DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

page 16

THANKSGIVING

(Continued from Page 1)

sed the Atlantic Ocean in the
promise that this new land will
permit the religious freedom to
worship tri accordance with the
dictates Of their own conscience.
They had escaped persecution,
they had 'ventured and suffered,
they had ,established theMselves
in freedom. Thus, in their very
first harvest, they found fulfill-
ment and promise, and with it
gratitude for God's blessings.
We who inherited this rich
heritage of America soon forgot
their humble beginnings. Thus
progress and pride in our colos-
sal achievements;, our scientific
conquest on land, sea and air; our
industrial development in the fac-
tory; our agricultural accomplish-
ment in the field; our cultural
and economic attainments made
us lose their religious humility.
In his exaggerated pride and
boastfulness of conquest, man of-
ten takes all blessings for grant-
ed. He takes the fruits of na-
ture, the convenience of his in-
vention, the comforts of his dis-
coveries and then takes all the
credit to himself,

"You are right, but how did you
know, you old dog." In a mellow
but determined voice, the old
man said, "I know your left eye
was articificial, for 'it' looked
'most human' to me." Unbeliev-
able as it may seem, our enemies
are so depraved and corrupted
that they are without humanity,
and without kindliness. They
have fallen lower than beasts of
prey, they have become so brutal
and so heartless, so devoid of
human emotions, that by com-
parison, the artificial glass eye is
more human than the eye of
flesh !

Ingratitude Unfortunate

The spirit of ingratitude is
most unfortunate for it demon-
strates as much weakness as
wickedness. When someone fails
to acknowledge a favor done to
him, it is often out of a hidden
fear that the acknowledegment,
that the expression of gratitude
subordinates him to the giver.
Some people refuse to affirm their
thanks for favors shown them,
lest this indebtedness make them
inferior, and they lack the
strength of character to be placed
in such status. This day must
awaken within us the sentim nt
and the lesson that all favors a d
fortune we enjoy must be ac=
knowledged with joy and thanks-
. giving. This day brings to us
the noble message that we must
count the gifts of life and ac-
knowledge our gratitude to the
source of all blessings. It is the
momentous call of our day to
evaluate and emphasize the great-
est of all bounties we now pos-
sess, our freedom. You know
how even our liberties and the
privileges of our democratic in-
stitutions have been taken for
granted. We accepted them as
a matter of course, with little
thought and less gratitude. Half
of mankind had become enslaved
and lost their freedom, and not
until we had nearly lost our
own that with help of :Providence
we awakened to the realization
as to what is at stake.
It is a sad fact that we rarely
appreciate our blessings, great or
small, untl they're threatened or
taken from us. Now that we are
engaged in a war against tyran-
ny and dictatorship, now that
we are fighting and sacrificing to
restore freedom in the world,
surely this will bring to us a
new appreciation of the• free-
doms, the rights and the ideals
God and nature bestows upon us
if we are to live in decency,
and in happiness.

Reason for Thanksgiving

Even a mere superficial review
of the tragic and total destruc-
tion brought about by Hitlerism
in Europe, the mass murders, the
scientificially built gas-chamber
and cremation houses, the drown-
ing and hanging, the torturing
and burning alive innocent people
for no reason at all. This loss
of humanity, the abolition of
morality, law and true religion,
surely give us reason for thanks-
giving. The story is told of a
Nazi officer beating and arrest-
ing an old Jewish man, and
threatening to take him to a con-
centration camp. This Nazi offi-
cer raved like a mad dog saying,
"You Jew, your law and moral-
ity teaches sympathy and kind-
ness. You brought Christianity
and religion to weaken human-
ity, but, we, the master race,
will destroy you. We are strong
to do our will and live by it."
He dragged and pushed this old
man until they reached the gate
of the concentration camp. As a
last measure of torture the offi-
cer teased the old man and said,
"I'm going to offer you one way
of release. Instead of going into
this concentration camp, you will
go free, if you can give .me the
correct answer to my question.
I have one artificial eye made
of glass. If you can tell me
which of my eyes is real, and
which the artificial, I shall let
you go." `the bent figure of the
man straightened out an e1 he lift-
ed his eyes, looking squarely at
the Nazi officer and without a
moment's hesitation pointed to
the left eye of his persecutor.
The Nazi was amazed and mid,

Must Destroy Enemies

These are the enemies we must
destroy. We must uproot such
evil and wickedness. Thus we
may include in our thanksgiving
a prayer for our chosen role to
help restore the image of God
to every man.
Should the present temporary
period of travail chill our spirit
of gratitude? Should the pres-
ent ills overshadow the good of
the future and common every-
day gifts of life? If it is true
that we are at war and called
upon to make sacrifices, is it not
equally evident that we have
been chosen by kind providence
for special protection, for special
favor and fortune? Someone
asked me whether we should
celebrate Thanksgiving in time
of war. Yes, we should. Per-
haps there is greater reason to
count our blessings of life in
time of catastrophe. For it is in
time of stress and distress that
we are bound to overlook the
good and the gifts of life.
There is so much that we have
to be thankful for, even amidst
this war, Thank God for our
country and constitution. Thank
God for America, our land and
the spirit and the ideals of
Americanism. Let's thank our
Heavenly Father for having chos-
en us to inhabit this land and
to enjoy the freedom. Let us
be thankful for the position of
stewardship providence assigned
to us in this dark and tragic
period of human history. Let us
strive not only to subjugate our
enemies and the suppression of
evil, but also to promote and to
practice our sacred teachings
that all men are created equal,
that all man has a right to
life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Let us be thankful
for our Youth, dedicated to the
fundamental principles, who arc
giving their lives for Victory and
Peace for all men.

CONFERENCE

Friday, December I

,

1944

all problems affecting it. Daniel
Temchin emphasized the impor-
tant work done by the Confer-
ence in relation to the campaign
for the establishment of Pales.
tine as a Jewish Commonwealth.

staff has been recruited through the transaction of the plenary
the., National Council of Jewish and committee meetings.
Women and its Junior Division.
The General Committee will
Under the direction of Mrs. Bar- meet in advance of the session,
ney Israel and Mrs. Melvin Kutt- beginning on Friday, Dec. 1, at
nauer, co-chairmen of the volun- 10 a. in., to make final arrange-
teer committee, a special training ments for the three days' meet-
Delegates Uninstructed
has been provided to ings. A 128-pag e volume, eon.
Among the other electors who program
prepare the staff for their jobs taining reports of the Interim
participated in the discussion at the Center.
Committee and the three Com-
were Abraham Meyerowitz, Mrs.
missions, will be in the hands
David Sheraga, William Hordes,
of the delegates in time for them:
Samuel Lieberman, Harry Kam-
to become fully acquainted with
MUSIC
iner, Samuel W. Lieb. Most of
all the facts pertainin g to the
the speakers indicated their be-
work of the Conferenc e du
(Continued from Page 1)
lief that the Conefrence should
the past 14 months. Registrati,i ::
lief that the Conference should tittle implementations. The pro- of the delegates
will begin
and given a greater measure of gram will also include trio mov1-. Saturday, Dec. 2,
at 7 p. aim
authority and wider jurisdiction. meats by J. Weinberg and I. will continue the following
morn-
Mr. Kay's resolution urged that Chajes.
ing.
Detroit's delegates to the Con-
Mus. 3/C Manfred F. Kuttner
Of the unfinished business left
ference shall urge upon the sec- of the Dearborn Naval Training over
from the first session, the
Fond session of the American Jew- Station will open the concert with election
of a delegation to the
ish Conference that steps be tak- the traditional candle blessings. Peace Conference
is among th.•
en to reorganize the Conference There will be community singing items with which the
second -••
on a widely-representative basis, of Chanukah and modern Pales- sion will have to deal.
It
with power to continue to repre- tinian songs under the direction have to decide on the ma.,
sent American Jewry; and to of Mr. Chajes at the close of in which American Jewry i-.
implement a broad program of the concert. Katherine Ziff will cooperate with Jewries from
activities with respect to the in- be the accompanist for Miss Gar- er lands in joint action for t,
terests and needs of the Jewish den. There is no charge for ad- war rehabilitation and
people in the United States, in mission.
Preliminary steps have alre.I.L\
Palestine, and in other lands."
been taken by the Confer," l,,
It was pointed out that the
in consultation with other
delegates go to the Conference
AMERICAN
to establish harmonious contaH,
uninstructed, and are therefore
with the Jews of other land,,
not bound by the resolution which
(Continued from Page 1)
leading to coordinated Je ∎\ li
was to be regarded as a state-
representation.
to
a
realignment
of
forces
and
ment of sentiment rather than
as a directive. Because of the the formation of a new bloc—
late hour, a large part of the the Independent Bloc. However,
gathering had left by the time the continuity of the Conference
HOSPITAL
the vote on the resolution was which has been actually in recess,
will
be
maintained.
All
commit-
taken.
(Continued from Page 1)
Samuel J. Rhodes, past com- tees as constituted at the first
session,
will
continue
in
the
sec-
mander of the Department of
give Detroit one of the outstand-
Michigan, Jewish War Veterans ond session, with concomitant ing institutions of its kind in the
country.
of the United States, has been changes in their composition.
Judging by the pre-session de-
named one of the national dele-
There will be an organizational
gates to the American Jewish bate which occupied pages in the meeting at the Standard Club ie
entire Jewish press, the past ac- the Book-Cadillac Hotel on Mon-
Conference.
tivities of the Conference are day, Dec. 4, at 8 p. m.
expected to be closely scrutin-
The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
izd at the second session, especi- will publish, in, the very near
JEFFRIES
ally during the General Debate future, a series of articles on
at plenary meetings.
the proposed Jewish Hospital in
(Continued from Page 1)
The session will open on Sun- Detroit.
equipped arts and crafts room. day, Dec. 3, at 2 p. m., at the
The main floor provides a loung- William Penn Hotel in Pitts-
ing nook, a library, and a large burgh, with the reports of the
three co-chairmen of the Interim Hebrew Parochial School
lecture hall.
Present plans include an edu- Committee, to be followed by re- To Give Chanukah Party
cational-recreational program for ports from the commissions on
On the 16th of November, a
the adults in the mornings and rescue, Palestine and postwar. Al-
early afternoons; a program for most half the session has been mid-term test of the Hebrew
juniors from 6 to 13 years of reserved for a general debate, to classes of the Detroit Hebrew
age in the afternoon, and inter- enable the delegates to express Parochial School took place in
mediate ctivities for boys and their opinions on past activities the presence of the leading ral.i
girls fro 13 to 17 in the eve- as well as on .issues facing the of the city. The rabbis expres,1.11
nings, wh n facilities will also future of the Conference. The satisfaction with the results.-
A Chanukah play will be per-
be made vailable to the young session is scheduled to conclude
adults an adults of the neigh- on Tuesday evening, Dec. 5. formed by the pupils of the pri-
There will be no outside func- mary grades of the Detroit Paro-
borhood.
With the exception of Mr. tions of any kind; the entire time chial School on Dec. 10, at 2
Weiss, director, an all volunteer of the session will• be devoted t op. m. All are invited.

(Continued from Page 1)

it lacked the authority which
can come only from organized
local Jewish communities. At
present the Conference is dom-
inated by national organizations
with vested interests in those
fields in which the Conference
is expected to operate.
Dr. Trachtenberg proposed that
at the forthcoming session of the
Conference in Pittsburgh, Dee.
3-5, steps should be taken to
reorganize the Conference, to
provide for representation from
local Jewish communities. The
entire problem, in his opinion,
should be referred back to these
local communities which must de-
termine whether they want a na-
tional policy-making body, and
with what _ matters such a body
should concern itself.

Why be Irritated?

Resolution Discussed

In the discussion from the
floor, which followed Dr. Trach-
tenberg's address and which con-
tinued for an hour and a half,
all of Detroit's delegates to the
Conference who were present ex-
pressed their viws of the ac-
complishments and present status
of the Conference and reacted
to Dr. Trachtenberg's analysis
and proposals. Dr. B. Benedict
Glazer deplored the lack of Jew-
ish unity, the existence of vested
interests and conflicting philoso-
phies, and the absence of wide-
spread interest in community
problems. Rabbi Max J. Wohl-
gelernter felt that American
Jewry was not yet ripe for the
proposals made by Dr. Trachten-
berg because American Jews were
not adequately informed. Rabbi
Leon Fram felt that the Con-
ference had accomplished a great
deal and the despair concerning
it is unjustified. It was geared
to an early end of the war, and
when these expectations dimmed
the peak of enthusiasm could not
be maintained. He felt that when
the war does end in Europe, the
Conference, will become revital-
ized. Morris L. Schaver support-
ed the Idea of making the Con-
ference a permanent over-all body
to represent American Jewry on

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