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DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Ben Gurion Meets Dr. Bunche

Published Weekly by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
900 Lawyers' Building, Detroit 26, Michigan

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Yewish Periodical eeh

Friday, June 1, 1951

First Novel
Assays Value
of Judaism

By HAROLD S. COVEN
THE CHAIN AND TI1E LINK
by David Miller (World Pub-
lishing Co., Cleveland, 368 pp.,
SEYMOUR TILCIIIN
Publisher
$3.50).
GERHARDT NEUMANN
NORMAN KOLIN
This novel is a first work. To
Editor
Advertising Manager
say that is to say that there are
Iyar 26, 5711
a limited number of standards by
Friday, June 1, 1951
which the work can be judged.
This is particularly true when an
What Next in the Huleh?
author does not follow in a well
established literary tradition.
New border fights. Six Jewish soldiers killed. Israel
Such is the case with "The
halts the drainage project in the Huleh. The UN Armis-
Chain and the Link." David
tice Commission seeks an agreement between Israel and
Miller, Cleveland-born son of "a
Talmudist turned Zionist" has
Syria.
These were the main developments when this paper
written a book of Jewish life in
northern Russia around the year
went to press last week.
What will follow next is hard to predict. But a few
1812.
As far as most American Jews
points are quite clear.
are concerned this is one strike
Isral
is
not
resisting
the
UN
but
following
the
1.
against him at the start.
order to discontinue the work in the Huleh until ne-
It is easy to understand why a
gotiations are concluded. Are the Arabs following the
young
novelist should turn back
same line? Not at all. Syria was also ordered to with- ,
in time to examine the roots from
David Ben Gurion, prime minister of Israel, meets Dr. Ralph
draw its troops from the demilitarized zone. Instead,
which he springs before under-
Bunche (right) and Trygvie Lie, secretary-general of the United
we again read about shootings and killings.
taking any development of con-
Nations, at the UN headquarters in New York.
temporary problems and scenes.
2. It seems obvious that the UN was not fair.to Israel.
It ignored the attacks of the Syrians and did not ask for
Nevertheless, this reviewer can
an apology. The UN action was immediately interpreted
not help but feel that American
by the Arabs as an endorsement of their anti-Israeli
Jewry is in vital need of more
contemporary-based fiction and
policy.
less historical works.
Syrian papers are now threatening Israel with an-
Turning to the book itself it
other war and add that "this time it will be different from
reads like a cross between the
1948." Israeli spokesmen, on the other hand, are confident
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
Talmud and Thomas Wolfe. It is
that such threats are empty and that the Jewish army
Director, Adas Shalom Religious School
wordy and introspective and has
would be strong enough, not only to ward off any Arab
I have suggested that a Bureau of far to much description to the
On a number of occasions,
attack, but to carry the war into Arab territory.
Jewish Education and a Jewish Historical Society be established amount of action necessary to
It is apparent that the Arabs will not •make peace
in Detroit. I should like to elaborate more fully on the importance sustain the reader's interest.
community like Detroit.
with Israel as long as they can help it. Ben Gurion,
of a central educational agency for a
Miller tells the story of a Jew-
In "Jewish Education Register and Directory 1951," Leo_ L.
at his press interview in Detroit, stated that Israel need
intellectual, a judge, who is
ish
Honor, professor of education, Dropsie College, Philadelphia, writes: married as a boy to a girl he does
not have any fears, and other cabinet members who
"A
central
community
agency
for
Jewish
education
is
vested
not love. His struggle, first to dis-
visited Detroit made similar statements.
with the responsibility of working with all elements of the com- solve his marriage and second to
But statements do not solve the situation. Action is
munity whose ideology reflects a positive attitude toward Jewish make it work, parallels his strug-
needed. Action by the UN to preserve the peace in the
religious and spiritual values and an active interest in the welfare gle with the world about him.
Middle East. and action by the Jews of America to of the Jewish group.
How he finallygchieves satis-
strengthen the Jewish state financially. Israel must
"Its main functions are to foster the development and expansion
increase its population in order to discourage aggressive
of Jewish education for all age groups, leaving it to each element facory relations with his wife and
designs by the Arabs — Ben Gurion made this point clear
to expand its program in the light of its particular ideology; to help with the world makes up the plot
each element raise the standard of its educational work and improve in brief.
at one of his speeches in this city.
Against this personal drama,
its methods and techniques; and to help develop co-operative effort
The future of Israel will be safeguarded if Jews
Miller explores the Judaic tradi-
co-
betwen
groups."
all over the world understand the need for their
As a concrete example of the activities of a central educational tion and seeks to evolve a com-
prehension of just what Judaism
operation in these crucial years.
agency, I shall cite the functions of the Cleveland Bureau of Jewish is and what it offers man.
Education as reported in the directory. These functions are:
Needless to say this involves
"To co-ordinate educational activities and service all schools;
Young Israel Celebrates
background, and traditions that exist in a democratic community; many pages of philosophy and
"To stimulate community interest and support for Jewish edu- theology which the plot cannot
Completing 28 years of service to the community,
carry. As a result the book breaks
cation;
Young Israel, next Sunday, will give a banquet in honor
down at several points and the
"To provide guidance and supervision;
of Irving W. Schlussel, president of the Mizrachi Organ-
reader must regroup his forces
"To concern itself with the raising of standards;
ization of Detroit.
"To improve the curriculum and to develop new courses of for the attack once more.
Young Israel's importance in Jewish communal life
This having been said, the other
study;
can hardly be stressed too much. It is a vital and driving
To establish standards for Bar Mitzvah and confirmation re- side of the picture comes into
force which. under the energetic leadership of Rabbi
quirements, graduation, days of attendance, teachers' qualifications, view. Miller has a tremendous
talent for delving into human
Samuel H. Prero, has played a big role in bringing tra-
teachers' salaries;
"To provide for the training of teachers and club leaders;
character as well as an exception-
ditional Judaism to the fore.
"To provide for additional training of teachers in service, ally fine Jewish background.
Young Israel is of especially great significance to
through seminars, courses, and institutes;
Having these to work with, he
young people, to whom it has transmitted traditional
"To prepare materials for schools and teachers;
is capable of achieving in parts of
Judaism in modern forms and with a new meaning in a
"To maintain a reference library of texts, teachers' guides, his 'book a really high level of
changing world. In fact, it seems that the eternal prob-
workbooks, pamphlets, plays, music, recordings, slides and assembly fiction writing that compensates
lem of how to make the old contents and teachings of
for all shortcomings.
programs."
Judaism understandable and desirable in a world that
There exist in the United States 29 central agencies for Jewish
The portion of the book which
seems to drift away quickly from tradition and faith, has
education. Of these, the oldest was founded in 1898 and the youngest tells Ezra's (the judge) trip to
been solved satisfactorily by Young Israel.
in 1949.
the colonies established for Jews
Detroit, in my opinion, should have been a pioneer in this field in southern Russian by Alexan-
Only a little over a year ago, the organization dedi-
of communal endeavor. Let us, therefore, stop procrastinating any der I and the whole heartbreak-
cated its Youth Center on Dexter which ever since has
further and begin organizing a Bureau of Jewish Education.
ing tale of their dismal failure is
been a beehive of activity. And it may not be long until
first rate.
another Young Israel Center grows up in the northwest
Very fine also is his insight
section of Detroit.
into the psychology and general
We heartily congratulate Young Israel on this anni-
outlook of the Polish aristocracy
versary and hope that it will continue its educational and
It is the faces that strike the which was influenced by the en-
By EDMUND STEVENS
cultural job in an atmosphere of international peace and
visitor most. Whatever the cast lightenment which went forth
(From the Christian Science
communal open-mindedness.
of features or complexion, they from France after the revolution.
Monitor)
are somehow clear-eyed and ser-
Their acceptance of liberalism,
A lusty, noisy, fast-growing in- ene with an indefinable sense of providing it did not interfere
Bernard Isaacs to Be Honored
fant is the state of Israel on its fullfillment and hope. Therein with their feudal rights and
third birthday. In contrast to lies the contrast between the privileges, is a point well made.
Next Tuesday, the United Hebrew Schools will honor
much of the trouble-torn, pover- faces one sees in Israel and those
Miller is not a writer of epics
Bernard Isaacs for his 32 years of service. With them the
ty-stricken Middle East, where so in neighboring countries.
homage to the man
as his publisher would have one
pay
whole community of Detroit will
many ancient nations seem al-
The outskirts of Tel Aviv are a think, rather he is at his best in'
who, for so many years. has molded and shaped the idea
most impervious to reform, Israel forest of construction scaffolding, intimate scenes.
of Jewish education, both in theory and practice.
throbs with vitality, purpose, and from which emerge four- and
His development of Ezra and
Thousands of Jewish men and women who received
an ebullient, contagious optim- five-story apartment houses, all
wife Leah within a domestic
his
of similar, ultramodern design
their Jewish knowledge from the United Hebrew Schools
ism.
setting is very good but often re-
Israel is no place for the metic- and identical in color—a one-tone petitious. The reader does not
will look on this day with gratitude toward the man who
ulous traveler who likes service plaster white.
loyally
and
effectfully
served
a
cause
which,
not
so
have to be told 30 times that
so
Not all of Israel is so over- Ezra is'cold to his wife or that
and comfort. Hotel accommoda-
long ago ,was considered lost.
tions are inadequate; food is ra- crowded as Tel Aviv, The moment she is seeking to bind him se-
If today Jewish education has a new meaning in De-
tioned and badly prepared. From one leaves the thickly settled curely to herself.
troit and all over the country, much of the credit must
the moment he lands at Lydda coastal area in almost any direc-
The introduction of Napoleon
go to Isaacs. He has done more than anyone else to raise
Airport the visitor is jostled about tion, the population and the vege-
the standards of Jewish education, to improve teaching
tation begin to thin out. Heading and his Russian campaign does
by surging humanity.
not add that color and drama to
methods and textbooks, and to revive the interest in
Tel Aviv is a big sprawling south from Tel Aviv, the traces the work that the author evident-
of
the
1948
Jewish-Arab
fighting
Hebrew as a living language.
city wherein every street and
ly thought it would, even where
We are happy to say that his life's dream will come
house is bursting at the seams. are still apparent everywhere.
Many of the surrounding citrus the conqueror's impact on east-
true in a few days: Isaacs will leave for a half year's stay
There are people, people every-
groves,
Arab-owned, also are ern Jewry is described.
where, leaning out of windows,
in Israel to get acquainted with the achievements of the
Finally the book left us angry.
Lack of cultivation and
derelict.
the
on the balconies, thronging
Jewish state, for the existence of which he has done so
It was too good to be badly done.
the
summer
of
during
sidewalks, packed into open-air irrigation followed by an unusu- But that is what it is, a maiden
much through his work in the Zionist movement.
a
cafes and restaurants, and jam- 1948 was
fruitful
time
in
Israel
and
that almost made it and
a
wish Mr. Isaacs
ally severe winter which killed effort
We
ming
the
long
water
front,
while
which
holds forth the promise of
return, and we hope that for many more years to
or irreparably damaged thousands
the
shallow
water
offshore
is
filled
safe
guide our youth in its formative
some really fine writing to come.
of trees.
come he will continue to
with bathers,

Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879

City's Jewish Schools
Need Education Bureau

Israel Throbs with Vitality

years to a fuller Jewish life.