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D ETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Thursday, March 1950
Bundles From Britain
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
.ses'so's.
Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
Dl
2827 Cadillac Tower, Detroit 26, Michigan
WOodward 1-1040
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.
7 Jewish Books
9/-40,
!
,
MUT
SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Publisher
EMILY SOMLYO
GERHARDT NEUMANN
Business Manager -
Editor
Thursday, March 2, 1950
!SEVIN
)'
Qts
Adar 13, 5710
Hour of Decision Nears
The unexpected decision of the UN Trusteeship Council to
postpone indefinitely any action on the internationalization of
Jerusalem is not an end of a development but the beginning of
a new phase in the Middle Eastern conflict.
So far Israel has been the winner.
We sincerely hope, in the interest of world peace, that the
United Nations is not the loser. As a matter of fact, through its
hasty resolution the UN undermined the confidence of many
nations in itself as an institution. The UN cannot afford to pull
any more boners like this.
For the past month, the UN Trusteeship Council, which
was entrusted with the implementation of the Assembly resolu-
tion, has been meeting in Geneva behind closed doors.
The news releases from Geneva have been practically
meaningless, and public opinion has had to depend on rumor
and speculation from "informed sources."
Nobody knows what went on in the secrecy of the com-
mittee discussions, but the outcome proves that the majority
finally became convinced that no purpose would be served if
the UN tried to impose an international regime on two unwilling
states.
Now we are back where we started. Already the Iraq
delegate in Geneva warned that the Arabs would not take the
Council's decision lying down but would fight for—well, he did
not say for what. However, it can easily be seen that behind
these threats lies the dissatisfaction of the Arab states with
Transjordan's advantageous position in certain parts of
Palestine.
Would the Arab League go to war against Abdullah? And
would Israel, under such circumstances, become an ally of
Transjordan? Will Egypt try to recover the territory and prestige
lost in the Israeli war? These are the pressing questions at the
moment, and it may be that we will not have to wait long
until an answer is given.
The threat of war in the Middle East is not an empty one.
It is gravely enhanced by Britain's insistence on sending arms
to the Arab nations. As far as we can see Britain is mostly
interested in the oil of the Middle East.
The access to the Haifa pipe line could be gained easily
through a treaty with Israel. Britain did not 'choose this way
because Iraq has decided, for reasons of "national pride," to
stop the flow of oil. No doubt, Britain could quickly change the
mind of the Iraqis if it wanted to.
However, Bevin still seems to be determined to erase Israel
from the map. He hopes to accomplish this by arming the Arabs
to the teeth. What Bevin has not learned from history—and
probably never will—is that the spirit of a people has more to do
with the outcome of a war than armament.
A war with the Arabs will be no pushover for Israel, and no
Israeli is anxious to see another war. But we believe that in the
final analysis the Arabs do not stand a chance in a second round.
The losers will be the Arab League, plus Britain.
Whether the new phase will bring peace or war remains to
be seen. That Israel will continue to be a sovereign state and that
Jerusalem will remain Jewish, of that we are certain. The
decision of the Trusteeship Council is proof of it.
Fight for a Constitution
Very little has become known about the fight that presently
is going on in the Israeli parliament to write a constitution for
the Jewish state.
As we reported in last week's issue, Ben Gurion told the
Knesset that for the time being Israel can do without a constitu-
tion and yet be a real democracy.
In the course of his speech, Ben Gurion rejected the Ameri-
can constitution as a model for Israel, probably because he does
not agree with the American system of checks and balances.
Ben Gurion specifically mentioned the Supreme Court's power
to throw out legislation enacted by Congress, in case it does
not conform to constitutional provisions.
The underlying controversy, of course, is whether. Israel's
constitution shall be based upon biblical and talmudic laws or
on the ideas which have evolved in the last two centuries.
Sooner or later, Israel will have to resolve once and for all
the question of whether the Jewish state shall be religious or
secular. The various factions are now engaged in a terrific
battle over this issue. However, the social and political makeup
of Israel leaves no doubt that for some time.to come labor—as
the representative of the secular line—will have the upper hand.
In the interest of national unity, however, it is to be hoped
that a compromise can be found. We do not think it is wise to
leave Israel without a constitution for any length of time. Not
only have the citizens of the country a right to know what their
duties and rights are, but the outside world, too, can judge a
country better by the written guarantees agreed upon by a
majority of the people.
The difficulties of a compromise between the religious and
the secular groups must not be underrated, but the sacrifices of
the Jewish people for the creation of the Jewish state should
justify a sacrifice on the part of the ideologists.
Detroit, Chicago Vie
for Laurels of Hate
G
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
When a survey is made of the
EN. KRYLOV, a Russian army recent anti-Semitic outbursts in
deserter in Paris, is spread-
ing the story that Stalin is a
Jew. His authority is a Soviet
intelligence official.
He cites the fact that Dzugash-
vili, Stalin's original name, means
"son of Israel." To bolster his
case he relates that the Dzugash-
vilis were Caucasian mountain
Jews who were converted to
Christianity at the beginning of
the 19th century.
A middle western city has been
chosen as the site of a conclave
aimed at forming a united anti-
Semitic front. Klan leaders are
willing to drop their anti-Cath-
olicism and concentrate primarily
against Jews.
The tendency of the American
nationalists now is to organize
along vertical rather than hori-
zontal lines.
The hate sheet Common Sense
reaches perhaps a million people
today as against seven thousand
copies that were published early
in 1948.
The middle west is rapidly be-
coming the center and core of
the anti-Semitic poison.
Detroit and Chicago bear
watching. A sheet in Detroit call-
ed "Eleventh Hour" has a wide
distribution and in circles where
preachers often speak of anti-
Semitism as a sin against Chris-
tianity.
the city that gave us that great
and typical American Carl Sand-
burg, it will disclose no doubt
that a vicious feminine voice
played a mean role in whipping
up the kind of sentiment that is
a prerequisite to all overt anti-
Semitic manifestations.
California has its crack-pots
too. One of the most active anti-
Jewish agitators is Wesley Swift
of Los Angeles, who seems to
draw large audiences to his lec-
tures.
Some months ago he predicted
there will be no Jews in the
United States in 1953.
With a slick smile he declared
he was not advocating the
slaughtering of Jews but that he
merely predicted an event.
Oddly enough some foreign-
language newspapers represent-
ing minority groups that are apt
to be the victims of the national-
ist whip have joined the anti-
Jewish chorus.
Czech, Rumanian, Hungarian,
Polish and Lithuanian papers
have made it a habit to couple
Jews with communism.
One of those papers recently
carried an article explaining why
it is that "the Communists are
always supporting the Jews and
the Jews are helping Soviet
Russia."
Letters to the Editor
APPROVES EDITORIAL
ON BROTHERHOOD WEEK
To the Editor:
Your Feb. 16 editorial entitled
"Brotherhood Thoughts" should
be complimented by every ser-
ious-minded Jew.
From past experiences it
should be clear to us by now
that we cannot rely upon prom-
ises and agreements made by
other nations.
Never again must we make
such a costly mistake as we
have made in Germany. Iron-
ically enough, our policy of de-
nazification seems to indicate
that the same mistake is being
repeated.
If brotherhood is to take on
any real meaning, its import-
ance toward world peace must
first of all be realized by all
those who sincerely believe that
human rights is a necessity and
not simply a wish.
The majorities must show
their willingness to accept the
fast that they as well as the
minorities will profit from the
promising results which the
practice of brotherhood offers.
Only then can there remain a
reasonable amount of belief that
racial hatred will at last be
done away with forever.
GERALD LERER,
Director of
Public Relations,
Hapoel Hamizrachi,
New York City
BETH TEPHILO EMANUEL
DENIES RUMORS OF SALE
To the Editor:
It was recently rumored that
Congregation Beth Tephilo Em-
anuel was sold to worshipers of
another faith.
The undersigned wish to in-
form the Jews of Detroit that
this rumor is absolutely false.
Beth Tephilo Emanuel still ex-
ists and continues to hold daily
services.
The congregation cordially
welcomes your presence at its
services.
JACOB SHEVITZ,
President.
MORRIS DORN,
Vice-President.
in Review
"THE JEWS. THEIR HIS-
TORY, CULTURE AND RE-
LIGION." Edited by Louis
Finkelstein. T w a Volumes.
(Harper and Brothers, New
York.)
An encyclopaedic work of this
scope—the two volumes com-
prise 1431 pages—could hardly
be, appraised in its full value
with
in the space available in a
newspaper. It would take a staff
of experts to review each sec-
tion of this monumental work.
It also is impossible to name
all contributors, since there are
too many of them, and mention
i ng one would be an injustice
the others.
Suffice it to say that the read-
er will find everything that has
anything to do with Judaism.
The two volumes cover the his-
tory of the Jews, their role in
civilization, their religion and
their social makeup.
"The purpose of this book,"
says Prof. Finkelstein in his
foreword, ''is to bring into focus
the vast number and wide var-
iety of data concerning Judaism
and the Jews, so that they can
be seen in relation to on- an-
other and to the general phe-
nomena of human culture."
"If this book contains a mes-
sage," he adds, "(and I believe
it does), it is a message inherent
in the extraordinary events and
insights described."
Undoubtedly, this book will
be of great value to Jews and
Gentiles alike. All essays are
written by recognized scholars
whose very name is a guarantee
for the information they give.
We are glad to note that this
is not an apologetic book but a
clear statement of the Jewish
contribution to mankind's de-
velopment.
As Finkelstein says: "Judaism
needs no defense against calum-
ny but an effective presentation
and fulfillment."
G. N.
AS A MIGHTY STREAM
by Julius Morgenstern ■ Jew-
lsh Publications Society of
America, Philadelphia).
With this volume, the creative
life of one of country's out-
standing biblical scholars and
exponent of reform Judasim is
summed up.
The book contains 14 essays
and lectures on various phases
of Jewish history, religion and
sociology written over a period
of 40 years.
It is Morgenstern's contention
that the reformists are on the
road to victory in America but
that their own house is not in
order theologicaly.
He contends that having re-
jected the Talmud as the em-
bodiment of divine will, the re-
formers must go on to con-
sider the Torah as the work
of a people which slo
evolved from a desert tribe tv 1/9
high state of religious sophis-
tication.
On the constructive side the
author adopts a neo-Hegelian
view that God's will is being
manifested in the history of
mankind in general and of the
Jews in particular.
He sees the Jews as a chosen
people whose destiny it is to
lead the world to the accept-
ance of divine law.
—H. C.
25 Years Ago,
This Was News
An attempt to assassinate
Prof. Albert Einstein, made by
Marie Evgenieva Dickson, a Rus-
sian woman who is the widow
of an American citizen, failed
owing to the resourcefulness of
Mrs. Einstein.
(Jewish Chronicle, Feb. 27, 1920