Friday, July IS, 1947

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co.,

Inc.,

SUBSCRIPTION: $3.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c; Foreign, $5.00 Per Year
Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March

Pub lisher
CHARLES TAUB, Business Manager

CY AARON,

Vol 49, No. 29

The Zionist convention, on the whole, ran
true to form. Dr. Abba IliIlel Silver's ad-
ministration was acclaimed and his dynamic
right-hand man, Dr. EManuel Neumann,
was elevated to the presidency.
Whatever opposition that manifested it-
self was that of a dying remnant whose
passivity in past years has been unmistak-
ingly repudiated by a more vigorous and
forthright majority.
Youth was there in large numbers. Some
of the old guard were just a little uncom-
fortable at this implied threat to their po-
sition, and rightly so, for this restful and
forward-looking group will be the Silvers
and the Neumanns to come—and not too
far in the future.
• • . •
Detroit was well-represented particularly
by its younger element, and it was refresh-
ing to see them participating on equal
terms with the stalwarts of the movement
but with none of the brashness of youth.
On the contrary, many were there in the
role of listeners to fortify themselves for
the conventions to come. Detroit can well
be proud of its young Zionists.
The convention can hardly be termed a
dramatic one. There was much give and
take as of yore but the goings-on of the
UN investigation in Palestine proved a re-
straining influence and the delegates were
disinclined to debate controversial sulljects
which Might be 'construed as influencing
the investigation while the commission was
still in Eretz Israel.
As a result, the question of partition was
not debated despite the fact that, on the
face of it, the Jewish Agency was running
counter to the mandate of the Zionist
Congress.
•
• •
A quietus could not be put, however, on
discussion of the "terrorism" issue. Despite
a resolution assailing "those acts of vio-
lence committed by dissident groups with-
in the Yishuv in defiance of the policies laid
down by responsible Jewish authorities in
Palestine," it must be noted that an at-
tempt to condemn the Irgun and the Stern-
ists by name was decisively beaten and
that the sense of the resolution is, rather,
that the extremists are reprimanded for
their independent action and not for their
militaristic and violent acts.
Seymour Tilchin, secretary of the De-
troit Ztonist district, explained it neatly in
his letter to us on the convention last week
when he said that the "Zionist Organiza-
tion of America is not opposed to resist-
ance" but rather that it "condemns only
acts committed by dissident groups in de-
fiance of responsible Jewish authority."
He suggests unity among the Jewish
military forces in Palestine. With that rec-
ommendation we cannot disagree.

We Need the Conference

The clash between the American Jewish
Congress and the American Jewish Labor
Council over the Buckley bill to combat an-
ti-Semitism highlights the pitiful need for
a strong, over-all and permanent American
Jewish authority to continue the work of
the American Jewish Conference.
Dr. David Petegrosky, CongrOas executive
director, alleged in a letter to us that the
Labor Council is neither competent or au-
thoritative enough to draw up such legis-
lation as the Buckley bill. The Labor Coun-.
cil, of course, thinks otherwise and why
not? What gives the Congress, it might
argue, exclusive authority to enter the field
of law and legislation.
Moreover, William Levner, Labor Council
director, points out that "we would be hap-
py to receive specific criticism as to lan-
guage and formation. It is to be emphasized
that the bill can be amended to the satis-
faction of all concerned when it comes up
for a hearing."
With such an offer before it, we believe
the Congress acted hastily in attacking the
bill formally before the New York city

3,

1879

GEORGE WEISWASSER, Editor-in-Chief
NATHAN J. KAUFMAN, Managing Editor

FRIDAY, JULY II, I 947

The ZOA Convention

Letters to the Editor

525 Woodward Ave., Detroit 26, Mich., CA 1040

DETROIT 26, MICIL

(Ab 1 5707)

FEARS EVICTIONS
Dear Editor:
Why can't we Jews have an
emergency housing committee
here in Detroit?
Many Jews are and will be
evicted from their homes as
renters due to racial changes in
Detroit. Must underprivileged
Jews be at the mercy of Gentile
welfare and housing bureaus?
Can't we take care of our own
people? Can't we have a co-
operative housing setup? Winter
will be here in a few months. It
will be a shame to see photos in
the papers of Jewish families
living in the snow.
What are we going to do
about it? An ounce of preven-
tion is worth a pound of cure.

council when the council's support was
solicited.
The Congress should rather have joined
with the Labor Council in revamping the
legislation and given the labor group of its
vast knowledge and experience. Dr. Pete-
gorsky's argument that the Labor Council
should have come to the Congress first is
just so much quibbling.
Without entering into any discussion of
the merits of the measure, we can only say
that had the over-all agency existed the
friction, over the bill could have been
averted.
We indorse, with hope and enthusiasm,
S. STAHLE,
the National Jewish Post's nomination of
P.O. Box 25 Linwood Station
Herbert Lehman for president of the Amer-
ican Jewish Conference. As the Post points
ANSWERS BONCHER
out, Lehman enjoys the respect of all Jews
Dear
Editor:
and all Americans. His presidency would
I am replying to the letter of
solidify and unite American Jewry.

Patronize Our Advertisers

The Jewish Chronicle can come to you
at the relatively low cost of $3 a year only
because of our advertisers.
The merchants and businesses offering
their wares and services to you are of the
highest caliber as a glance at their ads will
demonstrate.
We request all our subscribers and friends
to patronize our advertisers and thereby
benefit themselves and help assure a strong-
er Chronicle.

The Visiting Editor

Mixed Marriages

The narrow margin by which the Central
Conference of American Rabbis defeated a
resolution which would have prohibited un-
conditionally all marriages between Jews
and unconverted Gentiles is indicative of a
trend which, no doubt, is influenced by facts
and advocated by the younger rabbis would
seem to show that the youth of America
is gravely concerned over the trend toward
intermarriage.
Of course, orthodox Judaism is unalter-
ably opposed to intermarriage unless the
non-Jewish party to the marriage accepts
Judaism in the traditional manner. But the
fact that the Central Conference came so
close to adopting an orthodox point of view
shows, beyond question, a realization among
reformed Jewry that intermarriage is defi-
nitely a danger and menace to Jewish ex-
istence.
As laymen it is hardly proper for us to
interject an opinion on a religious issue.
But it seems to us that the distinction be-
tween discouraging and prohibiting mixed
marriages is so sharp as to make it irre-
concilable.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the
prohibiting of such marriages by reformed
Jewry would bring the desired results, no
more perhaps than in the case of orthodox
Judaism. However, when the violation of a
basic Jewish tradition is left solely to the
"discouragement" of the Rabbinate it be-
comes questionable whether any one would
',e swayed by such discouragement alone.
w;t114 ,, a adoption of one
faith or another is more than a religious
problem or one of tradition. It is a prob-
lem that reaches the very depth of every
day life. Conversion to any faith because
of marriage is a questionable move. Unless
it is based on conviction it is bound to fail.
In this connection it is interesting to note
pi uselyting has always been strange
traditional Judaism. It is also noteworthy
that when a Gentile sought to become con-,
verted to traditional Judaism he was al-
ways impressed with the hardships involved
in becoming and being a Jew.
W'hether one agrees or not wtih the posi-
tion taken by the Central Conference of
American Rabbis, there is no gainsaying the
fact that its resolution on intermarriage
will be greeted by all who are concerned
with the problem.
BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES

4

conservatives and the reform
groups have just a little to offer
to people who feel orthodoxy is
not for them?
I think I have a real advan-
tage over you. I was born into
an orthodox congregation with
its noise, smells, bad air, lack of
decorum, petty politics and a lit-
urgy meaningless to 99 percent
of the members. I too can
"dovan" before the "biinch,*
creditably. But tell me that I
understand all the words I pro-
nounce so well or that you do,
unless you are an exception!

1 •

•

The conservative congregation
of my father's affiliation, later,
was almost split by a demand
that families sit together, that we
drop the meaningless, oriental
custom of separating the sex
One would have thought the pr;-...- )
pond was to bring an idol into
the Ark.
Now I am a member of a
reform congregation. I enjoy its
dignity and decorum. I decry its
lack of enthusiasm. I wouldn't
ask for the spontaneous out-
bursts of the Chassidim but 1
admire their exultation in the
Lord.
I decry the fact that certain
Rabbis see fit to publicly be-
little orthodox customs, to twist
them out of their meaning. You
do the same but the Rabbis
should know better. .
Your "democracy" demands
that your worship be of your
choosing, yet you deny the same
to a dissenter.

Mr. Sam H. Bonchek, president
of Young Israel, Cleveland, which
appeared in your last issue.
Dear Mr. Bonchek:
Al Segal has not asked me to
defend him. I am "one of his
ilk" who dares look at things
around me and who dares criti-
cize. My religion is sacred to
me but the observances which
have been massed on to it are
not. I too take issue with what
some Rabbis say and practice.
I presume you are in the same
state as some people in the audi-
ences I address. They damn other
•
denominations in Judaism but
their damnation is based on ru-
I would like to see my religion
mor, prejudice, hearsay and clos- — customs, observances and the
ed minds. Very few of them rest — have a deeper meaning
have ever been connected with for my family and for me. 1 am
more than one sect.
not bound by the labels you
As an orthodox Jew, you prob- make so much of. The best Suk-
ably feel that the conservative
kah I have ever seen was on the
and reform synagogues are one grounds of a ref orm congrega-
step removed from apostasy.
tion; the best junior congrega-
What do the ultra-orthodox tion in a conservative group; the
think of your group? Or the greatest humility and spiritual
Chassidim of you? Or the Span- conduct of Rabbis in two ortho-
ish-Portuguese of you? Your dox groups.
group has little standing with
So let's stop dramatizing this
them.
nonsense of the difference be-
• • •
tween our three major sects. We
Our city has two Yeshivahs, Jews have a bigger job of total
both orthodox. But neither one maintenance, which is of first
is satisfied with the minute var- importance.
iations in tradition or observance
Let's quit fighting each other.
of the other.... For that reason, Let's stop being petty by quar-
among many others, both of them reling over ritual. If wearing
struggle along with insufficient a hat at services is important to
support.
you, you have my respect. But
Were you ever in any •other that means I may worship my
congregation than your own? God and your God without my
Have you ever taken the trouble hat. And I take the further
to visit, to see with an open liberty of shouting, "Down with
mind, to appraise what you see? all you divisionists. We are all
I would guess that you never Jews and have a united front to
have been outside your own present."
group, for intellectual curiosity,
You can't solve the problem
to give you a basis for judgment. by telling me to join the goyim.
But you still consider yourself a I can't and I won't. As a Jew,
perfect critic of other denomina- I will remain a Jew, with the
tions.
privilege of throwing away the
Mr. Bonchek, are you so in- "minhag" and looking for the
secure in your sect that you can- "din."
not risk a look? Has it ever
W. A. GOLDBERG, Ph D.
occurred to you that perhaps the

411

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PAVORiTE

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ENTREE —
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LABOR