Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
As the Editor
Views the News ...
Friday, October 17, 1947
'His Cup Runneth Over'
,_. . ._. .„,:.,
44‘...
A Wise Declaration
Detroit's Jewish Community COuncil has
acted very wisely in issuing the following
statement of policy with regard to the panicky
situation that has arisen in the 12th St. area
as a result of infiltration of Negroes:
"'The Jewish Community Council of Detroit is
deeply concerned with the strengthening of
democratic values in American life. We recog-
nize that prejudice and discrimination against
racial and religious groups constitute a threat to
the very foundation of American principles of
equality.
"It is our desire, therefore, to record our un-
qualified opposition to such devices as restrictive
covenants which bar members of some racial
groups from owning or occupying housing. We
believe that obstruction of the exercise of free
enterprise in the ownership or occupation of
dwellings is undemocratic and contrary to the
spirit of our Constitution. We condemn those
practices which support and expand this grave
threat to the basic freedoms embodied in the
American concept of democracy.
"We believe that restrictions or
prac-
ticed against any one group in the United States
threaten the well being of all groups. Prejudice
and bigotry are social diseases which poison the
life blood- of our democratic society. We join,
therefore, with the legions of American citizens
devoted to the democratic ideal and wholesome
human relationships in unalterable opposition to
such discriminatory practices as restrictive cov-
enants."
When applied to us, we call restrictive
covenants immoral, undemocratic and un-
American. Therefore they are immoral, un-
democratic and un-American when applied
to any other group.
By taking pride in our neighborhoods, by
beautifying them and by setting an example
for good citizenship, we also can set an
example for good neighborliness: Let us re-
member these basic principles of good
Americanism and ethical Judaism.
At the same time, a serious effort should be
made to prevent the spread of false rumors
regardina "violence" between Jews and
Negroes. b The rumor factory should be closed
down at once in the interests of peace and
human decency.
Pisgah's Anniversary
Pisgah Lodge's approaching 90th anni-
versary will provide an opportunity for re-
view of the interesting development of the
entire Jewish community of Detroit.
Preceded in community organization only
by Temple Beth El and its offspring, Congre-
gation Shaarey Zedek, Pisgah Lodge was the
first Jewish fraternal order to be formed
here. It has functioned for nearly 90 years
without interruption and during the nine
decades has rendered invaluable service to
Jewry, Detroit and the nation at large. •
Pisgah Lodge has the distinction of being
one of the largest Bnai Brith groups in the
world. The international order of Bnai Brith
was only 10 years old when the local lodge
was formed. It immediately assumed a role
of great importance in our community, and
next to membership- in a synagogue the
pioneer Detroit Jews considered it a mark of
distinction to be associated with Pisgah
Lodge.
Its cultural, philanthropic and civic-pro-
tective activities have created a place of
unique significance in Detroit Jewry. Its
history is, in reality, the history of the Jews
of Detroit, whose present generation un-
doubtedly will join unitedly in extending
wholehearted greetings to our first Bnai
Brith lodge on its 90th birthday.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate. Religious
News Service, Palcor Agency, King Features, Central
Press Association.
Member American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers and Michigan Press Association.
Published 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,
every fourth Friday of the month, to all subscribers to
Allied Jewish Campaign of Jewish Welfare Federation of
Detroit. 40 cents pei year.
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6, 1942. at Post Of-
fice, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Maurice Aronsson
Philip Slomovitz
Fred M. Butzel
Isidore Sobeloff
Judge Theodore Levin Abraham Srere
Maurice H. Schwartz Henry Wineman
PurLIP
VOL. 1CH—NO. 5
SLOMOVITZ, Editor
OCTOBER 17, 1947
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the third day of Heshvan, 5708,
the following scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal section-7-Gen. 6;9-11:32.
Prophetical section—Is. 66.
It's a Matter of Survival!
Education Is the Key
To a Strong Jewish Life
By GERHARDT NEUMANN
ilE1015% YE ► IMPAP.M.,
A4o4cy
Challenge of Statehood
Having warned consistently against the injection of a
spirit of panic in our ranks when there were delays in the
announcement of policies by the United States and Russia,
we desire at this time to add another warning against over-
confidence that might be created by favorable statements.
Practically all of the pronouncements _in support of
Jewish needs have been marked by reservations. The asser-
tions of the spokesmen for our Government, like the pro-
nouncements of other powers, do not represent all-out de-
cisions to support the establishment of a Jewish state in
accordance with the recommendations of the majority report
of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine.
But the declarations by the U. S. and U.S.S.R. delegations
to the UN marks the beginning of the end of debate. It was a
signal to other governments to recognize the need for an im-
mediate solution of the tragic problem of Palestine and of
world Jewry. Herschel Johnson's statement was the reaffirma-
tion of American policy in support of Jewish aspirations, and
we have reason to rejoice that humanitarian ideals are triumph-
ing over threats of violence.
Much good will come out of the UN discussions, and
the Jews of the world must begin to prepare for the serious
responsibilities which- will accompany the establishment of
the Jewish state.
While the U. S. and U.S.S.R. statements are -not all
together camparable to the Cyrus and Balfour Declarations,
they may prove decisive steps towards assuring the realization
of the ideal promulgated by Balfour.
*
*
The major demands thus . far are for the opening of
Palestine's doors to Jewish settlers. Dr. E. R. Fabregat placed
-emphasis on the importance of admitting immediately 35,000
Jewish children. Polish Ambassador Josef Winiewicz asked
for the removal of all barriers to Jewish immigration. Jan
Masaryk was outspoken in his demand for justice for Israel.
Even if the minimum demand made in the UNSCOP
report for the admission of 150,000 Jews during the comino-
two years should materialize, we shall be faced with the cha l -
lenge of guaranteeing their proper absorption in the country.
There will be problems of housing, schooling, training for
agricultural and industrial pursuits and health protection. It
will call for the expenditure of hundreds of millions of
dollars, and all previous investments in the building of the
Jewish National Home will pale into insignificance compared
with the new duties that will face us.
Such responsibilities call for solidarity in Jewish ranks.
The efforts that were exerted in the past few weeks in sup-
port of the UNSCOP proposals speak well for American
Jewry. The Jewish Agency has the backing of the American
Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Conference, the
Bnai Brith, the Jewish War Veterans and all the other na-
tional Jewish organizations which have always been on
record in favor of a Jewish state in Palestine.
*
*
*
Little is known of the first world conference for
Jewish education which was held at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem from July 29 to Aug. 6.
This meeting was attended by 150 educators from
all parts of the world and was organized by the
Hebrew University, in cooperation with the \'aad
Leumi (Jewish National Council),
Although viewpoints in discussions on the im-
portance of Jewish education differed according
to the specific circumstances of each Jewish sector,
all agreed on the necessity of an over-all plan for
the schooling of Jewish youth and a systematic
indoctrination with Jewisia values.
The representatives of the European countries
stressed the need of personal settlement in Pales-
tine as the decisive, and the only, motive for Jew-
ish education. The representatives of the United
States and Great Britain—as the spokesmen of
relatively secure communities—emphasized the
need of Jewish education for life in the local Jew-
ish communities. They held the view that Halutziut
and personal settlement can become personal goals
only after the full experience of Jewish life has
been gained.
In other words, while the European Jews see
emigration as their immediate problem which
must be solved with the help of education, Amer-
ican Jews consider Jewish education as a means
to rebuild the Jewish communities into centers
of a revived interest and participation. in the
destiny of our people.
*
*
The problem of religious teaching also caused
differences of opinion. The western educators in-
sisted that everything Jewish—Hebrew, Bible,
Jewish literature, traditions and law, prayers,
music and art—must be regarded as religious teach-
ing, though not necessarily orthodox. The confer-
ence adopted a resolution which states that "Jewish
education is to be Zionist and Hebraic, in the spirit
of Torah and of Jewish tradition."
Aside from such ideological differences, the con-
ference fully agreed on the importance of the de-
velopment of Jewish schools in which both the
secular and Jewish subjects are taught. Where the
Jewish school must continue to function as a "sup-
plement" to the public schools, it was held desir-
able that such schools as Talmud Torahs or Hebrew
schools teach 10 hours per week over a period of
six years, and that their curricula be based on
Hebraic source materials, taught through the
medium of living Hebrew.
There was also general agreement regarding the
setting up of Community Boards of Jewish Educa-
tion. The conference also stressed the great need
for more training facilities for Jewish teachers
and expressed the hope that the Hebrew Uni-
versity's special courses for overseas students could
be developed so as to supplement the training of
youth leaders and teachers in the diaspora. An
exchange service is to be set up, and it is hoped
that the Palestinian students and teachers to study
abroad -will contribute to the cultural life of the
communities in which they study.
To foster .Hebrew culture, the conference
called upon the local Zionist organizations to
take greater interest in the Jewish education of
their communities.
The conference established a permanent organi-
zation, the World Union for Jewish Education in
the Diaspora, with offices in Jerusalem- and a sub-
sidiary office in New York. Its initial budget
amounts to $25,000. Dr. Eliezer Rieger, Jerusalem,
was elected president, and Dr. Alexander M. Dush-
kin, New York, vice-president. The World Union
will hold conferences every three to five years and
publish a periodic educational bulletin, educational
monographs and booklets.
These decisions will remain on paper until or-
ganizations and individuals take the initiative in
awakening the Jewish community. This is still
Education Month, and the time to become better
Jews is now.
We Heard the Tidings
By DR. NOAH E. ARONSTAM
We have heard the tidings and a thrill of joy
Swept through our hearts.
We have heard the tidings and our eyes grew
moist:
Have our dreams come true?
Ah, tell us, have the longings of our soul
Grappling through the ages
With the shadows of despair
Seen their hopes fulfilled?
Are we not like unto the dreamer,
Whose awakening from the terrors of the
night
Leaves dazed and doubting and confused?
Tell us, is the message real
And are the tidings true?
We have sown with anguish and with tears:
Our harvest now shall come with song!
Hope on, our soul, our yearning heart,
It won't be long, it won't be long!
We have heard the murmur of the ages,
On its threshold comes the pledge:
"It must be true,
It shall be true!"
It is unfortunate that several groups of anti-Zionists
continue to propagandize against national independence for
the established, Jewish community in Palestine as well as for
the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in Europe
who will think of no other solution to their problem—which
is primarily that of homelessness—except Palestine. We
doubt, however, whether too much attention is being given
at this point to attempts to disrupt Jewish unity. U. S. officials
no longer give ear to their ranting, and they are now thor-
oughly realistic in their recognition of the basic humanitarian
principles involved in the entire issue.
Elimination of panic and fear is essential at this time.
It is also necessary that we should not be overconfident; that
Jewish leadership should not tire in the struggle for freedom, Facts You Should Know
that we should be prepared to meet with courage the great
challenge which will face us in the years to come when it will
Who was Rabbi Meir?
A second century rabbi who prepared a sys-
be necessary for us to establish homes and create security for
tematic edition of traditional Jewish law and doc-
hundreds of thousands of our kinsmen.
trine, which paved the way for the final edition
Many Jews already are reciting the shehecheyanu and are of the Mishnah.
* * *
wishing each other Maze! Tov over the latest happenings.
What is the Shemoneh Esreh?
They are closer t obeing right than we have been in genera-
most important Jewish set of prayer, Next
tions. We are living in an age which promises to bring us close to The
the "Shema." Shemoneh Esreh means eigh-
to realization of Prophecy. May the blessed day of realization teen." The name , of the prayer derived from its
come very soon!
being composed of 18 short prayers.
c