( Page Four THE JEWISH NEWS As the Editor Views the News - The Feast of Shevuoth One of the great festivals on our calen- dar, Shevuoth has special significance for mankind in these critical days in world his- tory. Shevuoth is primarily the Festival of the Giving of the Law to Israel. The Law, which has become the guide for all spiritual forces in the world, incor- porates all the sacred principles for the re- lationships between men and men. It is the basis for human freedom and for honor- ing the rights of individuals. It forbids op- pression, inspires loyalty to Divine rule, de- mands adherence to the ideals incorporated - in the Decalogue. Most of these ideals were broken by powers which propagated tyranny and bru- tality. The defenders of the Moral Laws are at work to guarantee that inhumanity to man by man no longer shall be tolerated. * * * No wonder, therefore, that the Jewish people, having passed on the Moral Law to mankind, now prays that the icleals of Shevuoth no longer shall be abused, that the Decalogue, the basis of all Freedoms, shall be strictly adhered to, that decency and righteousness and justice shall be the ruling elements for humanity. These prayers are especially being ut- tered in behalf of the children and the young people who are growing up to manhood and womanhood. They are prayers that those who are maturing to adulthood, who now are being consecrated to service to Israel— as Confirmands and as graduates of our re- ligious schools—shall find the world result- ing from the New Order being set up by the United Nations a better place to live in. * * * Shevuoth of 5705 is a crucial period for the world. It emphasizes the hopes of Jews and non-Jews alike that the United Nations shall emerge victorious not only on the bat- tlefields but also in moral spheres. May this Shevuoth be the beginning of a better era for all peoples. May it' justify our faith that the end of the war will lead to the realization of the dream of the coming of the day when nations no longer shall make wars and that human beings shall neither push each other around nor shall they take advantage one of another. I Am an American Day Shortly before his death, President Roosevelt designated May 20 for observance as annual "I Am An American Day." This observance has become traditional in this country, and the setting aside of a special day in recognition of those who have obtained U. S. citizenship during the preceding year—either through naturaliza- tion or by attaining the age of 21—is already a tradition of great significance. "I Am An American Day" provides an opportunity for re-evaluating the high prin ciples of Americanism, for declaring anew - our pride in being Americans, for re-dedi- cating ourselves once again toward the de- fense of the sacre' principles of American democracy. THE JEWISH NEWS Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent gewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious News Service. Palcor News Agency, Wide World Photo Service, Acme Newsphoto Service. Member American Association of English-Jewish News- papers 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 $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 MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY WINEMAN PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor A. R. BRASCII, Advertising Counsel "" VOL. 7—NO. 9 MAY 18, 1945 The Week's Scriptural Selections Today ,the first day of Shevuoth, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portions—Ex. 19:1-20:26; Num. 28:16-31. Prophetical portion—Ezek. 1:1-28; 3:12. On Saturday, second day of Shevuoth, the fol- lowing Scriptural selections will be read: Pentateuchal portions—Deut. 14:22-16:17; Nurm. 28:16-31. Prophetical portion—Hab. 3:1-19. Friday, Buy More Bonds and Steep Well Facts You holey TS, 1945 Should Know Answers to Readers' uestions About Jews I What is the first day of the Jewish month —G. G. G. called? Rosh Hodesh, or "head of the month." It is observed as a semi-festival on which special prayers are recited. In Biblical days, it was an occasion for family gatherings and reunions. tv ,Dc. 41 I 8° AiD w Ar2 41,,,,,, . , WAN 9„„, 47, ?,?? LoAN D 4 - - ,, ------ _( "I ' • .."- SAFE o o DEPOSIT y/Norpor, How does the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee operate in areas like Shanghai? —B. U. The JDC conducts its relief activities overseas through existing local organizations. Special ar- rangements have been made to provide funds required for the relief of 12,000 destitute Jews in Shanghai through Switzerland. With the coop- eration of the International Red Cross, we have been able to ship packages of food and medicines into concentration camps. Local borrowings have constituted an additional source of income for JDC's relief activities in the occupied lands. Closely allied to this program of relief within the occupied countries is our rescue program which attempts to help those in occupied lands to emigrate to freedom. * * * SLEEP WELL COUNT BONDS iaici t .. s Fog OWI Justice: A Possession for Ever For weeks and for months to come, possibly for many, many years—if we and the coming generation at all appre- ciate the solemnity of the hour of the war's end in Europe— we shall be thinking in terms of dedication to the cause of peace and the establishment of a humane order for the world. V-E Day was an occasion for .gratitude that men like Leon Blum, the Rev. Martin Niemoller, Edouard Dalladier, Paul Reynaud, Gen. Tadeusz Komorowski (General Bor who led the Warsaw insurrection) and other great world figures had been rescued. It was an occasion for mourning over the actions of Europe's maniacs and madmen who were responsible for the annihilation of millions of people, for the destruction of the Jewish communities of Europe, - for the barbarism which caused unending suffering for mankind. The slogan for the world today, now that the "cease fire" order has been enforced in Europe and is certain before Jong to be enforced in the Pacific, should be: NEVER FOR- GET. The world must not forget the misery caused by sadistic madmen. The United Nations must strive to lay such founda- tions for enduring peace which should never again be shaken by the will of maniacs. Mandkind's spokesmen must make real the words of Field Marshal Jan C. Smuts, uttered on V-E Day: "The evil will remain but as a warning memory, the good as a possession for ever." As Jews, we hope that this "possession for ever" shall also include just rights for our people everywhere, a chance for Jews who seek and must have a homeland to redeem and rebuild their cradleland as a National Home, the eradi- cation of those evil forces which were responsible, through the dastardly instrumentality of anti-Semitism, for the sow- ing of seeds of hatred even in free lands like our own. These are days of prayer and of hope. May humanity's aspirations be fully realized and may Israel be numbered among the liberated peoples of the world. The Highest and Purest Democracy Writing in The Living Church, Clifford P. Morehouse, its editor now on leave with the Marines, reports that when the 5th Marine Division Cemetery was dedicated on bloody, windswept Iwo Jima, Rabbi Ronald B. GittelSohn, the di- vision's Jewish Chaplain, delivered the sermon in which he said: "Somewhere in this plot of ground there may lie the man who could have discovered the cure for cancer. Under one of the Christian crosses, or beneath a Jewish Star of David, there may rest now a prophet- . . . Now they lie here silently in this sacred soil, and we gather to consecrate this earth to their memory. "Here lie officers and men, Negrces and Whites, rich men and poor. . . . Here are Protestants, Catholics and Jews. . . . Here no man prefers another because of his faith or despises him because of his color. Here there are no quotas of how many from each group are admitted or allowed. Theirs is the highest and purest democracy. "Any man among us the living - who . . lifts his hand in hate against a brother, or thinks himself superior to those who happen to be in the minority, makes of this ceremony and of the bloody sacrifice it commemorates, an empty, hollow mockery.. . ." This is more than a touching tribute to the dead. It is a tribute to America. It is an interpretation of the highest idealism of this great land, of the pure democracy which causes us to fight to prevent mockeries when dealing with human values. May we never see our democracy made a mockery and may all men always be on guard against the whittling down of democratic principles. This must be the aspiration of all men—if the blood of Iwo Jima and other battlefronts is not to be a vain sacrifice. Who was Hillel?—V.W.P. Hillel, one of the greatest Jewish teach- ers, was born in Babylon about 110 B. C. He is best known as the advocate of the Golden Rule as an exposition of Judaism. He is reputed to have said in this connection, "What is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man; this is the law; the rest is commentary; study it." Children's Corner Dear Boys and Girls: Today is Shevuoth, and I wish you all a very pleasant holiday. Those of you who are being confirmed during this period should resolve to continue your Jewish studies and should dedicate yourselves to service to your people: All of us, however, should make such a re- solve, because without knowledge we can not be prepared to render the services that we should to our people. I already have mentioned, in last week's column, the fact that Sunday, May 20, will be observed as "I Am An American Day"—by proclamation issued by President Roosevelt before his death. Let us all honor our great fortune of being Americans by observing this day in proper fashion. In observance of Shevuoth, I am inserting some legends in connection with this great festival in today's column. A pleasant Shevuoth to all. UNCLE DANIEL. * * * LEGENDS ABOUT SHEVUOTH Said Rabbi Isaac: "The Torah was to have been given to - the Children of Israel at the time of the exodus from Egypt. God, however, said, "My children have not fully recovered as yet. Only recently they were freed from the slavery and the hard work with mortar and bricks, and so they cannot receive the Torah rightaway!' "This case resembles that of a king, whose, son was sick and whose teacher wanted him to re- sume his studies as soon as he got up from his sick bed. The king, however, said: 'My son is not looking well, and you want him to attend school! No, let him enjoy eating and drinking for two or three months and get back his strength—then he may study.' "Similarly said the Holy One, blessed be He: `My children are still weak from the slavery, how, then, can I give theni the Torah? Let them enjoy themselves for two or three months eating Manna and quails—then I shall give them the Torah'." Said Rabbi Joshua the son of Levi: "When Israel went out from Egypt there were many cripples among them, as a result of the slavery. While building they would get hurt by falling stones, and thus some had broken hands and crushed feet. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: `Surely it is not meet that the Torah should be given to cripples.' He therefore dispatched the Ministering Angels to heal them first. ' Said Resh Lakish: "At the time of the crea- tion of the universe the Holy One, blessed be He, addressed the works of His creation: 'If Israel will accept the Torah you will endure- otherwise you will be returned to the state of being unformed and void." When God first thought of giving the Torah to mankind, he offered it to the children of Esau. saying: "Do you want to accept the Torah?" Talmudic Tales- By DAVID MORANTZ (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). PEARLS OF WISDOM "The humblest man," says the Talmud, "is ruler in his own house." "Do not place a blemish on thine own flesh." "If a word, spoken in its time, is worth one piece of money, silence, in its time, is worth two." "Drain not the waters of thy well while. other people may desire them." "Without law, civilization perishes." "Into the well which supplies thee with water cast no stones." (Copyright by David 111°111'1ft) F - or a handsome 195 page, autographed gift volume con- taining 128 of these tales and 500 Pearls of Wisdom, send $1.50 to David Morantz, care of The Jewish News, or phone PLaza 1048.