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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
JACOB H. SCHAKNE
Pres.-Gen. Mgr.
JACOB MARGOLIS
Editor
CHARLES TAUB
Advertising Mgr.
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sibility for an endorsement of views expressed by its writers.
altered as Second•class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post-
office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
•
Readings of the Law for the First Day of
Passover, Saturday, April 8
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 12:21-51. Num.
16-25.
Prophetical portion—Josh. 3 :5-7; 5 :2-6 :27.
9 8:
Reading of the Law for Second Day of
Passover, Sunday. April 9
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 22:26-23:44. Num.
28:16-25.
Prophetical portion—II Kings 23:1 (or 4)-9:21-
25.
Choi Hamoed Passover Readings of the Law
Monday, Ex. 13:1-16; Tuesday, Ex. 22:24-23:19;
Wednesday, Ex. 34, 1:26; Thursday, Num.
1:14.
APRIL 7. 1944
NISSAN 14. 5704
Passover, 1944
We celebrate the Passover in remem-
brance of a day of liberation from a
cruel despot of Egypt of the long, long
ago. Wherever possible, Jews try to be
joyous on this occasion, but despite all
attempts there will be millions who will
have only the solace that they were once
liberated and the hope that they will
be liberated again from the tyranny and
cruelties of the despot Hitler, who makes
the ancient Pharaoh appear to be a mild
and gentle man by comparison.
order to establish the racial superiority of
the aggressor.
How can the Europeans remove the
feeling on the part of the national groups
that they do not have sufficient living
space? There is but one way to do it, it
seems to us, and that is by making all of
Europe the living space for all Europeans.
Germany the living space for Germans;
France the living space for Frenchmen,
and Poland the living space for Poles does
not work. What is more, we do not be-
lieve that it can work because the po-
litico-economic problems that have arisen
on the present economic, industrial and
technological level cannot be solved by
the methods used before the war, and
will not be solved after the war if the
former set-up is reestablished.
The solution of these problems is more
important to the Jews of Europe than
to any other group on that unhappy,
tortured continent, for the Jews of Eu-
rope have been the greatest sufferers in
this living space scramble that has been
responsible for war and the degradation
and enslavement of the Jews in many
lands.
We want to do more than celebrate the
ending of slavery in ancient Europe, we
want to enjoy freedom and equality to-
day, everywhere on this planet. We must,
however, do our part to help solve these
urgent problems, and we can do no incon-
siderable service, despite the fewness of
our numbers, if we have a sound and
reasonable solution to offer.
It is our fervent hope that next year
we shall celebrate a new and enduring
freedom as well as the ancient release
from slavery in Egypt.
"Remember March 31"
It is reported that Palestine Jewry
was plunged into gloom when the White
It is well for those to rejoice who can, Paper went into effect on April 1. The
but this is a time for soul searching and British Government did not issue any
stock taking of ourselves and an examina- statement and this fact did not help to
tion of the world in which we live.
ease the burden or dispel the gloom. Yet
Our liberation from slavery in Egypt the report says that the people are deter-
was truly an epochal event, but it did mined to carry on with the slogan "Re-
not prevent later enslavements, and will member March 31".
It is hardly credible that Britain be-
not prevent future enslavements of our
people and other peoples, unless we do lieves that Jewish immigration to Pal-
something about it. And what can we and estine has come to an end for all time.
the other peoples do about it? There is Britain must know, and if she perchance
one thing our present generation can do does not know, that democratic and fair-
if it is really in earnest about the pre- minded peoples everywhere will not ac-
vention of wars and enslavement in the cept the White Paper as a permanent
Western world. We say "Western world" policy.
advisedly, for we believe that the same
Britain knows or should know that as
solution cannot be used in the Eastern a mandatory power she will have to pay
world as in the Western because of dif- heed to the demands of the United States
ferences in the political, economic, tech- and other democratic peoples when the
nological and cultural developments.
critical military situation is eased. The
We emphasize the Western world, too, fact that the United States never ap-
because we are persuaded that once the proved the White Paper is of such sig-
political problems of Europe, which is nificance that Britain will be compelled
the Western world, are solved, that we to get the approval of our government
of the United States, who also belong or will have to so modify the White Pa-
to that Western world, will not be men- per that it will meet with our approval.
aced by enslavement which many fear Britain cannot continue her unilateral
would be the result of a victory for the policy without causing serious repercus-
sions among all those who accepted the
aggressors.
Balfour Declaration to mean that the
The problem that has arisen and that Jews were to have a homeland in Pales-
has not been solved, in Europe, is that tine. If one has a home, one is surely
of national sovereignty. It is a difficult entitled to enter into that home, and
and complex problem, but not so difficult only under the circumstances of the
or complex that it cannot be solved, if gravest dangers, due to war, pestilence,
intelligent and reasonable men want to or public catastrophy, should one be kept
solve it. Every nation of Europe has the out of his home.
right, and if and when it thinks it has
Our government did not pass the
the power, to declare war upon its neigh- Wright-Compton Resolution for military
bors. Every nation in Europe has the reasons, but when military necessity is
right, when it thinks it is in the national no longer compelling there is no good
interest, to degrade a section of its citi- reason why such a resolution should not
zenry and make outcasts of them. We be passed.
have seen these very things happen
Britain knows that the Jews are a
within the last decade, and the Jews have party to the Balfour compact, and as a
been the degraded and the enslaved as party is entitled to an appeal to the
the result of these actions.
higher authority of all the nations that
We are persuaded that unless a new gave her the mandate over Palestine.
political formula is found that war and
It is to be hoped that terrorist acts
degradation of our people will be re- will cease, for it must be clear that Brit-
peated. It is not possible to say when it ain cannot be intimidated by riots and
will be repeated, but the basis is there, murder. If anything, it has hardened her.
and when the opportune moment comes it and may make her more obdurate when
may be used by some nation that feels the time comes for petitioning for a
that it does not have "lebensraum" and change in policy. Then, too, we may alien-
consequently must get "lebensraum" at ate the leaders of America, for they do
the expense of her neighbors and, to not approve of terror. America believes
prove its right to "lebensraum," will as- in the right of petition to right wrongs,
sert its racial superiority, and the Jews and even to changing the Constitution
will in all probability be degraded in itself if done in an orderly fashion.
.,
April 7, 1944
Plain Talk... by Al Sega
•
A VISIWR CALLS
ago my youngest son
L ONG
said to me: "Every year I
open this door but nobody ever
comes in. I see only the dark
there."
He meant the Seder incident
in which he opened the door for
Elijah for whom we had the
brimming cup ready on the table.
He was a literal-minded child
who couldn't see the use of open-
ing the door year after year
for somebody who wasn't there.
"Well," I replied, "just because
you can't see him doesn't mean
he isn't there. You can't see the
smell of a flower but you knew
it's there, just the same."
It was as weak analogy and the
child was quick to see how faul-
ty it was. He laughed . . . "I
know it's there because I can
smell it, just like I know things
are there because I can see them.
I know it's a fire when I smell
smoke."
He had me there. I might have
explained that there are such
things as ideas which you can't
see and that Elijah was an idea,
you might say, but that would
have involved me in more of
the child's questions. He would
have asked me why did I have
a cup of wine on the table just
for an idea. An idea can't
drink.
So I dropped the whole matter
and said simply, "You just wait.
Some day you will see him at
the door and he will come into
the house, sure enough. You just
keep on opening the door at
every Seder."
*
B
f
I
ELIEVE
it or not, on Seder
Elijah finally did enter our
house in his visible person. His
moment in the service had ar-
rived and I nodded to the boy
and he went to the door, saying,
"I bet he won't be there." I
myself arose with dignity I have
always observed on that occa-
sion; I raised Elijah's cup.
Suddenly a startled shout from
the boy: "He's here! He's real!"
I remember not feeling at all
excited by reason of this as -
nouncement, I had known right
along that Elijah was real. I
knew he was as real as right •
eousness, as true 155 the faith oc
man in an ultimate time when
the world would be more just and
lovely, as genuine as the ideal ,
he represented.
"Bring hint in," I said as cali1:-
Iy as I might speak in welcom-
ing Mr. Goldberg, who, too, is ;t
fine old gentleman.
There stood Elijah at our
table.
"This is hint," the boy sail.
"He's real, all right."
"Good evening and welcome,"
I said. I felt I had to explain the
boy's excitement . . . "He didn't
believe in you because he could-
n't see you."
The old man smiled. I call him
old, yet there was a bright, fresh
radiance in his eyes, like dawn.
I thought of the gorgeous dawn
I saw on Nov. 11, 1918. That
morning the eastern sky was
lovelier than at tiny dawn I had
seen before or have seen since,
for that matter. It was the morn-
ing of the Armistice.
After I had spoken the ritual
words that the Haggadah pro-
vides for the occasion and had
offered him the cup, I felt I
should say a few appropriate
words of my own.
"Sir," I said, "I am happy to
welcome you in your visible pres-
ence. I knew we would see your
reality in time. I told the boy
we would. In all the evil years,
I said to myself that some day
we shall see Elijah. The eyes of
man were dim with his tears and
his heart was dark with his fears.
That's why we couldn't see you,
I guess.
"We opened our doors in all
the years but we could see only
the darkness there. The little by
used to say all he could see
darkness at the door.
See SEGAL—Page 13
PASSOVER PARTICLES
By BERNARD POSTAL
National Director of Bnai Brith Publicity
Passover, the Jewish Festival
of Freedom commemorating the
deliverance of Israel from Egyp-
tian bondage, which this year
begins on April 8 (first seder is
on April '7) is observed by Ortho-
dox Jews for eight days, but ac-
cording to the Bible the holiday
lasts only a week. In Palestine
Passover is observed for only
seven days.
* * *
Archaeologists have established
that the date of the exodus of
the Jews from Egyptian slavery
was 1447 B. C., and that the
Pharaoh of the Passover story
was Thotmes
• *
Although in this country we
use square, rectangular or round
matzoth impartially, depending on
which company's products we
buy, the custom until the age
of machinery was that matzoth
should be round.
* *
The original reason for perfor-
ating matzoth was to prevent
the dough from rising.
* *
The earliest known edition of
the Haggadah extant is dated
1505 A. D., and was printed
at Fano, Italy.
*
Handel, Schubert, Rubinstein
and Mendelssohn are among the
famous composers inspired by the
story of the exodus of the Jews
from Egypt to create musical
masterpieces.
The word seder literally means
"order of service".
*
*
In the Spitalfields section of
London's East End it was once
the custom for Jewish house-
holders to present matzoth to
their non-Jewish neighbors on
Passover and to receive in re-
turn plum puddings on Christmas.
* * *
Many Protestant clergymen in
the America of Colonial days
draw a parallel between George
III and Pharaoh in their dis-
courses on the grievances of the
colonies against England, infer-
ring that the same providence of
God that rescued the Israelites
front Egyptian bondage woub!
free t h e colonies.
• *
The pasty charosses, which is
included in the Passover menu as
a reminder of the mortar used by
the Israelites for snaking bricks
in Egypt, once had a more prac-
tical meaning. Taking the injunc-
tion to eat bitter herbs at the
seder table literally, 1111111y Jew ,
would
seriously
burn
their
tongues on the sharp condiments.
To allay the burn, a preparation
of apple, nuts, wine and cinna-
mon—ou• own charosses
suggested.
• * *
"Chad Gadya," which is the
closing hymn of the Haggadah.
is written in the style of 'he
popular nursery rhyme, "This is
the house that Jack built," and
is designed to retain the interes'
of children in the Passover serv-
ice. Musicologists claim that tit.
melody for "Chad Gadya" wa'
borrowed from a French foil-.
tune.
The first Passover service v
be broadcast by television can: , •
from New York City in 1940.
* * *
When Thomas Jefferson, Be..-
jamin Franklin and John Adam ,
were appointed to prepare a de-
sign for the seal of the United
States on the same day that the
Declaration of Independence wit-
adopted, they first proposed a (I-
vice showing Pharaoh sitting In
an open chariot, a crown on his
head and a sword in his hand.
passing through the dividing wa-
ters of the Red Sea in pursu , t
of the Israelites; with rays front
a pillar of fire beaming on Moses•
who was represented as standing
on the shore extending his hand
over the sea, causing it to over
Pharaoh.