•
As the Editor
Views the News . .
Let Me Give You a Hand
Israel in The UN
Israel's membership in the United Na-
tions carries with it great responsibilities.
There are obligations and conditions with
regard to the internationalization of Jeru-
salem, the resettlement of some of the Arab
refugees and the promotion of peace.
The spokesthen for Israel have indicated
that they will go along with a program call-
ing for internationalization and protection
of those portions of Jerusalem which include
the Holy Places. Also, Israel is striving for
peace and is willing to take back a consider-
able number of Arabs who must, of course,
become law-abiding Israeli citizens.
The thrilling hour of Israel's admission
to the UN is not without its trying moments.
The Jewish State's representativves will
have to act on numerous international mat-
ters, they must share the costs of the world
organization, they must speak for Israel as
an entity without involving the Jewish citi-
zens of other lands.
The able Israeli spokesmen, who have
won high regard in international circles, have
proven their worth without which they could
not have attained confidence in the UN for
their government. While Israel's place in the
UN will be watched with anxiety, her Jewish
kinsmen greet the reborn State's member-
ship in the UN with confidence that the able
statesmen will act with dignity worthy of
the descendants of the Prophets.
Center's Anniversary
Morris Garvett, who succeeds Samuel
H. Rubiner to the presidency of the Jewish
Community Center, assumes the important
task of guiding to continued successes
the progressive and the largest Jewish youth
serving agency in the community.
Although the Center nominally is cele-
brating its 15th anniversary, dating back to
its merger with the Young Women's Hebrew
Association in 1933, its origin really goes
back more than 40 years, to the days of
youth community work in the old Hannah
Schloss Building. From small beginnings,
the Center has grown to large dimensions.
It has a paid enrolled emembership of 4,200,
has served nearly 400,000 people during the
past year and its budget has grown from
$46,000 in 1934 to $275,000 this year.
Through the main Center, the 12th
Street branch, Camp Chelsea for mothers
and the indoor summer Camp Habonim, the
Jewish Center reaches out into a variety of
activities, making it a very potent force in
our community. It is a contributino. factor
in the training of future Jewish leadership.
It has helped coordinate activities through
the Young Adult Council and is encouraging
experimental progressive character building
projects through a Parents' Institute.
The Center's future plans call for even
greater advancement. The new Dexter Cen-
ter, when completed, will offer an oppor-
tunity to serve thousands of people who at
present are prevented by distance from util-
izing the advantages offered at the main
Center building.
Mr. Garvett enters upon his new du-
ties in a period of increasing progress which,
we are certain, will be ably guided under
his leadership.
Time for Action
Israel's first anniversary inspired great
rejoicing. It was an indication of Jewry's
deep interest in the Jewish State and its
future.
Now, all our efforts must be directed
towards the constructive work of assuring,
that the Jewish State will not be handi-
capped in its operations for lack of funds.
More than half of Detroit's prospective
contributors must raise more than $2,000,000
in the coming week. It is a tremendous task,
but it can be accomplished if all our energies
will be mobilized in that direction.
- THE JEWISH NEWS
Iklember: American Association of English-Jewish News-
x)apers, Michigan Press Association.
Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association, Palcor
News Agency.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co.. 2114 Penobscot Bldg.. Detroit 2,6, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription $3 a Year: foreign $4.
Entered as second class mattlier Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
Page 4 •
May 20, 1949
VOL. XV—No. 10
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-second clay of Iyar,
57199, the following Scriptural selections will be
ead in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 25:1-27:34.
Prophetical portion—Jer. 16:19-17:14,
Prof. Morris R. Coheit'
Intriguing Life Story
Morris Raphael Cohen, immigrant boy who
struggled to attain an education, rose to high
stature in the academic world and became rec-
ognized as one of America's outstanding philos-
ophers. As professor at the College of ''the City
of New York and as a propagator of highest
Standards of living for the American people, as
a Jewish leader who supervised important stud-
ies of Jewish conditions in the last decade of
his life,•his name was among the best known in
the ,land.
His autobiography, published by Beacon Press
(25 Beacon St., Boston 8, Mass.) under the title
"A Dreamer's Journey" relates his fascinating
experiences, as a child in Russia, as the son of
a struggling immigrant family in the U. S., as
a Socialist and teacher.
As a narrative reviewing the struggles of a
people, the difficult times he and his family
had in Russia, his childhood, his studies in
Hebraic lore and the Talmud, Prof. Cohen's
posthumous work stands out among the most
interesting books published in recent years.
Israelism vs. Zionism: New issue
Israel's admission to the United Nations does not end
the internal debate over the status of Zionism.
Last week's sessions of the World Zionist Actions Com-
mittee, in Jerusalem, indicated the extent to which differ-
ences of opinion will be carried in the current internal de-
bates. While General Zionists and Mizrachi leaders demanded
priority for Zionist leadership—Itzhak Gruenbaum going so
far as to declare that he "would not entrust the fate of Zion-
ism" to Henry Morgenthau—Israeli officials defended the
rights of non-Zionists.
Thus, Levi Eshkol, head of the Immigration and Settle-
ment Department of the Jewish Agency, insisted that former
non-Zionists had become "ardent followers of the Zionist
ideal."
B'ut Mapam spokesmen drew another line. They asserted
that two forces now are at large in Jewish life—Israelism and
Zionism. This terminology itself is sufficient to indicate a
possible conflict in idea which may split our communities.
Baruch Zuckerman, president of the Labor Zionist Or-
ganization of America, pointed out at the Jerusalem meet-
ings that UJA leaders prove to be oodd and faithful Zionists
iby devoting all of their time to the collection of funds for
Israel.
Berl Locker warned against "terrorization of the ma-
jority by a minority—even by a minority consisting of res-
pected members of the „Jewish Agency." Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann insisted that the Agency's decision two months ago
with regard to UJA saved the 1949 campaign. While all these
views were expressed with reference to the resignations of
Drs. Abba Hillel Silver and Emanuel Neumann from the
Agency executive, during the discussion which culminated
in a plea that they return to active leadership, the utterances
were on the score of former non-Zionists who now are leaders
in the UJA.
Those who are charged with the responsibility of raising
funds to assist large-scale immigration and economic develop-
ment naturally are concerned that the emergence of a con-
flict should not affect the work of the United Jewish Appeal
in the United States and the efforts of other fund-raising
agencies in this country and in other lands. Israeli Finance
Minister Eliezer Kaplan's report that $800,000,000 will be
needed annually, for the next few years, to finance the ab-
sorption of immigrants and other constructive work in Israel
comes as a warning for intensification of activities in behalf
of Israel by Jews everywhere.
While it has been predicted that the number of Jews
reaching Israel this year will total 250,000, all indications are
that this number will be exceeded and may reach the 325,000
mark. Should the influx continue at its present rapid pace,
no amount of money to be sent to the Jewish Agency from
this country will be sufficient to meet the needs in the Jewish
State.
In addition to the evacuation of displaced persons from
Europe, Jews are constantly pouring into Israel from Arabic
countries. The fact that Lebanese Jewish families are
being permitted to emigrate to Israel further increases the
number of settlers in the Jewish State. Jews trapped in
Shanghai are temporarily being taken to Canada and even-
tually will find their way to Israel.
These are added indications of the responsibilities to be
shared by Jews throughout the world in the upbuilding of
Israel. If there still are people who think in terms of
early end of fund-raising campaigns for Israel's upbuilding,
they should be discouraged. It is essential that they should
know that our duties have not ended with Israel's admission
to the UN, that we are responsible for immigration and for
the permanent settlement of hitherto oppressed dispos-
sessed Jews in, permanent homes. Israel's citizens are shar-
ing their homes as well as their possessions for the absorp-
tion of newcomers. Our responsibility is limited to the con-
tribution of funds.
This hour in our history is too great to be frittered away
with excuses and with attempts to evade responsibility. While
those who thus far have contributed to the Allied Jewish
Campaign have given generously, the many thousands who
have not yet given are holding Israel in a state of anxiety
which may grow into despair unless we come forth with
liberal gifts.
Ideological differences have • their place in political dis-
cussions. They are ruled out when moral considerations are
at stake. The moral issue is clear. Let politics be argued at
Zionist conventions. As a community our first responsibility
is to Israel, to the immigrants on the way there and to a
successful future for the Jewish State.
Fortunately, Prof. Cohen, who died two
years ago, completed his autobiography before
his death, and only a small portion of the work
contains mere fragments • from his diary. There
also is an Epilogue by his son, Prof. Felix S.
Cohen.
His boyhood experiences in Minsk and Nesh-
wies, the year he spent with his uncle who had
a great influence upon his life, life on the New
York East Side, his numerous activities in
Socialism and the scholastic field are excellently
described.
•
"A Dreamer's Journey" is a thoroughly Jew-
ish book in the sense that the author described
life as a Jew, emphasizing the Jewish teachings,
experiences and traditions which influenced him.
While he was, in his early youth, thoroughly
religious, he gave up many of his beliefs short-
ly after coming to this country. The views of
some early Haskalah leaders will be detected in
some of his statements. For instance: "Jews
are people first, and only Jews incidentally. I:
have never believed that the Jews, as a people,
have to justify their existence. Jews exist be- •
cause they are human beings, and human beings •
have a right to. exist." Long ago, Judah L.
Gordon, the Hebrew writer, advised: "Heye
adam betzesecho v'yehudi b'oholecho" —"be a
man when you leave your home and a Jew at
home." If there is an apologetic note in Prof.
Cohen's statement. it merely reflects an attitude
that was exemplified by his anti-Zionism and
somewhat assirnilationist ideas.
For instance. he wrote: "I am no longer
shocked to see a Reform rabbi eat ham. Nor am
I shocked by intermarriage, which so many of
my Zionist friends exemplify." But in this same
paragraph he made an eloquent plea for Jewish
education: "The people of Neshvies, in the days
of my childhood, wore rags on their feet and ate
white bread only on the Sabbath, but no child
went without schooling." -
While he was opposed to Z i o n i s m. b e
praised the Zionists for "having served a high
purpose" in increasing men's self-respect." He
discussed at length the position of the syna-
gogue, stated that he saw "no justification for
condemning- intermarriage or the conversion
of Jews to Christianity," but emphasized that
"one of the most serious consequences of the .
declining influence of the synagogue is that
the great mass of Jews has lost contact with
the traditional substance of - Jewish eduction."
While this sounds confusing, it conforms to a
pattern of a group in Jewish life which con-
stantly pleads for "Jewish education" while it
endorses abandonment of religious practices,
tolerances of intermarriage, etc.
In the final years of his life, Prof. Cohen
devoted himself to advancing the objectives of
'the Conference on Jewish Relations. The chap-
ter in his autobiography dealing with "Jewish
Social Studies and American Democracy" re-
views these activities, describes the studies that
were made, tells of • the surveys that were CM—
ducted in numerous fields. The reader senses
a new awakening to Jewish realities in this
chapter. The Hitler era and its aftermath
brought forward a deeper concern in Jewish
matters, and the volumes he produced through
the Conference on Jewish Relations are definite
contributions to. the entire Jewish community.
Regardless of his views, Prof. Cohen's "A
Dreamer's Journey" will be read with very great
interest. It is, indeed, a most thrilling story
about an interesting personality.
Facts You Should Know .. .
Why is it not permissible for visitors to
greet mourners with the customary "hello"
during the seven-day mourning period?
Any greeting or discussion that would bring
delight to the mourners is prohibited during this
period because it is not fitting to attempt to
delight those who are in bereavement. It must
be understood, however, that the prohibition was
leveled particularly against the greeting "Sha-
lom," which means "Peace." The reason for this
is that the soul of the deceased is not at peace
during this period. The Palestinian Talmud
claims that for at least three days the soul longs
for the body, hoping for its return. It would,
therefore, be incongruous for the mourners to
be greeted with 'Peace," or for them to greet
others with "Peace," while the soul of the de-
ceased has no peace. In general, one who mourns
is strictly not in peace and it would not be in
good taste to greet him with "Peace."