Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 16, 194•
Coming to a Boil
Talmudic Tales
Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious News
Service, Palcor News Agency, Bressler Cartoon Service, Wide
World Photo Service, Acme Newsphoto Service.
Published every Friday by Jewish News Publishing Co., 2114
Penobscot Bldg., Detroit, 26, Mich. Telephone, RAndolph 7953. 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.)
Everything Created Has Ifs Use
"Of what use in the spider?"
mused David, King of Israel, one
day as he lay on his couch
watching a spider spin its web.
"It only clutters up the rafters
with its webs, making walls
dirty and unsightly."
BBOARD OF DIRECTORS
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
MAURICE ARONSSON
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
ABRAHAM SRERE
THEODORE LEVIN
HENRY WINEMAN
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
Then he mused further:
"Of what use in the world is
an insane person or an idiot?"
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL- 3—NO. 17
Just then he was bitten' by a
mosquito and his thoughts turn-
ed in that direction.
JULY 16, 1943
As the Editor
Views the News -
"Just what is the mosquito's
mission on earth?" he meditated.
"Why was it ever created? All
it does is disturb our comfort
and no one profits by its ex-
-
A Rest From Bigotry
Members of both Houses of Congress are not alone in
sighing relief as a result of the adjournment ordered last
week.
The entire country should be relieved that some of
the nonsense which has been pouring out of Washington
will not be heard for at least two months.
There is no reason why we should be asked to become
fully accustomed to the silly prattle which was uttered
almost daily by men like Congressmen Clare Hoffman and
John E. Rankin.
The latter takes special delight in taunting a Jewish
Congressman—Emanuel Celler of New York. Singling him
out as a target for attack Congressman Rankin, several
days before the closing of the Congressional session, refer-
ring to the Detroit race riots, let loose on "Communistic
Jews" whom he charged with "creating and promoting race
trouble and race riots."
Here is a sample of this Congressman's brilliant chatter.
Said Congressman Rankin:
"'When those communistic Jews—of whom the decent
Jews are ashamed—go around here and hug and kiss these
Negroes, dance with them, intermarry with them, and try
to force their way into white restaurants, white hotels and
white picture shows, they are not deceiving any red-blooded
American, and, above all, they are not deceiving the men
in our armed forces—as to who is at the bottom of all this
race trouble.
"The better element of the Jews, and especially the old
line American Jews throughout the South and West, are
not only ashamed of, but they are alarmed at, the activities
of these communistic Jews who are stirring this trouble up."
Is better evidence needed that right on the floor of
Congress there is at least one man who is stirring up
racial differences and is inciting hatred?
There is good reason for feeling relieved that Congress
will not be in session for a while. Perhaps the hate-inspiring
Congressmen will return with a better sense of justice than
they had displayed during the last session.
Perhaps this is too much to expect of Congressman
Rankin. But we entertain this hope because we have faith
in the sound judgment of the American people. After all,
some of his own constituents may find it necessary to point
out to the Mississippi Congressman that the rantings of
the type we have just quoted do not serve to increase
good will among all Americans and tend to undermine
the basic ideals of this great republic.
`Behavior' as a Guide
Hungarian Jews have been asked by the Jewish Com-
munity of Budapest "not to give any opportunity for criti-
cism of your appearance and behavior." The community's
appeal reads:
"We ask our Jewish coreligionists in a most emphatic
manner to see to it that our behavior and attitude is worthy
of these serious times when our position demands from us
greatest sacrifices. Let us be modest, disciplined, unimperti-
nent. Let us not occupy places of amusement, recreation, or
on the beach. Let us not furnish any opportunity for criticism
of our appearance and behaviour. In times like these, our duty
lies in maintaining serious, modest and disciplined behavior."
Where have we heard such instructions before? When-
ever Jews become panicky, they immediately begin worrying
about "behavior."
That this appeal should have, been made to one of the
most distinguished and most cultured Jewish communities
in Europe is proof of the existence of a mischievous force
back of it.
The cat is released from the Hungarian bag with the an-
nouncement that the above statement apparently was made
under instructions from the Hungarian authorities. Since
these "authorities" are under the complete influence of the
Nazis, it is evident that the "behavior" suggestion is a Nazi-
manufactured scheme.
This Week's Scriptural Portions:
This Sabbath, the fourteenth day of Tammuz, the following
Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion: Num. 22:2-25:9.
Prophetical portion: Micah 5:6-6-8.
Readings of the Torah on the Fast of Tammuz, Tues-
day, July 20:
Pentateuchial portion: Ex. 32:11-14; 34:1-10.
Prophetical portion: Is. 55:-56:8.
istence."
But King David before his
death was to learn that there
is nothing but what has its use.
(See Editorial)
GUEST EDITORIAL—
The Jewish Community Council
By JAMES I. ELLMANN
President, Jewish Community Council of Detroit
The last 10 years have undoubtedly witnessed the
greatest deterioration in the whole position of world Jewry.
Dislocations and ravaged homes aside, the casualties through
the most cold-blooded murders in our entire history, will
mount to staggering proportions. In this sort of dismal
background the concept and structure of a
Community Council has come to play its
part in American Jewish life.
Moments of hesitancy and d o u b t,
moments even of genuine despair, were
natural enough in its early days. It was,
of course, not to be entirely expected that
the Community Council would at once be
endowed with adequate resources, enough
staff, and be possessed of enough accumu-
lated experience, to do effectively an im-
perative job. Ideas, plans, human and
J. I. Ellmann
financial resources, all had to be garnered in an atmosphere
often of indifference, sometimes even of complete resist-
ance.
Fortunately, the Community Council does evince a
fresh virility The devotion, the enthusiasm and the energies
of its devotees, have helped weather many a storm. A fairly
new instrumentality (out of an old tradition) has been
fashioned through which to establish and develop, among
other things, representative thinking, planning, acting, to
replace individual assumption of spokesmanship however
capable and well meaning.
Then, too, a large measure of the Council's work must
be exploratory and creative in character. Its work would
be simple indeed could it appeal in crucial moments to the
national agencies for immediate and complete guidance in
all directions. But answers from there are necessarily dis-.
tant, slow and indecisive at times.
We must therefore continue to develop here and now,
and perhaps also in other communities in the land, men,
plans, and methods for dealing at close range with ever
new and disturbing problems and irritations, as well as
with more wholesome and positive attitudes in our own
relations. Without manpower and proper direction, crises
will find us confused, hysterical and even irresponsible.
Through a developing program a self-criticism, self-
improvement, and self-defense, the Community Council at
least provides us this treble weapon for Jewish group life
in America.
When he was captured by the
brothers of Goliath in the land.
of the Philistines and brought
before Achish, the king of Cath,
was it not only by acting as tho
he were an idiot that he escaped
being put to death? Did not he
by impersonating a madman,
make the king believe that sure-
ly such a man could not be the
kingly David? "And David
changed his demeanor before
them and feigned himself mad
in their hands, and scribbled on
the doors of the gate and let his
spittle fall down upon his beard.
Then said King Achish unto his
servants: "Lo, when ye see a man
that is mad, wherefore do you
bring him to me? Do I lack mad-
men, that ye have brought this
madman in my presence?" David
therefore departed thence, and
escaped. (I Samuel 21:22).
On another occasion, a spider
spun a web over the opening to
the cave where David was con-
cealing himself from his purs-
uers. When they came to the
cave and • saw the spiderweb,
they passed on, feeling that no
one could have entered that cave
without having disturbed that
spider's web and accordingly
David was saved by a spider.
On a third occasion, when
David entered the Camp of Saul,
stealthily he crawled past Abner,
a sleeping guard. Just then
Abner moved his position in his
sleep and his leg fell across
David's body. David was in a
Predicament. A single move on
his part would awaken Abner
and mean his capture and death
while if he remained in that posi-
tion until morning, he would be
discovered and that would like-
wise mean his death. He was in-
deed perplexed as to what to do.
When all of a sudden a mos-
quito alighted upon Abner's leg.
The guard, still asleep, slapped
at the mosquito, moving his leg
quickly on doing so and David,
thus released, was rescued from
death by a mosquito.
Thus was it proven to David
that there is nothing that has
Michigan CIO News has exposed the activities of Con- been created but what has its
gressman Clare E. Hoffman of Michigan and Gerald L. K. use and can be an omen for
Smith, former lieutenant in the rabble-rousing armies of good.
`Clare and Gerald'
Hugh Long and Father Coughlin, now the leader of a new
reactionary movement, with headquarters in Detroit.
The CIO News publishes correspondence from Cleveland
reporting a meeting which was addressed by both Hoffman
and Smith at which the defeat of the United Nations in
the war against Fascist was predicted. As usual, there were
attacks on Jews, and the name of Wendell Willkie, who
has repudiated the rabble-rousers, was booed.
As an aftermath to the race riots in Detroit, Congress-
man Klein of New York introduced a resolution calling for
the selection of a committee to investigate the anti-Negro
outbursts throughout the land. Congressman Klein stated
on the floor of Congress: "I think that in Detroit it was
the remnants of the Ku Klux Klan, the Gerald Smith
followers, and other subversive forces that were responsible
for the riots."
Whether this is so or not, it is certain that the Hoffman-
Smith forces are not contributing to the good will and
peace of the land, and it is about time that a halt was
called to their activities.
The sooner such rabble-rousing activities are stopped,
the sooner, of course, will Detroit feel relieved of the guilt
that most subversive activities, aimed at dividing the Ameri-
can population on racial and religious issues, have been
fathered by bigots who have made our city their head-
guar terp
(Copyright by David Morantz)
("Talmudic Tales," containing 12S
legends and 500 pearls of wisdom,
are available at $1.50 postpaid, in
the autographed, 195-page volume,
from the author, David illorantz,
Grossman Bldg., Kansas City, Kan.).
Greenstein Gets Leave
To Join Lehman's Staff
BALTIMORE (JTA)—At the
request of Herbert H. ' Lehman,
director of the Office of Foreign
Relief and Rehabilitation, Harry
Greenstein, executive director of
the Association Jewish Charities
of Baltimore, has been granted
a year's leave of absence to as-
sist in the planning of welfare
programs in the office of the
OFFRR, it was announced here.
Mr. Greenstein will serve as
general consultant in the Divi,
sion of Program and Require-
ments and will help to develop
plans dealing with mass prob-
lems of relief in the liberated
areas.