THF. Page Four Friday, May_ V, 1944 EWISH, NEWS 11.6370.121MICIMI, North, South, East, West, Americans all Shevuoth and Decoration Day On Sunday and Monday, when we gather in our syna- gogues to observe Shevuoth, our thoughts will be led in the direction of our youth. This great festival, which originated as a holiday mark- inc the end of the grain harvest in Palestine, and which is traditionally observed to commemorate the Giving of the- b Torah to Israel on Sinai, has become an important day for youth. Shevuoth marks confirmations and consercrations of boys and girls to the faith of Israel, and for our entire people it is therefore the occasion for reconsecration and rededica- tion to our religious ideals. Today, the cream of our youth is fighting for a better world and for an opportunity for all peoples to enjoy the advantages that go with freedom to ad- here to one's faith and to express one's opinions. The fact that Decoration Day will this year be Observed on the day following Shevuoth adds significance to the reso- lutions which must go with a determination to rededicate ourselves to the ideals of our faith, The battle for freedom and justice must be won. Invasion Day is drawing nearer and the sacrifices to be made must not be losses in vain. Mankind must emerge freed from bigotry and from the indig- nities that go with ignorance and with a lack of faith in the highest principles of democratic thinking and living. . The prayers we utter on Shevuoth and on Decoration Day will be that the world shall be blessed with the ideals lot which all faiths strive—with the. right for all men to observe their religibus- beliefs and to express their opinions on po- litical and social matters, without running the risks of being spied upon by Gestapos. We pray for early victory and for a happy return home of millions . of our • fighting men and women. We will _have won our battle for justice if the-men and women in all brancheS of the service will find the ideals they fought for completely realized.. We must not lose this battle. Invasion Day Service Jewish communities throughout the country have indicated their readiness to co- operate with the Synagogue Council of America in response to its Call to Prayer on Invasion Day. In Detroit, Orthodox, Reform and Con- servative Rabbis have already made plans for solemn participation in special services by all synagogues. The Synagogue Council's call urges that "in manifestation of our spiritual unity with our armed forces . . religious leaders in the country (should) convoke their communities for a special service of prayer and rededica- tion at 8 p. in. following the announcement of the landing of the invasion of enemy-held Europe by the armed forces of the United Nations." It is properly pointed out in the Syna gogue Council statement that "synagogues should remain open for prayer all day on II- Day. We do not know what day or hour the invasion will come. When it comes let us affirm through prayer our spiritual kin- ship with our sons and brothers who will be plunging into the crucial battle of the war for human freedom." These D-Day services are not limited to Jews. Our Christian neighbors as well as City. State and National leaders have is- sued similar calls. Our people should heed this call. There will be no way of reaching the community with a renewed call to prayer. Let every one, therefore, be ready to go to his house of worship and to express the kinship we have with the men in service. All of us must respond to this call in the spirit of humility and solemnity which will guide the peoples who are dominated by the desire to see justice established throughout the world. Partisan Voting Dr. Stephen S. Wise, in a sermon before the Free Synagogue in New York, made some interesting observations on the re- sponsibilities of Jews as voters. Warning against partisan voting, he urged his. listeners to refrain from casting their ballots as religious or racial groups in the Presidential election. . Said Dr. Wise: "A minor reason for vot- ing as Jews is to vote against an unworthy Jewish candidate. A major reason for vot- ing as Americans and Jews would be to prevent the. destruction of American de- mocracy. If . that were threatened, we could not sit idly by and say the election will take care of that issue." We doubt ',whether any clear-thinking American will differ with these views. Detroit JeWs, reviewing our position as Americans and as Jews in the past few years, should feel gratified that we have never had to put into effect the first portion of the credo enunciated by Dr. Wise in the instance of higher offices held by Jews. We are thinking reverently of the name of the late Judge Harry B. Keidan and in terms of high- est respect of State Supreme Court Justice Henry Butzel and Judge William Friedman. The 'principles outlined by Dr. Wise should be taken seriously by all American On the eve of his return to Detroit as executive director Jews. At the moment, the major responsibility of the Jewish Welfare Federation, Mr, Isidore Sobeloff has received the high honor of being chosen president of the of all citizens is to register in order that they may not lose the right to cast their ballots National Conference of Jewish Social Welfare. This mark of national recognition comes to Mr. Sobeldf at the coming elections. as a result of his numerous accomplishments in the field of social service. As director of the community agencies in Detroit and as one of the organizers • of the War Fund in Member. of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent New York; as a former newspaperman and as a student of Jewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syntlicate, Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Bressler Jewish life, he has shown marked ability for leadership. Cartoon . Service, Wide World Photo Service, Acme High Honor for Mr. Sobeloff THE JEWISH NEWS An Outrageously Irresponsible Act High-sounding names have been used by numerous com- mittees formed •in this country in recent years by a group of young men who presumed to be the spearhead in efforts to rescue the Jewish : people. Their latest .act is to establish a "Jewish embassy" in Washington under the title "Hebrew Committee of National Liberation." Dr. Israel Goldstein, speaking for the Zionist Organiza- tion, has branded the act "buffoonery." The American Zionist Emergency Council has called it a "colossal hoax." The new group is attacked by the American Jewish Conference. In the meantime, this irresponsible element, representing a handful of Jews and some misled non-Jews, is rendering untold harm to the Jewish cause. . Had the American Jewish Conference emerged from the great demand for unity in Jewish life as the spokesman for American Israel, such outrageous acts of irresponsibility would have been impossible. But there has been procrastina- tion in efforts to establish authority in American, Jewry. The result is that every silly movement is able to make use of the freedom accorded all people by our democracy and assumes to speak with authority. It is high time that the irresponsible elements were ruled out of existence. Let us begin with the 36-room unfurnished "embassy" established in Washington by, the "buffoons" of the "National Liberation" committee. Newsphoto Service. Published every Friday by Jewish News Publishing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26 Mich. Telephone RAndolph 7956.—Subscription 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 sub- scription per year. Entered as second-class matter August 6, 1942, at the Post Office at Detroit. Michigan, under the Act of March 3, 1879. • BOARD OF . DIRECTORS MAURICE ARONSSON PHILIP SLOMOVITZ FRED M. BUTZEL ISIDORE SOBELOFF THEODORE LEVIN • ABRAHAM SRERE I\LAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY WINEMAN PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor A. R. BEASCH, Advertising Counsel VOL. 5—NO: 10 MAY 26, 1944 This Week's Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the fifth day of Sivan, 5704, the follosi'ing Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion—Num. 1:1-4:20. Prophetical portion—Hos. 2:1-22. Scriptural selections for Shevuoth, Sunda and Monday: Pentateuchal portions—First day, Ex. 19:1- 20:26, Num. 28:26-31; second day, Deut. 15:19- 16:17, Num, 28:26-31. Prophetical portions—First day, Ezek. 1:1- 28;3:12; second day, Hab. 3:1-19. Talmudic Tales By DAVID MORANTZ *(Based upon the ancient legends and philosophy found el the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating ha as far as 3,000 years.) The Influence of a Good Wife Akiba, a poor shepherd, loved Rachel, the beautiful daughter of the wealthy K _ alba, whose flocks he tended. Rachel, realizing the true worth and intelli- gence of Akiba, returned his love and they were married, despite the objections of her father, who, thereupon, discharged the shepherd and disowned his daughter. Rachel constantly encouraged her husband to study but there was so much to learn and their means were so limited that he despaired of suc- cess. One day, on their journeying, they came to a spring and noticed where a cavity of consider- able size had been formed by the constant fall- Mg of water on the stone. "See," she said, "the continual dripping of small drops of water can make a cavity in the hardest stone. The same is true of man. "If you would learn a little every day, eventu- ally all the learning of the sages will be at your command." Inspired by his good wife, he resolved to rise above his lowly position and after years of pri- vation and study, he became the renowned Rabbi Akiba. Scholars thronged to hear his lectures and his school became famous. Says the Talmud further on the subject: "Woman, doing her duty, has greater reward promised than man. She is to see to her chil- dren's regular attendance at school and to look; to her husband's comforts whilst he is engages in study or his daily vocation." (Copyright by David Morantz)• For a handsome 195 page, autographed gift volume con ,i taining 198 of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wisdom. send'', $1.50 to David Alorantz, care of The Jewish. News, on phone PLaza 1048. Children's Corner Dear Boys and Girls: This Sunday and Monday we will observei Shevuoth—the Feast of Weeks. It is called the festival of weeks because it occurs seven weeks after the second day of Pass- over. The Greek name for the festival is Pentecost, meaning fiftieth—referring to the 50th day from Passover. Shevuoth is the traditional Jewish harvest- fes- tival. It marked the harvesting of wheat in Pal- estine, and was also observed as the festival of the first fruits. Flowers and plants are used to decorate syna- gogues and homes on Shevuoth, in commemora- tion of the agricultural tradition which created the festival of Shevuoth. The beautiful Biblical story of Ruth is read during Shevuoth services. The festival has re- cently become the occasion for confirmation ob- servance as a reminder of the fact that Jews received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai at Shevuoth time. This year, our boyS and girls Will have a very long holiday, since Decoration Day occurs the day after Shevuoth. We will have occasion, therefore, for several days not only to glory in our faith but also to honor the heroes who are fighting for the preservation of American ideals. I wish you all a very pleasant holiday. UNCLE DANIEL * * * Historical and Ceremonial Aspects of Shevuoth. Shevuoth (literally "Weeks") falls on the sixth and seventh days of Sivan, the third month of the Jewish calendar, seven weeks after Pesach. It is the second of the three major festivals of the Jewish year, the other two being Pesach, which precedes, and Sukkoth, which follow it. Together they are known as the Shalosh Regalim, or the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. Originally, when our ancestors dwelt in Pales- tine, Shevuoth WaS observed as an agricultural feast, and marked the beginning of the wheat harvest. - Later, Shevuoth served to commemorate an important event in the early history of our people—the proclamation of the Ten Command- ments at Mount Sinai. Since the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from Palestine, when- the Jews ceased to be pri- marily an agricultural people, the historical as- pect has assumed greater significance. Shevuoth is observed one day in Palestine and for two days by Jews in other countries. It is called by the following names, each of which suggests a different phase of its significance or refers to some ceremony in its celebration: 1. Pentecost (Greek for "fiftieth"). This fes- tival was called Pentecost by the Greek - speaking Jews because it. occurred 50 days after the of- fering of the barley sheaf during the Passover feast. 2. Hag Ha-Katsir (Feast of Harvest). T h e harvest season in ancient Palestine extended over a period of seven weeks. It began with the harvest of the wheat, around Shevuoth, the wheat being the . last cereal to ripen. 3. Yom Ha-Bikkurim (Day of "First Fruits"). This name suggests the act of bringing the first ripe fruits of the wheat harvest to the Sanctuary. 4. Z'man Matan Toratenu (Season of the Giv- ing of our Law). Tradition has fixed it as the day on which the law was given to Israel, at Mount Sinai. * * * Giving and Receiving . Once the Rabbi of Kozk was asked: "Why is Shevuoth called 'The Time of the Giving of the Torah' and not 'The Time of the Receiving of the Torah'?" "Because only on that day," he replied, "'the Torah was given, whereas the receiving is still going on. All have been given an equal share in the Torah, but not everyone has taken it." * a * Tikkun Shevuoth Tikkun Shevuoth is a special collection from Biblical and rabbinic literature which is recited on the first night of Shevuoth, when pious Jews keep vigil.