Page Six
- THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
The Weekly
Friday, June 26, 19
Published every Friday by the Jewish News Publishing Co.
Inc., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit. Mich. Telephone RAndolph 7956.
Subscription rates, $3 a year; foreign, $4 a year.
Member of Independent Jewish Press Service, Jewish Tele-
By RABBI S. Z. FINEBERG
graphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious News
Service, Palcor News Agency, Bressler Cartoon Service, Wide Congregation Beth Israel, Flint
Text: "Vayisau Vilon Ess
World Photc Service.
Don't Be a "Last-Minute-Man"
Sermonette
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Maurice Aronsson
Philip Slomovitz
Fred M. Butzel
Isidore Sobeloff
Theodore Levin
Abraham Srere
Maurice H. Schwartz
Henry Wineman
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
On this Sabbath, the twelfth day of Tammuz, the following
selections from the Torah will, be read in our synagogues: Penta-
teuchal portion, Num. 19:1-25:9; Prophetical portion,. Micah, 5:6-6:8.
On Thursday, the Fast of Tammuz, the following portions of the
Torah will be read during morning services: Pentateuchal portion,
Er. 32:11-14; 34:1-10; Prophetical portion, Is. 55:6-56:8.
VOL. 1—NO. 14
JUNE 26, 1942
20 Years After Rathenau
Twenty years ago this week, in Berlin, a fatal shot
was fired at one of the outstanding statesmen in the world
—Dr. Walter Rathenau. The chief reason for the assassi-
nation was that the eminent Foreign Minister of Germany
was a Jew. The complementary motivating factor for the
atrocious murder was the rise of the Nazi movement.
Thus, the assassination of Rathenau, which was ac-
companied by death threats addressed to Theodore Wolfe,
editor of the Berliner Tageblatt, Max Warburg, the bank-
er, and others, was really the beginning of the rise of the
Nazi terror. Had the statesmen of the world read the
handwriting on the wall 20 years ago, the present horrible
tragedy which affects all mankind might have been
averted. But there was too much jealousy and selfishness
and too little vision for the world's leaders to recognize
the rising tide of the worst disease that then began to
threaten humanity.
An interesting sidelight on the 20-year-old Rathenau
tragedy is the recollection that Rathenau's mother was ac-
companied to the bier by Prof. Albert Einstein. Had he re-
mained in Germany, he would not have been among the
living today, having been among the men especially
marked for death by the Hitlerites. But his emigration has
been Germany's loss and a blessing to America. Germany
has tossed out her best citizens, and we have been enriched
by their coming here. One day the entire world will
be richer by the , total expurgation of the evils inflicted
upon mankind by the terrors of Nazism.
No one ever spoke of avenging the death of Rathenau.
But the inevitable vengeance must take the form of the
ri!'hting of the wrongs imposed upon hundreds of millions
of people by those who adhere to a philosophy of slavery.
Two-Year-Old PM
In a message to its subscribing newspapers—and that
includes us—Independent Jewish Press Service asks "Why
Is PM Successful?" and provides the answer by pointing
out that this crusading tabloid, while it has an angel—
Marshall Field—gains in circulation "because it hits is-
sues squarely, exposes facts that others squeamishly stay
away from. PM is, in effect, an English-Jewish newspaper
—judging by the Jewish issues with which it deals: Hate
in advertising, anti-Semitism, discriminantion, anti-Zion-
ism."
To this—and to other comments—the editors of In-
dependent Jewish Press Service add the following:
"Would you spend five minutes reading a sheet that was
concerned only with Mrs. Yenta Talabenda and her latest
tea party? And yet many English-Jewish newspapers pub-
lishers wonder why they are on the verge of folding up.
Wake up ! This is the age of fighting—not whining —
Jews."
We heartily endorse this appeal, else we would be
false to our own mission. Our readers will recall that in
our Credo, published in our first issue, we pledged to keep
the community informed on all issues affecting Jews, and
to help build a thinking and self-respecting Jewish con-
stituency. As we get older, and as our file increases in the
number of published issues of The Jewish News, we are
naturally pleased to hear from our record number of
readers stating that they are watching with interest and
approval the progress we are making in the direction of
building a wholesome journalistic organ for the com-
munity.
First, a newspaper must show the way for effective
action, and then the readers must have a share in the
building of a genuine newspaper by giving its editors and
publishers encouragement to carry on. This is what has
helped in the success of PM. This is what is giving The
Jewish News the strength we have gained in our three-
month history.
It is a pleasure to join in greeting PM on its second
anniversary and to wish it continued success. We do so
with a sense of gratitude for the fight the paper is`con-
ducting in the building of a better world devoid of racial
and religious prejudice. And we do so also with a sense of
appreciation for the confidence we are gathering in our
own similar venture in the direction of scrapping the
shams of Jewish journalism and of establishing the kind
of newspaper which elevates Jewish community standards
to the status of dignity and decency in the dissemination
of news and the creation of a wholesome public opinion.
t4E
Eynauv Ess Yisrauel, Shocheyn
Lzsavaurouv vatnee Aluauv
Elokim."
"And Balaam lifted up his
eyes and he saw Israel abiding
in his tents according to their
tribes; and the spirit of God
came upon him."—(Numbers
XXIV-2).
1.
UY
Our Mosaic scriptures are as
modern as they are ancient. In
them we find the eternal emo-
tions of man which are both
vicious and virtuous. In those
sacred writings we see charact-
ers exemplifying every form of
decency and indecency, every
type of honesty and dishonesty
and every trait of morality an d
immorality. From the pages o f
our holy "Tanach" we may se
lect the savage and inhuman e
or the civilized and humane per
sonalities. B e
cause of t h i
thought we re
fer to our Tora h
as "A Tree o f
Life for thos e
who grasp hol d
of it."
In this week'
"Sedrah," fro m
which w e se
Rabbi Fineberg lected our text
we learned again that Balak o f
Zippor, King of the Moabites
feared our ancestors who were
waging wars in the wilderness
and who were gradually advanc-
ing by incessant conquests to-
ward their goal, Eretz Yisroel.
HE CAME TO CURSE
BUT HE BLESSED
Since Balak and his warriors
were too cowardly to combat
those twelve tribes in the sands
of battle he maliciously and
treacherously instituted another
method which often was used in
those days. And since the zeal
and courage of the soldiers in
Biblical times depended consid-
erably upon the words of the
prophets, leaders and wizards,
Balak engaged Balaam, the son
of Beor, to curse, discourage and
mentally disrupt the Israelites.
Balaam, the wizard and enemy
of Israel, journeyed to the
camps of the sons of Jacob and
was about to proclaim the curse
of inevitable defeat, but his
words failed him. Instead, he
exclaimed, "How goodly are thy
tents, 0 Jacob, thy tabernacles,
0 Israel!"
Why was Balaam unable to
curse our people? The answer
is that even the worst enemy
of our ancestors must admire and
sanction the lofty, ethical, cult-
ural and moral life of the follow-
ers of Moses.
THE MODERN BALAAMS
Balaam of yesterday lives
again through the utterances and
deeds of the Bnai Balaam. Un-
fortunately some of the liberal
Jewish leaders are the modern
Bnai Balaam. Our worst op-
ponents today are the anti-
Zionists. They aim to stop us
from attaining Palestine for our
homeland. They are bitterly op-
posing Jewish nationalism. They
are disseminators of false prop-
aganda against the Jewish peo-
ple and our ancient homeland.
For the past several months
they have made unholy pilgrim-
ages in order to plot against the
holy people. They recently
started a crusade against their
own brothers. We can sense
them approaching us with venom
in their hearts to curse us be-
cause we are demanding a Jewish
Army in Palestine and a Jewish
State in Palestine, and because
we will give our sweat, tears
and blood for the preservation
of Jewish nationalism. Even
now they are -composing mis-
leading articles against Jewish
nationalism and they are plan-
ning more conventions where
they can scheme against our
champions of Zion.
But their
efforts will - be futile.
ZION THE REFUGE
Very soon when they will as-
cend into their rostrums, lift up
their eyes and see the achieve-
ments of Zionism in the diaspora
and Palestine the spirit of God
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To the Hebrew School Graduates
The fifty-five boys and girls who are receiving t
diplomas from the United Hebrew Schools this we
after completing seven years of study, are the heroes
the hour. It is to them, as the group versed in Jewish I
and. in the knowledge of the Hebrew language, to wh
we shall look in the years to come for leadership
guidance, and it is from them that we will expect insp .
tion in the future.
Hebrew school graduations are more important to
than were the commencements of the past years. Bef
Hitlerism, there were graduations from Hebrew sch
in many countries where Jewish life is being stifled tod
Now, American Jews are the leaders among the few
maining free communities in the world, and unless
educate our youth to an understanding of the probl
facing us, and unless we provide the young people -ss,
knowledge regarding the Jewish position, it will be di
cult to retain the strength we need for the great job
rebuilding which will face us when this war comes to
end.
Therefore the recent graduations from the congre
tional schools and the current Hebrew schools' commen
ments are of great importance. In congratulating
graduates, we urge them to continue their studies, to re
their interests in Jewish life and to prepare themsel
for a future which they will have to help make brigh
for all Jews everywhere and for all mankind.
Christianity's Moral Answer
In his impressive address at the testimonial din
tendered him recently in New York, Dr. Chaim NA. - eizma
the distinguished scientist who heads the World Zio
Organization, stated that "a Jewish Homeland in P
estine is the only moral answer and atonement that
Christian world can give to the hounded Jewish people
their quest for a home—a home in the better world
tomorrow."
Dr. Weizmann's plea was well fortified recently
the declaration of the 75 prominent Christian clergy
who joined in signing a statement which expressed
need for atoning the wrongs against the - Jews through
creation of a national home for Jews in Palestine.
plea made by Dr. Weizmann, however, was vastly m
significant than the mere necessity for atoning a wro
It pointed to the inevitably impending tragedy after t
war for four millions of Jews who, "roaming the highw
and byways of a world in ruins, will be a living illustrati
of the Jewish problem expressed in one simple woi
Homelessness."
It it to solve this tragic problem that Palestine loo
as the only bright star on the horizon. Dr. Weizman
touching appeal in behalf of a Jewish Palestine was ma
exceedingly strong when he declared that "there sho
be one place in God's wide world where we Jews co
live and express ourselves in accordance with our ch
acter, and make our contritTution to the civilized wo
in our own way and through our own channels."
It is important to note that Christians are united
their approval of the validity of this claim. What hurts
that some Jews refuse to endorse it. The most pressi
need.,of the hour is to establish unity am o n g Jews
achieving this aim and in doing all that is humanly poss .
for the solution of the problem of Jewish hon-ielessne
will enter into •their hearts.
Even those false prophets, the
Bnai Balaam, eventually will
bless the Zionists for their ideals
and accomplishments. The anti-
Zionists will not be able to curse
that which the United Nations
sanction. These so-called liber-
als will not disrupt a movement
which is saving hundreds of
thousands of Jewish lives and
which will preserve the Jewish
nation. When the anti-Zioni
finally realize that Palestine
the only permanent refuge
the Jew and that Jerusalem
the only solution to our pr
lem, they will be forced to spe
the truth.
In the meantime our b
policy is to ignore the Bnai
laam and God will bless
speedily in our days with
Geoolah and Yeshooah.