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.