Fridoy, Auguif 22. 1947

THE JEWISH NEWS

Page Four

Boomerang

Its the Editor
Views the News ...

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World's Respect Hinges
On Courage to Be Jews

Who Incited Riots?

Jews and Arabs joined in a serious effort
to put an end to rioting and murder and to
internal strife among the two kindred peoples
residing in Palestine. Leaders of both groups
agreed that evil forces operated behind the
scenes to cause trouble, to incite to murder
and to create the impression that Palestine
is a battleground.
. It is a well known fact that it takes little
to inflame the Levant,• and that a -small
amount of "bakhsheesh" will do the trick to
cause supernumeraries among Arabs to start
a little riot. Unfortunately, there are powers
on acquired thrones wlio immediately crave
for larger riots, in order to fortify their own
positions and to be able to say to the world at
large: "See! We are needed here to guard the
peace of the Middle East! If we leave, there
will be bloodshed! Only we can protect the
Levant."
Actually, this is a fake claim. The truth
is that. in the instance of the Jews and the
Arabs, the two peoples get along well to-
gether—until two destructive elements ar-
rive on the arena: the British, who must
justify their retention of power in Palestine,
and the former Mufti, who operates from
Cairo since the placement of a price on his
head for having collaborated with the Nazis.
These two elements are responsible for
hoodlumism. They know that the hoodlums
will do anything for a price. But the people
of Palestine know full well that terrorism
does not pay and that Arab-Jewish strife is
damaging both to Jews and to Arabs. True,
such strife will lead to poisoning the minds
of the United Nations Special Committee on
Palestine. But those who understand the
true state of affairs in the land will refuse
to be blinded by a temporary outburst of pas-
sion resulting from the inflamation of pre-
judices and the instigation to rioting by ban-
dits who did not hesitate to accept the Nazi
theory as a Means of rising to power.
There must be clear thinking on the entire
issue. Just as terrorism of any sort is unde-
sirable, so also instigation to riots by irre-
sponsible politicians must be classed as crim-
inal.

An End to Confusion

Formation of the Jewish Central Orthodox
Committee to cooperate with the Joint Dis-
tributiOriCommittee in planning relief activi-
ties overseas in behalf of orthodox commun-
ities is an important step in the direction of
eliminating duplication of effort and should
lead to the elimination of confusion in the
minds of Jews.
The existence of separatist movements and
relief committees was responsible for the in-
curring of unnecessary expenses including
the insertion of numerous paid advertise-
ments in daily newspapers, and in a certain
amount of rancor in our ranks.
The fact that orthodox Jewish leaders and
JDC were able to come to an understanding
for the unification of relief efforts is the best
desired proof that a multiplicity of projects
was unnecessary. The decision for the uni-
fication of relief activities is a welcome sign
that American Jews are able to put their
house in order.
Completion of this excellent move in the
direction of eliminating disorder will depend
upon implementation of the agreement. The
fact that some groups in orthodoxy continue
to sponsor independent fund-raising relief
efforts through newspaper advertising may
seriously . hurt the cause of unity and their
projects should end as speedily as-possible.

By GERHARDT NEUMANN

It is time that we give some thought to the
psychological state of mind in which the Jewish
people find themselves.
Every news item tells the story: On Cyprus,
the morale of the deportees is sagging as it be-
comes ever more obvious that there is no end to
their sufferings in sight. In German DP camps,
tension between the inmates and the German
population is mounting, with daily altercations
and miniature pogroms occuring almost daily.
The inexperienced soldiers of the American occu-
pation army display a disconcerting hostility to-
ward the bothersome displaced Jews. In Romania,
Jews are fleeing by the thousands in- fear— the
poor in -fear of anti-Semitic outbreaks, the rich in
fear of Communism.
On the other hand, we have groups and com-
munities which are determined to remain masters
of their own fate and which straighten up under
the terrific blows they are dealt. The Jews of
Palestine who have gone and are going through
hardships, terror and setbacks keep their chin
up and bravely ignore the sad experiences of
today in the optimistic expectation of a better
tomorrow. The survivors of the "Exodus 1947"
continue their battle for freedom and basic human
rights, accepting the discomfort and humiliations
of British prison ships and the uncertainty of their
destiny rather than returning to the camps which
they left in search for a homestead.
• •
•
Sumner Welles, former U. S. Under - Secretary of State
In the middle stands the only Jewish group
in a most significant article in the New York Herald Tribune, which still enjoys civic liberty, equality before the
warns the United Nations that it must find a way "to termin- - law, protection from hoodlums, the right to a
living, and the blessing of prosperity:
ate the British mandate and to replace the British forces now decent
American Jewry, the last hope of the despairing
in Palestine with some truly impartial peace-enforcement torsos of decimated world Jewry. Its psychological
attitude fluctuates between sympathy with the
agency."
of Nazi rule and the fighting Yishuv
While he terms the hanging of the two British sergeants survivors
on one side, and a lethal indifference toward the
by the Irgun "as repulsive an act as Hitler's slaughter of the ultimate fate of Judaism in this country, on the
hostages he took during the war," he declares that "public other side.
This summary of Jewish attitudes shows that
opinion must not forget the real origins of this crime.".
of the society in
Public opinion, he points out, "must remember that in- (1), our attitude reflects that
we live and (2) Jews must adopt a positive
justice and inhumanity breed injustice and inhumanity," and which
policy which makes us independent from the
he accuses the British of "judicial murder" for hanging the whims and moods of society.
three Irgunists. The death of the latter, which preceded the
The difficulty is that we are not only as inter- .
Irgun's reprisal, is termed by Mr. Wells "a lasting blot on national problem, but also subject to the temper
of the society in which we live. As long as there
the record of British justice."
is a Jewish diaspora, we have to strike * balance
Mr. Wells' indictment undoubtedly will arouse worldwide
between our loyalty toward Judaism a* a living
excori-
his
blunt
organism and our loyalty toward the country
interest and concern, especially in view of
which
has adopted us.
ation in which he asserts:
•
•
•
"There is nothing to be gained by mincing words. The
This problem is not new. It exists in many parts
British military administration in Palestine is shot through
of the world, wherever people of different origin
from top to bottom with anti-Semitism."
have united in building up a nation. The various
Warning that the vicious circle in Palestine, which nationalities in this country preserve almost
was marked by a pogrom in Tel Aviv will result in "a major religiously their pride in their origin and tradi-
tions. In India,_the Moslems are torn between their
catastrophe" unless the UN prevents its continuation, 'Mr. national
status as Indians and their obligations
Welles points to "the plain truth" that the great majority of toward the Mohammedan faith.
the Jews of Palestine "are wholly innocent of the acts of
Jews are in a similar situation. In many cases,
terrorism committed by a handful of fanatics." He shows how however, this division of loyalties has bothered
their
conscience, and they developed a split per-
Palestine Jewry is trying to prevent a repetition of the dis- sonality
which finds its expression in the. em-
graceful acts of the Irgun, refers to the Alexander Rubowitz phasis on one loyalty and the complete denial of
kidnaping by a British "strong-arm squad," as a "shocking any other obligation. Groups such as the Council
illustration of existing conditions," and expresses his indigna- for Judaism or the former Naumann group in
which deny any link with the Jews of
tion that Jews are depriv.ed of their legitimate rights and Germany
other countries, are a case in point.
are "treated as outcasts by the very authorities who are sup-
It seems that, once we have overcome our fear
of divided loyalties, we will be in a much better
posed to be acting as their trustees."
position
to cope with the Jewish world problem.
Mr. Welles' statement is a clear-cut demand for the term- We cannot
be anything but ourselves. We can
ination of the mandate as it is being enforced today by police serve our country best by developing our own
rule and responsibility for action is placed squarely at the abilities stored up by tradition and heritage. We
shall not get anywhere by aping our environment.
door of the United Nations.
is accorded those who have the courage
The time for decision is drawing near, and it is of the Respect
to live as what they really are, not what they
utmost importance, for the sake of the peace of the world, would like to be.
What we need is a broad educational program
that the solution to be proferred by the • Special UN Com-
mittee on Palestine should be a fair and equitable one The fact which will lead Jews back to the roots of their
Only if we find ourselves. the world
that the UNSCOP appears to be impressed with the demands existence.
will meet us on an equal footing. Only if we are
of the displaced persons, whose status it studied in Europe ready to accept our heritage, the world will be
last week, offer some hope that there will be an end to un- ready to accept us.
•

British Mandate Must Terminate

THE JEWISH NEWS

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•

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

SLOMOVITZ. Editor

AUGUST 22, 1947
VOL. XI—No. 23
Sabbath Scriptural Selections

Split Personality

This Sabbath, the seventh day of Elul, the fol-
lowing scriptural selections will be read in our
synagogues:
Pentateuchial portion—Deut. 16:18-21:9.
Prophetical portion—Is. 51:12-52:12.

fairness and inhumanity.
In his testimony before the UNSCOP, in Vienna, last
week, Lt. Col. Henry G. McFeeley, chief of the DP section
of the American Forces in Austria, declared: "We have a very
good solution to offer you. There is a big desert in Palestine,
and the Jews can fill it up." The Guatemalan delegate, Jorge
Garcia Granados, who has been referred to as "pro-Jewish"
in his attitude on the Jewish problem, commented: "I share
your views, and I hope the rest of this committee agrees with
me." Even the Indian alternate delegate, Venkata Viswana-
than, expressed his sense of horror over the DPs' status.
A solution is at hand. It is up to the UN to strive for . it
and to enforce it. And it is the duty of the present U. S. ad-
ministration to adhere to established policy and to demand
justice for the Jews in Palestine.

Yemen, the UN and the Jews

Admission of Yemen into the Council of the United
Nations will serve to increase disillusionment in the United
Nations. -
Ong of the most backward states in the world whose
practices are more closely akin to Nazism than those of any
other people on earth, Yemen has been so violently and in-
humanly anti-Jewish that it would have been better for the
United Nations to propose guardianship over its rulers than
to admit it into the council of the nations of the world.
Yemen's admission into the UN will not inspire confi-
dence in the world organization. As Jews, we are deeply hurt
and while we are constantly being rebuffed in our quest for
statehood and an end to our homelessness, our persecutors are
given a voice in deciding OUR fate'and the fate of mankind.

Facts You Should Know

Answers to Readers'
Questions ...

What are the Psalms of Solomon?
A. A Jewish pseudepigraphic work consisting
of 18 poetic compositions patterned after the Bib-
lical psalms, written in Hebrew in Palestine about
the middle of the first century, B. C. Tradition
has mistakenly regarded Solomon as the author.
•
i
*
Who was Saadia ben Joseph?
A. A Jewish philosopher and teacher, usually
referred to as Saadia Gaon, who was born in
Egypt in 882, and was one of the most brilliant
Jewish personalities of the Middle Ages. His
great work, "Emunot Ve Deot" (Faith and Reason)
has become one of the classics of Jewish religious
philosophy.
• • •
Who was the first Jewish chaplain to serve
in the II. S. Army?
Rabbi Jacob Frankel of Philadelphia, who was
commissioned in 1862.
•
Where in the Bible is the end of wars prophe-
sied?
In Isaiah 2:4, and Micah 4:3.
• • •
Who are the Sephardim?
Jews who lived in the Iberian peninsula until
about the end of the 15th century. and their

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descendants.