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Page Four

THE JEWISH NEWS

As the Editor
Views the News

`Woe to the Victims!'

Talmudic Tales

By DAVID MORANTZ

(Based upon the ancient legends and philosophy found in
the Talmud and folklore of the Jewish people dating back
as far as 3,000 years)

The Late Sidney Hillman
It is a sad commentary on human re-

lations that encomia in tribute to the genius
of Sidney Hillman should have come, in
the main, after his death.
Only a day before his death, a Min-
nesota Congressman issued the text of a
speech he delivered in the House of Rep-
resentatives in May, the following, heading
of which is self-explanatory: "Who is Boss?
Is it Sidney Hillman or the American
People, and Where Does President Truman
Come in?"
But upon his death, Mr. Hillman at
once was hailed by all parties in American
life as a great leader.
What a travesty on human thinking—
that a man must be dead before he is im-
mune from attacks stemming from the low-
est prejudices.
Fortunately, men like President Truman
are • above such prejudices. Our President
did not hesitate to honor Mr. Hillman's
memory as a devoted exponent of demo-
cracy.
Mr. Hillman, having received his early
training in the battle for justice under one
of the most cruel governments of our time—
the Russian Czarist regime—knew how to
fight for justice under the American ban-
ner of freedom. His name deserves to be
inscribed indelibly in the history of this
country as a leader who perpetuate ideals
of liberty.

A Sabbath Retort

In the course of an invasion of the
Jewish colony of Ramat Rachel on a Sab-
bath day, to search for weapons, British
soldiers were surprised to hear one of the
settlers objecting strenuously in English.
Asked where he had learned the language,
the Jewish settler replied:
"In the British army. I've just returned
from five years' service, which is probably
more than you saw."
Meyer Levin, eminent novelist, report-
ing the incident, points out that there were
18 British army volunteers- in this colony.
Unfortunately, the Sabbath retort by
the man who fought for Britain may have
as little effect upon the conscience of Em-
pire-builders as the cumulatiVe and im-
pressive facts of total .Jewish participation
in the war against the Nazis. . Arabs, who
have been carriers of Nazi propaganda in
the Middle East, have . been given a reacher
ear by English politicians than we have.
But the battle for justice goes on.

Discriminating Resorts

A Port Huron Summer resort, adhering
to a policy it has followed for many years,
continues to advertise in Detroit daily news-
papers that it caters to "select clientele."
It has informed applicants that "only gentile
patrons are solicited."
It is of the utmost importance, to save
embarrassment, that Jews avoid such places.
It is unfortunate that newspapers con-
tinue to take advertising which includes the
discriminating restriction, "select clientele."
But it is especially discouraging to note that
these same resorts continue to use insignia
of the AAA, Michigan Hotel Association
and American Steamship and Tourist Agents
Association. It is through these agencies
that the battle must be conducted to put
an end to discrimination by summer resorts.

THE JEWISH NEWS

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Entered as second-class matter August 6, 1942 at the
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March 3, 1879.

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

VOL. 3—NO. 18

Friday, July 19, 1946

JULY 19, 1946

This Week's Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-first day of Tammuz,
5706, the following Scriptural selections win be

Pead in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 25:10-30:1.

Prophetical portion—Jer. 1;1-2:8.

AVOID EXCESSES

Poland, the Jews and the Church

In his cable to the New York Times from Warsaw, on
July 4, describing the pogrom in Kielce, Poland, which re-
sulted in the death of 42 Jews and which grew out of the
hoary ritual murder lie by a 9-year-old boy, the Times cor-
respondent, W. H. Lawrence, stated:
"It is a sad and tragic fact when all shades of War-
saw political opinion are agreed that, despite the fraction
of the pre-war Jewish population in Poland, there is
more anti-Semitism in Poland now than in the history of
this traditionally anti-Jewish country. It is asserted by
government supporters and enemies that the present
regime is friendlier toward Jews than any in Poland's
history, whatever its other political and social deficien-
cies. The government admits having difficulty in dealing
with the problem, and its spokesmen frankly and asham-
edly declare that it is not safe for Jews to live in small
Polish towns."
In spite of these established facts, however, the Jews are
being converted into a political football in Poland. Premier
Edward Osubka-Morawski has denounced the Roman Catho-
lic Church in Poland and Vice-Premier Stanislaw Mikolaj-
czyk as being responsible for the Kielce pogrom. His accusa-
tion is that the Church and the Mikolajczyk party have
failed to denounce anti-Semitism and to call upon the Polish
populace to put an end to attacks upon Jews, in spite of the
authenticated fact that more than 1,000 Jews - have been
murdered since the end of the war. In reply, August Car-
dinal Hlond makes the charge that Jewish government of-
ficials in Poland are responsible for "dangerous tensions."
He asserts that he issued a pastoral letter read in churches
deploring the "tragic and regrettable events in Kielce."
In the meantime 33 more Jews have been murdered in
another Polish pogrom.
This is a humiliating situation, and on the basis of facts
on record it is shocking to learn that the Catholic Church
uses arguments which serve to make the situation worse.
Introduction of a Jewish issue in a squabble over Com-
munism serves further to incite an ignorant populace.
In view of the fact that the ritual murder libel was the
basis for the massacre, we are convinced that the Catholic
Church dignitaries in Poland owe it to their conscience to
repudiate the lie, in accordance with established traditions
in Vatican policies, and to call upon the people of Poland
to put an end to massacres.
At the same time, the responsibility of liberal forces in
the world, and of the Jews everywhere, is clear: since "it is
not safe for Jews to live in small Polish towns," they must
be taken out; they must be given new homes; and they must
be settled in the only place of haven of their choice: Pales-
tine.

A ship was once becalmed near a very fruitful
appearing island. Viewed from the ship, the fruit,
flowers and cooling shade of the island appeared
so enticing that they tempted many of the pas-
sengers to go ashore.
There was one conservative group, though,
which did not care to leave The ship because the
members were intent. upon reaching their desti-
nation and did not wish to risk being left behind
should wind enough to fill the sails come up and
send the ship on its way.
A second group of passengers did go on shore
for a short time, enjoyed the beauties of the island,
rested in the luxuriant shade, drank cool refresh-
ing water from the springs on the island, and
returned to the ship much happier and invigo-
rated for having taken this little diversion.
A third group tarried so long on the island that
its members had to rush back in such haste they
barely reached the ship just as the anchor was
being lifted. In the scramble and confusion of
arrival, several lost their places. Accordingly for
those, the rest of the voyage was much less com-
fortable.
Even at that, though, they were wiser than the
fourth group which went ashore and partook so
liberally of the pleasures afforded by the island
that even when the members heard the warning
bell they did not heed it, feeling that surely the
;hip would not sail away without them.
However, they were mistaken, and when they
saw the ship begin to move, they rushed in haste
and swam as fast as they could to catch up with
it. Out of breath and exhausted, they reached it,
but the scratches and bruises they suffered in
climbing over the side of the ship caused tiiere
much pain the balance of their journey.
The fifth group traveled far into the interior
of the island and partook so gluttonously - of the
pleasures thereof that the members did not even
hear the warning bell nor see the ship sail away.
By their carelessness and lack of foresight they
were left behind and eventually became the prey
of wild animals on the island.
The sages compared the ship to our "good
deeds," with the island representing "worldly
pleasures," which the first group, strict, severe
Ind ultra conservative, refused even to taste.
The second group enjoyed them in moderation
and as a result were much happier.
While it is true the third and fourth group
returned to the ship. they partook so excessively
of the pleasures of the island that they suffered
the rest of their lives as a result.
And the fifth, which can be compared to those
vho spend their lives searching only for pleasure,
forgetting the future, perish of the poison con-
cealed in the sweets that attracted them.

FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

The Sabbath—Israel's
Most Precious Gilt

By DR. ISIDORE EPSTEIN
(In his latest book, "The Jewish Way of Life,',

Published by Edward Goldston, London)

The Sabbath rest is indeed one of the most
precious gifts to humanity. It is Israel's Sabbath
that has given rise to the Christian Sunday, and
to the Moslem Friday. and has finally made all
peoples realize the importance of a break in the
working-week for the health and happiness of a
nation. "Of all the divine institutions," said
Lord Beaconsfield, "the most divine is that which
secures a day of rest for man. I hold it to be
the most valuable blessing conceded to man. It
is the' cornerstone of all civilization, and its re-
moval might affect even the health of the people."
To the Jewish people the Sabbath has been
the most effective protecting patron. During the
Ages the Jews were almost reduced to
slavery. But all the weariness and dreariness
of the daily life of the ghetto, the Jew threw
away when the Sabbath lights were lit. All de-
filement was thrown off. The Sabbath brought
the Jew every seventh day his honor and his
man's right in his lowly hut. It brought. him
also the sense of an inner freedom of which
no tyrant could rob him. The Sabbath kept
Judaism and the Jews in life, giving them
strength to remain steadfast in their mission to
give witness to the one and only God and to true
human love among all people of the earth.
* * *
•

TWELVE MARTYRS

In the wall of the old Jewish cemetery of
Worms, there is an ancieht inscription with the
simple words: "Here lie the twelve Wardens."
The story of their fate is as follows: In the year
National Commander John Stelle of the American 1096 (the year of the first crusade)- a decree went
Legion, in a radio address delivered in East St. Louis, made forth that all the Jews of Worms were to be
to death. Whereupon the twelve Wardens,
the following pointed remarks regarding the revived activi- put
having armed themselves with weapons, .which
ties of the Ku Klux Klan:
they concealed beneath their clothes, went to the
Town Hall and begged the assembled councillors
"The Ku Klux Klan currently is raising its masked head
to withdraw the decree and spare. the threatened
again. Of all the strife-breeding, un-American organizations in
community.
our country, the Klan is the most despicable, because it is of
They were received with derision, and, as a
native origin, fostered by men bred in this country, who ought to
reply to their entreaties, were promised death at
know better than to seek their own nation's disrepute.
the hands of the fanatical crusaders. Seeing that
"We strongly condemn the Ku Klux Klan and its ilk as a
all supplication was vain, the Wardens resolved
deadly menace to America at a time when it is so tragically im-
to sell their lives dearly, and they fell upon the
portant for all Americans to pull together. We don't want any
councillors, while their brethren were defending
`invisible empire' in our country today. What we want is an 'in-
themseves in other parts of the city. But, over-
divisible empire' of Americans."
This type of straight-from-the-shoulder talk should go powered by numbers, the Jews were soon mas-
and the twelve Wardens fled to the
a long way in arousing American public opinion against the sacred;
cemetery, where they took one another's lives
Klan or similar hate-inspiring movements.
and thus found immortality within the Beth
Organizations with programs based on religious and Chayim.
* • •

Native Bigotry 'Despicable!'

racial hatred had a Roman holiday before the war. There
What does the Jewish Fast of Tammuz
was a lull in their activities after Pearl Harbor. But Nazi-
commemorate?
fascist poison is emerging again on the surface of American
The Fast of Tammuz, which fell this year on
activities, and it must be checked quickly and decisively.
July 16, commemorates the breach made in the
Mr. Stelle has rendered a service with his frank state- wall of Jerusalem during the siege by the Baby-
in 586 B.C. It inaugurates the three weeks
ment exposing the "invisible empire." But the battle against lonians
of mourning concluding with the 9th Day of Ab,
the bigots must not end with this or similar statements. It during which no festivities are undertaken l
observant Jews.
must be carried to a finish,

