Americo 'elvish Periodical eclair CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO September 19, 1941 DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle P urely Commentary •• On the New Year: Morale Versus Resolution Compare the Jewish method of observing Roth Hashonah with the generally-accepted way of celebrating the New Year, and you have the clue to the secret of Jewish survival. This is not a sermon: it is an attempt to be realistic in an hour of tribulation. The New Year celebrations on the First of every January are marked by hilarity and by resolutions; often there are hang-ove•s on the following days, and more often than not the resolutions are broken. Jews do not make resolutions on Rosh Ha- shonah. Instead, they take stock and they make an accounting—usually to themselves, with the,' help of prayer—of their past, their error:., the blunders they committed against themselves and their people. Rosh Hashonah could never be synonymous with hilarity; it, is too steeped in morality. There- fore, this business of making resolutions is nothing more than mimicry. What is needed is understanding of the past, to be able to guide oneself in the future. • Keeping Up Our Morale On the eve of the year 5702, the one question every Jew must ask himself is: What is the most serious danger facing us, and what is our greatest responsibility? If, as has been said, "wie es christelt sich so judelt es sich," ("as the Christians are affected, so are the Jews"—a statement attributed to Heinrich Heine), then there is only one answer: We are in danger of seeing our morale de- cline, and we are obligated to keep up the courage of the Jews. Talk to the average public official, to anyone close to the President4 to men who should and do know the existing conditions in our land, and they will tell you that the one thing they fear is a slump in our morale. Government officials, are discussing this prob- lem today. The heads of our military forces are kiewing with alarm the rise of a spirit of in- difference that is motivated by a lack of desire to make sacrifices for liberty. The people are not prepared for the sudden wartime conditions imposed upon the land not by ourselves but by the horrible situation created by Hitlerism. When William Knudsen, director general of the Office of Production Management, was asked whether thiS country possesses the spirit to face the job that must be achieved, he said: "I don't think we have got it. I think a good many of us have, but we haven't allgof us got it. I have been all around, and we haven't quite waked up." Asked, for the reason, he replied: "Nobody has dropped any bombs on us yet—you drop one down on Main Street and you wil see what will happen." Ask me about Jewish morale, and I'll give you the same answer—and the reaction will be the same. Yes, "wie es christelt sich, so judelt es • sich." Let Us Look at the Record—and at the Bombs Our record, examined frankly and realistically, is a sad one. Too Many Jews are not concerned over conditions of our time. The terror of our existence is our indifference. Too many Jews are uninformed of what is happening. Too many Jews are thoroughly un- aware of what is happening under their very noses. Conditions, in our land, have not improved. On the contrary, the activities of the isolationists have brought about a union of anti-Semitic forces and have caused an expansion of prejudice. A defeat of Hitlerism will bring an improvement; but an aftermath of economic despair and want may bring even worse trouble for us. When Coughlinism and Christian Frontism was rampant, Jews became concerned and spoke of action. The moment these bombs stopped falling in outspoken anti-Semitic fashion, Jews failed to recognize the stench under a different aroma. But the stench exists nevertheless. Therefore, the New Year brings with it a new challenge. Are Jews to remain complacent and indifferent? Or will our leadership, whatever three is of it— recognize the need of preparing the young people for whatever emergncies may come in the future? • Silence Is Criminal One thing we must recognize: to be silent in the face of trials and tribulations. to shut our eyes and ears to semblances of bigotry, is criminal. When utilities, public offices, government de- partments, etc., refuse to employ Jews, their ac- tion should be -protested. When Jews are accused and abused, they should shout their indignation from the house- tops. ' • Even though we may be libeled with all sorts of accusatioas, not even excluding charges of being war-mongering which come from sources that have not hesitated to absorb the worst poi- sons of anti-Semitism, we should be heard. If resolutions are in order—this ought to be Resolution Number One on the New Year 5702. There Is a Job to be Done There is a job to be completed. In a sense, the job has only just begun. The job calls for reconstruction of Jewish life. It demands responsibility and elimination of hefker. Jews must be saved. And a home must be planned for Jews. European Jewry must be given the signal from this country that our morale is not down, that 5 DEUTSCH we are holding our heads high, that we refuse to be intimidated, that we insist on saving those who must be saved, and that we are determined to build a Homeland for Israel. And this is not all. There is a job to be done in this country. Press Service and to all its affiil- iated newspapers for giving your (Continued from Page 4) own Mr. Deutsch a platforni, new are a significant part of outlet, soapbox or what have refugee help in this country. you. And a Happy New Year A Happy New Year to the to you! American Jewish Press Club, which we hope will concentrate more on bringing together edit- There is no class of men so ors rather than Jewish press difficult to be managed in a Let Us Learn From Experience MR. and MRS. A. STEIN By Philip Slomovitz state as those whose intentions Prejudice is prevalent in industries, in the pub- agents. Finally,—a very Happy Nei ' are honest, but whose con- lic places, in our schools. Our children's future is in danger. American morale is in danger, and Year to the Independent Jewish sciences are bewitched. with it will go down the chances for decent living of the Jewish citizens. Therefore, we must have a good share in the fight to eliminate bigot- ry in the schools and to re-instate the American ideal of fair play on every American front. • Unless we learn from experience, we are sinking. Back in 1921, your Commentator had an in- teresting experience. Henry Ford's Dearborn In- dependent was then blasting away at the Jews. American Jews laughed at the reactionary activi- ties of the automobile manufacturer. The late Nahum Sokolow was then in Detroit, and your Commentator took a two-hour stroll with him on Woodward Avenue. His daughter, Dr. Celina Sokolow, and the late Jacob Miller, one-time manager of the Judea Life Insurance Co. in Palestine, trailed us. We discussed the anti-Semitic situation. Your commentator mentioned the Dearborn Independent. and ventured an opinion that it was an isolated instance of anti-Semitic poison and ;hat American Jews had little to fear. The vener able Jewish statesman shook his head and began to reminisce, in words like these: "My boy, don't be too confident. Forty years ago, an obscure anti-Semitic sheet appeared in Poland. Jews laughed at it. They thought it was a passing phase in their existence. Within ten years there were a dozen such anti-Semitic pub- Stein's Clover Natural Beauty Lodge p Oi Northern Michigan Genial Hospitality OMENA, MICH. wish their relatives, friends and patrons A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR lications. Today, you know what Poland is like. There are many dozens of anti-Semitic newspa- pers. JeWs are not only being discriminated against in Poland—the vast majority are being totally declassed. American Jews should learn the lesson so sadly experienced by Polish Jewry. Beware!" This brief sermon ought to stand us in good stead today. If we do not profit by experience, we are a weak and a blind people. • . Not All Is Lost Of course, not all is lost. Jews are fighting for their existence—and they are putting up a good battle. They are fighting like proud men and wo- men in Palestine. They are resisting Nazism on European fronts. They refuse to bend their backs. Their morale is not down. This is true on the fronts where bombs have fallen. Let us not wait for bombs on our own front. Let us strengthen our morale and let us give the signal for increased courage and confidence to those who already display it on the battle- fronts. In this spirit, we shall emerge stronger than ever. In this spirit, we may well be able to hearten one another with the greeting: A HAPPY NEW YEAR. 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The pro-Nazis, the anti-Semites, the Coughlinites, grab at every opportunity to unite under a single name, or under unified leadership, in order to make their activities effective and to acquire the appearance of endorsement from the Christian community at large. The liberal forces, on the other hand, are hopelessly split and have not learned the meaning of unified effort. Readers of this column know how strongly this Commentator opposes uniformity. But this ought not to proscribe unity of action when a strong front is necessary to defeat the enemy. One does not necessarily have to favor one-party government in order to approve of coalition in time of war and to endorse the sort of .govern- ment unity now in force in England. But liberal ranks in America have not yet learned this sson. Thus, we have the Council for Democracy, the Friends of Democracy, the Fight for Freedom Committee, the'-GounCit Against Intolerance in America. Imagine how much more powerful 'the liberal front would be if these got together! At the moment, the possibility of such a get-together appears very remote. The situation is analogous in Jewish ranks. Instead of a single fact-finding institute to study post-war problems, we . now have four—those of American Jewish/4Congress, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Labor Committee and Agu- dath Israel of America. Will there be more by the time this is published? Get together, gentlemen! For the sake of security and ultimate peace. Leon Blum—Symbol of Our Age The French spirit of revolt against Nazism manifested itself in the past three weeks in a (Continued on Page 12) GET IN TOUCH WITH Jack Alkon You Will Do Much Better ALKON MOTOR SALES Detroit Phone Vinewood 2-3060 ~DBUICK-- SALES AND SERVICE 2400 Biddle Avenue Wyandotte Phone 0650 Wyandotte, Mich. Thy Story of a Claim A prominent Chicago business man 'died recently from cancer at 65 years of age. 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