As the Editor
Views the News -

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Answers to Readers'
Questions About Jews

The Zion Flag in Warsaw

During the historic battle of the Warsaw
ghetto, when a handful of Jews repulsed the
Nazis for 40 days, the Blue and White Flag
fluttered over the walls of the segregated
Jewish section of the Polish capital.
Today, on the eve of the recapture of
Warsaw, as the Russian forces march toward
Berlin, Jewish guerillas have reappeared in
Warsaw and are fighting again for the city's
liberation under the banner of -Zion.
Blue and White banners have become
the symbol of the struggle against •destrUc-
lion and tyranny, and Jews everywhere will
regain courage and faith in the ultimate
victory of justice asa result of the bravery
of the men and women, and even children,
who refuse to accept slavery and who fight
to the bitter end until freedom is attained.

Is there an equivalent to Excommunica-
tion in Jewish law and practice?
—S. S.
The Jewish equivalent to Excommunication
the "Herem," also translated as Ban or as Ana
thema. The word is commonly applied to sorie
thing on which a curse has been inflicted ii
consequence of a vow. It was at first applied t(
enemy captives. Its first application to Israelite
is recorded in Ezra x.8 and it involved the con
fiscation of property for disobeying a communi0.
injunction. In the Middle Ages the Herem was
powerful weapon against wrongdoers and here
tics but because of its abuses it was used les
and less and gradually lost its terrors.
* *
How many political parties are there in the
Zionist movement? How many trees have been
planted in Palestine through the Jewish Na-
tional Fund?
—A. R. G.
Included in the World Zionist Organization ar(
the following parties: The General Zionists (ii
this country it is the Zionist Organization o
America) ; Mizrachi, the orthodox Zionist move
ment; Poale Zion, the labor Zionist movement
left Poale Zion; Hadassah, the women Zionists
America, and the Women's International Zionic
Organization (WIZO); Hashomer Hatzair. Th(
Revisionists, now. functioning under the nam(
New Zionist Organization, are not cooperating
with the World Zionist Organization.
According to a report from Jerusalem receive(
through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and pub
lished on July 14 in The Jewish News, 3,500,00(
trees have been planted in Palestine since 1921
by the Jewish National Fund.

Opposition to Palestine

Opposition to the Palestine planks in-
corporated in the platforms of the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties comes from
two sources: The Arab press and the Amer-
ican Council for Judaism.
But U. S. Senator Ralph 0. Brewster of
Maine, speaking at the rally that was spon-
sored in New York recently by the Amer-
ican Jewish Conference made this declara-
tion:
- "The Congress of the United States is
ready to ask Churchill to reopen the doors
of Palestine in accordance with the British
pledge whenever the Commander-in-Chief
finds it practicable to withdraw the military
veto which has been. imposed."
A sharp dividing line has clearly been
drawn between the supporters of the cause
aimed at solving the problem of Jewish
• omelessness and those who play a sad po-
litical game in opposition to Jewish aspira-
tions.
American Jews will feel satisfied that
our Government is prepared to honor the
pledges made to the Jewish people and to
follow the wishes of the majority of : Chris-
tian and Jews only when Senator Brewster's
hint to President Roosevelt is made a reality.

Retrinution

•

A Nazi Transocean wireless dispatch

picked up by U. S. government monitors in
Washington reveals that two Vichy aides,
Marcel Carrel, "delegate for anti-Jewish
measures" in Lyon, and Octave Bellier, "in-
spector of the police intelligence service,"
were assassinated by "terrorists."
The report of Himmler's assassination
and Goering's having been injured has not
been verified, but there is no doubting the
truth that many members of the under-
ground are - out to get them.
Chalk these facts up as additional proof
that there is retaliation against the Nazis and
that the deinocratic forces are exacting retri-
bution from the Hitlerites for their many
crimes against humanity.

THE JEWISH NEWS'

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.
Member, American Association of English - Jewish
Newspapers. •
PubliShed every Friday by Jewish News Publishing
Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26 Mich. Telephone
RAndolph 7956. Subscription rate, *.1 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.

i'The English-Jewish newspapers of America have the
common objective of rendering a specialized service to
their respective communities, to America and to the
wider American Jewish community.
"These periodicals have for their common ideal the
further advancement of Jewish journalism, the attain-
ment of the highest literary and professional standards,
and the maintenance of. a militant, fearless approach to
all Jewish problems.
"The fulfillment of these ideals is the fundamental and
vital task of the Jewish newspaper as a basis for the
growth :und enrichment of Jewish life in America."
—Credo of American Association
of English-Jewish Newspapers.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ABRONSSON '
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ.
FRED M: BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HENRY WINEMAN -

PHILIP S•OMOVITZ, Editor
A. R. BRASCII, Advertising Counsel

VOL. 5—NO. 22

AUGUST 18 ,1944

The Week's Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh Elul, 5704, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions — Deut. 11:26-16:17;
Num. 28:9-15.
Prophetical portion—Is. 66; or 54:11-55:5.
. Num. 28:1-15 will be read on the second day
Rosh ,Hodesh Elul, ,Sunday morning.

-

Facts You Should Know

Leon Blum—Great French Jew

Civilized people everywhere surely entertain the hope
that Leon Blum, former Premier of France, is still alive, con-
trary to the report that just reached this country that he
was murdered by the Nazis.
Whatever happened—or happens—to him, as well as to
the other great French statesman, Georges Mandel, the world
must recognize that they were great men, great .Frenchmen,
great Jews.
Blum and Mandel could have escaped. Both, however,
chose to stick to their posts to the last and to remain with
the French people in the tragedy that was imposed upon
them by the Nazis.
* * *
Leon Blum, during the heyday of his political career,
had the courage to affirm his Jewishness and to rebuke the
assimilationists. This is the proper time to recall his famous
statement:
"Although I regard myself as a true Frenchman, I
know that I am at the same time a Jew. Attachment to a
country does not at all preclude the possibility of alle-
giance to another group of another human society.
* *- *
He was an avowed Zionist and he resented parlor dis-
cussions of the subject. "There are," he declared in 1936,
"emergencies when normal plausible arguments must be
cast aside."
He attended synagogue services and threw in his lot
with his fellow men, never shirking responsibility. When a
group of Jews urged him not to accept 'the post of Premier,
because he was a Jew, his reply. was:
"All my life, messieurs, I have hoped to see an
alleviation in the void life- of the world's disinherited.
Should I, then, now, when the opportunity comes to me
to assure those of France a larger measure of justice,
abandon them? I accept the challenge which comes to
me as a Jew and as a citizen of France."
*
*
- There are Jews everywhere who can mark these words
down as a warning not to sacrifice one's principles simply
because there is prejudice in the world, but to continue to
labor and to fight for what is right.
M. Leon Blum was a great fighter for justice. We hope
that he is alive and that the day will come when he, together
with the entire French people, will be able to enjoy the fruits -
of the democracies' victory over tyranny and indecency.

Talmudic Tales

(Based upon the ancient legends and philosophy found h
the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating bael
as far as 3,000 years.)

By DAVID MORANTZ

GOSSIP

"Great talkers are like cracked pitchers," say
the Talmud, "eveiything runs .out of them."
"Gossiping and lying go hand in hand."
"He that blows in the dust fills his own eyt,s.
"Repeat not among strangers what you hea
among friends.''
"Put no faith in tale bearers."
"Loose conversation is a proof of a weal
mind."
"Suspect a tale bearer, and trust him not.
"Many are willing enough to wound, - who ar(
yet afraid to strike."

(Copyright by David liforantz)
For a handsome 195 page, autographed gift volume eon
Wiling 128 Of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wisdom, sent
$1.50 to David Moranta; care of The Jewish News, o
phone PLaza 1048.

Children's Corner

Dear Boys and Girls:
Time travels fast. In a few brief weeks, schoo
will reopen, our vacations will come to an 6f1(
and we will start thinking about the Higl
Holydays.
In the few remaining Summer days, we shout(
make the best of our time and we should no
forget our lawns and our Victory Gardens.
Speaking of gardens, I believe that one of th(
most beautiful poems about flowers was writter
by the great poet, Philip M. Raskin, who died
short time ago. I am including this poem in this
week's column.
I wish you all a very pleasant Sabbath 4n
very pleasant Summer days.
UNCLE DANIEL.
•
*
*
Sayings' of the Jewish Fathers
$hemaiah said, "Love work; hate lordship
and seek no intimacy with the ruling power.
Abtalion said, "Ye sages, be heedful of • you]
words, , lest ye incur the 'penalty of exile and b<
exiled to a place of evil waters, and the dis
ciples who come after you drink thereof and die
and seek no intimacy with the ruling power."
Joshua, the son of. Perachyah, said, ."Providi
thyself with a teacher, and possess thyself of
companion; and judge every man' in the seal<
of merit."

* *
BUYING ROSES

A Challenge to the ,Democracies

A warning - has been issued by Ray Josephs, author of
"Argentine Diary," in an article in. EM, that unless the demo-
cratic_ powers, under the leadership of President Roosevelt,
take action at once, anti-Semitism, as a spearhead of Fascist
infiltration into Latin America, will reach frightening pro-
portions.
In addition to -Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Peru are
involved in the danger to the Jewish people, Mr. Josephs
warns. There are 400,000 Jews in Argentina, 10,000 in Bolivia,
3;000 ,in Peru, 112,000 in Brazil.
We are told that while she is co-operating with the
United Nations, Brazil "does not apply the Atlantic Charter
to minorities within her borders."
Uruguay, Colombia and Costa Rica are rated as the most
democratic countries where Jew-baiting is at a minimum, but
in other countries the Nazi poison is in evidence.
•
It is clear that the democratic
nations are challenged
everywhere, and the successful outcome of the war will be
judged only by the extent of efforts to eradicate anti-Semi-
tism as well as other manifestations of prejudice manufac-
tured by Nazism.

By Philip M. Raskin
I went to buy roses, to send
A birthday gift to a friend.

It was 'shop-closing hour,
And the clerk _Picked languidly each fresh-cu
flower,
And his face was dull and frozen.

"These,". he mumbled, "Are two dollars a dozen
But we have others a little cheaper."

I looked at the roses and their keeper,
And something unnamed
Made me ashamed.

God! I thought, this dull man's duty
Is to sell living beauty;
Emblems of love, and joy and grief,
Sky-designed in petal and leaf
Living wonders, pristine colors in their prim.<
A wonder—a nickel, 'a miracle—a dime!
-•
'And as I, engrossed and dumb,
Carried my flowers home,
I asked myself: how can
A dollar made by man,
Pay for the miracle of the sod,

Made by God?.

