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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, 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.
Friday, March 19, 1943
THE "HAMAN" OF TODAY ! by aREssum
By DAVID MORANTZ
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
MAURICE ARONSSON
FRED M. ,BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
ABRAHAM SRERE
THEODORE LEVIN
HENRY WINEMAN
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HAMAN, TOO, TRIED
THAT SCARE STUFF
— BUT IT ,
DIDN'T WORK :
PHILIP SLOIVIOVITZ, Editor
VOL. 2—NO. 22
MARCH 19, 1943
•
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Adar Sheni, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in our Syna-
gogues: Pentateuchal portions, Lev. 1:1-5:26, Deut. 25:17-19;
Prophetical portion, I Sam. 15:2-34. On the Feast of Purim,
Sunday, March 21, Ex. 17-8-16 will be read during morn-
ing services in our Synagogues.
As the Editor
Views the News - 1•1
The Jewish News—One Year Old
With this issue, The Jewish News completes -the first
year of its existence as a community organ.
We approach the second year of service to the Jews of
this community with the same feeling of humility and with
the same desire to serve which motivated our appearance
on March 27, 1942.
The beginning of our second year, at the same time,
will be marked by a greater spirit of confidence that is
generated by the encouragement we have received from the
Jewish community of Detroit.
Our readers' reactions to our efforts during the past 12
months have been a source of strength in our efforts to serve
the needs of this community. The encouragement given us
by the leaders of our community has upheld our hands
during a critical year in history.
The needs which motivated our appearance last year are
equally as valid today. Therefore, on our first anniversary,
we repeat our pledge of service which was incorporated in
the following credo in the platform announced in our first
issue. This is our credo:
A newspaper's responsibilities are immense in time
of peace; they are far greater in time of war.
We are conscious of these responsibilities as Ameri-
cans.
We are conscious of these duties as Jews.
The Jewish News believes in the American way of
life and Is here to contribute everything possible toward
its survival.
,
The Jewish News believes in the sacred American
ideal of Fair Play and dedicates itself towards the com-
plete realization of this ideal.
The Jewish News is confident that Americans are
prepared to fight for their rights and that they will refuse
to permit fear to dominate our land. We are here to help
defeat the spirit of fear.
The Jewish News believes in the Four Freedoms
enunciated by President Roosevelt and will fight for these
freedoms on every American front, in the American way.
The Jewish News pledges itself to a program whose
concern it becomes to keep Jews and non-Jews informed
on facts relating to the Jewish position; whose chief
interest it is to advance the morale of our people and to
hold high the banner of democracy, religious freedom
and good will among all faiths; to fight against fraud,
deceit and misrepresentation, and in that spirit to set a
high example for ethical conduct in our community.
We are motivated by the community responsibility
of establishing the most friendly inter-denominational
relations, of advancing the Good Neighbor policy between
Jews and non-Jews, of establishing the type of relations
which serve to build a wholesome American life based on
inter-faith co-operation.
The Jewish News pledges itself to serve as the organ
for the good of the Jewish communities of Detroit and
Michigan, and for our sister communities throughout the
land.
To that end the Jewish News subscribes to all the
American Jewish news-gathering agencies and pledges to
give its readers the _fairest collection of factual informa-
tion regarding Jews everywhere—locally, throughout
the state, nationally, throughout the world.
In order that the Jewish communities may keep
abreast with all that is transpiring in Jewish life and
with the various shades of opinion among us, we pledge
ourselves to serve as a clearing house for these opinions,
and approach Jewish issues without partisan coloration.
An effective Jewish public opinion must be an informed
Jewish public opinion, and our task is to achieve that end.
The Jewish News dedicates itself to the cause of
alleviating suffering among the oppressed Jewish masses
Talmudic Tales
in lands of slavery and bigotry, and to that end we
pledge ourselves to do everything possible to enlighten
our people on the various needs making claims upon us
—be they in the fields of relief, of Palestine's recon-
struction, or the defense of our rights everywhere.
The Jewish News pledges itself to place service to
the community above the profit motive.
In this spirit the Jewish News makes its formal
appearance as YOUR newspaper, as the organ dedicated
to the service of the most sacred causes having your
interest and concern.
We are here to serve and to befriend you. Acting
together, we are in a position to bring the most good
to America, to the ideals for which America stands, and
to the Jewish communities which form an important
element in the American commonwealth.
With this pledge to service, we express our sincere
gratitude for the community's support and we urgently invite
the continvecl cooperation of the entire community.
The Purim of 1943
In Axis-held territories, observance of Purim is for-
bidden and our people will not be permitted to read the
Book of Esther, while we, in the free countries, celebrate
the holiday this Saturday night and Sunday.
The action taken by the Nazi-Fascist powers is the best
desired proof that the lessons of history remain valid for
our time: that the Hamans of our day are doomed to the
same fate as Haman of the days of Esther and Mordecai
in Persia. The Hamans are destroyed by their madness.
It is only a question of time when we shall celebrate
another Purim, marking the end of Hitler and Hitlerism.
As an augury of better days to come for all mankind,
the present Purim celebration should be marked by a spirit
of joy which should give us confidence in looking ahead to
an era of justice.
Congressional Anti-Nazi Action
By unanimous action, the United States Senate adopted
Senator Barkley's resolution condemning Nazi outrages
against the Jews.
The resolution declares:
"That these brutal and indefeasible outrages against
millions of helpless men, women, and children should be and
they are hereby condemned as unworthy of any nation or any
regime which pretends to be civilized.
"Resolved further, That the dictates of humanity and
honorable conduct in war demand that this inexcusable
slaughter and mistreatment shall cease and that it is the sense
of this Congress that those guilty, directly or indirectly, of
these criminal acts shall be held accountable and punished
in a manner commensurate with the offenses for which they
are responsible."
This is, in effect, a declaration of principles for future
action by America's legislators.
The resolution means, quite clearly, that the Nazi
gangsters will be held to "strict accountability," as President
Roosevelt has already assured a delegation of _spokesmen for
American Jewry.
There are two unfortunate aspects in the action of Con-
gress:
1. The resolution does not set forth policy with regard
to assistance for the unfortunate sufferers from Nazism,
whether in Palestine or any other proferred haven of refuge.
2. Action against Nazism does not prevent members of
Congress from shouting against the "Ginsburg" type when
making capital against the administration and selecting
the "Gi.nsburgs" as scapegoats in a political squabble.
We are far removed from Utopia.
The Century Dictionary de-
fines Talmudic as meaning "Cif,
or pertaining to the Talmud."
What is the Talmud?
The word Talmud, from the
Hebrew word "lamed" (learn)
and "limmad" (Teach) means
lesson, tradition or doctrine.
The Talmud embodies the
civil and religious laws and tra-
ditions of the Jewish people and
represents the thoughts of many,
generations of Rabbis and Sages
of Israel.
In the Talmud will be found
much sage, profound wisdom.;
sparkling epigrammatic wit and
many pertinent parables, legends
and anecdotes, each imparting a
definite lesson or truth.
It will be my aim to select
from this mass of literature
some of the most beautiful and
pertinent of these and bring
them to you in brief, easily read-
able form under the title of
"Talmudic Tales."
Story of Little Fox
To begin, I shall tell you that
little tale from the Talmud of
the fox who coveted, from a
distant hill, certain luscious ap-
pearing grapes which he saw in
a vineyard surrounded by a high
wall.
Loath to forego this feast,
which would be his, could he but
gain entrance to the vineyard,
he went round and round the
wall searching for an opening.
Finally, his search was re-
warded by the discovery of a
small hole but then he found
to his dismay \ that he was toe
fat to crawl through it.
Accordingly, he fasted for
three days, after which he was
able to force his way through.
After eating and eating until
his gluttenous appetite was sat-
isfied, he found he could not get
out.
Then he had to fast three days
more until he was able to come
through the small hole.
Takes Nothing Away
Says the Talmud further on
the subject of covetousness:
"Naked, man enters the world,
and naked does he leave." -
"Man is born with his hands
clinched but his hands are open
in death because on entering the
world he desires to grasp every-
thing, but on leaving it he takes
nothing away."
"Grasp little and you may se-
cure it; grasp much and you may
lose all."
"Who is rich? He who is sat-
isfied with his lot."
"The camel wanted to have
horns, and they took away his
ears."
"Drink not from one cup with
thine eye fastened on another."
"Be not over anxious to be at
the head of the table. It is not
the place that honors the man,
but the man that adorns the
place."
"Talmudic Tales"
Our New Feature
"Talmudic Tales" commen-
ces in this issue of The Jewish
News as a series of Jewish
legends and gems of Hebraic
humor and wisdom.
This colmn has an interest-
ing history.
Its author, David Morantz,
is a Kansas City, Kan., busi-
ness executive, civic leader
and active in Bnai Brith work,
being a member of the Anti-
Defamation Committee, and
past president of Beth Horon
lodge. He is also a special
lecturer for the Temple Bnai
Jehudah religious school.
One day he was called upon
to deliver an address before
the Kansas City Rotary Club.
He used several Jewish folk
tales as well as some gems of
quaint Hebraic humor and
wisdom from the Talmud, and
immediately struck a popular
note with the large audience.
Thereafter he was urged by
newspaper men to put them
into shape for general news-
paper use because of their ap-
peal.
The Jewish News has ar-
ranged with Mr. Morantz to
run this interesting feature.