Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
Clutch of the Beast
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 tf March 3, 1879.
Friday, April 2, 1943-
Talmudic Tales
By DAVID MORANTZ
Solomon and the Bees
The Queen of Sheba, having
heard such glowing stories of the
wisdom of Solomon, decided to
visit him and see for herself
whether the king was as wise as
the reports pictured him.
She called at his palace carry-
ing two bouquets, one of natural
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ and PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Publishers
flowers and the other, the artifi-
ciali was so skillfully made up
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
that it was well nigh impossible
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
to distinguish between the two.
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
"If thou canst tell me from this
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
distance," she said, "which of
HENRY WINEMAN
these flowers are natural, I shall
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
then believe these reports I hear
of thy supreme wisdom."
VOL. 3—NO. 2
APRIL 2, 1943
Happening to hear a buzzing
sound at the window, he turned
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
his attention briefly in that di-
rection and saw a swarm of bees
This Sabbath, the twentieth day of Adar Sheni, the
fluttering about the closed win-.
following Scriptural selections will be read in our Syna-
dow.
gogues: Pentateuchal portions, Lev. 9:1-11:47; Ex. 12:1-20;
Ordering an attendant to open
Prophetical Portion, Ezek. 45:16-46:18. Rosh Chodesh Nisan
the window, in flew the bees and
reading of the Law, on Tuesday, Num. 28:1-15.
they alighted upon the natural
flowers. Thus did King Solomon
prove his wisdom to the Queen of
Sheba.
One sage, with a sense of
humor, observed that a good con-
clusion can be arrived at from
111111 ME IN
a large war plant and that fellow-employees have placed an this story if applied in general to
ladies and that is that the bee
anti-Semitic poem on her desk and then proceeded to make selects
only the pure and natural
copies of it for distribution among their friends in army beauties, avoiding the painted
The sessions of the Union of American Hebrew Congre- camps. The poem spoke of Jews as slackers who rejoiced in and artificial ones.
As the Editor
Views the News -
The Union Convention
gations and affiliated organizations, opening in New York
this Friday, are of great significance in this grave period
in history.
Men and women are challenged today not to lose cour-
age, to retain faith in the ultimate triumph of justice and
to perpetuate the spiritual forces which are the most im-
portant life-preserving elements for mankind.
-
Without faith, we perish. Without the spiritual forces
which must be provided for the people of America by the
three great faiths, we are in danger of succumbing to de-
spair and disillusionment.
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations meets
at a time when we must have reaffirmation of the principles
of Judaism which have helped our people to survive many
crises.
The convention program, aka. outline of which will be
found in this issue of The Jewish News, has been prepared
to meet the needs of the hour, both for civilians and service-
men.
As Mr. Melville S. Welt points out in the guest editorial
in this issue, the attitude and responsibility of Reform Juda-
ism in the world crisis will be clarified at this convention
and "its deliberations are certain to influence the program
of American Jewish activities for years to come."
May the Union's Council meet with the success which
the tragic hour in our history demands. The response to the
call for spiritual revival must be commensurate with the
deep-rooted religious values without which the Jewish people
can not retain the strength that has been ours in definance
of all obstacles placed in our paths by our adversaries.
That Others May Live
the fact that Christians are fighting the war for them.
*
*
*
If this were an isolated instance, it would not be worth
bothering about. But it is a widespread abuse of truth. The
latest issue of The Hour, anti-Nazi bulletin edited by Albert
E. Kahn, reveals the following facts regarding the spread of
"Poems for Hitler:"
Tens of thousands of copies of scurrilous anti-Semitic poems
are being distributed around the country, particularly in war
plants, in a special Nazi propaganda campaign to incite animos-
ity against American Jews and thus disrupt our war effort.
Some of these virulent Jew-baiting rhymes are in the form of
printed pamphlets and leaflets; others are on mimeographed
sheets and a number are simply typed, with multiple carbon
copies. All spread the familiar Hitlerite canard that the present
war was brought about by "World Jewry," and that the Jewish
people are now reaping immense profits from it and are shirk-
ing every patriotic duty.
A typical poem is entitled "The Official Song of the Kosher
Air Wardens." Another, called "The Marine Hymn," which pro-
Axis elements are circulating among defense workers in navy
yards, concludes with the comment that, after this war is over,
"You will find the Jews are ruling you, In Washington's old
White House." "America's Fighting Jew" pictures the Jewish
people as "setting up black markets in steel and hoarded food"
as "the Gentile soldiers go marching proudly by." A poem called
"Rejected" is followed by this note: "Copyrighted by Satan &
Satan, Inc., Jew York, Jew York." Another, headed "Three Wise
Men," ends with this line: "Damned if I don't think Hitler's
right."
The Hour recommends that the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation immediately investigate the printers, publishers and
distributors of this new form of pro-Axis propaganda.
Contrary to Mr. Kahn's views, we believe that this is a
job for Congress. If our lecrislators were to undertake to stop
the spread of anti-Semitic literaturethrough the mails, half
the problem would be solved and we could hope that the li-
belous material about Jews will not reach men in service.
But members of Congress have seen fit to heckle Conoress-
man Dickstein when he urged adoption of such legislation.
Thus, the spread of anti-Semitic propaganda through the
mails continues and serves to undermine the basic principles
of Anierican liberty inherent in the foundations of our
Republic.
(Copyright by David Morantz)
("Talmudic Tales," containing 128
legends and 500 pearls of wisdom,
are available in the autographed,
195-page volume, from the author,
David Morantz, Grossman Bldg.,
Kansas City, Ran.).
New Book Tells
Jewish Life in
The Modern World
In the process of the American
Jew's adjustment to life, as a
Jew and as an American, pre-
sents many problems to which'
Rabbi S. H. Markowitz offers nu-
merous answers in a book just
issued by the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations, Cincin-
nati.
"Leading a Jewish Life in the
Modern World" is the title of Dr.
Markowitz's book. In it he deals
with the personal experiences of
American Jews and the insecur-
ity they feel in critical times and
with the elements of persecution.
He approaches the basic issues
by describing graphically the
role in the life of American Jews
of the Torah, Palestine and other
social and religious influences.
The book deals with all the
Jewish festivals and the Sab-
bath.
Rabbi Alexander Goode, formerly of Congregation Beth
Israel, of York, Pa., is the first Jewish Chaplain to lose
Three New Books
his life in this war.
Together with two Protestant Chaplains and a Catholic
For Jewish Soldiers
Chaplain, Rabbi Goode sacrificed his life that four other
Continuing its practice of
men might survive, when a cargo transport in a North At-
bringing religious' materials to
lantic convoy was sunk last July.
Jews in the armed forces to aid
Rabbi Goode becomes a symbol of the war. He, and
them in observing their faith, the
others like him, have offered and continue to offer their
National Jewish Welfare Board
lives that others may live in a better world.
A crisis is approaching in the situation affecting the has just issued three new publi-
Their memory will live for all time to come, because upbuilding of Palestine as the Jewish National Home. The cations which are being distrib-
theirs is the supreme sacrifice on the altar which will mark announcement of the appointment of a Palestine Recon- uted in this country and over-
the end of brutality and the beginning of true justice for struction Commissioner has aroused fears that the White seas.
mankind.
Prepared by the Committee on
Paper may soon be implemented and that Jewish hopes Army
and Navy Religious Activi-
for a large immigration may be frustrated.
ties with the editorial aid of out-
It is imperative, therefore, that Mr. David Ben-Gurion's standing religious leaders from
warnings,
made after the announcement of the new post- the Orthodox, Reform and Con-
Americans are the most fortunate people in the world.
war
plans
for Palestine, should be taken seriously. Mr. servative Rabbinate, the publica-
Even in time of war, our liberties are not impeded. When
tions are: "A Book on Jewish
elements of prejudice and discrimination begin to make them- Ben-Gurion's warning that Jews will refuse to cooperate Thoughts,"
"Selected Jewish
in
the
implementing
of
the
White
Paper,
which
limits
Jewish
selves felt, American principles of fair play are strong enough
Songs" and "Haggadah for Pass-
immigration
and
land
purchases,
was
accompanied
by
the
to prevent their becoming matters of government policy.
statement that Jewry has suffered from three catastrophies: over."
A typical instance is the function of the President's Com- 1—The White Paper, 2—The War and, 3—the Nazi Massacres
mittee on Fair Employment Practice. This committee seeks in Europe.
Martyrs of Lidice
to enforce the Presidential Executive Order 8802 which makes
He declared: "We must be careful that any one of these
discrimination in war plants a breach of contract with the calamities does not cause us to forget the other two."
Honored in Novel
*
United States government. It is the duty of all who know of
A tribute to the martyrs of
such abuses to report them, and the office of the Jewish Com-
American Jews, who are concerned that the Palestinian
munity Council of Detroit should be notified of any evidences haven shall not be closed for the tens of thousands of Lidice, the village in Czecho-
Slovakia whose entire popula-
of such discrimination.
unfortunates who look to a redeemed Jewish National Home tion was murdered by the Nazis
*
*
*
But there are some elements in the make-up of people as their only hope of escape from misery and want, un- in retaliation for the assassina-
which threaten to destroy the good to which our government doubtedly will be called upon to intercede against unfair tion of Heinrich Heydrich, is-
aspires. It is not enough that there should not be bdiscrimina- decrees by discriminating planning boards. It will be neces- contained in the novel, "Men in
Black," by Owen Elford, the nom
ton in employment. What is necessary also is that those who sary for Jews to stand together and to act promptly in de plume of a well known Euro-
are employed without prejudice should not be abused. Un- demands that ,pledges made to us after the last war and pean playwright.
fortunately, it is difficult to prevent such abuses, since it is so periodically during the past 25 years shall not be violated.
It is an impressive story des-
The words of Mr. Ben-Gurion may soon become the scribing
hard to erase bias and hatred from human minds.
the work of the anti-.
clarion
call
of
our
people
everywhere.
It
is
a
pity
that
our
The experiences of employees in some war plants in De-
Nazi underground movement in
undiminished
war
efforts
in
behalf
of
the
United
Nations
troit prove or point. In one instance, a young lady called to
Europe. The book was published
have to be interspersed with cries for justice for the by Albert Unger Publishing Co.,
inform us, tearfully, that she is the only Jewish employee in may
Jews in Palestine.
55 W.
The Crisis in Palestine
Propaganda in Land of Freedom
42nd St., New York.