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As the Editor - .
Views the News
THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 21, 1946
ms. 1111M,
ware;
The Jewish Mark Twain'
27 of
Sholom Aleichem's Best Stories Published
In "The Old Country," a Fascinating Book
by Julius and Frances Butwin
Bevin' s Inhuman Action
Great Britain's Foreign Secretary Ernest
Bevin, in his anxiety to win the endorse-
ment of his own party for his policies, has
gone on record as a heartless schemer.
In his shocking statement, in which he
reiterated opposition to the proposal for the
settlement this year of 100,000 Jews in Pales-
tine, Mr. Bevin had the audacity to state that
the reason for the pressure in behalf of the
survivors, "particularly in New York," is
"because they do not want too many of them
in New York."
At .a time when liberal men everywhere
are striving not only for the admission of
100,000 Jews to Palestine but also for the
opening of the doors of this country and of
other lands to the unfortunate people of
Europe, Mr. Bevin's statement serves a very
evil purpose.
*
* *
In reality, Mr. Bevin's statement is a
self-indictment of his own position as well
as of the stand taken by other statesmen
who, in a spirit of procrastination, are freez-
ing the position of the Jewish survivors.
Nearly five months have passed since
the Anglo-American Inquiry Committee
issued its report. Tens of thousands of
Jews, in this period, could have begun a
new life in Palestine. Many of them should
have been settled in other lands. Instead,
they are either dying or continuing to live in
utter despair in displaced persons camps.
But Mr. Bevin, using the language of
anti-Semites, chose to speak in terms of
Jews not being desired in New York.
His own constituents may thus have
been given the cue to say that they do -not
want "too many" Jews in London and in
Manchester. He sets the pace for similar
cruel policy in Paris and in Ottawa. He
has written a very black page for England.
*
*
*
Mr. Bevin's argument is contrary to
facts. When he speaks of another expendi-
ture of $800,000,000 in defense of Palestine,
he pulls the wool over the eyes of his Labor
Party and the entire people of England
whom he fails to inform that until now the
"defense" of the country was financed with
taxes imposed in the main upon the Jews.
He has failed to state that the transfer of
British troops from Egypt to Palestine was
an act in the interest of the British Empire
and not of the people of Palestine.
He uttered empty phrases when he
gave assurance that he will help the Jews
secure representation in the counsels of the
nations of the world through the eventual
establishment of a Palestine state. We
wonder if anyone will retain confidence in a
man who has consistently broken his solemn
promises to Jewry.
Mr. Bevin's latest stand is jeopardizing
world peace. Are there enough men of good
will left to condemn him and his govern-
ment for such cruelty?
Honors For Rabbi Fram
A unique combination of anniversaries
occasioned the honors paid Rabbi Leon Fram
by his constituents in Temple Israel.
His 25th anniversary in the rabbinate,
the 20th anniversary of his ministry in
Detroit, his fifth with Temple Israel and
his 50th birthday have.won for him the en-
comia of his friends.
His many associates in the community
join in greeting him on these occasions with
best wishes that he be granted many years
in which to serve his people.
THE JEWISH NEWS
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papers and Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
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Entered as second-class matter August 6, 1942 at the
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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
VOL. 9—No. 14
JUNE 21, 1946
This Week's Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-third of Sivan, 5706, the fol-
lowing Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 13:1-15:41.
Prophetical portion—Joshua 2.
Candle-lighting time this Friday is at 8:11 p.isn
Mr. Biggott: "Was it necessary, Reverend, to
emphasize the Lord's — er — Jewish
background in your sermon?"
Polish Delegation in Detroit
An unusual opportunity is offered the Jews of Detroit,
this Sunday, to hear authentic reports regarding the posi-
tion of the Jews of Poland.
Dr. Emil Sommerstein, who has risen to a position of
outstanding importance in world Jewish leadership, heads
the delegation of men and women who have survived the
bestiality of Nazism, who have fought for Jewish freedom
and who are now carrying the brunt of responsibility for
the improvement of the lot of those who emerged stronger
than the murderers of 90 per cent of our people in Europe.
The members of the delegation who will address the
Detroit mass meeting at Central High School, under auspices
of the Jewish Welfare Federation and the Allied Jewish
Campaign, will relate, first hand, the true story of the
battle in the Warsaw ghetto, the fight for freedom during
the war, the return of those now residing in Poland and
their struggle even now to destroy the last vestiges of anti-
Semitism which appear to have become the heritage of the
Polish people from Nazism.
So that we may be better prepared to join in the battle
our fellow Jews are conducting in Poland for their very
lives, it is imperative that we should be fully informed on
existing conditions. An overflow audience should be present
at Sunday's meeting to hear the important message of the
delegation which honors us with a visit here.
UJA'S Success: Cheer to Survivors
Encouraging reports, submitted last week at a dinner
in honor of the 60th birthday of Edmund I. Kaufmann of
Washington, national chairman for initial gifts for the United
Jewish Appeal, showed that the sum of $70,000,000 already
has been secured toward the national $100,000,000 quota.
It is highly gratifying to know that the appeals for
the three major agencies—the Joint Distribution Commit-
tee, the United Palestine Appeal and National Refugee Ser-
vice—have not fallen on deaf ears. On the contrary, Ameri-
can Jewry has risen to great heights in the responses that
have come to the calls for service and contributions to the
relief and rehabilitation movements.
Detroit's gifts of nearly $3,000,000 in the emergency
drive alone, exclusive of funds- available from the War Chest,
are indicative of country-wide trends to raise the standard
of giving, especially in a time of great urgency like the
present.
The UJA's success serves as a message to the survivors
in Europe that we shall not let them down and that they
will not be forgotten in their great tragedy.
A in Haste, Repent at Leisure'
'la
The wise saying, "act in haste, repent at leisure," was
never more applicable than it was in the case of the tem-
porary hasty action of American Zionist leaders who dis-
agreed on the dates set for the election to the World Zionist
Congress.
After the laborites and Mizrachi had decided to abstain
from voting on June 16-17, and great confusion had spread
among Zionists throughout the land, there was a change of
heart, and the election finally was set for June 30 and
July 1.
We have no doubt that the confusion which was created
by hasty action has been forgotten and that Zionists will
act in unity on major issues affecting the Jews of the world
and the issues revolving around the need for the immedi-
ate redemption of the Jewish National Home.
Last week's incident should, however, teach our leaders
a lesson never again to act in haste and to avoid internal
friction which serves only to give comfort to the enemies.
Al* .4 $
•
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Sholom Aleichem's name is written indelibly
in the history of our people, and even the non-
Yiddish readers - not only know the name but
have, from time to time, read his works in trans-
lation.
In the main, however, the works of this great
humorist have had the limited Yiddish reading
public. Using as his heroes the men and women
of the Old World, those who lived in the Pale
of Settlement in Russia, it was generally consid-
ered difficult to render-into an English translation
the various aspects of Jewish life described by
him.
Many years ago, a book of his stories was
published under the title "Jewish Children."
More recently, a distinct contribution was
made to English literature by Maurice Samuels
"The World of Sholom Aleichem."
The Newest Work
Now, at last, we have another book of Sholom
Aleichem's stories which proves that even so diffi-
cult a task as making this eminent humorist's
characters fascinating to English readers—to non-
Jews as well as to Jews—is possible.
The latest work is "The Old Century," a
collection of Sholom Aleichem stories by Julius
and Frances Butwin, produced by Crown Pub-
lishers, 419 Fourth Ave., New York 16.
The 27 stories in this volume are the result
of a labor of devotion and love by the two authors,
one of whom, the husband, is no longer among
the living.
We have cause to be grateful to the authors
for their excellent work in which they have in-
corporated the best elements of Sholom Alei-
chem's humor. "The Old Country" throbs with
action and even the strange ghetto characters
emerge as real and understandable people as a
result of the excellent translations achieved in
this book.
Sholom Aleichem's Fame
Thus, the second and third generation Amer-
ican Jews will better be able to understand their
forefathers who had lived in the cramped Rus-
sian communities, away from the civilization as
we understand it today.
Sholom Aleichem's fame as a humorist pre-
ceded his coming to this country. The story is
told that when he first came here on a visit about
25 years ago, he was hailed as "the Yiddish
Mark Twain." The great American humorist,
upon meeting him, said to the Jewish author:
"I should instead be called the American Sholom
Aleichem."
The Butwins' "The Old Country" is a fasci-
nating book, and is certain to have the large
circulation it deserves.
FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
Dear Boys and Girls:
Many of you will, one day, be called upon to
render service to your people. Some of you will
rise to leadership in Israel, and you will be chal-
lenged to be wise in your judgment.
When the young people of today become the
masters of Jewish destiny of tomorrow, it is my
sincere hope that you will avoid the mistakes
of your elders and that you will always act
calmly, wisely, with proper deliberation.
I am not blaming the elders of our time for
their mistakes. They have so much to contend
with! There is so, much suffering in Jewish life!
But—and this is a very big but—we cannot
afford mistakes. We dare not create enmities,
and we must not have too serious divisions in
Jewish life on major Jewish issues.
Right now, we are challenged.
We are challenged by individuals and govern-
ments who have broken pledges made to us.
Arabs are being stirred up against us, although
we are certain that all Jews, especially all the
Jews in Palestine, desire to live in harmony and
in peace with the Arabs.
We cannot afford friction. Yet we have too
much of it.
Instead of absolute loyalty, there are some
Jews in our ranks who seek to destroy the good
which cur entire people seek to create in
Palestine.
There is too much friction among Zionists—
in spite of the fact that all of us have one ob-
jective in Palestine—to create there for the hun-
dreds of thousands of survivors from Nazism a
secure home.
You should think of these things, and you
should prepare yourselves for faithful- and abid-
ing leadership.
I wish all of you a very pleasant Sabbath.
UNCLE DANIEL.
* * *
Prayer for Exiles
By ROBERT NATHAN
"Almighty Spirit who has shaped our truth,
Within whose awful hand the sparrow rests,
Whose angels in the heavens of our youth
With holy mercy comforted our breasts,
Father and friend, whose voice melodious
Sang through the thunder in the cloudy dome,
Take to Your heart which weeps for all of us,
These children very small and far from home.
These are no soldiers weighted with a sword,
These are but babies fed with bitter bread;
Their only roof and dwelling is Your word,
Your love the only pillow for their head.
Watch over them and guard them all forlorn,
Far in the west amidst the alien corn."
* * *
What custom has been observed by Jews
in Jerusalem in connection with the planting
of trees?
A cedar tree was planted for every male
child born and a cypress tree for every female.
When a marriage was to take place, the trees
were cut down and used as posts for the "Huppa"
or nuptial canopy.