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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

A NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE TO JEWS

and our common brotherhood in

By EVERETT R. CLINCHY
President. The National Conference of Christians and Jews

What message has the Christian moral indignation by the knowl-
world for the people of Israel as edge that the very fndamentals
they usher in their New Year of of human order and decency have
5703 under the heaviest burden of been so ruthlessly violated, that
suffering in their history? the simple, ordinary rights we
For one thing, it must surely hold to he inherent in every hu-
be a message of deepest corn- man being have been callously
passion for what has befallen Overthrown. The avowed aim of
Jews under widespread and dead- our common enemy is not only
ly persecution. It can also be of to enslave the peoples of Europe
intimate understanding, for t h e but to tear down, if possible the
same barbarous weapons turned whole structure of our civiliza-
against the Jews have also en- tion : To all who belong to the
slaved, imprisoned or killed those Christian Churches, whether Cath-
of the Christian faith who have olic or Protestant, the fate of
dared in the name of our con- our Jewish fellow-men is a chal-
mon God to expose and condemn lenge that stirs us to espouse
the persecutors of all religion.:. more
zealously than ever the
It gives no solace save the cause of liberation and justice
sense of comradship in suffering, and to renew our determination
at in the world we are seeking
to remind ourselves that gentles
in Russia and Poland, Christians to build, it will be possible for
and women
in Czechoslovakia and Norway, men race
to walk of whatever faith
la
France and England, and Chinese slunty once again. in peace and
in the Orient, have carried the
burdens, with Jews.
Toour Jewish brethren in
The tragedy we have seen un- America and to those of their
fold in Germany and throughout faith who have wseuffpelerdeg
de in
the Nazi-dominated countries of Nazi onslaught
in t h e
Europe appals us by its magni- name of Our common humanity
tude. We have no words ade-
quately to described the ferocity
that has brought starvation and
death to millions of innocent vic-
tims for no other reason than
that they bore the name of Jew.
Human imagination falters before
the torment of young and old
snatched from their families and
handed over to the living death
of concentration camps and pris-
ons or the anguish of those left
behind, powerless except to hope
and pray for the survival of their
loved ones. There is nothing in
human history comparable to the
20th century horror and destruc-
ion that have sprung in the
short space of years from the
seeds of hate and racial bigotry.
We in America, though far re-
moved from the sights of torture
and bloodshed, are quickened to

God our utmost effort in defense

and supprt of those ethical teach-

ings and principles which are

part and parcel of the Judaeo-

Christian heritage, and upon

whose preservation depends the

ultimate triumph of compassion

and 'religion over the forces pagan
brutality. To our prayer for peace
is linked a prayer that the people
of Israel, out of their travail and
suffering, may emerge side by
side with us into it world of bet-
ter understanding and nobler as-
piration.
And while we cherish in our
hearts the hope of an early and
lasting peace throughout the world,
we are not unmindful of our more
immediate and intimate roblems
at home. We look forward, in co-
operation with our Jewish fellow-
Americans, to the cleansing from
our communities of the poisons of
hatred and distrust that have at
times disrupted the harmony of
Our lives; and to the building of
a stronger and more enduring de-
mocracy renewed foundations of
freedom, equality and opportunity.
To this task the National Con-
ference of Christians and Jews
dedicates itself anew.

September I I, 1942

See Yishuv Providing
Another 34,000 Males
for War Effort

mand of these battalions will b
e
Jewish and they could be attached
to larger formations, like a bri-
gade and divisions. But a prior
condition to any further expan-
TEL AVIV (PALCOR) — Sta-
sion is the rapid rate of enlist-
tistics compiled by the Jewish ment y fcoormpthoiti
esionnfa(n)ft?J'emand the
Agency show the possibility of
kh hat.
enlisting for the army and other t an
oves .
war needs another 34,000 males
adult throughout the
in the eligible ages, it was dis-
Y is huv y must play a part in our
closed at a press conference here
all-out effort, whether in the
addressed by Bernard Joseph,
Chairman of the Central Yishuv Army, industry or agriculture.
The Yishuv, which has done much
Recruiting Committee.
for the war industry, will prob-
Urging the Jewish community
to speed up the enlistment process, ably shortly have to exttnd this
effort, but simultaneousl y
Dr. Joseph declared:
it must
"We are now in the decisive also provide in the shortest pos-
sible
time
another
10,000
.,oldiers.
phase of our recruiting movement.

The formation of Palestine Jew-
ish battalions furnishes the Yis-
huv with the opportunity to fight
as Jews. In the first three years
of the war, the Yishux was com-
pelled to conduct its recruiting
under unencouraging circum-
stances. It was only stage by
stage that recognition of the spe-
cial position of the Jews was
achieved.
"Battalions of fighting units
necessitate manifold equipment
and broad training, which have
been promised us to start im-
mediately. The character and corn-

In addition to the 31,0o0 eli•
Bible males to whom Dr. Joseph
refered, he said that women, too,
apart from the 1,700 now serving
with the ATS, have been sum-
moned to undertake additional
productive duties in the same
spheres.

Dr. Joseph also announced that
additional measures are to be
taken against shirkers. He
stressed that "although we are
unable to impose compulsion on
the Yishuv, we will ostracize any
slacker who is not entitled to en-
joy the amenities which the Yis.
huv has created."

GKosh Hashonah Greetings

UNITED

(Continued from Page 2)

defense program through
chuches and synagogues.
An Emergency Chaplains' Or-
ganization has been formed in
Pittsburgh, under the leadership
of a minister, priest and rabbi,
to provide, in an emergency,
chaplains' services for hospital-
ized casualties and to help alle-
viate hysteria and create and
maintain civilian morale. An in-
terfaith laymen's spirit unit is
also part of the Pittsburgh local
defense organization. A similar
group is now being organized in
the six New England states by
the Regional Civilian Defense Of-
fice.
In other States, churches of all
faiths are strengthening their ef-
forts to help morale and civilian
defense. In upstate New York,
representatives of the Federation
of Churches of Rochester and
Monroe County, the Roman Cath-
olic Diocese of Rochester and
local Jewish synagogues are all
members of the Rochester De-
fense Council. In Cincinnati, a
Spiritual Morale Committee, com-
i.osed of religious leaders of the
three faiths, has been formed to
initiate honor occasions and pub-
lic going-away receptions for men
entering military service.
Because interfaith cooperation
has been given wide impetus dur-
ing the past year, demands upon
the National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews have increased
and have caused it to expand its
program, especially among the
churches and the military camps.
The eyes of America's relig-
ious leaders are focused on the
future as well as the present. In-
terfaith cooperation in post-war
planning and reconstruction was
frequently discussed during the
year. Nearly 600 Protestant,
Catholic and Jewish clergymen
from all parts of the country is-
sued a joint statement in July
calling upon President Roosevelt
to set up a social commission
consider the problem of post-war
r econstruction. Also significant
was the biennial session of the
General Council of Congregation-
al Churches at Durham, H .IL,
which urged united Protestant
communions to confer with Cath-
olic communions and Jewish con-
gregations to examine their sev-
eral faiths in the light of the
problem of the post-war world.
Efforts are now under way
initiate far-reaching cooperation
between leaders of the three
faiths on issues of post-war re-
construction.

SEYMOUR COHN
MORTON ESPAR

BENJAMIN FISHMAN

HARRY HIMELSTEIN
THEODORE KELTER
PETER PORTNOY

JOIN

All the Members of Our Organization Including
the Officers and Directors in Extending to the

Jewish People, Everywhere, Best Wishes

for A Very Happy New Year.

The GREAT-WEST LIFE

ASSURANCE COMPANY

ARTHUR P. JOHNSON, Branch Manager

Our New Home

3146 PENOBSCOT BLDG.

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