THE JEWISH NEWS
Treasure of Purim
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papers, Michigan Press Association.
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Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
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Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
THE PURIM ANTHOLOGY. By Philip Goodman. Philide)ph5/4
The Jewish Publication Society of America
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
VOL. XV—No. 8
Page 4
May 6, 1949
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the eighth day of Iyar, 5709,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 16:1-20:27.
Prophetical portion—Amos 9:7-15 or Ezek.
22:1-19.
A Deluded Texan
Texas Democratic Congressman Ed Gos-
sett's record with relation to Jews, humani-
tarian efforts to solve the problem of dis-
placed persons and Israel is one of the worst
on record. He has been unsympathetic to
the survivors from Nazism, has opposed the
extension of aid to the Jewish State and
many of his utterances smack of anti-
Semitism.
Last week, in an address before the
Washington chapter of the American As-
sociation of University Women, the Texan
abused his privileges as a member of the
House Sub-Committee on Immigration by
attacking the entrance into this country of
Jewish DPs as "an injection of virus in our
Israel's austerity and rationing programs, which were
national bloodstream which is already be- made necessary by the great responsibilities of settling hun-
coming polluted." He singled out Russian
Jews for an attack as being particularly un- dreds of thousands of Jews in the Jewish State, represent
desirable and made the fantastic charge that a new challenge to American Jewry.
most Jews in DP camps are not people who
David Ben-Gurion and Dov Joseph, Israel's Prime Min-
had been persecuted but are "Communistic
Russian and Polish Jews" who are planning ister and Minister for Rationing and Supply respectively,
have outlined a plan whereby, for a period of one year,
to destroy the United States.
In official circles, Gossett's charges al- standard meals totalling 2,800 calories daily will be enforced.
ready have been repudiated. The Texan's Similar to the • rationed meals which were in force in Great
malicious assertion that DPs stationed at Britain in 1944, they are considered sufficient for everyday
the Zeilsheim camp near Frankfurt had de- needs.
stroyed $200,000 worth of equipment. dur-
ing a riot, when ordered to move to new
It is expected that the proposed program, which seeks
quarters to make room for U. S. airlift per- to provide standard meals, clothing, furniture and house-
sonnel, was denied by army spokesmen in
charge of DP administration. Nevertheless, hold implements, will effect economies in manufacture and
it is sincerely to be hoped that Congressman distribution. Ceiling prices will be set for commodities and
Emanuel Celler will be given the requested the government will grant subsidies to hold prices, freeing
opportunity to reply to all of Gossett's un- from duty imported products that are urgently needed to
warranted charges. The. Texan showed his protect. Israel's economy. The importation's will be stringently
true colors when he said that the true per-
secutees- were ethnic Germans who were ex- controlled, local production standardized, luxury goods will
pelled from Eastern Europe. In other words, be permitted for export only and importation of luxury goods
the 6,000,000 murdered Jews were the ones will be barred. Strict controls will be established to prevent
who persecuted the poor Nazis ! And the sur- black marketing.
vivors from Nazism were described by-Gos-
Mr. Joseph has estimated that Israel will save more than
sett as "a left-over, non-talented class, too
lazy to work." Their kin apparently were $50,000,000 a year, savings on food alone to be in the amount
the "talented" and "not lazy" because they of $4 per person. Mr. Ben-Gurion maintains that the intention
were marched to the Nazi crematoriums on of the austerity program is to prevent a high cost of living
order of the poor ethnic Germans.
rather than to lower living standards; that this pro/gram has
Gossett overlooked one fact : that the been necessitated by the record number of immigrants set-
doors of this country have been kept closed tled in Israel ; and has appealed to the Jews throughout the
to Jews as a result of the inhumanity of a world to assist the Jewish State in facing its gigantic task.
Congress which he exemplified. Had it not faces.
been for Israel, tens of thousands more
Anyone who has the slightest understanding of econom-
would have perished in the land whose
people he described as "good German folks" ics, who studies conditions created by the vast population
who are of "better stock than the dregs of increases in Israel, must understand the trying situation
the DP camps." The Texas Democrat has existing in Israel today. Food, housing, clothing, employment
been deluded for so many years, that it is are creating problems which already have inspired demon-
surprising to learn that his constituents had strations by some newcomers. Even the unjustified protests
failed to point out to him that only a short are understandable, when economic changes and tremendous
time ago this country fought a war against colonization movements are taken into consideration. The
his "good German Nazis." What a pity that government of Israel must face these serious problems with
even the loss of thousands of lives has failed courage and with wisdom, with the dignity appropriate for
to teach the Texas Democrat the difference an administration that takes into view the emotions of people
who only recently were in DP camps and who must be re-
between right and wrong.
habilitated.
Israel's Austerity and Our Liberty
Welcome, Dr. Herzog
Detroit Jewry will be privileged to have
as its guests next Wednesday Israel's Chief
Rabbi, Dr. Isaac Halevy Herzog.
It is appropriate that Dr. Herzocr should
come to Detroit in the interests of b the Al-
lied Jewish Campaign. Very few men are
as well informed on the status of the Jewish
State as the Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazic
community, who personally experienced the
Jewish tragedies in Eretz Israel during the
war with the Arabs and who witnessed the
rise of the Jewish State.
Dr. 'Herzog is one of the great scholars
of our time, a man highly trained not only
in Jewish lore but, also, as a Doctor of
Philosophy, in world history and the sci-
ences. A brilliant speaker, beloved by all
Jews, his presence here should be an oc-
casion for a renewed demonstration of loy-
alty by our people to our great causes which
he sponsors. The meeting to be addressed
by Dr. Herzog should be an overflow gather-
ing, in honor of the great Israeli leader and
The Israel government will find it more difficult to face
the issues created by the austerity and rationing problem if
the Jews in the Diaspora—and more especially the Jewish
communities of America—do not provide the means that are
necessary to relieve the food, housing and clothing shortage.
American Jewry must realize that even the vast sums asked
for the United Jewish Appeal this year are inadequate to
face the needs, that $250,000,000 can not cover' the costs of
settling a quarter of a million dispossessed people, let alone
meeting the need of fitting them into the economy of the
State of Israel.
*
The staggering problem can become a frightening one.
But it can be made much easier if we work together with
Israel's leaders and strive to relieve the needs as much as
possible. Our first duty, of course, is to the United Jewish
Appeal, whose income is provided in Detroit by the Allied
Jewish Campaigji. If the minimum goal of $250,000,000 is
not raised, Israel will suffer. If Detroit's minimum goal of
$6,395,000 is not secured, Israel will be harmed.
The security of the Israel government, whose wise choice
was o'reeted with satisfaction by Jews everywhere, may be
threatened if its economic program is not carried out to the
full. Upon OUR liberality, therefore, depends not only the
economic security of Israel but also its uninterrupted political
of the United Jewish Appeal whose rehabili- triumph. Every step towards illiberality will mean harm to
tation causes derive their income from De- Israel. Only by devoting all our energies towards assuring
troit's -Jewish Campaign. -
A Review By Dr. Mortimer J. Cohen
•
Until one has read this excellently conceived
and splendidly executed anthology of Purim, he
could not possibly have appreciated the wealth
of material that this most popular of Jewish
folk festivals has inspired
nor, what is equally signi-
ficant, what an important
role the festival of Purim
has played in Jewish
throught and imagination.
In "The Purim An-
thology, Rabbi ,,P h i l i p
Goodman has gathered to-
gether in one volume the
most comprehensive col-
lection of Purim material
ever published in any
language. He has made a
most valuable contribution
Rabbi P. Goodman to our understanding of the
place of Purim in the af-
fections and thoughts of the Jewish people, and
he offers rich and varied suggestions how Purim
can be celebrated by children and adults in our
times.
To compile this volume, Rabbi Goodman has
done an amazing amount of reading in diverse
and widely scattered sources, ancient, medieval
and modern. He has consulted such far flung
treasuries as the Bible, the Talmud and the
Midrash, and magazines, pamphlets and books
that have long since disappeared from active cir-
culation and can be found only in highly special-
ized libraries. He has garnered fascinating tid-
bits from modern Hebrew publications and from
recent authors in Yiddish, German and English.
He has explored books of law and religion—
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform—for re-
ligious observances of the festival in home, corn
. -
munity and synagogue. He has searched the
realms of music, art, • short story, biography,
poetry and drama to unearth great Purim riches.
He has encircled the globe to find out how spe-
cial events produced special Purims in widely
separated communities where they celebrated
local escapes from dire perils. To have done all
this testifies to the patient and exhaustive labor
that the •author has invested to create this
volume. Furthermore, he has organized this ple-
thora of Purimiana interestingly and attractively
in five "Books" and has presented his material
in a lively and readable style.
In specialized fields, Rabbi Goodman has.
wisely enlisted the assistance of experts, thus
enhancing the authority and value of his book..
Dr. Solomon Grayzel, well-known Jewish his-
torian, has written a scholarly and illuminating..
account of the various theories about "The Ori-
gin of Purim"; Prof. A. W. Binder contributes
an informative chapter on "Purim in Music,"
liturgical, hasidic, modern Hebrew, Yiddish and
English; Mrs. Rachel Wischnitzer writes expertly
on "The Purim Story in Art"; Miss Dvora Lapson
presents "Purim Dances" in which she tells hoW
the festival can be celebrated in dances today;-- -
Mrs. Libbie Braverman offers practical sugges-
tions for "Purim Parties and Programs" for
schools, centers and home celebrations; and Dr.
Jacob Shatsky discourses learnedly yet engag-
ingly on The History of Purim Plays." Nor are.
"Purim Delicacies" overlooked. At last the modest
kreplach, the shy verenikes and the roly-poly
nahit find themselves in the company of the
lordly hamantasch and raised to respectable of,
ficialdom in the pageS.of .this delightful -and in-
formative book.
Fifty-five beautifliFilhistratioris are scattered •
through the volume.
"Purim Pranks," "Purim Curiosities," and
and "Purim Wit and Humor" will bring smiles
to the lips and joy to the hearts of child and
adult, layman and scolar.
Facts You Should Know .. .
Why is the rent that is torn in the garment
of the right hand in the traditional marriage
ceremony?
The ring is placed upon the finger of the
bride so that it may be seen as an obvious sym-
bol of her marriage. The index finger is the
most prominent one and. so it was advised that
the ring be placed upon it so• that all may see
it. Another explanation is that the source of
selecting the index finger is the 19th Psalm
where God is pictured as a bridegroom. If we
count on our fingers, the words of verses 8, 9,
and 10, the word "Gbd" always comes out on the
forefinger. Also the word "gold" of verse 11 in
this chapter, also comes on the forefinger. This
is said to indicate that the bridegroom, like
God,concentrfs.tes the "gold" ring on the fore-
finger of the bride.
* * *
Wh.y is the rent that torn in the garment
of a mourner always done by someone else?
Many authorities claim that it is the respon-
sibility of the mounter to tear the rent himself.
It seems to have developed as a custom later on,
however, that another person begin the tear and
the mourner finish it. Perhaps it symbolizes the
motion that the tragedy that occurred in the
family was brought on from a higher power and
beyond the control of the mourner who might
blame himself. It may also be that tradition
tried to bring the mourner into contact with as
many people as possible in order to make Ilia.
Israel's success-will the-Jewish State-be assured of security. burden lighter.