mci t / Awish Periodical Carter CLIFTON ATENU2 - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO 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