Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 21, 1943
Talmudic Tales
Now for the Post-Graduate Work!
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.
By DAVID MORANTZ
(Based upon the ancient legends and
philosophy found in the Talmud and
folklore of the Jewish people.)
Prepare for the Future
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
ABRAHAM SRERE
THEODORE LEVIN
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HENRY WINEMAN
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. 3—NO. 9
As the Editor
Views the News
MAY 21, 1943
---
The American Jewish Conference
In his stirring address before the large audience at the
Jewish Community Center on May 11, Rabbi Meyer Berlin,
president of the World Mizrachi Organization, deplored what
he believed to be a lack of interest in Jewish ranks in the
forthcoming American Jewish Conference.
The machinery for the Conference is now being set up in
Detroit and in communities throughout the country, and if
the unified effort on the part of American Jews in dealing
with post-war problems is to be a success, then all Jews must
acquaint themselves with the issues and must be prepared to
assist in selecting the ablest men and women as delegates to
the forthcoming sessions.
The American Jewish Conference will be concerned pri-
marily with the problem of assuring protection of the rights
of Jews everywhere and the resettlement of homeless Jews
after the war. It will be faced with the issue of securing guar-
antees for the Jewish position in Palestine.
A well-informed delegation, acting firmly and with a view
towards avoiding a split in our ranks, can make the Confer-
ence an historic gathering in defense of our rights.
To this end, every Jewish community in the land must
strive to keep our people informed on what is transpiring in
our ranks.
The Arabs' Political Drive
Reports coming from many quarters, from North Africa
and Palestine as well as from Washington and New York,
point to plans being made by Arabs to organize political
committees to strive for an Arab federation to include Pal-
estine. Between the lines in all reports, one senses the danger
that unless Jews are prepared to face the issue, the Jewish
position in Palestine may be seriously affected.
The time has arrived, therefore, for us to outline the
Jewish position and to convince the world powers that we
have a stake in this war. Unless a home is provided for
hundreds of thousands of Jews when a better world is plan-
ned after the war, our people again may be doomed to a
position of homelessness, thus remaining the scapegoats in
all emergencies.
Judging by the interest displayed by our people in
Jews ask for very little. Our aspirations in Palestine
the past, we are confident that Detroit Jews again will play represent a small token, compared with the vast territories
an important role in planning for the defense of our people's possessed by the Arabs. In the small area of Palestine, we
rights.
aspire not only to settle Jews who have lost their status as
citizens
in many lands of oppression, but we have set up a
In order to prepare the community for a full understand-
ing of the issues involved in the American JewiSh Confer- standard which elevated the position of the Arabs.
*
*
*
ence, we devote a large portion of this issue of The Jewish
News to the call for the Conference and the rules set forth
The Christian Century on May 5 carried a very important
for the Election Board. We urge all Detroit Jews and especial- statement on the question "Is Zionism Fair to the Arabs?"
ly the spokesmen for all local organizations who will be It was written by Prof. S. Ralph Harlow of Smith College,
called upon to participate in the elections to study these Northampton, Mass., as an answer to numerous attacks on
rules and to be fully prepared to share in the effort for the the Balfour Declaration in that publication.
unification of Jewish ranks in the fight for justice for our
Prof. Harlow places emphasis not merely on the vast
people everywhere.
opportunities possessed by Arabs in their many states and
the contrast of the tragic position of Jews who have no other
place to look to than Palestine, but he also indicates that "in
no part of the Near East have the Arabs fared so well as in
Dr. Chaim Zhitlowsky was an unusual personality. A Palestine since the Jewish immigration began."
brilliant writer and an able lecturer, he became the leader of
"In Palestine," Prof. Harlow writes, "the Jews have
the nationalist Jewish group which favored Yiddish as the created productive work on which hundreds of Arabs have
national language. His followers were more than devotees. been employed. All one needs to do is to study the rapidly
They were strong admirers of this great personality.
increased Arab investments in Palestine, to note that the
arrival
of the Jews has been a good thing for these Arab
Dr. Zhitlowsky had been active in many fields of en-
deavor—including the revolutionary movement in Russia, all owners of vineyard and farm. For example, within the past
causes for the liberation of Jews in -countries of oppression, 13 years after the Jewish colonists poured into the land, the
and was at one time a supporter of the labor Zionist move- number of dunams owned by Arabs in orange groves rose
from 20,000 to 130,000. This represents a capital investment of
ment.
at least $30,000,000 to $40,000,000."
His place in Jewish life was best summarized in the mes-
sage which Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the Jewish
Prof. Harlow asks an important question: "If we say
Agency for Palestine, sent to the funeral service arranged for
Dr. Zhitlowsky, the principal tribute to whom was paid by that the 300,000 Arabs have a right to determine what shall
Sholem Asch. Dr. Weizmann, although he has been opposed happen to Palestine, what of the 15,000,000 Jews of the world,
who may be less than 12,000,000 by now, in the light of the
by Dr. Zhitlowsky for his political views, wrote:
mass murders taking place in central Europe?" He concludes
"With the passing of Dr. Zhitlowsky the Jewish
with this statement:
world has lost a great fighter for the cause of our na-
"The case for the Jewish homeland is far stronger today
tional freedom, the world'a courageous revolutionary, a
than it was 25 years ago when the government of the United
luminous mind and a profound philosopher."
States first took official action to support this hope of exiled
All who knew him, including those who could not see millions. The resettlement of Palestine has advanced from
eye to eye with him on many Jewish issues, recognize the the status of a hopeful experiment to that of heartening
great loss Jewry has suffered in the death of Dr. Chaim reality, while throughout Europe the position of Israel has
Zhitlowsky.
deteriorated to an appalling degree.
The Late Doctor Chaim Zhitlowsky
"When all the evidence is in, the justice of supporting
such a homeland for the Jews appeals to countless Americans
in such an hour as this."
Dr. Leo M. Franklin's interesting article in this issue of
Americans who otherwise may be
The Jewish News will be read with a great deal of interest tagonistic attitude stemming from. Arab influenced by an an-
political ranks must
by those who are intrigued by Jewish back-to-the-soil move- be made acquainted with the Jewish needs and our position
rnw,-its as well as by those who are interested in the history of in Palestine. Unless our government's support is retained in
Jews in Michigan.
behalf of the Jewish National Home in Palestine, grave
This article explains the reasons for the failure of the .Ntrongs may be done to the Jewish people after this war.
farming experiment at Bax Axe durina the final decade of the
last century. Certainly, the leaders of b Temple Beth El, under
This Week's Scriptural Porlions:
the guidance of the late Martin Butzel and Emanuel Wodic,
This Sabbath, the seventeenth day of Iyar, the following
did all that was humanly possible, to assist those who estab-
Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
lished the Palestine Colony.,
Pentateuchal portion: Lev. 25:1-26:2.
Jews as Farmers in Michigan
Dr. Franklin's article should be read widely by Michigan
Jew s.
Prophetical portion: Jer. 32:6-27.
Lag b'Omer occurs on Sunday, May 23.
A wealthy and kindly man, as
a reward to his slave for faithful
service, gave him his freedom
and a shipload of goods.
"Sail," said he, "whence thou
wilt, sell these goods and keep
for thyself that which you re-
ceive therefrom."
Happily, the slave sailed away
but a storm came up and every-
thing and everybody went down
with the ship except the slave,
who swam to an island, whereon
he saw a beautiful city. Ap-
proaching the city he was warm-
ly welcomed and the people
brought him to the palace in a
beautiful carriage and proclaim-
ed him king. The slave was
dumbfounded. He could not un-
derstand this, so he asked of a
man who was standing nearby.
Must Be Mistake
"What is the meaning of all
this? There must be a mistake?"
"No," he replied. "There is no
mistake. This island is inhabited
by spirits. Many years ago they
prayed-that yearly a son of man
be sent to reign over them. Their
prayers were answered and each
year a son of man comes, whom
they honor as they do you, but at
the end of the year his power
ends. Naked, he is placed upon a
boat and taken to a barren island,
where he is compelled to spend
the rest of his life in misery and
loneliness—unless he were wise
enough to provide for the fu-
ture."
"And how may I provide for
the future?" asked the slave, who
was now king.
Provide for Future
"The power is in thy hand to
provide for thy future. Whilst
thou are still king, Whilst thou
are still rich and powerful, send
workmen to that island. Have
them build houses, roads, till the
soil and make of it a beautiful
place in which to live. People
will then journey there to live
and will bless thee for thy kind-
ness in providing such a fruitful
home for them."
The king did as he was ad-
vised. Just as the man had pre-
dicted his power and property
were taken from him at the end
of the year. Naked, was he
placed upon a ship bound for
the island as had been all the
kings who preceeded him.
Approaching the shores of the
island he was welcomed by the
people who had been made hap-
py by his benevolence, foresight
and good deeds. They made him
a prince and he lived among
them the rest of his life in happi-
ness and peace.
Says the Talmud further on
this subject:
"Who is a wise man? He who
looks into the future."
(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 Moranta, Grossman Bldg.,
Kansas City, Kan.).
State in Palestine
Held Solution to
Jewish Question
NEW YORK—"The establish-
ment of a Jewish State in Pales-
tine". was described as "a new
and effective settlemen# of the
Jewish question," in a message
addressed to the Jews of America
by Viscount Cecil, British leader,
in a cable to Dr. Abba Hillel Sil-
veri National Chairman of the
United Palestine Appeal.
Sir Wyndham Deedes, formerly
Chief Secretary of the Palestine
Government, cabled to Dr. Silver
that "there is only one solution
for the JeWish question and that
is to rebuild the National Home
in Palestine, a task which must be
carried out for the most part by
the Jews."
He added "but your friends, of
whom I am proud to be one, are
not standing idly by. In the name
of God and humanity we are do-
ing all we can for the victims of
Nazi persecution and for the fu-
ture of the Jewish People."