Page Four
THE JEWISH NEWS
As the Editor
Views the News ...
Danger of Quotas
Dr. Theodore Brameld, professor of ed-
ucational philosophy at New. York Univer-
sity, told the Institute for Religious and Social
Studies at a meeting at the Jewish Theo-
logical Seminary in New York that the costs
of discrimination in American education are
to be measured in "terms of qualitative in-
juries to the personalities, of significant ex-
pectations and general well being of both
children and adults."
The eminent educator asserted that "in-
sidious frustrations, humiliations, suspicions,
fears, are chronic diseases of educational
communities where Negro children and other
minority groups are forced to live in Jim
Crow ghettos, and in other ways are made
to feel that they are somehow an inferior
species"; that "the operation of vicious quota
systems in too many institutions of higher
learning, both north and south, is another in-
stance of sheer waste: through this system a
great many young men and women of demon-
strated promise have been blocked in their
efforts to train for constructive service to the
people."
These are serious admonitions to the
academic leaders of our country. They echo
the fears expressed by Jewish leaders that
the quota system, which has been enforced
"unofficially" in many universities, may
serve to bring to the United States the worst
elements of bigotry stemming from back-
ward European countries and that the free-
dom which previously ruled in this great land
will ipe undermined.
Perhaps Prof. Brameld's analysis of the
situation will help in arousing the conscience
of those who rule our educational system to
prevent a major calamity. Perhaps public
opinion can be aroused to fight against the
spread of the numerous clausus in this land.
American Legion & DPs
By action of its recent convention in In-
dianapolis, the American Legion has reversed
previous opposition to efforts for the admis-
sion of displaced person to the United Stated.
Although the reversal stated that its present
stand in favor of the opening of this country's
doors to DPs is to be within "fixed limita-
tions" and under special federal legislation,
the new move is an indication of a sincere
effort on the part of the Legion to be helpful
in great humanitarian programs.
The Legion's Americanism Chairman,
James Green of Omaha, Neb., recommended
the new policy of the organization, the pro-
visions being:
1. Admission of DPs should be considered
an emergency matter "involving humanitar-
ian considerations"; 2. special consideration
for families of "comrades in arms"; 3. an op-
portunity be provided for DPs who should
be aided in finding haven in Palestine.
These decisions give us encouragement
to believe that, in addition to the opportun-
ities that have been created for the settle-
ment of most Jewish DPs in Palestine, the
chances for the adoption of the Stratton Bill
have multiplied and our country will revert
to the policy .of opening our doors to the dis-
possessed in this hour of distress in Europe.
American Legion and Labor support is of
the utmost importance in securing help
for the measure to admit DPs to the U. S.
Both groups have come through admirably.
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 pel 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. XII—NO. 12
DECEMBER 5, 1947
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-third day of Kislev,
5708, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 37:1-40:23.
Prophetical portion—Amon 2:6-3:8.
On Hanukah, Monday through Friday morn-
ings the following Pentateuchal portions will be
read, on respective days: Num. 7:1-17, Num.
7:18 - 29; Num. 7:24-35; Num. 7:30-35; Num. 7:36-47.
Hanukah Inspiration
i t) 9 47
Friday, December 5, 1947
rTwo Heads Are Better'
Book Pays Honor
To Local Jewish Families
Starks
Leonard Simons, Lawrence Michelson and
the Gershensons Included in Volume by
George Stark and Anne Campbell
"Two Heads Are Better . . . " is the title of a
World's Hanukah Gift to Jewry
A new era of reckoning follows the early mo-
ments of rejoicing over the recognition that has been
accorded the right of the Jewish people to statehood
in Eretz
Now we are headed for the task of completing
the ()Teat work begun by the early pioneers of the
BILU and First Aliyah movements, who, 65 years ago,
broke ground in Zion to establish the foundations for
the Jewish Commonwealth.
November 29, 1947, will be memorable in
Jewish history not merely as the day on which
the UN acted to restore justice in international
dealings with Israel but also as the day that
marks the beginning of a new account in Israel's
responsibility to ourselves and to our destiny.
While we believe firmly that the world will help
and encourage us in the great task of state-building,
we must proceed with that task in the knowledge that
only Israel can build for Israel; that we must demon-
strate to what extent we are determined to remain our
brothers' keepers; that the many aspects of re-creat-
ing the status of statehood for Jewry inevitably are
accompanied by challenges which must be met with
courage and with dignity.
There will be many discouraging situations in the
process of the implementation of the historic decision.
Bloodshed was predicted, and has materialized.
We doubt whether it will be as extensive as the pessi-
mists would lead us to believe. Our pioneers in Pales-
tine, however, are prepared to meet the issue. Tens of
thousands of them have lived through eras when
the world shouted the threat that the Nazis are out to
exterminate Jewry. Now, the Arab League's warning
that it and its adherents will destroy us again will re-
ceive the historic and prophetic response:
npri
714nri rim
book that should thrill Detroiters no end. It is
the joint effort of two very popular Detroit au-
thors, George Stark and his wife, Anne Camp-
bell. The title of the book by the two Detroit
News writers is exceptionally well chosen.
George's intimate portraits of Detroiters and
Anne's poems, grouped ,
together in this splendid
volume, represent an ef-
fort which, in many, re-
spects, is part of history-
making for Detroit.
Jewish readers will be
especially interested 'in
several of the sketches
that deal with leaders in
our community.
"Leonard and Larry"
is a particularly signifi-
GEORGE STARK
cant chapter which deals
with the story of devotion to community needs
by the two prominent advertising men—Leonard
N. Simons and Lawrence J. Michelson. Mr. Stark,
in this essay, points out that these two partners
in the advertising firm of Simons-Michelson "are
living proof that 'two heads ARE better.' "
The friends of the two Jewish advertising men
will. find Mr. Stark's sketch exceedingly interest-
ing from many viewpoints. The biographical
data about both, their community interests, their
human approach to many issues will inspire many
men to an appreciation of the fact that service
to human needs is appreciated.
Among the causes the two young men have
served are: Old Newsboys, Red Cross, Commu-
nity Chest, Jewish Welfare Federation, Temple-
Beth El, Michigan War Finance Committee,
American Cancer Society, Detroit Historical
Society, Detroit Historical Commission, publicity
for WAVES, WACS, Marine Corps, Merchant
Marine and Cadet Nursing Corps.
"Leonard and Larry are always there," Stark
comments in referring to their interests.
. He could have added Hadassah-Hebrew Uni-
versity Medical School, Shaarey Zedek, Weizmann
Institute in Palestine and scores of other causes
for which Larry and Leonard have helped conduct
successful drives.
- He quotes Leonard as saying that "for him,
Detroit is one of the great cities of all time. Its
potentialities are enormous." He quotes Leonard
as saying: . "It (Detroit) needs time and it needs
patience and it needs the stimulus of hopeful and
imaginative men." And Stark concludes the chap-
ter on Leonard and Larry: •
"Ladies and gentlemen, I make bold to state
that both Leonard and Larry are two in whom
these impulses generously reside."
There is a poem by Anne dedicated to "Leon-
ard's Dream"—an interesting addenda to an inter-
esting chapter about two community builders.
A Chapter on the Gershensons
Then there is a chapter on the Gershensons.
is called "Family Affair" and it deals with the
group who have built Ned's Auto Supply Co., with
eight huge retail stores in the metropolitan area.
Included are the brothers — Charles, William,
Aaron and Samuel — and the sisters — Esther,
Dorothy and Rose. Mention is, of course, made of
the mother, Mollie, who "kept them together."
Mr. Stark records the scholastic background of
the family. He says of the Gershensons:
"People have come to the Gershensons and
asked about the name of their business. 'Ned's,'
they say, 'it's kind of a funny name for a big busi-
ness like this.' Nothing funny about it at all,'
they'll answer. 'You see, Dad's name was Nathan.
Everybody called him Ned. He died just about the
time we were getting started. This is a memorial
to him, in a way. . . . No, we'll never change the
name!' "
Anne's poem, "Mollie's Seven Pair of ShoeS,"
is. an excellent tribute to the Gershensons.
"Two Heads Are Better Than One .. . " is a
fascinating 'book full of thrillinc , stories and
poems. It is destined for a large reading public.
Facts You Should Know
"The eternity of Israel shall not be denied."
Israel's eternity has been reaffirmed !
What is the origin of Hanukah Gelt?"
It is customary to give children gifts on Hanu-
The work for Palestine's upbuilding begins anew. kah. In most places it is customary to give them
The actual origin of Hanukah Gelt (money)
When the United Jewish Appeal convenes in money.
is not known. The giving of gifts was not con-
Atlantic City next week-end, it will be faced with the fined to Hanukah alone. On Purim we customarily
gifts called "Meshalach Monos." The "Kitzur
task of providing for large-scale settlement in Judea. give
Shulchan Aruch" definitely mentions the need to
give charity on Hanukah. The Baar Hetev (com-
!American Jewish leaders must begin to plan at mentary
on Orach Chayim) mentions the fact that
once the transfer to Palestine of 20,000 Jews from the poor people made a special tour of every
home to collect alms on Hanukah. Most
Cyprus and the settlement of hundreds of thousands Jewish
interesting is the quaint custom attributed to
Sephardic
Jews of Jerusalem. It is related that
of displaced Jews—Destined for Palestine is the new
their children would go from door to door on the
interpretation given the term DPs by Dr. Stephen S. last day of Hanukah to ask for donations. When
all the collections were in, they would use the
Wise in his American Jewish Conference address.
sum to make a party for the school teachers and
This will require hundreds of millions of dollars, the pupils. They claimed that this 4--was to com-
the dedication of the Holy Altar in the
and. American Jewry must be prepared to foot the bill. memorate
Tabernacle which took place on Hanukah. assert-
The UN decision is the world's Hanukah
gift to Jewry.
We are grateful for it.
We accept it humbly, recognizing the great
duties that are ours to make good the task we
have undertaken in demanding the right to re-
deem Zion and to transform it again into Judea.
Israel, having been weighed in an interna-
tional balance, must not and will not be found
wanting.
ing that since we have no Temple or Altar, the
school of learning represents the Temple; the
desks, the altar; and the teachers and students, the
priests. While collecting the donations the chil-
dren would recite the Biblical passage which is
read on Sabbath Hanukah—"Shevu Shivru Lonu
Me-at Ochel" (Gen. 43:2), which depicts Jacob
telling his children "Go again, buy us a little food."
During the course of the party they would sing
this sentence 308 times according to the arithmetic
sum of the letters which make up its first word
(Shevu). One of the issues involved in the Mac-
cabean struggle was the right to make coins. Judea
had been denied this right. It was only when the
Hasmoneans took - over the government that tilt
Jews began to make coins.