As the Editor
Views the News
LAND SO DEARLY PAID FOR IS NOT EASILY SURRENDERED
.
Israel: Jewry's Guardian
Israel's spokesmen have made it clear to
the UN mediator that assurance of security
for the Jewish State is not enough, that the
aim of the r e constructed Jewish Common-
wealth also is to strive to secure protection
for Jews in other lands. This is a traditional
Zionist aspiration which Israeli spokesmen
are trying to put into effect. It is equivalent
to the right of England or France or the
United States to seek protection for its na-
tionals in other lands. -
Application of this principle to Jews in
Arabic countries gives it validity. While the
United States, for example, would be chal-
lenged in efforts to seek protection for Jews in
lands of persecution—as we were challenged
during the Czarist Russian and Nazi German
outrages—on the ground that we are med-
dling in the internal affairs of other countries
(Russia and Germany have, in fact, countered
to our protests that they do not intercede in
American internal affairs in behalf of Ne-
groes in the South) , it is an entirely different
story when the lives of Jews in Arab states
are involved.
More than 800,000 Jews in Arab countries
have been threatened with annihilation as a
result of the rise of the State of Israel. But
even before the re-establishment of the Jew-
ish State, Jews were insecure under Arab
rule. There have been wholesale massacres
in several Arab territories and in Yemen
Jews not only are denied•citizenship but are
treated in Nazi fashion like subhumans.
Naturally, the State of Israel objects to
such discrimination and utilizes the right to
condemn inhumanity to its kinsmen by
Arabs. Notice has, therefore, been served by
Israel upon the UN mediators that the 350,000
Palestinian Arabs who have fled their homes
will be denied the right to . return to their
homesteadS unless there is a guarantee that
Jews in Arabic countries will be given full
protection. The Israeli demand is for restora-
tion of confiscated Jewish property in Arab
countries in addition to granting the Jews
full civil and political equality.
Israel's demands represent an interesting
test. It is a challenge to the sense of justice
of the UN mediators, to the power of inter-
cession of the UN against injustice and to the
ability of the Jewish State to fight for the
1.:ghts not only of her citizens but also in
defense of Jews persecuted in other lands.
By forcing to the fore the issue for human
rights, Israel has come of age sooner than was
hoped for by the most sanguine in Jewry.
Irgun Lie Demolished
Distortion of truth regarding the Altalena
incident was the order of the day until the
publication of the text of the address that
was delivered before the Israeli Cabinet by
Israel's Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.
His speech, a resume of which appeared in
our columns last week, definitely establishes
that the Irgunists and their supporters had
taken liberties with truth, that they had com-
pletely misrepresented facts and that the ac-
tion of the Israeli Government was motivated
by the need for establishing authority and for
enforcement of the law.
Furthermore, it has been established that
the action of the Israeli army, upon orders of
the-Government, was necessitated by threats
to the existing State of Israel from dissident
quarters. As matters stand ; it is to be re-
gretted that so many honest Zionists were
misled by the Irgunist distortions of fact, with
the result that many American Jews made
possible the Irgun's activities with their con-
tributions. The Ben-Gurion speech should set
them straight and should serve to put an end
to support for dissident activities. Only the
funds endorsed by recognized authorities—in
Detroit the Zionist Council is the recognized
body—should be supported.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Independent Jewish
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Palcoi
Agency, King Features. Central Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich.. WO."5-1155.
Subscription, $3 a year: foreign. $4.
Entered as second-class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Of-
fice. Detroit, Mich.. under Act of March 3 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. XIII—No. 22
Page 4
August 13, 1948
Sabbath Sgiptural Selections
This Sabbath, the rtnth day of Ab, the following
Scriptural selections will be read in our syna-
gogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 1:1-3:22.
Prophetical portion—Is. 1:1-27.
On Sunday, deferred date for observance of
Tisha b'Ab, the following Scriptural selections will
be read:
Pentateuchal portions: Morning, Deut. 4:25-40;
afternoon, Ex. 32:11-14; 34:1-10.
Prophetical portions: Morning, Jer. 8:13-9:23;
afternoon, Is. 55:6-56:8.
The Late Dr. Leo M. Franklin
Few men had to their credit as many accomplishments in
Jewish and non-Jewish activities as Dr. Leo M. Franklin.
No other man in Detroit had done as much to cement
good will between Christians and Jews and to encourage
friendly relations among all faiths.
No one else was as well known to the entire community
for more than 40 years for his devotion to civic affairs, to
the community's inter-faith efforts, to educational and recre-
ational projects.
As president of the Library Commission, as a consistent
supporter of efforts to settle Jews on farms in Michigan, as
leader in movements to prevent the defamation of Jews, Dr.
Franklin was recognized among the leading spokesmen for
the Jewish people not only in Detroit and in Michigan but
throughout the land.
In the history of our city and state, his name will be re-
corded indelibly among the outstanding and most creative
leaders.
We join in extending our sincerest sympathies to his
survivors.
Blessed be his memory.
Arab Threats and Massacres
Arab attacks on Jewish positions are not limited to the
breaking of the truce in Palestine or to threats on Jews in
Palestine and in Arab countries. The massacre of Jews in
Egypt, the mutilation of bodies, the maiming of defenseless
people and the destruction of property are indications that
Jewish demands for the protection of our kinsmen in Arabic
countries were justified by realities more than threats.
A report from Cairo to the New York Times quotes Sheikh
Hassan el-Bana, head of the Moslem Brotherhood, largest of
the extremist Arab nationalist organizations, as having said
in an interview: "If the Jewish state becomes a fact, and this
is realized by the Arab peoples, they will drive the Jews who
live in their midst into the sea." This is typical of threats that
have been uttered against Jews by the Mufti and his followers
and by Arab spokesmen who appeared before international
commissions. If Count Folke Bernadotte, UN mediator, has
not read the record which exposes Arab cruelties and their
threats of further barbarities, he had better look into the facts
before insisting upon the return of 300,000 Arab refugees to
Israel. The Jewish State is obligated to protect its position ,
and not to subject itself and its citizens to dangers from within
as well as from without.
In a strong statement addressed to Bernadotte, Israel's
Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok made this declaration:
"The Arab mass flight from Israel and Israel-occupied terri-
tory is the direct effect of Arab aggression from outside. Justi-
fying their invasion, the Arab governments claimed they
responded to a call for rescue addressed to them by the Palestine
Arabs. The plain fact, however, is that but for the intervention
of the Arab states, there would have been an overwhelming
measure of local Arab acquiescence in the establishment of the
State of Israel and by now peace and reasonable prosperity
would have reigned throughout the territory to the enjoyment of
Jews and Arabs alike. If the war brought in its wake a mass
exodus, mostly spontaneous, resulting in great suffering, the
responsibility for it rests on those who fomented and carried on
the war, as well as those who aided and abetted them. The Arab
governments and the great power which espoused their cause
cannot have it both ways: do everything they can to undermine
and destroy the state of Israel, and then, having failed, require
Israel to take over the liability for the results of their own reck-
less action.
In all justice, the United Nations will have to recognize the
truth of this assertion and the validity of the other statements
made by Mr. Shertok in his outline of-the Israeli position. The
time has long passed when Jews either will tolerate attempts
to destroy the State of Israel or will yield to attempts to cause
Israel to suffer for the recklessness of its aggressors.
. The UN has a double responsibility: not only to assure the
security of the State of Israel but also to -make
that
there is an end to Arab brutality and massacres against
"against citi-
zeng' in Arabic countries. The world organization is put to
the test by these grave issues.
Iconography and Messianism
• f•
Sign' mance of Paintings
In Ancient Synagogue
Artists, students of the Bible and historians will
find great interest in "The Messianic Theme in
the Paintings of the Dura Synagogue" by Rachel
Wischnitzer, published by the University of Chi-
cago Press.
This fascinating book describes the paintings
excavated in 1932 from the remains of the third
century synagogue in the ancient city of Dura-
Europos, between Damascus and Bagdad, "some-
what to the north, on the right bank of the Eu-
phrates."
We learn that only a few of the 30 discovered
panels remain to be interpreted, that every epi-
sode portrayed is part of a cycle that carries
through the messianic concepts of Return, Resto-
ration and Salvation.
Mrs. Wischnitzer identifies the Lost Ten Tribes
in one of the scenes and maintains that the Jews
of Dura considered themselves the Lost Tribes.
There are sidelights on Christian-Jewish relations
and on the attitudes of Dura Jewry to the Jews
of Palestine in the interpretation of the paintings.
In her study of the history of Dura, Mrs. Wisch-
nitzer deals with numerous aspects, shows the in-
fluence of the JeWish community, tells of the con-
version of a queen and her son to Judaism and
states, with regard to the languages then used:
"Aramaic was the lingua franca of the time.
It was also the language of the Jews of Pales-
tine and Babylonia for centuries. The Aramaic
language was introduced into the religious ser-
vice as an auxiliary language to the Hebrew."
What about the Second Commandment and the
ban on plastic arts? Mrs. Wischnitzer states:
"In Alexandria we have Philo, a Heltenized
Jew, discussing the Decalogue and commenting
on the Second Commandment. Of course, he
disapproves of 'graven images'; this was a mat-
ter of principle. However, when he sets out to
show why art is to be discouraged, he actually
can discover no argument in point. Instead, he
shifts the interest to a social problem. Is it not
a shame how the artist is treated? °The artists
have often grown old in,poverty and disesteem,
and mishap after mishap has accompanied them
to the grave, while the works of art are glori-
fied by the addition of purple and gold and sil-
ver and the other costly embellishments which
wealth supplies.' What an admirable defense in
the first century A. D. of the artist and his right
to live!"
Further, Mrs. Wischnitzer writes on the subject
of Jews and the arts: "In discussing the prohibi-
tion of images, Rabbah, a Babylonian teacher of
the third century, handed down a decision that a
statue, if set up for decorative purposes. as may
be the case in a large city, is not offensive. It is
objectionable only in a village, where the popu-
lace is likely to worship the image."
Other problems of iconography are outlined by
the author of this interesting book and we learn
that "at the time of Rabbi Jochanan (third cen-
tury A.D.) they began to have paintings on the
walls and the rabbis did not hinder them."
The messianic aspirations of the time, interest-
ingly reviewed by Mrs. Wischnitzer, are illustrated —
in panels which include the figures of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and his sons, the sons of Joseph,
Moses, Aaron, Miriam, the Exodus, Samuel. Elijah,
Ezekiel, Saul, David, Solomon, Esther and the
characters in the Purim story.
The "footsteps" and "birt.hpangs" of the Mes-
siah are given significance as important aspects
in the redemption aspirations of the Jewish peo-
ple." The heroes of the messianic drama are the
subject matter of the cycle." "The Messiah, son
of David, it was taught in rabbinical circles, will
not come until the measure of suffering will be
full."
From every point of view—that of the histor-
ian, artist, student of iconography, bibliophile
Mrs. Wischnitzer's "The Messianic Theme of the
Paintings of the Dura Synagogue" is a highly im-
portant and most interesting book.
BOOK
OF BOOKS
A Bible Quiz With Answers
By Dr. Solomon Goldman
What do you know about the
Bible, its history, its people,
and its influence on the world?
Test your knowledge in this
quiz by Robbi Solomon Gold-
man, author of the new thir-
teen volume commentary, "The
Book of Books." The answers,
from Dr. Goldman's monumen-
tal project in Biblical scholar-
ship, ore printed with special
permission of the publishers,
Harper' & Brothers.
(The eighth of a series)
What is the highest known price ever offered
for a Hebrew Bible?
In 1512 the Jews of Venice offered a million
francs, approximately $100,000, for a Hebrew
Bible in the possession of the Vatican. This price
was arrived at because the Jews of Venice pro-
posed to Pope Julius II to pay its weight in gold
for the Bible. This Bible was so heavy that it re-
quired two men to carry it, weighing 325 pounds.
Though hard pressed for Money in order to main-
tain the "Holy League" against King Louis XII of
France, Pope Julius II declined to part with the
Hebrew Bible.
What American president said that the Bible
"is the best gift God has given to man"?
This statement was made at the White House,
less than a year before his assassination, by Presi-
dent Abraham Lincoln in his remarks to a com-
mittee of colored people who had come to see him.
What great American 119th century editor
called the Bible "the groundwork of human
freedom"?
This statement was made by Horace Greeley,
editor of the New York Tribune. He said: "It is
impossible to mentally. or socially enslave a Bible-
reading people. The principles of the Bible are the
groundwork of human freedom."