THE JEWISH NEWS Page Four As the Editor Views- the News - - Lifting the Blackout Challenge to Conference When the American Jewish Conference Convenes in Pittsburgh during the week-end of Dec. 3, its authority will be seriously challenged. The Conference has fallen short • of ex- •pectations. It was seriously hoped by the vast majority of American Jewry that a cen- tral authority would be established by the Conference. But such authority is still lack- ing in Jewish life. Most disturbing proof of the lack of such authority is to be found in the controversy that continues to rage over the so-called Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish ,People, and its many off-shoots, inchiding the Hebrew Committee of National Libera- tion, American League for a; Free Palestine and other names which - have been used froni time to time. The latest controversy involves the Wash- -ington Post's series of articles in which the "Emergency Committee" was sUbjected: to scrutiny and attack. The guiding spirit of the committee under attack has "repudiated" these articles and is threatening a libel suit. In the meantime, the most important issue is being forgotten — the fact that Jews must be rescued and that the so-called Emergency Committee has absolutely no part in such rescue efforts, other than its propaganda campaigns in Washington and in paid ad- vertisements in the columns of New York newspapers. There • are two men who KNOW the factS —Ira Hirschmann, representative of the U. S. War Refugee Board and Dr. Joseph Schwartz, European representative of the Joint Distribution Committee. Both have stated that the sole effective agencies for rescue work are the recognized large Jewish bodies in America. Both have indicated that the Peter Bergson's committees have had no share whatsoever in actual rescue • work. In Jerusalem last week, Mr. Hirschmann made the important statement that the Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine are the sole effective relief and rescue movements. Nevertheless, the Bergson committees con- tinue to confuse the minds of Jews and non- Jews on the grave question of rescue work. An effective American Jewish Conference should be able to put an end to unnecessary claims and propaganda noise. Will the Conference be able to achieve such an objective? This is the challenge to the Conference when it reconvenes in December. Facts You Should Knotii, Answers to Readers Questions About Jews Why • was the Inquisition kept up in Spain after the Jews were expelled from that coun- try in 1492? When was the Spanish Inquisi- tion finally abolished?—N. 0. The Inquisition continued because of the de- sire to detect Judaizing activities among converts to Christianity. In 1492 only unconverted Jews were expelled from Spain where the Inquisition was finally abolished in 1821. * * * Is there anything on record to show that Jewish women in Biblical times fought for their property rights?—L. L. The first women on record to have fought for their property rights were the daughters of Zelophead who demanded a share in the dis- tribution of land. Their argument, recorded in Numbers, 27:4, was: "Why should the name of our father be done away among his family be- cause he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father." Balfour Day Zionism's Real_ity - When-Jewish communities throughout the world, in eluding the men in the uniforms of all the United Nations, in foxholes as well as on their home fronts, celebrate Balfour Day, next Thursday, they will have occasion to rejoice that the hope for the realization of the ideal for the creation of a National Home for homeless Jews will soon become a reality. There is less pussyfooting on the issue today than there has been at any time since the Balfour Declaration was issued p years ago—on Nov. 2, 1917. The United States government has taken a firm stand in favor of a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine. Both can- didates for the presidency favor it and both political parties endorse the ideal. Students of foreign affairs recognize that there can be no just peace without a just solution of the problems which are responsible for the homelessness of millions of Jews. Zionism is nearing reality. The realization of this great ideal is part of the larger achievement—the establishment of justice on earth for all humanity. The Nazi Anti-U.S. Tcictics It is necessary to see the bogus $1 bills that were pre- pared by Nazis for distribution in France in order to under- stand that while they are symbols of an anti-Semitic drive they are, actually, weapons used to -undermine morale of Americans. These outrageous circulars are in reality a part of the anti-U. S. propaganda conducted by the Hitler forces not only in Hitler-occupied countries but also in this country. Not only before the war, but very recently, and during the presi- dential campaign, such defamatory leaflets have been used in order to attack members of the U. S. Cabinet, and especially Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau. The distressing thing about the whole business is that the latest evidences of anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism are being mailed to this country by Americans serving in the armed forces overseas who may become victims of this Cardinal Seredy, speaking to a crowded vicious campaign of bigotry. Cathedral in Budapest in an appeal to Chris- It is the job of our government and of OWI to do every- tians to protect the Jewish people, made a thing possible to overcome such destructive propaganda. scathing attack on the German and Hun- garian military authorities for their liquida- tion of the ghettos and declared that "God's GUEST EDITORIAL curse descended on Hungary because its Jewish citizens were treated with inhuman cruelty." The curse this eminent Cardinal referred An Appeal for the War Chest to is part of an historical cycle. Wherever By IRVING W. BLUMBERG Jews have been mistreated, the peoples have Detroit Service Group; Vice-Chairman, Metropolitan Unit suffered. But it may similarly be said that President, in Charge of Canvassing Neighborhood Businesses wherever human beings of all creeds have David is happy as he works in the fields of a Jewish set- been molested, the people was punished. May Cardinal Seredy's words serve as a tlement in Palestine. Although he reached the Jewish home- warning to all who would evade the wrath land only a short time ago, the past seems very far away. When David was eight years old, he saw his father and of retributive justice. mother killed by a Nazi firing squad in Po- land. To escape the same fate, David ran into a house and hid in a barrel of water in the Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent • cellar where he stayed all night with only his Jewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, head sticking out. He Walked from Poland to Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Bressler Cartoon Service, Wide World Photo Service, Acme Turkey, and that took five long years. Once he Newsphoto Service. Member American . Association of English -f Jewish wandered into a concentration camp, but he Newspapers. slipped right out again without being caught. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish- ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich. Telephone There were many days when he went with- RAndolph 7956. Subscription rate, $3 a year; foreign, out food, but he had made up his mind to $4 a year. Club subscription of one issue a month, published every fourth Friday in the month, to all I. W. Blumberg reach Palestine, and nothing was going to stop subscribers to Allied Jewish Campaign of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, at 40 cents a club sub- him. He kept on walking and finally got to the Slovakian scription per year. border. Then the underground movement helped him into " Entered as second-class matter August 6, 1942, at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan, under the Act of Hungary. From there on he traveled in the company of other March 3, 1879. children like him with a guide 'provided by the underground. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Once he got so tired that he nearly gave up and wouldn't go MAURICE ARONSSON PHILIP SLOMOV1TZ FRED M. BUTZEL ISADORE SOBELOFF any further, and they had to carry him. He finally reached THEODORE LEVIN ABRAHAM SRERE MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ Istanbul where the agencies of the United Jewish Appeal fed HENRY WINEMAN him and put him on a train for Palestine. PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor A. R. BRASCIL Advertising Counsel The days of fear and hunger are over for David, but there are many thousands of other children who are still wandering VOL. 6—NO. 6 OCTOBER 27, 1944 over the face of Europe, seeking the opportunity to find hap- The Week's Scriptural Selections piness and freedom in the Jewish homeland. Can we deny This Sabbath, the eleventh day of Heshvan, them the chance to grow up as free men and women? That is 5705, the following Scriptural selections will be the question all of us must answer through the War Chest of Metropolitan Detroit from which the Allied Jewish Campaign read in our synagogues; will derive the necessary funds to meet the urgent needs of Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 12:1-17:27. our fellow Jews throughout the world. portion—Is. 40:27-41:16. Prophetical . `God's Curse on Hungary ' The Boy Who Didn't Give Up THE JEWISH NEWS Talmudic Tales (Based upon the ancient legends and philosophy found In the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating back as far as 3,000 years.) - By DAVID MORANTZ BE SLOW TO ANGER On a journey Rabbi Judah, Rabbi Meier and Rabbi Jose arrived at a certain city Friday after- noon and decided to stay there over the Sabbath. Upon making inquiry as to where they might find lodging, they learned of a certain inn keeper, Kiddor, by name. The three of them engaged lodging and Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Jose arranged also to leave their money with him for - safekeeping during their stay. Rabbi Meier, however, was not impressed with the man so instead of leaving his valuables in Kiddor's custody he hid them in the cemetery of the city. As soon as possible after the Sabbath, Rabbi Meier 'went to where he had buried his possessions and finding them intact, took them with him. Preparing to continue their journey, Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Jose asked Kiddor for the money they had left in his care but he denied that he had ever received any money from them. Realizing that they had no witnesses and that nothing would be gained by becoming angry, they left the inn and went on their way for a short dis- tance, deep in consultation as to how they might regain their valuables. One of them, had noticed that the inn keep- er's wife transacted much of the business; they de- cided to return and, in Kiddor's absence, see if they could not accomplish more with her than with her unscrupulous husband. They approached her, as though they were pre- paring to leave the inn, and after asking for the amount of their bill, they said: "Your charge is very reasonable and you may deduct it from the money we left in your custody. We wish now to take our money and go on our way." The wife, not knowing of her wicked husband's previous refusal, returned to them their money, after deducting the charge for lodging,I and the Rabbis went on their way rejoicing that they had regained their money because they had not lost their temper when the inn keeper had refused to return it to them. (Copyright by David Morantz) For a handsome 195 page, autographed gift volume con- taining 128 of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wisdom, send $1.50 to David Morantz, lare of The Jewish News, or phone PLaza 1048. Children's Corner Dear Boys and Girls: This is an important period on our calendar. Men and women of all religions, all races, all nationality groups, are soliciting funds for the great Community War Chest, in order to help OUR ALLIES OUR FIGHTING MEN OUR NEIGHBORS Children, too, through their schools, are assist-. ing this great fund. I hope that all of you will become serious par- ticipants in this great cause. I have just heard this interesting little story about little Benjamin, 8 years old, who was help- ing the Chest campaign by peddling picture post cards and by getting small coins for the great fund. "What are you going to do with the money?" a kindly neighbor inquired. "Oh," replied the youngster, "I'm raising one million dollars for the War Chest cam- paign." "A million dollars!" exclaimed the neigh- bor. "Do you expect to raise it all by your- self?" "Oh, no," replied Benjamin, "there's an- other little boy helping me." I am sure I need not tell you that every nickel each one of us collects for the War Chest helps to boost the total to the millions that are needed to help millions of people. It would be interesting to hear the experiences of some of my readers who are helping the War Chest drive. A pleasant Sabbath to all. UNCLE DANIEL. * * TALMUDIC WISDOM Everyone who has pity with the poor will be shown Divine mercy. Charity balances all the other commandments. He who gives charity stands higher than he who offers up sacrifices. Even a man who lives on charity must donate to the poor. He who is slow to anger and easily mollified is truly virtuous. He who gives charity benefits more by it than he who receives it. He who gives charity regularly will be blessed with wise and wealthy children.