111.1111111.111111111111111111111.1111 Page Four THE 'JEWISH NEWS "atl e THE JEWISH NEWS Neast 111 Friday, December IT 1943 tights" By BRESSLER 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 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 the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, at 40 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.) Be Punctual 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. 4—NO. 13 DECEMBER 17, 1943 As the Editor Views the News - - The Fight of the Modern Maccabees Hanukah again stirs the imagination of Jews everywhere and arouses hopes that the heroism of those who reject regi- mentation and who fight for their existence and for their rights as human beings will result in triumph for decency and. justice everywhere. An ancient story continues in our time without interrup- tion. There is an attempt to destroy the Jewish way of life, accompanied by the Nazi aspiration for the extermination of all Jews. As in the days of Antiochus, the destructive ele- ments are meeting their doom. The modern Maccabees, fighting on all fronts, are the symbols in our time of the determined will of our people to survive. In the ghetto of Warsaw, heroic Jewish men and women gave evidence that they belong to an undying people and they will not submit to threats of extermination without offering battle for life and honor. Their courage serves as a signal to those who have survived the wholesale slaughter of the Nazis to carry on the battle until complete triumph is reg- istered for the cause of justice everywhere. It is unfortunate that Jews must battle for the right to survive even in free countries. In Palestine, our people are fighting against an unjust administration which is abusing traditions that have made the British a great nation. In this country, too, the battle for light against darkness is not over. The experiences in Boston and elsewhere point to a continued struggle against bigotry. On the home front, as on the battlefield, the Maccabean spirit is challenged and those who fight for justice must carry on until total victory is attained. Then there is the battle against those within our own ranks who, like the pro-Hellenists of old, betray their own traditions and seek by imitation and mimicry to sacrifice Jewish principles. They too, are doomed to defeat. The spirit of Hanukah is in evidence today, as it will be be for generations to come. The valor of the Maccabeans is being repeated on many fronts. The fight for justice must end in victory. Dr. Hershman's Fascinating Book In his introduction to Dr.• A. M. Hershman's highly scho- larly work, "Rabbi Isaac Perfet and his Times," Prof. Alex- ander Marx of the Jewish Theological Seminary states that the Detroit Rabbi's researches, incorporated in this book, are "a most valuable addition to the all too scanty English Jew- ish historical literature." The interest that the entire community should show in Rabbi Hershman's book should find justification in this brief statement. Dr. Hershman has devoted 12 years of effort to the preparation of this fine book. He deals not only with the life of one of the most interesting characters in Jewish his- tory, but also presents an historical outline of the history of the Jews in North Africa. "Rabbi Isaac Perfet and his Times" has the merit of fas- finating reading not only for the scholar but also for the average lay reader. The publication of this book deserves to be welcomed by all Detroit Jews as a great contribution made by the man who for 37 years has served well not only his own congrega- tion—Shaarey Zedek—but the community at large. A Chemical Center for Middle East Dr. Ernst Bergmann's outline of the chemical research work being carried on in the Daniel Sieff Research Institute Rehovoth, Palestine, at a meeting of the Detroit commit- tee that is seeking funds to finance this effort, was not only a fascinating experience but was a revelation of available pos- sibilities of future colonization efforts in Palestine. The news that the Negev can be transformed into a thriv- ing Palestinian settlement is significant, Since there is serious talk of opening that territory for colonization. As Dr. Bergmann indicated, there certainly can be no talk of displacing anyone in the Negev which is today com- pletely uninhabited. Furthermore, the discoveries made by Jewish scientists in Palestine and the contributions our chemists are making towards the advancement of industry in the Middle East are gifts to civilization which the world will not be able to for- get. They should prove valuable advantages . in the justified claims that our people have to the right to build a homeland b in Palestine. Dr. Bergmann rendered a real service with his presen- tation of facts on the status of chemical research in Palestine, and the picture he painted should help the Detroit commit- tee raise its full quota for the support of the Sieff Institute. Talmudic Tales The JDC's Historic Task A rabbi once sent for a young man of his congregation arid ask- ed that he call upon him at a certain time, specifying the hour of the day at which it would be convenient to see him. The young man, to be sure to be on time, came several hours early, only to find the rabbi very busy at other duties and unable to see him until the hour stated. When the time permitted him to see the young man, he said: "Before we get down to the matter that occasioned my call- ing on you, let me give you a bit of advice that you will find very valuable as you go through life and that is this: If a time is set for a thing to be done, do so at the time set and not earlier nor later than the time set for an en- gagement, not arriving much too early nor too late." There is a wealth of wisdom in those words of the rabbi. A business or professional man who makes a definite appointment usually plans his work so that the time specified is the time best suited to his convenience and to arrive either earlier or later may interfere. seriously with these plans. So in the words of the rab- bi may I again repeat: "If a time is set for a thing to be done, do so at the time set and not earlier nor later than the time set for it." (Copyright by David Morantz) Several announcements of great significance were made at the 29th annual meeting of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, held last week in New York. All who are interested that the work of providing relief for the millions of suffering Jews throughout the world— and we take it for granted that not a single Jew would de- For a handsome 195 page, auto- sire to be counted out of such a classification—must greet graphed gift volume containing 128 of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wis- with satisfaction the historic results of that meeting. dom, send $1.50 to David Morantz, of The Jewish News, or phone In the first place, the information that relationships.for care PLaza 1048. dispensing relief in Russia have been resumed as a result of arrangements made with the Soviet Union is of extreme sig- nificance. Hundreds of thousands of refugees now in Russia A. P. Correspondent and the million and a half Polish Jews who were fortunate to find a haven in Soviet territories now will have a better Tells Moving Story opportunity to receive the help they need so urgently. Of Marine's Heroism Furthermore, the announcement that the JDC is to make a shipment of $500,000 worth of essential supplies for distri- A cable from Pearl Harbor bution by the Russian Red Cross "to all people in need in such regions without regard to race or nationality" will be states that William Hippie, the Associated Press correspondent; welcomed as a great humanitarian act. Similarly, American Jews will welcome with great satis- faction the announcement that packages of food, clothing and medicines are to be sent to evacuees from Eastern Europe, now in Soviet Asia, at the rate of 5,000 parcels a month and a cost that will exceed $750,000 by the end of this year. Using Palestine and Teheran as supply bases, this new relief effort should realize a need which was filled only partially until now. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has earned a place as the world's greatest humanitarian agency, second only to the Red Cross, and it is important that it should be given all the support it needs. Duplication of effort which would interfere either with its direct efforts or with its fund-raising activities should be avoided. It is a tribute to the leadership of the JDC that its 29 years of activities should bring promise of results which will bring the relief which millions of Jews expect from American Jewry. G.L.K. Smith's New Boast Gerald L. K. Smith, leader of the America First Party and a leader in the anti-Semitic movement in this country, has issued a new boast. He told a meeting of his followers here recently that in case of an attempt to deprive him and his party of freedom of speech he will have "100 per cent co-operation" of Roger Baldwin, director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Which proves that the fascists of this country are not fools. They know how to take advantage of all the benefits afforded to people living in a democracy, In Germany, too, before the complete regimentation of the country by the Nazis, Hitler and his cohorts made use of the right to freedom of speech and the press. Then, when they acquired control, they knew how to deprive those who gave them the right to speak of these same privileges. Perhaps the Civil Liberties Union had better be a bit more discriminating in the manner in which it opposes measures to ban from the mail literature that stirs up race and religious hatred, and the scrupulousness with which it is ready to defend Nazis and rabble-rousers for the sake of pro- tecting the "letter-of-the-law" in freedom of speech cases. After all, we should be careful how we grant unlimited rights to people who shout "fire" in crowded theaters. This Week's Scriptural Selections: This Sabbath, the twenty-first day of Kislev, 5704, the fol- lowing Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion: Gen. 37:1-40:23. Prophetical portion: Amos 2:6-3:8. Scriptural selections for Hanukah: Wednesday, Num. 7:1-17; Thursday, Num. 7:18-29; Friday, Num. 7:24-35. 7.: who has witnessed many touch- ing battle scenes, upon his re- turn from the battle of Tarawa described an incident that is to him the most touching he has ever seen. Here is the incident he described: A young Jewish Marine private was in a shell hole, badly in- jured and in pain. A Navy hospi- tal corpsman crawled over to give him morphine to ease his suffering. But the Marine pro- tested. "Please don't give - me morphine," he pleaded. "Please don't give me morphine. I won't be able to do any more fighting." The corpsman finally held the wounded Marine down and ad- ministered the pain killer. His muscles slowly relaxed, his eyes closed and he lay back. But, Mr. Hipple reports, the boy was still grumbling because he was being put out of action. In Lighter Vein The Week's Best Stories THE HEARTS OF THE POOR of those ironical shafts of wit that emerge from class distinctions appeared the other day in the regular column of "Davar", the Tel Aviv Hebrew Labor daily. Said Berl meeting Schmerl: I have just read where it says that Tel Aviv Municipality is go- ing to start a Cardiac Research Institute to examine the hearts of the poor. Isn't that surprising'? What about the hearts of the rich?" Replied Schmerl: "My good friend, if the rich had any hearts, then it would not be necessary to examine the hearts of the poor." In the light of the proscription Jn imitating the Menorah, the Jews of old fashioned a lamp of similar shape for the Hanukah service by utilizing the Menorah motif and adapting it to the needs of an eight-day festival by means of a lamp of four semi-circles instead of three, with the central shaft used for the Shammash.