4
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.
oenerat vtRces and Publication Bldg., 525 Woodward Ave.
Telephone: CAdillac 1040
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To insure publication, all correspondence and news matter
must reach this office by Tuesday evening of each week.
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The Detroit Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on sub-
jects of interest to the Jewish people, but disclaims respon•
sibility for an endorsement of views expressed by its writers.
Cntered 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—Num. 19:1-22:1.
Prophetical portion—Judges 11:1-33.
selves free and independent of England.
We must give them body and reality by
the way we behave ourselves not only on
this day, but on every day.
We glibly say that all men are created
free and equal, but who has not his reser-
vations about black and yellow men and
about certain Europeans whose customs,
ideologies and folk ways are not the
same as ours?
June 3.: 1944
Plain Talk
• .. by
Al
Segal
•
Jake and Father Pat
And who does not glibly repeat "life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness" THERE has been brought to in fact, no other Jew.
without realizing that in a world where A me the strange story of Mr. S.
f
went to Catholic church to THE morning after Jake re.
all men and women have not an oppor- who
say Kiddush for his wife every A turned from burying hi s wife
tunity of achieving life, liberty and the morning. The church is almost Father
Pat's old eyes wvrc star-
pursuit of happiness, that by just so much around the corner from his store tied to see Jake at the ma ss i n
as they are denied these opportunities in the small town in which he his church. Father Pat had turned
lived these many years. around to face the congregatiol
does it make it so much more difficult has
Everybody in towns calls him and present the eucharist before
for us?
Jake. When Mrs. S. was alive their eyes—and there at Jake!
he had the priest in for dinner
To see Jake there was enough
On days like these and in times like every once in a while. He calls to beguile
Father Pat's mind from
TAMMUZ 9, 5704 these one should reexamine the verities the priest Father Pat.
the holy implications of the cli-
of our Declaration and, if one finds them Jake is as Jewishly observant mactic moment of the mass. What
most of us. This is to say, on was Jake doing at the mass?
sound and true, then one should dedicate as
What a Record!
the holidays he closes his store Jake never had mentioned the
oneself to the furthering of these ideals, and travels to a synagogue in least intention of becoming Cath.
As the war for the Nazis becomes so tersely and yet so beautifully ex- the nearest large city. He doesn't olic. What was the idea? He had
put up any sign . . . "Closed spoken to Jake only two days
grimmer, their desperation increases. This pressed.
on Account of Holiday" . • . in before his wife died and Jake
mad desperation is evidenced by a recent
And then we should remember that his window. When Jake's store hadn't said a word about wanting
closed on a week-day, every- to be a Catholic. The uplifted
announcement of the German Supreme freedom and equality are not only for is
body in town knows that he has eucharist was unsteady in Father
Command in the matter of alleged shoot- holiday consumption, but for every day gone on an errand of piety. It's Pat's trembling hands.
of Jake's holy days.
He would have to call on Jake
ing of German prisoners by American use. These concepts are not mere abstrac- one
He is also a good friend of the first thing. But that day he
tions
but
have
a
definite,
concrete
conno-
soldiers. The announcement reads as
the Presbyterian and Baptist min- had a funeral and a - wedding; he
tation and should be applied to situations isters. The Presbyterian drops was called to give absolution
to
follows:
that arise in our every day life.
into his store at least once a a dying parishioner; he was kept
week and sits around and he busy at his churchly affairs prac.
"Reports are being received that,
We must ask ourselves every day and and Jake talk almost about tically every hour. He had to
in the Cherbourg area, members of
every time a situation arises: Do I really everything. Jake's wife used to postpone seeing Jake till the next
the German army who have been
help the Presbyterian women at day. Next morning Jake was at
believe in equality and freedom for all their
annual chicken dinner in mass again. Father Pat had his
taken prisoner and who were wear-
mankind, under all conditions and circum- the church. She was a great hand breakfast right after mass but
ing the uniform of the Todt Organi-
stances? If we can answer "yes" to this with fried chicken. this time he put it off. He must
zation or of the Reich Labor Service
question, then is the spirit of the Declara- The Baptist minister says: go and see Jake; if Jake really
you are as good a Chris- was meaning to be a Catholic he
And who were clearly recognizable
tion of Independence ours. If we cannot, "Jake,
tian as any of us." would have to start instructing
as combatants and had on their uni-
then we must discipline ourselves in the Jake replies, "I return the him in the ways of the faith.
forme the swastika arm-badge or the
hard school of experience until we can compliment. You are as fine . a "Good morning, Jake!"
•
badge of the German armed forces,
"I know why you're here, Fa-
truly say that we believe in freedom and Jew as I know—a gentleman.
have been shot.
That's what being a fine Jew ther Pat! You want to know—"
equality for all men.
means."
"Yes, I would like to know."
His wife's death was mourned
"If these reports should prove true,
"Well," Jake said, "it was this
The days ahead will in all probability all over town. She and Jake had way:
for every such murder committed on
be difficult ones. It will test all of us. come there right after they were "I am coming to your chuich
German combatants, ten United
If we have assimilated the lessons of married, 30 years before. Nearly for my Jewish service on account
States prisoners of war will be shot."
freedom and equality, then we shall be everybody knew something good of my wife. I know, father, you
to say of her when she died. won't mind having a Jewish serv-
One would imagine that the German able to meet the challenge.
They told of the many times she ice in your church."
helped them with their housework
Yes, it was the Jewish custom
High Command would hesitate to make
when they were sick; of the to go to services every morning
such a threat, especially in view of the
times she sat up with them at for a year in memory of a wife
Robot Mentalities
the sickbeds of their children all who had died, ;Lod since there
fact that the United States has probably
night; of the times she
50 wasn't any synagogue in town he
One
would
think
that
the
Nazis
had
kind in all othfir
ten times as many German prisoners of
,rouoie. thought he'd use Father Pat's
ii,ox tier body to the Jewish church for his service.
war as the Germans have American. just started on their mad adverfl:re
cemetery in the nearby city. Af-
conquering
Europe,
if
"I knew it would be all right
reports
coming
Ordinarily this reasoning would be sound
ter that there was the matter of with you, Father Pat."
from
Hungary
are
accepted
at
face
value.
and correct, but when one deals with the
saying Kaddish for her every
Jake said he had found it was
morning for a year, in accord- the same God in Father Pat's
Nazi mentality one must use a new logic
I cording to recent advices, Jewish ance
with the Jewish practice. church as in the synagogue. He
and new reasoning methods, Although doctors are denied the right to practice; Jake had
kept up some of the could just as well have gone to
this twisted logic and reasoning character- Jewish book stores are taken over and sentimental
practices. His wife the Presbyterian or the Baptist
ized the NaZi Gestapo for a long time, objectionable books burned; and, to top never had failed to light can- Church but neither of them was
on the Sabbath eve. He had open in the morning. So he took
ii :row seems to be characteristic likewise it all, the Hungarian politicians wrangle a dies
mazuza on the doorpost of his his Kaddish to the Catholic
of the German High Command. A number among themselves over the distribution house. He had a seder at which
Church.
of explanations can be offered for this of confiscated Jewish properties.
the guests were Christian neigh-
neigh-
"I just sit there and say the
bors.
change, but the one that seems most
Yes,
he
must
say
kaddish
for
Hebrew
prayers I can remember.
Yes,
these
Nazis
are
a
curious
lot.
One
likely and logical to us is the fact that
all in praise of God."
•
the Generals are persuaded that they, would imagine that the shattering defeats her every morning; but in the They're
in
Russia,
Normandy
and
Italy
would
town
there
was
no
minyan
and
too, are in the list of war criminals and
See SEGAL—Page 13
may be punished just as the Nazi gang- divert them from the business of discrim-
HE GAVE HIS DAD—YOU LEND YOUR MONEY
sters will be punished. We believe that inating against Jewish doctors, burning
the General Staff and the Nazis are now objectionable books and wrangling over
concerned only with prolonging the war Jewish property. Despite the reverses and
and, consequently, prolonging their lives. catastrophies, the co-ordinated Nazi bu-
Both now consider every German soldier reaucrats go on and carry out the tasks
expendable, so what difference does it allotted to them. This activity of theirs
make to them if Nazi prisoners are exe- is the height of something or other. To
cuted in reprisal for murdered American us it is the height of robotism. They are
wound up and given a direction and,
prisoners of war.
until somebody changes the direction, they
We have learned from bitter experience keep on going just as do their robot
that desperate men can commit unspeak- planes.
able atrocities. The Nazis and the High
This sort of conduct is implicit in the
Command can carry out these threats of
reprisals and we should be prepared for leadership philosophy. Der Fuehrer gives
an order, and all those under him must
them.
carry it out without questioning. This
Is this the final act of Nazi terror? process is repeated from higher to lower
Deportation, concentration camps, shoot- until the lowliest is reached. This is
ing of hostages; shooting airmen who what must be going on in Hungary, for
tried to escape, and now the threat to how would it be possible for men with
murder prisoners of war.
judgment and discretion to carry on
What a record?
these brutal activities when they know
that retribution must come inexorably
with the growing disasters that are over-
The 4th of July
taking the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe.
"All men are created free and equal,
Hungarian Jewry may take some com-
and endowed by their Creator with cer- fort from the fact that the sun of the
tain inalienable rights, among these are Nazis is setting and not rising. They may
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," take some comfort from the fact that the
are ringing words and are just as ringing most fanatical of the Nazis are gathered
and significant today as the day they to their fathers, and that those who now
were pronounced in the Declaration of carry on are not so zealous and often do
Independence on July 4, 1776.
the dirty work assigned them because
It is not enough to repeat them on the they dare not refuse. These are very cold
day when the Colonies declared them- comforts.
(Photo by William Sturm, ChicAr, San
— —
JUNE 30. 1944