Page Four

Friday, May 10. 1946

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE end Tye Legal C.,Arooc::

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

Wesky by J..134 C.›..ec^:ctis slut:sr:skirl Co_

525 Wc.c.dward Ave, Detrcit 26, M1ch.. Tel. CA d Ilac 1040

Book Review

By LEON SAUNDERS

Wasteland into Focus

HE SUBJECT of anti-Semitism has turned from sociology to Ie.
erature. Instead of learned sociologists, fiction writers have delv-
ed into this subject and presented it as a picture, a fragment
of ife, without offering any solution as their learned colleagues do.
firo+. 47-;A-Ct..1114, LOWS w. ENFIELD
Two novels have appeared on the literary market recently, ow,
Managing Eci1tcr, NATHAN J. KAUFMAN
Publisher, CY AARON
is 'Wasteland." by Jo Sinclair, which won the Harper ten-thousand-
Vol. 48. No. 19
dollar prize. and the other is "Focus," by Miller.
Detroit 26, Michigan
FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1946 IIYAR 9, 57061
Both books deal with anti-Semitism, one from within and the
other from without. The heroes of both novels are weak hulk id-
of need their hearts cry out for the reli- al,. spiritually. and emotionally, and they are of different
social
gion of their fathers.
and racial backgrounds.
The hero of Sinclair's book is Jake Brown, a typical Jewish-
The Jewish attitude toward labor-man-
In keeping up the old time religion and American. Born on the east side of New York, he talks and think;
agement relationships and the problem of in attracting the youth of our people to like
the average American uneducated man. The author conceived a
strikes cannot be any different than that the practices of this old time religion. novel method of having the hero (we use the word hero in the sense
of progressive, liberal Americanism on Young Israel is performing a great serv- of his being the central figure of the story) telling his troubles to a
psychiatrist although we could not find any reason for his subjecting
the subject. Therefore, the Jewish bak- ice to Judaism.
himself to psychoanalysis. His trouble consists of the splitting of his
ers' strike which made it impossible for
personality which in our humble opinion happens very seldom with
Jews in the city to buy bread at their own
people of his type. An uneducated man who is not given to much re.
tection about abstract matters suddenly begins to have moral scruples
Jewish bakeries all last week must be
and worries over nis relations with hifamily and over Jewishnes3
examined as part of the general labor
in general.
situation and not by itself.
We could understand his dislike of his father because of the lat•
Of all the sacred words in our lan-
It would be ideal if both sides to a
guage, perhaps the one that most arous- ter's unpleasant traits, but we cannot conceive of Jake, as he is char-
in the book, becoming a sharp introvert with a split per.
labor dispute could agree to arbitra-
es our respect is the word "mother." In acterized
sociality. The attitude of the outside world to Jews and his natural
tion and work to continue during the
every land, among every people, tribute attachment to his family might have affected him only in one way,
arbitration. Particularly in cases
is paid to motherhood as the foundation either to abandon his family or stick to it more vigorously. He has a
sister. Deborah, a fine type of a girl, who is logical in her relation to
where the public welfare is involved
of family life.
the world because she is intelligent. The heartbreaking split in her
should this be the case. For in the
For those fortunate to have their personality would be more natural with her than with Jake, and yet
long run, it will be public opinion
author picked Jake for her subject which does not seem to us
mothers still with them, Mother's Day, the
either logical or true to life.
that decides the issue in such cases.
this Sunday, should be a day of rejoicing
Some psychiatrists attribute his dislike of his father to an Oedipus
Nevertheless, in building an attitude to- and celebration. In the turmoil of a busy complex which is a far-fetched theory hung on a simple problem.
The central figure of "Focus" is a Milquetoast type. He is a gen-
ward strikes and toward labor in general, world, men and women alike should
one must keep in mind the history of the pause for an evaluation, to determine for tile, whom nature has endowed with a Jewish countenance with all its
labor movement for the last two hundred themselves what are the things that are consequences.
He is a slave to his employer and to his little prejudices
years. For a long time, the growth of in- important, what are the things that are among which, of course, are Jews. He lives on a street populated
with Aryans, imbued with all their aggressive hates and prejudices,
dustrialism carried along with it an op- meaningful.
in whom hate and prejudice replace intelligence, justice and truth.
pression and an exploitation of labor.
Because of the lack of any endowments they blame their failures
If your mother is still alive, be grate-
This exploitation was carried on against ful. Show your gratitude in a practical on somebody else, Jews being the easiest target.
Lawrence Newman would never come out actively against Jews,
the public also. "Caveat emptor," "let the way by giving a large contribution for the
and the story shows in a psychologically logical manner his slow
buyer beware," was accepted in law and unfortunates in Europe.
change to a sense of justice and disgust with the Christian Fronters.
in practice. It was only within the last
His change did not occur through spiritual regeneration or the
If
your
mother
is
gone,
respect
her
fifty years that the phrase, "the customer
realization of where the truth lies, but through a less noble yet more
way, his personal suffering on account of being taken for a
is always right" came into vogue. This memory in the same way, with a gener- truthful
Jew.
was tried out by a large jewelry store in ous contribution to the Allied Jewish
Both characters are weak, lacking stamina, spiritual or volatile.
New York purely as an advertising stunt. Campaign.
Jake Brown has no faith in his right to be what he wants. He knows
it is inconvenient to be a Jew, so he he hates Judaism and he hates
It worked so well that it spread through-
his father for being HIS father. Lawrence Newman, the gentile with
out the selling of the country. Great busi-
the Jewish face, does hot hate Jews for his being taken for a Jew,
nesses have been built on this foundation.
but is unhappy about it and turns on his persecutors, which is more
just.
The capital-labor situation will likewise
For eight days, during the festival of
book gives any advice or solution of the Jewish problem
have to be ironed out in this country and Passover, the Jews throughout the world only Neither
a picture of the condition of the Jews in America.
in perhaps some similar way. For the time got along without any bread. They prov-
"Focus," in our poor judgment, is a better written book, mot .,
being, the strike and the threat of boycott ed to the world and to themselves that logical and sound; sparing of words and more concentrated than
are labor's only weapons and, being pow- while bread is the staff of life, we can be "Wasteland," which is loquacious and loosely written.
Jake, the Jew, is not addicted much to musing about ideas and
erful weapons, are sometimes apt to be healthy with a great deal less than we theories,
for it is not in conformity of the character of the Jake
used with too little provocation. As labor have consumed in the past.
Browns. The only trouble which would affect hint would be in con-
nection with some personal problem.
becomes more and more powerful, the
This object lesson is of vital importance.
And Jo Sinclair makes him the focus of the whole Jewish
leaders here too must remember they have
question, which is not probable. Lawrence Newman is not present-
a duty not only to their followers but to The community of Europe is starving.
ed as a man addicted to wcltschnierz. Ile probably is a Republican.
Unless we come to their aid, millions of
the public at large.
Ile is against the influx of foreigners. He is for making the Negro
people will die in the next few months know his place and does not like the Jews very much, although if
When both capital and labor learn
who otherwise might live. The govern- asked why, he would be unable to answer. Fred, his neighbor, one
that their own ultimate good is wrap-
of the leaders of the Christian Front, knows why. Through hate
ment of the United States is recognizing for
the Jews, he and his ilk hope to grah the power in America,
ped up in the good of the public in
its
obligation
to
suffering
humanity
while as things stand he has no earthly chance to amount to any-
general, a long forward step will
abroad and is providing for restrictions thing. The author of "Focus" gives a hint, but all the writers on
have been taken in the economic pro-
on the consumption of flour at home that the Jewish problem should emphasize the fact that it is not the
gress of this country. A long forward
it may send grain to ward off the grim Jews; it is not hatred for them that promotes anti-Semitism. It is
the ambition of unimportant people, tired by the example of Ger-
step will also have been taken to-
reaper.
many, to grab power through hatred, murder and treason. Mean-
wards peace and security at home
time, the Jews, liberal, pacifist and humanitarian, have only one
No Jew feels that the abstinence from means
and abroad.
of keeping their strength and courage. It is the inner dig-
bread during the Passover was a hard- nity which
has kept them alive and prosperous for 2500 years and

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co; ES ICc: FC;E'S'i 55.00 PER YEAR
at Ctierc,.•.
urCer !.e Act cf 1-4 8 , :b 3. 1879

Bread Strike

A Sacred Word

Eight Days Without Bread

ship. It was taken as a matter of course,
as a procedure of custom through thou-
sands of years. It was done in commemo-
It seems only a short time ago that a ration of the festival of freedom, as a
young group of earnest boys gathered in symbol of hope from time immemorial to
the old Farnsworth Synagogue to dedicate be continued in the centuries to come. The
themselves to the furtherance of the true amount of matzohs consumed took infin-
Jewish faith and to enroll themselves in itely less flour.
the fight to promote Judaism under the
The information and lesson contained
name of Young Israel.
in this celebrationought to be broadcast
The writer was the first secretary of throughout the United States. All people
that organization and he recalls with nos- ought to know that the six million Jews
talgia the earnest zeal with which the in this country abstained from bread en-
members dedicated themselves to true tirely for eight whole days. The hundred
orthodoxy and the pursuit of Torah.
and thirty millions of the richest people
Twenty-three years have elapsed since on earth should take this lesson to their
then and on May 12, Young Israel cele- hearts and do likewise.
brates its 23rd anniversary with a ban-
The whole world will benefit immeas-
quet, the theme of which will be Spiritual urably
from such knowledge. If we do not
Reconversion.
extend a helping hand to our suffering
The personnel has not changed greatly brethren abroad, the repercussion of their
in this quarter of a century. The aims re- miseries cannot fail to strike us here. If
main the same. The drive to enlist the we do, their gratitude will be a prime fac-
youth of the city to engage in active re- tor in the friendliness that will go to ex-
ligious practice and in the study of Juda- tend the blessings of peace to us and our
ism from the original sources remains the children in generations to come.
same.
Passover is the festival of freedom. In
The future of our religion is in the the celebration, one of our prayers calls
hands of our youth. Time passes and the to all who are hungry to come and join the
old generation departs. If there are not celebration. Let us make this prayer
young and vigorous hands to receive the meaningful. The people of Europe and
torch and to hold it high, the flame will Asia are hungry. Let us invite them also
go out, perhaps never to be rekindled. to help celebrate our new found freedom.
And that must never be allowed.
Let us give them from our fullness that
More and more, people are turning to they may live and help to establish the
religion for spiritual aid in their difficul- kind of world which will have liberty and
ties. The world is sick and in their time freedom for all.

Spiritual Reconversion

•

will last 2500 years more.

Hebrew, English and Jewish books available at the Zion Book Store,

9008 12th Street, near Clairmount.

Will It Be Paid in Full?

,UNITED NATIONS' UNITED NATIONS
NITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE
VOL I
VOL ri
p VOL TR

