Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, January 19, 1945
Talmudic Tales
As the Editor
Views the News - - -
(Bases upon the ancient legends and philosophy found in
the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating bark
as far as 3,000 years).
Beth El's Anniversary
By DAVID MORANTZ
THERE IS ONLY ONE LAW
Temple Beth El's 95th anniversary, being
observed at tonight's services of the congre-
gation, assume community-wide importance.
The beginnings of the history of Beth El
mark also the beginning of the history of the
Jewish community of Detroit. The congrega-
tion's progress has been consistent with the
progress of Detroit Jewry. Its members have
played leading roles in the building of com-
munity institutions and in supporting major
Jewish causes.
Temple Beth El has gained in stature from
decade to dedade in its historical develop-
ment and its approach of the century mark
has earned for it the appreciation of all
Detroit—Jews and non-Jews alike—for a
great share in the making of Detroit.
Labor Builds Palestine
These are crucial days for Palestine. The
tragic events which are dominating the
world scene have affected the situation in
Eretz Israel, and every new crisis brings
with it new challenges.
Jewish efforts in Palestine. have triumph-
ed primarily because the achievements in
From all indications, the campaign for the erection of a
the land are traceable to hard work and to
the devotion displayed by the Jewish labor- Jewish hospital in Detroit is assured of success. Advance
ers. Many of the men and women who are gifts that have poured in for the hospital fund provide a
engaged in the laborious tasks of creating a guarantee that an adequate building, commensurate with
homeland for Jews had their training in the community's needs, will be erected as soon as peace-
European universities. But the most menial time conditions will permit construction work.
work has found them willing cooperators in • The hospital movement in Detroit dates back 40 years.
the task of recreating a land that had been What it needed was the "push" that was required from men
neglected for centuries.
with means to provide the necessary large funds for the
In this devotion to the soil is to be found cause.
But a Jewish hospital must have the aspect of commun-
the answer to the challenge that comes to
ity-wide endorsement and participation. When it becomes a
the Jewish people in these trying times.
And because the challenge has been visible reality it will be the property of the entire commun-
answered well, the labor movement in Zion- ity and not of a handful of people.
When, therefore, the campaign is launched next month to
ism has earned the support it receives.
enlist
the aid of all Detroit Jews for a hospital, it is to be
The Histadruth—the Jewish Federation of
Labor of Palestine—is the motivating force justly expected that a community that has craved for it for
in the creative efforts in Zion. It receives more than a generation should record its unstinted support
its support in this country through the Na- of the cause through unanimous participation in the fund
tional Labor Committee, whose drives are with generous contributions.
conducted under the name Gewerkshaften.
The Detroit Gewerkshaften campaign just
inaugurated, has made rapid strides. It will
Among the highly illuminating but tragic reports which
surely receive increased support in the 1945
campaign, which will serve as one of the have reached this country from Lublin is the cable to the
symbols of Jewry's determination that all Chicago Daily News sent last week by Leigh White, who
obstacles placed in the path of Palestine's corroborates the claims that more than 3,000,000 Jews—
representing 90 per cent of the Jewish population of Poland
redemption shall be fully overcome.
—have been massacred.
His report is tragic in many respects. It describes the
existence of strong Polish anti-Semitism and maintains that
Sir James Griggs, who has succeeded the Poles oppose the return of Jews to their former homes. Fur-
late Lord Moyne as British Minister of State thermore, Mr.• White comes to what he calls an "unavoidable
Resident in the Middle East, has slandered conclusion" that "the only satisfactory . future open to Polish
the Jewish people by - speaking of the "de- Jews is for them to cease to live as Jews and assimilate
velopment of a regular Nazi type of gangst- themselves as quickly as possible into the body politic of the
erism" in his demand for the uprooting of new libland."
This conclusion will amaze even the most rabid assimila-
terrorism in Palestine.
tionist since the proposal is not assimilation into Polish life
Sir James may . not have heard of the by Jewish citizens of Poland who may wish to retain allegi-
marvelous restraint practiced by Jews in ance to the Jewish faith; it suggests complete national sui-
Palestine during the past 10 years. In spite cide.
of all attacks on persons and properties,
Historic experience will show that Mr- White is wrong.
Palestinian Jews never. resorted to retalia- On the contrary, there has been a resurgence of the Jewish
tion, and only demanded the right-to defend will-to-live as a result of the new struggle for existence. Mr.
themselves.
White's quoting of "a case in point"—that of Dr. Ludwig
The assassination of Lord Moyne by two Hirschfeld, eminent bacteriologist, a devout Catholic, who
irresponsible youngsters must not be blamed has suddenly become "psychologically convinced that Zion-
on all Jews or all Zionists.
ism is • the only answer to the problem faced by the Polish
When Sir James does this, he slanders an Jews,"—contradicts his own statement that the majority of
entire people and he uses a most insulting the younger Jews are prepared to accept assimilation.
term, since Jews are the chief victims of the
The fact is that the few young Jews who have survived
Nazis to whom he likens the Jews.
anti-Semitism are searching for an opportunity to be part-
ners in the historic effort to rebuild Jewish life.
Mr. White's contradictory statements do not help the
situation very much. It is sincerely to be hoped that a
Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent
longer stay in liberated Poland and a more searching study
Jewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate,
Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Bressler
of the situation will lead him to avoid the contradictions
Cartoon Service. Wide World • Photo Service, Acme
from which the article we refer to suffers.
Newsphoto Service.
,
Jewish, Hospital for Detroit
Rabbi Hillel, who was head of the School of
Hillel and also president of the Great Sanhedrin,
was known for his kind dispoSition and even tem-
per.
While Rabbi Shammai, also a very learned
man and head of the School of Shammai, was the
possessor of a very excitable nature and quick
temper.
A heathen once came to Rabbi Shammai and.
said:
"I will come over to your religion if you will
teach me your whole law while I stand on one
foot."
Shammai impatiently drove him away, an-
noyed to think that anyone should ask such a
question.
The heathen then went to Rabbi Hillel, who
was known for his kindness and patience, and
said:
"If you can teach me your whole law in the
space of time that I • am able to stand on one
foot, I shall adopt your religion as mine."
Rabbi Hillel received him kindly and said:
"There is only one law and that law is this:
"That which is hateful to thee do not do unto thy
neighbor,' that is the whole. law. All the rest is
commentary to it:"
(Copyright by David Morantz)
- For a handsome 195 page, autographed gift volume con-
taining 128 of these tales and 500 l't‘arls of Wisdom, send
$1.50 to David Nlorantz, ea -ze of The Jewish News, or
phone PLaza 1048:
Children's Corner
Dear Boys and Girls:
The sleet and the slush on our streets will not
deter us from celebrating Hamisha Asar b'Shvat
as Jewish. Arbor Day.
In Palestine, where all Jews make a great day
of this festival by planting trees and rejoicing
in the fertility of the land, Hamisha Asar pro-
vides great happiness for young and old.
The accompanying photograph was taken in
Palestine during last year's Hamisha Asar cele-
bration. It shows a tree-planting procession in
Assimilation or Suicide
Slander!
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member American Association of English - Jewish
Newspapers and Michigan Press Association.
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,
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published every fourth Friday in the month, to all
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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
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ
HENRY WINEMAN
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
A. R. BRASCH, Advertising Counsel
VOL. 6—NO. 18
JANUARY 19, 1945
The Week's Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the sixth day of Shevat, 5705,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 10:1-13:16.
Prophetical portion—jer. 46:13-22.
Britain and 'Emergency Visas'
A British Foreign Office spokesman has let it be known
that there is no change in his government's policy toward
Palestine immigration, while indicating that Britain has
stopped issuing Palestine visas for refugees arriving in Tur-
key from the Balkans.
At the same time, the New York office of the Jewish
Agency for Palestine has denied reports that Turkey has
refused to issue transit visas to Palestine-bound Jewish ref-
ugees.
From the new complicated situation that has arisen, and
the statements that "normal visas" continue to be granted, it
is clear that what the British authorities have in mind is the
continuation of the White Paper.
Apparently, the protests of humanitarians throughout
the world, and of people who feel keenly about the breaking
of pledges made to the Jews that Britain would facilitate the
establishment of the Jewish National Home in Palestine,
seem to have no effect about the hard-hearted career men in
the British Foreign Office.
Thus, the rendering of justice is being postponed.
which school children participated. After the
procession, each child planted at least one tree.
The great British statesman, Benjamin Dis-
raeli, who was Prime Minister of his country and
who later became Lord Beaconsfield, marveled at
the spirit of the people from whom he sprang
and wrote in 1846:
"The vineyards of Israel have ceased to exist,
but the eternal law enjoins the children of
Israel still to celebrate the vintage. A race that
persists in celebrating their vintage, although
they have no fruit to gather, will regain their
vineyards."
This was written 99 years ago. But today Jews
again have fruits to gather in flourishing colonies
in Palestine, and tens of thousands who were
once persecuted are free men and women again
in communities of their own. They do not have
ALL the freedom they should have, because all
the promises made to us are not being lived up
to, but they have a goal to fight for.
The children of Palestine are the happiest
Jewish boys and girls of any community in the
world except in the English-speaking countries,
including our own.
We, too, should do what the children of Pales-
tine are doing on Hamisha Asar b'Shvat. We
should plant trees to help make the land fruitful.
We should help rebuild the neglected country
and should aim to be counted among the nation-
builders.
The Jewish National Fund of Detroit accepts
gifts for tree-planting. You should join in the
school programs sponsored by the Jewish Na-
tional Fund, you should study the importance
of the Allk-,tival and you should plant trees. And—
you should encourage your parents and friends to
be among those helping in the building of Pales-
tine.
A pleasant Sabbath to all.
UNCLE DANIEL.
* * *
DANNY CELEBRATES JEWISH FESTIVALS
"What Danny Did" is a very fascinating collec-
tion of short stories written by Sadie Rose Weiler-
stein, with illustrations by Jessie Berkowitz Robin-
son.
It is not a new book. But a new edition has re-
cently been published by Bloch Publishing Co. of
New York, ansl interest is therefore revived in a,
splendid story.
Actually, the book is an interpretation of the
Sabbath and the Jewish festivals through the
cycle of the year's observance of the Jewish calen-
dar.
In story form, understandable by very little
tots, all the Jewish holidays are admirably in-
terpreted.
The author of this book certainly knows how to
address herself to little children and how to teach
them Jewish -customs and Jewish history with
fascinating little tales. Her other books—"The Ad-
ventures of Ktonton" and "What the Moon
Brought"—have proved that she can do a job in
a variety of fields.
Every Jewish home that has little children
should have a copy of "What Danny Did" and the
other books by Mrs. Weilersteins