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THE JEWISH NEWS

THE JEWISH NEWS

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Friday, January 29, 1943

The Weekly
Sermonette

U. S. Jewry's Coming of Age

By DR. ROBERT GORDIS

Associate Processor of Biblical
Exegesis at Jewish Theological
Seminary of America

The great historian Ranke
once described the Jews as the
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
most historical of peoples. By
this phrase he meant that for
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
the Jew the past was nothing
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
MAURICE ARONSSON
dim and remote, but rather a
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
FRED M. BUTZEL
vivid and ever-present exper-
ABRAHAM SRERE
THEODORE LEVIN
ience to which he constantly
HENRY WINEMAN
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
turned for guidance and inspira-
tion. Whatever may be true of
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
other peoples, Jewish history
JANUARY 29, 1943
VOL. 2—NO. 15
does seem to repeat itself, and
our generation can find help in
solving its problems by turning
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
to the struggles and achieve-
ments of past ages.
This Sabbath, the twenty-fourth day of Shevat, the fol-
Thus we cannot understand
lowing Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
the character and destiny of
Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 18:1-20:23; Prophetical portion,
American Jewry, of the 4,000,000
Is. 6:1-7:6; 9:5, 6.
men, women and children, who
live beneath the Stars and
Stripes, unless we see them
against the background of 4,000
years of Jewish history.
Call it the accident of history
In NI IN
or the hand of Destiny, the next
world center must inevitably be
America. It is sobering and chas-
tening thought chat the fate of
our eternal people reposes in our
America will remain safe as long as there will be
hands, that American Jewry can
voices to speak out against intolerance and bigotry.
The United Jewish Appeal, which includes the Joint mar or mold the Jewish heritage.
Calls for Courage
This week, we were given repeated evidence that the Distribution Committee, the United Palestine Appeal and
It required extraordinary cour-
conscience of America is not dead. They came from sev-
the National Refugee Service, will continue as a single age to call the Jewish Theologi-
eral fronts.
fund-raising agency for 1943.
cal Seminary of America into
At Ann Arbor, the retiring and incoming editors of
existence, for when it opened its
This is as it should be in a time of crisis, and it is to doors in 1886 American Jewry
the University of Michigan Daily, in a powerful editorial
entitled "Board Cripples Michigan Daily," have taken to the credit of the leaders of American Jewry that they presented a discouraging picture.
task the faculty board in control of student publications are not permitting differences to affect the existence of
The Jews in this country were
divided into two mutually hostile
for its refusal to appoint a Jewish student as an editor. such unity in our ranks.
camps. -On the one hand were
There is the frank charge that prejudice dominates the
the
Jews of German extraction,
scene and religious discrimination has played a part in
The chairmen of the three funds—D. Jonah B. Wise
the selection of the journalistic staff. The fact that stu- Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and William Rosenwald—have who had come here thirty or
forty years before and who now
dents possess the courage to Protest against such action
felt themselves completely at
properly
evaluated
the
current
obligations
upon
Ameri-
is an indication that decency is not dead and that the
home.
On the other hand, were
can Jews when they pointed out in their statement an-
American spirit of fair play has a chance to survive. •
the masses of refugees from Pol-
nouncing
the
continuation
of
the
united
effort
through
and, Russia and Roumania, who
Another incident takes us back to our comments on
the nasty rumor which was labeled "the story of the first the United Jewish Appeal that the position of the Jews sought security from the wave
American" which credited the Irish with all first acts of in the present tragedy is "a summons to us to rush to the of bloody pogroms of the eight-
heroism and which libeled Jews with "black market" acti- aid of the tortured and homeless Jews whose bodies and ies. These new immigrants had
scarcely begun to adjust them-
vities. Our readers will recall that a suburban newspaper, spirits bear the lacerations of relentless persecution."
selves to their new environment.
having published the story as a "joke", later apologized.
Though mutual suspicion, ig-
Now, the editors of this newspaper send us clippings they
Perhaps we shall see the spread of this spirit of unity norance and indifferences were
had received from their readers„ taken from newspapers to other quarters so that the Jewish position may not the order of the day, a noble
in Tuscan, Ariz., and Cincinnati, 0., condemning such invite ridicule instead of understanding when the hour band of scholars and teachers
"humor" as Hitlerite weapons. This is another indication
stepped into the breach, to save
that the heart of America is throbbing with a sense of of reparation arrives at the end of this terrible war.
Judaism from extinction. Thus,
justice.
When the heroic efforts of this
group of men bore fruit, and
Then there is proof of the survival of the American
the Jewish Theological Seminary
spirit of decency on the world front. PM, the New York
of America opened its doors in
In his address to the delegates of the General 1886, it already possessed its two
daily newspaper, is unrelenting in its fight against the
anti-Semitic policies of Marcel 'Peyrouton, the Governor Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Wel- dominant traits, a deep devotion
General of Algeria. PM and other liberal periodicals do fare Funds, held in Cleveland, Charles P. Taft, acting to Jewish tradition and scholar-
not hesitate to condemn the approval of PeyrOuton's ap- chairman of the President's War Relief Control Board, ship, coupled with an awareness
of modern needs and American
pointment by our Minister in Algeria, Robert D. Murphy.
Therefore, there is hope that the unfortunate situation in urged that the United Jewish Appeal and other Jewish ideals.
Turning Point
Algeria, which keeps our people in bondage, will be cor- welfare funds should merge their efforts with the War
rected.
The story of the struggle and
Chests.
growth of the Seminary is an
It is disturbing to know the bigotry continues to rule
He made the point, in advocating that Jews should epic of heroic 'preparations, all
on many fronts. But the. evidences of resentment against become a part of the War Chest movement, that Jews are too little appreciated by Ameri-
the continuation of Hitlerite policies are the rays of hope
can Jewry. The arrival of Solo-
which keep alive our faith in the spirit of America. As needed to give "spiritual tone" to the merged community mon Schechter on _these shores
in 1902 to become the second
long as Americans fight for fair play and justice, America fund-raising efforts.
is safe.
president of the Seminary, mark-
"It seems to me," Mr. Taft declared, "that in this ed
the turning point in its his-
whole welfare operation there is a unique place for the tory.
We glory in the fact that the
Jewish community. I an) sure that it was no accident that
Insti-
Governor Lehman was placed in charge of this enterprise present president - of our
Iraq's declaration of war on the Axis carrits with it (as head of The Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilita- tution, an oUtstanding . scholar
and Jewish leader; Prof. Louis
significant implications insofar as Jews and Jewish aspira-
tion) for the government. There are very special reasons Finkelstein, is both - American-
tions in Palestine are concerned.
born and American-bred.
It was not so long ago that the Arabs, and the Iraq why it is not only appropriate but should give a spiritual
Today, the Seminary has be-
leaders among them, played the game of Hitler and Mus- leadership which is certainly needed in this effort."
come, in truth, a great Jewish
solini. The Jews of Palestine were the only group in the
This attitude is especially interesting in view of the university. At its inception. its
Middle East whom the democracies could trust.
basic . purpose was the training
fact that it had been anticipated in communities like De- of rabbis for the American -com-
Now, however, with the fortunes of war definitely
on the side of the United Nations, the Arab peoples have troit where Jewish causes are already part of the War munity. At present, its 300 grad-
Chests. It will be recalled that local leaders expressed uates minister to _Congregations
taken a stand with the democratic forces.
throughout the United States and
This means that while Jews are not certain of a views similar to Mr. Taft's when they invited our partici- Canada, while the ChieL Rabbi
place at the peace table, Iraq and other Arabic countries pation in the War Chest.
of the British Empire is its first
will have a voice in the shaping of the world to come.
Sulth an attitude is, of course, highly encouraging to alumnus.
In addition, many important
Does this spell danger for Palestine? Will it affect us as Americans and as Jews and it justifies the approval
contributions to the raising of
our position in the shaping of peace policies and in solving
the level of the Jewish teaching
the problems of the oppressed peoples of the world? Will given to Jewish partnership in the War Chests by Dr. profession
have been initiated by
Abba
Hillel
Silver,
national
chairman
of
the
United
Jew-
it doom the hopes of millions of Jews who may have no
the Teachers Institute. .
other place to turn to but Palestine?
ish Appeal. Rabbi Silver told the Federations' Assembly
For hundreds of young men •.
These are serious questions which demand wise action that Jewish participation in the War Chests is an exten- and women, who are not profes-
on the part of Jewish leaders. The new turn in world af- sion of Jewish association with the entire country in the sionally interested in JewiSh
fairs means that Jews can not afford to be divided, that programs involved, and the Detroit Jewish community al- work, but who are eager to en-
we must have a united front when we present our case ready knows that there is much to be gained in such as- rich their lives through their
Jewish cultural inheritance, the
before the nations of the world.
sociations as a means of strengthening the bonds of Seminary College of Jewish Stu-
May the critical hour find a wise, not a divided and friendship and cooperation with our non-Jewish neigh- dies and the Seminary School
deluded Jewish leadership.
bors.
of Jewish Studies were formed.

As the Editor
Views the News

America Is Safe

U. J. A. Remains Intact

"Spiritual Tone" of War Chest

The Arabs and the Democracies