Thursday, December 15, 1949
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page 4
The Great Behest
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
2827 Cadillac Tower, Detroit 26, Michigan
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 3, 1879.
SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Publisher
Thursday, Dec. 15
(Kislev 24, 5710)
EMILY SOMLYO
Business Manager
Detrc
lichigan
Festival of Freedom
Of all Jewish festivals, Chanukah seems to have the greatest
timely significance. It will for all times symbolize the indomitable
will of a small nation to hold its own and not to submit to conquest.
There are on record many similar historical miracles, such as
the fight of the Swiss whose national hero William Tell played a
role not unlike that of Judas Maccabeus.
•
However, our Jewish festival somehow transcends the usual
liberation stories. It stands for something greater than mere
nationalism: It stands for the victory of the spirit over brutal
power, it stands for the conviction that eternal truths cannot be
stamped out by rolling armies, it stands for the belief that any
nation, regardless of its size or strength, has a right to cling to
its patterns of life.
That this interpretation is consistent with Jewish thinking
is proved by the fact that the Haftarah selected for Shabbat
Chanukah is taken from the third and fourth chapter of the
prophet Zechariah who speaks these famous words:
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, said the Lord
of hosts."
The spirit of the Maccabees, in fact, has never died. It ac-
companied Jews throughout the diaspora, and it was this spirit
that made it possible for them to reconquer the Jewish land.
For lest we forget, the colonization of Israel was essentially
a process of will-power and idealism. The bloodshed which was
involved was small in comparison with the colonization of other
areas.
Lest we forget: Europe's Jews could cope with Nazi terror only
because the spill k of Judas Maccabeus was still alive in their
souls. The fighters of the Warsaw ghetto who held out for nlanths
against a superior enemy knew, like the Maccabeans, that, more
than their lives, they had to defend their honor and their integrity.
The spirit of independence never left us. We know it never
will. It is the Jewish conviction that might is not right and that
freedom is a divine gift which cannot be taken away by any man.
tonummity Center Celebrates
It was 10 years ago that a generous gift by Mrs. Aaron De Roy
in memory of her husband made possible the construction of the
main part of what is now known as the Jewish Community Center.
The Jewish community of Detroit has reason to be iroud of
this building and the services it renders.
Young and old people consider the Center a regular and
indispensable part of their lives. Be it relaxation or studies,
dances or discussions, everyone will find something to suit his
taste and his needs.
That the Jewish Community Center grew to the importance
of its present status and became one of the foremost institutions
of its kind in the country is, to a large degree, due to the fact
that it had. at its disposal the facilities needed to give people of
all ages the services they expected.
Speaking of generous gifts, we cannot help but think of the
old plan of a Jewish hospital in Detroit. This project has now been
incorporated in the Greater Detroit Hospital Fund drive, and there
are hopes that the day may not be too far off when the work can
be started.
•
There is still plenty of opportunity to show generosity in this
respect. As Detroit's Jewish community grows, the needs for a
Jewish hospital become ever more urgent. We hope the example
set by Mrs. De Roy will be followed by other generous con-
tributors.
Students Against Bias
"Student groups which discriminate because of race, re-
ligion, nationality, or academic standing, will no longer be
recognized by the College of Education."
This new policy was recently announced by the Inter-Club
Council at Wayne University.
The college is the first individual school at Wayne to make
such a move, and the university's student paper expresses the
hope that "other colleges within the university structure will
follow the trend."
Welcome, students, to the ranks of the men and women
who seek to knock some sense into this unsettled world!
It seems almost strange to us 'that any goodwill gesture
such as the action at Wayne should be hailed as a stepping
stone on the road to a better and sensible world.
However, it is not strange. As things are now, such ges-
tures have to be encouraged. It often takes great courage to
do the most obvious . things.
Is there a worthier cause than the cause of brotherhood?
And is there any group that could be more interested in this
cause than young , people?
We hope they will do their best to learn how to get along
with fellow students of different race or religion. The sooner
they learn it the better it will be for this country. Peace rests
other's viewpoint and to compromise
on man's ability to see the
instead of imposing his will.
Will the younger generation understand this basic truth?
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Jewish Books
in Review
By HAROLD S. COHEN
WHY JESUS DIED, by
Pierre van Paassen. I)ial
Press New York. 283' p.p. $3,
With this work, van Paassen
musters the guns of theology
and history to the battle against
an ancient libel, that the Jews
are responsible for the death
of Jesus.
l j
That the queStion of who was
4
responsible for Jesus' death
should still be pertinent 2,000
years later, is a sad commentary
on the rationality of men's
minds today.
• • •
NEVERTHELESS, SINCE the
•
libel is still repeated through-
- ,
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out the Christian world, van
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Paassen's book is timely.
,...r.".X°4
Such authorities on Jewish
4
history as Prof. S. Zeitlin of
Dropsie College, have picked
I ,
a flaws in his historical data, but
enough facts remain unchalleng-
ed to convince most people that
by no stretch of the imagination
could Jesus have been legally
0.00091 tried before the Sanhedrin and
put to death under Jewish law.
As much an attack on the tra-
ditional theology of most Christ-
ian churches as a defense of the
Jews, "Why Jesus Died" rests
its case on van Paassen's accept-
ance and rejection of parts of
the New Testament.
• • •
THEODOR HERZL, the Jew
By NATHAN ZIPR1N
and the Man, by Oscar Benja-
EW YORK—The decision to place Jerusalem under international
min Frank', Storm Publishers,
aegis is a greater blow to the United Nations than it is New York, 190 p.p. $2.50.
This work must not be taken
to Israel.
By waiting more than two years before acting on implementing as a definitive biography of
Herzl. It tells in a brief, very
an earlier resolution, by standing
by idly while Arab hordes lifted lack of argument and justice. It readable prose who Herzl was,
the sword of annihiliation against was lost because the dice were what he did and why he did it.
Israel, by keeping silent while loaded. The very offspring of a
Written with almost a poetic
UN members fought to nullify religious denomination which terseness, the book clearly tells
an international pronouncement fought for centuries against of Herzl's personal trials and
by failing to take measures to Christian efforts to dominate the tribulations in awakening a peo-
protect from destruction the city Holy Land, utilized the "sacred ple to their own danger and con-
whose holiness was no barrier site" cry as hypocritically as the vincing others of their duties to
to Arab bombs, the United Na- man who sells tarnished wares mankind.
tions has forfeited the moral right and as successfully.
Perhaps the most interesting
to adjudicate the issue.
Intelligent men fell for it not parts of the work are the recon-
By stepping in after creating because they could not penetrate structed conversations of Herzl
a vacuum in Jerusalem that was the truth, but because to do other- with the great of Europe and at
filled by Israel's arms, the United wise might bring upon them the the Zionist congresses at which
Nations has abdicated the long wrath and ire of a source whose he accomplished so much and
standing judicial rule that he increasing influence in interna- gave so much.
• a a
who seeks equity must do equity tional affairs is the concern of all
JEWISH ARTISTS OF THE
and that he who dispenses equity enlightened people.
must come to the bench of justice
One only had to listen to the 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES.
with clean hands.
tirade of Lebanon's Malik, who By Karl Schwartz, 273 p.p.
• • •
dangled the theme of Christen- New York Philosophical Li-
dom with a skill that must have brary. $4.75.
SUDDEN FIRMNESS
With "Jewish Artists of the
IT IS FUTILE now to reassert been as apparent as it was thin.
19th and 20th Centuries," Kill
• • •
the arguments against the inter-
Schwartz has attempted to eval-
nationalization squeeze, for that SHAM ARGUMENTS
uate the tremendous tide of Jew-
is what it is. It is appropriate,
HE ARGUED JERUSALEM
however, to contrast the inaction was not a political but a religious ish creative energy released by
of the UN following its partition issue. Even he must have smiled the French revolution.
For with the emancipation of
decision with the sudden firm- inwardly at that argument, for
ness and speed the international only the politically naive could the enslaved Jews of Europe the
doors of creative energy were
body is displaying now.
be made to believe that Soviet
opened and painters, sculptors,
Russia
and
its
satellites
were
The battle against internation-
and aesthetes appeared in ever
(Continued
on
Page
8)
alization was lost not because of
greater numbers on the scene of
19th century culture.
• • •
WITH AN EMBARRASSMENT
of riches, Schwartz limits him-
self to representative figures. So
thoroughly does he explore the
environmental background of his
artists, that the work assumes
grims of Haifa. Special pilgrim the character of a history of art
By KENNETH BILBY
(World News Services)
trains will run from Haifa to in general through the two cent-
A reception program for Chris- Jerusalem and bus caravans from uries.
tian pilgrims in Israel during the Haifa to Nazareth. At the en-
If there is any thing lacking in
1950 Roman Catholic Holy Year trance to holy places guides will Schwartz' work, it is his inde-
beginning on Christmas Eve is turn the pilgrims over to resident cision as to the primary force
rapidly being completed. It in- religious authorities. that sets Jewish artists apart
A special booklet i n English from their non-Jewish contem-
cludes special trains and bus
caravans, a boy scout information and French is being prepared, poraries.
service and government guides, a which will 'give full details of
Is it the fact of difference
menu offering meat six times the points of historical or reli- alone that distinguishes the Jew-
weekly, and hostel or hotel ac- gious interests in Israel. Pilgrims ish artist? If so how is he chi-
commodations for 8,000 a month. will also be equipped with special ferentiated from other minority
In Jerusalem alone, 1,000 beds government badges.
group artists? At times Schwartz
will be set aside for pilgrims.
In addition, the government is seems to be attracted by this en-
Negotiations are under way for planning a lecture series- for vironmental explanation.
• • •
partial restoration of the war- visitors and a series of receptions
AT OTHER times he seems to
damaged Hospice of Notre Dame for Christian dignitaries.
feel that there is an Inner racial
for accommodation of 350 pil- FOOD PREPARATIONS
The food ministry is working difference that sets the Jewish
grims.
In Tel Aviv, the government is on a menu for pilgrims, which artist apart from all others.
Caught on the horns of this
preparing instructions for all Is- will provide twice the quantity
raeli missions abroad to facilitate of meat now available under the eternal dilemma, the work loses
the issuance of visas for religious austerity program, and such ad- some of the drive of the partisan
ditional luxuries as eggs each mind.
visitors. .
morning.
GUIDES BEING TRAINED
The book is beautifully illus-
The government is training 30
It is estimated that pilgrims trated with 48 black and white
guides, who will speak English, will remain in Israel an average plates of representative works of
French or Spanish, to greet pil- of one week.
art.
..
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t
c
4
"
Sham Arguments Used
in Jerusalem Decision
N
Israel to Welcome
Holy Year Pilgrims