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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Histadrut-30 Years Young
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Detroit Jewish Chronicle

— Published Weekly by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
900 Lawyers' Building, Detroit 26, Michigan
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SUBSCRIPTION
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$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
1879
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, --
----
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
Publisher
GERHARDT NEUMANN
NORMAN KOLIN
Editor
Advertising Manager __ _
Kislev 29, 5711
Friday, December 8, 1950

The Jew and the Crisis

In these days when the fate of the world hangs in a pre-
a strange sensation which overcomes the
carious balance, it is
h's
eader of the Haftara portion for Sabbath Hanukkah—Zecharia by
famous vision of the golden candlestick, with two olive trees

its sides .
"Knowest thou what these be?." he was asked by the angel,
and when he said he did not, the angel replied:
"This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not
by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
It must be kept in mind that Zechariah was preaching in the
days of the return from the captivity in Babylon when the Jewish
people were struggling to rebuild their Temple. Zerubbabel was
a governor of Judah.
In his visions, Zechariah tries to spur his people to greater
efforts and greater unity. He sees four horns and is told:
"These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no
man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast
out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the
land of Judah to scatter it."
The prophet is trying to console his people:
"After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which
spoiled you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
"For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they
shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord
of hosts hath sent me."
And again, he comforts them:
"For, behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon
one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave thereof, saith
the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in
one day."
AR this is topped off with this prophecy:
"In that day, with the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man
his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree."
The reader who tries to catch the spirit and the underlying
unrest in the words of the prophet will soon understand why we
are quoting so extensively from the biblical text. Zechariah's
generation, like ours, lived in a period of turbulence and in-
security, and like ours it was looking for the answers to its prob-
lems.
"Not by might, nor power, but by my spirit," is a typically
Jewish answer. It symbolizes the Jew's unshakable belief in the
potentialities of this world, his belief in a quality which may be
called divine spirit, or reason, or freedom of will, but which is
essentially a faith in man's ability to make something out of this
world instead of l000king on while it falls into pieces.
We are exactly in the same situation as those ancient Jews.
They saw a world break up, their Temple destroyed, their land
devastated. They had to go into exile and make adjustments to
the heathen Babylonians. Yet somewhow, their faith was kept up
by men who refused to give up and to accept the verdict of history.
Modern man's situation is complicated by the fact that he
has so little left to believe in. Science and philosophy have done
their best to destroy the beliefs of old, but they can not offer
any substitute. But since they are unable to offer it, they have
doomed themselves, because the reason by which they pretend to
operate has clearly proved itself quite impotent when it comes
to solving the basic differences among nations. .
Thus we are standing now at the brink of disaster with no
spiritual means to produce a harmony out of the orchestra of the
world. There is a great hunger for peace, but nobody seems to
know how it can be satisfied. The irony of the situation is that
wars are fought in the name of peace, "to end war," and the harder
we try to end war, the deeper we get into it.
"But my spirit" is a great message. However, looking at the
situation realistically, we feel that it is lost upon our generation.
Mankind has lost itself on the way to peace, and only a miracle, a
change of heart, a return to the prophetic faith can save it.

Unrest in the Arab World

The Arab unrest in recent weeks has grown to the point
where it appears, on the surface, to threaten the peace of the
Middle East. However, as is so common in the Arab world, ap-
pearances are deceiving. It would be welcome news indeed .if,
at last, the Arabs were awakening to the realities of 20th century
life, but this is not completely the case.
The Arab masses are motivated strongly by a feeling of pan-
Islamism and the example set by Israel in both war and peace
has stirred many Arabs to seek a new order. But this healthy
movement has been seized upon by the land owning 'class, and
the corrupt politicians and army officers who represent them, to
forestall progress in any form.
Under the guise of reviving the ancient glories of Islam and
uniting the Arab world, these 'leaders" have managed to stifle
any movement that seeks to ameliorate the lot of the peasant and
worker.
It is a weird but understandable turn of events that the
British, who have done so much to buttress up the ruling classes
in the Middle East and undo all the accomplishments of Israel,
have fallen into disfavor with the very groups they have sought
to protect.
But if anyone knows how to hang on to an empire with
bulldog tenacity it is the British, and removing them from the
Suez area and from the Sudan will not be the labor of a day
even if seriously intended by the Arabs. Only a popularly led
movement can accomplish this as was shown in India.
It becomes clear therefore that the sabre-rattling of the
Egyptians is designed for one purpose only, to whip up popular
chauvinism and thus to prevent any real attempt at reform.

Friday, December 8, 1950

Van Paassen
Sees Hope in
Moral Crusade

By HAROLD S. COHEN

JERUSALEM CALLING by
Pierre Van Paassen (Dial Press,
New York, 337 pp., $3).

With this new work Pierre Van
Paassen has added to his growing
list of books in which Jews and
things about Jews play a central
role.
Of all such books of his this
is probably the weakest, not be-
cause his keen sympathy and fer-
tile mind have lost their vigor,
but rather because the work is
so loosely organized that it ap-
pears to be compounded of writ-
ings done over a long period of
time, or else done quite hastily.
The book can generally be di-
vided into three themes: the
author's interpretation of the
Old Testament prophets and the
role of Jesus in the prophetic
tradition; his views on the world
Histadrut in Israel is celebrating this Hanukkah its 30th anniver- situation today; and his solution
sary. It has a membership of about 250,000. Detroit's $300,000 of the political crisis between east
and west.
Histadrut campaign is now in full swing.
Of greatest interest is the po-
litical situation as Van Paassen
sees it. He takes a completely
realistic view of the Soviet aims
and policies throughout the world
and finds that our present policy
of military containment and eco-
nomic aid are working out rather
"No wonder some Jews are well.
By ALFRED SEGAL
But he wishes to go one im-
LOVE Christians and this piece shrewd and tricky., No wonder portant step further.
many
are
aggressive
and
ambi-
is based on documentary evi-
What Van Paassen wants to
dence of some Christians who de- tious. Unless Jews had devel- see is a moral and religious cru-
oped such qualities they .would sade which would counteract the
serve to be loved.
A Christian, as I know him, is have perished. The wonder is social justice claim that makes
one who tries to live that way in that any survived. There were, Communism so attractive to so
many people.
relation to h i s
before the war, only 16,000,000
The type of crusade he advo-
neighbors. He
Jews in the world. Now there are cates should be patterned on the
lives by the
work of a growing number of
11,000,000.
Christly teaching
"Why have they been perse- French Catholic priests who, he
which can be
cuted? Chiefly because they have says, have doffed their clerical
found in the Ser-
been different from other people. garb and have gone out to work
mon on the
They have their own customs, among the common people.
Mount. These are
He finds that these priests have
their
own characteristics. People
the words: "All
brought the Christian religion
are
reluctant
to
like
those
who
things there-
into the lives of many men who
insist on being different.
f or e ye would
I "Their great lawgivers and might otherwise be perfect sub-
that men do un-
to you, even so Segal i prophets of 3,000 years ago taught jects for Communist propaganda.
It is this positive factor of
do ye also unto them; for this is them to be different. They were
the law and the prophets." This I commanded to remain separate idealism that Van Paassen finds
is the Golden Rule. I and distinct, a chosen people. God lacking in our fight for a free and
democratic society.
I have come to these medita- I had a destiny for them.
His revelations of a secret
tions by reason of a document I "From among the Hebrew peo- Russian document which was
sent to me by my sister who lives . plc, God brought forth Abraham, shown him by the French is also
in Detroit. A Lutheran friend 1 Moses and Isaiah—and Mary, the extremely interesting if, as it
had handed it to her proudly, as mother of our Lord. This was claims, it shows the economic
if to say: "Here is evidence of ' their destiny! From among them
weakness of the Soviets.
some people who are trying to I was to come the Messiah." ...
The report paints a picture of a
be Christian."
To be sure, the Lutherans of Russia still struggling to repair
It was from the bulletin of the the Detroit Church of the Resur- the damage done by the Nazi in-
Evangelical Lutheran Church of rection would like to see the Jews vasion and thus in no position to
the Resurrection in Detroit, the on their own churchly side in- undertake a new war. If true this
Rev. J. Howard Laughner, pastor. stead of staying Jewish, as they may explain certain aspects of
The title of the Lutheran docu- have. But these Christians were Russian secretiveness and ag-
ment was "The Children of Is- feeling the way civilized people gresiveness, which may be a
rael," and it began by saying: should toward other people who cover-up of a feeling of insecur-
"Maybe you don't like Jews. You don't go along on their religious ity. Jews, as such, will find the
think you have good reasons. But way.
section of the book dealing with
• • •
it pays to investigate a feeling
the political and social condition
like this. It may be unfair. It
THEY WENT ON to say: "Dis- of Israel, both at the time of the
may even be dangerous.
like of the Jews is an ugly thing prophets and today, of special in-
• • • .
which has been inherited from terest.
• • •
"JEWS ARE accustomed to be dark and superstitious days long
disliked. For 1,000 years they ago. It is a blind prejudice, heed-
CHILDEN OF THE EMEK by
have frequently been insulted, less of fact. Because one Jew is Libbie L. Braverman (Furrow
robbed, tortured, murdered. No noisy, all Jews are noisy. .. . Be- Press, Brooklyn, 120 pp., $1.75).
other people have suffered as they cause one Jew is rich, all Jews
Tamar and David Ben Ami are
are rich. This is poor reasoning. twins, nine years old. When they
have.
"In the Middle Ages they were Jews differ among themselves, were three years old, their par-
not allowed to own or cultivate just as others do. Some are good ents took them from America to
land. Most trades and professions and some are bad, as among the Israel. There they have spent
were closed to them. At any time rest of us."
six happy years in the colony of
To the Rev. Mr. Laughner, a Nahalal.
their property might be seized.
In many cities they had to live Christian leader after my own
In 24 chapters we go with them
in their own section, the ghetto, heart, I extend fraternal greet- through the excitement of living
which was chained off from the ings. And may there grow many in Israel. They see the country
rest of the town except for a few more of his kind all around the in all its beauty, they see the
hours each day. world,
parliament at work and the
"In 1290 all the Jews were What the world mainly needs Habimah play. They dance with
driven out of England. In 1492 is more Christians in the sense the crowds at the various festivals
they were expelled from Spain. of persons who know the Golden of a joyous character. They ex-
Persecution spead into every Eur- Rule as the constitution of the perience a little of the heroism of
opean country. Jews were ac- way of their lives. Yes, more the Negev settler and they take
cused of fantastic crimes and the Christians and more Jews who in a completely new world when
wildest rumors were circulated are Jews in the sense of the they become participants in the-
prophet who asked, "Have we not Sabbath celebrations at Tel Aviv.
regarding them.
It is a book for children. But
"The worst chapters of the all one Father, hath not one God
story are the most recent ones. A created us, why then do we deal adults, too, will be thrilled by
murderous pogrom beginning in despitefully, one against the these simple narratives which, in
the setting of a real community,
1881 drove 1,000,000 Jews out of other?"
Russia. And from 1934 to 1945
Such Christians and such Jews provide the spark of imagination
the Nazis tormented and slaught- can march together up the moun- that makes children's books at-
ered countless more.
tainside to the brotherhood.
tractive. G.N.

There ARE Christians
Who Seek Brotherhood

I