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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page 4

There Is Method in Her Madness

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

you emit HANG ME,
I'm may!!!

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
Detroit, Mich., under the Mt of March 3, 1879.

Thursday, April 13, 1950

Eastern Jews
Held Saints—
Were They?

By HAROLD S. COHEN
THE EARTH IS THE
LORD'S by Abraham Joshua
Heschel (Henry Schuman, New
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
Publisher
York).
GERIIARDT NEUMANN
Although there have been
EMILY SOMLYO
Editor
many books written on every
Business Manager
phase of life among the Jews of
Nisan 26, 5710
Eastern Europe, it is difficult for
Thursday, April 13, 1950
one not familiar with them to
get a clear idea of what sort of
civilization was evolved in that
When the UN Trusteeship Council last week took its final
part of the world by Jews.
vote on the internationalization of Jerusalem, most of its mem-
It is therefore a distinct con-
bers must have felt rather dejected, for they knew that their
tribution to our understanding
that so eminent a scholar as Dr.
decision was a plan on paper only.
Recognizing 'the fact that internationalization against the will
Heschel has produced a work
of Israel and Jordan is well-nigh impossible, the Council de-
which attempts to make real for
us the "thoughts, habits and cus-
cided to forward copies of the statute to the governments of
toms" of those people. Excellent
Israel and Jordan "asking their cooperation in putting it into
woodcuts by Ilya Schor illustrate
effect."
In other words, the Council wants to know what the two
the volume.
occupying powers think of the new plan—as if it did not know.
Assuming the book may be
read by many persons who have
This was a diplomatic way of getting rid of further respon-
sibility. The Trusteeship Council was commissioned by the UN
little prior knowledge of the sit-
Assembly to work out a statute for an internationalized Jerusa-
uation and peoples described, it
lem, which it did. As far as we know, the Council was not
can be foreseen that the nender
required to implement the decision or even to set a date for
might be very badly misled into
believing that all Eastern Jews
implementation.
While the Arab representatives pressed for a decision on
R. MAYER.
were saints and the life they led
PETRal a-WISA OROS',
the appointment of a governor for Jerusalem and interim
was one of unalloyed holiness.
measures, the other council members felt that they had gone
This unfortunate failing in the
book is hardly overcome by the
far enough and that it was time to throw the whole problem
back into the lap of the UN Assembly.
brilliant, terse, poetic prose, the
The disappointed representative of Iraq announced that his
fascinating parables or the vast
country would reverse its support of the separation of Jerusa-
erudition which flashes forth.
lem from Palestine unless the Council acted immediately. How-
"The Earth Is the Lord's" is
ever, he did not say whether this meant that the Arabs would
am
aware
of
the
necessity
of
Eastern
Jewry at its best, as some
FRENCH DISCRIMINATION
insist on depriving Abdullah of his gains.
leaning on European and Ameri- of the people lived some of the
AGAINST
LEON
BLUM
As far as Israel is concerned, the Trusteeship Council vote
can culture at this juncture.
time; not a realistic picture of the
To the Editor:
postpones the fate of Jerusalem until the UN Assembly makes
trust that the Israelis will be masses most of the time.
I
The death of Leon Blum brings
up its mind whether or not to stick to its original plan.
Heschel finds in Hasidism a
to my mind an episode in his life broadminded enough to absorb in
It may be assumed that the majority of the UN members
the future the best from among movement of great value in res-
as
told
by
Andre
Maurois,
French
are realistic enough to see that last year's decision was an ill-
for-
nations.
cuing Judaism from gloomy
writer and himself a renegade other
advised one. This may reduce the chances of certain pressure
I feel that history will repeat malism. He describes by meta-
Jew.
groups within and outside the UN to enforce their viewpoint,
itself, that the Jew will again
and parable the total un-
Maurois relates that he and his become eclectic and add his own phor
however impracticable it may be.
wife spent a winter at Valescure inimitable touch which will lead concern of the Hasidim with their
The Council's decision means a setback for the Arab na-
in the south of France, "when the him to the inevitable originality temporal state. Their thoughts
tions, which have just succeeded in forcing Jordan back into
in heaven, he believes.
manager of the hotel informed which he has so plentifully ex- were
the fold. Whatever Jordan and the other Arab League coun-
This reviewer has formed as
us
in
great
secrecy
that
the
presi-
tries may have in common, they do not see eye to eye when
hibited in the past.
entirely different picture of life
dent of the council of ministers,
WALTER FARBER
it comes to the occupation of Palestine.
in Eastern Europe. It appears to
Leon Blum, was going to take
As we have pointed out several times in recent weeks,
us that Eastern Jews were living
with his ailing wife a short vaca- CATHOLIC CHURCH
Jordan's real interests lie on the Israeli side rather than the
in an essentially medieval situa-
tion
under
the
same
roof
with
Arab side. We feel sure that sooner or later Jordan will realize
NOT ANTI-SEMITIC
tion, where their ignorance, sup-
us.
the futility of dealing with the Arab League.
To the Editor:
erstition and poverty were only
Israel, in the mer.iitime, will keep on hoping for the best
"Blum was at that time Pre-
The phrasing in Phineas Bi- exceeded by that of the Slavic
and preparing for the worst. Reading the Hagadah on the
mier and tried to introduce his ron's column of April 6 would peasants who surrounded them.
Seder night, Jews in Israel added a word. "Next year," they
liberal reforms.
imply that the Catholic church
The "Zaddikim" who studied
"When this news spread among is anti-Semitic. Whether Adrien Talmud day and night are an
read, "in a liberated Jerusalem."
If reason prevails in the council of nations, their wish may
the conservative clientel of the Arcand is an Anti-Semite or not ideal to Heschel, but what of
hotel, it caused a commotion. 'If is his own business, but I'm sure their wives who fought the bat-
well come true.
you take in that class of people,' he does not receive the support of tle of poverty day and night to
cried an irascible gentleman, 'we the church in this respect.
support them and their amazing
are going to move out of here.'
The church supports Arcand in number of children?
"The aroused minds were fi- his loathing for Communism and
People who have great faith
Three Jews of world renown died in recent weeks: Harold
nally appeased when the hotel renounces Communists whose in- are to be admired, but not when
Laski, leading member of the British Labor Party; Leon Blum,
manager informed the guests that tent is to overthrow our form of they pawned their candlesticks
president of the French Socialist Party, and Kurt Weill, the
Blum and his wife were to occu- government, but it does not dis- and gave the money to the rabbi
composer.
py all by themselves the fifth
The three men probably had not much in common person-
criminate against any race or while their children cried them-
floor and thus would be com-
selves to sleep on empty stom-
ally, but they were linked spiritually in that they were liberals
pletely isolated from all other creed.
One of the foremost teachings achs.
and fighters for social justice. .
guests.
Where in "The Earth Is the
Laski, the scholar, and Blum, the aesthete, used politics as
"Thus, wen Blum arrived, he of the Catholic church is that all Lord's" is this Eastern Jewry?
their medium of expression, while Weill stirred people's hearts
men
are
created
equal.
It
neither
confined himself to his floor
Heschel is not ignorant of
through his music. Each one had the characteristic traits of his
without mingling with the other advocates nor endures any form them. He finds a few pages at the
native country, but what made them Jewish in the best sense
of
racial
intolerance.
hotel guests."
BETTY ZIMMERMAN, end to state, "To be sure in the
of the word was their idealism.
ALEXANDER D. COHN.
life of the East European Jews
They carried in their souls the great heritage of the
Editor
there was not only light but also
Hebrew prophets who dared speak out against evil and decay,
Northwest
Record
EVALUATION OF GALUT
shadow
against suppression and corruption. They envisioned a society
UNFAIR TO ISRAEL
But his emphasis is wrong. it
making equality and freedom a reality.
To the Editor:
is the emphasis of one who does
It would be unfair to ask how far they succeeded. The
I would like to take issue with
not want to see the shadows al-
prophets in ancient times were unable to remake man in their
the ideas set forth in an article
though they stare him in the face.
image. But the impact of their personalities was such as to
by William Zukerman on "Galut
Pure religiosity is not a total
make a lasting impression on mankind.
Proves Superior to Culture of
TEL AVIV—(YIVNA)—Despite blessing, if it involves neglect of
The only regret we have is that for such men as Laski,
Israel" which appeared in your a bitter press campaign against life itself. Heschel never forgets
Weill or Blum any activity for Jewish causes was merely in-
paper on March 30.
Ychudi Menuhin, famous concert this fact in his book, but he ap-
cidental. To them, it seems, the Jewish field was too narrow.
Zukerman challenges the the- violinist, tickets for his forthcom- pears to wish that it was not
Perhaps they thought it was not fertile enough to waste their
ory that Israel was to be the ing tour in Israel have sold faster true. So do we.
energies on it.
'soul' of the Jewish people the than for any other event.
• • •
diluted
Judaism
they
could
not
help
As the products of a
world over.
The attacks in the press alleged
THE
STORY
OF MODERN
but condescend toward the Jewish people. They knew they
"The tables have turned," he that Menuhin and his sister Heph- Israel by Dorothy F. Zeligs
were part of them, but they did not feel Jews were important
says. "The despised and hated zibah, who accompanies him at (Bloch Publishing Co., New
enough to devote all their strength to them. Thus, the great
'Galut' is turning out to be the the piano, played to aid a German York).
men of Jewish extraction are, at the same time, our pride and
real cultural and spiritual attrac- relief organization shortly after
This book is intended for
the symbol of our tragedy: a people which loves to enrich
tion for the Israelis and they are the war, and were the first Jew- young people who want to learn
others but holds itself in contempt.
turning to it more and more for ish musicians to offer friendship about modern Israel, but adults
cultural entertainment and spir- to the German people. As a result may profit from it as well. The
itual content."
of these allegations the Knesset author covers all aspects of Jew-
On the surface one might be has received a number of de- ish life in Israel. She describes
impressed by this argument. But mands from members to ban Me- the country, its cities and settle-
Cecil Roth, in an article, ''Thoughts on Jewish History" (in
upon more careful examination
the April issue of Orthodox Jewish Life) explains his love of
ments, its festivals and theaters,
appearances.
Zukerman's argument is weak nuhin's
Jewish history this way:
Menuhin, in an interview in its industries and achievements.
and unfair.
When the Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492, they asked
The second part is devoted to
It is unfair because a child, age Paris, explained that his appear- the history of Zionism and the
"to be allowed to take with them the tallith used in prayer;
ance
in
Germany
was
arranged
two or three cannot be fairly
this being refused. And they asked also (which was granted)
third part covers the birth of the
judged as to its potentialities, ap- by the American authorities as new state and the successful con-
that those of their slaves whome they had set free in happier
part of the re-education program.
titudes,
and
innate
abilities
until
days should be allowed to retain their liberty.
He declared that he would clusion of Arab war.
it passes well beyond the adol-
At the culmination of their own agony, they thus thought
A great number of illustrations
probably
play again in Berlin
escent period. Israel is a wean-
make
this book a valuable guide
of the misery of others."
thousand
Jews
.
where several
ling.
"I would rather belong," Roth says, "to the people whose
for Jewish youth to the miracles
remain,
but
never
again
in
Mu-
in
the
I have limitless faith
profound humanity could have led to this petition than to the
a "strong- of modern Jewish life.
people of Israel and I know that nich which he considers
G.N.
conquerors of the globe. For, after all, by such a gesture did
nationalism."
of
German
grow and prosper. I hold
they
will
the
victors?''
not they become

Uncertainty Over Jerusalem

I

Letters to the Editor

The Prophetic Heritage

Menuhin to Give
Concert in Israel

Victors in Defeat

