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Detioit Jewish Chronicle
and The Legal Chronicle,
10t Single Copy; $3.00 Per Yeat
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1941
VOL. 43, NO.
The Light of Courage
Jewish Groups
Fish Advocates
Symbolic Presentation of the Maccabean Spirit of Yesterday and Today
Give Unlimited
Leasetend Aid
Service To U. Su
For lion Army
By y ALLEN SIMON
Copyright, 1941, by Independent Jewish Press Service, Inc.
9
War Makes Yishub of
Palestine Ally of
the U. S.
Jews Among First Cas-
ualties; Refugee Fear
Is Unfounded
WASHINGTON (JPS) — The
in portance of a Jewish army in
destine has become paramount
only to the dignity of the
wish people but to the defense
of America, it was indicated on
the floor of Congress during a
discussion initiated by Represen-
tative Hamilton Fish, who 20
years ago with Senator Henry
Lodge sponsored the resolution
endorsing the establishment of a
Jewish National Home in Pales-
tine.
The American government, Mr.
Fish told Congress, should pro-
vide lease-lend money with which
to obtain equipment and guns.
"Let them have a Jewish mili-
tary unit under their own flag,
under the Star of David, and
manned and officered by their
own people," he declared.
WASHINGTON. (J PS ) —From
all Jews and their organizations,
as from America as a whole,
there came to President Roosevelt
in the days after the declara-
tion of war offers of unlimited
service in the cause of American
victory. There were no distinctions
between American Jews in their
immediate and unanimous desire
to place themselves completely at
the disposal of the war effort.
Speaking "on behalf of the en-
tire Jewish community of the
United States," the Jewish Wel-
fare Board offered the President
and the nation "the complete
facilities and entire resources,
buildings and institutions of our
affiliated 325 Jewish Centers,
YMHAs and our 202 Army and
Navy Committees."
When Congressman Leon
Sacks of Philadelphia pointed
out that American Jews in-
tended to serve in the Ameri-
can Army, Mr. Fish replied
that "the people of Jewish ori-
gin naturally will serve and
are serving in our armed
forces the same as all other
citizens. However, the Jewish
people in Palestine are in the
same category as the Czechs,
Poles and others who want to
defend their own country." To
this Congressman Sacks agreed.
The Synagogue Council of
America, representing the or-
ganized lay and rabbinical
forces of Judaism in the United
States, called on all syna-
gogues "to offer prayer for a
speedy victory."
The full manpower and re-
sources of the Bnai Brith were
offered by Henry Monsky, its
president, who pledged from
the national treasury and from
local fund-raising efforts a to-
tal of $50,000 to the Red
Cross $50,000,000 call. A mem-
ber of the committee of vol-
unteers with the Offico of
Civilian Defense, Mr. Monsky
said that Jews "stand ready
for any and all sacrifices of
blood, treasure, talent and toil
in 'defense of our country."
Referring, to the resolution
which he had introduced 20 years
ago, Congressman Fish said that
in that period the Jews, "through
their own tireless efforts and fin-
ancial contributions made by
Americans of Jewish and non-
Jewish origin, have built up parts
of Palestine into flourishing cen-
ters and prosperous farms. Since
then some 400,000 Jews have
found a home and place of ref-
uge there. Today the Jewish peo-
ple in that Holy Land are now
asking for an army of their own,
for a Jewish army to protect
that homeland, to fight under
British High Command, but as a
To President Franklin D. Roose-
velt, Mrs. Hugo Hartmann, presi-
dent of the National Federation
of Temple Sisterhoods, world's
largest Jewish women's religious
organization, has, in the name
of NFTS, pledged "absolute loy-
alty, boundless faith and unceas-
ing work."
In a message to Mrs. Eleanor
Roosevelt at the Office of Civilian
See ARMY—Page 10
See WAR—Page 17
Admiral Block : Defender of Hawaii
By HAROLD U. RIBALOW
Will Continue
Wartime Relief
Important Statement
by Warburg, J. D.
C. Chairman
EDITOR'S NOTE: The blazing waters of the Pacific hold a key to
the destiny of the United States as the Japanese and Ameri-
can fleet s lock in mortal combat. Leading the Americans is
Claude C. Bloch, commander of the 14th Naval District, Ha-
waii. In this personality sketch are traced the career and char-
acter of the man who is called "one of the most important
Plans for continuing on a war-
citizens of the United States" at this crucial time.
time basis the work of assisting
Tall, soft-spoken, trim, 63-
year-old Admiral Claude Charles
Bloch is one of the most impor-
tant citizens of the United States
at this moment. Commandant of
the 14th Naval District of Ha-
waii, the former Commander-in-
Chief of the United States Fleet
is the single naval officer upon
whom the battle with the Japan-
ese depends, if individuals are to
be plucked out of the welter of
the conflicting morass of rumors.
Hawaii is no longer the tour-
ist's paradise. It is a bristling,
aggressive island, with death
lurking in every wave of blue
water surrounding the American
possession. It is a United States
naval base of prime importance
—and its fate lies in the intelli-
gence, fast thinking and experi-
ence of Admiral Bloch, the Jew-
ish naval leader who ranks with
the outstanding Navy command-
ers in the long and honorable
history of the United States
Navy.
Boone, the state that gave Louis
D. Brandeis to the nation. In 42
years of service to the American
Navy, the mild-mannered sailor
has compiled a brilliant record,
replete with brave deeds and
sprinkled with countless decora-
tions for courage under fire.
He was 21 years old when he
took part in the Battle of San-
tiago during the war with Spain.
Even then Claude Bloch did not
merely do his duty. He won a
medal for saving numerous Span-
ish sailors from their flaming
ships. And that was only the be-
ginning, for in his career with
the U. S. Navy Admiral Bloch has
received two dozen awards and
citations, including the Navy
Cross, for his work in troop
transports in the first World
War.
Promoted to Admiral
Admiral Bloch has seen the
world, just as every good sailor
wants to and often does. In all
corners of the globe he has
labored for Uncle Sam in various
Cited for Courage
Born in Woodbury, Kentucky, situations under difficult handi-
in 1878, Claude Bloch was born caps. Active in the Navy as a
to the sea, despite his having
See BLOCH—Page 20
been bred in the state of Daniel
Jewish victims of persecution
overseas were outlined in a state-
ment issued by Edward M. M.
Warburg, chairman of the Joint
Distribution Committee. The J.
D. C. is the major American
agency for aid to distressed Jews
abroad.
The text of Mr. Warburg's
message, sent to community lead-
ers throughout the country, fol-
lows:
See J. D. C.—Page 11
Earlier Chronicle
Deadline for Dec.
26, Jan. 2 Issues
On account of Christmas and
New Year days occurring on
Thursdays, there will be earlier
deadlines for the two issues of
the holiday weeks.
For the issue of Dec. 26, all
copy will have to be in the hands
of the editor before 10 a. m. on
Tuesday, Dec. 23.
For the issue of Jan. 2, all
copy should reach the editor be-
fore 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
THE SHINING LIGHT
A Chanukah Story
By MARTHA NEUMARK
Old Aaron sighed reflectively
as he paused on the corner to
rearrange the spools of thread
and the cheap miscellany of
household wares that lined his
battered suitcase. The tall, broad
hedge, still green despite the mid
December chill, obscured the
house from his view as he strove
to make his display more at-
tractive to the next housewifely
eye that he would approach.
Although Christmas was not
yet due for over a week, here
and there in this community of
small, middle-class homes he was
already aware of its approach;
lawns displayed evergreen trees
of varying sizes, many of them
growing there the year round, but
all of them strung with multi-
colored lights that would gleam
when darkness, still some hours
away, fell.
Christmas lights; but though
he had passed a fairly imposing
Jewish center, no discernible trace
of the Chanukah festival being
celebrated this week had yet met
his eye. There must be many
Jewish families in this neighbor-
hood. Women who had opened the
door either to refuse his wares or
else to buy the tiny amounts that
kept him and Rachel sheltered
and fed had on many occasions
impressed him as being surely
Jewish.
Were they timorous or just
plain stupid, he wondered. Surely
now, if ever in this world, was
the time for Jews in a free land
to show pride in their faith. But
then, he mused, so few of them
had been taught the meaning of
courage and faith by the sort of
memories he had brought with
him from Hitlerland—so few of
them understood how blessed it
was to be able to go from door
to door eking out a pittance, but
eating it in freedom.
Old Aaron straightened, his
store-in-a-pack neat and ready for
inspection again. His eye swept
approvingly over the fine creep.
ing grass that frost and an oc-
casional snow had thus far only
lightly seared, and came to rest
on the neat, rustic shingle that
hung from a whitened pole and
bore the legend: Dr. Daniel
Bloom. A fine Biblical name, he
reflected. Somehow he always felt
better about it when he knew
quite positively, as he did in this
case, that his prospective cus-
tomer was Jewish. Despite all the
theoretical equality that he
preached when anyone would
stop to listen to him, there was
no gainsaying the fact that the
greater feeling of assurance of
a sympathetic reception was ex-
tremely comforting.
No Christmas tree here, he
noted as he walked up the col-
ored flagstone approach to the
See CHANUKAH—Page 20