Alfieri Call ffewish Periodical eeirter
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
Friday, December 13, 1946.
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Strictly Confidential
Provisional Palestine
_Regime Is in Prospect
Government to Issue 100,000 Visas
for Immigration of Jews to Eretz
By PIIINEAS K. BIRON
'WITHIN THE NEXT few weeks, a provisional Jewish government
IT for Palestine will be established . . . It will be announced im-
mediately after the Zionist World Congress by an independent Zionist
group, in spite of the opposition of the Jewish Agency.
We are reliably informed that important sections of Palestine
Jewry will approve the move. The provisional government will im-
mediately issue 100,000 visas for
Immigrants to Palestine . .. The taking pictures . . . Expected ar-
first foreign power to recognize rest or worse . . .
the Jewish pro.
As he went about his photo-
visional govern- graphy, a large crowd gathered
ment will prob- and closed in on him . . . The
ably be France. sinister purpose of the menacing
Attention mob? . . . They wanted to get
Howard Fast: into the picture.
IV° predict that the iron cur-
Several men of
means in Chica- tain around alleged Army anti-
go are ver y Semitism in the American zone
much interested of Germany will be exploded
in helping to shortly . . . Sh.apnel will pierce
finance a screen many a "brass hat" .
P. K. Biron
version of your
Is it true that an elderly, very
"Freedom Road" with Paul Robe- distinguished Jewish leader, who
son as the star.
all his life was opposed to Zion-
James Roosevelt, eldest son of ism, will publicly join the Zionist
FDR, is very much interested in Organization of America? . . . It
producing a movie on Palestine. would be very embarrassing for
Ben Hecht has promised to write the non-Zionist committee of which
the scenario ... Which reminds us he is the head.
that David Ellin, who conquered
Broadway's drama critics in Ben PUBLICATION BATTLE
Hecht's "Swan Song" is the son of THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT is
the editor of the Montreal Yiddish
very much alarmed over the
Daily "The Eagle."
rising tide of anti-Semitism in the
• • •
Netherlands . . . One of the re-
IRON CURTAIN PIERCED
ligious papers in Holland advises
L OUIS LEVINE, president of the people to counteract bigotry by
National Jewish Council for reading Heine, the great German
Russian Relief, spoke in Chicago poet . . . We'd recommend for this
recently on his return from a trip purpose the work of a native
to the Soviet Union . . . He told Netherlander: "Earth Could Be
the story of how he went out one Fair" by Pierre Van Passen .. .
The battle between orthodox
day in Moscow "looking for the
iron curtain" . . . He set up a and radical Jewish publications
camera in Red Square and began
(Continued on Page 13)
Capital Letter
Hebrew Storehouse
in Congress Library
Rich Collection Viewed in Washington
as Rare Volumes Go on Exhibition
Page Three
Story of Chanukah
Recounted Anew
•
By REUBEN R. LEVINE
L IGHT HAS ALWAYS symbol-
ized life. Throughout the ages
among all peoples the burning
light has represented a kind of
activity with a fascinating glow
that is found nowhere else but in
life itself. Judais literature has
from earliest times used light as
an illustration to describe its high-
est values. The very soul of man,
his innermost being, is compared
to a flame: "For the spirit of
man is a lamp unto the Lord."
(Proverbs 20:27)
The Torah has also been com-
pared to light and the perpetual
light kept in front of the Ark in
the synagogue is intended to con-
vey the idea of the enlightening
power of the Torah.
In Jewish ceremonial light plays
an important part. All holy days
are ushered in by the kindling of
lights. "Without light there can
be no peace in the house," said
our rabbis, and this manner of
welcoming the festivals shouldibe
accompanied by the joy and glad-
ness of which light is symbolic.
Chanukah stands out especially
in the calendar as the "Festival
of lights." The Chanukah lights
are reminiscent of another lamp
which was lit in the newly puri-
fied Temple by the victorious
Maccabees in 166 B.C.E.
• • •
ACCEPTED BY JEWS
AF TER ALEXANDER THE
GREAT of Macedonia conquered
Persia in 332 B.C.E., the influence
of Greek culture or Hellenism per-
vaded the whole of the Near East.
Its philosophies and arts, as ex-
rounded by men like Socrates,
Plato and Aristotle, became the
culture from which the whole
Western world was to draw.
It was not difficult for most
people to absorb this influence.
The Hellenistic ideas appealed to
the Egyptians and Syrians, but
unfortunately only the superficial
ideas of moral laxity and physical
pleasure took root among them.
The Jews, then spread in great
numbers throughout the territory
touched by Hellenistic influence,
tended also to`accept the new cul-
ture. In those days religion and
what we know as secular culture
were to a great degree co-exten-
sive and when a nation adopted
a new culture there was little
difficulty in adopting its theology
as well.
Among the Jews, however, the
belief in one God was so deeply
rooted that even though Ilellen-
ism became part of their every-
day life, they refused to accept
pagan worship.
In 175 B.C.E. the despot, Anti-
Personal Problems
Contented Jews Need
No Christmas Trees
Those Who Are Insecure Surrender
to Their Conflicts and Alien Religion
By DR. W. A. GOLDBERG
already) for a
J mantle.
Christmas tree and for Christmas gifts to fill the stocking on the
EWISH CHILDREN will ask soon (If they haven't
I can admire a lighted tree which I see on my neighbor's lawn,
just as I do anything beautiful. For me it has
no significance, religious
or otherwise. I have no objection to Christmas trees and celebration
by gentile neighbors.
Every child—yours and mine—is They believe that the Christian
under the pressure of the com- world should be imitated. They
munity, the school, advertising have their Christmas trees trim-
and the radio,
med and in place long before their
with their din-
gentile neighbors.
ning of the
Their Jew is hn es s apparently
"Christmas spir-
means little. They surrender it far
it."
in advance of any challenge.
Much of it
I can only speak for parents
appears to be
who feel with me that Christmas
commerciall s m.
has religious significance for the
The children see
gentile, that it is a church festival
and hear and
solely. I am very positive on that
would be dunces
view. Whatever my degree of re-
if this repetition
ligious observance, I have no cop.
did not leave an
flict on this point, in my house,
influence. It is
Dr. Goldberg
because our family knows we
a sad case of flaunting the doc- are Jews.
trine of separation of Church and
• • •
State which we think is basic to CONTENT TO BE JEWS
our Constitution. Many teachers
would feel hurt if Christmas ma- WJE CELEBRATE EVENTS and
terials were removed from the VT holidays of our own. We are
Jews and proclaim ourselves as
school calendar.
• • •
such. Our neighbors know what
we are. There is no wavering in
JEWISII PARENT ON SPOT
A LL WE HAVE SAID SO far Is our minds about our religious
.11 . this: All children, Jewish and views: We are content to remain
Jews. We feel secure in that
Christian are subjected to the
pressures of a Christian world. In knowledge and do not need to ab-
this world, the Christians spirit sorb alien culture to show the
and tree are outstanding symbols. world or ourselves that we are
secure.
That places the Jewish parent
We have never had a Christmas
and child in an awkward posi-
tion of trying to explain the con- tree nor do we intend to. Under
flict between an accepted symbol this same pressure when he was
small, our son asked for a tree.
and his own views.
I cannot speak for those Jewish We furnished him with a living
(Continued on Page 14)
parents who are not conflicted.
Plain Talk ' •
Histadrut Is Symbol
of Zion Creativeness
Labor Group Demonstrates Nobility
of Toil in Upbuilding of Holy Land
ocus IV, called "Epiphones" or
"Great", became the ruler of
Syria. He was ruthlessly ambi-
By CHARLOTTE WEBER
tious and knew that the only way
By ALFRED SEGAL
WASHINGTON—Jewish Book Month, celebrated last ,.lonth, is in- to gain full control of his domain
" tended primarily to direct attention of Jew and Gentile alike would be to regiment his subjects T HAVE JUST BEEN looking at a photographic portrait of Rebecca.
to the vast treasures of Hebrew literature that have been accumulated into a common Hellenistic pattern.
over the centuries. And there is no better place to come, to be im-
pressed with the tremendous contributions of Jewish writers, than the
Library of Congress.
Right here in Washington, at
the Congressional Library, is one the consequence of the biblical
of the richest collections of Heb- curse against encroachment on his
rew volumes in the world.
neighbor's boundary (Deut. 27:17)
In connection with Jewish Book and will also be liable to prosecu-
Month Dr. Theodor H. Gaster, tion by the civic authortiles."
• • •
head of the Hebraic section of
the library, collected some Hebrew INQUISITION CITED
Also on exhibit were examples of
volumes of special interest and
early suopresion of Jewish books,
placed them on exhibit.
In one of the earliest printed censorship of various forms.
A prayer book, printed at Sa-
volumes, a commentary on the
Psalms by Rabbi David Kimhi, bionetta in 1557, shows pasages
the colophon (explanatory para- that were expunged by order of
graph at the conclusion of the the Inquisition. The words deleted
work) asks the reader's pardon read:
"Pour out Thy wrath upon the
for typographical errors on the
grounds that printing is a new people that know thee not, for
art.
they have devoured Jacob and laid
The volume was printed in waste his habitation." (Psalm
l'aples in 1487. It was around 79:6)
Another, Tanna Debe Eliyahu, a
145 4 o 1455 that Gutenberg print-
ed h Bible and gave to the midrashic work, published in Min-
-•‘Ali what was the beginning of kov,Te in 1798, bears a prefatory
note similar to those widely used
modern printing.
during the Inquisition. All passages
• •
mentioning "idolators" and "hea-
COPYRIGIIT SYSTEM
then," the note explains, refer to
L ONG BEFORE the days when ancient
peoples and are not to
the law stepped in to protect be construed as allusions to those
authors from plagiarism of their "good nations in whose shade we
works Hebrew authors were using take refuge and for whose king,
a sort of copyright warning against princes and armies it is our duty
theft of the works lest by so to pray."
doing the culprit invoke a curse
To insure that they did not con-
upon himself. A typical "warning" tain objectionable or censorable
against plagiarism, inserted by a matter, Hebrew books often in-
Hebrew printer Into a work pub- cluded letters of approbation (has-
lished in Hungary in 1895 reads: komath) written by leading rab-
"Let not the remnants of Is- binical authorities.
rael commit iniquity. I enjoin
One volume on exhibit, Notes on
upon all faithful and observant the Talmud published in Prague
Jews not to print this book a in 1693, contains three such tes-
second time without my or the timonials. Another bears an "ec-
author's permission.
clesiastical license for printing"
'Anyone who does so will suffer appended to it.
•
• • •
REMAIN STUBBORN
HE COULD NOT understand
why the stubborn Judeans refused
to worship idols and were so in-
sistent on keeping them out of
their Temple. He was annoyed
the most by the group of men that
called themselves "Hassidim" (pi-
ous ones) who were fighting vali-
antly to suppress everything for-
eign to Judaism and to restore
the rigid morality and the wor-
ship of the single God for which
Judaism stood.
The situation was critical in
the full sense of the word. Anti-
ochus was doing everything in his
power to uproot Jewish beliefs
and practices. He desecrated the
Temple with idols and banned the
practice of all'Jewish observances.
Those Iraclites devoted to their
God and to their people could no
longer tolerate such sacrilege.
Under the leadership of the
zealous Mattathias and his five
sons, a band of courageous Jews
rose up against the Syrian ar-
mies. Victory followed victory
for the Jews and thousands of
Judeans joined the Maccabean
army. After seven years of
struggle the Maccabees finally
conquered Jerusalem and drove
out the last vestiges of Syrian
power.
The Temple was immediately
cleansed of the idols and restored
to its Jewish sanctity. The "ner
tomid" or eternal light, which for-
merly burned in the Temple day
and night, was again relit with
great rejoicing.
• • •
MIRACULOUS OIL
TRADITION TELLS US that
when the victorious Maccabees
(Continued on Page 13)
I I don't know that her name really is Rebecca, but I give her that
name because it has the sound of music out of old times.
Certainly it sings better than Betty Jane or Shirley Anne which
are the kind of names girls get nowadays. Or she may be Esther or
Rachel or one of the many other lovely names for girls that come
out of the Bible. But she shall be
Rebecca here.
cherished in Palestine: This gor-
This is no essay on girls' names, geous human specimen that Pal-
though. It has . estine has produced, this harvest
much more to
of the work of her hands. She
do with the
has never made a speech, never
crate that Re-
has aspired to take over the
becca .Is holding
government of Palestine, never
in this lovely
has tossed a bomb for the Idea
portrait of her.
of Jewish nationhood.
I can fall in
Rebecca's conquest of Palestine
love with Re-
• has been made by the joyous toil
becca at sight.
of the barnyard: To help earn a
She's a fine-
living for herself and the com-
looking human
Alfred Segal munity by r a I s I n g egg-giving
being — strong,
chickens; to feel the pride of fine
Intelligent and handsome besides. achievement in her work. She has
She is the kind of young girl added something to the riches of
gentlemen dream of marrying Palestine. She can feel Zionism
some day, though I myself know enough in this.
nothing of that. I have been in-
Yes, Rebecca is the supreme
veterately married a long time.
Zionist, a Zionist statesman among
But enough of this philosophiz- the many politicians. She and her
ing. It's about time to tell how I work are the concept of
came across Rebecca. She came to held by many of us prior Zionism
to the
me in the mails. I open a large, recent years when inept politicians.
brown envelope I find on my desk, began to shout for exclusive Jew-
I pull out a brochure that it con- ish statehood In Palestine.
tains, I start to turn the pages
• • •
and there on the first page is Re- LOOKS MONUMENTAL
becca smiling at me.
T OVELY, SMILING REBECCA!
• • •
1J As I look at her she seems
SYMBOL OF TOIL
THE TITLE ON THE brochure the fulfillment of the Zionist idea
In its purer form; her work seems
simply is "Histadrut." Yes, I've the fulfillment of the Biblical
heard of Histadrut. It's the name promise of a land of milk and
of the labor group in Palestine — honey. Her way is to win Pal-
the General Federation of Jewish estine by successful labor, not
Workers in Palestine—and this politics, not by controversial polit-
brochure was published to cele- ical demands that are self-defeat-
brate the 25th anniversary of His- ing. She looks monumental with
tad ru t.
her crate of eggs.
Rebecca is the symbol- of all
The Ilistadrut was presenting
the noble toil that has 'one Into
Rebecca as a kind of token, a
Palestine. She is all that I have
(Continued on page 4)