Page Four

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A Happy Hanukah

It is fortunate that the observance of Hanu-
kah is marked by a spirit which provides
opportunity for us and especially for our
children to find joy in celebrating a Jewish
festival. All else, except Hanukah and Purim
celebrations, are marked by serenity, by
ultra-seriousness, by recollections of the sad
elements in Jewish life.
On Hanukah we celebrate the triumphs of
great Jewish heroes over tyranny, and the
successes of our courageous ancestors over
those who sought to destroy our people's
faith.
The turn of the Hanukah dreidel used in
games by our children, the "latke" parties
sponsored in homes and by organizations, the
giving of gifts, the general rejoicing — all
these are leavening influences in. Jewish life.
Nevertheless, we dare not forget that gift-
giving cannot be limited to our families and
friends, that we are a people with a multi-
tude of responsibilities, that a great portion
of our kinsmen continues to Iive under tragic
Conditions.
The million and a half survivors look to us
for encouragement, for a new opportunity
to return to normal living, for a chance to
acquire just a portion of the great benefits
which the free Jews of America are enjoying
in this great land of freedom.
Let us rejoice on Hanukah—and let us re-
member that soon. during the months to come
in 1947, we shall be called upon to make the
greatest contribution in our history to a tre-
mendous drive intended to end misery and to
create homes and security for the homeless.
Just this thought may enhance the joyous
spirit which marks our Hanukah observance
in the year 5707.

The Battle for Truth

rt

Friday, December 20, 1944

THE JEWISH NEWS

Referring to a denial made by Inspector
N. F. Anthony of the 'Royal Canadian
Mounted Police., on charge of ex-Squadron
Leader M. S. Nightingale, that Anthony had
told him that it was his duty to help "send
these damn Jews back where they came
from," RCMP's Commissioner S. T. Wood
made the statement that he will not tolerate
religious or political considerations in per-
formance of duties.
Commissioner Wood's statement, made to
the Canadian Jewish Congress, helped to
clarify a painful issue.
The it iP.CiFtance of the action taken by the
Canadian. Jewish Congress lies in its having
to light a denial which firmly establishes the
right of any maligned group to fight for the
truth.
This is one of many instances in which the
Canadian Jewish Congress has been success-
ful in preventing injustice from filtering into
governmental circles.

The Irresponsibles

Six Revisionists were suspended at the
World Zionist Congress for breach of dis-
cipline. If evidence is needed that their
suspension was justified, read their litera-
ture in this country. Their organ here this
week went so. far as to charge that it ex-
pected a "sell-out" at the Zionist Congress
and that "Weizmann's- tears were dried by
Si 1 ver." This is plain irresponsibility deserv-
ing of severest reproof.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Independent Jewish
P, css Set, ice. See en Arts Feature Syndicate. Religious
News Service, Palcor Agency World News Services.
Member American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers and Michigan Press Association.
Publlsned every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26. Mich.. RA. 7956
Subscription. $3 a year; foreign. $4. Club subscription.
e.•ry fourth Friday , of the month. to all subscribers to
Allied Jewish Campaign of Jewish Welfare Federation of
Detroit. 40 cents pet year.
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Poet Of-
fice. Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 3, 1879.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Maurice Monson
Philip Slomovitz
Fred M. Butzel
Isidore Sobeloff
Judge Theodore Levin Abraham Srere
Maurice H. Schwartz
Henry Whiemarn

PHILIP SLOSIOVITZ, Editor

VOL. 10—NO. 14

DECEMBER 20, 1946

Sabbath Hanukah Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath—Sabbath Hanukah—the twenty-
eighth day of Kislev. 5707. the following Scriptural
selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions—Gen. 41 : 1 -44:17: Num.
7:30-35.
Prophetical portion—Zech. 2:14-4:7.
Hanukah Scriptural selections on Sunday will
be Num. 7:36-47. Hanukah and Rosh Hodesh Tebet
Scriptural selections will be: Monday, Nun). 28:1-
15, 7:42-47; Tuesday, Num. 28:1-15, 7:49-53. On
Wednesday, last day of Hanukah. Num. 7:54-8:4
will be read during morning services.

Good Will Towards Men
v,34.4 ‘e

..

A

Facts You Should Know

Answers to Readers
Questions . .

Why is it a tradition to veil the bride at a
Jewish wedding ceremony?
Textual adherents refer this custom back lie
the scriptures where we find that when Rebecca
first beheld her future husband, Isaac, "she took
a veil and covered herself." Other sources at-
tribute this custom to a means of prevention of
the influence of the "Ayin Nora" (the Evil Eye).
This theory claims that the spectators present
at the ceremony might be impressed with the
daintiness and beauty of the bride and perhaps
either arouse their own -personal ' passions or
would exert the influence of the "Evil Eye." The
most interesting explanation ties the custom with
a historical fact. As related in the Talmud
(Kesuboth 3,b), when the Jews were subjected
to either the Greek or Roman rule there existed
a law in many provinces that in order to insure
a homogeneous race, the first night of marriage
was spent by the bride with the curator of the
territory or village in which she resided. To re-
ligious Jews this was an outrageous desecration
of Jewish family life. Not to be outdone, the
Jews devised a clever scheme. The Eastern cus-
tom of veiling widows has long been noted. Since
the provincial -law only referred to virgin brides,
the Jews devised the clever means of veiling
their brides, in order to lead the non-Jewish
spectators to believe that the bride was not
virgin but a widow.

Refusal to Be Pushed Around

While it is too early to judge the results of decisions being
reached at the sessions of the World Zionist Congress in Basle,
several things are certain: •
Spokesmen for 2,000,000 affiliated adherents to the Zionist
movement, speaking for the overwhelming majority of the
Jewish people throughout the world, are determined that we
shall not be pushed around, that Jews shall have the right to
go to Palestine and to live there as free citizens, that there
shall be an end to the making of tongue-in-cheek promises,
that there -will be continued resistance to efforts. to establish
concentration camps for Jews who are seeking homes in the
Land of Israel.
These decisive sentiments of the Jewish community of
Palestine had the echoing endorsements of Jewish communi-
ties throughout the world. They are now officially endorsed
by the supreme governing body of the Zionist movement.
They should be-made known to the entire civilized world as a
declaration emanating from a people that has been maligned
too long.
The battle for survival being conducted by the surviving
million and a half Jews is a responsibility which calls for the
support and encouragement of every Jew, and especially of
the great Jewish community in the United States. Very dis-
turbing elements have entered into the situation. Irresponsi-
ble lecturers and newspaper columnists have gone so far
as to accuse all Palestinian Jews of being terrorists. Jews
everywhere have suffered humiliation arising from a situation
which was created by a government that has seen fit to break
pledges to Jews and to treat an entire community, many of
whom are sole survivors of large families, as prisoners in their
own homeland.
Such a situation calls for united efforts to resist tyranny,
to fight against arbitrary British policies, to demand the right
to freedom which a remnant of survivors from Nazism has
earned from the victors over Nazism and Fascism.
In his very important book, "The Shore Dimly Seen,"
Governor Ellis Gibbs Arnall of Georgia quotes a statement
from Macaulay's "History of England," accredited to Richard
Rumbold who said, on the scaffold, in 1685:
"I could never believe that Providence sent a few men

into the world ready booted and spurred to ride, and millions
ready saddled and bridled to be ridden."

This is the sentiment which we believe represents the
true attitude of the great and free people of England, and is
contrary to the policies pursued in Palestine. In the spirit of
this declaration, Jews everywhere will resist further efforts to
interfere with Jewish progress in Zion. This is the major
decision of the 22nd World Zionist Congress, and it receives an
approving echc from Jews throughout the world.

The Clash Over Refugees

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt's impassioned plea in-behalf
of the nearly 1,000,000 displaced persons who had "suffered
cruelly from aggressors" before the United Nations General
Assembly became a target for attack from Soviet quarters.
-- The plea uttered by Mrs. Roosevelt in support of the In-
ternational Refugee Organization drew fire from the Russian
spokesman, Andrei A. Gromyko, who contended that those
who are not willing to go back to their native countries are
not deserving of support from an international organization.
He also expressed fear that the proposed IRO would make
it possible for "huge armies" of war criminals and quislings
to escape punishment.
For Jews, who have no other alternative tut to leave the
lands of oppression and to find haven in a permanent home-
land, Mr. Gromyko's statement is shockingly disillusioning.
Since contributions to IRO are to be on•a voluntary basis,
there is little hope that great good will come out of the new
international organization—unless the major world powers,
especially the United States and Great Britain, will under-
take to sponsor the refugee relief program, guaranteeing a
just solution regardless of any other support that may be
forthcoming.

•
•
•
When was the City of Jerusalem first occu-
pied by the Israelites?

During the time of David. who made it the
political and religious capital of his kingdom. After
the separation between Israel and Judah, Jeru-
salem (the habitation of peace) became the capital
of the latter.
•
•
•
What is the form of salutation used by

Mohammedans?

The salaam (like the Hebrew "Shalom"), an
oral salutation meaning "Peace be with you," ac-
companied by a forward inclination of the body,
with the right hand placed upon the head.

FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

THE TALE OF HANUKAH

By ABRAHAM BURSTEIN
An ancient king is known to us, who bore the
name Antiochus. Of all the knaves and fools of
yore, who e'er that lofty title bore, who loved to
strut and kill and quarrel, he took the Palm, the
wreath, the laurel. You'll hear of this unpleasant
creature. some Sunday from your Hebrew teacher.
Now first the king was proven foolish when in
his regal way and mulish, he loudly called himself
a god, for worship by the common clod. And all
the courtiers bowed low before his braggadocio:—
a profitable harmless thing it is to please one's
Doting king.
He set his statutes everywhere, and ordered men
to worship there. To busts of metal and of stone
the zealous populace fell prone, while in the
squares the soldiers stood — a cheery, joyous
brotherhood—to pierce with pike the luckless gent
who failed to hail the monument.
But here and there appeared a Jew. a member
of that stubborn crew who even kings of high
degree could never force to bend the knee. -One
only God we have!" they cried—a God that none
of them had spied. Yet from this Being far and
strange no threat of death would make them
change.
The king was wroth. "I stand supreme o'er gods
and men. These Jews blaspheme! Go, set my image
in the place of worship of this wilful race. Defile
their sacred objects. Give them pork who eats not
shall not live!" And so they did. Too, in their spite
they dimmed, the everlasting light.
In Modin town the news was spread, where
ancient Mattathias led his five great sons and all
the rest in homage to the Being Blest He smote
one treacherous coward down, and called the men
of Modin town to fight the king and all his men,
and purify their shrine again.
Heading the Maccabean breed, the mighty Judas
took the lead. Throughout the land the fighters
came, their arms held high, their hearts aflame. A
handful many thousands slew! They hacked the
Syrian army through, until the Maccabean stand
had saved our altars and our land.
Then, in the Temple's walls they fell on one day's
oil—which, strange to tell, they saw give holy fire
for eight!—a wonder which we celebrate as Chan-
ukah this very day—telling the world, and kings,
for aye—no matter what you scheme or do, you
simply cannot squash the Jew!
•
•
•

HANUKAH GAMES

Here are a few pantomimes and charades, based
on incidents and names in the Hanukah story. Try
these at home or at a Hanukah party. See if you
can make up others, using Hanukah stories and

terms.

Antiochus and Ezra

Antiochus, big and haughty, drops a ring on the
floor and motions to Ezra, Hannah's youngest little
son, to stoop and pick it up. The boy proudly re-

fuses.

Eliezer and the Elephant
Small player lies down-between the feet of a big,.
husky player and makes a motion as if to stab him
upward. The husky one falls on top of Eliezer.
Mattathias Calls to Revolt
Player representing Mattathias raises his right
arm high, saying "Whoever is unto the Lord, fol-
low me."

° Matching Faces

A few persons play at a time. All spin their
dreidels at a given signal. Those players whose
tops fall on the same sides win, the others lose.
The game continues in this manner.
Endurance
All the players spin their tops at a given signal.
The player whose dreidel endures the longest is
declared winner.
(If pennies are used in these games the winnings
should be given to worthy Jewish funds.)

.

