Americo Jewish Periodical Ca
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
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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
SUBSCRIPTION
Per Year
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Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879
Teaching Airplane Mechanics
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SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Publisher
GERHARDT NEUMANN
NORMAN KOLIN
Editor
Advertising Manager
Friday, December 29, 1950
Tebet 20, 5711
UJA—A Question of Life or Death
Another United Jewish Appeal campaign yea. is in the
making. In 1951, American Jewry will be asked to contribute
$203,684,577 to enable Jews in Moslem lands and in Communist-
dominated countries to find a home in Israel and to solidify
Israel's political position as a bastion of democracy in the Near
East.
If it were possible to tax every one of America's five mil-
lion Jews, it would mean an individual contribution of approxi-
mately $40 a year—a rather small sacrifice for so big a cause.
There is much speculation on how the political situation
may affect the 1951 UJA drive. It seems to be the general con-
census of the experts that a war economy, with its higher taxes,
will not necessarily have an adverse effect on giving. On the
contrary, it is believed that tax factors as well as political
considerations may spur the desire of the individual to do his
share in the relief that has to be brought to the suffering Jews
in many parts of the world.
It is only natural that the general wave of pessimism, in
view of the critical world situation, influence the thinking
and cooperativeness of Jews. Is there anything to look forward
to, people ask. War may break out over night and whole cities
may be wiped out. This feeling of hopelessness and despair
must not be overlooked when the UJA drive is discussed.
Without minimizing the dangers of the present situation, we
feel that as Jews we have a duty to combat such pessimism.
It is the lethargy stemming from such pessimism which paves
the way for war. On the contrary, people should now take a
tremendous interest in life and make their wishes known and
their voices heard. The belief that catastrophe is inescapable
and that only a miracle can stave it off is the real beginning of
catastrophe. And if the other side decides that there should be
a war, our efforts for peace should strengthen our faith in the
justice of our cause and in the attainment of final victory.
However, we should go about our business on the premise
that tomorrow will be as bright as today and that we will be
alive.
Last week's UJA convention emphasized the positive as-
pects of the campaign. Edward M. Warburg, UJA's new general
chairman and successor to Henry Morgenthau Jr., stated that
Israel "represents a beachhead of democracy in the Near East,
and it is urgent that we do all in our power to strengthen it."
All contributors to the UJA campaign (or Allied Jewish
Campaign in Detroit) ought to keep this in mind. The great
task which American Jewry has set for itself is not only of a
charitable nature, not only to save and rebuild lives. Our
obligation goes much farther; to build a dam in the Near East
against retrogression as well as aggression. Israel is the only
country which can stand guard for democracy in the Near
East, and as Jews we should be happy to have an opportunity
to do something for the cause of democracy.
Our interest in democracy is not an academic one. If democ-
racy dies, Jewry will die with it. There lies no hope for Jews
in dictatorial regimes of any tinge. Hitler destroyed the Jews
physically; Stalin is destroying them spiritually and nationally.
If there is any will to live left in us we should go out and
fight with all our resources and all our zeal to keep democracy
alive and strong.
The United Jewish Appeal is in the Jewish realm what the
state of emergency means to America: a call to duty. This is
no time for letup and for excuses. Sacrifices are necessary to
secure our future. What can money mean at a time when the
very existence of the world is at stake? How can petty con-
siderations enter our mind when our freedom and our right
of existence must be 'defended?
Yes, the great UJA drive of 1951 must be seen in the light
of to be or not to be. There is no way out of obligations other
than fulfilling them. The Jews of the world need our money,
plus our enthusiasm and determination to secure the future
for humanity.
Will We Have a Jewish Hospital?
Will we have a Jewish hospital? We asked this question
in an editorial on Nov. 3 when the Greater Detroit Hospital
campaign was launched, and we feel it should be asked many
more times.
Although no figures have been released yet on how the
special campaign of the Jewish Hospital Association—a bene-
ficiary of the Greater Detroit Hospital drive—is going, it can
be said that the result is still quite a way from the goal of
$1,000,000.
We cannot see how Detroit Jews can be slow in their re-
sponse to such an important project. It should be clear to every-
one that there are good reasons why there ought to be a Jewish
hospital in Detroit.
Young Jewish doctors have a hard time in finding intern-
ships. They need a Jewish hospital where they can acquire
experience and develop their skills. Unless we help to provide
facilities for them, they will find it difficult to become useful
members of the medical profession.
Medical research also needs the facilities of a hospital.
Every one of us will benefit from such work done at a Jewish
hospital.
Detroit is woefully short of hospital beds. There is a crying
need for more hospitals. And shouldn't we think of the future
dangers imbedded in the present world crisis? Is it not true
that in the event of war any attack on our city might leave
thousands of injured uncared for because there are not enough
hospitals?
Detroit's Jews ought to put their heart in the hospital cam-
paign and follow the example of many other—in many cases,
smaller—Jewish communities which maintain hospitals that
have become a credit to them.
Friday, December 29, 1950
Ruth Gruber
Tells of Trip
to Jewish Land
By GERIIARDT NEUMANN
ISRAEL WITHOUT TEARS
by Ruth Gruber (A. A. Wyn,
New York, 240 pp., $3).
From a seasoned reporter like
Miss Gruber we would have ex-
pected a little more than this
loose collection of impressions.
Our main complaint, to start with,
is that this book is on an after-
dinner-speech 1 e v e 1, bubbling
over with good and bad jokes,
picking up sonic information
here and there, but never going
into the real problems of Israel.
Miss Gruber seems mainly con-
cerned with the reactions of
people. She reports scores of con-
versations from Ben Gurion and
Weizinann down to the man in
the street, and sure enough, they
are interesting. However, this
does not mean that the spirit of a
country is captured by talking
to people. It takes more than
that.
We do not wish to discourage
AL
potential readers. Miss Gruber is
The first course for airplane mechanics was opened this fall by an old hand at reporting and
the Max Pine Trade School of the Ilistadrut in Tel Aviv. Boys knows how to organize her mate-
are taught all the angles of this new vocation as well as auto rial and present it with charm.
repair, electricity and radio. The school is supported by funds There are many stories which
raised in the United States.
will be enjoyed by those who like
to know more about the Jewish
state, and we are sure that the
book will be useful in many re-
spects to those who are hungry
for information.
The book is well illustrated
with photographs by the author.
Most of them capture the reality
By WILLIAM ZUKERMAN I the Yiddish P.E.N. (Poets, Essay- of Israel impressively, such as the
MOSHE SHARETT, Israeli For- fists and Novelists). Twenty pa- pictures of Yemenites going about
I
eign Minister, launched an pers were read by leading figures their work or just sitting in the
attack against Yid fish which sur-, ,1 of that culture which revealed a street in all their misery. Other
prised many of his friends and remarkable richness and variety pictures strike a happier note and
admirers in this country. of creative work in all branches show the Halutz at work or danc-
Sharett was addressing the con- I of literature during the past half- ing the hora.
vention of the UJA at Atlantic century.
The most interesting part of the
But on the whole the gathering book, to our mind, is the appen-
City and, among other cliches, he
repeated the well-known argu- was a sad one. For Yiddish has dix which tells the prospective
ment that American Jews are during the last decade sustained traveler how to go about his visa.
helping themselves more than the one of the most terrible losses a Not only this, it also tells him
Israelis by raising the huge mil- literature has ever sustained in how much money the Israeli gov-
lions of dollars for Israel every the history of human culture— ernment expects him to spend
the violent extermination of the each day; if you stay in a hotel,
year.
And this because Israel pro- people who spoke and read the you are expected to exchange
vides the cultural values and in- language and formed the soil of seven dollars into Israeli cur-
spiration not only for its own all its creative works.
rency for every day that you
citizens, but for all Jews the The Yiddish writers are among spend in Israeli.
world over. Without that inspira- the most tragic victims of llit-
A list of hotels and their prices
tion, Jewish culture and spiritual ler's genocide and that was felt as well as a list of prices for
life everywhere in the Diaspora, in eery poem recited and in ev- meals will come in very handy
including the United States, ery paper read. Yet even here for anyone who goes to Israel for
hope, if irrational, was not ex- the first time.
would wither and disappear.
• . •
But Israeli culture, he remind- tinguished entirely.
ISRAEL REVISITED by
The
poet,
Jacob
Glattstein
voic-
ed his listeners, is ancient He-
Ralph McGill (Tupper and
brew, not modern Yiddish. Yid- ed the sentiment of the audience Love, Atlanta, Ga., 116 pp., $2).
by
saying
that
he
was
certain
that
dish is liked enough by some
Frank McGill, editor of the
Jews, even by some Israelis, he i nthe year 2000, another confer- Atlanta Constitution, visited Is-
said "We all love a Yiddish song ence by the Yiddish P.E.N Club rael in 1946 following his trip to
and Yiddish wit. But Yiddish is will be held in New York review-
dying. And let no one accuse me ing the achievements of Yiddish Germany to observe the Nuern-
berg war crimes trials. In 1950,
of opposing Yiddish. One should literature during the entire 20th McGill revisited the new state
not accuse a physician because he century.
and his book is the product of
diagnoses a case of death-agony."
these two visits.
THE
AMERICAN
Birobidjan
The situation is altogether dif-
Written as a diary, he brings
ference with Hebrew, he said. He- Committee which was establish- home in simple, clear language
brew is now undergoing a renas- ed 15 years ago to help the so- the impact of a nation in birth as
cence in Israel, and the language called "Jewish Republic" of Biro-
he saw it.
can become a part of the edu- Bidjan in Soviet Russia, has liq-
He was impressed most with
cational of American - Jewish uidated its activities and gone out the agricultural progress made in
youth directly and by translation. of business, according to a report Israel which is natural since he,
In this way, the Israeli Foreign of Cross-section (Dec. 14, 1950).
himself, is a product of rural
Minister concluded, American , At one time, Biro-Bidjan was America. As simple as he keeps
Jews will get back with interest a popular idea which had caught his writing, McGill is no simple-
the millions which they are now the imagination of many liberal minded person; one glance at his
spending on Israel, by receiving and non-nationalistic Jews as an shrewd observations on the Arab
Israel's aid to keep alive Jewish antidote to nationalism.
Its underlying principle was world shows that he has thought
spiritual life in America.
deeply as he traveled.
The remarks called forth con- similar to the Free-land move-
Taken for what it is, one man's
ment
—
namely,
the
establish-
siderable displeasure at the con-
view of Israel, the book fulfills its
vention itself and still more in the ment of a free and autonomous purpose completely. For the per-
Jewish district and settlement son who wants to know how the
New York Yiddish press.
They were felt to be tactless, within an existing state without average non-Jew, with his Ju-
futile and a gratuitous insult to the paraphernalia of militarism daic-Christian background, sees
Yiddish and to the masses of the and patriotism which inevitably Israel and the Israelis this book
people who speak it, quite apart go with sovereign statehood.
fills the bill.
An American committee, "Am-
from the speciousness of the ar-
As others have reported, "you
gument that Hebrew can enrich bijan" was formed to help Biro- cease to see these people as
the lives of English-speaking Bidjan and it attracted at first Jews." The rest follows natur-
American Jewish youth any more many prominent people and or- ally.—H. C.
• . •
ganizations. But Biro-Bidjan turn-
than can Yiddish.
• • •
ISRAEL LAUGHS. A COL-
ed out to be one of the many
CURIOUSLY, AT THE very heart - breaking disappointments LECTION OF HUMOR FROM
time when Sharett was diagnos- of Soviet Russia by becoming a THE JEWISH STATE by Paul
ing the death-rattle of Yiddish in front organization for spreading Steiner (Bloch Publishing Co.,
Atlantic City, a gathering of near- Communist propaganda instead of New York, 166 pp., $2.75).
Israel laughs about the enemy,
ly a thousand Yiddish writers, po- really helping Jews.
After 15 years, most of which the government, the austerity
ets and historians gathered in
New York to tell the remarkable were years of decline and dete- program, and by joking about
story of the growth and creative- rioration, "Ambijan" has now them things become a little eas-
ness of Yiddish literature and lan- closed its doors. There are still ier. Harry Hershfield provided
guage during the last half-cen- a few other, similar committees, the book with a foreword. An
which should follow the example interesting sidelight on everyday
tury.
life in the Jewish state.—N.
The meeting was organized by of "Ambijan."
Sharett Attacks Yiddish
as 1000 Writers Meet