DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page Four

The Spirit of '76

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

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Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
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Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
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A 0

Thursday, June 30, 1$49

Mrs. Epstein
Wins Plaudits
for New Post

IT WAS NOT SO very long ago
that the late Henrietta Szold
was called "the strong man" of
American Zionism.
GEORGE WEISWASSER
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
Until her death less than two
Editor-in-Chief
President
years ago, Louise Waterman Wise
Detroit 26, Michigan
(Tammuz 3, 5769)
was in her own -
Thursday, June 30, 1949
— 1
right the ack-
nowledged spir-
itual leader of
the German ref-
ugee movement
We brand as rubbish the statement of the U. of M. student
in this country.
that "you are not a Zionist because you sign an antiquated
Today, h o w
formula on the back of a slip of paper or even because you sell
ever, it is diffi-
cult to point to
your gold teeth to buy a tree in the Negev or again when you
a national Jew-
1Carn to mispronounce Hebrew songs, but solely when you have
ish woman lead-
arrived at the conclusion that Zionist logic points compellingly
er whose impact Mrs. Epstein
toward Israel."
on American Jewish life com-
pares to these two extraordinary
Such a remark is fanaticism pure and simple and inepn-
personalities. But the other day
sistent with the American- Jewish spirit. We can understand
/'
American Zionism paid well-
why a few young zealots, because of religious compulsions or the
deserved tribute to Judith Eps-
stein (in private life Mrs. Moses
love of the land, would want to desert the U. S. to become
Epstein) when the Zionist Emer-
Chalutzim in Israel. But we condemn categorically any attempt
gency Council appointed her one
to build up a strong Chalutziut movement which would deprive
of the four Zionist leaders to dir-
us of our sons and daughters who have the deepest loyalty and
ect the council now that Rabbi
Abba Hillel Silver has relinquish-
the strongest love for Israel as a symbol.
ed his chairmanship.
Unless you go directly to Israel to help build it physically,
Judith Epstein, a former presi-
our callow expert quoted above continues patronizingly, "you
dent of Hadassah and now its pol-
are a sympathizer, a reconstructionist, a good American, a fine
itical head is unquestionably the
Zionist woman leader on whom
(Special to the Jewish Chronicle)
Jew or a wonderful person, bless your soul, but not a Zionist."
EL AVIV—If the Israeli government were to permit secular the mantle of Henrietta Szold has
And to this puerile claptrap, the erratic National Jewish Post
marriage, the religious group which forms about half of the fallen.
cries "Amen" adding that if you oppose a large Chalutz move-
• • •
population would be forced to separate itself from the remainder,
ment you are "a second-class American Jew."
DYNAMIC PERSONALITY
S. Z. Shragai, world Miziachi
DOROTHY THACKREY,
leader, warned, in reply to an
"It is certain, too, that the non-
Any attempt to foster a large-scale movement of American
article by William, Zukerman, religious section in time would granddaughter of the late Jacob
young men and women to Israel is an infamy, a threat to the
editor of Jewish World News cease to exist as a 'Jewish' people, Schiff is making newspaper his-
well-being of American Jewry, who must not be bled of its
Service.
for the religious section being the tory as the sole publisher and
young leaders and who will be rightfully stigmatized as disloyal
Zukerman had charged that original bearers of the banner of editor of the New York Post.
Israeli legislation giving the Judaism would continue to be
to America by friends and enemies alike. Let us rather remain,
Dorothy, one of America's best-
Rabbinate sole authority over responsible for the existence of dressed women, originally bought
in the words of our yoffrig friend above, sympathizers, good Am-
marriage and divorce was foster- the Jewish people.
New York's oldest daily news-
ericans, and fine Jews withal Zionists, because we too love
ing the establishment of a theo-
"On the other hand, adhesion paper for her second husband,
Israel with deep devotion without having to make a trip there
cracy in Israel.
to the principal of religious mar- George'Backer. A few years ago
• • •
to prove it.
riage does not harm the con- she divorced Backer and married
SEES INTERMARRIAGE
Let us as Americans be the Chalutzim of the spirit, and let
science of a non-religious man. Theodore Thackrey, vigorous
"IF
IN
ISRAEL
the
government
For while the conscience of a editor and newspaper builder.
those who have no land and no citizenship be the Chalutzim of
were to allow secular marriages it non-religious man does not oblige But when Thackrey's political
the flesh.
would automatically allow Jews him to accept religious marriage, views conflicted with her own
to marry non-Jews," Shragai said. neither does it oblige him not to ideas about American domestic
As both Jews and non-Jews in accept it.
and foreign policies, the grand-
the State will have equal rights
• • •
daughter of Jacob Schiff took sole
it is certain that in a very short
control of the Post.
time the 100,000 Arabs in this QUOTES BEN GURION
Today, the Fourth Estate is
The amount of work that the Jewish Community Council
Shragai quoted the following
country, whose numbers will
watching with kelp interest the
performs despite its limited staff and facilities is phenomenal.
statement
by
Premier
Ben
Gurion
certainly increase, will in time
battle between Dorothy Schiff-
The Council has never sought publicity and so its work has been
enjoy a high standard. of life bearing on this question:
Thackrey, directing the destiny
largely screened from public notice. Its recent modest brochure
"1 have been asked what is the of the Post, and Ted Thackrey,
equal to that of the Jews.
on its activities of the past year entitled "What Has Been Done"
"Intermarriage on a big scale, meaning of equal rights for wom- publisher and editor of The Com-
therefore is an eye-opener. The great number 'of Jewish and
will naturally follow, and as a en. Does this involve civil or re- pass.
non-Jewish residents that its programs assist are a revelation
result there will live in Israel not ligious issues?
• •
and a source of satisfaction and pride.
a 'Jewish' people, but a mixed
"In the very near future a law DOLLARS VS. GENIUS
Jewish Arab people or better still will be promulgated in Israel IT IS A FIGHT TO the finish.
In the last season, for example, 316 programs arranged for
a Palestinian people. Not for this making every man and woman The Schiff millions against the
constitutent organizations of the Council served 32,120 persons.
have we longed and struggled and equal in everything, in matters editorial genius of Thackrey, out-
This does not include the many thousands who benefited from
waited for 2,000 years."
programs arranged for groups not affiliated with the Council
of inheritance, maintenance and standing liberal journalist.
or sponsored jointly by the Council. Two-thirds of the progress
When Dorothy married Ted,
juridicial rights, whether before
DIFFICULT
FOR
DEVOUT
arranged by the Council utilized audio-visual material such as
a Rabbinic, Moslem or Christian those in the know proclaimed it
"THE PROBLEM is espocially court. There will be no legal dis- one of the great romances of our
recordings, film strips and sound movies and these were provided
difficult for religious Jews. A crimination between man and time. But the differences in poli-
by the Council along with the speakers.
religious Jew cannot marry a woman."
tical ideologies of the romantic
We can list only a few of the fields and projects of Council
person born of a non-Jewish
team brought about a rupture
"In
regard
to
marriage
and
di-
endeavors. They will give one an idea of the amount of good it
mother who has refused conver-
and now New York and the news-
vorce,
this
government
is
not
pre-
must accomplish to make this a better community. These are
sion to Judaism.
paper world is witnessing one of
culture and education, civil rights, interfaith work, programs for
"To legislate in Israel for se- pared to legislate for non-relig- the bitterest feuds in American
democracy, services to unions, Kosher meat problems, concilita-
cular marriage would be to force ious marriage and divorce as such journalistic history.
tion and arbitration, friendly relations with Negroes, discrimin-
religious Jewry to separate them- legislation would give rise to a
ation. FEPC and communal solidarity.
selves entirely from the non re- serious cleavage in Israel.
"We are of the opinion that
ligious community. The result
Any one interested in how the Detroit Jewish community
would be a complete schism in there are matters of far greater
functions would do well to study the Council brochure. We coin-
the ranks of the Jewish people importance which call for prece-
mend it particularly to organizations affiliated and yet to be
and a grave danger of dividing dence, such as immigration, hous-
affiliated with this over-all Jewish agency.
Jewry into two peoples as has ing, settlement, etc. We can safe-
already happened previously in ly permit ourselves to defer such
B. Morris Pelavin, Flint at-
a discussion to a later date."
Jewish history.
torney, was re-elected to a second
term as president of the Flint
Jewish Community Council at the
The proposal of Foreign Minister Sharett that the UN
organization's annual meeting
conduct a plebiscite in Arab Palestine to determine whether the
held at the Flint Jewish Com-
populace favors annexation by Abdullah or independence is
munity Center.
strategic and timely.
Other officers include Mts.
CHICAGO (Special)—In a bit- American Jewish Committee, act-
In these days of tenuous negotiations between Israel and
ing in the name of a holding com- Louis S. Labster, Jack C. Shan*
ter,
full-page
editorial,
the
"Chi-
the Arabs, it is still important to dispel the uncertainties of who
row, Louis Kasle, Louig E. Rud-
cago Sentinel," Chicago's largest pany have seized absolute con- ner and Joe Magidsohn.
represents whom among the Arabs. There is strong evidence that
trol of Jewish life.'
Jewish weekly, charged that the
King Abdullah of Transjordan no longer holds the favor of his
The council carries out a pro-
The Committee, the "Sentinel"
Palestinian brethern nor, for that matter, that of his Syrian
United Jewish Appeal sought to went on, has offered $1,000,000 gram of philanthropic, cultural
and Egyptian brethern either.
bribe the magazine to halt its to take over the Jewish Tele- and inter-group activities through-
criticism of Jewish fund-raising graphic Agency in order to out the year.
Correspondents agree that the Hashemite king has lost that
A major phase of its activities
techniques and leadership with weaken the Jewish press.
popularity displayed in December when Arab mayors met in
"We are not going to stand is the annual ,United Jewish Ap-
an offer of UJA advertising.
Jericho to vote for union with Tranjsordan. But today in the
"Here is a clear-cut case in by," the "Sentinel" pledged, "and peal, which fast year, under the
Arab triangle of Nablus-Jenin-Tulkarm, his popularity has
which monies supposedly raised allow American Jewry to become leadership of Rudner, resulted in
virtually disappeared. Agents of the ex-mufti have been around
for the relief of orphans and the prisoner of an ideology that the raising of over $234.000 for
spreading thq word that "Abdullah gave away more land in one
refugees
_have been deliberately can only mean our eventual de- local, national and overseas
minute in th armistice at Rhodes than the Jews were able to
used for the purpose of trying struction as a people. In the needs.
buy from the Arabs in 30 years." •
to muzzle the press," the "Sen- spirit of Stephen S. Wise, our
Harry A. Heller, former ad-
guide and inspiration, we are go- ministrative assistant of the De.
tinel" wrote.
The plebiscite is certain to show an overwhelming majority
The weekly charged that "a ing to fight the enemies within troit Jewish Welfare Federation,
for an independent Arab Palestine. It is inevitable that such a
small clique, members of the Jewish life."
is the executive director.
region will become part of a federated Israel.

Zealotry Condemned

//

Israel Split Feared
by Mizrachi Leader

T

Community Council Advances

•

• • •

-

Abdullah's Popularity Wanes

'Chicago Sentinel' Charges
UJA Ad Bribe to Muzzle It

Flint Council
Picks Pelavin