As the Editor
View-s the News ...
Shalom, Mr. President
Report of Michigan
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright, 1999, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Yom Atzmauth
Next Wednesday, May 4—the fifth of
iyar on the Hebrew calendar—will mark the
first anniversary of the establishment of
the State of Israel.
It is a great day on our calendar, and
wherever there are Jews there will be re-
joicing that the end has come to homeless-
ness and that our people have won the right
to be masters of their own destiny.
There is no other occasion in our en-
tire history to match this miraculous date.
Out of despair there grew hope and out of
misery courage.
Thanks to the heroism of the fighters
for Israel's freedom, and as a result of the
wisdom of the Israeli leaders, the State of
Israel emerged an independent entity.
The Lord has created this day; let us
rejoice in it" — "ze hayom asah hashem,
nagilah ve-nismechah bo."
There will be numerous minor celebra-
tions on this day in our community, and
every element in Jewish life will rejoice. The
major community event in celebration of
Israel's independence will take place on Sun-
day afternoon, May 15, at the Coliseum on
the Detroit State Fair Grounds. As on that
first great celebration, which took place on-
May 16, 1948, at the Central High School
grounds, there should be an outpouring of
Jews who will have an opportunity to dem-
onstrate Detroit Jewry's share in the joy
of re-acquired freedom by Israel. Arranged
under the auspices of the Zionist Council,
with the cooperation of the Community
Council and the Federation, the celebration
here on the civil anniversary date of the
Declaration of Independence in Israel will
mark the unified community effort in dem-
onstrating Detroit Jewry's interest. in the
victory acquired by libertarians. All Detroit
Jews should reserve the afternoon of May
15 for our great community celebration of
Israel's Independence.
Greetings to Eire
Jews everywhere join in extending their
heartfelt greetings to the newly-proclaimed
Republic of Ireland.
Our people had watched with deep in-
terest the Irish battle for independence dur-
•ng the past 40 years. Many of. us assisted
the Irish libertarians materially.
Although there are only 5,500 Jews in
the total population of 3,000,000 in Ireland,
they have played a good role in their coun-
try where anti-Semitism is virtually un-
known.
Israel's Chief rabbi, Dr. Isaac Herzog,
was brought to his present post from the
Chief Rabbinate of Ireland. Irish Jews have
distinguished themselves in many fields and
are destined to continue to play an important
role in their county.
We extend our sincerest good wish to the
Republic of Eire.
Bnai Brith Youth
One of Bnai-Brith's outstanding accom-
plishments is the service it is rendering to
Jewish youth.
Through the Hillel Foundations, Bnai
Brith is mobilizing future Jewish leadership
among our youth in colleges and universi-
ties.
Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) is an impor-
tant movement for the dissemination of our
highest ethical principles among young boys.
Bnai Brith also has created an important
girls' movement.
The Bnai Brith Youth Organization will
celebrate its silver anniversary on May 1.
It will be an occasion for congratulations by
all Jews to Bnai Brith and its youth move-
ment.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
- papers, Michigan Press Association.
Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association, Paleor
News Agency. •
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
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 Office,
Detroit, Mich.. under Act of Mareh 3, 1870.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. XV—No. 7
Page 4
April 29, 1949
Sabbath Roth Hodesh Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the first day of Iyar, 5709,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Peutateuchal portions — Lev. 12:145:33,
NUM. 28:9-15.
Prophetical port.i.012-1s._664.,....-.
American Jewry's Great Tribune
Dr. Stephen S. Wise was American Jewry's greatest
tribune. We have had, and still have, many outstanding
spokesmen for Israel. None, however, compared with the
genius of this fine, brilliant, friendly personality.
He was fearless and was ready to champion any and all
causes—as long as they were just and so long as they stood
for honesty and decency. Thus, the downtrodden always
could count on Rabbi Wise to champion them, to battle for
their rights, to sacrifice his personal position in order that
the less fortunate might have a chance to live and to enjoy
freedom.
That is why he was a Zionist. During most of the years
of his life, he battled the entire Reform Jewish movement'
on the question of the redemption of the Jewish National
Home in Eretz Israel. He did it out of conviction, with faith
in his heart that Zionism will triumph. It is so good to know
that he lived to witness the complete realization of this great
idea
He stood by the American • Jewish Congress, and or-
ganized the World Jewish Congress—both of which he head-
ed—because he believed in the democratic way of life. He
wanted to see a democratically functioning American Jewish
community, and he aimed at it through the Jewish Congress
movement.
No one has had as much respect and admiration from
the Christian community as did Dr. Wise. And in Jewish
ranks he had the love of all elements—the liberal, conserva-
tive and orthodox. Bearded patriarchs loved to share plat-
forms with him, and tenth generation American Jews as-
pired to be partners in his great activities.
To coming generations of Jews, those of us who kneW
him and had the privilege of calling him a friend will be
able to pass on the legend of this great man, the story of his
great accomplishments, his oratory than which there has
been none greater and more inspiring in our time.
As one of Dr. Theodore Herzl's first co-workers, as first
secretary and later as president of the Zionist Organization
of America, as confidante of Presidents, his name will be
honored for all time.
The name Stephen S. Wise is written indelibly in Jewish
history.
•
Zecher Zaddik Livracha!
May the memory of this saint live as a blessing for gen-
erations to come!
A Demonstration of Meanness
There is a shocking display of meanness and lack of
sportsmanship in the speeches that were delivered during
the past weekend at the meetings in Chicago of the Council
for Judaism. By ascribing to the State of Israel a desire "to
establish itself on a world-wide 'Jewish' nationalism," the
head of this Council, which dares to call itself American and
Jewish,. is misrepresenting facts and stabs the new-born
Jewish state in the back.
This Council's secretary inconsistently confused the po-
sition of Israel as "a nation among many nations" with the
citizenship of Jews in many lands and made charges which
hitherto have been uttered only by Jewry's avowed enemies
—namely that Jewish nationalists aim at the "separation of
a secular 'Jewish people' attached politically and secularly to
a' sovereign, foreign state." Such a statement is tantamount
to inciting to riot against Jews and to charging those who
are helping Israel with disloyalty..
Yet, President Truman, whose avowed pro-Israel stand
is well known, has been misled into sending a message to
this Council declaring that its objectives are "wdrthy of
emulation." The Jews of America-99.5 of us—could have
told the President that this Council's objectives can stand
investigation and a. scouring. Fortunately, the sense of jus-
tice is stronger than the sense of hatred and the "Judaim
Council" remains rejected, derided and an object for scorn
among American Jews who are proud of their Americanism
and their Judaism, •
4.•
4i ,1/0 me 2- tC -26
z
I remember some years back there was cur-
rent a popular song about how one would Jike
to be
. . . back in Michigan
back on the farm
with a milk pail on my arm.
The Michigan of today is not so bucolic. The
automobile revolution mainly pivots about Mich-
igan and the state today is largely industrialized.
Jewish settlement of Michigan, I gather from
Phil Slomovitz's article in the Universal Jewish
Encyclopedia, dates back to prerevolutionary
days. In 1763 there were a few Jewish settlers
in what was then Indian country. The first
sizable Jewish settlement, however, did not oc-
cur until around 1850.
Michigan is one of the states which the
British during the War of 1812 counted on to
make part of the Indian puppet country under
British rule had they been more successful in
that war. • The British didn't like the whites en-
tering this part of the country. The British
always like the least progressive. They are much
more easy to order about.
Detroit is the home of Editor Slomovitz,
president of the English-Jewish publishers as-
sociation. There is a certain geographical fit-
ness in this for Michigan has been a rather
focal point of AmeriCan Jewish news in recent
years.
Henry Ford lived in Michigan. Ditto Father
Coughlin, Gerald Smith. To this last might be
added Claire Hoffman.
Editor Slomovitz can tell you many any in-
teresting story about the elder Ford, of the
time he was summoned to meet Ford, of Ford's
relations with Rabbi Franklin, etc. The present
Ford policy, as Mr. Slomovitz informs me, is
quite radically changed and perhaps the best
evidenCe of this was the visit here a few days
ago of His Excellency, Mr. Elath, the Israeli
ambassador to the United States. Mr. Elath was
most courteously received by the Ford organiza-
tion and later flew back to Washington in a
Ford airplane.
One day Slomovitz, in reminiscences, will re-
late some of those wonderful stories about Ossip
Gabrilowitch, the famous conductor of the De-
troit Symphony Orchestra, who was a son-in- -law
of Mark Twain. Gabrilowitch was of course
Jewish, but his early training had been very
un-Jewish. However, he became intensely Zion
ist, and made several visits to Palestine. Slomo-
vitz recalls how his wife, Mrs. Clara Clemens
Gabrilowitch at the time of the beginning of
the Nazi agitation, expressed her concern over
her daughter, since as she put it, she was half-
Jewish.
Michigan, by the way, is also the home of
the Council of Judaism. Your correspondent had
the privilege of speaking at the temple in Pon-
tiac in which this organization was born. Today
the rabbi of the temple, Rabbi Rosenbaum, is
a very ardent Zionist.
One of the most interesting personalities in
Detroit is the rabbi of the conservative temple,
Rabbi Adler. During the war. Rabbi Adler served
as chaplain in the Pacific theatre of the war.
Rabbi Adler is a cousin of Prof. Saul Adler
of the Hebrew University, of Jerusalem, who has
recently been announced as the winner, I be-
lieve, of the Weizmann prize in science. Saul
Adler is particularly known for his research in
connection with tropical diseases. Dr. Weizmann
recently said of him in effect that he was
"tops" in the scientific world. Some day, con-
sidering the fact for instance that almost every
Arab suffers from trachoma or some kindred di-
seases, even the Arabs will bless his name for
the work he is doing in conquering the diseases
peculiar to the Near East. A genius, Prof. Adler
has the absent-mindedness commonly associated
with the genius. One of the stories which Rabbi
Adler told of his absent-minded cousin was of
the time when his wife sent him upstairs to get
something for her. Arriving upstairs in the bed-
room, he couldn't remember for what reason he
had come there but concluded since it was his
bed room, he must have wanted to go to sleep.
So he went to bed.
One of these days, someone should tell the
country as a whole of the Midrashaa, a new
and very promising college of Jewish Studies
which has been developed in Detroit and per-
haps also the country might like to know more
about the great work for the Jewish National
Fund which the women of Detroit are doing:,
Population Transfers
An excellent case in favor of an exchange of
Arab-Jewish population, as one of the means of
solving the Arab-Jewish problem in the Middle
East, is made by Joseph 'B. Schectman in a
scholarly brochure, "Population Tranfers
Asia" (Hallsby Press, Inc., 225 Varick St., New
York '14).
•
Mr. Schectman presents an interesting his-
torical resume of all efforts at Palestine's col-
onization by Jews and of the events that tran,
spired at the United Nations, as well as among
commissions during the negotiations that led to
the establishment of the State of Israel.
His proposal for an exchange of populations
provides for an interstate treaty to be concluded,
between Israel and Iraq and calls for the settle-
ment of Arabs in Iraq and Iraqui Jews in Israel.
All Jews and Arabs in both countries would be
subject to transfer, but those who decide to stay
would do so as individuals, subject to civic equal-
ity.
Mr. Schectman's 149-page book also deals
with Hindu-Moslem and Middle-Eastern • Chris-
tian minority exchanges, and with the abortive
Assyrian transfer.