American ,newish Periodical

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

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The Needs Call for Plannin

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Published Weekly by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
100 Lawyers' Building, Detroit 26, Michigan
SUBSCRIPTION
.83.00 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

SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Publisher
GERIIARDT NEUMANN
NORMAN KOLIN
Editor
Advertising Manager
lyar 5, 5711
Friday, May 11, 1931

Israel's Third Anniversary

It is hard to imagine a date in modern Jewish history
that has a greater meaning than the fifth of lyar, the
day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of
Israel.
On May 14, 1948, the British—after 30 years of man-
datory rule in Palestine—terminated their connection
with the Iloly Land after they had tried and failed to '
transform Palestine into a British colony but had suc-
ceeded in playing Arabs and Jews against each other.
In the face of the threat of an attack by six Arab
nations and of an indifferent world, the leaders of the
Jews in Palestine decided to set up the Jewish state of
Israel and to take all the risks that were involved in this
action.
There can be no doubt today that their decision was
the right one. After 50 years of Zionist spadework and
tremendous sacrifices in both lives and money, a Jewish
state was overdue. It was needed not only to solve the
pressing problem of the homeless Jews in Europe and
the Moslem countries, but even more in order to restore
Jewish self-confidence after the holocaust in Hitler's
Europe.
In these last three years, Israel has proved that its
existence has provided a new foundation for Jewish life.
Only a few and insignificant groups in this country have
offered any resistance to a Jewish state, on such phony
grounds as dual loyalty or ideological coercion. The over-
whelming majority of Jews everywhere in the world has
accepted Israel with enthusiasm and with pride.
During its young life, the Jewish stat€ has accom-
plished two things of historic importance: it has defended
itself successfully against its Arab enemies, and it has
provided a home for more than 600,000 Jews, thereby
doubling its population.
Although neither one nor the other could be done
without some outside help. it nevertheless was a feat of
astonishing proportions. We are inclined to emphasize
the share of American Jews in keeping Israel alive. How-
ever, it is often overlooked that the contributions from
America represent only a small fraction of Israel's total
budget and are used mainly to cover transportation costs
of immiyrants or to pay for their adjustment.
On the other hand, we hear rather little about the
sacrifices made by the Israelis themselves. Through an
amazingly strong self-discipline they have been able to
live on low-calory rations, to forego many pleasures of
civilization, to cut down on their normal needs and to
pay unbelievably high taxes. All this is done in the be-
lief that the present transition period requires such sac-
rifices.
Israel has had to pay a heavy price for its policy.
Economically, it has saddled itself with a debt which to
repay will take generations. It is struggling against an
effective Arab boycott and trying bravely to compete
with more advanced nations in highly saturated markets.
The result is that exports are far below imports. The
Israeli pound is necessarily losing its value, and infla-
tion is increasing.
There Mil be no question that Israel's economy can-
not yet keep pace with the growth of the country. One
of the main deterrent factors is Israel's lack of raw ma-
terials. Almost anything needed in modern industry has
to be imported from other countries. Even agriculturally.
there is little hope that. in the near future, Israel will
become self-sufficient. We often forget that large parts
of Israel are still desert and swamps and that it will take
several years of labor to transform them into cultivable
land.
It would he short-sighted, however, to see only the
present difficulties. The existing state of hostilities can-
not last forever. When the Near East returns to normal
relationships, it will be the beginning of a prosperous
period for Israel as well as the Arab countries.
This. too, will be the time when Israel and the Dia-
spora will begin to exchange cultural values. It is too early
yet to expect of Israel any cultural leadership now. But .
we believe that some day, when the unrest of the transi-
tion period has nuieted down, Israel will have a message
for the Jews all over the world.

Cash Needed

On May 26-27, the United Jewish Appeal will hold
a conference in Chicago to discuss the increasing needs
for funds. No lesser a man than Isratis prime minister,
David Ben Gurion, will be on hand to explain to UJA
leaders from all parts of the country why quick action is
needed at this moment.
Detroit Jews can help a lot to ease the situation by
turning over their pledges in cash to the Allied Jewish
Campaign. The need for cash is more urgent than at any
previous time. Every Jew should consider it his duty to
carry the campaign to a resounding success by backing
his pledge with cash immediately.
• By taking the immigration worries off Israel we are
making it easier for the Jewish state to turn its attention
to reconstruction in industry and farms and to the de-
fense of the country.

Friday, May 11, 1951

Faith, Beliefs
Explored in
Brilliant Books

By HAROLD S. COVEN

THE TRUE BELIEVER by
Eric Hoffer (Harper and Bros.,
New York, 176 pp., $2.50).
The mass movement in all its
ramifications has largely shaped
and determined the history of
our times. Whether we consider
the Nazi movement, the Com-
munists, our own religious and
national movements in the United
States or even Zionism, we find
that the basic elements of the
mass movement is common to
them all in some degree.
The public generally assumes
that it is the leader of a move-
ment that instigates and controls
it, but in the final analysis it
is the anonymous follower, the
"true believer," who supports
the "cause."
Eric Hoffer, a self-educated ob-
server, has undertaken to probe
to the roots of the most important
A national action conference of the United Jewish Appearwill
social phenomenon of our times
meet in Chicago on May 26-27 to map American Jewry's next
the mass movement and to ex-
moves for the rescue and transfer of tens of thousands of Jews
amine the nature of the "sea of
from eastern Europe and Moslem lands. Young newcomer to
faces" that gives it substance.
Israel, as shown in this picture, is one of 11,000 brought from
Completely unhindered by the
Romania since January. In Detroit, the Allied Jewish Campaign
graphs, statistics and heavy files
is the agency which helps fill UJA's quota and also takes care of
of case histories that burden the
local needs.
sociologist, and equally free of
the theorizing and analyzing of
the psychologist, Hoffer has bril-
liantly succeeded in his task.
The basis ()La "—
that the true
an escapist,
flight from I
his own road
By ERNEST ASCHNER
ing a cause
Editor of "Economic Horizons"
that will et
ESPITE ECONOMIC progress which under more normal circum- his identity
stances could be termed sensational, Israel opens its fourth surrender aL„,:,
bility for success or failure.
year of statehood still facing grave economic problems.
With this outlook, the believer
Key factor—and key difficulty*
—in the state's three-year eco- many opportunities for profit- is a prey for anyone with the
attributes of leadership and an
nomic history to date has been able investment.
the unprecedented mass immigra-
Among the scores of American ax to grind.
Promising great material or
tion which has already doubled or part-American enterprises es-
Israel's population from 650,000 tablished in Israel are the Kaiser- spiritual rewards in the future,
in May 1948 to 1,300,000 today. Frazer automobile assembly plant the present is shunned, the leader
Moreover, 600,000 additional new- in Haifa, the Philco refrigerator wields the followers in a homo-
comers are expected to enter the factory near Tel Aviv, the Jerusa- geneous mass.
Hoffer's conclusion is that mass
state within the next three years. lem Shoe Corporation, the Gen-
Israel's basic economic problem eral Tire and Rubber Company movements per se are neither
has been, and remains today, the plant (under construction) and good nor bad, it depends on the
necessity for enlarging its pro- the Bulova Foundation's Precision leader's intentions.
Hoffer lays down the rules for
duction facilities to keep pace tool and die shop (under con-
the
operation of a mass movement
with its growing population.
struction).
• • •
with the exactitude of a textbook.
The length of the period inter-
vening between the newcomers'
FOR ALL THESE enterprises Of particular interest is his de-
arrival and their absorption into and for those still to come Israel velopment of a life cycle for
economic productivity is, in turn, has created a favorable invest- movements which reminds one of
directly related to the amount of ment "climate" granting the in- Arnold Toynbee's theories about
capital available for the estab- vestors many privileges and in- civilizations.
If the author is correct, once
lishment of productive enterprises centives in the form of tax ex-
and development projects.
emptions, customs benefits and a mass movement enters its pe-
The progress made to date, exchange convertibility that were riod of maturity, it ceases to seek
though substantial, has not codified last year in the law for revolution and adopts a conserva-
caught up with the needs of the the encouragement of capital in- tive attitude toward change. Per-
haps the Soviet Union may follow
country. New factories have vestment.
Even with an accelerated in- suit.
been established and industrial
"The True Believer" is a
flux of additional investment
production has risen by 50 per
capital, it will take a prolonged triumph of humanistic spirit. One
cent. New land has been put
and sustained effort to reach is inclined to accept the pub-
under cultivation and agricul-
the goals set in Israel's four- lisher's opinion that it is "one of
tural production increased by
year development plan an- the boldest ventures in original
10 per cent.
thinking since Machiavelli's The
nounced
a year ago.
Some 100,000 new dwelling
Dozens of new enterprises in Prince."
units have been added to existing
• • •
facilities. National income rose industry, agriculture and services
WHAT
TIIE
JEWS BELIEVE
from $618,000,000 in 1948 to $910,- are needed, and details are gradu- by Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein
000,000 in 1950, an increase of al- ally being worked out by the (Farrar, Straus and Young, New
initiation section of the govern-
most 50 per cent.
York, 100 pp., $1.25).
• • •
ment investment center.
All those who read the brilliant
•
•
•
REGARDLESS of the cost to
article
in Life magazine by the
AMONG THESE projects are
themselves and of the adverse
author will need no introduction
effect on their standard of living, the development of the mineral to Rabbi Bernstein or his work.
,, nnt infip to Loa,
'''sources in the Negev and the
the
; - •aactroatian of a Acclaimed by Jew and non-Jew
gate
..- tittle masterpiece, the
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Israel Economy Needs
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