A merium 'mesh Periodical Carter
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
October I, 1943
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal
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ROSH HASHONAH MESSAGE
By DANIEL L. SCHORR
By RABBI ISAAC STOLLMAN
THE RECORD CONTROVERSY
Frankly, I have avoided com-
Another year of war has passed. In an accelerated while my brother has perished? What as a Jew is ms
ment on the long-standing musi- tempo of living and dying, man has been brought closer primary duty today? What efforts are expected of me
clans' ban on new recordings,
g n
to the realities of life and death. Living in a time of
which is now happily ended, be- hurried todays and uncertain tomorrows, man has come in this turning point in the world's destiny?" As the
cause the issue seemed so coin-
',heated and had so much to be to bethink himself a little. Wartime living has made blackbird in the Ark of Noah, we must ask ourselves if
said on the several existing sides, everyone
'
of us increasingly conscious of the importance we have brought our sacrifice in a world where so many
that I found it difficult to take
of
the
individual
and of purposeness and meaning in of us have brought and are bringing sacrifices. It is at
any sharply-defined point of view.
For that matter, I still find it life at a time when the individual has become increas- this time of the year when man stands before God the
hard to support one or the other ingly expendable. We are all aware that man has be-
hard
....
subservient to society and must give an account :Itidge and when m
man
group completely; yet this im- of
an bethinks himself of life's — purl:11)86
portant situation is worth talking ut what he is doing in the cause of world freedom. No and progress, life's meaning and failures, that man must
about.
one can dare be a bystander in the world's struggle for hearken to that small still shofar within him that beckons
For many years the musicians survival.
him to his duty.
have been fighting a desperate
rear-guard action against tech-
There is a remarkable conversation recorded in
nological unemployment. Many
There is much for us to do in the task of saving
will remember how a few years the • Midrash which illustrates this point. The ancient the remnants of our people in the reaches of Europe, in
ago they picketed movie houses rabbis tell us
that in the last days of the Deluge when Turkey, in Persia, in Shanghai and in Siberia. We must
in protest against "canned music"
—an issue on which they found the waters had begun to recede, Noah sent out of the Ark unite in our stand to save Zionism at a time when Eretz
it difficult to win public support. the lowly blackbird to see if it would return to the Ark, Israel means so much to a homeless people. Here in
Records and transcriptions gave thus demonstrating that there was as yet no dry place. America we must carry one the work of perpetuating
the American Federation of Mu
his a - our tradition by giving our children a proper Jewish,
cisians another tremendous head- - The Orev, the blackbird, a little perplexed by
y
P
ache because it made it possible pointment, asked of Noah, "Why do you send me of all Torah-true education. This year hangs heavy with des-
for
io stationsf
pense the beast and fowl?" And Noah answered, "It is that tiny. Jewry, not Judaism, is at the crossroads. Ours is
wit h the services o mu
to sicia
disns by they have some usefulness and purpose in the world the responsibility and the duty. Let not history incriminate
playing records and transcri
p- either as sustenance for man or are fit for sacrifice to us for having shirked our duties and missing our appor-
tions.'
When James C. Petrillo, presi- God, while you, blackbird, have no purpose. You, lowly tunities. Let not our dead have died in vain. Let each
dent of the AFM, clamped down creature though you are, must, too, help in preparing of us live up to the greatness of the times. Many of our
his ban on new records, the ac- for this new world that faces us."
brothers have already .died for Kiddush Hashem, Sanc-
tion was directed not so much
against the recording companies,
tification of the name of God. How call we refuse to
This little story carries a remarkable challenge for . live for Kiddush Hashem?
as the radio stations and in juke-
box ow
ner wh wer e us g
e us today. Living as we are today in a flood of fire and -
result of the musicians' work blood, our duties become so much clearer and our
without paying for it, although responsibilities so much more urgent. In this deluge
they themselves sold it for profit. which we hope will
Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday
11 yet soon subside, leaving a scarred
In principle the musicians are
right, and this is a fact which but repentant world which we must build anew, each one
tends to become obscured be- of us must find purpose and meaning in his existence.
cause of Petrillo's violent and The Jew today living in the security and freedom of
500 W. CONGRESS
frequently crude espousal of that America must ask himself
— CHERRY 8269
,
"Why
have
I
been
sparea
principle, plus the successful ef-
- ---
fort of his opponents to make the
—
issue one of Petrillo "dictator-
ship".
However, the question becomes
more complex when one considers
that to force radio stations to
pay for the right to broadcast
records would not harm the big
ones, (large network stations make
comparatively little use of rec-
ords, anyway) but would endan-
ger the marginal little stations
which exist largely with the aid
1 . of records. To complicate the
question further, it is not really
in the interest of the musicians
0 as a group to see such stations
die because they promote interest
in music and attract people to
live concerts, where their ad-
mission prices help to support
musicians.
Nevertheless, it must be stated
that the absence of performance
royalties for commercial use of
records represents a lag of so-
cial and legal development behind
techndlogical development. The
contract which the AFM has
signed with Decca providing for
royalties per record sold (but not
for performances of the records)
is only an ameliorative measure.
The most constructive proposal
is that which has been advanced
by Sir Thomas Beecham on the
basis of experience in Britain,
namely that the copyright laws
be extended to give musicians
protection for their recorded per-
formances and that musicians
`thereby be enabled to charge
royalties for commercial use of
these records, over radio stations
and in jukeboxes. On such a ba-
sis, spread so widely, the royalty
could be regulated according to
the size of the audience in each
ADMINISTRATOR 0. P. A.
case, which would prevent unduly
penalizing small stations.. Un-
fortunately, Congressmen have
been worked up into a state of
mild hysteria on the subject of
Petrillo and any such proposal
The Jewish New Year 5704 is ushered in during the mightiest and most vital conflict that has ever
seems to have little chance of
been waged in the world. For never has there ever been so much at stake. In greeting my fellow citizens
attention.
TURNER TYPE FOUNDERS CO.
PRENTISS M. BROWN'S
ROSH HASHONAH GREETINGS
TO THE JEWS OF THE NATION
1943
5704
PRENTISS M. BROWN
A New Era with the Destruction of' Tyrants
We Turn To Our Torah
We turn to our Torah
For succor and strength;
Pray for life's blessings
And its span of length.
We turn to our Torah
When in want and need ;
Now, dear God, we implore peace,
Let no more die or bleed.
We return to our Torah
With repentance anew ;
We plead, that in every land,
You will rescue the Jew.
We turn to our Torah
To help our children's fate;
Give us peace with victory
To replace bloodshed and hate.
Patriots turned to our Torah
To inscribe our Liberty Bell;
Ilay it ring out again
That all-yet-will-be-well.
—Miriam G. Slohin.
of Michigan and the nation, I share with all free men the conviction that tyranny will be destroyed and that
new life and new hope will soon dawn for oppressed and terrified humanity.
Of course, blood, sweat, toil and tears are in store for the defenders of liberty against the monster
of paganism. But I am confident that out of this tragedy will yet come a rebirth of freedom for mankind.
With
calmness let us stand behind our beloved President Roosevelt and fight the good fight for liberty and
freedom.
In this critical hour, let us give the best that is in us to preserve the light of democracy and the lofty
ideals of the American way of life. If we all do our share, the forces of evil that seek to enslave the
energies and spirit of man by violence and terror will be destroyed and eliminated from the earth. It is my
earnest
wish
this sacred occasion that- the coming year may b e one of health and strength,
better
face
the on
problem
s of life in these critical times, for ourselves
, our country and all mankindthat we may
Sincerely yours,
Administrator
Office Of Price Administration