Americo t 7ewish Periodical a

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

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'These Honored Dead . .

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

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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Thursday, June 29, 1950

Jewish Novel
Advanced by
Polish Author

BY HAROLD S. COVEN
TIIE TESTAMENT OF THE
LOST SON by Soma Morgen-
GERIIARDT
NEUMANN
stern (The Jewish Publication
SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Editor
Publisher
Society, Philadelphia).
Tammuz 14, 5710
This work is the third and final
Thursday, June 29, 1950
book in a trilogy which the au-
thor has written covering the for-
tunes of a family in the former
Austrian Galicia, which after the
First World War became part of
A Guest Editorial
Poland and is now part of Russia.
By SAMUL W. LEIB
This reviewer has not read the
President, District Grand Lodge No. 6, Bnai Brith
first two works, which is per-
The strength of Bnai Brith lies in the high ideals and prin-
haps just as well, since each
ciples upon which it was founded, which have guided our every
book must stand alone as a
action and which are reflected in the great service agencies and
work of art.
philanthropies founded, developed and fostered by us.
One would guess from the
book that the author is an ad-
Bnai Brith has sought to unite Jcws to make them better
mirer of Leo Tolstoy so marked
Americans—better citizens of the countries wherein they re-
Shown unveiling the portrait of her son, Sgt. Morton A. Silver- are the resemblances in style
side. The kind of unity Bnai Brit has striven for and works
man, is Mrs. Meyer Silverman. The unveiling and the dedica- and outlook. For this work does
for is not the type that would make us all think alike.
the
tion of the Sgt. Morton A. Silverman Assembly Room at
not strike us as a work of real-
The kind of unity we want to achieve is based upon demo-
Jewish War Veterans Memorial Bldg. took place on Sunday, June ism in the American meaning
cratic principles which allow to American Jewry the right to
18. Others who participated in the ceremonies are, left to right,
of the word but definitely so in
their own opinions while they work together for the common
Samuel J. Rhodes, president of the Jewish War Veterans Memorial the Russian sense.
good of all.
Home Association; Jascha Schwartzman, who painted the portrait;
In this country realism has
- To accomplish this through the course of the century Bnal
Meyer Silverman, the father of Sgt. Silverman; B. M. Joffe, always been associated with a
Brith has found its own foimula. It has developed depart-
executive director of the Jewish Community Council; and I. II. style of writing. From Dreiser
ments—the Anti-Defamation League, Bnai Brith Millen Founda-
Yackness, commander of the Sgt. Morton A. Silverman D.Post. on, the interest in the sordid
tions, Bnai Brith Youth Organization and Bnai Brith Vocational
and seamy side of life together
Service Bureau.
with a close imitation of the
We know that our best citizen is a citizen who is informed
speech of types described has
as to his own background; who is devout, who is conscious of
added up to the realistic novel.
his responsibility as a citizen to do his full share in the ma-
In Russia the word has meant
terial, social and moral advancement of the nation, even as he
only the concern of the author
is conscious of his rights as a citizen.
with the fundamental problems
of the day whether on a personal
This synthesis of knowing your obligations plus knowing
into
may
head
was
when
I
saw
By ALFRED SEGAL
or general level regardless of the
your rights means dignity—the dignity of the individual—and
our
temple
burn.
I
can
remember
this dignity is emphasized by everything Bnai Brith does.
OW'110W DOES a rabbi get having an uncontrollable anger style used.
The philosophy which extends through all our endeavors is
To this reviewer, the book has
that way? Here's young Mor- and then sorrow at the condition
the American philosophy of bringing together the greatest num-
timer Zilch, a regular boy in a civilization had degenerated to. a general romantic flavor, and
ber of people in a cooperative work for the common good. This
world in which regular boys turn The constant beatings administ- as it is primarily noteworthy for
is democracy. This is the American way. What we want is a
out to be crack salesmen, doctors, ered by the little Nazi bullies the telling of a story and a
coalition of the best in us rather than a tug of war between the
searching analysis of the char-
lawyers, or, as in the case of our did not help matters."
acters it falls short of the au-
well-known Mr. Hillel, president
worst in us.
From an American boy: "My thor's intent. Pages devoted to
What we want to do is to move on to a greater develop-
of a massive
father has devoted his life to help discussions of anti-Semitism and
ment of American values, rather than delimit ourselves, rather
widget corpora-
others and I try to emulate him. the general life of Polish Jews
than turn back the clock to the bitterness and the misery we
tion.
My parents exemplify all that I about 1929 seem forced and un-
find in Europe. What we seek is brotherhood.
Mortimer's par-
can possibly strive to attain."
Our work will go on always. It will never be finished. It
real.
ents are troubled
Zionism which was the ideal
Some answers to the question
takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own
as
to
what
to
good. Therefore, we must be content to make progress slowly
as to what was the deciding fac- of many Eastern Jews, is hardly •
make
of
him.
greater
tor that finally brought an appli- mentioned and finally is dragged
and eternally press forward on the road ahead toward
His father says
in at the end by the heels.
cant to seek the rabbinate:
service wherever the need arises.
a bright boy like
There is no law which insists
There is a statement in the Ethics of the Fathers which is
"Shortly
after
graduating
from
Mortimer should
that an author devote his work
quite symbolic of all the leaders and the rank and file of Bnai
high
school,
two
of
my
best
be a lawyer.
Brith: "It is not incumbent upon thee to complete the task; but
friends were killed . . . Their of fiction to political and socio-
Mortimer's
logical problems. But even aside
neither art thou free to desist from it."
death stirpulated a spiritual from that, the work still falls
Segal
mother says no,
It is in this spirit of dedication to service that I greet the
yearning
in
me.
Recently
I
have
she'd rather have him be a doctor.
short of what one would wish.
delegates representing 50,000 members of our Order in the
She learned to love doctors the had a tragedy in my own life.
He begins the book with an
eight American states and four Canadian provinces, attending
time she was so sick; the way I know that only by turning to excellent investigation into the
the 82nd annual convention of District Grand Lodge No. 6, Bnai
God can we obtain the strength
they were so nice and helpful.
life of a family where the con-
Brith, meeting in Detroit.
In his earlier life Mortimer to meet our problems."
and his
Another answer to the same flicts between the father
himself said he'd like to be a
a tense cli-
youngest
son
lead
to
ballplayer like Lou Gehrig or question: "A friend told me that max. He thereupon drops the
Christy Matthewson of whom he some form of social work, which family in order to clean up the
knew from the classic history of I had expressed a desire to enter, loose ends of his two former
Recent developments in the Middle East indicate that an
was probably what I would be books and never mentions the
impasse has been reached in the negotiations between Israel
baseball.
Then on his 18th birthday—the the most happy in. Then the idea family again until the last pages
and Jordan. The reasons are Jordan's internal difficulties and
legal age of stepping into man- struck me that I would be able to when he reminds us that the
its shaky position in the Arab League.
hood—Mortimer confided to his combine my talents best in the conflict still exists.
The Arab League, at its recent meeting in Cairo decided
not to expel Jordan but to sign a security pact, in which Jordan
parents the career on which his rabinical field." • •
The best thing about the book
•
is not included. The League also answered the three-power
mind had settled. They were all
is the author's sympathetic treat-
SOME ANSWERS to the ques- ment of his character,. He rarely
declaration promising arms for the Middle East provided they
at dinner and his mother asked,
were used for "defense purposes" with the statement that the
"Well, Mortimer, have you made tion as to what impacts of reli- preaches or condemns, rather he
gion caused applicants to make does bring alive individual char•
Arab League nations were responsible for the maintenance of
up your mind yet?"
"Yes, but maybe you won't like up their minds toward the rab- acters whose complex personali-
peace in the Middle East.
binate:
Observers believe that the League is seeking to obtain a
it."
ties he probes with great skill.
"It was Yom Kippur and I was
similar status under the United Nations Charter as the Pan
'Oh, Mortimer, you know any z
The boldness of speech and ac-
thing you want to be we're for.' in the Navy, and it was impossi- tion of his characters introduces
American 'Union.
Jordan's internal difficulties mainly center about the dis-
"Well, I've decided to be a ble for me to get shore leave and the reader to a type of Eastern
agreements within the cabinet. Some cabinet members, ac-
go to a house of prayer. I felt I Jewry quite different from those
rabbi."
cording to a report in the N. Y. Times, are pressing for con-
Not that ` Mortimer's parents just had to pray that day and So I of an earlier time with which
solidation of internal conditions before tackling the problem
had any prejudice against rabbis, awoke an hour before reveille most American Jews are familiar.
of peace with Israel. They belimie that Eastern Palestine should
but for their son they wished only and climbed to the highest gun
There is no Sholem Aleichem
be more firmly annexed before negotiations can be resumed.
a comfortable place in the world. mounting on the ship and there Yid in this work. His figures are
that
it
is
believed
that
Jordan
will
The same report says
They knew the tzoros the rabbi I took out my little prayer book strong, bold and willing to assert
not resume peace talks until Abdullah shakes up his cabinet
in their own town was made to and prayed. But the prayer book themselves.
"and starts running the show again, as he did before the com-
suffer by the congregation. The was not adequate; I was soon ad-
His hero, is a young Austrian
plications of annexation set in."
members seemed continuously to libbing my prayers, reciting all bred Jew who returns to the Pol-
more
rapid
pace
in
on
a
Israel, on the other hand, insists
be pushing rabbis out of their the things I wanted the world to ish village of his father. Although
the peace negotiations and, in a note to the United Nations,
pulpit and putting a new one in. be When I got home. I had moved both his parents left Judaism for
complained that Jordan did not fulfill its obligations under
There was no satisfying that con- a step closer to an intelligent other religions, he discovers all
religious feeling."
the armistice pact.
that is good in both Jewish re-
gregation.
It seems that the Arabs have decided to use delaying tactics
Another answer to the same ligion and culture and is led back
His father said: "A good law-
in their attempt to postpone recognition of Israel as long as
yer ,can be fairly sure of an ade- question: "It was during my to the religion of his people.
possible. That this political attitude does not improve the
Army career that I found out that
A shocking murder of a Jewish
quate living."
chances of lasting peace in the Middle East is obvious.
American Jewish youth is badly child by anti-Semites brings the
.
Mortimer
replied
that
he
had
stronger
organization,
it
could
easily
step
If the UN were a
definitely made up his mind and equipped to go out and meet the young man to a fuller under-
in and enforce peace in the Middle East. But since it is weak,
his parents finally said it wasn't world. I attribute that to inade- standing of the lot of the Jew in
war
a
we have to depend on the slow process of attrition. It is
quate Jewish homelife, their Jew- the diaspora and in the end turns
for them to stand in his way.
of nerves, and we are sure it will not be Israel that will be
• • •
ish education had been sadly ne- him to a sympathy with Zion-
worn out first.
glected, their parents were just ism.
NOW
JUST
WHAT
brought
In the meantime, Israel sees but one alternative to prepare
not interested in letting their
Soma Morgenstern has certain-
being
a
to
the
idea
of
Mortimer
itself for the struggle ahead: And this is a continued flow of free, rabbi? Just what prompts other children know of their heritage." ly in this work helped to advance
unhampered, unrestricted immigration.
And what makes a boy think the concept of a Jewish novel.
young men who go to be rabbis?
Contrary to other information, Berl Locker, chairman of the
he's cut out to be a rabbi?
Although the work is translated
Lately
the
Hebrew
Union
College
Jewish Agency executive, declared recently that there will be
Best wishes to the boys and from the German (an excellent
—Jewish
Institute
of
Religion
has
no restrictions on immigration. It seems that behind the scenes
may their dreams never turn into translation) the book can serve
given some answers.
a constant struggle is going on between the Israeli government
a nightmarish experience of be- as a model for American Jewish
Some
of
the
answers:
and the Jewish Agency. The latter seeks to harmonize immigration
ing with Congregation Anshe authors who often claim that as
German
refu-
a
(This
one
from
with the means available whereas the government emphasizes gee): "The first time any thought Giborim whose ways I have de- Americans they cannot write
the political angle of the matter.
about Jewish situations.
of entering the rabbinate came scribed in other columns.
Some day a clear-cut policy will have to be devised.

The Road Ahead

Young People Discover
Religious Vocation

N

War of Nerves

