As the Editor
Views the News .
Is More Evidence Needed?
Jewish Pioneer Figures in
/
La nd of Crooked Tree
Israel's Frail Sukkah
On Sukkoth, Jews reconstruct frail booths
as reminders that our ancestors lived in tents
during their wanderings in the wilderness.
The Sukkah is a symbol of Jewish exist-
ence. It is frail, yet it shelters the spirit of
the Jewish people. It can be toppled over
with a push of the finger, yet it survives
xowerful towers.
Sukkoth this year is symbolic of the spirit
of Israel throughout the ages. A whole world
converged upon our people, but the indomit-
able courage of the new-born State of Israel
refuses to permit the destruction of the rights
of its citizens.
The ever-toppling tent of Israel stands
erect today. New Maccabaeans have served
notice on the world that, as in the days of
yore, there will be no bending of Jewish
knees; that as long as a handful of people
refuse to sacrifice freedom they and the en-
tire world are assured of liberty.
This is a happy Sukkoth in Israel. The Jew-
ish State is not altogether secure. Aggressor
nations still are hammering at the Jewish
settlements. Invaders yet are to be driven
from Judaean soil. But the people is proud
of its regained independence, and the people
is happy to have the opportunity to fight for
its rights.
Blessed is the first Sukkoth of Jewish self-
liberation.
Spanish Justice
Is U. S. Intimidated by Nazis?
Ilse Koch, Buchenwald beast who made lampshades out
of the tattooed skins of her Jewish victims, has become ar-
rogant. Taking advantage of the weakness of the American
military administration in Germany which ordered commuta-
tion of her sentence from life to four years, she now claims
to be a martyr to justice and asserts that she is innocent.
But in Michigan City, Ind., L. C. Schumhl, former U. , S.
officer who was assigned to the job of cleaning up the Buch-
enwald concentration camp after the liberation, is display-
ing seven "souvenirs" of human skin which he found in Ilse's
residence. Among the souvenirs are pieces of a lampshade
and parts of a book cover. Schumhl was told by inmates
of the camp that "Ilse Koch was responsible for these grim
mementos of the Nazis' victims."
Let it be recorded to the credit of Catholic
leaders in America that they recognize the
injustice of the banning in Spain of the mo-
tion picture on anti-Semitism, "Gentleman's
Agreement," by the ecclesiastical member of
the Spanish Film Censorship Board.
Cardinal Francis Spellman labeled as un-
true the statement by the Spanish ecclesiasti-
cal member that the Christian duty of stimu-
lating love among individuals, societies, na-
tions and peoples does not extend to Jews
and quoted from the New Testament to prove
that Christian doctrine preaches the exact
Will the U. S. Senate investigators be misled by Ilse's
opposite. Rev. John LaForge, editor of the
arrogance, or will they institute a probe into the weakness
Catholic magazine America, declared it his
and inefficiency of Americans who have permitted Nazis to
duty "vigorously to repudiate several of the escape without punishment? It is reported that the U. S.
ideas" expressed in the censorship order
Senate's Armed Services and Judiciary Committees will join
which, he said, contradicts Catholic doctrine.
He objected to the statement that Jews have Senator Homer Ferguson's committee in the Koch investiga-
no right to be proud of being Jewish and said tion. These men are being watched by a large public that is
that it was not "doctrinally correct to tell outraged over the clemency shown cruel Nazis. They have
your Jewish neighbor that he belongs to the it within their power either to vindicate the good name of this
country or to permit justice to be dragged again through
`people who put God to death.' "
crematoriums.
It was natural for the Bnai Brith Anti-
Defamation League to condemn the Spanish
act as "the most shocking expression of anti-
Semitism since the death of Hitler," but it is
better that the strong condemnations should
In order to prevent the injection of racial and religious
come from Catholics whose co-religionists in
Spain have attempted to revive Torque- bias into the present political campaign, the National Com-
madan tactics in dealing with a film that munity Relations Council has written to both the Republican
and Democratic National Committee urging them "to inform
appeals to fair play and justice.
Spanish officials have offered a peculiar memberS of your party and the public generally, that any
excuse for their actions. They say that there, appeals to racial and religious prejudice in the course of the
impending campaign would be repugnant to the party lead-
is no anti-Semitism in Spain and therefore
there is no need for presenting films fighting ership as it would be contrary to the spirit of our democracy."
prejudice. It apparently has not occurred to
Both national chairman gave encouraging and favorable
these men is emphasis on democracy and
replies.
fair play is a pre-requisite for perpetuating
good will.
The Democratic National Committee stated "that the
An editorial in the New York Times praises Democratic National Committee and all responsible Demo-
Spain's efforts to aid survivors from Nazism
cratic leadership have always definitely repudiated any in-
in the last war. It is a matter of record that jection of class, racial or religious bias or prejudice in their
the Spanish government and people have
activities. It has been a consistent policy of the Democratic
been helpful \ in relief efforts. The last act, Party and the record clearly shows that any deviation from
however, is not justified by previous good
it is repugnant to the responsible Democratic leadership at
acts. Good deeds must be continued and en- all levels."
forced if they are to be appreciated and re-
The Republican National Committee wrote: "We agree
spected.
Spain has put herself on trial with the with you and your organization that the injection of class,
banning of "Gentleman's Agreement." The racial or religious prejudicial appeals have no place in either
stand taken by American Catholic leaders is a political campaign or in American life. The history of the
a definite indication that the forces of reac- Republican Party throughout its eighty-eight years of exist-
tion will be defeated by reason, common ence is concrete proof of this."
sense and justice.
NCRAC officials, in a communication making public the
texts of this correspondence, as a means of alerting Jewish
communities to the possible occurrence of appeals to hatred,
makes the urgent request that such incidents should be re-
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Independent Jewish
ported to them "so that proper representations may be made
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Palcor
Agency, King Features, Central Press Association.
to the party or parties involved, and appropriate party coun-
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ter-action initiated."
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Steps Against Bias in Politics
THE JEWISH NEWS
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. 14— No. 5
Page 4
October 15, 1948
SABBATH AND SUKKOTH SCRIPTURAL
SELECTIONS
This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Tishri, 5709,
On Hol. Hamoed Sukkoth, the following
Scriptural selections will be read: Wednesday,
Num. 29:17-25; Thurs, Num. 29:2-28; Friday, Num,
29:23-31.
Great Story About Michigan
The precautions taken by the NCR,AC show that this
Council, which includes all the national civic-protective or-
ganizations and the major Jewish Community Councils in
the land, including Detroit's, is wide awake to the major
issues affecting American Jewry. Its officers are to be com-
mended for vigilance that is worthy of the noblest traditions
of Judaism and Americanism. To make these traditions live
and to help them survive, all liberty-loving people should
be on guard against the emergence of prejudice. lay acting
promptly to stop un-American incidents we will P.m. giving
strength to America's traditions.
"The Land of the • Crooked Tree" by Dr.
Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick belongs to the category
of books that should and probably will become a
MUST for every reader who is interested in
American history and in agricultural develop-
ment in this country.
As the history of a great personal experience
in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, this volume
certainly recommends itself especially to
Michiganders who will get a great thrill out of
reading the story of a man who saw activity in
this state, in the latter quarter of the last
century, when Michigan was truly the land of
the deer and the bear--:--and also of the wildcat.
Those who go to Charlevoix and Traverse
City and other northern points will especially be
interested in Dr. Hedrick's experiences. They
will get a thrill out of learning of the changes
that have taken place in this state in the past
75 years.
"The Land of the Crooked Tree" is the story of
the rush of farmers, lumbermen, fishermen and
pigeon trappers to Northern Michigan in 1874,
when the government permitted white men to buy
land from the Indians. The author of this great
book was born in 1870 in Indiana and was brought
to Little Traverse, Mich. His experiences, there-
fore date back from his early childhood. He was
graduated from Michigan State College in 1893,
became a university instructor and in 1905 was
appointed horticulturist of New York Agricultural
Experiment Station. He has been honored by
universities for his horticultural experimental
efforts.
There is an interesting . story about Parker's
Store, at Harbor Point, and about a Jewish
pioneer. Here it is as it is told in Hedrick's "The
Land of the Crooked Tree":
"Just before W. E. Parker went out of bus-
iness in the harbor village, he created a sensa-
tion by hiring Frank Franks, a- Jew, to _take
charge of the store. Few of us had ever seen a
Jew, and we all hurried to town to see what
manner of a man a Jew was. It turned out that
everybody liked him. He selected and fitted
suits to men and boys; chose hats and dresses
for women of all ages; sold or gave perfumes to
debutantes, cigars to men, furbelows to women,
candy to children. Soon he called everyone in
the whole region by his first name and knew
everyone's affairs; soon he had the whole store
shipshape. It was a pleasure to do business
with Frank Franks; he talked and laughed with
all his customers, nieauwhile weighing coffee
or tea, or measuring calico with lightning speed.
He totaled your bill, counted your coins, and
gave you back your change so quickly it took
your breath away. Many boys came with written
lists from mothers and sisters, which- they
could not read; Frank Franks read scrawls that
could hardly be called writing. Everybody was
sorry when, after a time, Frank Franks went
back to Chicago and set up business for himself.
For years when any of our people visited
Chicago, Frank Franks was most hospitable and
asked about his old friends."
This is just one of dozens of stories about Mich-
igan pioneers in "The Land of the Crooked Tree"
—a great book by a brilliant raconteur and
scientist.
They Shall Not
Have The Negev
By DR. N. E. ARONSTAM
They shall not have the Negev,
The life line of thy blood;
Let Britain rage in fury:
Thoul't tread where thou hast trod.
No perfidy shall sever
Thy efforts from the soil;
It's thine to keep forever
By virtue of thy toil.
Reverses shall not bind thee,
The covenant must stand,
And steadfast they shall find thee
To fight and keep the land.
They shall not have the Negev.
Let Edom fume and fret!
It's thine to keep forever—
For justice reigpeth yet.
Who's Who in Israel
Biographical Sketches
Of Cabinet Members
FELIX ROSENBIXETH, Minister of Justice
of the Provisional Government of Israel, was
municipal councillor of Tel Aviv and president of
Aliya Hadasha. He was born in Berlin May 1,
1887, educated at high school and the Universities
of Freiburg and Berlin, and has maintained a
legal practice in Palestine since 1931.
He was one of the leaders of the KJV and
Blue-White Youth Organizations in Germany;
president of the Zionist Federation of Germany
from 1920 to 1923, governor of Solel-Boneh in
behalf of the Zionist Executive from 1923 to 1925.
Fie was in London as a member of the Zionist
Executive and head of its Organization Depart-
ment from 1926 to 1931.
* * *
RABBI JUDAH L. FISHMAN, Minister of
Reparations of the -Provisional Government of
Israel, was formerly deputy chairman of the
executive of the Jewish Agency, president of the
Central Committee of the World Mizrachi Or-
ganization and head of Rabbi Kook Institute.
Born in Marculesti, Romania, in December,
1875, he was educated at religious colleges in
Lithuania. He has lived in Palestine since 1913.
Rabbi Fishman is the founder of Hator, mouth-
piece of Mizrachi. His publications include "Life
of Maimonides;" "Orthodox Zionism and its
Development," and many other books and articles.