We Place Our Faith in You, Mr. President
As the Editor
Views the News .
Dr. Parkes' Plea for
Equal Validity of Faiths
Serious Internal Issue
Every week there is a score of appeals for
funds, many of them purporting to be for the
State of Israel. Material for Israel is conduct-
ing a prolonged drive. Red Mogen Dovid has
undertaken a membership campaign. There
are other appeals, some of which tend to con-
fuse the minds of people who helped raise
$5,750,000 for the Allied Jewish Campaign,
the major portion of whose funds go to TFo -eel
through the United Jewish Appeal.
A statement from the Provisional Govern-
ment of Israel, submitted to the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation of Detroit and made public
by the Federation in last week's issue of The
Jewish News, approved enrollment of mem-
bers for Red Mogen Dovid but opposed fund-
raising for Israel's equivalent to the Red
Cross. In reply, the Red Mogen David charges
misinterpretation of facts. It is clear that
Jewish leaders have failed to effect unity in
Jewish ranks and that there are forces which
cling to causes involving vested interests.
While each of the causes involved is worthy
in itself, the failure on the part of individual
leaders and communities to bring about
unified efforts in fund-raising has created
confusion and does not augur well for future
efforts for Israel.
At the recent meeting of community lead-
ers in Pittsburgh, an urgent..request was made
that "diversionary" appeals for funds should
be stopped and that all emphasis should be
placed on the United Jewish Appeal. While
independent drives in some instances . are in-
evitable, there certainly ought to be some
way of arriving at cooperative effort which
should eliminate interference and confusion.
It is evident that the Gewerkshaften (Pales-
tine Labor Histadrut) will continue its fund-
raising activities; that Hadassah will carry
on her efforts; that traditional collections for
the Jewish National Fund will go on un-
abated; that there may be other campaigns
—which are not provided for in the Allied
Jewish Campaign—which will be carried on
as supplementary appeals by parties in Zion-
ism. But unless the full significance of the
United Jewish Appeal is understood, the con-
fusion will be harmful not only to Israel but
also to the Jewish communities throughout
the land which are trying to do a job for
DPs who must be settled in Israel and for
national and local causes.
National Fund's Conference
Representatives from more than 150 Detroit Jewish or-
ganizations Sunday will have an opportunity to hear'an eval-
uation of the needs and objectives of the Jewish National
Fund, at the annual Michigan conference of the land-redeem-
ing agency in Israel.
The report that 100 ;000 Jews , will have come to Israel
by the end of 1948 and that 150,000 more are expected to settle
in the Jewish State during 1949 poses the question whether
Eretz Israel is prepared to welcome them and whether suffi-
cint land has been secured for the settlement of the new-
comers.
Most of the land in Israel remains Arab property and
will have to be redeemed in the years to come. Arabs who
have fled from Israel will have to be compensated for their
land. At the JNF conference here on Sunday, the visiting
leaders will have an opportunity to explain the major needs
and objectives in land-redemption in Israel for all Israel.
The Sunday conference also will provide an opportunity
for Detroit Jews to greet one of the staunchest supporters of
the Israeli cause in Congress—Michigan's Representative John
D. Dingell. Congressman Dingell has been in close touch with
the Zionist movement since he first took his seat in Congress
in 1933. He has conferred with President Truman on Jewish
needs in Israel and his message to the conferees on Sunday
' should prove one of the highlights of the day's meetings. The
The United Jewish Appeal remains the
JNF gathering at the same time will have an opportunity to
one great instrument for state-building
greet the newly-elected young governor of Michigan, G.
in Israel. Unless large funds are raised
Mennen Williams.
for defense and for economic develop-
ment in Israel, the Jewish State will be
The conference should prove a strqng mobilizing force not
imperiled, since a state can not be built
only for the Jewish National Fund but also for the speedily
on pennies. The warning sent from Israel
approaching 1949 Allied Jewish Campaign which provides the
by Berl Locker against independent fund-
major funds for the JNF in Detroit. It is not too early to
raising should prove this point.
mobilize NOW for the great obligations that will face us in
In Detroit, the $5,750,000 sum raised by the the coming year in financing the defense and development of
Allied Jewish Appeal made possible the re- the Jewish State.
mittance of millions of dollars for Israel's
upbuilding. ALL of the independent sums
that were or will be raised can only amount
to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but not
to the millions that are necessary for the
Kenneth Bilby,„ the able New York Herald Tribune cor-
building of a secure Israeli homeland.
respondent in Israel, last week revealed that the tide of immi-
Timing is important in fund-raising.
gration to the Jewish State has. swelled to 15,000 a month,
An understanding among various com-
instead of the previous 10,000; that this year's total number
munity leaders is necessary in sponsor-
of Jewish settlers is mounting to 100;000; that the number of
ing drives. We are not so far removed
boats in the possession of Israel for transporting Jewish im-
from the crucial dates when the Allied
migrants has doubled.
Jewish Campaign again will have to start
Mr. Bibly points out that Jaffa, once an Arab stronghold,
another urgent drive. If energy is di-
is
now
half Jewish and is a strong Jewish immigrants' center.
verted, our cause may be defeated.
People have the right to criticize and There is in evidence an impressive program of expansion and
the entire scene in Eretz Israel has been , revolutionized.
to differ with their neighbors on mat-
These developments should serve as admonitions for Jews
ters affecting their interests in Israel or on
other Jewish issues. But differences of opin- to be prepared to strengthen Israel's position and to protect
ion should be aired amiably, without affect- and defend the infant state against all possible dangers.
ing the money-raising strength of the organ- American Jews must resolve to provide the necessary funds
ized kehillah. All of us have in view the best for the state's upbuilding. These are historic times and it is
urgent that a great moment should find the People Israel
interests of Mrael. Let us therefore get to-
gether and stop pulling our strength in op- ready to stand by the State of Israel during any and all emer-
gencies.
posing directions.
At the moment, one thing is certain: we
are far from being united, and as long as
there are people who are out to divide us
for the sake of ruling in their bailiwicks, our
There is a heartening trend in our community to en-
very honor is besmirched.
courage adult education programs.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek will commence its adult
studies next week.
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Independent Jewish
The Labor Zionist Institute again has undertaken an am-
Press Service, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, Paco
Agency, King Features, Central Press Association.
bitiou's program -of adult education, starting with Dec. 6, to
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
include the teaching of Hebrew and Yiddish, courses in the
ing Co., 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26. Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription. $3 a year: foreign, $4.
social and cultural history of our people and round table
Entered as second-class matter Aug 6, 1992, at Post Of-
seminars on Israeli problems.
fice. Detroit, Mich.. under Act of March 3 1879:
Other Detroit congregations, movements and schools-
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
Bnai Moshe, the United Hebrew Schools, Yeshivoth Chach-
November 19, 1948
Page 4
VOL. 14—No. 10
mey Lublin and Young Israel—are sponsoring similar courses.
This is a progressive trend in our community whose ultimate
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
accomplishments will depend entirely upon the type of re-
This Sabbath, the eighteenth day of Heshvan,
5709, the following Scriptural selections will be
sponse it receives from those whom the courses are intended
read in our synagogues:
to help in the effort that is being made to create a better-
Pentateuchal por=tion—Gen. 18:1-22-24.
inform ed Jewry.
Prophetical portion—II Kings 4:1-57.
•
Israel's Immigration Tide
Adult Education Programs
THE JEWISH NEWS
Judeo-Christian Anafysh.
Dr. James Parkes, the Anglican minister, long
ago'has earned a place among the Hassidei Urnoth
Haolom, the great noblemen among the nations of
the world. His books "The Jewish Problem in the
Modern World," "An Enemy of the People: Anti-
Semitism" and other
works have proven the
Validity of the affection
which Jews have for this
Christian preacher. Now
comes another outstand-
ing book, "Judaism and
Christianity: An Explan-
ation of the Creeds of
Judaism and Christian-
ity and a Plea for Under-
standing by Jew and
Christian of Their De-
pendence on Each Other's
Faith," published in this
country by the Univer-
sity of Chicago Press. It
is another one of the type
Dr. Parkes
of brilliant works which,
more than anything else, contribute to the amity
of faiths.
As a devout Christian, Dr. Parkes' words carry
particular weight. He is not a missionary who
seeks to convert Jews. On the contrary, he writes:
- "Not only do I not desire to see the con-
version of all Jews but I do not seek the union
of the two religions.".
He pleads instead for the cooperation of both
faiths. He advocates the recognition of the holi-
ness of both. He aspires to the loftiest ethical
ideals of the two. He believes that Sinai and Cal-
vary have equal validity.
Furthermore, he admits that Jews can take of-
fense at things said by Paul which "Jews cannot
accept as just or historically true."
As in his previous works, and in his lectures
(his "Judaism and Christianity" is based on the
Charles William Eliot Lectures he delivered at
the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in
1946-47), he emerges a' strong supporter of the
cause of the Jewish State in Israel and the great
antagonist of anti-Semitism. On the question of
bigotry he has this to say:
"The battle with anti-Semitism is the battle
for decency and fellowship in communal life;
and this is not a battle which concerns Jews
alone. .Moreover, even if anti-Semitism were
due to the faults of the Jews, which it is not,
it would still be foolish for others to leave it
to the Jews to fight alone, or even to take the
leading part in the struggle. If a man has
hypnotized himself into believing that the
`protocols of the 'Elders of Zion' are true, of
what use is it for Jews to deny it? He expects
them to deny it, and is conditioned .to dis-
believe any proofs they may adduce. But if
he were a Roman Catholic and the denial
came from his own Cardinal, an Episcopalian
and it came from the Bishop, a Rotarian and
it came from the central offices of Rotary,
then there is some chance that it might have
effect . . ."
He has interesting comment on the problem
of dual loyalties: "It would be desirable rather
to encourage multiple loyalties than to attack a
dual loyalty, and it would also be more in accord-
ance with the facts of our real situation in which
the links that bind the world into groups by her-
edity, history, profession. religion or personal im-
pulse, can only artificially be extended to, and
confined by, the frontiers of our • foolish
sovranties."
Parkes' "Judaism and Christianity" is a very
great book. It should serve as a guide towards
good relationship between the two faiths. This
book does more for good will than all the lunch-
eons and publicity campaigns that have thus far
been conducted by the forced brotherhood move-
ments.
Wh o's Who In Israel
.
Biographical Sketches
Of Cabinet Members
ISAAC GRUENBAUM, Minister of the Inter-
ior of the Provisional Government of Israel, was
born in November, 1879. He studied at Warsaw
University and in 1901 began a career in journ-
alism as a contributor to Hebrew, Yiddish and
Polish periodicals.
He served as a member of the Executive of the
Jewish Agency, a member of the Polish Sejm and,
from 1913 to 1935, a leader of the National Council
of the Jews of Poland. He has lived in Palestine
since 1933.
Among his publications are: Milhamot Yehu-
dei Polin, 1905-1912; Milhamot Yehudei Polin,
1913-1940; Ha-Shekel-Ezrahut Tsyonit; He-Tenua
ha-Tsyonit be-Hitpathuta; Sheurim al-Avar ha-
Tenua ha-Tsyonit; Collected speeches of the Sejrn;
The war (Russian).
*
*
AARON ZISLING, Minister of Agriculture of
the Provisional Government of Israel, was born in
Minsk Province, Poland, in April, 1901. He was
educated at secondary schools in Poland.
He came to Palestine in 1914 and worked as
an agricultural laborer. Founder and leader of the
Union of Labor movement, since 1933, Zisling has
been a member of the secretariat of the General
Federation of Jewish Labor, a member of the Gen-
eral Zionist Council and of the Vaad Leumi Ex-
ecutive. He has four sons and one daughter.