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Friday, May 31, 1946

THE JEWISH NEWS

Christianity, Judaism Both
on Firing Line, Cohon Warns

Must Fight Common Enemies, Declares HUC Professor at
4th Annual Seminar at Beth El; Draws Parallels
Between Religions

Congregational Activities

Beth Y ehudah's
Deficit Is $11,454

"We are divided by chalklines—Protestants, Catholics,
Solicit New Members to
Jews, black and white. We need to look more into each
Raise Needed Funds; 18
others' lives—then some of that chalkline might be re-
New Directors Elected
moved," declared Dr. Samuel S. Cohon, professor of Jewish
Theology at the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, 0., in
At the annual meeting of Ye-
an address on "What is Judaism?—An Historical and Con-
temporaneous Analysis," befoi e
shivath Beth Yehudah, at which

a keenly attentive audience at-
tending the fourth Institute on
Judaism.
The seminar was held all day
Monday in Temple Beth El.
Participating with Temple Beth
El were the Detroit Council of
Churches, the Detroit Pastors'
Union and the Council of Religi-
ous Education. Attending was
a representative cross-section of
the clergymen and religious edu-
cators of the city.
Both Have Common Task
"Both Judaism and Christian-
ity are on the firing line today,"
Dr. Cohon continued. As long
as Judaism and Christianity will
uphold the sanctity and divinity
of man, the Nazis and fascists
will consider them as enemies.
We have a common task—may
we find strength to carry it out.
"Our purpose is neither apolo-
getic nor political, but merely a
desire to understand each other.
What do we mean by religion,.
or Judaism? • Man's religion is
that which he cherishes as are
innermost force of hiS being.
Hebrew Has Many Terms
In Hebrew we have not one
term, but many, to designate this
great experience. We have a
term for faith—that which is
well founded and upon which we
can stake our lives. We have a
term for fear, or reverence, for
God. We have a pragmatic
term meaning worship, for work,
service. 'Torah', from the root
word meaning 'to teach', in a
larger sense means religion as a
revelation.
"There is the element of coven-
antal , experience — the Jewish
people are known as the Ben-Ish
of covenant. The root meaning
of all religion, which describes
the essence of religion, is,
‘K'clushah', meaning holiness. All
these terms are vital.
"The idea of the holy is found
among all people. Once that
idea is born, religion is born. A
fascination and reverent fear are
to be found in all religions—a
sense of the presence of a trans-
cendent being before whom we
are humble creatures.
Respect Other Religions
"We sought to look upon the
various religions as we do vari-
ous languages and dialects. We
can't minimize the differences in
religions. Most of us couldn't
be anything else—nor could we
talk Russian to save our necks.
The good God made us in a var-
iety of races—we should respect
the various religions as we res-
pect different languages.
"Judaism may be described
under four headings: Spirit of
community, creed, cult (expres-
sion to the holy one), and code
of conduct. You can't separate
them.
Belief, Not Blood, Counts
"The community of faith in
Christianity is the church. In
Judaism we have no church at
all in the Christian sense. Our
synagogue is not . in the same
position as the church. Some
people are counted as Jews, who
don't belong to a synagogue. A
person born a Jew is counted
as a Jew unless, as a mature in-
dividual he withdraws. The
doors of the synagogue swing
both ways—some go out, some
come in. Some people want to
make a separate race of the
JeWish people. We say we are
children of Abraham, and un-
doubtedly so. However, when
the Israelites left Egypt, we are
told, 'a multitude of people fol-
lowed'. And the mixing has
continued. In Judaism, the same
as in other religions, it is belief,
not blood, that counts. We are
not a racial unit, or a political
unit. We, here, consider oursel-
ves Americans by virtue of birth
or adoption.
"Judaism is not held together

tion goes its own way. All that
unites us is on a voluntary basis.
The rabbi is not any sacrosanct
individual. What holds us to-
gether is historical consciousness,
historical faith and our obliga-
tions to each other as a minority
group. As an example, I would
point to Detroit, where you have
just raised the unprecedented
sum of two and a half millions
to help the unfortunate _Jews of
Europe.
All Brothers Under Skin
"The beliefs of Judaism are
summed up as the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man.
It is not enough, though, to say
'brotherhood'—we must be con-
scious of our common fatherhood.
Black, white or yellow, we are
all brothers under the skin. So
much for creed, the sanctity of
human individualism.
"What is ethics?—the sancti-
fication of life. Man must rem-
ember himself as "sons of the
Lord your God'. Religion must
demand clean hands and a pure
heart.
"The cult—some people think
all religion is in worship, but not
all worship , is in religion. Res-
ponse to the divine becomes a
power in our lives. The lang-
uage of prayer became a substi-
tute in Judaism for the sacra-
ment of sacrifice.
"So much of all this i common
to both your religion and ours.
You raise your heads and hearts
to the same Father in Heaven
as we do—we are like two
streams, both flowing to the sea,
but moving between different
banks.
Christian Clergy Speak
Dr. Frederick H. Olert Hof First
Presbyterian church was chair-
man of the afternoon session.
At a noon luncheon the speak-
ers included Dr. Thoburn T.
Brumbaugh, executive secretary
of the Detroit Council of
Churches; Dr. Irwin C. Johnson
of St. John's Episcopal church
and president of the Pastors'
Union, Dr. Frank Fitt of Grosse
Pointe Memorial church, 'Dr.
Berton S. Levering of All Saints
Episcopal church, and Dr. Arthur
D. Klontz of Boulevard Temple
Methodist church.
Dr. Franzblau on Program
The seminar opened with a
morning session at which Dr.
Abraham N. Franzblau, profes-
sor of Jewish Religious Educa-
tion and Pastoral Psychiatry, He-
brew Union College, discussed
"The Role of Pastoral Psychiatry
in Synagogue and Church." Oth-
er speakers were Dr. B. Bene-
dict Glazer of Temple Beth El
and Dr. Walton E. Cole of First
Congregational church.
The luncheon was provided by
the Sisterhood of Temple Beth
El committee under direction of
Mrs. Alvin Rodecker and Mrs.
Harry Jacobson, co-chairman and
Mrs. Maurice Klein, president.

Jewish Problem Still
Unsolved, Says Truman

In a message to the national
convention of the American Jew-
ish Congress which opened in
New York on May 29, President
Truman said:
"The overthrow of the worst
transgressors against the innate
dignity of every individual, what-
ever his race or creed, has not of
itself solved the problems con-
fronting your people."
The President declared that he
is keenly aware of the plight of
hundred of thousands of Jews,
"who still, a year after victory,
have no homes to which to re-
turn, no families with which to
foregather, no occupations to
which to resort. • Whatever can
with justice and with fairness be
done to alleviate the condition of
these persons must be done," the

by a hierarchy. Each congrega- . President said..

Page Nineteen

principal addresses were deliv-
ered by Prof. Samuel M. Levin
and Rabbi Moses Fischer, Rabbi
M. J. Wohlgeiernter, president,
submitted a financial report show-
ing that for the first 11 months
of the fiscal year a total expense
of $93,775 was incurred and the
income amounted to $82,321.
Plans were made for solicita-
tion of new members to cover the
deficit of $11,454.
It was reported that 637 pupils
were enrolled during the school
year which began last September.
The following 18 new directors
were elected: Cantor Hyman Ad-
ler David Applebaum, Jacob
Baker, Benjamin Brodman, Solo-
mon N. Cohen, Philip Dubrinsky,
Benjamin Eizelman, Eugene
Gelbman, Max H. Goldsmith, Jo-
seph Gorman, Abraham Hopt-
man, Arthur Klein, S. Lapinsky,
Abe Levenberg, Rabbi Eliezer
A. Levi, Rev. J. Sandberg, Mor-
ris Schneider and Max Temchin.

Rabbis Supervising
Vaad Hayeshivoth

Greater harmony has been ef-
fected in Detroit's religious and
charitable activities by placing
the Vaad Hayeshivoth under aus-
pices of the Detroit Council of
Orthodox Rabbis, from whose of-
fices it is now operating at 9105
Linwood Ave.
The function of the Vaad Haye-
shivoth (Committee for the Sup-
port of Yeshivoth and Religious-
Charitable Institutions) is to su-
pervise fund raising activities in
Detroit and vicinity for charita-
ble, religious and educational in-
stitutions in this _ country and
abroad, chiefly Palestine. Funds
are transmitted directly to the
respective institutions. Its object
is to render all possible assist-
ance to the authorized represent-
atives of the accedited institu-
tions, and to protect the Jewish
public from fraud and misrepre-
sentation, by issuing credentials
only to such institutions whose
authenticity has been verified by
thorough investigation.
The public can be of further
help by notifying the office of
anyone attempting to collect
without a credential from the
Vaad Hayeshivoth and without
stamped receipts.
All allocation service is offered
by the Vaad .Hayeshivoth to those
who find it more convenient to
allocate an annual sum totaling
the amount of their annual con-
tributions to the various insti-
tutions. This money is distrib-
uted by the Vaad Hayeshivoth
according to the contributor's
specific list, and all receipts are
kept on file.
For further information call
the office of Vaad Hayeshivoth,
TY. 6-8906, Rabbi Jacob M.
Brown, executive director.

Shaarey Zedek Holds
Shevuoth Services

Cong. Shaarey Zedek will hold
Shevuoth services Wednesday
and Thursday at 8:45 a. m. Rabbi
Rosenstock will preach the ser-
mon on Wednesday and Rabbi
Adler will occupy the pulpit
Thursday, Yizkor services will
be held Thursday at 10:30 a. m.

Arab Countries Protest
Palestine Question Before U. N.
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A l 1
Arab countries are against rais-
ing the Palestine problem before
theU. N. Security Council, since
this would be agairist their in-
terests, it is reported in the well-
informed Arab newspaper Al
Mizhar.

Wayburn Retained
As President of
Beth El Men's Club

Will Burn Mortgage
of Chachmey Lublin

Yeshivah To Raise $13,000

Leon S. Wayburn was re-elect-
To Cover Deficit and
ed president of the Men's Club
Debt On Building
of Temple Beth El at a largely
attended annual meeting held
Jacob Soberman, president,
May 21.
Rabbi M. Rothenberg, dean, and
Other officers elected are: Ar- Rabbi G. Frankel addressed an
thur L. Goulson, vice-president, emergency meeting of Yeshivath
Oscar M. Zemon,
Chachmey Lublin at which it
secretary; Harry
was
revealed that the sum of
L. Phillips, trea-
$13,000 must be raised quickly,
surer; directors,
for a two-year
without touching the Yeshivah's
term, Theodore
regular source of income, to
Birnkrant, Mil-
cover a deficit of $8,000 and to
ton Doner, Her-
pay $5,000 on the mortgage.
bert Eiges, Bert-
The administration "has reach-
ram Kaatz, Mel-
vin Kuttnauer,
ed a point of exhaustion," Rabbi
Arthur Rice,
Rothenberg pointed out in his
Murry Robinson, L. S. Wayburn
appeal to the gathering.
and Leonard Weiner.
A proposal to apply for an-
Directors holding over are:
Nathan Balaban, Burton Clam- other $13,000 mortgage on the
age, Philip Marcuse, Gilbert Mi- building was rejected as a
chel, Emil Waldbott. Ex-officio "stalling" move and it was urged
members are: Dr. B. Benedict that an effort be made to raise
Glazer, Dr. Leo M. Franklin,
the $13,000 needed by the school.
Rabbi Hershel Lymon, Leonard
Mr. Soberman pledged $1,000
T. Lewis, Irving I. Katz.
and M. Snow $500 additional to
an earlier pladge of a like
amount.
A mortgage burning commit-
tee has been selected to consist
The Bnai David Religious of J. Soberman, D. Temchin, M.
Snow, D. Edelman, I. Schwartz,
School will hold its graduation Rev. D. Finkelstein, J. Good-
exercises on Sunday, June 2, at man, M. Weisbrot, A. Nusbaum,
H. Stolsky.
11 a. m.
The appeal to the book drive
The theme of the graduation
of
Yeshivath Chachmey Lublin
this year is the "Foundations of
has brought gifts from C. E.
Jewish Life." Every graduate Feinberg, H. Freund, Mrs. Betty
had to prepare a thesis on signi- Loomer, Mrs. Nettie Markosky,
ficant principles in Judaism which Mrs. Poremantz, H. Resnick, A.
Roberts, Mrs. Silver, Rabbi J. S.
have become the foundations of
Sperka, D. Temchin, H. Tenen-
Jewish life.
baum.
Rabbi Joshua Sperka will pre-
side. Cantor Adler will lead in
the singing. Dan Frohman will
be in charge of the instrumental
music. A reception will take
• The current season is drawing
place in the social hall of the
to a close for the 220 children. who
Synagogue after the graduation. attended the Sunday School of
All are welcome. _
Northwest Hebrew Congregation
and Center. A. Warsen is direc-
Shevuoth Services
Erev Shevuoth, Tuesday, June tor of the school.
The past year's activities were
4, Mincha services will take place
marked by many assemblies.
at 7:30 a. m. and Maariv at 8 p.m.
The school is now accepting
Wednesday morning. Services registrations for the 1946-7 term,
will begin at 9 a. m. Rabbi Sper- which will commence in Septem-
ka will occupy the pulpit and ber. Children can be registered
preach on "Learning and 'Good on Sunday mornings between 10
Deeds." Thursday morning serv- a. m.-12 noon at the temporary
ices will begin at 9 a. in. and quarters, the Bagley School, Cur-
Yiskor services at.11 a. m. Rabbi tis and Greenlawn. The final reg-
Joshua Sperka will preach the istration day is June 16. Perma-
sermon on "Is Destruction Our nent quarters are now being
Destiny?" Cantor H. Adler will erected on. Curtis, a short dis-
officiate at all services.
tance west of Livernois.

Bnai David School
graduation June 2

N.W. Cong. School
Takes Registrants

Welcome to Detroit

Ilya Ehrenburg—World famed Anti-Fascist Journalist
and Novelist.

Konstantin Simonov—Author of Best Seller "Days and

Nights." Soviet Correspondent and Playwrite.

Mai. Gen. tvlikhail Galaktionov—Military

Editor of

"Pravda.

Will Speak at a Rally in Their Honor

Tuesday Evening, June 11,
8 o'clock

of Consisfory Cathedral, Masoniic Temple

Temple and 2nd

Tickets $1.20, $1.80 and $2.40. To be had at Grinnells,
Union Book Store and at the Jewish Culture Assoc. Bldg.

For Reservations call CA. 7605 or RA. 3925

r.

Sponsored by the Detroit Jewish Comm. of the Russian Relief

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