Thursday, June 9, I!
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page Four
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
Yahrzeit's
Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
2827 Barium Tower, Detroit 26, Michigan
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Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Thursday, June 9, 1919
(Sivan 12, 5709)
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The ZOA Convention
The evidence is unassailable that the annual convention
of the Zionist Organization of America has confirmed that the
ZOA is a lively and precocious youngster rather than the in-
effective and senile oldster that its detractors would have one
believe. Read the editorial comments of its opponents and
underneath the half-hearted attempt to minimize the conven-
tion's accomplishments can be observed a note of disappointed
amazement that the organization was so unexpectedly lusty.
There were one or two unpleasant moments when Rabbi
Silver and Dr. Neumann were bitter over the cavalier treat-
ment they received from the Jewish Agency and the UJA lead-
ership, but otherwise internal abrasions were swiftly healed
and the ZOA became for the first time in more than two years a
wholly united body.
One might have been disappointed that a future "program"
had not been enunciated. But it seems premature to expect
an organization to change its colors in a few months of delib-
erations. We have said that the ZOA program in a nutshell
is to help build a stronger Israel and a stronger world Jewry.
We found those words echoed by none less than Israeli Ambassa-
dor Elath who said the ZOA must continue a vibrant force in
Jewish life to achieve that goal. It'is the primary objective,
and we are not so sure that any neW "program" is so vital to
the organization's work.
In Daniel Frisch, there has been introduced a fresh and
vital personality with new ideas and no loyalty to old animosi-
ties. He very well realizes that Zionism in 1949 and 1950 must
show its worthiness even more than in critical 1947 and 1948.
Ile is not waiting for the world to come to him. He will soon be
in Israel to mend fences in the government'and to disabuse the
leadership of any ideas about purported decadence in the ZOA.
Israel must ever have a strong bond with the Jews of America.
A strongly federated Zienist union which Frisch and Dr. Silver
both envisage will be the best assurance that all American Jews,
rather than groups with party allegiances based on economic,
social or religious factors, will foster that closeness to the new
State.
Opportunists Change Colors
At a time when unity in Jewish ranks is alone the answer
/ to Jewish peace o • d.,_stairtJewishleade_m_including...
.
former president of the Zionieganization of Detroit, have
Idly highly the condonation of factionalism and disunity
by withdrawing from the Zionist Organization of America and
aligning themselves with the dominant or governing party in
Israel Fiees Reality
There will be a great hullabaloo among unthinking persons
over the announcement that Israel is recommending that tour-
ists delay their visits to Israel and over the revelation that the
immigration of some North African Jews is being halted. They
will shout that "already Israel is setting up immigration quotas
and barring visitors now that they have all our money."
This kind of a reaction is childish. Israel is simply facing
reality and recognizing that her food and housing must be con-
served in view of the sharp economic crisis which has brought
rationing as severe as England's last year and a tax rate which
puts ours in the shade. There is even danger that the infant
State will have to close its doors briefly so that it can take a
breathing spell—that is, if American Jewry 'fails to live up to
its pledges of full support, as we seem to be doing.
Red Cross Versus Red Mogen Dovid
By a vote of 21 against 10, the revising committee of the
International Red Cross at Geneva recently rejected Israel's
application for recognition of the Mogen Dovid as a substitute
for the Red Cross within Its borders.
It would be idle to seek motivation behind the rejection.
The argument of the opponents that the Red Cross had no
religious significance would be in place if the same body
had not set a precedent by recognizing the Red Crescent for
Mohammedan countries.
Israel is not a theocratic state. But the overwhelming ma-
jority of its citizens are of a faith which is the antithesis of
the religion symbolized by the Red Cross. Jews have been
among the most generous donors to the Red Cross, never ques-
tioning the wisdom of using a specifically Christian symbol in
a field of mercy which knows no race or religion. But to deny
a Jewish State a symbol which is as associate with Judaism as
the cross is associated with Christianity seems to us an act of
bad grace.
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Editor-in-Chief
Seymour Tilchin
George Weiswasser
Spirituality
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Sees Rifkind Report
Shift ZOA 's Basis
By ALFRED SEGAL
O I met Mr. I on the street
NE EVENING the other w
call him Mr. I because he is
and thin, like an I.) Mr. I
walking slowly, his hands fol
behind him, his head down
in deeper think-
ing.
"Good eve-
ning, Mr. I."
He said he was
just coming
from the Syna-
gogue where he
had been saying
Kaddish for his
mother. It was
her Yahrzeit.
Segal
He invited me
to walk along with him. 't
a quiet, soft spring evening.
lilacs were breathing a spel
enchantment all over the ne
borhood. Yes, I said, I wi
go with him.
Mr. I said: "I've been thinl
what being Jewish is all abi
"Oh," I replied, "that's an
question, never settled."
• • •
By WILLIAM ZUKERMAN
(Jewish World News Service)
NEW YORK—The report of Judge Simon Rifkind was widely ad-
vertised before the Zionist convention and it was ably pre-
sented at the convention, but oddly enough it was not even discussed.
No sooner was the report pre-cf
sented, than it was referred to the that way, we cut ourselves off
future administration and it was from our past and from the spirit-
forgotten. Yet it was a highly ual heritage of our fathers.
significant report.
"Let it not be thought that we
Its purpose was to deal with are building in Israel a new Bul-
the profound inner changes garia or Albania. We are differ-
wrought in the Zionist movement ent from other people."
by the emergence of the Jewish RIFKIND'S FORMULA
State and to propose plans how
IT WAS TO MEET the objec-
these changes are to be expressed tions of these super-Jewish na-
in new forms to meet the changed tionalists that the report of Judge
situation politically, culturally Rifkind was devised. As a good
and organizationally.
liberal, Judge Rifkind chose a
It was prepared by a committee middle road between East-Europ-
of 15 leading intellectuals of the ean nationalism and the old
Zionist movement with the co- American humanitarian Zionism.
"The existence and unity of the
operation of many outsiders, in-
cluding Zionists of other parties Jewish people have been—and
and even some non-Zionists. The are—the basic postulates of the
chairman of the committee Ls a Zionist movement," he says in his
well-known American Zionist report. "Zionism is an integral
element of the Jewish way of life;
,beral respected bY all.
it is not a temporary political
• • •
platform . . . The Jews of Israel
T. S. RELATION TO ISRAEL
AMONG THE many sugges- and the Jews outside Israel are
ions made by the report, one de- bound together as one people in
erves more attention than the a common heritage of religion and
,thers. This is the suggestion culture"
But how is one to square this
'eating with the relationship of
nationalistic 'oneness of all Jews
merican Zionists to Israel.
That question was raised last the world over with specific al-
ear at the Pittsburgh convention legiance of the American Jew for
y Dr. Emanuel Neumann in his America? How is one to bridge
iresidential address. Dr. Neu- this difficult chasm?
Judge Rifkind seems to have
lann answered that question
imply and clearly. It was that devised an interesting formula for
there was no link of any kind the well-known allegiance prob-
between Israelis and American lem and he has even coined a
Jews except that of friendship new term for it which he offered
and profound goodwill to help a to the convention. The new form-
long-suffering people to build ula in that allegiance is, in Judge
Rifkind's words, "a legal term."
their homeland.
Citizens of Israel owe allegiances, It can and should be divorced
to Israel, while American Jews from the emotional and other as-
are citizens of the United States pects of loyalty that one has for
and owe allegiance to their coun- one's home and country. •
4merican Zionists, it follows
try only, was the gist of that de-
from theory, can be "legally Am-
claration.
It appears that that simple and ericans," and spiritually Israelis.
clear-cut statement did not satisfy They can give full legal allegi-
a good many Zionists of a deeper ance to the United States, the
nationalistic hue. For the nation- country of their birth and abode.
alistic view is that Jews are one But their spiritual and emotional
people no matter whether they allegiance goes to Israel which is
live in Israel or outside it; that the deeper source of their culture,
Jews in the Diaspora and the history and peculiar nationhood.
• • •
Jews of Israel are one and indi-
FRIENDSHIP ENOUGH
visible.
IT IS A GREAT PITY that this
It follows from that, that a
mere relationship of friendship new theory and peculiar nomen-
and humanitarian aid, such as is clature was not given the chance
good enough for other Americans of a public discussion at the con-
of foreign extraction, is not good vention. It might have been ex-
tremely interesting to learn how
enough for Jews.
Jews arc a peculiar and differ- that convention, which was on
ent people, recently argued a the whole a most typical Ameri-
leading proponent of Jewish can convention of well-to-do, loy-
nationalism in this country, al and grateful American middle
class and business people, would
Maurice Samuel.
"We cannot believe that the have received such a curious in-
relationship between American terpretation of their allegiance to
Jews to Israel will be similar to their American home?
How would the younger people,
that of the Irish-Americans to
Ireland, or of Italian-Americans born and raised in the United
to Italy," he said. "If we think
(Continued on Page 14)
MORE JEWISH
HE WENT ON: "I'll tell
something: In the Synagogue
evening, saying Kaddish for
mother, I felt more Jewish
religious way than I do eves
Yom Kippur. It was all bet%
my mother and God and me.
He spoke with an embarro
groping for words, like a
making a confession
wouldn't tell this to my R
He might call me just a
zeit Jew and that's suppose
be an awful indictment I
man's Jewishness. Yes, m
that's what I am—a Yahrzeit
—and I must say that I'm n
all ashamed of it."
He was feeling thankful
Yahrzeit. It was the one
day he could understand b
the one way of being Jewisl
heart fully accepted.
Yahrzeit looked like one o
best of Jewish ordinations.
evening' the Synagogue was
ground to him. It wasn't
that on the more formal
days.
• • •
MIND WANDERS
ON OTHER HOLY DAY
sat in the Synagogue and
his mind was going away
thoughts of God . . "I
my mind isn't alone," he
"All minds are that way.
hard for a mind to keep on
ing toward heaven any leng
time. The mind goes ii ■ vi
!natters that a man is sum
to leave behind when he eni
house of worship."
This Yahrzeit evening Iv
in the Synagogue with his m
and God. His mother had
all the goodness which you
to think of when you thir
God. She and God.
. "It was a unity of God
my mother in the Synagogu ,
evening. I guess it's for tha
son I always get closer to
on the Yahrzeit than I do o
big holy days. I can under
God at the service of Yal -
He is like my mother who v
good."
So when the time came I
cite the Kaddish, Mr. I sus
and said the words of prah
God and his mother as we
was all one . . . "Magnifies
sanctified be His great nar
the world. (Mr. I felt he
say that for this mother, t(
"Let His great name be
forever and to all etc
Blessed, praised and glo
exalted and honored, snag
and lauded by the name t
Holy One. (Mr. I divide(
between God and his mothe,
was a holy one, too.)
• • •
NO DISTRACTIONS
WE HAD PAUSED at a
nolia tree whose blossoms
reaching over the sidewalk
somebody's lawn. Mr. I wii
(Continued on Page 15