Page Four

THE JEWISH NEWS

As the Editor
Views the News
-
The Day of Atonement

MR. !MOTT

Facts You. Should Know

Answers to Readers'
Questions About Jews

, These are days of repentance.
When the Aseret Yeme Teshuvah con-
clude on Monday with the observance of
Yom Kippur, we shall be searching our
hearts and minds for future policies to guide
our actions.
There are many jobs to be done.
• There are internal issues to be solved,
and some issues to be avoided.
A million and a quarter Jews are wait-
ing for us to supply them with means of
sustenance and of reconstructing their lives,
and we can not feed them on internecine
strife.
There are educational. problems to be
solved, and the only solution is the ingather-
ing of our boys and girls in our schools so
that they may grow up to be well informed,
brave, self-respecting and proud Jews and
Americans.
Yom. Kippur is more than a Day of Atone-
ment. It is a day of introspection. It is a
day of self-study. It should be a day of
resolution that we should act wisely in
everything we do. It should be a day of
decision that we should not be found want-
ing when dealing either with ourselves or
with the needs of our less fortunate kinsmen.
We wish all our readers an easy fast and
a very Happy New Year.

Education—Positive Way

High Holy Day resolutions and new ap-
proaches to Jewish life and practices are
valuless unless we make our- activities
positive.
Our discussions regarding Jewish prob-
lems, our fears and lamentations, have lean-
ed to the negative. We have become a
worrying people. In some fields, we have
witnessed fright.
It is a situation that can not go on with-
out correction.
The United HebreW Schools are again
propagandizing the cause of Jewish learn-
ing through the observance of Education
Month.
Educational projects are sponsored by the
.Yeshivah and by the Yiddish schools.
The sum total of all these appeals is the
hope that • the Jewish community will be-
come fully aware of the need for the posi-:
tive approaches to Jewish life.
Only a fraction of our boys and. girls are
receiving a Jewish education. At best, the
number reaches the 30-per-cent mark. The
aspiration of the community should be to
make it a 100-per-cent enrollment, and the
realization of this need should become the
aim of every Jewish parent.
The educational Self-Study that was con-
ducted here in recent months under auspices
of the Jewish Welfare Federation indicated
that there is a sincere desire on the part
of community leaders to encourage expan-
sion of our educational system. It is evident
that if the enrollment of Jewish children in
our schools can be doubled, the necessary
means will be forthcoming.
The educational needs lead to the posi-
tive approach. They are among our major
needs. The community dare not fail in this
duty to posterity.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent
Jewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate,
Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Wide World
Photo Service, Acme Newsphoto Service, Kin.g Features
Syndicate, Central Press 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 it 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. Act of
March 3, le 79.

BOA

RORS
MAURICE ARONSSOD
N OF DIRE
PHI
CT LIP SLOMOVITZ
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
IVIAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY WINEMAN

11•••■••

Plimr SLOMOVITZ, Editor
A. R. BRASCH, Advertising Counsel

VOL. 7—No. 26

SEPTEMBER 14, 1945

The Week's Scriptural Selections

This Saturday, Sabbath Shuvah, the eighth
clay of Tishri, 5706, the following Scriptural
.selections will be read in our syangogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Deus. 32.
Prophetical portions—Hos. 14:2-10; Joel
2:15-17 or 27.
On Monday, Yorn Kippur, the following
Scriptural selections will be read during syna-
gogue services.
Pentateuchal portions—Morning, Lev. 16,
Num. 29:7-11; Afternoon, Lev. 18.
Prophetical portions—Morning, Is. 57:14-
58-14; Afternoon, Jonah.

Friday, September 14, 19451

What prayers are recited daily in the
—JDA
synagogue?
The Schachris, the morning prayer; the Mincha,
evening prayer; and the Maariv, the evening
service. On Sabbaths and holidays, an additional
prayer, the Musaf, is added during morning
service.
*
*
*
How many Sunday school pupils were re-
ported in the last U. S. Census?
—DRG
The latest census' showed 18,389,001 pupils
attending denominational Sunday schools.
*
*
*
How many Biblical sites in Palestine have
—ABP
been accurately located?
Over 1,300 such places have been identified.
*
*
*
What makes up the Talmud?
—A. A,
The Talmud consists of two parts inter-
woven with each other—the Halacha and the
Aggada. The Halacha deals with the laws and
regulations of religious and ethical practices; the
Aggada with the legends, principles, science,
history, folkways and other elements which may
enter into the discussion of the learned men.

Talmudic Tales

By DAVID MORANTZ .

"I'm sorry, Mr. Eaglefeather, but our company's
policy is to employ 100% Americans only."

Rumor-Mongers Need Some Lessons

The ink was still fresh on the ,printed stories about
"incidents" in Northern Michigan when our community be-
came seriously disturbed over another reported "incident"
on Dexter.
Like all stories, rumors and reports, it did not take long
for people to "embroider" the details. It did not take many
hours for exaggerations to be accepted as realities, and for
many people to become panicky.
A situation developed which challenged the 'judgment
of our people and which called for a revision of the think
ing of the masses of our people.
*
*
*
- _
When the sudden outburst of passion and anger evapor-
ated, the following became clear:
It is the duty of responsible leaders and organizations
to discredit rumors and to make the demand upon our people
that they should refrain from becoming panicky. It stands
to reason that we must be militant, that we must act when-
ever we see manifestations of bigotry. But this in no sense
means that we should become parties to spreading fear and
to inculcating a sense of despair in our young people.
*
*
*
That which happened here last week is the surest way
of generating complexes in our youth. Those who are
parties to it do a disservice to Jewry and to America.
There is one thing to remember: that the principles of
American democracy remain deeply engraved in the minds
of most people. The average American is a decent human
being who will not tolerate scandalous disturbances. The
good American must not be irritated by panic and he must
not be blamed for the acts of hoodlums.
Rumor-mongers can aggravate a situation. Therefore
rumor-mongers must be discredited and repudiated.
Let there be an end to the spreading of rumors.

In our midst there exists a group that is looking for
trouble. Those who claim to have "inside information" will
tell us that they know just who had instigated hoodlums to
start a fight with Jewish boys, with the results that innocent
people were jostled and hurt. But the truth is that the
hoodlums represent a minority.
If this minority is to be defeated and placed in its proper
place, we must not become panicky. WE must not gather
crowds shouting for "vengeance." Because "vengeance" of
the sort demanded by hot-heads in time of trouble often leads
to trouble among the innocents.
There undoubtedly are readers who are now saying to
themselves: The fellow writing these lines has forgotten the
-Nazis; he is a "litush-hush" Jew; he does not represent our
viewpoint.
To these we say: Even if the beginnings of riots are the
same here as they were in Germany, the warning to us is to
act wisely and to know how to strengthen American tradi-
tions. By shouting our heads off without rhyme or reason
we may be stirring up an issue which will increase rather
than diminish gangsterism. We are dealing with gangsters,
and we must attack the issue through due process of the law.

*

(Based upon the ancient legends and philosophy found in
the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating back
as for as 3,000 years).

PEARLS OF WISDOM

"To rid yourself of an annoying pest," says
the Talmud, "lend him money."
"One should not sell his field to purchase a
house nor sell his house to buy chattels or to
invest the proceeds in business.'
"The ant is the most eloquent preacher of all,
yet says nothing."
"Praise alone puts little in the pocket."
"One should not sell his conscience with his
goods."
. .
"Hasten to fulfill a commandment of little
importance as if it were of much importance."

Children's Corner

.

Dear Boys and Girls:
Next Sunday night we shall usher in the
most sacred day on the Jewish calendar—Yowl
Kippur—known also as the Sabbath of all Sab-
baths. Literally it means Day of Atonement.
On Sunday evening, we will recite the Kol •
Nidre.
Yom Kippur is a day of fasting. It is the only
major holy day which even orthodox Jews ob-
serve for only one day—because the Rabbis who
formulated our laws thought that fasting for two
days would be too severe.
This Saturday is known as Sabbath-Shuvah-
the Sabbath of Return—occurring between Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur. A chapter from
Isaiah beginning with the word "Shuvah" will
be read as the Prophetical Portion this Sabbath.
The Yom Kippur prayers conclude with the
Neilah service.
On Yom Kippur, the Dance of the Vineyards
used to be celebrated by girls who danced while
the youths looked on. When the dance was over,
many young . men claimed their future brides
whom they selected during this dance.
After Yom Kippur, it is the custom for ortho-
dox Jews to go into their back yards and to
drive the first stakes into the ground for the
building of the Sukkah for the Sukkoth festival.
I wish those of you who will fast on Yom
Kippur an easy fast.
UNCLE DANIEL.

*

*

*

THE DAY OF REPENTANCE

-

The Jewish Day of Repentance, Yom Kippur,
will be observed as a day of prayer and fasting
on Monday, Sept. 17. As is customary in the
Synagogue, the eve of the holiday will be
marked by a religious service which derives its
name, Kol Nidre, from the opening prayer for
the occasion.
Jewish thought adheres to the doctrine of sin,
which Judaism considers a potent agency for
religious and moral regeneration, despite the
generally accepted philosophy of Herbert Spen-
cer that mankind is automatically becoming
better and better. It holds that the improvement
noted by that great philosopher dealt with the
means whereby men live rather than the ends
for which men live. The moral advance of man-
kind is still pictured in the Biblical ideal of the
kingdom of God as contrasted to the kingdom of
science.
The prayers of "The Day" emphasize the fact
that men and nations may be heir to all the
technologies and still violate every dictate of the
law of God.
One of the great teachings of Yom Kippur,
which is of especial interest in these days of
stress on democratic ideals, is symbolized in the
reading of the Book of Jonah with its perennial
emphasis upon the equality of all men before
God.
*
*
*

In Charlevoix, 10 culprits are now on a year's proba-
tion. In Detroit, the police acted promptly. True, there are
some bad numbers among policemen, but they, too, are be-
ing dealt with.
This being the case, we urge our people to walk erect,
YIDDISH CRADLE SONG
to take pride in their Americanism, to teach their children
Translated by Alice Lucas
not to become neurotic and •panicky but to be fearless. Else, 0! Hush thee, my darling, sleep soundly my son,
Sleep soundly and sweetly till day has begun,
we are doomed.
under the bed of good children at night
This is our warning. Let it also serve as our cure for For
There lies, till the morning, a kid snowy white.
the incidents which many believed to be evils leading to We'll send it to market to buy Sechora
destruction. Let us retain faith in Americanism, and let us While my little lad goes to study the Torah.
act in the spirit of our Jewish traditions. With these two Sleep soundly at night and learn Torah by clay,
thou'lt be a Rabbi when I have grown gray.
weapons, neither we nor the principles we stand for as Jews Then
But I'll give thee tomorrow ripe nuts and a toy,
and as Americans can or will ever be defeated.
If thoult sleep as I bid thee, my own little boy.

