Amerkam ,fewisk Periodiad Curter
November 28, 1941
CUPTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle
purel y Commentary ••
Conversions — and Modern Dangers
Dr. Cecil Roth, eminent English-Jewish histor-
ian, tells of the danger of mass conversions in
England. The children who have had to be evacu-
ated from large cities, he points out, have not
had the benefits of a Jewish education, and there-
fore are more easily susceptible to the influence of
missionaries and proselytizers.
There is cause for concern—of course! But even
our anxiety over retention of our children in the
Jewish fold should be entertained in the spirit of
historic experiences.
It is impossible to forget the Inquisition, with
its attendant mass conversions. But even then
many of the Jewish youth saved themselves either
by being temporary Marranos and subsequently
settling in countries like Holland where they be-
came free, or by going at once to Turkey or
some other land of middle-age toleration.
But perhaps the more important experience
dates back less than a hundred years. In the days
when Jewish children were snatched from their
parents and were trained for service in the Rus-
sian army—service that lasted for 25 years—
there was kidnapping of a physical and spiritual
sort. The children were then considered lost to
their parents. As Nikolayevskiye Soldatai, as they
were known by virtue of being soldiers for Czar
Nikolay I, it was feared that their status as
Jews was hopeless.
Many, it is true, were lost. Some were con-
verted. Others disappeared in utter ignorance
of their past. But many were saved. Read the
splendid children's story "In Those Days," by
Judah Steinberg, to acquire a true perspective of
the status of the Nikolayevskiye Soldatai.
"In Those Days," one of the best Jewish chil-
dren's stories of all time, is a tragic story, but
not a discouraging one. It relates how Jews fought
for their existence, how the minutest remembrance
of a prayer or a Psalm, or a ceremony kept the
youngsters who were caught in the trap of the
Russian army within the fold of Israel.
The moral: there are more serious things to
worry about than the threat of conversions of
English children. For instance: there is the plight
of uninformed, indifferent masses of American
Jewish youth. Never before have there been as
many intermarriages among American Jews. The
percentage of our youth receiving a Jewish educa-
tion remains very low. Fright may have con-
tributed to the existing condition.
There is more to be concerned about in Amer-
ican Jewry than in England. Perhaps the revela-
tions about the status of English-Jewish young-
sters will cause us to think about ourselves.
•
Pinchus Ruttenberg
Pinchus Ruttenberg's illness is saddening.
With all his eccentricities, his name will be re-
corded among the strong men in world Jewry
in the periods between the First and Second
World Wars.
He harnessed the Jordan.
He created unity among Palestine Jews during
the bitterest days of strife with the Arabs.
In the first days of the last world war, he was
one of the organizers of the American Jewish
Congress, together with the late Mr. Justice Louis
D. Brandeis, Judge Julian W. Mack, Dr. Stephen
S. Wise, Louis Lipsky and others.
He is a great engineer and a great Jew.
The Jewish people hopes for his speedy re-
covery.
•
Mrs. Roosevelt Analyzes Discrimination
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt is a great woman. A
few minutes' conversation with her is sufficient
to recognize her genius, the true greatness of her
personality which is elevated by her modesty.
Discussing problems of discrimination, she was
far-sighted enough to be able to emphasize a
truth which some of us had learned during the
past few years: that employers are not the only
ones responsible for prejudice; that often the
employees in some shops or factories or offices
cause trouble by refusing to work with Jews or
Negroes or foreigners.
The solution? Education, says Mrs. Roosevelt.
How is this to be accomplished? We wish that
the leaders in our defense movements would tell
us whether they ever tackled this problem. It is
something that must be done openly and frankly
and without fear.
But even the genius of Mrs. Roosevelt blun-
dered.
When asked how to fight Nazism, she said that
it is necessary to know what we believe and to
fight for it; but when asked for an antidote to
anti-Semitism, she urged that its existence should
be ignored. Notice the contradiction?
The second part of her answer to the question
on anti-Semitism was logical. She advised that we
strive for realization that Americans are one
people. That leads us back to the original prob-
lem of discrimination, the solution to which is
education.
But—how are we to accomplish such a difficult
task of reaching many millions, some of whose
minds have been poisoned by the Pelleys and the
Coughlins and the religious, social and economic
bigots?
•
Americans, in the Main, Are Wholesome
In the main, there is less to fear of possible
danger than most people imagine. Americans are
wholesome and as a rule safe. Give them the
facts, and they will display America's finest
trait—fair play.
Take all the publicity nonsense that had been
disseminated about Hank Greenberg. You would
15th Anniversary
By Philip SlOmovitz Banquet of Pinsker
On Sunday Evening
think that there was a wave of horrible hatred
in America.
But Detroiters demonstrated to the contrary.
During the Armistice Day parade there was
total solemnity on Woodward Ave.—until Ser-
geant Henry Greenberg appeared sitting on a
truck that was pulling a 37 mm. anti-tank gun.
Then there was an ovation.
Americans know how to value ability, and sport
writers' gossip is not sufficient to kill the spirit of
fair- play.
By the same token, if the right kind of educa-
tion is conducted, none of the poison that is
being smeared on anti-Semitic literature will work.
But—let's have the right kind of education.
The sym-
GENEVA (JPS)
pathy shown by non-Jews to Jews
in various Nazi-occupied lands
has led the German authorities
in Czechia to ta4e drastic meas-
ures for its suppression.
—
The Pinsker Progressive Aid
Society will celebrate its 15th
anniversary with a bit'. wet, for
AT YOUR GROCER'S
members only, on Sunday evening,
Nov. 30, at the Fort Wars:e Ho-
tel.
From a hanaful of men.. - vs,
the Pinsker Society has gri,,.8
to a position of leadership in thL
organizational life in Detroit. It
is today one of the recognized
outstanding landsmanschaften
cally.
5 VARIETIES
During its existence of 15 years
the society has given more than
Barley and
$50,000 to various charitable
Mushroom
causes.
•
Vegetable
The soc!ety's prevent adminis-
Green Pea
Where De We Begin?
tration has pledged itself to carry
or lato
r7
on this work on a larger scale
Where do we begin this type of education, and than ever before and not to over-
Lima Bean
how are we to conduct the campaign of enlight- look any important cause.
enment?
Of course, it is not a Jewish job. It is a prob-
lem for America to evade the dangers that come
from Hitlerized Jew-baiting.
Therefore, as American Jews, the first thing
to remember is that France, too, had a similar
problem. The anti-Semites, inspired by Berlin,
utilized every means of inciting people against
the Jews. They spared no institutions and they
Due to the illness of Malcolm
utilized the schools. Talk to experts, to observers W. Bingay, S. L. A. Marshall of
who know, and they will tell you that the French the Detroit News addressed the
schools began to show signs of corruption on a public meeting of the Detroit
par with the ill-reputed French press.
Bnai Brith Lodge at the Brown
That's the first thing to guard against: the Memorial Chapel of Temple Beth
poisoning of our school system. If educators will El, on Nov. 19. He was intro-
guard the children, if the youngsters will be duced by Philip Slomovitz. Ed
taught the true meaning of democracy, if for- Saperston, president of the
eign ideologies like those inspired in Rome and lodge, presided. Artists from the
Berlin will be avoided in our school system, Detroit Conservatory of Music
we will be on safe ground.
provided the musical program.
Some agencies are already doing a good job,
Mr. Marshall emphasized the
and chief among them, we believe, is the Council importance of tanks in a mech-
Against Intolerance in America, with which James anized war and showed how Brit-
Waterman Wise has thrown in his lot.
ain blundered in not building up
But we are not so sure that the Jewish defense its mechanized force. He stated
agencies are as virile or as far-sighted. You ac- that Detroit is one of the most
complish nothing by ignoring a thing one day, by pivotal spots in this war, as the
succumbing to fright the next, by being secre- leading manufacturing center of
tive rather than outspoken. Americans are inher- war material.
ently a folw who like straight-from-the-shoulder
In his address, Mr. Marshall
revelations of truth. Give the people the truth and condemned the isolationists and
they will help you kill the libels.
pointed to the necessity of edu-
cating the people to know that
we are in the war, that this is
our war and that the sooner we
The-Fair-Mindedness of Americans
get into it with full force the
eau—TYLER 5-8400 •
Wo reiterate what we have stated on numerous better for the democracies.
occasions: Americans are fair-minded and devoid
of prejudice, and if they are presented with the
truth they will help fight prejudice.
Proof was provided a few days ago when Rabbi
Morris Adler addressed a Methodist group here.
After the meeting, two in his audience—Mr. and
KOSHER
Mrs. B. E. Melang. of 2997 Hogarth Ave.—wrote
Restaurant and Dining Room
him the following letter:
UNEXCELLED FOOD
"Nov. 9, 1941.
AIR CONDITIONED—OPEN 24 HOURS
"Dear Rabbi Adler:
Private Dining Room for Parties
"I don't know whether that is the correct way
12017 DEXTER BLVD.
to address you, but I won't let that stop me from
NOrthlawn 9786
expressing both my husband's and my own ap-
preciation of your stirring message tonight at
Boulevard Temple Methodist Church.
"It was a real privilege to hear you tonight,
and our only regret is that there were not more
there to hear your sincerely eloquent semon. We
agree with your ideas that you expressed tonight,
and I was particularly impressed with the solu-
tion you had for the answer to prejudice and
hatred, not isolation, not assimilation, but co-
operation. I want to remember that.
Sold and Serviced by
"Both my husband and I were fortunate enough
to have been raised in homes where there was
no prejudice against the Jewish people. We fre-
quently come into contact with others who have
no kind words for them. Perhaps one experience
that was unpleasant caused that. If the offender
had been Christian, all Christians would not have
been blamed, but because he was a Jew, then
all Jews were lumped into one category, and that
an unfavorable one. Oh, I wish some of my
friends (who happen to live in other cities)
could have heard you. I'm sure you'd have broken
down the barriers of their thoughtless prejudice.
It seems that sometimes those most in need of
Inc.
some messages are those who will not or cannot
12250 JOS. CAMPAU
be reached.
"It has always been my belief that, God being
TO. 8-9833
the foundation of all these religions, Jewish,
Catholic, Protestant, all religions are based on
love, love of God and mankind. Especially in
times like these, the brotherhood of man should
be emphasized. Most of us are good at heart, we
want to be good, but we do so many things that
are wrong, that we can't understand ourselves
why we do them, and so we should recognize that
others are in the same predicament.
"We are new-comers to Detroit, but have
friends here. One couple is Jewish and they have
promised to take us some night to a synagogue.
We invited them tonight but they couldn't come
with us.
"This is too long already. I have rambled on,
We invite your mortgage business.
but I wanted to let you know how happy it made
It will receive our careful considera-
us to have had the privilege of hearing you: I
want to say, too, that Cantor Sonenklar's solo
tion from inception to completion.
was beautiful."
Here you have a typical reaction. Give Ameri-
cans the facts, and they will be in the front
ranks of fighters for justice.
The problem is—how best to bring the mes-
sage of fair play and justice to the maximum
number who will be able to counteract the efforts
of the bigots.
1605 Barium Tower
That which Rabbi Adler does in a small way
should be multiplied manifold, if the good we
seek is to be accomplished.
.1,,R O K EA CH It KO S HE R
S. L. A. Marshall
Addresses Detroit
Bnai Brith Lodge
WIND
YOIM110A14700
Hid CLEAN
•
•RIIIGS•
LEADER CARPET CLEANING CO.
i :
FREDSON'S
CADILLAC
OLDSMOBILE
Carl S.
Schiller
General Manager
Northeast
Motors,
EXPERIENCE
ABILITY — SERVICE
APPROVED F.H.A. MORTGAGES
•
General Discount Corporation