if you let him speak, the secret is out and the world knows that he is a fool." It works both ways, of course. The fool talks himself into a ridiculous position, and the de- fender of just rights retains the privilege of battling for an ideal. That's democracy at its best. The Passover season is an ideal time to i'evive the significance of these declarations. Such senti- ments help strengthen the bulwarks for democ- racy and freedom. • • 5 SOCIAL WORKERS By Philip Slomovitz ARE UNIONIZED none has until now published a work of this kind in Yiddish. Another innovation involves the author him- self. Mr. Weinberg is well known for his effi- cient Detroit journalistic activities. Few know, however, that he has written many articles for the national dailies. He has kept his own per- sonality in the background, and his important articles on social, political and economic issues, involving the Jewish community, have appeared under numerous pseudonyms, best known of which are G. Brenweis, S. Winogursky and S. Rize- sohn. This is the first time, however, that he has written anything under his own name, and the work is a credit to his efforts. It is typical of his anxiety to be accurate and to be objec- tive. The Federation and Mr. Weinberg have our congratulations on the appearance of this splen- did work. It is a good introduction to a library involving local affairs, and it will prove its worth for the future historian who will be in need of background material when writing about the Jews of this city and their institutions. • A Phantom Takes a Walk Remember the words of the old song—"Did you ever see a dream walking?" The miracle has happened: a dream has not only walked, but it protests that it is not a phantom. For three years, the myth called General Jew- ish Council has done some walking. It accom- plished some herculean tasks. In spite of all ridicule and protests, it insisted upon retaining "status"—on letterhead, on doors of offices more luxuriant than ours, in a few bombastic pub- licity statements. But the American Jewish Congress, having done a lot of kicking and protesting—a task in which it is well trained—finally decided to step out of the picture and to notify the public that the phantom is dead. Lo and behold, however, the phantom con- tinues to carry on! The names refuse to disap- pear from the letterheads and from the panes on office doors. The American Jewish Commit- tee, Bnai Brith and Jewish Labor Committee insist on carrying on. It is easy to understand why the first two of the adamant trio should stick together— having joined for a mutual fund-raising cam- paign. (Bnai Brith's delegates to the General Jewish Council were at least frank in their views when they voted with the Congress delegates to declare the Council liquidated). But why the Jewish Labor Committee, should humble itself to remain in the Council, although it is treated only as a necessary evil by the other two groups who decided to step out on an independent pro- gram of defense action, is a matter that will not be easy to explain. But if a phantom can walk, anything is pos- sible. If a so-called General Jewish Council, having fooled the public for three years, can still insist upon retaining identity, then anything is possible. If three members of this mythical body can have the audacity, after three years of pompous bluffing, to state, when the Ameri- can Jewish Congress dares to call a spade a spade, "that Council is not only continuing but intends to enlarge its scope" (this is a quotation from the telegram we received from the three Jewish organizations who defy the action of the Jewish Congress), then there is justification for branding such action an outrageous insult to the intelligence of American Jewry. And so, the General Jewish Council intends "to enlarge its scope!" Hold your sides, ladies and gentlemen, lest your sides split laughing! The phantom speaks of "scope!" The mythical Council continues to walk! All laws of gravity are defied! Shades of Houdini ! The age of miracles is not ended! Notable Days on Jewish Calendar With the appearance of "Jewish Social Ser- vices of Detroit: A History of Its Welfare Agen- cies and Activities," written by Samuel D. Wein- berg, editor of the Detroit page of the Jewish Daily Forward, and published by the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, new traditions are being established. Most significant of all is the fact that the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit is the first organization of its kind in the country to publish a book in Yiddish describing the vari- ous community agencies. Other Federations are also releasing articles for the Yiddish press, but Passover - - - - April 12 — 19 Rosh Chodesh Iyar - - - Sunday and Monday, April 27 & 28 Lag b'Omer - - - - Thursday, May 15 Rosh Chodesh Sivan - - Tuesday, May 17 Shevuos - - - Sunday and Monday, June 1 & 2 Rosh Chodesh Tammuz - Wednesday and Thurs- day, June 25 & 26 Fast of Tammuz - - - - Sunday, July 13 Rosh Chodesh Ab - - - - Friday, July 25 Tisha b'Ab - - - - Sunday, Aug. 3 Rosh Chodesh Ellul - - - - Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23 & 24. 5701 Leader Marches In— Dirt Marches Out! • RUGS CLEANED by LEADER are Clean & Beautiful • LEADER is not just a cleaner —LEADER is a specialist in cleaning Rugs, Carpets and Upholstered Furniture. LEADER Carpet Cleaning Company PASSOVER GREETINGS - - - And Our Thanks for Your Valuable Patronage! QUALITY GROCERIES, FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT REASONABLE PRICES PROMPT DELIVERIES AT ANY TIME DEXTER FULLERTON MARKET 12540 Dexter, cor. Fullerton To. 6-9232-8.5424 JOE MENDLOVITS and MORRIS SHAPIRO, Props. WE WILL OBSERVE PASSOVER AND REMAIN OPEN Serving all the Tempting Traditional Holiday Delicacies FREDSON'S KOSHER Restaurant and Dining Room UNEXCELLED FOOD Catering to Bridge Parties and Banquets Private Dining Room for Parties 12017 DEXTER BLVD. NOrtblawn 9786 BIJICICS Best Bet GET IN TOUCH WITH Jack Alkon For Those Who Lack Conviction Samuel D. Weinberg—Historian TYLER 5-8400 Signing of the first formal agreement in the United States between a family welfare society and a labor union has just been announced by the Social Service Employees' Pnion of Greater New York. This contract, entered into by the Jewish Social Service As- sociation after six months of negotiations, affects 90 workers. Minimum and maximum annual salaries are specified as $1,650 and $3,300 for professional workers; $1,080 and $1,740 for for clerical employees; $720 and $840 for office boys. Salary increases "where the work per- formed warrants it" were cited as part of the JSSA's policy, and increases were granted to various employees while the negotiations were in progress. These rises were in three brackets—$200 a year for supervisors; $180 for case workers; and $60 for cleri- cal help. A selection from Israel Zangwill's views on Zionism is worth quoting at this time. It is: It is a powerful statement on Zionism. The only fault one can find with it is that he limits "lack of conviction" to the rich. The trouble is that there are plenty of poor who also lack conviction. To provide courageous determina- tion for the acquisition of liberty and emancipa- tion among all classes is the greatest need of all liberating movements like Zionism. Call First Contract in U. S. Goes to Jewish Wel- fare Agency • "The gospel of Herzl is not only for the poor Jews who lack bread, but for the rich Jews who lack a conviction; nay, to the world-at-large— a world relapsing into bar- barism and dominated by mechanism—it re- stores the light and warmth of idealism. Never since Imperial Rome fell in its rotten- ness has there bee n an hour in which the world needed so much the inspiring spectacle of a movement, incorrupt and instinct with the noblest humanity. And it is fitting that from Zio n this light should go forth." Passover Greetings! You Will Do Much Better ALKON MOTOR SALES Detroit Phone I Vinewood 2-3060 —BUNK— SALES AND SERVICE 2400 Biddle Avenue at 0 50 P ho ne Wyandotte, Mich. 'In EXPERIENCE ABILITY — SERVICE APPROVED F.H.A. MORTGAGES We invite your mortgage business. It will receive our careful considera- tion frorr inception to completion. e General Discount Corporz 1605 BARLUM TOWER CHRONICLE WANT ADS PAY!