Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member of Independent Jewish Press Service, Jewish Tele-
graphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious News
Service, PaIcor News Agency, Bressler Cartoon Service, Wide World
Photo Service.
Published every Friday by Jewish News Publishing Co., 2114
Penobscot Bldg., Detroit, Mich. Telephone, RAndolph 7956. Sub-
scription rate, $3 a year; foreign, $4 a year. Club subscription of one
issue a month, published every fourth Friday in the month, to all
subscribers to Allied Jewish Campaign of Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion of Detroit, in accordance with 1942 Allied Jewish Campaign
pledges, at 50 cents a club subscription per year.
Application for Second Class matter pending at Detroit, Mich.
On the Sabbath of this week, the sixth day of Heshvan, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 6:9-11:32; Prophetical portion, Is. 54:1-
55:6.
MAURICE II. 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
VOL. I—NO. 30
OCTOBER 16, 1942
Our Share in the War Chest
The Jewish community's share in the War Chest cor-
responds to a triple campaign : the regular participation
by our people in the Detroit Community Fund drive, the
inclusion of all Jewish agencies incorporated in the Allied
Jewish Campaign, as well as the Jewish Welfare Board's
participation in the USO.
Our responsibility is extremely great. Out of the
large sum to be collected for all war relief movements, in
the all-inclusive Detroit War Chest, funds will be allocated
for the local Jewish educational, relief and recreational
agencies; for relief of European Jews through the Joint
Distribution Committee; for the upbuilding of Palestine
through the United Palestine Appeal, included in whose
budget i.; the Jewish National Fund ; for refugee aid and
rehabilitation through the National Refugee Service.
Also, such agencies as HIAS, Hebrew University, ORT
and other national causes will benefit from the War Chest.
The first rally of Jewish workers, held a week ago at
the Jewish Community Center, heard interesting evalua-
tions of the War Chest objectives in addresses delivered by
Fred M. Butzel, Abraham Srere and Isidore Sobeloff. It
was an impressive gathering of key men in the community
and it is the general impression that these men and women
will do as much for the War Chest as they did for the
Allied Jewish Campaign, the Community Fund and the
USO, when these movements conducted independent cam-
paigng.- •--With devotion and loyalty - to these causes, our
people will have the satisfaction of knowing, when the
drive is completed, that they have helped the greateSt
humanitarian effort in Detroit's history.
"Religious Illiteracy".
Columbia University, believing that a "shocking de-
gree" of "religious illiteracy" prevails among college stu-
dents, is planning the establishment of a department of
religion. In making this announcement, Dean Herbert E.
Hawkes of Columbia College declared that "the most dra-
matic and thought provoking incidents in the Bible fall
dead with most student groups."
This statement presents a challenge to Jews even
more than to Christians. As the People of the Book, we
should ask ourselves whether Jews make sufficient use of
the Bible in their daily lives, whether their children cher-
ish this great heritage and properly respect their people's
spiritual values.
At a time when our Hebrew schools are conducting the
annual Education Month and other schools are pleading
for the enrollment of new pupils, it is proper that this
questic n be placed first on the agenda of community think-
ing. If our heritage is to be honored, then we dare not
wait until our sons and daughters enter a college whose
authorities find it necesary to offset the "shocking degree"
of "religious illiteracy" by establishing courses in Bible and
religion. Our children must acquire such knowledge in
their youth; else the very foundation of Jewish existence
is undermined.
To perpetuate religious literacy in Jewish life we
must guarantee a Jewish education for all our boys and
girls.
The Spirit That Must Win
The touching film, "The Pied Piper," which so effec-
tively emphasizes, through the character brilliantly por-
trayed by Monty Wooley, that considerations of race or
creed have no place in the solution of refugee children's
problems, has an interesting scene in which half-Jewess,
half-Aryan Julika Alpar, plays a fine role. This youngster,
daughter of the famous European light opera star Gitta
Alpar, and the Aryan actor Gustav Froelich, depicts her
own status as the offspring of an intermarriage. Her
uncle, the Gestapo agent, facilitates her escape to-England,
whence she is to go to the United States. She greets the
other children who accompany the "Pied Piper" with a
"Heil Ilitler," but when she is told by her uncle, "Nicht
mehr, 'Heil Hitler,' " she exclaims, "Gut !" ,
Here we undoubtedly find the suppressed -feeling of
millions in Germany. It is a feeling and a spirit that must
win in the end. When it begins to make itself felt, the
decent elements of Germany will finally take their places
alongside the defenders of Russia, England,' the Pacific,
the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Perhaps that will
prove the most decisive Second Front.
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Friday, Ociolier 16, 194i
"PROTECTING" EUROPE'S CONQUERED PEOPLES
The Weekly
Sermonette
by BRESSLER
.
WAS NOAH REALLY
RIGHTEOUS?
By RABBI ALBERT A. GORDON
Temple Israel, Paducah, Ky.
Editor's Note: Rabbi Gordon is the
son of Mr, and Mrs. Abe Gordon of
2659 Webb Ave. He Is a graduate of
Hebrew Union College and Is a pro-
duct of the United Hebrew Schools of
Detroit and the Shaarey Zedek reli-
gious school.
"These are the generations of
Noah. Noah was in his generations
a man righteous and whole-hearted.
Noah walked with God."
There has been a sharp differ-
ence of opinion among rabbis as
to the interpretation of this text.
The controversy arose over the
precise meaning of the phrase
"in his generations". Rabbi Eliez-
er is of the opinion that these
- - words enhance
Noah's righte o-
usness. For he
was a righteo us
man, even in a
wicked goner a-
tion. He was a
rose amon g
thorns. R a b b i
Joshua, h o w
ever, holds t he
opposite
opi n-
Rabbi Gordon ion. Noah w as
deemed righteous compared wi th
the evil generation in which he
In an interesting article on "Dorothy Thompson,
lived. Had he lived in the da ys Libertarian,"
syndicated by Independent Jewish Press
of Abraham or Moses he wou 1d
not have been regarded as a Service, Meyer W. Weisgal refers to an incident when an
paragon of virtue.
eminent British statesman spoke about the new world to
Jews, Zion and India
Those who follow Joshua's in- emerge after the war without mentioning the Zionist poli-
terpretation indicate how Noah tical question. When the speech was published, Miss
fell short of the standard set by
Moses by relating this story. Thompson said : "This is outrageous! Where are the Jews?,
Noah and Moses, chancing upon How can he forget about the first victims of Hitler's bru
one another in heaven begin the tality."
following conversation. "I am a
This is the way many Jews feel when they hear
greater hero than you," says
Noah, "for behold God destroyed statesmen discuss every question but the one affecting the
every other family in my genera- Jewish people.
Unfortunately, there are too many Jews.
tion, but He permitted me to save
myself and my family." Moses who are among the worst offenders. There are so-called'
listens patiently and then re- political and economic authorities who will make demands'
plies: "You have no right to boast
upon the British in behalf of India, but forget the very ,
of your righteousness, for you
saved only yourself and your existence of the important Jewish community in Palestine,
family, but you made no attempt which remains the sole hope for hundreds of thousands
to save others of your generation
of Jews after this war.
However; it was my privilege to
deliver an entire generation
It is not to be implied that Jews either do not have
which God had sentenced to an interest in the problem of India or are unconcerned
death because they had worship- over the fate of the Hindus. When a petition was-presented
ped the golden calf."
Highest Form of Justice
What an important truth is
contained in this simple story!
The highest form of righteous-
ness consists in being helpful to
and considerate of others. Noah
was a good man, but Moses was
a better man because he was in-
terested in others beside himself.
Moses, the Bible tells us, "went
out unto his brethen and looked
upon their burdens". Moses did
all within his power to uplift
their drooping spirits, and to
make life's burdens easier to
bear.
Our competitive system has
engendered within so many of
us a self-centered attitude. We
live within limited and confined
spheres. Our horizons are hem-
med in by our own selfish egos.
We view life only as a means of
advancing our own petty self-
interests. The welfare of our fel-
low man is of no concern to us.
"Dog eat dog and the devil take
the hindmost" is our prevailing
philosophy. In our struggle for
existence we are insensitive to
the feelings and rights of others.
a few days ago to President Roosevelt by a group of
American liberals who urged mediation to help India se-
cure her independence, the name of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver
of Cleveland was prominent among its signers.
Although Dr. Silver is a leading Zionist, that does not
make India's cause strange to him. But for those who have,
prejudices — and Jews who have prejudices against Jew-
ish causes are usually most vehement in their stan'd—this
may be a poor argument. Nevertheless, it is deplorable '
that Jews should continue to fight on all fronts but their
own. Perhaps the example set by Rabbi Silver will teach
them a lesson that one need not be too narrow in choice ,
of causes, and that Jews should be able to afford at least
mention of Jewish aspirations when they speak of the
needs of the oppressed peoples of the world.
Hands Off Our Children!
To the recent threat of the Nazis in France that they
were planning to deport to Germany, "stripped of all
identification," 4,000 Jewish children who,were picked
up in Paris during mass arrests, the governments of the
United States and Great Britain gave adequate reply in
their warning that such brutality will not be tolerated.
At the same time, Catholic leaders in unoccupied
France have taken under their wing many Jewish chil-
dren, sheltered them, and let it be known that they will
defy the Vichy order for their deportation.
"Hands off the children" is humanity's order to the
This Spirit of Service
Nazis.
Even if this command is not heeded immediately,
Like Noah we are eager to save
ourselves, but callously we shut it is now an established rule in the setting up of the new
our eyes and hearts to the plight world order of peace and decency, that acts of inhumanity
of our fellows. Religion, how- will not be tolerated and that the persecution of children
ever, admonishes us to be like will be considered the grossest symbol of inhumanity.
Moses and "go out unto our
brethern and look upon their
burdens." Life is meaningful and
beautiful only when we rememb-
er our obligations to our neigh-
bor and society. These are times
that dzsmand heroic self-sacrifice
on the part of all of us. Each
one of us must unselfishly do his
part to insure final victory. And
after we have emerged triumph-
ant the peace that follows must
be built not on rivalism but - on
mutualism, not on a competitive
but a cooperative basis. Life is a
communal undertaking.
Man
must not, he cannot, live unto
himself.
This then is the message of this
Sabbath. May we realize full
well why Noah failed to attain
the highest form of righteous-
ness. Like Moses may we "go
unto our brethren and look upon
their burdens." Their privations
must be our privations. Their
suffering must be our sufferizig.
May bur lives be a-hymn of gl
to the ideal of se1f-,aerifleincsilp
iiiiihattfilmtisikiiMialltWitutwiiiiiiiiiststafiviMa *awn
vice. May the words of Isaiah bt
our constant guide and inspira-
' tion:
"The spirit of the Lord God is
upon me;
Because the Lord hath ancinted me
To bring good tidings unto- the
humble;
He bath sent me to bind up the-
broken-hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the
captiues,
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- them that are bound.'
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