Page Four

THE JEWISH NEWS

As the Editor
Views the News...

Friday, November 7, 1947

Burning. of Synagogues

Still Worth Looking Into

Flames Died—Hatred
Still Consumes World

A Frightful Libel

Destructive forces have been at work try-_
ing to undermine the Jewish position before
.the United Nations.
An article by Homer Metz in a recent issue
of the Christian: Science Monitor refers to
"an unconfirmed report" circulated at Lake
,Success that ."Russia decided to favor the
division of the Holy Land because it is. wait-
• ing to put into operation a detailed 'and
subtle plot to make .Palestine a strategic
center of Communist influence,'.' According
to this report, Russia has given refugee. to
large numbers of 'Zionists' in Constanza_and
other ports along the Black Sea whence they
could move quickly into Palestine as soon
as the immigration bars are lifted."
This is a frightful libel. It seems to under-
mine every human spark which is inherent
in the dire need Of. a Jewish home in Pales-
tine f6r the survivors from Nazism.
The circulation of this libelous report in-
dicates to what extent the intolerant and
reactionary forces will go in order to harm
the Jewish people and to destroy their hope0
of - ending the homelessness of the victims
of Nazism.
Such reports should serve as a challenge
to the humanitarians everywhere to battle
for a speedy solution to the problem, to insist
upon the immediate implementation of the
majority UNSCOP report and to defy bigotry
by insisting upon the enforcement of the
just claims presented by Our people before
the UN.
A battle is waging within the UN over the-
size of the territory which is to be set aside
as a Jewish State. If the United States dele-
gation wills it, the Jewish comMonwealth
can be modeled to include Western Galilee
and the New Jerusalem. InclusiOn of these
portions of Eretz Israel would be an act of
justice by virtue pf the :vital importance of
these areas for a Jewish- State. We pray that
justice may be enacted speedily, and we hope
that the. American UN delegations will be
listed among those who helped pave the way
for the re-establishrrient of Jewish nation-
hoo • and the end bf Jewish homelessness.

Annual Book Month

Sponsored by the National Jewish Welfare
Board with the cooperation of Jewish Cen-
ters throughout the country, annual Jewish
Book Month is being. launched today as one
of great projects 'which have received the
acclaim of the entire American Jewish corri-
munity.
Book Month has the great merit of calling
the attention of American Jews to the out-
standing creative efforts of Jewish writers
and publishers. It does not emphasize Enk-
lish-language publications alone, but seeks
to interest our people in the Yiddish and
Hebrew productions of our eminent writers.
Through forumS and public assemblies,
Book Month spreads the value of the printed
word amoncr the masses Of our people. Last •
smear, Book b Month was observed by 115,000
p- ple at gatherings that were sponsored
by 1,300 organizations. The increasing popu-
larity of this observance promises to attract
even wider interest this year.
Numerous important anniversaries will be .
marked by the Book Month celebration this
year.
In order to increase Jewish cultural values,
to encourage Jewish writers and to make our
people better informed, Book Month should
be observed by Jewish communities through-
out the land.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, independent Jewish
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate: Religious
News Service, Palcor Agency, King Features, Central
Prealt 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 pf j -ewish 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

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor

VOL. MI—NO. 8

NOVEMBER 7, 1947

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 25th day of Heshvan, the
following Scriptural selections will be read in our
synagogues:
Pentateuchal section—Gen. 23:1-25:18,

Prophetical section—I Kings 1:1-3k

4 :

By GERHARDT NEUMANN

JEWIsv% Tta.C.RAPAIC

1,fi5 14<N

Call for 'Tolerance and Reason'

President Truman delivered one of the most impi-essive
addresses in his entire career when he accepted' in behalf
of the nation a memorial to the late Oscar S. Straus, member
of PreSident Theodore Roosevelt's Cabinet. •
Referring to the statue. in Washington as "a monument
to -tolerance and reason," President " Truman described the
Strauses - as - a "magnificent family." He spoke of them as
"..a great family, and they were displaced persons!" The
term was a signal for a renewed appeal for the opening of
this country's doors to the unfortunates in Europe who are
pleading for the right to settle in free countries, including
the United States.
"Oh," said our President, "I wish we could' have the
same tolerance today to meet the situation with which we
are faced now, as we had in 1852 and 1854; when the Straus
,family came to this country. Just think what would have
happened. We would have lost the services of this gre,at
man. and his brotherS, if we had followed the same program
then as we are following. now. I hope we can overcome that
: situation and do our part toward meeting the situation With
which we are faced now, as these people faced then in 1848
ary 1'852 and 1854."
*. *
These are frank words. - They area rebuke to thoSe who
would keep the doors to this country closed to the men and
wornen who, like their predecessors in generations gone by,
can d6 so much to help make and keep America great.
In More than one sense, the-President's statement is
a call to renewed_action by Congress to pave the way for
the liberalization of our immigration laws so that tens
and hundreds of-thousands of displaced persons may find
a haven in this great land.
In its totality, President Truman's address was a tribute
to the entire Straus family and to all the brothers who were
great as statesmen; philanthropists and public servants.
The President's address was a reaffirmation of America's
faith in human values.

Reality in Curricula

New Holiday Stories
Show Zion Tradition

Aiming to Make the curriculum of JeWish
schools a reality, by introducing -the children in
a practical way to Jewish observances, the. Com-
mission on Jewish Education of the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, is producing a
series of books which are catching the imagination
of children, their parents and teachers. .
The latest pfoduct in this serious effort is Rose
W. Golub's "Down Holiday. Lane." It is a magni-
ficent story book which covers all the holidays,
the various Jewish ceremonials connected with
festivals and the new traditions that have. been
introduced in Palestine.
As Dr. Emanuel Gamoran, director of the UAHC
Commission on Jewish Education, points Out in the
preface to Miss Golub's book, the author of this
splendid volume has pioneered with material 'for
primary grades and is one of the most experienced
persons and therefore best qualified to deal with
the task under review. .
Miss Golub has succeeded in the present effort
and is to be commended for a valuable contribu-
tiOn to Jewish school material. The Union of
American Hebrew Congregation meanwhile facili-
tates the fine job of enhancing efforts to create
good textbooks which, at the same time, are good
books as gifts, s itable for home reading.

* * *

The gregt event which marked the dedication of the
Straus Memorial distinguished itself by other factors
A Baptist, the Rev. R. E. E. Harkness, gave the invocation.
A Jew, Dr. Stephen. S. Wise, pronounced the benediction.
And another 'outstanding American, the son of the late Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt, Col. Archibald B. Roosevelt, spoke
for the man who selected Oscar Straus for the Cabinet post.
Col. Roosevelt recalled that his father had said to Mr. Straus
When he named him to his Cabinet in 1900:
"I am going to make you a member of my Cabinet,
and the reason _is, first, because I have a very high esti-
mate of your character and your ability, and I want yOu
for personal ;reasons. The is also a second reason —I
want to show Russia and such countries what we think
of a -Jew in this country."
* * *
, President Truman's statements served as worthy addenda
to the historic report of his Committee on Civil Rights. Our
civil liberties were weighed and found wanting—•but the
President's Committee, acting with frankness that is typical
of the great American traditions, has paved the way for the
enforcement of legislation and principles which should guar-
antee the perpetuation of our ideals.
The President's Committee recommends the end Of all
discrimination and does not hesitate to Urge - the adoption
of legislation for fair employment practices, the -banning of
restrictive covenants and - poll-tax lavis and other discrim-
inatory acts.
In these statements are reincorporated the genius of
America and the determiriation of free men to defend and
perpetuate freedom and humanitarian . ideals.
We rejoice that these principles predominate. We gather
new faith from such demonstrations of loyalty to reason
and fair play. As long as such ideals live on--as they do—
America will remain great and the world will have a chance

-.

,

to march on to justice out of the inspiration that is America.

u

FaCts You Should Know

Answers to Readers
Questions

.

.

The 10th of November is a day-written indelibly
in the annals of Jewish history. On that day, in
the year 1938, the Nazis put the torch to the syna-
gogues in Germany and kindled' a fire that was
to mark the painful Path of 6,000,000 Jews to the
slaughter banks and gas chambers which will
stigmatize the German people for centuries to
come.
The flames have petered out, but beneath the
ashes the old hatred continues to smolder, and
the terrible seed of barbarism seems to find fertile
soil everywhere.
Nine Years ago, when the • incredible. news- Of
the state-ordered arson was flashed • through the
world, an outcry of indignation could be heard in
all four corners Of the world. The crime seemed
too colossal to be real..
But after so many yqrs of exhausting :war
effort, and after .tWo years between war and
peace, the world not only does not want to be re-
minded • of the -JeWish sacrifice on the altar of
freedom, but even reverts to methods that are
desperately similar to those used by the Nazis.
Only a few days ago; it was 'reported that a
synagogue in Baltimore tva,s wrecked and des-
ecrated for the fourth time. Desecration of syn-
agogues and cemeteries in this country, in Ar-
gentina, South Africa and Great Britain are
committed so frequently now that they no liniger
figure as news. The world has become so used
to the abuse of Jews that, it no longer stops to
think if it occurs here and there.
The advent of atomic power, the slowly per-
ceptibly changing economic conditions, the grow-
ing insecurity, the inability to form a family of
nations and to control the factors which threaten
to exterminate the human race—all this makes
mankind restless.
Following psychological laws, this restlessness
is. sought to be overcome by...shouldering the
weaker with the responsibility, of the situation.
It is the same principle: which guided Hitler.
Ours will always be the burden of paying hi% the
uncontrolled emotions of a decaying world.
As Jews, we can truthfully state that the war
has been fought M. vain. It has not purified the air,
it has not brought about understanding and the'will
to live together hatrnoniotisly, and it has not
broadened and deepened the outlook of man.. The
very fact that the minority problem arises again
and again is proof that interracial peace is a far:-
away goal which—if things are allowed to drift
as' they did before—may - perhaps some day explode
like a soap bubble. -
The hatred of the. Nazis was .only new in that
it was organized hatred. .Here, perhaps, is the
point whel-e self-defense can start. Preventing
the haters from Organizing their fellow-haterS is
the only way left to society to protect itself from
complete destruction. If :mankind has not yet set
out on a path of elf-ruiri—which is still . undedided
—it must be:made to understand'that the 'flames
of hatred do not stop at the victim but ultimately
devour the originator.

What is a Bet Hamidrash?
Literally, in Hebrew, a house of :Study, or a
place where students gather to listen to the
midrash, the exposition of Scripture. It is fre-
quently meant to refer to the synagogue as well.

,

Where did -the Israelites crbss the Red Sea?
They crossed the Gulf of Suez at its northern
extremity, but the exact spot is not definitely
known. Some think it was near the. town of Suez,
others that it was about 18 miles 'south of the
mouth of the Wady Tuakik.
*
*
C
. What is the Holy Land?
•
This is the name given by Christians and Jews.
to Palestine. Moslems, however, consider Arabia,
the birthplace of Mohammed, the - Holy Land,
while Buddhists call India, the Country of Sakya
Muni, the Holy Land.
•
• *

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-

Does- the word 'eternity' appear in the Bible?.
It is found onceLin'Isaiah, chapter 57, verse -1,

