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, 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.