II
August 22, 1941
RACE VS. RACISM
re
Important Study of a
Subject Made Signi-
ficant by Nazis
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Race as a science, as an issue
injected in political and social
and economic discussions, as a
matter of vital concern for man-
kind,•has been brought to the
fore by the insanity of Nazism.
Anthropologists have come for-
ward with warnings against the
craze of the race idea. They
have pointed to the fallacies of
the racists and the stupidities of
their views.
One of the most important
warnings, if not THE most im-
portant, is Dr. Ruth Bene-
dict's "Race: Science and Poli-
tics," (Modern Age Books, Inc.,
432 Fourth Ave. New York),
which Dr. Franz Boas,
the dean
'
of Amreican anthropologists, calls
"a book badly needed in our
time."
Dr. Benedict points out em-
phatically that racism, not race,
is the modern superstition. She
warns that "history cannot be
written as if it belnoged to one
race alone." She emphasizes that
"civilization has been gradually
built up, now out of the contri-
butions of one race, now of an-
other." Claims by so-caled "Nor-
dics" are disproved logically, fac-
tually. To prove the point, the
views of the logical anthropolo-
gists are quoted parallel with
those of the deluded Nazis. It is
an effectively accomplished job
by a briliant scientist.
Suppression of minorities as
continuation of the persecutions
and nationalistic wars of the 20th
century is brilliantly analyzed by
Dr. Benedict, who, after review-
ing the various historic presecu-
tMns, including the Inquisition
and the Huguenot expulsion,
states:
"For a theory of racism there
are two conclusions to be drawn
from the whole matter. The first
is that, in order to understand
race persecution, we do not need
to investigate race; we need to
investigate persecution." At this
point there follows a fascinating
analysis of hatred and persecu-
tion, of the Nazi way of saying
with the Ogpus and Gestapos,
"'we need more hatred," and then
offers the following as a solu-
tion: Merely to teach the people
about the accomplishments of the
Chinese and the Jews is not
enough. "The fatal flaw in such
arguments which would leave to
the schools the elimination of
race conflict is that they propose
education instead of social engi-
neering. Nothing but hypocrisy
can come of such a program.
The program that will avail
against racism is called today
"making democracy work." . .
We must pay for a democracy
that works, but fortunately in
this case we can reassure our-
selves with the knowledge that,
even in financial accounting, gov-
ernment investment in rehousing
and rebuilding America, in soil
conservation, in health education,
and in increasing the nation's
purchasing power through insur-
ance benefits, pay their own way
with handsome returns. A price
is exacted also for a social order
like Nazi Germany, and that
price, in lowered standards of
living, in brutalization, in denial
of human rights, in sabotage of
science and the intellectual life,
is higher than any costs of de-
mocracy. In persecuting victims,
the Nazis were themselves vic-
timized. Our Founding Fathers
believed that a nation could be
administered without creating vic-
tims. It is for us to prove that
they were not mistaken."
What about anti-Semitism? Dr.
Benedict writes: "The more
closely one studies European anti-
Semitism in its modern racial
guise, the less it appears that
the conflict is racial; it is the
old problem of unequal citizen-
ship rights. . . . In the case
of the Jews we inherit from the
old era of religious persecution
all the necessary shibboleths of
hate, and these are easily turned
to account in a new setting. In
addition there is exceptional
profit; unlike most discriminated-
against minorities, the Jews often
provide rich contraband and are
therefore marked objects for per-
secution to a povertystricken gov-
ernment or populace. The cure for
anti-Semitism logically lies, as
in all minority conflicts, in the
extension to all men of full citi-
zenship rights and of full oppor-.
tunity to make good in any field.
Here is an appeal to reason
and to sanity by a brilliant wo-
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle
JEWISH CURRENT EVENTS QUIZ
THE QUESTIONS
1. To whom was the Balfour Declaration Addressed?
2. Who was the first Jewish doctor to practice in the U. S.
3. When was the American Jewish Committee established?
4. Who is the president of the American Jewish Congress?
5. How many Jewish millionaires does New York have?
6. What have these men in common: Arthur G. Wauchope
and Sir Herbert Samuel?
7. Who was the teacher of Eddie Cantor, George Jessel,
Walter Winchell?
8. Name the author of "Upstream"; "The Great Hatred";
"The Nazarene".
9. Does a Jewish holiday begin at sun-up or sun-down?
10. Who is the Jewish general on the Leningrad front?
(Copyright J. P. S.)
For answers see page 6.
New Textbook by
Mordecai Soloff
Former Educational Director of
Shaarey Zedek Produces
Interesting Volume
Rabbi Mordecai Soloff, former
educational director of Congrega-
tion Shaarey Zedek has just com-
pleted another exceedingly inter-
esting and valuable textbook—
"How the Jewish People Lives
Today"—which has been published
by the Union of American He-
brew Congregations, publishers of
his previous volumes.
Rabbi Soloff, who was ordained
rabbi by Hebrew Union College
in June, 1941, is eminently well
fitted for the task he has under-
taken to prepare his series of
textbooks, "How the Jewish Peo-
ple Grew Up."
"How the Jewish People Live
Today" is, in fact, more than a
textbook. A very realistic volume,
it should prove of value to the
average reader of Jewish books
and to the student of Jewish his-
tory. It covers the salient points
of Jewish existence. Aside from
the fact that it is exceptionally
well documented with maps and
illustrations, it gives a resume of
Jewish history, tells why Jewish
history should be studied, de-
scribes various movements in Jew-
ish life, including the Messianic
movements, Chassidism, Zionism,
etc.; and gives excellent explana-
tion of Jewish religious movements
—including Reform, Conservative,
Orthodox.
It is realistic in the sense that
it is very timely and up-to-the-
minute. It does not stop with the
explanation of the Haskalah move-
ment, but shows the outgrowth
of Jewish activities that came
from this movement of Jewish cul-
ural endeavor. It tells what hap-
pened to Jews in Poland and Rus-
sia. It describes Jewish responsi-
bilities and the manner in which
Jewish problems should be met.
It gives a good account of work
in Palestine and of Jewish aspira-
tions for the future.
American Jews, and especially
the advanced student in the ele-
mentary Jewish schools, need this
volume. But it is essential, as
already pointed out, in the aver-
age home.
Freezing Order Prevents Woman
from Paying $10,000 Ran-
som to Nazis
Issues Study on New Orleans
Jewish Community
NEW ORLEANS (JPS)—A sig-
nificant contribution to a knowl-
edge of Jewish communal organ-
ization and to the history of one
of the oldest Jewish settlements
in America has been published
by Rabbi Julian F. Feibelman in
"A Social and Economic Study
of the New Orleans Jewish Com-
munity."
Established as a Jewish com-
munity in the 18th century by
Spanish Jews, New Orleans is
shown to have 6,472 Jews as of
1938, out of a total population
of about 460,000. About one-
fourth of the community is under
20, one-third between 25 and 45
and one-third over 45.
The average size of the Jew-
ish family in New Orleans is re-
ported at 3.03. Of those answer-
ing the specific question on gen-
eral education, 1,491 Jews of
New Orleans have had a college
education, 2,474 went through high
school and 1,696 stopped at pub-
lic school.
The special character of the
New Orleans community is re-
flected in the fact that 5,011 mem-
bers are native born Americans,
while of the foreign born, 1,064
are citizens and only 83 are non-
citizens.
The occupational breakdown
shows 1,049 in the manager-execu-
tive category. In the professional
group, 75 are physicians, 32 are
eagineers, 19 accountants, 97 law-
yers, 16 pharmacists and 142 are
classified as "others." The sales-
man-buyer category totals 627,
clerical 391, skilled labor 137 and
unskilled labor 5, with none in
domestic service. There are 105
retired, 93 unemployed and 3,389
dependents.
ENDORSES LAPPIN'S VIEWS
Editor, Detroit Jewish Chronicle:
All effort aiming to stimulate
religious interest is deserving of
appreciation.
It is in this spirit I would
convey congratulation to A. C.
Lappin on his article which ap-
peared in your columns of last
week.
Mr. Lappin affords an able
analysis of the problem of how
to sustain and finance our syna-
gogues. It is indeed refreshing
to note that his suggestions re-
mind us of the Biblical precept:
"Every man shall give as he is
able"—Deut. 16-17.
Furthermore, Mr. Lappin
should be commended for his
proposal that those who do not
fully realize their community re-
sponsibilities might be secretly
approached and reasoned with.
As to Mr. Lappin's suggestion
pertaining to a Free Synagogue
such as Dr. Stephen D. Wise has
established in New York, this
may be said:
The institution of Dr. Wise
may hardly be termed a syna-
gogue in the accepted meaning
of the word. It has won its
popularity as a forum or as
being a type of college for the
public at large. An endeavor of
this kind cannot but prove bene-
ficial to any city and truly
merits sponsorship by our high-
minded men and women.
For what it stands the Free
Synagogue has become a force
towards good will and better un-
derstanding and of these we can-
not have too much.
Herman Rosenwasser,
Rabbi,
Downtown Synagogue.
NEW YORK. (JPS)—Almost
five years ago Selma Reis of
Augsburg, Germany, inherited a
substantial sum of money from
a relative in the United States.
A short time later she applied to
the German government for per-
mission to leave the country.
Realizing that the Jewish wom-
an had access to American funds,
the Nazis demanded the sum of
$25,000 for their consent. This
sum was finally reduced to $10,-
000 and transportation expenses.
Legal action was begun to ar-
range for the payment of the
ransom. But in the meantime
the Treasury Department froze
all assets belonging to German
nationals. Today, though the
Surrogate's Court has approved
the payment of the $10,000, this
sum is tied up by the govern-
ment's freezing order. Said the
Jewish lawyer who recommended
that the court grant Miss Reis
permission to pay the ransom:
"To refuse the price of release
demanded by the German gov-
ernment might be a heroic atti-
tude but it would subject the
Adonai in Hebrew is inscribed
poor woman to suffering and on the front door of the old
make her life valueless."
Catholic Cathedral in St. Louis,
but even the oldest Catholics in
the city can't tell you why . . .
man. Dr. Benedict began her The entire Hebrew alphabet, in
work in anthropology in 1919 and letters more than a foot high,
has taught at Columbia Univers- is inscribed on one of the ex-
ity for 17 years. She is now terior walls of the University of
associate professor at Columbia. Texas.
Poles to Intervene with Soviets For Sale—Apartment Property
for Release of More
Prisoners
LONDONO. (JPS) — At the
urging of Dr. Ignatz Schwarz-
bard, Jewish member of the
Council of the Polish Govern-
ment-in-Exile, the Polish regime
has agreed to intervene with So-
viet authorities on behalf of lead-
ing Jewish rabbis and journal-
ists still imprisoned by the Rus-
sian regime.
Among the men for whom im-
mediate release is sought is the
Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Halber-
stein.
Dr. Schwarzbard has also
asked the Polish government to
include a number of Jews in the
second delegation shortly to
leave London for Moscow to ar-
range for the release of pris-
oners.
The Jewish Agency in London
has prepared a list of 350 promi-
nent Polish Jewish leaders and
Zionists and has asked for their
freedom. Among these are Josh-
ua Gottlieb, the former editor of
the Warsaw Zionist daily, the
Haint, and former deputy of the
Polish Sejm; the ex-Senator Mi-
chael Ringel of Warsaw, the Zi-
onist Schreiber, and others.
WASHINGTON (JPS) — Dr.
Solomon Goldman of Chicago, for-
mer president of the Zionist Or-
ganization of America, declared
that there is "very little indica-
tion that the policy of appease-
ment has been abandoned in the
Near East" in a statement de-
scribing the problems before the
forthcoming Cincinnati convention.
He also stated that "the major
organizational problem is the
merging of all Zionist bodies and
fund-raising agencies into one
emergency organization."
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Eleanor Powell, heroine of "Hono-
lulu" and "The Broadway Melody,"
has one of the most glamorous roles
of her career in "Lady Be Good,"
which may be an earls fall M.G.D1
release.
Nazis Publish 423 Anti-Semitic
Newspapers and Magazines
GENEVA. (JPS)—A startling
picture of the intensive propa-
ganda that is being carried on
against the Jews in Germany and
Nazi-occupied territory is given
in the German newspaper pub-
lisher's yearbook which has just
been issued in Germany. This
yearbook lists a total of 42'
anti-Semitic daily, weekly and
monthly books. The periodicals
appear in German as well as in
other languars, and concern
themselves chiefly with the sub-
ject of Jew-baiting.
According to the yearbook,
there are 43 official anti-Semitic
Nazi party newspapers, 66 week-
ly periodicals like the "Stuer-
mer," 24 illustrated magazines,
72 monthlies, 95 bi-weeklies, 11
quarterlies and 112 miscellane-
ous anti-Semitic periodicals.
The Nazis publish 15 news-
papers and magazines in the
Czech language devoted to anti-
Semitic agitation; 12 2such pub-
lications in Belgium; 12 in Hol-
land; 28 in Occupied France
five in Poland; five in Luxem-
bourg; 12 in Denmark; five ir.
Norway; six in Croatia; two in
Greece; four in Serbia; 27 in
Hungary; nine in Slovakia; 23
in Rumania and three in Bul-
garia.
This chain of Nazi anti-
Semitic newspapers which cover
all territories occupied by Hitler,
are devoted to one purpose—the
degradation and humiliation of
the Jewish population. Thus we
have an official listing of the
Nazi system of "hate" propa-
ganda against the Jewish people
throughout Europe.