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 ► SUBSCRIPTION: 53.00 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 3, 1879. Thursday, June 9, 1919 (Sivan 12, 5709) 19.s • a; ,\ LE T TER ob-Rct,tt, • 11 . • t Detroit 26, Michigan NOT vo,, ...mt. -PMT • Ritt. s•O • wit Iacono croorro or .rea yos-,ms 1;0,0 -,aus us.cip(sar • TM,* Na MI) r. 100 OTMR VOW TO MN% A 1.1•40141. asp of TEN 40S, ■ NIF; WIZ) TO DO TKV 'POS-rMANSC" WORK yok .IM 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. Is Depicted 1102 ,ifrk citeruttss LETTERt WInTTlik Iii lows wilts NOT CAIRitt) %' TiLfalLAR ROcT. ei avotit 4 41R/00%Ni • IN THE President Editor-in-Chief Seymour Tilchin George Weiswasser Spirituality rtaltt gLIJA4 *ER 201.0moti • KNOWN AS DER WiuvErt. ui A0,4"• (nao • nal) o•LmuDIsT- 4RApe1e,AR,Ni Amy PAAT'arrAA- ricim• -rAiytto aer THE ()KAN 44e, OF 5EVEN• MD FROM INK TENTH 1318 149A ON - RE s-raoieP WITAlou -r THE AG) OF A TEACHtt. NEVER ar4TERla4 A YESANA 01 OTHER ocaER visriTuTioN OF LEAR14141 awl 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