Friday, December 84, 1948

PExRp.17 islyIsH

Maccabees Laid Foundation
of Man's Basic Freedoms

BY ALFRED SEGAL

A LL HER DAYS since her husband became a power in the gad-

CHRONICLE

lotion; Tell it to Mrs. Zilch.
"She loves antiques and here
are antiques 2,000 years old, at
least. (You might have thought
the professor had just discovered
some new gadget, the way his
countenance beamed in con-
templation of ancient ideals.)
"Specifications, professor!" Mr.
Zilch demanded.
• • •
IIEROES OF YORE
HAD MR. ZILCH heard about
Mrs. Zilch's ancestors, the Mac-
cabees? ... "They were George
Washington, the Green Mountain
Boys, Plymouth Rock, Thomas
Jefferson and Barbara Fritchie,
all in one, you might say . . .
and 2,000 years ago.
They were rulers and high
priests of Judea from 165 to 37
before the Christian era. . . .
Warriors f'or a beautiful idea like
the American Bill of Rights. ...
Soldiers for sacred principle of
the human conscience.... Free-
dom of religious observance and
political independence. Mrs.
Zilch's ancestors were heroic
people.
The professor went on to tell
of the Temple in Jerusalem be-
ing desecrated by the foreign

get industry, Mrs. Zilch had lamented her lack of ancestors.
When they were poor she hadn't missed ancestors. but she had felt
deprived ever since the gadget
business worked up to $5,000,000 Ilitler's time he was a professor
of sales a year.
in Germany. He had profited the
She could go back only to her Zilch business by being able to
great-grandfather why was so think up one new gadget a day
unimportant
during the eight years he had
that when he
been there. Mr. Zilch had made
died all he had
him vice-president.
• • •
in the press
was three lines
BARES HIS PROBLEM
in the death
"PROFESSOR," MR. ZILCII
column. The
said, "I have a problem."
notice said he
Mr. Zilch went over the whole
was 86 years
matter of Mrs. Zilch's frustra-
aid and would
tions. "Ancestors!" the profes-
be buried in 11
sor exclaimed. "Mrs. Zilch has
the Jewish
Al Segal
nothing but ancestors. And great
:emetery.
His life had contained none of heroes among them! Many ci f
the exciting events that make a them died for being Jewish, Just
distinguished obituary. Mrs. Zilch to be Jewish was heroic."
could remember to this day how
The professor's eyes were far
embarrassed she was. Her great- off and bright, like eyes looking
grandfather had never been im- at a dazzling pageant.
portant in any ways, had been
"Look, professor," Mr. Zilch
a peddler to start with when he replied. "I don't want just a nice
came over here an immigrant, speech. I want specifications.
Chanukah Greetings
had never been enterprising You know me, professor."
enough to get rich and promi-
The professor said the trouble
from
nent.
with
Jews is they didn't appreci-
In the late afternoons, every
day, he went to the basement ate their noble inheritance. . . .
"Mind you, Mr. Zilch, I don't
of the Synagogue to study Tal-
mud with others like him who mean just dead old ancestors
.weren't in the least interested who are ashes in lost graves. I
in making big careers that mean the ideals they left for us.
They are older ones than the
would be satisfactory to their
4 Stores
ones the Mayflower Descendents
4
great-granddaughters.
keep, 2,000 years older than the
lle had the idea that he had
Daughters of the American Revo-
made enough of a career by
bringing up his six good chil-
CHANUKAH GREETINGS ...
dren. But a man can't expect
much of an obituary for that
American Army and Navy Stores
in the press.
• • •
MICHAEL GALSKY, Prop.
NO ONE TO BRAG OF
13215 Harper, LA. 8-9465
52 Cadillac Sq., CL. 4449
MRS. ZILCH felt she had in-
adequate ancestry. Nothing to
brag about! In the society col-
umns she observed that other
rich men's wives had come up
ClIANUti All GREETINGS
all the way from the Mayflower
and Plymouth Rock.
TO ALL
It hurt her to her heart one
day to read of Mrs. Bradford
being elected president of the
local chapter of the Mayflower
Descendants. Mr. Bradford was-
n't quite as big a man in the
gadget industry as Mr. Zilch, but
BROADWAY
while the Zilches had more gad-
gets, the Bradfords also had an-
cestors.
"The trouble with us Jews is
that we have no background,"
she told her husband., "And
Chanukah Greetings
background is everything."
As a business man Mr. Zilch
never had failed in any of his
aspirations. Now he was deter-
Established 1897
.
mined to get for his wife at
least one adequate ,ancestor,
whatever the cost. For this pur-
Hotel and Restaurant Supplies
pose he was fortunate to have
close at hand the engineer, Kurt
TEmple 1-9450
3639 Woodward
Nimmergewesenwar.
He was employed in Mr.
Free Parking
Zilch's gadget factory. Before

MAX'S
Jewelry Co.

Page Nineteen

ruler of Judea who had set up
an image of Jupiter in a place
of Jehovah.
"Yes, Mr. Zilch, your wife's
ancestors went to war and laid
down their lives for religious
freedom and for the indepen-
dence of their country. It was
like the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and the War of the Amer-
ican Revolution.
"Please assure Mrs. Zilch thst
she is another daughter of revo-
lution in good standing and to
be proud of her background.
On account of all that we have
Chanukah and burn the candles
eight evenings.
"With my compliments please
present her with these noblest of
ancestors."

CHORAL GROUP STARTED
Dorothy Steinman has formed
a young adult choral group at
the Center for vocalists, ages 19
to 30.

Talk on Israel Slated
by Wednesday Group

Alexander Nemoff, Detroiter
who returned. last May after
eight months in Lsrael, will speak
on ."What Goes On In Israel To-
day" at the Dec. 29 meeting of
the Wednesday Evening Discus-
sion Group in the Jewish Center.

G reel ings

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lt , 1G & BARREL
CO.

Julius and Alfred Berkowitz

4825 RUSSELL ST.

Greetings

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197 S. Waterman

VI. 2-6800

Chanukah Greetings • . •

CHARLES H. LOTT

SIDNEY KRANDALL CO.
1550

General Manager

DETROIT - LELAND 110TEI,

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

A. J. MARSHALL Co.

CASS — BAGLEY

Chanukah Greetings

To the Entire Jewish Community

GREETINGS

CHANUKAH GREETINGS

PEARLMAN
CARTAGE
CO.

and Best Wishes

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