scrim 9cwisk Periodical et N t er
December 19. 1941
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 30, OHIO
7
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and the Legal Chronicle
JUDGE JEROME FRANK DENOUNCED
His Recent Article Is Called Gratuitous Insult; Rabbis
and Laymen Assail His Views
ukah latke party Saturday, Dec.
LADIES LECHEM ANIYIM
by the remark of President
20, at 7 p. m., at Assembly Hall.
Roosevelt that America's future
The Detroit Ladies' Lechem The annual banquet has been .
lay on the side of the democra-
cies. He divides Jews as merely Aniyim Society will have a Chan- set for Feb. 1.
sojourners, hyphenates, in Amer-
ica, and American Jews. He clas-
sifies some Zionists along with
Communists among the former
(but not Brandeis). He classifies
first generation Jews and second
and third generation Jews. Many
of the second and third genera-
tion American Jews are Jews in
name only, etc.
One is Impressed by the urge
for the flight from Jewish life
that haunts the judge. As if he
MAY THE HOLIDAY TIME — WITH ITS
would say "I am ashamed of
my fellow Jews. I don't want to
MEANINGFUL TRADITIONS — BE A TIME
act, feel, or think as a Jew. I
am no Jew but an American. All
OF JOY FOR ALL OF YOU AND EVERY
of you look : I am an isolationist.
I even criticized Ickes for ex-
YEAR TO COME!
pressing his indignation for the
atrocities of Hitlerism. Doesn't
that prove that I am a good
American. I renounce (in the
unconscious) Moses for Jeffer-
son. I classify Jews as Ameri-
cans and as sojourners in Amer-
ica. My religion is actually closer
to liberal Protestantism than to
Jewish Orthodoxy."
The judge displays symptoms
of feelings of inferiority in con-
533-547 FOREST AVE. EAST
nection with his Jewish identity.
Such feelings of inferiority stim-
PHONE COLUMBIA 4200
ulate a sense of guilt. He is
haunted with the fear that his
Americanism is in question. By
renouncing his Jewishness he
hopes to boost his patriotism. He
builds up "American" defenses
as a counter reaction against the
deep unconscious feelings of in-
A Joyous Chanukah
feriority and sense of guilt that
is associated in his mind with his
Jewishness.
to All . . .
What a Jewish "inferiority
complex" and what a defense.
THEODORE ()LENDER.
Rabbis and laymen this week thus experience no difficulty in
joined in attacking Judge Jerome solving their problem as Jews.
Frank for his "insulting" article Theirs will be a solution by dis-
in a recent issue in the Saturday solution.
On the other hand,
Evening Post.
those who have the will-to-live as
Rabbi Morris Adler, in a state- Jews will strain every effort to
ment to T h e Detroit Jewish assure the perpetuation of Israel
Chronicle, writes: and his sacred heritage.
"The article by Judge Jerome
Statement by Rabbi Fram
Frank is not alone a gratuitous
Rabbi Leon Frain's statement
insult to many loyal Jews; nor on Jerome Frank follows:
is it simply a frightened attempt
"Jerome Frank's article in the
at the exculpation of the position Saturday Evening Post entitled,
which many Jews, exercising their "Red, White and Blue Herring,"
rights as Americans, held with would have been excusable if it
regard to this country's foreign had been written for a Jewish
policy—a position which has been paper. Appearing in a popular
completely vindicated by the most weekly it constitutes a deplorable
recent events. The article has disservice to American Jewry.
another ominous aspect. Its "In his article Mr. Frank in-
plied thesis
represents
a basic sinuates that Zionists are Jews
ng o
misund tandim.
meaning who are merely sojourning in
erscanis
The
of Ameri
f the traditions
observed by many Jews are not America. This is the sort of
we of used
to hear
from
to be regarded from a genuine those
the senile
genera-
American point of view, as for-
eign importations. They are part tion. Even they have in recent
of the spiritual and cultural pat- years not dared so coarsely to
tern of the Jewish group and to betray their fellow Jews. This
that extent are as American as article is calculated to create
the traditions of any other group ani-Jewish attitudes even among
living in consonance with the the liberal groups of American
American spirit. The distinctive, men and women, who have hith-
contribution of American Jewry erto been favorably inclined to-
as a group, to the totality of ward Zionism.
"Mr. Frank writes correctly
American life, will not be made
by those whose Judaism is similar about Jewish Communists when
to "liberal Protestanism"; but by he- says that their true allegiance
those elements in Jewry whose is to Russia, but this is true of
Judaism is intense, original, rich all Communists. Why specify
and comprehensive. The hope of Jews? His discovery of a group
dissociation from the body of of Jewish Fascists, on the other
Jews, as revealed by the phrase hand, is an important contribu-
"our kind of Jews," has proved tion. I could readily name the
futile in the past besides being Jews in Detroit who, until the
unworthy of self-respecting Jews. outbreak of hostilities with Ger-
Anti-democratic programs will not many, were in absolute agree-
tolerate divisions between one ment with Mussolini and Hitler
and another kind of Jews. The on every subject except anti- Annual Chanukah Party of
article renders a definite disserv- Semitism. They would have been
Poale Zeire Zion Branch
ice not alone to American Jews, as ready to enslave labor, to sup-
on Sunday
but likewise to the cause of demo- press civil liberties and to endorse
dictatorship as Fritz Thyssen or
cratic ideals and principles."
Poale Zeire Zion Branch 2 will
Hermann Rauschning were be-
Dr. Hershman's View
its annual Chanukah party
fore hard experience taught them have
Dr. A. M. Hershman said he better. It is hoped, now that on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 7:30
felt sorry for Judge Frank. His America is at w a r against p. in.. in the conference room of
statement follows :
Fascism, that these Jewish fas- the Rose Sittig Cohen School. In
"I read Judge .Frank's article cists of Detroit and elsewhere, addition to the food which will
in the Saturday Evening Post will at last become good Ameri- be served by the hosts, Abraham
INSURANCE
with mingled feelings. Uppermost cans, believers in human equality and Elkah Freedman, the educa-
tional committee has arranged an
among them was the feeling of and freedom."
program of music and
pity. udge Frank holds a promi-
Judge Frank's article was at- interesting
nent position. Ile stands high in tacked at numerous events here— song as well as a Chanukah talk.
All members of the branch and
the council of the administraion at religious services, at the con-
at Washington. Nevertheless, he cluding event of the Education their friends are invited.
The arrangements committee
is perturbed, ill at ease. The Month of the United Hebrew
605 FOX THEATRE BLDG.
CHERRY
tide of anti-Semitism is rising. Schools by Lawrence W. Crohn, consists of A. J. Lachover, Aaron
Kutnik,
Harry
Mondry
and
Mrs.
There is dread in his heart lest at the Mizrachi 30th anniversary
the tidal wave engulf him too. celebration by Rabbi Kirschblum, Elkah Freedman.
He feels therefore that it is high a nd by others.
time that assimilaionist Jews as-
serted themselves ; proclaimed ASSAILS JUDGE FRANK
within the hearing of the Ameri-
can people their break with the Editor, Detroit Jewish Chronicle:
In the Dec. 6 issue of Satur-
past, their severance of all con-
nection with Judaism and the day Evening Post, Judge Jerome
Frank wrote an article entitled,
Jewish people.
"It is in this light that I view "Red, White and Blue Herring."
I am not at present interested
Judge Frank's article. The plea
that most Jews are now assimi- in discussing or criticizing the
. . . that government
lated is but a manifestation of contents of the article. I want
what is known as "defense mech- merely to penetrate psychologi-
anism."
cally into a few of the implica-
of the people, by the
"It is true that Judge Frank tions, suggestions, or hints of
insists that his motive in clari- the writer. The article is filled
people, and for the
fying the position of the assimi- with expressions, diversions, or
lationists was solicitude for the examples, that give away the
welfare of America. "American true nature of the judge. Freu-
people shall not per-
anti-Semitism of the concentra- dian psychology places most em-
tion-camp variety," he s a y s. phasis on such irrelevent re-
"would cut the trunk-nerve of marks.
ish from the Earth."
American civilization." I sub-
In one place the judge states,
mit, however, that, in the last "Most Jews born in America
analysis, this is but an attempt regard as their significant heroes
to rationalize his strictures of his Jefferson and Lincoln, not Moses
fellow Jews. I do not deny that and David" (the judge classifies
Jew-baiting militates against de- himself among those Jews). Let
mocracy. I do not deny that us substitute, the words 'most
Judge Frank feels it keenly and Christians' for the words 'most
is disturbed over it. But if this Jews' and also substitute the
were the sole reason for his ar- word 'Christ or St. Paul' for the
ticle, why did he take such pains words 'Moses and David.' Would
to convince the American people not such a statement sound ridic-
that most Jews are assimilated ulous? Is it a matter of choice
and that all Jews should, and in between Moses and Jefferson or
the course of time, will give up Christ and Jefferson? Can't an
their separate existence? Is there American Jew (like the judge)
anything un-American in the ef- regard as their significant heroes
forts of Jews to preserve their both Moses and Jefferson, just
group identity a n d cultural as the Christians regard as their
values? Judge Frank himself evi- significant heroes Christ and
To help Our country WIN VICTORY
dently does not think so. He Jefferson? Why did the judge
says: "America has not felt that make such a slip? What uncon-
. . . This Christmas we are giving
good citizenship required the dis- scious dynamic forces in the
card of those cultural values psychic make up of the judge
which are not in conflict with make such a statement intellig-
every one of our employees a
American ideals. Rather our de-
ible?
mocracy insists on the right of
The spirit of the article is ex-
DEFENSE BOND
the several cultural groups to live tremely defensive. Every para-
their separate lives, if they so graph is an argument in defense
I
desired."
"I am sorry for Judge Frank. of the patriotism of 'Most Amer-
ican Jews' of whom the judge is
He is an avowed assirnilationist. one. He relates that he pub-
He sees no reason why he should lished a book, "Save America
suffer in common with those Jews First," which is the standby for
who regard Judaism as a cause one of Senator Wheeler's daugh-
worth while suffering for. I sin- ters, an aggressive isolationist.
cerely hope that America's entry He states that he deplored the
FUEL
into the war will put a mora-
torium on Jew-baiting. Those provocative speeches of Secre-
Ickes criticizing Hitler. The
who are out of tune and sympa- tary
thy with Israel and Judaism will Judge was also deeply distressed
CHANUKAH
GREETINGS
FOREST CLEANERS
ra
William Hordes
and Associates
* * * *
6780
* * * *
This Christmas . . . We
GIVE DEFENSE BONDS
GRIN BROS. 1N CC.