November

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

4

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.

JACOB H. SCHAKNE
JACOB MARGOLIS
CHARLES TAUB

Pres.-Gen. Mgr.
Editor
.Advertising Mgr.

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Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post-
office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

Sabbath Readings of the Law

Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 18:1-22, 24.
Prophetical portion—II Kings 4:1-37.

November 12.

1943

CHESHVAN 14. 5704

sharply increased because we will then
be able to get in touch with millions with
whom we are cut off by reason of Axis
occupation of the lands where they exist.
With few exceptions our European
brethren will need food, clothing, medi-
cine, tools and cash with which to rebuild
their homes and businesses. We confi-
dently expect that the 44 nations that
have signed the pact to feed and rehabili-
tate will carry out their undertaking with
thoroughness and dispatch, yet the mag-
nitude of the job is such that much will
have to be done by private agencies and
organizations.
This simply means that all who can
must contribute more now and they should
expect a call for even larger contribu-
tions when the war ends.
It will no doubt take years to restore
Europe to economic normality, and the
task of restoring the Jews of Europe will
probably take longer than that needed for
the other peoples, because the Jews have
been broken, robbed and despoiled to a
greater extent than have any other people
of ravaged Europe.

United Action Needed
Many of our over-zealous and strongly-
opinionated friends will have to realize
Unanimity!
that men have a right to differ and dis-
sent. This may sound trite and hackneyed,
It is a long time since Josef Stalin,
but yet the fact remains that too many Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill were
cannot tolerate the opinions of those who in agreement on any important matter,
do not agree with them. They react vio- but in their latest speeches they are agreed
lently and forget that there are many that Nazi Germany is pear the cracking-
things upon which they agree. This is up stage.
written anent the withdrawal of the
Stalin and Churchill draw the logical
American Jewish Committee from the conclusions from the impending catastro-
American Jewish Conference. The with- phe, but the mystical Adolf, who prob-
drawal was regrettable but it was predi- ably consulted a soothsayer, finds that an
cated upon an honest difference of opin- "apparent impossible situation from the
ion upon a matter of grave importance to battle front, must force a decision in our
the American Jewish Committee. A care- favor". But then again, this venomous
ful perusal of the text of the resolution little man has always had intuitions and
of the Committee should go a long way why should we expect him to give up his
in persuading those who feel strongly intuitions at a time when all hope is gone.
against the Committee that the action
The psychiatrists should be interested
was not capricious and hasty. The full in this choice bit with which he regaled
text of the resolution appears elsewhere the beer cellar audience: "Everything is
possible but it is entirely impossible that
in this issue.
We make the plea for tolerance and I should lose my nerves. You can be sure
understanding because there are so many that nothing can ever happen to make me
matters upon .vhich there is agreement. fear." This sort of ridiculous boasting may
and particularly because of the urgent stiffen the backbones of his faltering Nazi
and pressing matter of the abrogation of followers, but to any observer it merely
means that he knows his doom is not far
the British White Paper.
off
and he puts on a brave face before
It must be remembered by those who
are angry and disappointed that the his worshipping fellow criminals.
Hitler has discovered that there are
American Jewish Committee, despite its
some
who see the inevitable
small membership, is still a potent force defeat in of Germany
Germany.
meets this situa-
in American Jewry. The men who make tion in characteristic He
Nazi
by threat-
up this committee are, to use a mucl , ening death to those who style
have
such de-
overused word, outstanding and influen- featist sentiments, but all his threats
can-
tial, and are listened to respectfully by not alter the stubborn facts of a retreating
those who have the power to make de- and defeated Nazi army in Russia ; and
cisions.
this fact cannot be kept from the German
As we view the present situation, the people.
abrogation of the White Paper is the most
It was to be expected that Hitler would
important matter facing Jewry today. A try to identify the German people with
united front must be presented to our the Nazis after the Moscow pronounce-
government as well as to the British gov- ment that the Nazi criminals would be
ernment. Let us not minimize the need turned over to the peoples against whom
for unity. The Arabs have taken a definite the crimes were committed. The propa-
position of opposition to the abrogation, ganda gang may have been able to per-
and to fritter away our strength in dis- suade some of the German people that
putations, over less pressing matters, they would be treated as their leaders,
would be a blunder. We must not alienate but since the clear and forthright state-
our friends by reviling them and impugn- ment of Russia, Britain and the United
ing their motives and good faith.
States was made, it becomes increasingly
The withdrawal of the American Jewish difficult for Hitler, Goebbels et al to con-
Committee from the Conference may be vince the masses that a terrible fate
an unpalatable pill for some to swallow, awaits them if they should be defeated.
but to fail to get united action on the
We are presuaded that Himmler and
matter of the White Paper may well turn his Gestapo, who now have far wider
out to be catastrophic.
control Over the police and military than
As long as we are tolerant toward each ever before, will do all they can to pre-
other there is always the prospect that vent defections and defeatism, but the
the breach may be closed. Someone may logic of events in Russia and Italy are
find a formula in the near future that such powerful forces of disintegration
will bring the present dissidents into a that all the Gestapo may do will be in-
unified organization with the present ma- effective.
jority. But whether that can be achieved
Even the Nazis now draw parallels
or not, let us direct our attention and use between the Germany of November of
all our energies to the achieving of the 1918 and 1943, but they console them-
cancellation of the unjust and indefensible selves with the fact that the Gestapo is
White Paper which will exclude our peo- such an integrating and cohesive force
ple from Palestine after April, 1944.
that 1918 cannot be repeated. They may
be able to delay the day of complete col-
lapse, but they cannot delay it for long.
We Must Continue To Give
They may not capitulate on the eleventh
There may be some among us who be- hour and may go on fighting to 5 minutes
lieve that with the end of the war, which after 12 as Hitler boasted, but the hour
seems now to be not too far away, that of 12 is approaching and all the leaders
the needs of our people overseas will be know it.
We have reason to hope that the 20th
reduced and, consequently, there is not
the Same urgency to give to the War anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch will
be the last. It would be fitting that this
Chest.
Just the opposite is the case. The criminal adolescent should never reach
amount that will be needed will be its majority.

Plain Talk...

12, 1943

by Al Segal

1

•

FATHERS

visited by a young gen-
I with WAS
tleman who came to take up
me a matter that is quite

poignant in American life today.
He said he was speaking as an
American yet as a Jew as well.
He considered his being an Amer-
ican and his being a Jew as iden-
tities not separate but in closely
knit relationship to one another.
What he was about to say was
for all Americans; his being a
Jew served to underline it, he
said.
Yes, so many Americans were
troubled these days by the im-
pending draft of fathers and he
thought it timely that one young
American father be allowed to
speak publicly on the matter. It
might help. Would I consent to
let him use this column for that
purpose?
I said go ahead.
He and his wife had come to
a happy reconciliation to the
idea of his going into the Army.
He said, of course, whether they
are reconciled to it or not had
no bearing on the fact that he
had been put in 1-A, for shortly
he would be called for his screen-
ing test; he would have to go
anyway. Still, it is easier to go
if a man understands what it's
all about and is conscious of a
high ideal and purpose calling
him . . . "Isn't that right?" he
asked.
He described his family life.
It centers around the baby. The
child is three years old. He said
that to watch him grow by the
day is like looking at creation
itself. Each day the infant's mind
presents something new—a new
word learned, a new idea.
Yesterday the child asked,
where was I before I was born?
Night before last he asked about
stars and how were they put
there so high up?and who did 1'0
The gentleman said each eve-
ning when he conies home from
his work there is a new revela-
tion in the child. For that reason
his home has become a place in
which he finds something new and
more beautiful every day. Sunday
is like a great feast day: He has
the child every hour and it's like
watching a pageant of creation
all day.
"Perhaps I'm too ecstatic," he
said. "Am I boring you? You
must forgive the ecstasies of a
young father."
So when the notice came-1-A-
he felt devastated. In the divine
hour of his worship he was being
called to leave his altar. Yes, he
said, that's what it was like.
Whenever he kneels on the floor
at play with the baby he is con-
scious of kneeling at an altar.

I

H

E HAD been called to go
far on a mysterious destiny.
He searched his heart and had to
confess that the idea of leaving
his wife was the lesser of his
pain. He told her so and she
understood. Not that he loved her
less. Their baby had become
central to both their lives.
In the child's bedtime prayer
that night his mother asked him
to add something: "Say, 'God,

please make my father brave.'"
"What's brave?" the chill

"It means strong," she replied.
asked.
Afterward she said that's what
both of them needed—to be brave.
"And. dear, we can't be brave
unless we think it all out."
That's how they came to the
happy adjustment . . . "W e
thought it all out" . . . She start-
ed by saying that both of them
believed in the things the war
was being fought for. They had
believed in these thing even
long beforer America got into it.
Far back in the time when
Mussolini attacked Ethiopia they
had first felt there was a grave
menace arising to the world out
of Fascism. They had suffered
acutely on account of the news
about Jews in Germany, but at
that time that seemed a hideous
thing exclusive to Germany, and
the world couldn't do anything
about that. Then Spain! She re-
membered that she had contrib-
uted to the flower fund of their
temple in memory of a boy she
knew who had volunteered his
life for the Spanish Republicans.
"We thought it the noblest sac-
rifice—this boy giving himself for
what he believed in," she said.
And now the duty this boy had
taken up by choice had come to
them, perforce, by the action of
events . . . "We have no choice
but we can at least take it up
with brave hearts, like people
who know that the greatest thing
in the world is to sacrifice for
things you believe in."

I

I I

HE SAID, certrainly they still
believed in moral law and in
the doing of justice even now
n't stand back and, as for herself,
when they had been called to
fight for these things. They could-
she was going to tit* not to cry
when he left for the Army.
If it was going to be a happier
world afterward, it will be a
world their child will inherit. He
will be one of the millions who
will have to go if there is an-
other war in 20 years . . . "That
mustn't hap-pen," she said. "That's
what we're fighting for—that it
shouldn't happen again. That's
what you're being called for."
There was something else that
she brought up, my visitor said.
All she had said before might be
for the understanding of any
American. Now she mentioned
Jews and what America had meant
to his and her people. Their par-
ents were immigrants and Amer-
ica had done well by them. Of
course, they had done well by
America, too. They had made
good lives and brought their chil-
dren up right. She remembered
the great moment their gradua-
tion from the university was for
their parents.
She said all this with no air of
patriotic lecturing. She ended up
by saying simply well, that's the
way for us to look at it, I think.
If we look at it that way it will
be easier for us to go through the
months ahead.
Her husband had accepted her

S

See SEGAL-Page 9

BONDS OVER AMERICA *

John Audubon

Early in the 19th cen-
tury a storekeeper and
gristmill operator at
Henderson, Kentucky,
took to studying birds
as an antidote for en-
nui and added much to
man's knowledge of
ornithology. His name
is a byword to this
day. It is John James
Audubon.

.

Only the knowledge of
despotism, destruction,
_ 4 killing, maiming brings
one to the surface of
Naziism. It has no place
for gentle souls; only
Himmlers, Schleichers,
von Papens, Heydrichs.

Keep On
Backing the Attack
With War Bondi

