Americo/ ,newish Periodical eel 1.1.1111111111 111.11.1111.11.1111 .1111 Page 4 11"m".....".."7-w--7_„ DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE Still Time to Help Detroit Jewish Chronicle Published Weekly by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc. WOodward 1-1040 900 Lawyers' Building, 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 Friday, December 22, 1950 Authors Join to Show Best of JewishWriting By HAROLD S. COVEN THIS LAND, THESE PEO- PLE by Harold U. Ribalow (The Beechhurst Press, New York, 302 pp., $3.75.) Harold Ribalow, editor of the Congress Weekly and sports writer, set himself a difficult task when he went about compiling Christmas Thoughts an anthology of short stories by American Jewish authors which Christmas is here again, and with it its great message: "Peace deal with topics of Jewish in- on earth, and good will to men."' At a time like this, such a terest. message seems stranger than ever. It reaches our ear, but we have The di, aulty lay in finding little faith to believe in its fulfillment. enough first-quality stories of this However, let us not discuss world affairs. Let us rather go into type in view of the paucity of the problems of the Jewish home, which come up with Christmas author; N.:! , ) write on Jewish Jew take? What, in a time. What attitude tr \yard Christmas should subjc ts. particular, should be done to help children to overcome the uncom- That he li. succeeded so well fortable feeling that they are left out while their Gentile schoolmates There is still time—in these last days of 1950—to help this father is a great creili to Ribalow, for and son find a home in Israel. Pay your pledge in full to the This Land, Th: se People is a are celebrating a joyous festival? The question cannot easily be brushed away with the remark Allied Jewish Campaign NOW. The UJA needs $50,000,000 first-rate collection. that Christians may celebrate their festivals while Jews should urgently to help the homeless and persecuted in eastern Europe Imagine the effort involved in celebrate theirs. We all know that this is simply wishful thinking. and Arabian countries. finding such works by Waldo Christians and Jews are much too interwoven Relationships among . Frank and Delmore Schwartz, to to ignore things which run counter to our traditions. mention but a few. • What are the facts? Despite the lack of any statistics, we ven- The stories selected cover every sizable number of Detroit Jews ignore such festi- ture to say that a type of style and form imagin- ♦ ♦ vals as Hanukkah in part or completely but take part in the com- able from those patterned on memoration of Christmas, either in the home of their Gentile friends Sholem - Meld • m to those show- or even in their own homes. We believe that there are fewer ing the influmee of Kafka and Menorahs than Christmas trees in Jewish homes. It is hard for the Joyce. surmounted that obstacle. But Jewish community to resist the charm and attractiveness of By ALFRED SEGAL What is• interesting is the num- HE LADY READS this column bringing up children has us both ber of stories that have anti- Christmas. Thousands of Jewish children in public schools face the problem in the Wisconsin Jewish stumped, as we are both honest Semitism as their theme. Ex- of Christmas every year. Their classes study Christmas carols, light Chronicle (Milwaukee) and seems enough to admit that we would amples are Irwin Shaw's brilliant trees, exchange presents. Should these Jewish children stay away to have some faith in my wis- like to see our own faith instilled An Act of Faith and Ludwig dom. So she asks for advice on in the child. He has stated that Lewisohn's Writ of Divorcement. or should they join in the general celebration? he would leave it up to me, but It seems to us that the problem has to be seen in the light of a strictly per- I feel he should have as much Just how much American Jews minor- a sonal problem. reality. We cannot live our lives without compromising. As to say on it as I. How can we are sensitive to and react to anti- The lady is ity group we have to be broad-minded and seek understanding. start a marriage by having one Semitism may come as a revela- Jewish parents who are confronted with the question of what to asking questions give in to the other on such an tion to many. It would almost seem that many of the authors tell their children, first should make up their mind whether they and no gentle- important issue? man can keep are made conscious of their Jew- intend to bring them up as Jews. "We feel we can never part. ishness by this factor alone. If they do—as they should—they will have to understand that her standing by Is there anything you can say the road and re- Those less concerned with al 1i- to guide us in some way to some their main obligation lies in a more thorough Jewish education than fuse to suggest Semitism are the writers whose is usually given today. Understanding of, and participation in, Chris- sort of agreement acceptable to the right way roots in Jewish life are deep. tian rites won't hurt Jewish children in the least as long as they to go. There she both?" The lady signs herself "A They appear able to concentrate can see that they are merely spectators, friends among friends, not waits in consid- on the relations' of Jews to each Lover of Brotherhood." Segal worshippers among worshippers. erable confusion other rather than between Jews So, which way to direct her? put her off a A greater emphasis on Jewish knowledge and Jewish traditions and I shall not This is a columnist who doesn't and Gentiles. in the schools and in the home will give a child the proper perspec- second longer. Such authors are Meyer Levin First, I should introduce her know how to hand down dicta (Maurie Finds his Medium) Jen- tive. He will be able to join his Christian companions without moral as popes, orthodox rabbis and or religious compunctions if he is aware of the fact that his first to the readers: She is Jewish and ny Klein (Yisgadal) and Yuri is betrothed to a Christian gen- other columnists do. I won't tell Suhl (With the Aid of the One and only religious loyalty is toward Judaism. the woman to break it up by re- That the question has come up at all is due to the growing in- tleman and this is the letter I fusing to marry the man unless Above). difference of the Jewish home toward the Jewish religion. Even in have received from her: A strange anomaly is found "As a frequent reader of your he puts it on on black and white families who are to the right of reform Judaism, only a few selected in Jerome Weidman's The Kenne- that their children be brought Jewish holidays are observed, in many cases half-heartedly and column, I feel that perhaps you up as Jews. horrah, where the author obvi- could give me a little guidance • • • without any deep conception of their meaning. ously means The Nehorrah and with a very serious and deep Unpleasant as it may be, we should admit to ourselves that in I KNOW ANOTHER case of uses the negative term instead. Although the general tone of most Jewish homes very little is being done to make our holidays problem. "It is about the question of similar conflict. A Jewish man as attractive as Christmas is for most people. There is no reason intermarriage. After a few had married an Episcopalian, the stories is tragic, Jews with- why this should be so. Many Jewish holidays commemoratae joyous years of being deeply in love and an excellent and lovely lady out humor are incomplete per- events and do not have to be drab and gray. Hanukkah—although we have decided that marriage she was. They had children and sonalities and so it is often a re- it is only a semi-holiday—could become a great folk festival like would be a beautiful thing for us. when the question arose, how to lief to pass from Death of an Christmas if Jewish parents would only take the trouble to familiar- "We realize that a thing like bring them up—whether Jewish Actor and The Purification of ize themselves with the traditions of their forefathers. We are, this would no doubt affect any or Episcopalian?—they came to Thelma Aug( nstern to the light- hearted Mr. KAPLAN the Mag- indeed, celebrating Christian festivals by default. We are losing our children we might have some a compromise: Why not bring the kids up nificent by Leonard Q. Ross and own traditions by our own neglect. day. If therefore a Jewish child wants to celebrate Christmas with As neither one of us is a both in the Jewish way and the Nobody Can Beat Friedkin's his friends, let him go and learn about other people. But, at the church-goer, we both admit that Christian way? They would Meats by Arthur Kober, both of same time, don't forget to impress upon him the fact that he is a there are religious customs that know both their origins. They whose immigrant type humor is Jew and that there is beauty in Judaism and its festivals. Don't we believe to be beautiful and would be children who, by the still effective. All the selections in this book neglect his Jewish education, and his contact with people of other also necessary. We believe that experience of the two religions faiths will strengthen his convictions and enable him to serve both a child should have a religious would come to know that Juda- reflect to an overwhelming degree foundation that will give him a ism and Christianity weren't too contemporary developments in America and the Jewish cause. far apart, after all. writing among non-Jewish writ- sense of security. So, in 'their house they give ers. So that while these stories "Knowing all these things, Agreement Undesirable how can we come to a conclusion Seder every Passover; the chil- may be accurately termed as to whose religion our chil- dren attend the Unitarian Sun- "Jewish writing" they are as Unbelievable as it may sound, agreement of Israel and dren should follow? Would it day school where, in accordance much "American writing." Jordan on acceptance of the Swedish plan for Jerusalem led to Although Ribalow does not list be possible to send a child to with the liberal Unitarian mind, its defeat in the United Nations Special Political Committee. one church and yet have him they are taught the essential the dates of all the works, it is The Swedish plan proposed delegation of a UN representa- observe customs and holidays universality of all religions. They clear that most of them were light Hanukkah candles. They done in the 1930s and 1940s. They tive to Jerusalem to watch over the holy places. The plan killed pertaining to both? are a happy family without any therefore represent the present • • • internationalization of Jerusalem. Argued the Lel•anese delegate: "If Jordan approved of the "WE HAVE A DEEP under- conflict, since the religions of generation of authors, and as such resolution, it must be useless." standing of one another. Cir- both the mother and father are are illuminating. Observed the Chilean representative: "Little wonder Jordan cumstances have thrown us to- respected and observed. Whether they be realistic or Now, by way of being one of expressionistic in form, almost accepts it—nothing would be done." gether in a peculiar way and it It seems rather obvious that the Arab and Catholic blocs is not a romance that can be the meeker among columnists, I without exception they reflect the smelled a danger tc their pet idea: internationalization of Jerusa- discarded. As far as our friends am not telling the Wisconsin lady cultural duality of the American lem. Naturally, neither Israel nor Jordan are interested in such and relatives are concerned, we that this is the way to do in her Jew. have no hindrance, since they case. I wish her a happy mar- With their minds the authors a senseless solution. Thus we see the UN fall back on the time-honored method are very fond of my intended ried life which should not be have accepted American cultural difficult to attain, since her gen- problem which is husband. He has been a friend of delay by starting another inquiry into a patterns, but with their hearts of the family for a number of tleman appears to be a Chris- they are torn between America perfectly clear to anyone except the politicians who are afraid tianly Christian. of burning their fingers. Under the Belgian plan adopted by the, years. and cultural memories of several He, according to the lady, is "Of course, there are the usual committee—and subject to two-thirds approval by the General thousand years. For so many of willing to leave it all to her. exceptions who shake their heads assembly—a new commission would go to Jerusalem to study them the conflict still rages and She can't bring herself to ac- and smirk. We have never the question and make recommendations. even the war and the events of cept this generosity; she feels he thought of ourselves as of dif- As if the investigations of scores of commissions, which 1933-1648 have not shown the ferent faiths until just recently should have as much to say in answers. were sent to Palestine during the last 30 years, had not revealed the bringing up of the children when these problems arose. Is everything there is to know about the Holy Land! For presenting to the public there a way for us to solve as she. In the meantime, the people of Jerusalem may see how they this collection, Ribalow is to be good as a I can tell him that these things now so that there can best organize their community, how they can keep' open heartily congratulated. The book won't be any need for hard feel- Christian he will never have helps to fill a crying need in this communications with the rest of Israel, and how the Hebrew cause to regret his Jewish chil- ings later on when it is too late? University and the Hadassah Hospital can continue to function. country for a better understand- "As my intended husband is dren, Jewishly brought up. He ing of what American Jews are These are none of the worries of the UN. will find in them spiritual as willing to be married according writing and thinking. We think it is time that the UN close its Jerusalem farce to the Jewish tradition, we have well as biological kinsmen. issues of the day. end turn to the more important SEYMOUR TILCHIN Publisher GERHARDT NEUMANN NORMAN KOLIN Editor Advertising Manager Tebet 13, 5711 Friday, December 22, 1950 I ssue of Intermarriage— and a Diplomatic Reply T