THE JEWISH NEWS Page Four THE JEWISH NEWS The Hot Seat Member of Independent Jewish Press Service, Jewish Tele- graphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious News Service, Paleor News Agency, Bressler Cartoon Service, Wide World Photo Service. 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. 14 issue Federa- tion subscription, 50c. Application for Second Class matter pending at Detroit, Mich. 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.