raga Four

As the Editor
Views the News ...

Much Talk About DPs

Like the weather, the displaced persons
have acquired a role of people about whom
there is much talk and in whose behalf there
is little action.
Like the Palestinian situation, the DP
issue has inspired the sending of numerous
commissions to Europe, all of whom return
with broken hearts over the status of the
homeless and dispossessed and none of whom
seems to have any power to enforce a human-
itarian solution.
•
• •
The liberal Catholic weekly periodical
Commonweal, in an editorial on "Echoes of
the Stratton Bill," makes an important point
with regard to blind views among Americans
in dealing with DPs. The editorial states:

"If members of the Eightieth Congress have been
expecting the question of what to do about Europe's
displaced persons to fade away during the long
Congressional vacation, they are in for a disap-
pointment. The Stratton Bill may be dead in the
minds of the Congressmen, but in Trenton, New
Jersey,, memory lingers on. Delegates to the
annuaconvention of the New Jersey American
Legion have been considering the provesions of the
Stratton Bill and, as might be expected, their con-
clusions are typical of the international thinking of
the Legion.
"The New Jersey Legionnaires have made it
known, through the customary resolution, that they
are opposed to the main provision of the Stratton
Bill—admission of some four hundred thousand
displaced Europeans into this country, at the rate
of one hundred thousand each year. Judging by the
strength of thei ropposition to the Bill, the Legion-
naires, in their present mood, would probably be
against almost any legislation to admit Europeans.
"In general, there is nothing particularly surpris-
ing about the Legionnaire reaction to the Stratton
Bill. The Legion has always had its own method of
deciding just who should be considered an Ameri-
can, or who was eligible to become one. In this
instance, though the Legionnaires have listed a
reason for their stand which is much more interest-
ing than their traditional suspicion of all save the
pure and native born.
"The prospect of an addition to this country's
population by way of Europe worries the New
Jersey Legionnaires because of our housing short-
age. To mote visionary citizens, that explanation
may sound silly. Nevertheless, it is a consideration
which leads to a number of interesting reflections.
It reminds one, first of all, of what the Republicans
failed to do about the national housing problem. It
reminds one, too, of the fact that when Congress
reconvenes it will again be faced with those same
two problems—housing and Europe's displaced
persons."
It is the old story. Immigrant-haters over-

look the fact that noted creators could be
brought to this country by allowing a few
thousands more to trickle in; that eminent
builders are among the DPs, that by admit-
ting new immigrants to settle here we not
only create a market demand for our goods,
but else-bring to America men and. women
who know how to solve certain problems of
increasing our supply.
* * •
A New York Post editorial on the DP ques-
tion presented the challenge to our own gov-
ernment bluntly and frankly.
Commenting on the appointment of Ugo
Carusi to the post of surveying the DP prob-
lem, the Post expresses skepticism over the
new move by President Truman and declares
that in itself it does not offer any hope that
"the Truman Administration will do any-
thing effective to open the door which the
Statue of Liberty now bars to those victims
of Nazi persecution." The Post adds that
"until we see what Mr. Carusi actually does
in his new job, we'll ask our readers to for-
give us for being raucuous in the midst of
the chorus of praise."
All of us are becoming raucuous. A grave
challenge faces both political parties to live
up to political and human promises and to
open our doors to DPs by adopting the Strat-
ton Bill. So far, all our politicians have been
straddling the fence.

Questions Demand Answers!

LW* MUST WE
REMAIN 'TRAPPED
HERE ?

How

'Night of Prayer' for Zion

A Night of Prayer and Intercession has been proclaimed
by Detroit's Orthodox rabbis, in cooperation with the Reform
and Conservative groups and the Zionist Council of Detroit,
for this Saturday.
Choosing the first Selihot night, the religious leaders of
our community have found it necessary to call upon our
people to meet in our synagogues this Saturday to pray for
justice for Israel and to ask for intercession in behalf of the
unfortunate survivors from Nazism.
There are elements in Jewry who disagree with such
methods of action in defense of our position, in the present
period of trial and tribulation. But the experienced leaders
feel differently. It is their conviction that this is a time for
intraspection, that there is as much need for self-examination
as there is for protests, that we must know ourselves before
we can act with firmness when dealing with our adversaries.
The differences in our ranks on the question of terrorism,
picketing and protests which often involve name-calling cre-
ate a demand for re-evaluation of purposes and approaches to
the problem. Prayers may not help, but they soothe and they
cause us to be more cautious and more patient.
Those who call for speedy, drastic and militant action are
inevitably the impatient. Through patience, they often make
serious mistakes. In view of approaching decisions by the
United Nations Special Committee .on Palestine, in mid-Sep-
tember, a little more patience will be helpful rather than
harmful.
Thus, the Night of Prayer and Intercession is important
and should serve to draw thousands more than would ordi-
narily respond to a Selihot call to our synagogues, this
Saturday night.

'Consultative Status' at UN

While small and backward states like Yemen have been
granted membership in the United Nations, only "consultative
status" has been accorded to the Coordinating Board of Jewish
Organizations, which includes the American Jewish Confer-
ence, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the South
African Jewish Board of Deputies.
Optimists may say that "it could be worse" and that the
calloused spirit of the world powers might have denied us
even this sop.
The three recognized Jewish bodies, acting for more than
6,000,000 English-speaking Jews, will be charged with the
grave responsibility of watching out for .the interests of the
Jewish people in Europe and in Palestine.
Problems involving human rights, the status of displaced
persons, the plight of refugees and the future of Palestine
will come before the UN in the coming months, and it is of
utmost importance that there should be strict vigilance in
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Independent Jewish
effoits to secure justice for dispossessed Jews, for the existing
Press Service. Seven Arts Feature Syndicate. RAligious
Features,
Central
News Service. PaIcor Agency, King ,
Jewish communities in Palestine and for the hundreds of
Press Association.
thousands seeking admission to the Jewish National Home.
Member American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers and Michigan Press Association.
American Jews will have to carry the brunt of responsi-
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26. Mich.. RA. 7956.
bility in the battle for human rights and for the recognition
Subscription. $3 a year; foreign, 14. Club subscription.
every fourth Friday of the month. to all subscribers to
of our claims to Palestine. The American Jewish Conference,
Allied Jewish Campaign of Jewish Welfare Federation et
whose fourth session will be held in Chicago during the
Detroit. 40 cents pet year.
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6, 1942. at Post Of-
Thanksgiving Day week-end, must mobilize strength to be
fice. Detroit. Mich.. under Act of Mare]) 3. 1879.
able to face all issues. Perhaps the recognition given it by the
BOARD OF muccroas
UN
will serve as encouragement to those who are indifferent
Philip Slomovitz
Maurice Aronsson
about the Conference to strengthen its position and to assure
Isidore
Sobeloff
Fred M. Butzel
its perpetuation as the central organization that is to speak for
Judge Theodore Levin Abraham Srere
Maurice H. Schwartz Henry Wineman
all American Jews.
PHILIP 8LOMOVITZ. Editor
Detroit's delegates to the Conference are scheduled to
meet
at a regional session here on Oct. 12. If we are serious
1947
5,
SEPTEMBER
VOL. XI—No. 25
about the need for coordinating all American Jewish efforts
SABBATH SCRIPTURAL SELECTIONS
through the Conference, this community must express itself
This Sabbath, the twenty-first day of Elul, 5707,
in support of unity at that time. The Conference itself and its
the following scriptural selections will be read in
regional groups are faced with a grave responsibility affecting
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 25:1-29:8.
not only the problem of internal unity but also the program
Prophetical portion—Is. 60.
for future action in defense of Jewish rights.
of
Selihot
begins
on
Sept.
7.
saying
The

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, SepUmbes 5, 1947

THE JEWISH NEWS

Wolfskehl In English

Jewish Poet's Message
Sounds Like Bugle Call

By BATH HILLEL

There is a new publication in the valuable
series of the Schoken Books which will be wel-
comed by Jews all over the world, as if they met
an old friend clad in a new magnificent garment
This is the poem sequence "1933" by Karl Wolfs-
kehl which has just been published and which—
adopting the method of the famous Loeb Classical
Library volumes—brings us these well known
poems in a bilingual edition: in English and Ger-
man.
Nobody who had to undergo the fiery test of
living in Hitler Germany in 1933, will ever forget
the indelible impression which these poems cre-
ated when they first were published in the lead-
ing Zionist weekly Juedische Rundschau and later
on, in a slender volume called "Die Stimme
spircht" (The Voice speaks) in 1934 Wolfskehl
had been known as a poet and scholar; he was the
devoted disciple and friend -of Stefan George, the
herald of a new form of life and art. He had been
an early Zionist and his "Psalm" and "Saul" had
revealed that he never forgot "the rock from
which he was hewn."
Still, few among his readers expected the stern
estheticist and scholarly philosopher to conceive
poems like these. They sounded like a bugle call
and were immediately repeated again and again
by the youngsters who were then setting out on
their long, weary pilgrimage.
There were many Sedar-Nights when Wolfs-
kehl's marvelous song "To be said at the Sedar"
was repeated and led the way to a truer under-
standing of the inconceivably cruel fate of the
Jew.
These poems soon traveled to Palestine with
the Haluz and to many other countries with the
newcomers. Now they return to the pilgrims of
1933, enriched by some momentous hitherto un-
printed songs, in a splendid and very handy edition
both in the original and in an English translation
by E. Morwitz and Carol North Valhope.
During the Hitler years, these poems had a his-
tory of their own. Three times they were printed;
each time there were some significant changes
and additions which revealed that Wolfskehl
ceaselessly revolved and remodeled his own
thought. The first edition in the Schocken Lib-
rary was soon sold out and had to be reprinted:
in 1936, the enlarged work brought valuable new
additions and alterations.
It is this enlarged work which has been re-
printed now in "1933". Again, as mentioned be-
fore, three new poems reveal that the poet Karl
Wolfskehl has not been idle nor did his spirit
fad in these years of exile.
From the mere interpretation of the fate of the
doomed German Jews he moved on to the eternal
discourse of Man and God. It is this never-ending
theme which is the old-new message of Wolfskehl
who now is living a lonely life in far-away New
Zealand. It is to be hoped that the gigantic poetic
plans which occupied Wolfskehl during these last
years of exile will soon see the light. and they—
his -Hiob" and his "Samson"—will be published
in as magnificent a garment as his "Poem
Sequence 1933."

A Hasidic Tale of Man

A Hasid came to his rabbi and asked him: "What
is the nature of Man?" Instead of an answer, the
rabbi led him to a window and inquired: "What do
you notice?" "Well," the Hasid replied, "I see the
street, with its people and its traffic."
The rabbi took him to a mirror and again asked
him: "What do you see?" "Why," the Hasid said, a
little puzzled, "I see myself."
"There is your answer," the rabbi came back,

"'The window is glass, and the mirror is glass. But
when there is only one ounce of silver involved,
Man sees nothing but himself."

Facts You Should Know

Answers to Readers

Questions

• • •
Are all types of fish permissible for e acing in
the Jewish household? Why is black caviar gen-
eraliy considered "trefah" (not kosher )? Are
all the fatty tissues of a kosher animal permiss-
ible for eating in the Jewish household? Is there
any scientific basis for this differentiatio n?
The Bible (Levit. 11:9,10) gives the general
description of those fishes which are k osher. It

states that only fish which have fins a nd scales
are permissible for consumption.
Black caviar is made of the roe of the Russian

Sturgeon which does not meet the abov e requir-

ments.

The dietary laws distinguish between the per-
missible known as "Shuman" and " Chaylev"
which is prohibited (See Levit. 3:17 and 7:24).
Jewish dietary laws are observed bee ause the
Bible so commanded them. Rationalizations, how-
ever, are often made. The general rule of distinc-
tion is that the fat which does not close up a hole
or puncture beneath it is unclean (exce pt the fat
around the heart.) Fat covered by flesh is gener-
ally permitted, except that which is u ncovered
when the animal is in motion. M aimonides
us full,
and
says: "The fat of the intestines makes cold
interrupts our digestion, and produces
thick blood; it is more fit for fuel (than for
human food.") The Ramban (Nachmanades)
states that the forbidden fat is cold, T./mist and
thick, hard to boil properly, easily s polled and
productive of unhealthy substances. R ecent in-
vestigations on nutrition found that, in a ddition to
proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which a re neces-
sary for the nutrition of animals, an a mount of

vitamins, known as fat soluble "A", are contained
in certain kinds of fats, and especially in those
fats which surround the vital organs a nd in the
liver. Ordinary fatty or adipose tissu es found
under the skin and around muscles are not equiva-
lent in food value, and especially in vi
tent, to certain layers of fat found in th

of the body.

