minuomplow.
' 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, Palcor News Agency Bressler Cartoon Service. i
Photo Service.
Friday, October 30,
Tired of Giving? You Don't Know What It Is To Be Tired
Yov.G10 rev
,
,
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.
WAR
ClitEXT
By RABBI LEONARD KASLE
Mt RELIEF'
Director, Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation,
University. of Virginia,
Charlottsville, Va.
ZUFFER.ING-
eA1,1* REACHED
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rabbi Leonard
Kasle, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Abe
Kasle of Detroit, was ordained Rabbi
at the Jewish Institute of Religion last
spring. He was graduated from the
United Hebrew Schools and the Shaarey
Zedek Religious School and the Uni-
versity of Michigan. He was a leader
in Hillel at Ann Arbor during his stu-
dent days.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HENRY WINEMAN
"Prayer is Israel's only weapon, a
weapon inherited front the fathers,
a weapon tested in a thousand
trials."
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. 2—NO. 2
OCTOBER 30, 1942
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
On the
Sabbath of this week, the twentieth
day of
Heshvan, 5703, the following Scriptural portions will be read
in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 18:1-22:24;
Prophetical portion, II Kings, 4:1-37.
Jewish Day in War Chest
Monday will be Allied Jewish Campaign Day on the
War Chest program of weekly meetings of volunteer
workers who gather at Hotel Tuller to report on the pro-
gress of their activities in the great drive now in progress
for a quota of $5,800,000.
War Chest leaders are to be congratulated on their
choice of speakers for these rallies and . especially on the
selection made for the Jewish Day in the drive. Dr. Abba
Hillel Silver, who will deliver the address on Monday, is
one of the outstanding personalities in America. A brilliant
orator, a great scholar and one of the most eminent Zion-
ists, he has exerted a great influence upon American life
in many divergent fields.
We have formed an important partnership with the
Christian community to carry on the war-time relief efforts
of all nations involved in the struggle for freedom. It is
important that our non-Jewish friends should understand
our causes and needs as well as we understand theirs.
Rabbi. Silver is the ablest emissary to whom our community
could entrust the mission of interpreting these needs to our
neighbors. As national chairman of the United Palestine
Appeal, as co-chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, as
a leader and teacher in Israel, he comes to us'on Monday
in the role of pleader for justice and decency for all man-
kind.
We welcome Dr. Silver with the confidence that his
message will serve further to cement the strong feelings
of friendship that must be established between Jews and
Christians for the sake of the security of American tradi-
tions and the future peace of the entire world.
.
The Weekly
Sermonette
COMMUNAL PRAYER
DRIVE
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
,
1942 17
Copyright, 1942, New York Tribune Inc.
Revival of a Famous Slogan
The above cartoon reproduced from the New York Herald
Tribune of Oct. 22, is of particular interest because the title,
"Tired of Giving? You Don't Know What It Is to Be Tired,"
given it by Ding, the famous cartoonist, is a revival of the
slogan that was used after the First World War by the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Synagogue Council Endorsed
When Dr. B. Benedict Glazer, rabbi of Temple Beth
1, proposed in his Guest Editorial in The Jewish News,
that a Synagogue Council be formed in Detroit, we pointed
out that his suggestion must not be treated lightly and
that it is a plan of great importance if we really mean to
prevent abuses in matters related to Jewish religious life
in our community.
In this issue, we are pleased to publish a significant
s tatement submitted to us by Dr. Israel Goldstein, presi-
dent of the Synagogue Council of America, who not only
endorses Dr. Glazer's proposal, but urges Detroit to
a dopt it as an example for other communities.
We believe that no time should be lost by our rabbis
a nd synagogues in uniting for the realization of Dr. Gla-
z er's plan. It certainly is a matter of great necessity that
Nov. 2 will mark the 25th anniversary of the issuance 11 elements in the community — Reform, Conservative
if the Balfour Declaration and will provide opportunity a nd Orthodox — should band together for the considera-
or stock-taking in the field of Jewish colonization and re- t ion of our serious religious problems. The sooner this is
settlement work. ( one, the better for all concerned.
The pledge contained in the Balfour Declaration has
iot been honored fully. Great Britain vacillated in its
iolicy, appeased the turbulent elements among the Arabs
tnd by its failure to take a firm stand created an Arab
A political debate on the radio last Sunday carried
ssue which could have been avoided. , with it after effects which were sadly disturbing.
On the other hand, Jews throughout the world took
One of the participants, a highly respected judge, re-
he matter seriously, and created a center which ranks I eated the mistakes which had ben made by the Coughlin-
t oday among the three most important Jewish communi- ; mith type of rabble-rousers who placed emphasis on Jew-
ties in the world. At the time the Balfour Declaration was i sh names in attacking the "international bankers." The
ssued there were 50,000 Jews in Palestine. Today, there i • adio debater last Sunday managed to select the names
are approximately 600,000 Jews in the Jewish Homeland. ( f Jews who are friends and co-workers of President
The swamps of 25 years ago are now fruitful gardens. I oosevelt in his attack on the New Deal. True, he added
I mportant industries have been established which are now 1 he names of non-Jews, but the effect was nevertheless
woviding necessary material to help the United Nations 1 psetting.
arry on the war against the Axis. Also, Palestine's man-
Is it possible that people who usually think well will
►ower is participating in the fight against the Nazi-Fascist 1 orget themselves and act against their better judgment
n
ones
on the battle-front. 1 vhen they are searching for votes?
Our people have given a good account of themselves.
Last Sunday's incident was most deplorable.
.ews have been saved from the inferno of Europe and the
vorld has benefitted from the contributions our people
I Ave made in science and art since their self-liberation
n Palestine. This work can be greatly enhanced, pro-
Young Israel of Detroit has set aside the second week
ided that our partners—the British—do their full share, i n November as a holiday period in celebration of its 20th
nd that Jews are co.-operative in carrying on future ac- anniversary.
t ivities in Eretz Israel.
The completion of two decades in the movement to
Unfortunately, there is a dark side to this picture. strengthen religious feeling among young Jews in Detroit
British colonial officials continue to be non-cooperative. i an occasion of interest to the entire Jewish community.
i.nti-Semitic groups incite Arabs against us and continue Detroit Jews undoubtedly will join in extending best
t o undermine efforts for the attainment of amity. Even w ishes to this group.
orse is the fact that Jews themselves are not united.
The beginning of the 21st year will mean the intro-
)avid Ben-Gurion's demand for the reorganization of d uction of new responsibilities' for Young Israel. We are
'alestine's Jewish labor party, his threat to leave its ranks f aced with new duties which must be met. The war has
nless dissension ceases; the controversy over the Magnes brought peoples together and has shortened distances be-
a ttitude and the differences created over the Ichud d. move- tween Jewish communities and between the many peoples
lent, the delay in creating an understanding between w ho compose the hemisphere. The objectives of the de-
2 ;ionists and non-Zionists in this country—these are indi- mocracies in this horrible struggle make the term "broth-
ations that while we have progressed materially in Pales- e rhood" more understandable. There are increased res-
/-1.e we continue to be a divided people ideologically.
ponsibilities upon the Jewish communities to care for
The existing differences must be adjusted. In view millions of our kinsmen who are suffering from Nazi per-
0 f Jewry's tragic position throughout the world, with Pal- s ecutions, to help provide homes for them—in Palestine
e stine remaining the major center for Jewish colonization, a and wherever else they may be available—and to assure
ome semblance of amity must be established in Jewish t h e normal functioning of existing community movements.
r. anks. First, Jews must agree on their needs; thereafter
Young Israel's leaders and members know and under-
ii will be much easier to establish better relationship with s tand these duties and responsibilities. We are confident
t] le British and the Arabs.
t hat they will meet them with devotion and courage.
_
The Balfour Anniversary -
Political Blunders
Young Israel's Anniversary
Formerly, the synagogue was
the body, and prayer was the
heart of Jewish life. Today, when
we need whatever weapons we
can muster,. a strange skepticism
and cynicism has seized us, and
we find that most men cannot
pray.
Primarily, this barrier to
prayer is due to our rationalistic
scientific outlook, to our desire
for seeking a rational cause for
ever y eff ect
coupled with
the impossibility
of thinking of
God as breaking
this iron chain
of cause and ef-
fect in order to
intrude in men's
affairs.
More serious
in hampering Rabbi Kasle
true prayer, however, is our con-
ception of God as a divine Sears-
Roebuck catalogue whose func-
tion is to deliver the goods for
whict one prays. Lastly, all of
us know that there is no evidence
that prayer can be answered. We
may pray for the life • of a sick
child and the child may recover,
but can we say that the cause of
the recovery was our prayer?
The Force of Prayer
It is the misinterpretation of
what prayer truly is, rather than
its function that keeps us from
prayer. "All men are always
praying" and "all prayers are
always answered," for prayer is
the expression of our desires.
Science and psychology show
that "the influence of prayer on
the human mind and body is as
demonstrable as that of secreting
glands . . . Its results can be
measured in terms of increasing
buoyancy, greater intellectual
vigor, and a deeper understand-
ing of the realities underlying
human relationships . . . Prayer
is a force as real as terrestrial
gravity."
Prayer releases within us the
pent-up energy to bring into
focus our desires and achieve
them through action.
The expression of a desire
leads to action, to the achieve-
ment of that desire. To pray is
to - change ourselves, for "what a
person thinks in his heart, so he
is." What a person prays, he be-
comes. To yearn to be a poet is
to take on the nature of a poet,
even though we never write a
line. To seek to be a musician is
to open wide our hearts to the
miracle of song, though we never
write a note. If we think evil, we
become evil; if we desire good,
we become good.
But, many of our desires are
selfish and vain, without regard
to the rest of mankind. In order
to keep prayer from pettiness
and selfishness, communal prayer
was developed. Here is the im-
portance of Hillel's injunction,
"Separate not thyself from the
congregation," for when we bow •
our heads and lift our hearts to-
gether, we cannot be selfish or
vain. Truly, the Shekinah dwells
in the midst of a group, and even
in times of danger for the indi-
vidual, one still has to use the
plural form of the prayer book,
"Guard US from danger."
Communal prayer can lift us,
and lift our will to make some-
thing of our desires and hopes.
In that way Israel's weapon again
will be prayer.