Page Four THE JEWISH NEWS As the Editor Views the News - For Them. the War Is Over Hungarian Tragedy There is no end to sad news from Nazi- controlled territories. The Independent Jewish Press Service re- ports that the intervention of the United States government, the International Red Cross and neutral governments in behalf of Hungarian Jewry seems to have failed, and that 100,000 Hungarian Jews have been loaded into deportation trains and shipped to forced labor camps in Germany and Austria. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has received a cable from its Bern correspondent corroborating this report, although the JTA places the number of deported at 50,000. "Special privileges" enjoyed by 60,000 bap- tized Jews in Hungary are reported to have been cancelled and the Hungarian govern- crovern- ment is charged with having grabbed 75 per cent of the foodstuffs and clothing which was delegated by the Swedish Red Cross for distribution among Jews in Hungarian ghettoes. The situation in Romania remains serious, and the French-Jewish position is far from improved. The combination of events points to an endless chain of misery engulfing the entire Jewish people. It is clear that there is no end to the tragedy of Israel and that it becomes neces- sary again to resort to protests and to de- mands that everything possible be done to rescue the unfortunate Jews of Europe. The War Refugee Board has already ren- dered great service. Its hands must be strengthened and we must exert all avail- able influence to assure the continuation of this governmental body, by Congressional action, after Jan. 22, when its present man- date expires. 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 The Jewish News Publish- ing 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 ISADORE SOBELOFF THEODORE LEVIN ABRAHAM SRERE MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY WINEMAN PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor A. R. BRASCH, Advertising Counsel VOL. 6—NO. 8 NOVEMBER 10, 1944 The Week's Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twenty-fifth day of Heshvan, 5705, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 23:1-25:18. Prophetical portion—I Kings' 1:1-31. On thursday and Friday, Rosh Hodesh Kislev, Num. 28:1-15 will be read during synagogue services. Facts You Should Knott) Answers to Readers' Questions About Jews An End to Political Bias The lessons of the political campaign which has just come to an end are saddening. In spite of pledges made by leaders of both parties that appeals to racial and re- ligious prejudices will- not be resorted to, they were in evidence during the final weeks of the campaign. The spread of anti-Semitic buttons, the emphasis frequently placed on the names of Dubinsky, Hillman and Morgenthau,, the veiled references to minority groups have caused consternation. They have not lent dignity to what we hoped would be a very clean political campaign in a time of grave crisis. The campaign is over and we must, as we will, all live in harmony as Americans. But we must strive to put an end to re- currences of bigotry and to appeals to. preju- dice. While our first task is to win the war; _it, is our obligation to strive to put an end to prejudicial outbursts in years to come. It is sincerely to be hoped that there shall never again be injected into the life of our people any references to minorities, to race and nationality groups, to religions, in order that we may all feel that America is truly devoid of bias and internal hatreds. Friday, November 10, 194 Where was the first Jewish congregation in North America started? —S. P. In New York, then New Amsterdam, in 1656. This was the Congregation Sheerith Israel (Rem- nant of Israel), whose first minister was Saul Brown (or Moreno), who came to the synagogue from Newport, R. I., and officiated regularly until his death in 1682. _ * * * Who is credited with having established the Jewish calendar used in its present form? —A. A. M. The famous sage, Hillel the Second, in the year 360. * * * What is the Septuagint? ---R. R. The earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, made directly from the original during the third to the first cen- Anti-Semitism, instead of waning as a result of the Hebrew tury, B. C., for use of the Hellenistic Jews. It world's experience with this horrible menace which became is still used in the Greek church. Can Anti-Semitism Be Outlawed? the major weapon of Nazism against the democracies, has increased. Those who have seen the effects of this poisonous growth are concerned that there sho.uld be an end to bigotry. Two interesting proposals on this score are worth record- ing. * * * Meyer Levin, the eminent writer, cabling from Brussels as the war correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, quotes Prof. Chaim Perelman of the department of logic and philosophy of the Brussels University as stating that one of the first concerns of any international authority set up after the war must be action against anti-Semitism. "Anti-Semitism is now the center of anti-democratic propaganda all over the world," Prof. Perelman told the cor- respondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "You can't preach fascism without being interned, you can't attack the Allies without being interned, but you can speak freely against the Jews. So the whole of internal fascist propaganda is funnelled through the channels of anti-Semitism. This gives them an opening for post-war attempts to win, in ideology, what they may lose on the battlefield. I believe the only way to combat anti-Semitism is by an international effort, even by international law." * * D. Zaslaysky, an editorial writer on the Soviet news- paper Pravda, which reflects official Soviet views, in a special article syndicated by the Independent Jewish Press Service, calls for an international ban on anti-Semitism. Mr. Zaslaysky writes: "Rabid anti-Semitism considers Germany its h o m e. Of course ; the destruction of Hitler Germany will bring about the destruction of the principal center of brutal Jew-baiting, but its branches remain in all parts of the world. The same holds true of its disguised supporters. Already today, when Germany hasn't yet received her last and decisive blow, the fascists are feverishly changing color. In voices appealing for clemency for the Hitlerites, one can hear fear lest Hitlerism goes down to- gether with them. Attempts are being made to save Hitlerism by sacrificing the lives of Hitler and his associates. "Such voices are impossible in the U.S.S.R. It was in our country that the demand was raised for supplementing Hitler Germany's military and political defeat by her moral and politi- cal debacle. Any manifestation of racial and national hatred in our country is punishable by law. Incitement to national enmity is considered a crime under Soviet laws. It is the duty of democracy in all countries to insist on this. "There can be no real democracy unless national and racial enmity is treated as a grave crime. Advocacy of anti-Semitism in the press and public speeches, in politics and science must be punished and surrounded with contempt. Children in all schools of the world must be educated in this spirit so that -the idea of the destruction of peoples may never enter their heads, for the Hitlerite executioners were able to perpetrate their heinous crimes precisely because for a number of years they had been fostering hatred for Jews in German schools. "The clearly criminal absurd contenticm that the advocacy of anti-Semitism is allegedly part of freedom of press and speech must be constantly exposed. Nowhere in any country of the world does freedom of speech and press imply the free- dom to advocate the breaking of safes or the violating of women. The greatest freedom of the press has never permitted the publication of a newspaper by a society of thieves to popularize the best methods of robbing trains and homes. Anti-Semitism is more criminal than . theft or burglary. "Criminal prosecution of national enmity and persecution must become one of the most important clauses in the constitu- tion of the future world peace and security organization. Any nation aspiring to the place of Hitler Germany's successor must not be admitted to this organization. "The inclusion of such a point in the constitution of an inter- national organization was impossible in the past during the period of the League of Nations, when individual states were jealously safeguarding their right to practice brutal persecutions against the Jews, when rabid anti-Semitic propaganda could be covered up by freedom of the press, and when cannibalism could be a mark of state sovereignity. There was a time when slave traffic was considered the sovereign right of some states. It was subsequently forbidden by international agreements." * * * Proposals similar to these are frequently made by re- sponsible leaders in this country. Public pronouncements often endorse such policies, but the outlawing of racial and religious prejudice has until now been limited to a handful of states. The late Wendell L. Willkie is said to have favored legis- lation against anti-Semitism. Candidates for the Presidency have condemned the spread of bigotry. Can anti-Semitism be outlawed? Will the admonition'S of responsible European leaders who are in position to know the facts bear fruit? It will be interesting to know whether sentiments ex- pressed during political campaigns can be translated into reality when the legislative bodies of this land settle down to practical business after the heat of political campaigns is over. Talmudic .Ta les (Rased upon the ancient legends and philosophy found 1* the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating back as far as 3,000 years.) By DAVID MORANTZ THE FOX AND THE BEAR One night a bear came upon a 'fox who was eating and stretched out his paw as though to appropriate the food for himself. 'If you are hungry," said the fox, "this morsel will not nearly satisfy you. Let me finish and I shall lead you to a place where you will find food in plenty." The fox, after finishing his meal, led the bear to a well where two large buckets were tied on either bnd of a rope, which ran through a pulley suspended from an arch. Pointing to a reflection of the moon in the clear water of the well, the fox said: "Do you see that fine large cheese?" Let us go down and eat of it as there will be enough for both of us and to spare." Entering one of the buckets the fox took with him a stone to balance the weight of the bear. When the bear entered the second bucket, the fox threw • out the stone which caused his pail to rise, while the bear,. being so much heavier, fell suddenly to the bottom. Thus was he punished for having endeavored to appropriate the food (property) of another. Says the Talmud further: "Every man must suffer for his own sins." "Touch not that which is thy neighbors." (Copyright by David Morantz) For a handsome '195 pagb, autographed gift volume con taming 128 of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wisdom, send $1.50 to David Morantz, are of The Jewish News, or phone PLaza 1048. Children's Corner Dear Boys and Girls: I have just seen a copy of the Bar Mitzvah book. issued by the Jewish National Fund in Jerusalem. It is the most attractive book of its kind, and those who possess it, because their names were inscribed in the Bar Mitzvah Book in Jerusalem on their Bar Mitzvahs may well be proud of it. The beautiful illustrations of Prof. Hermann Struck's paintings, the special articles by several of our greatest scholars, the quotations from the Bible and the Talmud—all these go to make up a classic work. I hope every boy of Bar Mitzvah age will possess this book. There is a Bar Mitzvah sermon in this book by Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog of Palestine. A special article describes the significance of the Number 13—the age of Bar Mitzvah—in Jew- ish tradition. The following quotation, "On the Threshold of Manhood," is quoted from Proverbs 6: My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not • the teaching of thy mother. Bind them continually upon thy heart, Tie them about thy neck. When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; When thou Best down, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. There_ is reference in this quotation to the Tephilin—the phylacteries—worn during week- day services by Orthodox men over Bar Mitzvah age. I shall make further reference to this great book in forthcoming columns. A pleasant Sabbath to all. UNCLE DANIEL. * * * THE LADY OF PRAGUE—"LIKE A BIRD" By LADY MAGNUS In the House of 'Life, as Jews name their burial-grounds, at Prague, there stood—perhaps stands still—a stone, erected to the memory, and recording the virtues, of a certain lady who died in the Jewish year of 2628. Her benefactions, many and minute, are set forth at length, and amongst the rest, and before "she clothed the naked," comes the item, "she ran like a bird to weddings." Through the mists of those terrible stories which make of Prague so miserable a memory to Jews, the record of this long dead woman gleams like a rainbow. One seems to see the bright little figure, a trifle out of breath maybe, the gay plumage perhaps just a shade ruffled— somehow one does not fancy her a very prim or tidy personage—"running like a bird to weddings." She seems, the dear sympathetic soul, in an odd, suggestive sort of way, to illustrate the charitable system of her race, and to show us that, despite all differences of time, place and circum- stances, the one essential condition to any "char., ity" that shall prove effectual, remains unchanged; that the solution of the hard problem, which may be worked out in a hundred ways, is just sy, inn a thy,