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THE JEWISH NEWS

THE JEWISH- NEWS

The Weekly
Sermonette

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, at 50 cents a club subscription per year.
Entered as second-class matter August 6, 1942, at the Post
Office at Detroit, Michigan, under the Act of March 3, 1879.

Why I Am a Zionist

Excerpt From an Address Delivered at
Jewish . National Fund Conference
Dec. 27

By DR. JAMES G. HELLER

President, Central Conference of Ameri-
can Rabbis; Chairman Administrative
Committee, Zionist Organization
of America

MAURICE H. 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. 2—NO. 12

JANUARY 8, 1943

This Week's Scriptural Portions:

This- Sabbath, the third day of Shevat, the following
Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Penta-
teuchal portion, Ex. 6:2-9:35; Prophetical portion, Ezek.
28:25-29:21.

Aesop and the Nazis

The current issue of Free World carries a cartoon
which. shows a hounded Jew, carrying the sign "Jude,"
behind barbed- wires and watched by two Nazis. "Aesop—
For Our Time" is the heading appearing over the cartoon,
and its explanatory lines are the following legend, "The
Goatherd and the Goat:"
"A goatherd, trying to drive one of the animals
back to the flock, threw a stone and broke the goat's horn.
`Don't you dare tell the Master,' he warned the goat. Said
the goat: 'That broken horn can speak for itself.' "
,
This fable is, indeed, applicable to the Jew's. Our
broken limbs are evidence of what is happening to an
entire people. Yet, we must continue to plead and to con-
vince people that sufferings have been inflicted upon •mil-
[ions of our kinsmen. The voice of Aesop is one of the
warnings to the conscience of mankind in our time.

Friday, January 8, 1943

The Anti-Zionist Crusade

American Jewry is in danger of becoming a house
divided, as a result of the controversy that has flared
up over the Zionist issue. Dr. Judah L. Magnes' article
in Foreign Affairs Magazine, formation of the Council for
American Judaism, statements by anti-Zionist rabbis, all
serve to aggravate the situation. Zionists retort with accu-
sations of "treason" and charges of attempts to split the
Jewish communities. It is a most unfortunate occurrence
at a time when unity is needed for wholesome efforts to
remedy the sufferings of millions of our people.
The statement of Dr. Samuel H. Goldenson; promin-
i ently publicized in the New York Times, in which Zionism
is called a movement that leads to "separation and ex-
clusiveness," adds fuel to the fires of discord. Dr. Golden-
son maintains that "the permanent solution of the Jewish
problem must be sought in conjunction with all the other
The Hebrew Pen Club met in conference in New York global efforts to rectify the wrongs afflicting all peoples—
Ind heard charges that Jewish educators are yielding to also in accordance with the democratic principles of free-
men of wealth who are in control of the administration dom, justice and humanity, which America and its allies
)f Jewish schools and are removing Hebrew and Jewish are now defending." Why such an objective to which
:rationalism from their curricula. The conference was Zionists aspire on a par with their antagonists, should
warned that Hebrew will no longer be taught to American exclude efforts to create a homeland for persecuted Jews,
Jewish children 20 or 30 years from now.
as well as those who desire to associate themselves with a
The basis for these warnings was the attack upon Jewish commonwealth, is beyond understanding.
The fear is now generally expressed that after the
Tewish educators by Moses Feinstein, dean of the Herzliah
;'eminary for Hebrew Teachers, and Prof. Zvi Scharfstein, war the immediate need for the resettlement of hundreds
eminent pedadogue and author, who accused their colleag- of thousands of Jews may find us helpless and without
ues of not doing enough themselves for Jewish education. havens of refuge, unless the opportunities offered by the
qr. Feinstein charged that "assimilationists" associated Jewish National Home in Palestine are utilized to the full.
;hemselves with educational institutions in order to re- The crusade of the anti-Zionist rabbis and their supporters
move Zionism from curricula under the pretext that peda- certainly does not help Zionist efforts. On the contrary, it
ogical methods were involved, and Prof. Scharfstein at- is hurtful to Jewish reconstruction work. One of the lay
:acked "functional Hebrew" as a means of evading a sound Supporters of this group, the columnist, Al Segal, in his
current article takes up the cudgel against the Jewish
Elebrew education.
idea. But he takes pride in letting us know that he
These are grave charges, but apparently they are plants trees in Palestine and encourages such practical
lot taken seriously. Other speakers at the Pen Club con-
con- efforts for Palestine's reconstruction. Does Mr. Segal rec-
ference refused to accept them on their face value. They ognize, however, that building activities also require pro-
maintained that substantial gains had been made in Jewish tection, and that security in Palestine is closely allied with
educational efforts. Who is right? 1 he need for establishing a Jewish majority?
If we are to use Detroit's experiences as means of
At the American Institute on Judaism and a Just and
'udgirag the status of educational activities, the charges 1 nduring Peace, held two weeks ago in Cincinnati, the
eveled at the Jewish educators are not justified. Our athering of Reform rabbis adopted a program which in-
;ommunity at large supports not only the United Hebrew cluded the declaration that, "After the war, conditions
schools, whose medium of teaching is Hebrew, but also I 'lust be created to permit as large a Jewish immigration to
:t he Farband School, whose curriculum includes Yiddish 1 Palestine as possible, in accordance with obligations as-
s well as Hebrew ; the Arbeiter Ring and Sholem Aleich- sumed under the Balfour Declaration and the Palestine
ma. schools, whOse medium is mainly Yiddish, and the Yes- I mandate. Now, more than ever, the nations of the world
tivah, whose courses are strictly traditional in their religi- must give fullest recognition to the right of Jews to a
,us interpretations. At no time, however, has there been homeland in Palestine, and they must help facilitate in
;omplaint from any of of these schools that any one in ( very way the work of rebuilding that land."
he community, regardless of prejudice or wealth, had
This statement ought to satisfy all parties, especially
t vied to interfere with the schools' ideological approaches. ince many non-Zionists and anti-Zionists collaborated in
preparing it and in adopting it unanimously. But since old
There are times when rash criticisms create as much
,arm as extreme attempts to interfere with the principles ) rejudices can not be easily uprooted, American Jewry is
1-ici ideals of certain agencies. The fears expressed re- t hreatened with a rift which can spell tragedy in the
:arding, the future of Hebrew studies in this country p resent critical period in our history.
,ppear to us to be unsupported by facts.

The Future of Hebrew

The Late Enrico Glicenstein

Security for the Hounded
Enrico Glicenstein, internationally famous sculptor
a lid artist who was killed in a dimout accident in New
From Lisbon comes important news. It is reported )
',.-lat clandestine refugees who are now in hiding or in ,, ork, will long be remembered for his Jewish loyalties as
p rison will be given full legal status as transit travelers 1\ ell as for his great art works. When Italy adopted the
a nd will be allowed to live in peace and in comfort in Tazi racial laws in 1938, Glicenstein appealed to King
ti ae coastal village of Ericeira. The intercession of the v Victor Emmanuel in behalf of thousands of Jews who
ti orld Jewish Congress and the sympathy and ,under-a ere affected by the new regulations. His appeal -was not
Landing of the Portuguese authorities are said to be re- II nswered, and the noted Jewish artist returned all his
alian decorations and medals to the associate of Hitler.
ponsibie for this humane act.
7'
Many of the world's greatest men were subjects for
Thus, a most difficult problem, which his hindered h is busts and portraits, including President Roosevelt,
tl le activities of the J. D. C., has been solved, and the
h mated people are being provided with a feeling of per- p Pope Pius XI, Lord Balfour, Israel Zangwill, the king of
aly who failed to reply to his plea for justice to the
S( mal security. Normal nourishment is to be assured the j-
ews,
and scores of others.
Cl qilthen, and the first group of 100 refugees has already
Enrico Glicenstein was a popular figure at many
a rived in Ericeira.
J., wish conventions, and he was loved and admired by all
Perhaps this is the beginning of better days to come IN
who learned to know him. 'His memory will be blessed by
4- uti
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I 1r the iiminfiod a nnr ntannic-1-11vnncrlqnni-
6
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1A.A.•
enerations to come.

The history of Israel since the
time of the Diaspora is chiefly a
history of the ideals of rabbis who
have been leaders of their people,
and our generation need not bow
its head in shame as compared
with those that have gone before
us. There are among us men of
vision, men of genuine consecra-
tion, men who bring to their peo-
ple a great offering of wisdom, of
strength, and of devotion, and
among these men is Dr. Israel
Goldstein, the president of the
Jewish National Fund of America.
I nave grown to esteem him as a
man, as a rabbi, as a Jew. There
are few men who labor in the
vineyard of the Lord with more
zeal, devotion, and energy than
does he.
* * *

I should like to tell you briefly
why I am a Zionist, and I should
like also to indulge in the vanity
of recollection.

Unaware of Distinction
I began my life in New Orleans,
in a community where the Jews
were very much at home. I recall
from my boyhood that there was
no evidence of prejudice against
my people. I grew up without any
feeling that there was a great
distinction between me and those
who were about me. Many of my
friends were numbered among
the old Creole families of the city.
Had it been left to me alone, I
think I should have been utterly
without some of the reasons
which have prompted me to take
refUge within the fold of Zionism.
I didn't have the experience of
Theodor Herzl of witnessing a
Dreyfus Trial. I was made a Zion-
ist by listening to the then presi-
dent of the Hebrew Union Col-
lege, Dr. Kaufmann Kohler, of
blessed memory, fulminating to
the young students against Zion-
ism, and this proceeding appeared
to be so manifestly unfair, and so
wide of the mark, that I was
driven to the other extreme, and
driven to see through the prob-
lem for myself in my earliest
days as a student for the rabbi-
nate.
A Profound Dignity
I began to attend Zionist con-
ventions and came to feel many
things. I did not feel that Zion-
ism was imperilng the position,
and status of American Jews. On
the contrary, from the first mo-
ment I came in touch with it, it
seemed to me to bestow a pro
found dignity upon its followers.
They appeared to me to stand
four square to the wind, to ac-
quire a manliness that took the
bend of the Ghetto out of their
backs, that made them face the
world unafraid.
I came to think more and more
about the relationship between
Zionism and the religious tradi-
tions of my people. I came to the
feeling that in Jewish history
there was a profound synthesis
between the people and its ideals,
between the message that it car-
ried down the centuries and the
people itself.
Impelling Conviction
I came to the feeling that, if
I loved my people, if I wished
them to be true to themselves, if
I wished them, even in the vicis-
situdes of a tragic time, to give
to the world the best that was in
them. then, as a rabbi, I must
join the Zionist movement, in
which there existed, not merely
the Jewish will to live, which is
put into those terms, but also the
Jewish vrill. to give to the Lord.
I still feel, as a rabbi, that I
serve not only my people, but my
religion. best by working through
the synagogue and through the
Zionist movement, by striving to
draw them into closer affinity,
and I feel confident that I shall
feel it as long as I live.

