Page Four THE JEWISH NEWS As the Editor Views the N e ws - - Inquiry or Inquisition? Elsewhere in this issue, our readers will find a depressing report from Jerusalem, wirelessed to us through JTA by the eminent novelist, Meyer Levin, who brands some of the members of the Anglo-American In- quiry Committee as having turned the hear- ing into "more of an inquisition than an inquiry." Mr. Levin's evaluation of the committee is most disturbing, especially in view of the fact that similar impressions of the commit- tee's attitudes were gathered by corre- spondents in Europe and Washington. The spirit of heartlessness which has marked many of the questions directed at those who appeared before the committee justifies the comparison of the inquiry com- mittee's hearings with the Nuremberg trial made by Mr. Levin. * * * The testimony presented to the inquiry committee by Jewish spokesmen emphatical- ly asserted that the position of our people is to live in harmony with the Arabs. Dr. Chaim Weizmann and David Ben Gurion reiterated their viewpoints in behalf of Arab-Jewish cooperation. The proposals for a bi-national state, formulated by Dr. J. L. Magnes, Moshe Smilansky and Prof. Martin Buber, were even more emphatic in reasserting the pre- dominating Jewish stand in behalf of a cemented friendship between the two kindred peoples. The snubs which these proposals have received from Arab politicians do not rep- resent the attitude of Palestine's Arabs, whose amicable relations with their Jewish neighbors are at a high peak at this time. Will the members of the inquiry commit- tee listen to reason and will they act justly in their decisions? * * * The inquiry committee members have an historic opportunity to emerge as humani- trians by acting promptly in support of the minimum needs of the Jewish people, which demand the immediate opening Of Palestine's doors to at least 100,000 Jews. Dr. Magnes, whose moderate views have received en- dorsements from non-Zionists, anti-Zionists, disinterested Christians and many Arabs, was strong in demanding that such a course be taken at once. There is the problem of the tens of thousands of Jewish children who must be rescued. If Palestine's doors are not opened to them, the inquiry committee will be recorded as having been motivated by heart- lessness rather than by a firm and deter- mined desire to be helpful to our people. We wonder: is it conceivable that in- telligent men will fail to recognize the great needs of the hour and deal with Palestine's problem as inquisitors? If the members of the inquiry committee continue to act as if they are conducting a trial, history will teach them that they thus are placing themselves on trial by failing to act justly with the Jewish people and procrastinating in efforts to secure an open door policy for Jews in Palestine. These are crucial days for mankind, and the severest sufferers of all—the Jewish people—anxiously look to the inquiry com- mittee for courage in solving the grave prob- lern_of the million and a half survivors in Europe. THE JEWISH NEWS 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich. 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, 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 RAnclolph 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. 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. It. BRASCH, Advertising Counsel VOL. 9—No. 1 MARCH 22, 1946 This Week's Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twentieth day of Adar Sheni, 5706, the following selections will be read in our synagogues: 19. Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 6:1-8:36; Num. Prophetical portion—Ezek. 36:16-38. Candle-lighting time this .Friday is at 6:28 p.m. Give Him the Bum's Rush! Friday, March 22, 1946 Facts You Should Know Answers to Readers Questions About Jews Can a Jewish husband divorce his wife against her will according to Jewish law? `Who Shall Live, and Who.Shall Die?' In the Unsane Tokef of the High Holy Day prayers, the most stirring passage is the reference to the destiny of the worshipers for the year ahead, and one of the questions asked is: "Who shall live, and who shall die?" This query at this time challenges the conscience of every Jew whose income does not limit his ability to feed himself and his family.. For the million and a quar- ter surviving Jews in Europe, the future is precarious un- less we come to their aid mediately. If we, who have an abund- ance of material means, do not provide them with food and shelter, and if we do not assist them in finding 'perm- anent homes—placing em- phasis on Palestine as the only Home that is declare_d acceptable by 98 per cent of the survivors from Nazism then all hope will be gone for those who have struggled and suffered to live in spite of the network of terrorism that was built around them by Nazism. The drawing illustrating this appeal, made by the New York artist, Israel Levy, for the Joint Distribution Commit- tee, depicts the heartrending tragedy of Israel at this time. All of European Jewry is like this child, begging for a slice of bread and a cup of soup. So that they may live, the survivors must receive all the help that can possibly be mustered for them by the Joint Distribution Committee, with funds now being gathered in this country by the United Jewish Appeal. Fortunately, these survivors have learned once again to hold their heads erect and to demand their just rights to make their homes in Palestine. With funds of the United Palestine Appeal, which also receives its allocations through the United Jewish Appeal, we retain the hope that tens of thousands of Jews will be settled in Palestine. Our obligations are clear. The Detroit Allied Jewish Campaign, whose 1946 quota of $2,000,000 will be used en- tirely for the United Jewish Appeal, must be made a total success. Each one of us must give the utmost of our means and energies, in contributions and in labor, to help reach the complete quota which is a minimum obligation. The time to start working for this drive is NOW. The time to begin giving is NOW. The Children Come First United Jewish Appeal leaders are emphatic in their declarations that the children come first in rescue efforts and that everything possible will be done to save the 150,000 surviving Jewish children. Judge Rifkind's report adds tragic evidence to the story. The appeal in behalf of the children should be sufficient to arouse all the compassion necessary to guarantee the success of the $100,000,000 national mercy drive of which Detroit will contribute. $2,000,000. It is inconceivable that any one should be so calloused as not to be moved by, the tattoos on the arms of children who have been rescued from Nazism, or by their emaciated bodies, or by the tragedy that is reflected in their eyes after having witnessed the murder of their families. In most instances,. the surviving children are the only ones left of large families which were descimated in, crem- atoria and extermination camps. Our responsibility to these children is so great that none of us has a right to touch the next morsel of food before giving to the very limit of his ability to the United Jewish Appeal. This is the major plea for the approaching $2,000,000 Detroit Allied Jewish Campaign. But there are also the adults; there are the surviving men and women to be helped; the tens of thousands who must be settled in Palestine. Is there any one in our midst who will dare say that he will either refuse to contribute to or to work for the Allied Jgwish Campaign?. Originally a Jewish husband had the right to divorce his wife without her consent. From the wording in the Bible it is apparent that the entire action centered upon the will of the husband. Even then there were exceptions to this privilege, as for example the case where the husband had ac- cused his wife falsely of antenuptial incontin- ence (Deut. XXII: 13-19) and other instances. In the time of the Mishnah we find the "School of Shammai" insisting that the husband present adequate reasons for his action that had to do with sexual immorality on the part of the wife. In the eleventh century, this theoretical right of the husband was formally declared at an end when the famous Rabbi Gershom of Mayence de- clared that ". . . as the man does not put away his wife except at his own free will so shall the woman not be put away except by her own con- sent." There are instances when the Jewish court can compel the husband to grant a divorce to his iivife. It still stands, however, that the action is centered around the husband and proceeds from husband to wife and not vice-versa.—(S.J.F.) * * * What were the "Noachic Laws?" They were laws which, according to Pharisaic Judaism, were applied to the descendants of Noah to establish civil righteousness. They forbade idol worship, blasphemy, murder, sexual ir- regularity, theft, and cruelty to animals. FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE Dear Boys and Girls: Less than a month remains before PaSsover, and we shall be thinking soon about the prepara- tions for this great festival which marks the first fight for freedom by an entire people in man- kind's history. Many of our boys and girls already are study- ing the meaning of the holiday, its history and background, and are preparing to ask the Four Questions at the inspiring Seder ceremonies. Schools and homes are getting ready for this . important event. At least two of these columns will he devoted to Passover. . As we think of Passover, we should bear in mind the great needs of those of our people who have nothing left in the world, who depend upon us. for whatever supplies they are to.receive to be able to celebrate the festival. I sincerely -.hope that we shall choose, each •one of us, to celebrate Passover by giving liberal- ly to the relief causes of the Allied Jewish Cam- paign—the United Palestine Appeal, the Joint Distribution Coinmittee and the National Refugee Service. In this column I am happy once again to welcome a fine poem by one of our contributors- Herzl Shur. I wish all of my readers a pleasant Sabbath. UNCLE DANIEL. The Aleph Bays By HERZL SHUR You'll find It pays To know Your Aleph Bays. They certainly Stand solid- Yes—the Gimmel And the Doled. If you want To become a ROV Be sure to practice On your HAY and your VOV! The day will come around When you will say—YES I know my ZAH-YIN And I know my CHES! As long as you're good And in a fair mood You'll master your TES And alSo your YOOD. If you are patient And listen to the MELAMED You'll know your KOF And you'll know your LAMED Look at your MEM Look at your NUHN If you can't get it now You're bound to get it soon The SAMECH and the AH-YIN They're not hard to remember If you can't grasp them in NOVEMBER You'll know them in DECEMBER It won't be long And you'll shout HOORAY It's as easy as pie To say PAY and FAY! Study your TZADIK Study your KOF If you study a little each day It won't be so tough Next we come To the RAISE and the SHIN Just perk yourself up And lift up your chin To stop right here Would be a terrible SIN So let's say TOF and SOF • Which is really quite enough!