Page Four As the Editor Views the News THE JEWISH NEWS Another Enemy to Overcome Fight Infantile Paralysis Another week remains before the con- clusion of the annual March of Dimes which features the nationwide effort to fight infan- tile paralysis. - Sponsored by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, the March of Dimes en- lists the cooperation of all Americans in the serious effort of reducing OF the deadly disease which annually takes hundreds of young lives. Following a four-to-six-year cycle, polio's dangers have been among the most 'difficult INFANTILE to overcome and only the PARALYSIS preparedness of our com- munities, through the ac-.- tions of civic-minded citi- zens, can be counted upon as insurance against the dreaded plague. JANUARY 15-3 A statement issued by the National Founda- tion for Infantile Paralysis points out that infantile paralysis is not only one of the most dreaded diseases but is the most costly known to medical science. Is has been indicated that a respirator case may require 24-hour nurs- ing care and cost as much as $10,000 a year, the average cost of a polio case being estimat- ed at $2,000. Thus, every dime counts and every contri- bution assists in fighting a serious menace to the health and lives of our children. Contributions to the March of Dimes cam- paign should be as liberal as possible. With a concerted effort we can hope to reduce polio's dangers and eventually completely to wipe out the horrible disease. FIGHT 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 PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor VOL. XII—NO. 19 JANUARY 23, 1948 Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Shevat, 5708, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 10:1-13:16. Prophetical portion—Jer. 46:13-28. Hamisha Asar b'Shevat (Rosh Hashanah Leila- noth—Jewish New Year of the Trees) occurs on Monday, Jan. 26. 3 Splendid Children's Books UAHC Publishes New Volumes on Holidays Welcome to Rokachs Detroit Jewry will greet the Hon. and Mrs. Israel Rokach, of Tel Aviv, on their visit to Detroit next Tuesday, in a spirit of gratitude for the heroism and devotion of the Jewish pioneers in Palestine and of re-dedication to the historic objective of creating a secure home for dispossessed Jews in Eretz Israel. Mayor Rokach comes to us as the symbol of the redemption of Israel: He will speak to an audience, which is .expected to be the largest ever to assemble in the Masonic Tem- ple under the auspices of the Jewish National Fund, at a time when the great decision for the restoration of the Jewish state is about to become reality. A native of Tel Aviv, Mayor Rokach has been in the service of his city for more than 25 years and participated in the planning which saw the growth of the all-Jewish com- munity from a population of 10,000 in 1922 to its present 250,000. What is of even greater importance is the fact that he has been a factor in see- ing Eretz Israel grow from a small com- munity of 60,000 at the time of the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the pres- ent 700,000 most of whom soon will attain status as citizens of the Jewish state. - Mayor Rokach has the good wishes of De- troit Jewry on his mission to our city. The ar- rangements for his visit, which include the large rally and a luncheon of community leaders, embrace an over-all welcome repre- senting all elements of Detroit -Jewry. We join in welcoming Mayor and Mrs. Rokach to Detroit and in wishing them success in their mission in this country and in their future activities in Judea. Friday, january 23, 1948 Three new children's books, just released, add to the prestige for Jewish publishing built up in recent years by the Commission on Jewish Educa- tion of the Union of American Hebrew Congre- gations, 34 W. 6th St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio. The three new publications, in spiral bindings, are: Edith S. Covich's "The Jewish Child Every Day." Jane Bearman's "Shovuos Time" and "Purim Parade." Mrs. Covich's book is a fascinating review of all holidays. Beautifully illustrated by Mary Ida Jones, this book is replete with stories splendidly told for children. Every holiday has its song and musical score. Dr. Emanuel Gamoran, educational director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, states in the foreword to this book, intended for children 3 to 5, that: "It has been tried out and been found successful with little children. The simplicity of the stories, the illustrations and the music will meet the needs of the pre-school child." A glance at this splendid book will reveal that Dr. Gamoran does not exaggerate; if anything, he understates the value of Mrs. Covich's work. Miss Bearman's books are excellent evaluations, X-e4 X4, 41(ix4-4 • 441111'96intod.... mow for very young children, of the Shovuos and Purim holidays. The able author has excelled not only in her story-telling but also with her illus- trations. The three volumes should, as they undoubtedly If it is true—as we believe it is—that adversity leads to will, have a very large circulation because they greater progress and creativity, the Jewish-state-in-the-mak- fulfill important needs. - Progress Out of Adversity ing, which is experiencing so many hardships, will emerge Facts You Should Know strong and impregnable. , While we remain in a state of uncertainty as to future action in Palestine by the United Nations Security Council and Palestine Implementation Commission, there is ground for encouragement in the position of firmness that has been taken by the five members of the commission whom its chair- man, Dr. Karel Lisicky of Czechoslovagia earlier had named What is "Hamisha Asar b'Shevat," occur- "the five lonely pilgrims." The five men are reported to be ring this year on Monday, Jan. 26? determined not to permit obstacles to stand in their way of "Hamisha Asar b'Shevat" means the 15th day carrying out their Palestine implementation mission, and the of the Hebrew month Shevat, annually observed fact that all of them are men of action adds an optimistic as one of our minor festivals. No restrictions pro- hibiting work or any other activity are recorded note to the current tragedies in Palestine. for that day. It is prescribed as a day of merriment It is unfortunate that the UN, recognizing Great Britain's in which all fasting is prohibited, and penitential unwillingness to assume responsibility for peace in Palestine, prayers called "Tachnun" are omitted from the did not act promptly in establishing a police force which daily synagogue -service on that day. The Talmud (Tractate Rosh Hashanah) describes this day as could have guaranteed the peace of Palestine. An alternative "New Year's Day for Trees" (Rosh Hashanah Ley- to such an action, still within the realm of possibilities in ilonos.) It is traditionally said that on that day Palestine, is the recognition of existing Jewish military forces I God judges the trees, deciding which should be in Palestine as the proper organization for the protection of renewed with blossoms and with fruit, and which should wither and die. It was customary in an- lives and property in Palestine. By supplying Haganah with , cient Palestine to plant trees from the 15th day the necessary arms, thus obviating the need of clandestine in Shevat to the 15th day in Adar (a period of one traficking in ammunition, the problem can be solved without month.) On the eve of this holiday Oriental Jews assembled in the synagogue and read the passages involving outside powers. from the Bible and Rabbinic literature that had British recalcitrence prevents the easy way of peace en- references to trees and fruits and productivity forcement. But the UN is yet to act, and it is sincerely to be of the fields. It must also be recalled that in this hoped that the firmness of the commission's members will be season the greater part of the rain had already fallen. It was thus a relief from the anxiety that evident in strong action in the coming weeks. pervaded the previous season during which the Meanwhile the Jews outside of Palestine must remain agriculturalists hoped and prayed daily for suf- ficient rain. The appearance of this day and the on the alert. We must be prepared to provide all the help of the budding season indicated the that is necessary to Haganah and to the new settlers in Zion. beginning successful culmination of the winter season, hold- We must strive for the fulfillment of the major responsibility ing promise for fruit crops in the spring and sum- to the survivors from Nazism and to the builders of Palestine mer months. This festival is observed in Palestine through the 1948 United Jewish Appeal for $250,000,000. by the planting of trees. In other lands this festival serves as a day of reminder for the Jews in other Preparedness is essential, and complete fulfillment of our lands of their national homeland in Palestine. financial obligations is part of our preparedness. Hebrew school children arrange parties in which Answers to Readers Questions ... 'Murder—and the Mufti' fruits that grow in Palestine are_eaten. The Jewish National Fund has arranged a system whereby at the cost of $1.50 per tree, we can purchase cer- tificates for which trees will be- planted for us in Palestine. Thus Jews the world over have in- vented a means of being a part of the Holy Land and its ceremonials. • • • What is the origin of the custom of 'tying a string around one's finger- as a reminder? Tying, as a symbol, is mentioned in the Bible. References in the Pentateuch regarding the phy- lacteries mention the act of "binding them for a sign upon thine hand and a remembrance . .." (Deuet. 6:8). Those who either wear or observe the wearing of the phylacteries will note that they are wound around the arm and "tied" around the fingers. Tying as means of symbolic rememberance is also to be found in the early Talmudic litera- ture of the Mishneh (Tractate Bikkurim, Chapter 3, Mishneh 1) where the method of designating symbolically the first fruit that ripened consisted in tying a reed of grass around it. Most interesting is the direct mention of this custom by the Mid- rash (Exodus) as a custom practiced by the early Egyptians. Bible readers will recall that Joseph, while in prison interpreted the dreams of the two servants of Pharoah who were with him. In his predictions he foretold that one of them (the of- ficer of the wines-Sar Hamashkim) would be re- instated. Joseph made him promise not to forget him after he had been released. The Midrash in commenting upon these incidents relates that the released officer tried his best to remember Joseph by tying strings around his fingers. Unfortunately it was decreed from heaven that he should forget Joseph and so all the strings mysteriously • came loose and fell off. It is quite obvious that tying strings or objects for symbols of rememberance was an old Semitic custom. In a series of two articles cabled from Haifa, Richard! Mowrer, eminent foreign correspondent, charges the former Mufti of Jerusalem with murdering Arab opponents and with intimidating the Arabs of Palestine so that they, out of fear for their lives which are threatened by the Mufti's hechmen, have been compelled to oppose the implementation of the UN decision for a Jewish state. Listing thumbnail histories of Arab leaders who were mur- dered by the Mufti's men in order to "explain some of the obscure forces behind the violence which has now flared into open war in Palestine," Mr. Mowrer, writing for Overseas- News Agency, states that the Mufti has succeeded, from his hangout outside of Palestine in creating turmoil in the Holy Land. He declares: "No Arab dares to oppose him. And why should they when the Palestine administration does not?" He adds on this score that the Arabs remember Britain's refusal to list Haj Amin el Husseini as a war criminal when he was captured in Germany after the war and they understand how little the British are doing to curb Mufti-inspired disorders. His conclusion is most significant. He writes: "Eventually, when the Palestine Arabs feel more strongly the effects of the disrupted economy of the country and the increasing violence of Jewish retaliatory measures, there will be dissenters—brave men willing to risk the fate of the 17 who have already died by a lurking assassin's bullet." The hope promised us by Mr. Mowrer and other responsi- ble correspondents who have studied the situation on the spot for years is mingled with prospects of increasing tragedy. There is no doubt that the Jewish cause will triumph and that the Jewish state will be re-created. But in the process there • • • will be continued bloodshed, the two most responsible parties What is the difference between the Jewish and being the Mufti and his gangs and the indifferent or vengeful the general calendar? British. Not until these two elements are subdued can there The Jewish year follows the lunar calendar, is possibly be peace in war-torn Palestine. tAltradiction to the general solar calendar.