THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
The Hot Seat
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The Day of Reckoning
Minister of Religious Educatio
at Temple Beth El, Detroit
portion, Deut. 26:1-29:8; Prophetical portion, Isaiah 60.
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
MAURICE ARONSSON
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
FRED M. BUTZEL
ABRAHAM SRERE
THEODORE LEVIN
HENRY WINEMAN
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
AUGUST 28, 1942
•
Suicide is Not the Way
In preparation for the reaffirmation of faith in the
ultimate triumph of justice on the third anniversary of
the enslavement of Poland by the Nazis, horrifying re-
ports come from the ghettos of this unhappy country. We
are informed that the rabbis of Warsaw are pleading with
the Jews no.t to follow the example of the head of the
Kehillah and other Jewish leaders who committed suicide
rather than to be made tools for inhuman and immoral
activities of the Nazis.
It is true that the lot of Polish Jewry is intolerable
and that it takes a great deal of courage to go on living
under existing conditions. This is part of the war, but—
our people will hold out, they will carry on regardless of
the miseries they must suffer for a time to come, in order
that they may live to celebrate the victory of decency
over brutality.
Suicide is not the way out. Jews have affirmed this
as a sacred rule for generations. Nazi brutality must not
succeed in breaking this established principle of our
people.
War Workers and the Holydays
An interesting question has been raised in the Phila-
delphia Jewish Exponent whether Jewish war workers
should ask or accept leaves of absence to observe Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein believes that Jews should
observe the High Holydays "under all circumstances" and
he suggests as a "beautiful gesture" that Christians sub-
stitute for Jews on these days and that Jews reciprocate on
Christmas and Easter. Rabbi Leon S. Lang follows the
same line of thinking and points out that in the total war
effort "certain spiritual disciplines are no less indispens-
able."
Dissenting, Rabbi Louis Wolsey stated that "religious
custom and ceremonial must be temporarily sacrificed to
preserve something that is a thousand times more funda-
mental."
The suggestion advanced by Rabbi Simon Greenberg
Is that the Synagogue Council of America, which repre-
sents all wings of Jewry, should take up the issue and
render a commonly accepted judgment.
We subscribe to the latter viewpoint as representing
the proper approach not only to this issue but to all mat-
ters affecting Jewish religious problems. From time to
time there is talk about the need for a modern Sanhedrin
to make definite decisions on religious practices. The issues
affecting war workers suggest a beginning for such a
Some weeks ago, Leland Stow
the able foreign correspondent
the Chicago Daily News, di
patched an article to the eff
that the next 40 days on the ba
tlefields of the world would
cide the future fate of the enti
world. Since he wrote that a
cle more than half of the U
designated has already elap
The situation becomes more cri
ical and tense with the passi
of each day.
Truly, this is a period of gr
crisis, the magnitude of which
peoples of thetz 7,7
earth have never f:=
before seen.-.
Truly, these are tt
the vandal nor-
aim that over-
shadow in inten-
sity any compar-
able period of
world history.
No ancient
prophet of Ju-
dea, no wise seer of old Isra
could have done justice to
terrible days that have co
upon us.
The Day of Judgment
As we approach the Jewi
New Year, we know that we a
anticipating the most impor
date of all world history. It w'
be a day of reckoning betw
the forces of slavery and fr
dom, between the forces of lig
and darkness, between the fore
of life and those of death.
must pray with every ounce
religious fervor within us that
will be more than just a day
reckoning; that it will be a d
of judgment over those barba
lam who dare pervert his
-
Fred M. Butzel at 65
Fred M. Butzel's sixty-fifth birthday is an occasion
for nation-wide celebration.
Michigan's outstanding leader in social causes, Mr.
Butzel has made contributions to the Jewish community
and to America which have long ago expanded out of the
realm of Detroit and Michigan into the larger sphere of
the country at large.
He belongs to the small circle of truly great leaders,
a position won through his wise judgment, his knowledge
of human affairs, and more especially his truly demo-
cratic spirit.
No one is too great or too small to be granted audi-
ence by Fred Butzel and to receive a fair allotment of his
time. He has helped Jews and Christians, colored and
white; he is above all prejudices.
The evaluation of Mr. Butzel's career by another very
eminent Detroiter—Julian H. Krolik—appearing in this
issue of The Jewish News, is humble, befitting the spirit
of both the author of the article and its subject.
All we can add editorially to this tribute is our sin-
cere expression of hope that American Jewry may be
blessed for many years to come with the wise counsel of
this truly great leader.
Happy birthday, Fred M. Butzel ! We are confident
that all Detroit—Christians and Jews—join us in wishing
you all the blessings of good health and the further realiz-
ation of the humanitarian program to which you have
dedicated your life.
The Weekly
Sermonette
By RABBI HERSCHEL LYMO
On this Sabbath, the sixteenth day of Elul, the following
Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pcntateuchal
VOL. 1—NO. 23
Friday. August 28, 194
Anti-Semites Are Un-American
-
One of the significant occurrences of the past week
was the manifesto issued by outstanding European Cath-
olics now in this country who branded anti-Semitism as
being anti-Christian.
This verdict is in line with the recognition now being
accorded the fact that anti-Semites are un-American and
that hatred of the Jew has been a Hitler weapon against
all democratic thinking and acting.
R. H. Markham, able writer for the Christian Sience
Monitor, a few days ago analyzed "The Spell of 4 Anti-
Semitism" and arrived at some important concluOons.
Quoting Gerhard Wilhelm Kunze, American-born 14 ader
of the Hitlerite Bund in this country, who said, after P earl
Harbor, "Rosenfeld has his war"—referring to the Presi-
dent as being a Jew—Mr. Markham writes : "It is a strik-
ing fact that most of the 28 Americans recently indicted by
the Federal Government as conspirators are rabidly anti-
Semitic." This writer then asks, ."Is that a sign of dis- who dare subvert
loyalty to America?" and proceeds to discuss the back- progress!
grounds of the 28 anti-Semitic blackguards.
But hopes and prayers are
Mr. Markham's conclusion interestingly sums up the enough. They are only the cry
issue affecting our internal peace and the dangers that
come from the destructive anti-Semitic forces. He writes:
-
"Americans are not free to peddle opium nor other drugs
that rob men of their will power and turn them into irre-
sponsible beasts. Yet spooky, mystic, implacable hatred
for one's. neighbors is an obsession more destructive than
any drug. To destroy a regiment's courage with drugs
would certainly be .a seditious act. The courts will decide
whether peddling the poison of such spooky anti-Semitism
is not-also sedition."
Those who understood the problem during the early
days of the Nazi rule in Germany argued all along that
anti-Semitism is anti-American and that the poison spread
by the Hitlerite philosophy serves to undermine the mor-
ale of our people and to weaken our vitality as a dem-
ocracy. It took a horrible Nazi-made war and Japan's
stab in the back at Pearl Harbor to get people to realize
the menace that is inherent in the ranks of the native
pro-Nazis and anti-Semites.
Now, the verdict is that anti-Semitism is both anti-
American and anti-Christian. The American courts and
the American people are at last dealing firmly with the
saboteurs in our midst whose start was in the ranks of the
anti-Semites.
Bonds and Rosh Hashanah
Si Fabian, prominent theater operator, upon accept-
ing the appointment of campaign director of the movie
industry's billion-dollar War Bond drive for September,
has called upon the Jews of America to celebrate the
forthcoming High Holyday period by stepping up their
purchases of War Bonds.
"It is a well known fact that Jews have been enthusiastic
buyers of War Bonds. and Stamps," Mr. Fabian said. "They are
supporting their government to the full, as are all other Amer-
icans. The suggestion that ROSH HASHANAH be made a season
of intensified investment in the American way of life is a good
one. We are passing the idea along to Jewish leaders throughout
the nation. It may remind and stimulate thousands to sacrifice
and buy more War Bonds. Many may use War Bonds as New
Year gifts. What could be more appropriate?"
This appeal is made more significant by the fact that
rabbis throughout the land already have indicated their
intentions to encourage increased Bond-buying and to de-
vote parts of their sermons to the needs for national de-
fense and unstinted co-operation with the government in
this critical war period.
For Michigan residents, it is important to know that
this state, in July, for the first time fell below its assigned
quota for the sale of War Bonds. This means that we must
all increase our efforts and oversubscribe the quotas for
program. Let there be concerted thinking on major issues, August and September. The call to make September a
and a commonly accepted judgment: Perhaps the prob- Holy Month period for Bond buying should help in this
lems of the war workers will lead to the solution of othe: respect through increased purchases by Jews who have
serious religious problems in American Jewry.
already made an excellent record.
talization of what we desperate
want, of what we so anxious
need. They must be implement
They must be tipped with
sharp steel of resolution. Ho
and prayers are a great rescry
of potential energy that must
converted immediately into t
kinetic power of physical, me
tal, spiritual activity and ha
nessed to the war efforts of o
great country in concert with
efforts of the other Unit
Nations.
"Milchemeth -Adonai"
This is the war communique-
organized religion today. This
"the order of the day" of o
Jewish faith. Its faithful exec
tion will determine the tomorro
of Judaism, the future of o
people.
A glorious opportunity is ou
Each of us, in his own way, h
a part to play in ridding t
world of the pestilence that
tearing at the vitals of the e
tire world. To arms then, th
the beliefs we hold so dear sh
not ,perish from the earth.
arms, then, that the great spi
itual ideals of Judaism shall Ii
forever! In this great glo
struggle—in this milchemet a
onai—let it not be said that
were faithless to our noble he
tage, that we were remiss in o
responsibility to our people.
Jews Have Taught
Men That God and
Goodness Are One
By DR. C. G. MONTEFIORE
Most, and the very- best,
what men believe about
and a very great deal of the ve
best of what they know and
lieve about goodness, was wri
ten by Jews and is found in
Bible.
It is the Bible,
through the Bible it is the.dile
who have taught men not o
to love Goci and to- love g •
mess, but to see that the love
goodness is part and parcel
the love of God.