A merica 9a6sk

December 5, 1941

eeNter

CLIFTON ATINU1 - CINCINNATI 10, OHIO

5

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

Rebecca Katzman Frohman, a
member of the faculty of the
Netzorg School and former regu-
lar accompanist of the Halevy.
The musicale will begin prompt-
The Halevy Chanukah musicale ly at 8:45 p. m. Admission is
next Sunday evening, Dec. 7, in free; the public is invited.
What . Did Balfour Mean?
The Art of Knowing Yiddish
Central High School auditorium,
Demands
for
the
revision
of
the
full-of-loop-
Fiorello LaGuardia's troubles over the term
holes Balfour Declaration must have set some will feature an interesting pro-
"ganef" have not been explained correctly.
AT YOUR GROCER'S
From one who was present at the meeting at Jews to thinking whether Balfour himself either gram of choral and solo music,
which LaGuardia criticized a state agency, the intended to confuse others or was confused him- and will. display the artistry of
attack later being interpreted as an unfair assault self over the pledge made to the Jewish people.
on Governor Lehman, on the basis of the strict When the Balfour Declaration was 10 years
interpretation of the word "ganef" meaning old, the author of this state document expressed
"thief", we learn that what LaGuardia said was this view: "The experiment was admittedly a bold
"Oifn ganef brennt di hitel." (The phrase is bo•- one, dealing with a unique situation in a manner
rowed from the Russian, "Na zlodei shapka gor- wholly without precedent in history. I am, how-
iet" and has the literal meaning of the Yiddish.) ever, convinced that, if it be supported by Jewish
Later, when the fighting New York mayor com- communities throughout the world, its success is
mented that he can't help it if Lehman doesn't assured, and that a Home will be secured for
understand Yiddish, he was giving an interpretr.- the Jewish race in the land which is immemorially
tion applicable to most Jews, associated with their name."
Not a word about Great Britain's obligations!
There is an art in knowing and understanding
Apparently the "statesmen" remain geniuses
Yiddish. How many, pray, are able to interpret
the phrase LaGuardia uttered? Litterally, it means at telling Jews how they will succeed if they
"the thief's hat burns upon his head." But the give plenty of money. They always forget that
accepted meaning has nothing to do with thievery. such argument should be left to Jews themselves
In reality, the only true interpretation of "Oifn who know that there is nothing that can defeat
ganef brennt die hitel" is "if the shoe fits . . ." them as long as they redeem the land. But the
Or, perhaps professional Yiddishists will take issue non-Jews owe us a bit of assurance on open-door
with us even in this translation. policy, removal of land-purchasing restrictions,
LaGuardia had been an interpreter at Ellis Is- guarantee of certain rights for the security of
land many years ago. There he learned Yiddish. Jewish settlers.
At the moment the Jew has to build for him-
He knows it colloquially. He can't deliver an ad-
dress in it, in its entirety, as he can in Italian. self—and continue to fight for just rights.
•
But he knows enough of it to be able to make
his way at a Yiddish meeting, or in an argument.
The Unnecessary Honorary Jobs
For that matter, even if it is in the language
Fred M. Butzel, Michigan's outstanding proponent
MISS DOROTHY O'KOON
of gestures, the battling mayor of New York
knows his business well. Those who picked a guar- of all important causes for social advancement of an outstanding group of pianists
our
communities,
who
is
recognized
nationally
as
rel with him picked on the wrong guy.
the outstanding Jewish leader in the state, offers who will provide the necessary
us an assignment; would we undertake to lead a accompaniments.
•
At the piano for the Halevy
movement to abolish honorary chairmanships and
Justice Murphy Eulogizes Ussishkin
chorus, which will be directed by
honorary presidencies?
In Michigan—and now in Washington—they
We accepted—with a stipulation: that we do Dan Frohman, will be Dorothy
say that Associate Justice Frank Murphy of the not stop there, but that we undertake to be less O'Koon. This is Miss O'Koon's
United States Supreme Court would make an anxious to hand out all other honors which are first season with the Halevy, but
ideal priest. The former mayor of Detroit, gov- often unnecessary and which instead serve to she has accompanied several other
Detroit choral groups in the past
ernor of Michigan, Governor General of the make fiascos of some undertakings
Philippines, is a spiritual man. His shyness shows
Take, for instance, the tendency . to clutter up and has made numerous appear-
it, his speech reveals it, his writings indicate his programs with long lists of speakers. When an ances as soloist and accompanist
in concert and on the radio. She
idealism.
event takes place, or a person visits here, it
Several weeks ago, in this column, we described should be unnecessary to invite spokesmen from is now affiliated with the Netzorg
the reception Mr. Justice Murphy gave to the allquarters to unburden themselves of greetings. School of Piano.
Accompanying Harry Siegel,
late Menahem Ussishkin in Detroit, on Jan. 19,
important
mportant thing is
i the purpose of the meeting, 'cellist, will be Lucia Walton, a
1931, while the present Supreme Court Justice the person who comes to address it, the message recent arrival in Detroit from
was mayor of Detroit.
Ussishkin's death, Mr. Justice to be heard. The "greeters" should be taken for Europe, where she had scored
Informed of Mr.
granted.
considerable success as a recital
Murphy wrote this Commentator expressing his
Honorary chairmanships are superfluous. Too
sorrow, and his eulogy is especially effective in many speakers are boring. We are for revision artist. She is now assisting Julius
Chajes in directing the musical
the following two sentences:
of hitherto practiced community planning and for activities of the Jewish Commu-
"There comes no end to a life like his.
substitution for it ofgreater wholesomeness,
His kind, once started on a spiritual adven-
eliminating unnecessary honorary jobs and top-nay
Center. Bella Ritten Goldberg,
Assisting
lure, will stalk the earth forever."
heavy speaking programs.
mezzo-soprano, will be one of
i
This is typical of Frank Murphy. And it is
If we don't do some revising in a hurry, we Detroit's finest and best known i
excellent augury of the light in which the name will find it difficult to fill even the smallest halls, pianists and teachers of piano,
of the deceased world president of the Jewish for community purposes.
National Fund will be treated by history.
We believe in the validity of the advice a
father, who was an eminent public speaker, gave
•
his son, who asked him about the reactions of
Dutch Rejection of Nazi Bestiality
audiences. The father replied: "In addressing a
"Governments in Exile," in this country and in public meeting, watch your audience and be sure
KOSHER
England, present an interesting sidelight on the you strike oil. If you don't, stop boring."
Restaurant
and Dining Room
battle raging in the world for the retention of
What we are doing now is boring. That's the
UNEXCELLED
FOOD
freedom. An interesting study of these govern- thing to stop.
AIR CONDITIONED—OPEN 24 HOURS
ments is available through their publications.
And it is mentally boring to hear of organiza-
Prhate DInIog Room for Parties
French, Poles, Czechs, Belgians, the Dutch, and tions, which should be concerned primarily with
12017 DEXTER BLVD.
others, are producing valuable material that will the purpose of their programs, worrying over the
nthlawn 9786
form a significant—even if very bulky—dossier glory for individuals for whom they create honorary
on the attitudes of the small peoples towards jobs.
Nazism.
Who is better than Fred Butzel, the man
"Netherlands News," the fortnightly bulletin weighted down by many honorary titles, to know
published by the Netherlands Information Bu- how necessary it is to cut out such nonsense?
reau, with officies at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New
•
York, is one of the most interesting of the nu-
Poor
Americanism
merous "exile" bulletins published in America.
It is perhaps the completest record of the Nether-
The upholsterer on Third Ave. who
lands' battle to regain their independence; and urges buying from American Gentiles, in
it is a splendid chronicle of the position of the
Sold and Serviced by
Dutch Jews—in the history of Holland and in a sign on the side of his store, is undoubt-
edly
a
Gentile.
But
even
if
he
knows
the
the dark period since the advent of Nazism.
An evaluation of Netherlands News is in order full meaning of the term "gentile," he
at this time, on the occasion of the completion surely is lacking understanding of the
of the first volume of this record of the status
term American. No true American will
of the Dutch in the Battle of the World.
A portion of this record is devoted to a resume make an appeal to his neighbors that they
of the history of the Jews in Holland, and it is should patronize only people of a certain
significant that its title is "JEW-BAITERS NEED faith.
NOT APPLY." This is the spirit of Holland. The
•
history, as presented by Netherlands News, does
Abraham Cahan ' s Bibliography
not hide anything. It tells of the initial settle-
Few people realize the amount of material that
ment of Jews in Holland, of the periods of op-
pression as well as emancipation. In the main, a busy editor produces in the course of a life-
Inc.
it is an historical chronicle that sheds only credit time. Editorials, interviews, news articles, expres-
upon the Dutch, whose historians affirm that Hol- sions of opinion on controversial matters, book
12250 JOS. CAMPAU
land has gained from the genius of Jewish cre- reviews, research work in the field of history-
ativeness by granting the Jews emancipation and these and many more often form a wealth of
TO. 8-9833
literature. Sometimes it is informative, at times
the rights of equality in citizenship.
This brief historical record ought to be reprint- misleading, more often than not it serves to create
ed, in order to enlighten many—Jews and non- greater interest in certain issues and to cause
Jews alike—on the number of outstanding Dutch people to study more and to think more clearly.
The best example of a very busy editor's activi-
Jews who have contributed to world cultures
ties will be found in a bibliography of Abraham
through Dutch media.
How do the Dutch react today to the beastly Cahan's works, compiled by Ephim H. Jeshurin
EXPERIENCE
work of the Nazis who, as Netherlands News and available from the author through the Jewish
points out, are "not easily discouraged" by the Daily Forward.
"Abraham Cahan's Bibliography" contains a
ABILITY — SERVICE
philo-Semitic activities of churchmen, educators
and laymen in Holland who make use of every list of the works of the eminent editor of the
opportunity to condemn anti-Semitism? The con- Jewish Daily Forward who just celebrated his
APPROVED F.H.A. MORTGAGES
eluding paragraph in the historical record of the 80th birthday. There are reproductions of title
Dutch Jews, speaking of the attitude of the pages of his books, lists of his articles, as well
Netherlands, declares: as the sources of their appearance.
We invite your mortgage business.
"The sword of Nazi vengeance, hanging by a The complete list of his works quoted in this
It will receive our careful considera-
thread, dangles above them; yet, they continue to bibliography, exceeds 500. The interesting fact
carry high the banner of tolerance and brother- about Mr. Cahan's literary activities is that he
tion from inception to completion.
hood. Not only because their traditions do not wrote in Russian, Yiddish and English. Quoted in
know any distinction between the races, but also the bibliography are his famous novel, "The Rise
because their character, formed through cen- of David Levinsky;" his translations from the
turies of civilized development, cannot descend to Russian classics; his Yiddish history of the United
the level of bestiality." States; the reports of his visits in Palestine in
Such are the sentiments of a great people. 1925 and 1929 and numerous other important
General Discount Corporation
With such ideals, they are destined to remain works.
Thus,
this
revealing
bibliography
will
amaze
free in spirit, and to be freed politically and
1605 Barium Tower
physically in the course of the world's triumphs the unknowing whom it will teach to know what
for decency. Against the spirit of the Dutch, there a bfisy life an editor has and what a suprising
can be no triumph for Nazism. amount of material he can produce.

P urely Commentary

•

Halevy Musicale
Sunday Evening
By Philip Slomovitz

Damp

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Aid CLEAN

•RIIIGS•

LEADER CARPEI CLEANING CO.
a. Call—TnER woo .

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Carl S.

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General Manager

Northeast
Motors,

114

