T H E. J .E W 1 $

Page Four

As the Editor
Views the News
`Dictates of -Justice'

NE W S

Give Liberally to the Red Cross

emburg the fact has been established that
5,700,000 Jews perished under the murder-
ous reign of Hitlerism. That crime will

be answered in justice. •

is heartening to know that the Chief Execu-

tive of this great nation recognizes that
"retribution will be visited upon the guilty"
responsible for the murder of millions of
Jews. It is of even greater importance that
the needs of the survivors are not forgotten.
President Truman's words surely will
serve as a stimulus to the Jews of America
to go forth with courage to bring to reality
the objective of raising $100,000,000 for the
relief and resettlement in permanent homes
of the 1,500,000 Jews who remain. in Europe,
The work of the JDC on all fronts, the ne-
cessity of settling tens of thousands of Jews
in Palestine, the new tasks that face NRS in
this country—these are three objectives
which must be realized to the fullest.
In Detroit, the challenge to us comes
through the Allied Jewish Campaign goal
of - $2,000,000. Nothing should - be permitted
to interfere with efforts to raise this quota.

Agreement on Issues

* * *

The Truth vs. Arabs and Oil

Prince Asad Al-Fahik, Saudi-Arabia's new minister to
the United States, in his announcement in Washington that
his government is willing - to grant American oil companies
concessions to newly-discovered Arabian oil wells, made a
rather queer statement.
The "brightly-robed diplomat", speaking of Palestine,
said that the Jewish plan for Palestine is an impossible
dream. In 20 years Palestine has been overrun by 600,000
Jews who have created an over-population problem. Pales-
tine offers a difficult living for those who are there; how
could it offer a' better living to newcomers?"
In the early 1930s, when there were less than 200,000
Jews in Palestine and when the Arabs numbered about
half their present numbers, there were antagonistS of Zion-
ism who used a similar argument. British Colonial officials
and Arab politicians warned that there would be starvation
in Palestine; that the country could not absorb additional
settlers.
Since then, the Arabs have doubled in number, not
through the natural increases by births but mainly as a
result of the infiltration of Arabs from other countries who
saw greater opportunities as neighbors of their Jewish
cousins. The Jewish population has trebled. And the op-
portunities for larger...populations in the cities and colonies
of Palestine are very great.
We are confident that the world's great engineers and
soil conservation experts, that men like Dr. Walter Clay
Lowdermilk who believes that Jewish enterprise Can pro-
vide for the settlement of an additional 3,000,000 Jews. in
Palestine, in turn enriching the entire Mediterranean area,
will be listened to: and that the hate-provoking words of the
Saudi-Arabian "diplomat" will evoke only laughter. And
we are equally as confident that those who will laugh the
loudest will be the Arabs of Palestine who will be the
first to recognize the untruth of the evaluations Prince Asad
took pains to unload upon the American people.

The London Jewish Conferenee of the
American Jewish Committee and the Anglo-
Jewish Association, which concluded this
week, has provided proof that there is gen-
eral agreement among the Jews of the
world on several major issues. -
It is clear that there is absolutely no dis-
agreement on the question of Palestine. The
consensus of Jewish opinion is that Pales-
tine's doors MUST be opened for unlimited
Jewish immigration.
All elements in Jewry concur in the view
that the UNO's International Bill of Rights
should be expanded for inclusion in the con-
stitutions of all UNO member states.
It would be interesting to learn how many people, upon
The over-all program of Jewish activities hearing the heartrending reports that come to us from the
on all fronts calls for unity of effort in mak- camps of the survivors in Europe, are prepared to give up
ing claims for reparations to be paid by some of the luxuries of American living in order to be in
Germany for Jewish losses. '
position to contribute the maximum to the current needs
In view of the fact that there is general for relief and rehabilitation of our kinsmen. -
agreement on these issues, it is clear that if
We do not ask how many people would be prepared to
ALL elements in Jewish life, in this country make sacrifices. We speak •only of luxuries. And 'to aban-
and in Great Britain, could Work in har- don a luxury does not involve an iota of sacrifice-
mony, we would have a better chance of
We have heard many soul- and heart-stirring reports
securing an enforcement of our just claims -from emissaries who have just returned from Europe. We
before the tribunals of the world powers know the tragedy 'of our people.
and through the UNO.
The point that needs to be made 'now, by those respond-
ing to the appeals of the dispossessed and the homeless, is
that they are aware of the unprecedented needs, and that
they are prepared to go the . limit in providing means for
2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich.
relief.
Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent
Jewish Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate,
The approaching Allied Jewish Campaign for $2,000,000
Religious News Service, Palcor News Agency, Wide World
Photo Service, Acme Newsphoto Service, King Features
will provide the test relative to the strength of our com-
Syndicate, Central Press Service.
munity's 'heartstrings.
Member American Association of English-Jewish News-

•

How Strong Our Heartstrings?

THE 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 8. • 1942 at the
Post Office at Detroit. Michigan. under the Act of .
March 3. 1879.

The Youth to the Rescue

Leaders of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit
were pleasantly surprised last - week when more than 2,200
young people clamored for admission to a meeting which
was called fo rthe reorganization of the Junior Service Group.
Provisions had been made for an attendance of several
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MAURICE ARONSSON
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
hundred.
But • the outpouring of young -people, -their spon-
FRED M. BUTZEL
ISIDORE SOBELOFF
THEODORE LEVIN
ABRAHAM SRERE
taneous display of interest in and concern over Jewish needs,
MAURICE H. SCHWARTZ HENRY WINEMAN
at home and abroad, came as a great .encouragement in' ef-
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
forts to build up the community for the approaching $2,000,-
A. R. ERASER. Advertising Counsel
000 Allied Jewish Campaign.
MARCH 8, 1946
VOL. 8—No. 25
The fact that so 'many hUndreds of our, youth, many of
This Week's Scriptural Selections
whom were *returned servicemen, displayed such deep in-
This Sabbath, the sixth day of Adar Sheni, terest in the present plight of the -surviving Jews . offers
5706, the following Scriptural selections will be assurance that the youth demonstration reflects the attitude
of an entire community is determined .to assure success for -
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 38:21-40:38.
the fund-raising effort for 'the rescue-and resettlement work
in Europe.
Prophetical portion-1 Kings 7:51-8:21.
The youth rally may be•interpreted as pointing to a_great
On Thursday, the Fast of Esther, the follow-
outpouring of interest and generosity; on the •.. Tart of the en-.
ing Scriptural selections will be read:

Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 32 11 14;34:1 10.

-

-

-

Literary Volume Pays
Tribute to 1. L. Peretz'

To the Canadian Jewish Observer, published at
2574A Dundas St., London, Ontario, goes the credit
for having produced an unusually fine literary
product devoted almost entirely to the life and
works of I. L. Peretz, the great Yiddish writer who
died 30 years ago. • '
Reminiscences, impressions, translations and lit-
erary exalations by outstanding - writers are in-
cluded in this excellent 112-page journal.
The contributors include David Pinski, Sholem
Asch, S. Niger, Joseph Opatoshu and others.
•Peretz and- his works are portrayed through
poetry and prose, art, drama, music and special.
essays. •
.
Max W. Grafstein is the editor and publisher of
this work and- Dr. 1. Goldstick, the consulting edi-
tdr, has translated a,number of the short stories.
This is so unusual a product that it is certain
to have circulation in all English-speaking coun
tries. .
In view of the splendor of this finely gotten-up
work, which is profusely illustrated, there is no
clOubt that a large public will watch for the next
issue of the Canadian Jewish Observer which is to
be a Sholem Aleichem Memorial Number.

President • 'Truman's - endorsement of the
objectives of the nationwide 'drive for $100,--
000,000 far the. United Jewish Appeal for
Refugees, Overseas Needs and Palestine
deserves to be emphasized as a matter in-
volving the "dictates of justice" fOr our
peoRle•
President Truman stated to a group of 28
Jewish leaders who visited him at the White
House:
"In the trial of war criminals at Nur-

"There are left in Europe 1,500,000
Jews, men, women and children, whom the
ordeal has left homeless, hungry, sick and
without assistance. - These; too, are victims
of the crime for which retribution will be
visited upon the guilty. But neither the
dictates of justice nor that love of' our
fellowman which we are bidden to-practice
will be satisfied until the needs of these
sufferers are met."
This is a most significant statement. It

Frittayi Maici7rA 1946::

tire Jewish community of Detroit.

Who were the Rechabites?
. An ascetic group in Judaism, traditionally re-
garded, as descendants of Jonadab, son of Rechab.
tained from the use of wine, from build-
They abs
ing or living in permanent houses, and from cul-
tivating the ground—apparently as a protest
against the settled life of Israel after the con-
quest of Canaan.
What is a Mufti?
A Mohammedan priest or expounder of the law.
In Turkey, the title refers to the official head of
the state religion and to deputies appointed by '
him.

FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

Dear Boys and Girls:
Purim will be observed this year on Sunday,
March 17.
The Fast of Esther will be observed on
Thursday. •
In celebration of Purim, I am devoting this
column to an' interesting Purim legend, "The
Trees Refuse", and to a fine poem by Shulamith
Ish-Kishor.
I hope all of you will make arrangements•
for masquerades and other celebrations on Purim
and that you and your families' will enjoy the
Seu dah.
A pleasant Sabbath to all.
UNCLE DANIEL.
*
*
THE TREES REFUSE: A LEGEND .
When Haman saw that his end was near and
that he would die by hanging, he walked into the _
king's 'beautiful garden where grew every kind
of tree.
"Hear me, 0 trees and plants," he said. "I am
Haman, son of Hamedatha. I am about to be
hanged. Who will let me - hang on you?"
A shudder went through the trees. Such sway-
ing and swishing and sighing had never before
been seen or heard in the king's garde-n. None •
of the trees would agree to offer themselves as
gallows for wicked Haman.
At last they agreed that Haman should be
hanged on a tree 'at least fifty cubits high.
"This leaves me out," said the. grapevine. "I ain
far too short. Besides, the wine I give is used
for Kiddush on _ the Sabbath and holidays and
for' other ceremonies."
"My oil is used to light the sacred' Menorah,"
said the - olive tree.
"Adam and Eve covered themselves with my
leaves, and my fruit is brought on Shavuoth
as Bikkurim to the Temple," said the fig tree.
"My branches, too, are employed on a holi-
day," the palm tree spoke up. "Every Succoth,
they serve as a Lulay. Cruel Haman shall not
hang on me."
"Nor on me will he hang," cried the citron.
"All people come to taste - of my fruit and offer,
praise to God, and on Succoth I share honors with
the Lulay."
The myrtle spoke up next. "Of me it is said
that I stand for joy and gladness. How can I
allow so -hateful a man to hang on me?"
"I dare riot have this wicked man hang on a
branch of mine," the oak cried. "Beneath me
lies buried Deborah, the nurse of Mother Rebek-
kah."
"Neither can I," the willow spoke loudly.
"Know ye not that Absalom, son of King - David,
was caught by his long hair in my branches? Is
Haman to hang on the same tree?"
Then the pomegranate spoke gently. "I have
been compared to wise and good men who are
as full of goodness and wisdom as- my fruit is
full of seeds and juice. -No, he cannot hang
on me."
At last, it was the turn of the cedar to. speak.
The trees bent their branches towards the cedar
with anxiety.
"Let Haman hang on me," the cedar spoke
sadly, "for I an,r` the tree he had chosen for
himself."

The Stranger

By SHULAMITH ISH . KISHOR
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Who'S at the door?
A strange little man,
Whom. I ne'er- saw before!
What -do you want,
You strange httle fellow?
"I'm bringing you .1 1ittle cakes,
'Bromin, white -and -yellow!"
I .know you now!.
You're all in disguise,,
'
But you're little . Joe,
I can . tell by your eyes!
You've brought • Shalachtnonos
• For Purim today! ,• ' •
Thank 'you,- dear Joey,
Now come in and play!
•

r.

