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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 TiTaay by 3ewish NeNcrs Publishfrig Co., Li 1 ,1-
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, May 28, 1943
Memorial Day Unites Us All
Talmudic Ta1es
By DAVID MORANTZ
(Based upon the ancient legends and
philosophy found in the Talmud and
folklore of the Jewish people.)
Dignity of Honest Labor
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HENRY WINEMAN
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. 3—NO. 10
MAY 28, 1943.
As the Editor
Views the News - -
NM
Decoration Day
As we pay tribute to those who have died for their coun-
try, on Memorial Day, we can feel proud of the full share
given in defense of America's ideals by Jewish warriors.
In this war, as in previous ones, our people have played
an important role.
While this has also been true of the participation by Jews
in the affairs of all lands in which they have lived, the great
difference lies in the fact that in this country we have been
builders of a decent society which is devoid of tyranny and
persecution, whereas in other lands our people have suffered
the loss of millions of men and women and children at the
hands of barbarians while fighting for the preservation of
those countries.
We therefore- celebrate Decoration Day with the fervent
prayers that our democracy should be preserved and that all
mankind may learn the values which have raised American
standards above bigotry and persecution.
elcome, 'Liberal Judaism'
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations has made
a definite and constructive contribution to Jewish life in this
country, as well as to Jewish journalism, with its splendid
new monthly magazine, "Liberal Judaism."
Typographically impressive and rich in content, the new
magazine rises above partisanship in many ways, and gives
the impression of a serious effort on the part of the editors
to be objective.
Although it is the organ of the Reform congregations
of this country, the new magazine, in the main, reflects Jew-
ish activities on all fronts, and all issues are treated with
commendable fairness.
"Liberal Judaism's" all-embracing objectives are de-
scribed as follows in the announcement of its editorial policy:
"Dimly emerging horizons of the future have a significance
for young and old, for rabbi and congregant, for the religious
and the unsynagogued. Above all, these horizons must be made
to hold forth a promise of salvation for our suffering and be-
wildered fellow Jews abroad. Liberal Judaism intends to inter-
pret and promote such possibilities lucidly—free from social,
political, and personal rancor. In this, and in its general program
of expressing clearly the position of progressive Judaism, we
will endeavor to be constructive, objective, and enlightening."
The first issue, containing articles by such outstanding
personalities as Emil Lengyel, Moshe Shertok, William Zuker-
man, Bernard G. Richards and others, including also the
views of former Governor Herbert H. Lehman, augurs well
for "Liberal Judaism." It is certain also to serve as a pattern
for other Jewish journals who can stand guiding towards
better standards in Jewish journalism.
There will undoubtely be differences of opinion with the
editors of Liberal Judaism on many issues. Already, their
stand on Palestine is becoming a subject for discussion and
their failure to recognize the priority of Palestine as- a place
of rescue is being rightly criticized. But its general platform
indicates that the magazine will remain on the whole objec-
tive and impartial.
A Symbol of Democracy's Triumph
It fell to the lot of a Jewish officer in the U. S. Signal
Corps—Lt. Albert Klein of Waukegan, Ill.—to secure the un-
conditional surrender of Nazi General Krause at Bizerte.
If this was deliberately planned, it must be ranked among
the cleverest moves made by military personnel in this war.
However it happened, this is a symbol of the defeat of
Nazi tyranny and the triumph of the most tragic sufferers at
the hands of the Nazis—the Jews.
The unconditional surrender of the Nazi General to a
Jew is the signal of the speedily approaching day when the
democracies will have full sway in the world and the defeat
of Nazism will mark the end of tyranny and brutality every-
where.
In the Service of Our People
The approaching confirmations, consecrations and relig-
ious and community school graduations in our Temples and
Synagogues call for stock-taking within the community and
in Jewish homes.
Completion of elementary and high school studies should
be merely the beginnings of further study of Jewish subjects
by our boys and girls.
As we greet the confirmands, consecrants and graduates,
let us remind them of their greater responsibilities. Let it be
known that they have a sacred duty to themselves and to
their people not to limit their knowledge but constantly to
expand it.
During this graduation period, it is important also that
our young people should recognize the necessity for rendering
service to their people in time of need. For instance, gif t-
giving can be made a matter of service to the community if
those who honor the sons and daughters of their friends will
remember the most important community agencies on such
occasions. The special announcement in this issue of The
Jewish News regarding the outstanding local agencies affili-
ated with the Jewish Welfare Federation should serve as a
guide for such action.
Dr. Wise's Leadership
Dr. Stephen S. Wise has been granted a leave of absence
for the duration of the war from the Free Synagogue, which
he established in 1907.
After 50 years in the ministry, Rabbi Wise now is devot-
ing his energies entirely to the Joint Emergency Committee
on Jewish Affairs, the American Jewish Congress, the Emer-
gency Committee for Zionist Affairs and the Jewish Institute
of Religion.
Each of these posts calls for full-time efforts on the part
of any one man, but Dr. Wise's energies remain unbounded,
and he may well be expected to give his best talents to all
of them.
When the story of American Jewry's rise from a com-
munity of less than a million—at the time of Stephen S.
Wise's ordainment as a Rabbi—to its present size of nearly
5,000,000, is told, Dr. Wise's name will rank high among the
defenders of Jewish rights and the creators of high cultural
values for American Israel.
Dr. Wise has the best wishes of all American Jews in
all tasks ahead of him.
The Suicides Are Murders
Two weeks ago, Mrs. Max Lieberman, 85-year-old widow
of the great Jewish sculptor, was reported to have committed
suicide in Berlin.
Last week, Szmul Zygielbojm, Jewish labor representa-
tive on the Polish National Council, committed suicide in
London, in his despair over the fate of his family in Nazi
Poland.
From London also came the news that among those who
were "liquidated" by the Nazi in the Warsaw ghetto was
Hillel Zeitlin, one of the outstanding Jewish writers.
The scandalously tragic results of Nazi rule have been
reported under different headings. "Liquidation," "suicide"
and "heart failure" have been used to describe some of the
deaths among the millions of Nazi victims. In reality, they
are all murders.
A serious responsibility devolves upon all Detroit Jewish
This is the only way to describe Nazi atrocities when the
organizations to act at once in response to the call issued by day of retribution comes.
the local Election Committee and to select their delegates to
the election meeting to be held on June 15.
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
If the national conference is to be a success, all American
This
Sabbath,
the twenty-fourth day of Iyar, the following
Jews must show keen interest in its preparations and delib-
Scriptural
selections
will be read in our synagogues:
erations. All membership organizations in Detroit are obli-
Pentateuchal portion: Lev. 26:3-27:34.
gated to select their representatives at once and to assure
Prophetical portion: Jer. 16:19-17:14.
the election of the ablest possible delegation to represent
Selection from Scriptures for Rosh Hodesh Sivan,
Detroit at the American Jewish Conference, when it con-
Friday, June 4, Nurii. 28:1-15.
venes on 4.137 . 1.,
Elect Conference Delegates
A wealthy land owner once
employed a large number of men
to fill up a large ravine on his
estate.
One of the workmen, on look-
ing into the vast depths of the
ravine, said:
"This is so deep, we shall never
be able to fill it." So he gave up
the task.
However, the other said: "It
matters not how deep it is. We
should be happy to have honest
and useful work to do and by
perserverance we shall eventual-
ly be able to fill it."
Says the Talmud further on
the subject:
"If thou art engaged by the
day, do thy work to the 'best of
thy ability and think of naught
else."
"The dignity of labor is great.
It honors man."
"There can be no indignity in
earning an honest wage, whatever
the work may be."
"A man supported by others, be
they even his own parents or his
own children, cannot feel that joy
in life which the man feels who
supports himself by the work of
his own hands."
It was Rabbi Tarphon who
said: "The day is short, the work
great, the reward rich and the
Master urgent."
(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, Kan.).
Our Letter Bo.x
Regarding Our Columns on Sir
Ronald Storrs—A Criticism
and Further Comment
Editor, The Jewish News:
In Purely Commentary Col-
umn of April 23, you state that
Sir. Ronald Storrs, first governor
of Jerusalem under British rule,
has been saying things not help-
ful to the Zionist cause and that
he is not pro-Arab and not anti-
Semite. You even state that we
cannot call him an enemy since
he knows Hebrew, etc., etc.
To state it mildly, you treat
this enemy of the Jewish Na-
tional Home with silk gloves. It
is a matter of record that during
his governorship of Jerusalem,
and as a result of incitement by
British officials, including Storrs,
the Arabs let loose in 1920
against the defenseless Jewish
population. Storrs was then urg-
ed by Jewish delegations to do
his duty and put an end to the
pogrom, but he "did not see any
reason for • alarm and interven-
tion of police in armed forces"
while Jews of Jerusalem were
massacred. Had it not been for
the Jewish self-defense organiz-
ed by the late V. Jabotinsky,
Pinhas Rutenberg and Jewish
Legionaires, the massacres would
have continued in grand style to
the satisfaction of the governor
who "cannot be called an ene-
my."
Now this man is issuing warn-
ings that "unless a bi-national
state (really an Arab state) is
created in Palestine at once,
serious disturbance may result."
Does it not sound like a culmin-
ation to the campaign now in
process of provoking unrest in
Palestine so that the gates of
our homeland be permanently
closed to the homeless Jews of
Europe?
LOUIS PANUSH,
3437 Oakman Blvd.
EDITOR'S NOTE:—Mr. Pan-.
nush's comments, which we are
pleased to publish, were written
before the appearance of the se-
cond installment of our discus-
sion of Sir Ronald Storrs' Jew-
ish attitudes. Had Mr. Panush
mentioned the fact that a Jew,
the present Viscount Herbert
Samuel, was High Commissioner
of Palestine during the bloody
events of 1920, a clearer picture
could have been drawn of Bri-
tish "policy" in territories under
their control affecting Jewish
and Christian officials alike and
"enemies" and "friends" of the
Jews alike.