Page Four

T.HE JEWISH NEWS

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Community Cooperation

Maurice Samuel, brilliant novelist, essayist,
translator and lecturer, in the main has devoted
himself to Jewish activities. Among his published
works are many items which deserved . greater
recognition than had been given him. True, for
"Thy World of Sholem Aleichem" he received the
1944 award from the Saturday Review of Liter-
ature as the. best contribution toward improving
inter-group relations. But there were others which
should have received wider acclaim.
His latest novel. "Web of
Lucifer," published by Al-
fred A. Knopf, 501 Madison
Ave., New York 22,N. Y., is
•a departure from his previ-
ous works. It does not deal
with a Jewish subject. It
deals with the Borgia
period in Italian history. It
is the story of Cesare
Borgia, of the evils of his
days, of the conflicts be-
tween the good and the bad
of that time.
Only a man with a deep-
—National Labor Service
rooted sense of justice could
have written so brilliant a
novel. Mr. Samuel, always
Maurice Samuel
guided by the spirit of the
Prophets, is that type of man.
In addition to
A study of Allied Jewish Campaign plans for the $5,335,- brilliant writing, his novel presents the story of
000 drive will reveal a most efficient breakdown of the con- a battle between the brutal and righteous forces.
It is a tale that indicates the repetition of evil-
stituents of the Detroit Jewish community among various mongering
as we had witnessed it under Hitler
trade and professional groups. Thorough coverage of all and Mussolini.. "The evil that men do lives after
prospects in the numerous divisions should guarantee enroll- them." The evil of the past, the perpetuation of
ment of every person who is in position to make a contribu- political crimes, gives truth to this contention.
Orso is the young Italian who at first
tion as a supporter of the greatest relief and reconstruction is Giacomo
a tool and follower of Borgia. When he learns
drive in the history of the American Jewish community.
that his idol had sacked his own town, he exacts
revenge. Then comes penitence and a return to
With the organizational plans completed, the community his
teacher, the priest who taught him that it is
now Eas one obligation: to unite for one great effort to assure futile to seek revenge.
The discussions between Giacomo and Macchia-
the success of the Allied Jewish Campaign.
add historical importance to Samuel's book_
All other efforts, regardless of their normal importance, velli
The theme covered by Mr. Samuel deals with a
should either be abandoned or delayed until after the cam- murderous and immoral period. It exposes the
paign. Any other course of action may so seriously hurt the iniquities of an era in which churchmen were
drive as to affect the entire community program for relief accurnplices to crimes. The story ends in a hopeful
tone, — emanating from the passion for justice
and reconstruction overseas and for the continuation of this which
has dominated all of Mr. Samuel's works.
community's educational, social service and recreational ac-
His "Web of Lucifer" is by far the best novel
he has written, and it deserves all the economia
tivities.
showered upon it, plus a best-seller-class circula-

Community Action for ONE Drive

tion.
This year's campaign must not be confused with the ob-
Samuel's novel deserves the Pulitzer prize. -
.
jectives of the 1946 Emergency Allied Jewish Campaign. Last
In
the Sunday New York Times, in the section
year's drive was conducted entirely in behalf of the three
"People Who Read and Write," appears the fol-
agencies of the United Jewish Appeal—the Joint Distribution lowing
about Mr. Samuel:
Committee, the United Palestine Appeal and the National
Maurice Samuel is not at all interested in making
moral observations that cannot be read right out of
Refugee Service (the latter now functioning under the name
the text of history itself. He feels there would be
of the United Service for New Americans). Local and na-
no point in his book—it is "Web of Lucifer," just
published by Knopf—if he had falsified the record in
tional agencies normally included in the Allied Jewish Cam-
order to deliver the sermon. He operates empirically
and. he believes, one of the most observable things in
paign thus far, since the war period have been receiving
history is the way in which so-called realists delude
their incomes through the War Chest.
themselves. Take the letters .of for in-
stance; they were really fascinating. Mr. Samuel says.
The 1947 Allied Jewish Campaign marks a return to
because the swindle he perpetrates on himself is so
patent in them. What the Machiavellian do is to say
normal campaigning for all the 55 local, national and over-
yes to the inherited jungle relations and to say no to
seas causes of the unified fund-raising organization super-,
the decent impulses in man, cynically but unrealisti-
cally regarding them as luxuries. Mr. Samuel is ail
vised by the Jewish Welfare Federation. Thus, the challenge
set for Palestine; he's going on his own some time in
April—wants to look around because he cannot get
of the current year is important from the point of view of
the pattern through the reports. He wants to know.
the re-formation of our community forces into the single,
for instance, whether the Jews are being pushed and
bullied by events to that degree where their idealism
strong, internal campaign organization.
may be transformed into something very diffrent.

The agreement reached between the United
Hebrew Schools and the Northwest Hebrew
Congregation and Center for cooperative
educational efforts deserves the commenda-
tions of all Detroit Jewry.
A year ago, the Hebrew Schools initiated
a drive for funds for the establishment of
another branch in the rapidly growing Jew-
ish section in the northwestern portion of the
city. The drive met with marked success,
as a result of -the realization of the need for
expansion of our educational system for the
benefit of many hundreds of children for
whom school facilities thus far are limited.
In the interests of economy and coopera-
*
*
*
tion, however, it was felt, before construction
It
stands
to
reason
that
the
unusually
large campaign
of the new building was to begin, that the
new Conservative synagogue in that section, goal makes the 1947 drive doubly important. The decision to
which already had completed one floor of its accept the staggeripg figure as our 1947 quota was not arrived
projected structure, could well serve as head- at lightly. It was reached after careful deliberation and
quarters for the United Hebrew Schools' upon realization that the national United Jewish Appeal goal
of $170,000,000 was a minimum obligation to the unfortunate
northwestern branch.
The result—the formulation of a partner- European survivors whose only hope lies in the generosity
ship whereby both the schools and the N. W. of the Jews of America.
If we are to live up to the challenging obligations of our
Congregation will cooperate in advancing the
educational needs in that section of our com- time, we must pool all our' efforts and resources so that we
munity—not only avoids previous errors of may be able fully to live up to a great responsibility. For
erecting too many similar buildings and cen- the coming few weeks, no other effort, nor the combination of
ters, but promises even more: the coopera- ALL . community undertakings, should be permitted to in-
tive spirit is certain to unify the community terfere with the duty to make a success of the $5,335,000 cam-
and to encourage increased attendance in the paign. The period of shelving competing drives and com-
Hebrew School as well as Sunday School munity projects has arrived; the time has come for unity in
behalf of the one great collective obligation: OUR 1947
classes of the unified system.
Both agencies have our hearty good wishes ALLIED JEWISH CAMPAIGN.
and congratulations on a step which should
serve as an example in future approaches to
community unity.
"Marked" post-war increase in employment discrimin-
ation is reported in the final report of the Fair Employment
Practice Commission released in Washington by the White
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, independent Jewish
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Religious
House.
News Service. Palcor Agency.
The report warns of eruption of tensions in future
Member American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers and Michigan Press Association.
months, "just as they did in more than 20 American cities
Publisned every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
after the first World War."
ing Co., 2111 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich.. RA.' 7956.
Subscription. S3 a year; foreign, s-i. Club subscription,
Need for local action and changes in community attitudes
every fourth Friday of the month. to all subscribers to
Allied Jewish Campaign of Jewish Welfare Federation of
is emphasized in the report which points to the basic necessity
Detroit. 40 cents pet year.
for "a strongly expressed and federally administered policy
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6. 1942. at Post Of-
fice. Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 3, 1879.
around which such action and opinion may be oriented and
given sanction." -
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
While this report contains discouraging data, it should
Maurice Aronsson
Philip Slomovitz
Fred M. Butzel
Isidore Sobeloff
in the main be treated with calmness required for defensive
Judge Theodore Levin Abraham Srere
action. Note should be made of the fact that we must aspire
Maurice H. Schwartz
Henry Wineman
to educate communities in order that the desired community
PHILIP SLOMOV1TZ, Editor
attitude should be favorable to legislation and general em-
ployment practices which will tend to eliminate discrimin-
VOL. XI—NO. 2
MARCH 28, 1947
atory practices.
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
During the war it was possible to secure enforcement of
This Sabbath, the eighth day of Nisan, 5707, the FEPC principles which, today, are More difficult to realize.
following Scriptural selections will be read in our
Grave responsibilities therefore are Placed upon our Com-
synagogues:
munity Councils and their cooperating non Jewish groups in
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 6:1-8:36.
Prophetical portion—Mal. 3:4-24 or U Kings securing just treatment for racial and religious groups against
which discrimination usually is practiced.
7:3-20.

Employment Discrimination

THE JEWISH NEWS

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Pulitzer Prize Material

Recommending Samuel's
Novel 'Web of Lucifer

`Squalid Chambermaids'

Stone, PM correspondent now in Pal-
estine, was given permission to accompany
deportees to Cyprus, but was compelled to
turn back in spite of having an official visa
to make the trip. In his description of his
fou•-day round trig to Cyprus, Mr. Stone
cabled to his newspaper from Haifa the fol 7
lowing:
"Only Max Beerbohm could do this
Colonel Blimpish spectacle justice. It is
a masterpiece of waste motion that serves
(1) to embitter the bewildered Jewish
refugees who must travel back and forth
locked like zoo exhibits in the cages of
these ships and (2) to make squalid
chambermaids of His Majesty's Army
and Navy."
This impression covers the entire field of
emotions and realities on the Palestinian
front. The deportees to Cyprus are certain,
in the course of time, to be settled in Pal-
estine. Meanwhile, British authorities are
embittering not only the Palestinian Jews,
whose arms are stretched wide open to wel-
come the unfortunate homeless Jews but also
the dispossessed who are seeking security in
Eretz Israel.
At the same time, the British authorities,
by resorting to force in keeping newcomers
from landing on Palestine's shores are hu-
miliating themselves. Mrs. Goldie Meyer-
son has pointed out that Jewish losses during
the period of martial law amounted to many
millions of dollars. The spectacle, however,
has cost the British a great deal more. All
the losses and humiliations could have been
avoided. Future embarrassments still can be
eliminated—provided Britain lives up to her
pledge to "facilitate" the settlement of Jews
in Palestine. The sooner there is a complete
change in policy, the better for the peace of
the Middle Eastand of the entire world.

Friday, March 28, 1947

4',

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Britain. Mr. Samuel suspects, may be quite pleased
with the terrorism going on. For. he says (sounding

a little Machiavellian himself). the British know what
to do with a terrorist: what they don't know is what

to do with a Gandhi."

Thus, having produced a great novel. Mr. Samuel
does not forget his major love, his interest in
Palestine and the Jewish people.

Facts You Should Know

Answers to Readers
Questions • • • . •

Why is the Passover evening ritual at home
called "Seder"?
Why does the head of the household wear
the "kitful" (white gown) at the Seder?
Why was it decreed that the Hagadah be
read at night?
Why has it become a custom for youngsters
to "steal" the "Afikomen" in. anticipation of a
reward for its return?
Rabbi Samuel J. Fox, writing for the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, replies as follows:
The word "seder'' comes from a Hebrew root
meaning "order." Since the evening's ceremonies
are arranged in a certain order this word is used
to denote the entire ceremony.
The white gown is worn in several other in-
stances, on the Day of Atonement, on the High
Holidays by the Cantor, by religious grooms on
their wedding day. It also is the shroud worn
by the dead. Many attributes are associated with
the white "kitul." It possesses the characteristic
of an angel in its purity and cleanliness. It pre-
sents a universal outlook on the part of mankind
when all are garbed in white, especially in the
coffin where all men are considered equal. In re-
lation to the Passover 'ceremony. it implies the
element of freed6m, the theme of Passover.
Some attribute the choice of night aver day
for the reading of the Hagadah because of the
Talmudic insistence that the Jews left Egypt by
night: also the last of the miracles was performed
at night. Hence the ritual dedicates the "night of
nights" and is best recited in the evening.
According to the original biblical expressions
and talmudic interpretations the eve of Passover
served as the occasion for transmitting the-mirac-
ulous account of our deliverance to the coming
generations—our children. Consequently various
devices were invented to maintain the interest of
the children and to keep them awake through the
evening hours. No better means can be found than
the thrill of the adventure of stealing the "Afiko-
men" and anxiously awaiting the amusement and

award accompanying the finding of the "culprit."

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