Friday, June 28, 1946

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

Page Four

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

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DISGUSTED IVITH WAYNE SORORITIES
Dear Editor:
SUBSCRIPTION: $3.00 PER YEAR, SINGLE COPIES, 10c; FOREIGN, $5.00 PER YEAR
I read your paper regularly and I enjoy it very much. It seems
•r teed as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of Ma , .1' 3 1 8 7 ° to me that with all the things you write about in your editorials, you
have overlooked one that is quite close to home. I am a student at
editcr.in•Chisif. LOUIS W. ENFIELD
Publisher, CY AARON
Managing Editor. NATHAN J. KAUFMAN Wayne University and recently I maneuvered a bit to get into one of
the ritzy sororities there'. I was turned down and by a little judicious
Vol. 48, No. 27
Detroit 26, Michigan
FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1946 (Tammuz 6, 57061
inquiry, I discovered that it was because I was Jewish.
Maybe I ought to have my head examined for even trying to g
own societies of this sort. But this does not into that sorority. There is one that is all Jewish and I suppose
should have tried to get into that and not stuck my nose in where 1
go to the heart of the problem. A situ- should
have known I was not wanted.
ation like this is fraught with grave dan-
Nevertheless, it makes me mad to think I can't get in simply be:
By Philip L. Rosenthal
ger.
cause of my religion. My marks in school are excellent. I am told
that I have a very pleasing personality and I flatter myself that my
Every child has heard the tale of the
There are many GI's at Wayne under appearance is nice enough to make me an asset to any organization.
lion caught in a net and apparently
the American Bill of Rights. They
I wish you would express your views on this subject. This is the
doomed, only to be rescued by the tiny
know what they fought the Nazis for. first time in my life that I have really come in direct contact with tilts
mouse which gnawed at the heavy rope
If this situation were brought into the kind of anti-Semitism and I don't like it, not one bit. What do you
and freed the giant of the forest.
think? DISGUSTED.
light of open investigation, these GI's
(Ed. Note: Please see Editorial entitled, "Let's Look at. ) Wayne."s
In the First World War, the British

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1.1flished Weekly by Jewish Chronicle t'ublishing Co., Inc., 525 Woodward Aye., Detroit 26, Mich.. Tel. CAdillac 1040

British Lion, Wake Up!

Lion was saved when the tiny Jewish
mouse via Weitzman's discovery of ace-
tone in England and the Jewish Legion's
exploits in Palestine came to her rescue at
critical moments in her career.
As a reward Britain promised to assist
her rebuild Palestine, but alas! She
welched on her promise and almost de-
stroyed the little mouse through the di-
abolical machinations of her Colonial Of-
fice. Then she drove her mad with innum-
erable White Papers, all draped in Black,
and with strangling Regulations. She in-
stigated Arab thugs and murderers
against her. It marks the blackest page in
British Colonial history, says a British
Archbishop.
Came the Second World War, and the
best kept secret of that struggle is the
fact that the tiny Jewish mot* was the
most potent force in saving the British
Lion at El Alamein. Had Rommel broken
through, nothing could have prevented a
Nazi-Japanese junction, for the treacher-
oui Arabs were waiting to assist the
Nazis. Like Aesop's lion, so would the
British Lion have been doomed in an en-
circling net.
For a second time the British Lion had
the chance to do the decent thing. But no!
She rewards her enemies and betrays her
friends.
Britain is losing her hold at strategic
points of her imperial power. Wake, up,
British Lion! The little Jewish Mouse can
be your strongest ally in your Imperial
Life Line. You marvel at the growth of the
Russian Bear, you suckle and then con-
spire with the Arab Foxes, but you tram-
ple on the best friend you ever had, the
tiny Jewish Mouse.
In the name of human decency, in the
name of self-interest, wake up ! You can
perform your obligations under the Man-
date, you can undo injustice, and restore
your reputation for fair-play and British
honor. History repeats itself. Woe unto
the Lion if it is again caught in the net,
and the tiny Mouse is not there to-release
her from her captivity!

Let's Look at Wayne Univ.

From time immemorial, fraternities anti
sororities have been synonymous with
snobbishness. One of their forms of show-
ing how exclusive they can be is to refuse
to allow Jews in their membership. This
is particularly bad at our own Wayne
University.
The claim is made that these are social
organizations and that everybody has a
right to pick his own friends. In part, this
is true. If applicants for membership,
Jews among them, were rejected for per-
sonal reasons, there would be no objec-
tion.

would know how to express their dis-
approval of what at best is snobbish-
ness and at worst, an open attempt at
fascism.

But who will take the leadership in
such an expose? Who will take up the
cudgels in the fight for freedom from dis-
crimination?
There are many liberal groups at
Wayne University. Are there nonk to
come forth and condemn these snobs 'for
their un-Americanism? There are many
liberal professors at Wayne. Are there
none to cry out against this disgrace to
their school?
Fraternities and sororities are under
regulation by the school. Their charters
should be examined and where they are
clearly discriminatory, they should be
ousted.
The Nazis established "Aryanism" in
Germany. A whole world bathed its youth
in blood to combat this. And now here,
in our own midst, the same thing goes on.
It is a shame and a disgrace to permit
this in an institution of higher learning.
The problem cannot be combatted by
secret resentment. It requires open bat-
tle. It requires petitions and investigations.
The vast majority of the students at
Wayne are decent, liberal minded Amer-
icans. All it requires is a leader to stand
up and focus attention on this virus of
anti-Semitism, which has fastened its ten-
ticales in our educational system.
When the problem is brought to public
attention, it will settle itself.

In the Eyes of the Law

The charges and counter charges of
the Supreme Court have turned the eyes
of the country on judges and their right
to sit in judgment in cases where they
cannot be absolutely free from prejudice.
Judges might do well to take example
from the old-customs of the Jews in this
regard.
The Talmud tells the story of a rabbi
who was crossing the street one day and
found his way barred by a huge puddle
of mud. A passing stranger came along
and rendered him assistance.
The rabbi thanked the stranger and
then asked, "Do I know you?"
"I'm going to be a litigant in your
court tomorrow," was the reply.
"That disqualifies me," the rabbi an-
swered. "Your kindness in doing me this
favor makes it impossible for me to be un-
prejudiced in your favor."

When a whole group, however, is re-
jected for religious reasons in a tax sup-
ported institution like Wayne, it is time
to call a halt.

The strictness of construction in this
matter sometimes went to extremes.
The Talmud tells another story of a
rabbi who disqualified himself as a
judge in the matter of a litigant who
met him in the street and gave him a
very courteous greeting. He felt that
this very courtesy was something that
might prejudice him even slightly in the
man's favor.

These "Aryan" tendencies ought to be
examined and evaluated in terms of social
and educational benefits and losses. When
youngsters see this rejection of Jews, even
those who are not anti-Semitic by nature
and background tend to become so. Al-
most unconsciously they figure that a re-
jection must have a reason and they ac-
cept the unknown reason as satisfactory.
From this group will come our anti-Sem-
ites of the future.
In part, our boys and girls have an-
swered this situation by organizing their

The essence of lack of prejudice is
strict impartiality. When there is the
slightest suggestion of bias in the courts
of law, justice becomes a mockery.
Among Jews, the dispenser of justice was
always the religious leader. His attitude
on legal matters was not only determined
by his sense of right and wrong but by
the duty he felt he owed to his God.
It would be a fine thing in our courts of
law if more ,judges felt this way. Then it
would be more meaningful to say that all
men are equal in the eyes of the law.

ARE YOU SPANKED?
Dear Editor:
I read an editorial in an Anglo-Jewish newspaper that other such
newspapers are spoofing the public as regards their circulation and
they do this terrible thing in order to bilk said public in the matter of
advertising. Could it be that this editorial had you in mind? It also
said that if you continue big bad, a law will be passed to spank
you. Are you worried? CURIOUS.

Ed. note—It is hard to say what editorials mean when they do not
come right out and say. It looks to us like a case of tilting with wind-
mills or whistling in the dark when one is scared. Sometimes peopie
try to Make themselves big by setting up straw men and battling
powerfully to knock them down.
If people are interested in our circulation, we make no attempt to
hide it. Our books are open to inspection at reasonable hours and b■,
appointment.

IIITTIN' BELOW THE BELT
Dear Editor:
"Hittin' the Hi Spots," just what does that mean? In this case it
appears to me like "hittin' below the belt." What's the matter with
our gal Sal—did she run out of entertainment gossip or is this off.
season? Maybe her usual line of baloney took a nose dive. In any case
it looks like sour grapes to me.
If appointing her delegate would keep her poison pen from flow
ing—then I would suggest that the officers take that in consideration
the next time, reganness of her qualifications.
How can we be so bad one week and so damn good the following
week. Come on Sally make up your mind, are we good, or are we
bad? And please bear this in mind—being an officer in Bnai Brith is
a thankless job—and, incidently, payless.
If this is the type of writer the Jewish Chronicle employs—in my
mind it's either a case of limited funds, or bad judgment, or both.
Please cancel my subscription as of this date.
Yours very truly,
HELEN SINGER, Past Pres. Pisgah Women
Editor's Note: As in the case of columnists in all papers which con.
stitute our free press, the views of any columnist are not necessarily
those of the paper.

gis

CHARGES POOR JUDGMENT
Dear Editor:
The writer was quite displeased with the appearance in your news.
paper of my letter intended in confidence to you and mg for publica-
tion.
I had hoped that you might convert its purpose in a constructive
fashion. Exposing such remarks where a non-Jew miltht abuse them
was unwise and a betrayal of confidence.
To say that you used poor judgment is putting it mildly.
Very truly yours,

EDELMAN REALTY CO.

B. EDELMAN.

Editor's Note: It is our policy in this letter box to take the bitter with
the sweet, the blame with the praise. The above writer's letter deal'
with the appearance of the Twelfth Street area.
Since he charges poor judgment in printing the letter and charger
further a regrettable betrayal of confidence, we must disagree with
the former and apologize for the latter. This paper has editorially
urged that property in Jewish neighborhoods be given special attention
by the owners in order to avoid just such charges as were made by
Mr. Edelman. We Invite other comments on the subject.

THE ETERNAL STARS

By BRESSLER

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