rage Four

THE' JEWISH NEWS

As the Editor
Views the News

Friday, February 1, 1946

The Way to Look at It

IN MB

Facts You Should Know

Answers to Readers'
Questions About Jews

Chaplains and Zionism

A group of Jewish Chaplains last week
issued a challenge to the American Council
for Judaism as a result of "defamatory state-
ments impugning the patriotism of Amer-
ican Zionists."
The Council, which had re-elected Les-
sing J. Rosenwald to its presidency, was
severely condemned for a "malicious policy
of hate," and for the allegation that Zion-
ism fosters a "dual allegiance". program.
An interesting fact was advanced by
the Chaplains' committee: that 228 of the 305
surviving Jewish Chaplains already have
identified themselves with the Zionist cause,
and that "for anyone to insinuate that Zion-
ism tends to diminish the full measure of de-
votion of these 228 Rabbis to America is the
height of impudence."
The statement added that "such an ac-
cusation comes with particularly bad grace
from • an organization .which numbers
amongst its leadership men who did not
respond to the call of the responsible Jewish
communities to serve in the Chaplaincy. As
Chaplains we deplore such irreligious con-
duct on the part of the Council. As servants
of God, we call upon the Council to desist
from defaming the memory of the thousands
of Jews who believed in Zionism, and who
fought and died for their beloved America."
Since the Council represents a very small
group in Judaism, it may well be that too
much attention has been paid to its rantings
by the Chaplains. But as the expression of
opinion of Rabbis in Israel wearing the uni-
forms of our armed forces it is a timely
declaration and should serve definitely to
allay the fears of those who were confused
by the anti-Zionist campaign of the Council.
Let it be known that anyone who raises
the question of the patriotism of American
Zionists does a disservice to the Jewish peo-
ple and to a just and humanitarian cause.

*
`Jewish State-50 Y ears Old

Dr. Theodore Herzl's "The Jewish State"
belongs to the category of the books which
have not only made history, but have revo-
lutionized the life of the people about whom
they were written.
Dr. Herzl's book "The Jewish State" will
be 50 years old Feb. 14, and the occasion-
should be an event for review of our posi-
tion as Jews and for re-dedication of our
efforts to the eradication of Jewish home-
lessness—the ideal which motivated the
writing of this significant brochure.
When "The Jewish State" first made its
appearance, it touched the heartstrings of
only a small minority of Jews. Eastern Euro-
pean Jewry, always threatened by the knout,
was quick to respond to Dr. Herzl's call for
action. It took two great wars to awaken all
Israel's conscience and to prove the validity
of Dr. Herzl's program.
. It is unfortunate that the response. came
so late. But the great responsibility con-
tinues—to rescue the survivors from bigotry
and to make it possible for the million and
a half European Jews to call Eretz Israel
their home. In striving to make this pos-
sible we pay tribute to the memory of Dr.
Herzl and hail "The Jewish State" anew as a
great and historic work.

THE JEWISH NEWS

2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich.

Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate,
Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Wide World
Photo Scivice, Acme Newsphoto Service, King 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 of 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.

Jewish

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
I MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY. WINEMAN

PILITLIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
A. R. BRASCII, Advertising Counsel

VOL. 8—No. 20

FEBRUARY 1, 1946

The Week's Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh, the first day of
Adar Rishon, 5706, the following Scriptural se-
lections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions—Ex. 21:1-24:18; Num.
28:9-15.
Prophetical portion—Is. 66.
Candle lighting time this Fridazli is at 5:05 p.

-

Why is the Mezuzah placed upon the door-
post in a slanting position?
In the Talmudic tractate of "Menachoth",
there seems to be a difference of opinion between
the commentaries (Rashi and R. Tam) as to
whether the Mezuzah should be placed in a verti-
cal or horiZontal position. It was, therefore, de-
creed later on by the authorities that the Mez-
uzah be placed in a slanting position, since this
would be a compromise between the two opinions.

* * *

4 4: t &VP,

..
(.4.44.

Courtesy Appreciate

America, Inc

In Justice to the Survivors
It is not too early, on the eve of the actual inauguration

of city-wide solicitations in behalf of the Allied Jewish
Campaign for $2,000,000, to ask ourselves a few questions.
The Detroit drive for this unprecedented goal involves
great responsibility. It is a matter of justice to the sur-
vivors that their minimum needs be provided for. The
150,000 children who have escaped death in Europe must
be cared for, they must be provided with homes, they must
be led to a new life.
To achieve the required goal we must have the unity
for which we have pleaded so often and which seems to
be broken just as often.
We may fall short of the required sum if ALL elements
in the community are not in it.
Detroit Jews must remember that the $2,000,000 goal
covers the needs of the Joint Distribution Committee for
relief work among European Jews; the United Palestine
Appeal's objectives of settling as many Jews as we can pos-
sibly bring to Palestine; the National Refugee Service which
has the duty of bringing to this country the few thOusand
Jews who will be able to get here under the rules of Presi-
dent Truman's directive for the reopening of America's doors
under existing quotas.
This goal is our share of the national $103,000,000
goal. It is a MINIMUM, and we must think of the objec-
tive as a minimum responsibility.
The machinery of the Allied Jewish Campaign, the Jew-
ish Welfare Federation and the Detroit Service Group al-
ready is being geared to action in behalf_ of the coming drive.
If the necessary manpower is to be enlisted in this drive,
all other efforts must be concluded ahead of time, all other
obligations must be disposed of at once.
This is not idle talk.
It is a serious business, and we must think in terms of
the survivors who could have been in OUR place and we
in THEIRS if our parents' fortunes had been reversed.
•
We appeal to all groups in Detroit to wind up their in-
ternal affairs at once, so that they may throw in all their
resources of money and manpower for the .coming drive. It
is the only assurance of success for the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign.

Fair Employment Practices

Why is the name . of God (Shadai) in-
scribed on the outer surface of the Mezuzah?
The "Zohar" requires the name of God to be
written exactly opposite the word "Vehaya"
which is the first word of the second paragraph
contained in the writtings of the Mezuzah. It so
happens that "Mezuzah" is equal (in alphabetic
letterS) to "Adonoy" which is God's name. The
letters of the word "Vehaya" are the same as
those of one of God's names. The three Hebrew
letters of God's name are said to be the abbrevia-
tion of the phrase "shomer Dalsos Yisroel" which
means "the watcher (or he watches) the doors
of Israel." The Mezuzah being, in a sense, a sym-
bol of the omnipresence of God and his protective
sanctity, is duly labeled by the word "Shadai"
which is both, one of God's names, as well as the
abbreviation of the fact that he guards the doors
of Israel, and therefore befittingly adorns the
object that is placed upon the doors. There is
a prevalent opinion among writers that this cus-
tom of inscribing the name of God in such a
fashion was done to counteract an early pagan
custom of placing some idol near the door to
represent a God who watches the door, as well
as the abode, from all evil. It is said, thus, that
the Jews invented this symbolism of their own
to show that there is no one but the one and the
true God, who guides the destiny of man, and
watches over his subjects.
-k*
*
How many Prophetesses are mentioned
in the Bible?
Four: Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judges
4:4), Huldah (Kings II 22:14), Noadiah (Nehem-
iah 6:14).
*
*
*
' What Is the Jewish Population of Jewish
Communities in Middle-Eastern Countries?
The total of 388,436 Jews reported in censuses
of 1935 to 1944 is accounted for in the following
countries: Egypt, 62.953; Turkey, - 78,730; Iraq,
120,000; Iran, 50,000; Syria, 26,250; Lebanon, 5,503;
Yemen, 45,000.

FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

Dear Boys and Girls:
Did you ever stop to think aboLit the very
many Jewish children in Europe who must be
given food, shelter and homes?
Only 150,000 Jewish children have survived
in Europe. Hundreds of thousands have been
murdered by the brutal Nazis. Those who re-
main alive are mostly orphans.
Think of what we owe them!
Suppose they were your brothers or sisters
or cousins?
Suppose they were YOU?
We owe them so much! And we should do
what we can to help them!
American Jews are asked to raise $103,000,000
A great
for the unfortunate Jews of Europe.
share of this money 'will go to help the children.
The Detroit Jews are asked to give $2,000,000
.
as our share.
That's your responsibility and mine.
That's OUR share in the great relief effort.
It means that in the next three months every-
thing else MUST stop and all our efforts be de-
voted to the great United Jewish Appeal rescue
drive.
When the time comes—HELP! And WORK!
I wish all of you a very pleasant Sabbath.
UNCLE DANIEL.

JEHUDAH CRESQUES, 14th Century Map-Maker
Jehudah CresqUes flourished at Majorca and
Barcelona at the end of the fourteenth century.
He was so well known for his abilities in map-
making, - as well as for his knowledge of the
then-known world, that his ,work was sought
after by the most powerful figures of his day.
The maps used by Columbus were drawn by
him. Prince Juan of Aragon sent to Charles • VI .
of France in 1381, when the latter was a lad of
The Council now has one alternative. It is to close its
13 years, a "mappa mundi" made by Cresques.
doors and cease to function as the only community organization
It has been suggested that this is the well-known.
in the country devoting itself full-time to local, state and na-
Catalan map now in the Louvre, which marks
tional FEPC activities. To this alternative no one in the
an epoch in the history of map-making, as the
Council is ready to yield.
recent discoveries of Marco Polo were added to
"The military war has been won, but the war against un-
the usual information contained in the "portu-
American employment practices is not over. With FEPC on
the way out and with USES having lost its war time controls,
lani," or sea-charts of Mediterranean mariners.
In 1390 Cresques obtained no less a sum than
we must continue to keep the Council on the firing line to
fight for state and national FEPC legislation, carry on educa-
60 louvres and 8 sous for a map made by hint
tional work and handle complaints.
for Don Juan, King of Aragon. In the Spanish
"The souls of those discriminated against in employment,
persecution of 1391, Cresques was forcibly con-
whether by reason of their race, religion or nationality, are -
verted and was known as Jaffuda Cresques; he
no less dear in the eyes of God than those of other men and
appears to have remained in Majorca for a con-
women. They stand on an equal footing before our constitu-
siderable time and to have become known to
tion with all Americans."
People there as "lo Juen buscoler," the Map
The filibuster in the Senate, the attempts by a group of Jew, or as "el udio do la brujela," the Compass
senators to prevent the adoption of the pending congres- Jew. In 1319, King Henry the Navigator, estab-
lished a naval observatory at Sayres and sum-
sional measure, the threats to our democracy in the actions moned
to him Mestre Jaime of Majorca, who was
of the die-hards, compel us to be as firm as they are, if we probably identical with Cresques.
*
*
*
are to have justice for all.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE, By S. A. Hirsch
Those who are directing the battle for the FEPC.
know we are the oldest of existing nations;
MUST have our active support and encouragement. We we We
are also the youngest nation; we are a nation
dare not fail the FEPC.
in its infancy. We shall endure, and the duration
We must bombard Washington with our demands for of our life does not count by centuries merely. We
speedy approval of the FEPC program and we must assist shall be true to ourselves; we shall not shirk the
responsibilities that are cast upon us, an assertion
the local committee with our funds.
national existence will bring out fne high-
Let us act promptly to assure that we go forward and of st our
ideals •which we were placed on earth to
that we are not thrown back into another period of reaction. ' realize,

Metropolitan Detroit's Fair Employment Council, its
income from the War Chest cut off, is asking this community
to contribute a sum of money with which to carry on its
activities. FEPC's committee of its vice-chairmen—Dr. B.
Benedict Glazer, Dr. Thoburn T. Brumbaugh, Fr. J. Lawrence
Cavanaugh and Rev. Charles A. Hill—has issued a statement
in which they state realistically:

-

