America ffewisk Perkdical Cada

December 19. 1941

CLIFTON AMU - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO

DETROIT JEWISH

Purely Commentary •

The "Slippery" Mufti

Before the Grand Mufti escaped to Berlin to be

near his bosom friend, Adolf, there were inter-
pollations regarding him in the British House of
Commons. One of the members, Mr. Mandel., asked
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, An-
thony Eden, whether the Mufti had been interned
in Persia and what was the British government's
position regarding him. Thereupon the following
ensued:

Mr. Eden: The Mufti has not as vet been
caught. The Persian authorities are fully aware
of the importance which the Allied Govern-
ments attach to the arrest of the Mufti, and
all nossible steps arc being taken to secure
him.
Mr. Noel-Baker: When he is caught, shall
we treat him as what, in fact, he is—an open
and declared enemy of this country?
I would like to catch him first.
Mr. Eden:
I think you will have a job.
Mr. McGovern:
He is a "Slippery Sam."

5

CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle

Fram to Preach on
the Relation of
By Philip Slomovitz
Religion to War

Concerning a Career System in Jewish
Life

The announcement that Morris Margulies, for-
mer secretary of the Zionist Organization of
America and for the last nine years membership
secretary of the Z. 0. A., has quit his post,
causes us to return to a question we raised more
than a year ago.
In August of 1940, this Commentator raised
this issue: At that time, some employees were
discharged from service with the Zionist Organi-
zation. Among them was the then editor of the
New Palestine, who now edits the splendid Con-
gress Weekly. The question we raised was this:
If Jewish public affairs are to be conducted
efficiently, we must build up an able force of
workers. Such a force, we pointed out, can not
be created by means of political spoils and patron-
age systems, but must be based on a sound

caree r program.

Mary Ellen Chase. Members are
urged to come early and bring
friends.

"Can Religion Bless War?"
will be the subject of Rabbi Leon
Fram's sermon from the pulpit
of Temple Israel next Friday
night, Dec. 26. The services of
Temple Israel are held at the
Detroit Institute of Arts, John
R. and Farnsworth, every Fri-
day night at 8:30.
Rabbi Fram will analyze the
recent pacifist trend among reli-
gious ministers in America and THAT'S WHY
will discuss the question whether TAM-TAM
the pacifist position has an au-
thoritative religious basis, and IS ALWAYS
whether it is tenable in the cur- OVEN FRESH,
rent world conflict.
CRISP, AND
He will refer especially to GOLDEN,
Rev. John Haynes Holmes' of-
fer to resign from his pulpit if
apackar
his pacifist convictions run coun-
ter to the needs of his congre-
gation.
The religious school of Temple
Israel is observing vacation dur-
ing the period of the public
school vacation. Sessions will be
resumed Saturday, Jan. 10. and
Sunday, Jan. 11.

We are far from such a panacea. The fact that
ivdar
Morris Margulies, during whose nine years of
service with the Zionist Organization the Zionist
membership has grown from 8,000 to 46,000, now
finds it necessary to terminate his official associa-
tion with the Zionist Organization, necessitating
the "breaking in" of a new, and therefore inex-
perienced, man, does not speak well for the lead-
ership which directs the destinies of Zionism in
America.
•
When this Commentator first condemned the
spoils and patronage system and urged the adop-
The Negro-Jewish Problem
tion of a career program in Jewish community Neugarten Sunshine Club to
In Jewish circles, there is growing concern over life, he wrote, on Aug. 30, 1940:
Meet on Monday
the Negro problem. There is justification for worry
"What is there to stop the injection of fear
over this issue. In most of the larger cities in this in the hearts of the employees who now repre-
country, Negroes either followed Jews as residents sent a new administration? Is there certainty that
Mrs. Charles Rothstein and
of certain sections or were their neighbors, and there will never again be changes in the political Mrs. Martin Krauss, co-hostesses,
almost invariably, Jewish merchants provided for set-up of the Zionist movement? What is there entertained the executive board
the needs of the Negroes.
to prevent other administrative changes after of the Neugarten Sunshine Club
Also, since Jews were, and still are, in many every national convention? Therefore, why per- at luncheon on Monday, Dec. 15,
instances the landlords of Negroes, the fact that petuate fear and worry over the security of the at the home of Mrs. Rothstein,
they are "slum landlords" has made them targets employees?
2244 Calvert.
for attacks.
The successful culmination of
"For the sake of avoiding injustice to loyal
Certain manifestations of Negro rebellion employees who are part of a system subject to the year's fund raising events
against social and economic conditions of the political whims of leaders, we propose to na- and the continued policy of medi-
race have provided fuel for resentment against tional Jewish organizations the establishment of cal aid and surgical appliances
Jews, and agitators in Negro sections have used a career system".
were the subjects under discus-
Jews as symbols of their hatred. During such
We not only renew this proposal; we also re- sion.
outbursts, the infuriated who are oppressed by new our condemnation of the spoils system. Mor- A meeting will be held on Mon-
their political, economic and social status do not ris Margulies' resignation, which could not have day, Dec. 22, at the Jewish Com-
stop to figure out that Jews have been in the been occasioned by too-pleasant experiences, is munity Center. Dessert luncheon
front ranks of the fighters for justice for the proof of the correctness of the position we take will precede the meeting. Elec-
Negroes. They do not temper their anger with in this matter.
tion of officers will take place.
realization of the truth that the Jews have come
Mrs. Leo Alexander, program
•
to bat for Negro rights on all fronts. What dis-
chairman, has arranged for an
Americanism—Honestly
Acquired
turbs them is the immediate sight of their poor
interesting speaker. Miss Lor-
homes, the difficulty their children have in securing
The war intensifies rather than decreases in- etta Kreuz will review "The
jobs, the humiliation some of them suffer in being terest in the process of Americanism and the Keys of the Kingdom," by Dr. A.
5-8400 •
segregated from the larger mass of the population. making of new Americans. There are hundreds of, J. Cronin and "Windswept," by I
thousands
of
sincere
and
honest
people
who
have
How is this issue to be handled? In the first
place, Jews must recognize that the Negro prob- learned to love this country and whose greatest
lem is a replica of the Jewish problem in many aspiration in life is to acquire the sacred natural-
A Joyous Chanukah to All!
portions of the globe. Jews in Poland, for example, ization certificates. Some have been handicapped
were subjects to the same conditions that Negroes by economic conditions in applying for these
are today in Harlem in New York or the poor papers; others have been unduly negligent and
districts of the South, or Hastings district in De- now sincerely regret their delays.
KOSHER
But there is a new element of future citizens
troit, or the South Side in Chicago. Knowing the
Restaurant and Dining Room
parallel situation, we know the solution at once: created by the Nazi onslaught on civilization. It
it calls for improvement of the status of the is the intellectual who has cut all ties with the
For Home Cooked Meals in a
Negro, for easing restrictions against him in em- old world and has thrown in his entire future
Wholesome Environment
with
the
new.
These
men
represent
a
great
con-
ployment, to make him feel at home in our midst.
12017 DEXTER BLVD.
In more than one sense, it is part of our own tribution to America, and their attitudes and view-
NOrthlawn 9786
battle against similar restrictions practiced Loward points should be considered and studied carefully
us. Therefore, abuse of Negroes in business or and seriously.
Dr. Martin Gumpert is such a man. He will be
employment or in housing must be looked upon as
reprehensible, and if it is practiced by Jews it remembered for his thrilling biography of Jean
Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Coss, a splen-
is doubly contemptible.
But the Negroes must learn to know that they did book which received lengthy reviews in our
must not blame all Jews for whatever bad prac- columns. Now comes Gumpert's "Story of An
tices are resorted to by some Jews. They must American in the Making"—"First Papers," pub-
realize that Jewish policy is to look with dis- lished recently by Duell, Sloan & Pearce, Inc., 270
favor upon abuse of our fellow men, in the Madison Ave., New York.
It is a magnificent book because of its un-
Sold and Serviced by
same sense as we would disapprove of discrimi-
limited scope. It does not narrow the field of
nation against us.
takes
in
every
It
Terrorism in Negro sections, while it has been discussion. It is all-inclusive.
intensified of late, is not new. It is not new in angle of immigrant interest. It covers a wide pan-
the Hastings section in Detroit, which was once orama of problems, issues, provocations occasioned
the center, of Jewish population and is now almost by change of homelands.
a brilliant man like Dr. Gumpert could
entirely colored, and it is not new in Harlem do Only
job like the one he does in "First Papers."
in New York. But unless we look upon it as the He a points
out quite correctly that "Americanism
result of horrible social and economic condi- is not stamped on the passport with the visa: it
tions we miss the point in the entire issue.
must be honestly and painfully acquired." His
The Negro problem is one to be solved by the
is a description of his emotional reactions to
government—and in a neighborly fashion. But book
conditions created by a period between the First
it can not be solved unless Negro leaders, too, and Final Naturalization Papers. Therefore, it may
join in an effort to eradicate injustice in their be called a book of discovery — discovery of new
own ranks. Let there be no discrimination against
a new land, new problems.
any one—but let there not be, at the same time, people,
Thomas Mann's preface to "First Papers" able
12250 JOS. CAMPAU
any terrorism.
shows the principal point about this book and
•
TO. 8-9833
its author. He writes: "This man is no emigrant
who waits for the return to his Homeland. He
A Word About Louis Lipsky
does not look back. He is here, for good and with
Much will justifiably be said about Louis Lipsky, all his heart. America has gained him completely
on the occasion of his 65th birthday, which he and, in reading his book, many will feel that
reached the end of November. Here is an addi- he is a gain for America."
tional interesting point) about this brilliant Zionist
This is exactly the feeling the average reader
leader. He is, perhaps, the outstanding example will have when he has finished the great book by
of a truly great American-Jewish product of the a great coming American. Dr. Gumpert's "First
present century. He is close to the masses, shares Papers" make a splendid text book in American-
their likes and dislikes; he is able to integrate ism and better citizenship.
well with the European leaders who come here
and is accepted on an equal footing by Hebraists
as well as Yiddishists, although he resorts ex-
clusively to English speech; he writes well, speaks
5702-1941
well knows Jewish history and is an excellent
We invite your mortgage business.
Dec. 15 to 22
interpreter of the Jewish position. He is as much Chanukah
Sat.-Sun.,
Dec.
20-21
It will receive our careful considera-
at home at a World Zionist Congress as he is at Rosh Chodesh Tebeth
Thursday, Dec. 30
a Zionist membership meeting or a Jewish Cort- Fast of Tebeth
tion from inception to completion.
5702 1942
gress symposium anywhere in this country or in
Monday,
Jan.
19
Shvat
Europe. American Jewry should be proud of him. Rosh Chodesh
At 65, Louis Lipsky is spry and agile. As Rosh Chodesh Adar...-..-...Tues -Wed., Feb. 17-18
Monday, March 2
proof, here is an interesting incident: At the Fast of Esther
Tuesday, March 3
Inter-American Jewish Conference held in Bal- Purim
Thursday, March 19
timore, there wa: a sudden jam at elevators lead- Rosh Chodesh Nissan
April 2 to 9
ing to the 14th floor, where the public meeting Passover ...
Fri.-Sat., April 17-18
was to hear the address by Under-Secretary of Rosh Chodesh Iyar
1605 Barium Tower
Tuesday, May 5
State Sumner Wells. At least 200 of us had to Lag b'Omer
Sunday, May 17
walk up the entire 14 flights of winding stairs— Rosh Chodesh Swan
and among the walkers, and the least affected, Shevuoth
Friday-Saturday, May 2 2-23
was the able Louis Lipsky.

What a "slippery" story! The Mufti managed
to escape from Jerusalem. He continued to in-
stigate his terrorist gangs against the Jews from
his hide-outs, carried on anti-British propaganda,
reached Italy and finally got to Germany.
But Mr. Eden evaded answering 'the question as
to how the Mufti will be treated, and the whole
business turns out to be "slippery debate."

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