THE JEWISH NEWS These Are the Names Member: American Association of English-Jewish News- papers. Michigan Press Association. Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association, Paicor News Agency. - Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co.. 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 2.6, Mich., WO. 5-1155. Subscription 53 a year; foreign $4. Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879. Nomenclature Study in Rabbi Kolatch's Book PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager VOL. XV—No. 17 Page 4 July 8, 1949 Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twelfth day of Tammuz, 5709, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion—Num. 19:1-22:1. - Prophetical portion—Micah 5:6-6:8. Scriptural Selections for Fast of Tammuz, Thursday Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 32 :11-14; 34:1-10. Prophetical portion—Is. 55:6-56:8. Middle East Persecution Representatives of the big powers, while discussing the plight of Arab refugees from Palestine—the hordes of misguided people who left their homes in deference to an as- surance of propagandists that they would be returned to reclaim not only their own shab- by home's but also the fields and the factories of their former Jewish neighbors—overlook a major issue in the Middle East : the plight of more than 100,000 Jews in Arabic lands where freedom is unknown and whose rulers encourage wholesale massacres of the Jewish residents. A Jewish student from Iraq who is in this country on a temporary visa, has asked our government to classify him as a dis- placed person and to allow him to stay in the United States. At hearings conducted by the U. S. immigration authorities, this student, whose name must be withheld for his own and his family's protection, gave evidence of systematic persecution of Jews in Iraq. At the same time, the Institute of Jewish Affairs of the World Jewish Congress has published information to show that Iraq happenings are typical of persecution in other Moslem lands. While many Jews are managing to es- cape from Moslem lands into Israel, the position of the large number of Jews in these countries is so grave that some action will have to be taken to protect their lives and property. Here is a summary of some of the happenings in Moslem lands: Iraq: Sporadic attacks in the city of Basra have taken the form of violent po- groms. Nearly all of the wealthy Jews were arrested in 1948, many were arrested on the charge of being Zionist, several were sen- tenced "in absentia" after they had reached Israel and one was executed on the charge of being "a Zionist and a Communist." Yemen and Aden : Yemen, the world's most backward country, is next to Aden, both being south of Saudi Arabia. Jews are treated as pariahs in Yeman. Although de- parture from the country is punishable by death, 20,000 have settled in Israel in the last 20 years. A ritual murder lie was con- cocted several months ago and six Jews were arrested on the charge of having murdered two Moslem girls for ritual purposes. Aden Jewry lives in constant fear of pogroms. Al- though it is a British protectorate, 76 Jews were killed and 150 wounded in the massa- cre of December, 1947. Syria: Members of the parliament and the press constantly urge confiscation of Jewish-owned property. The results of the persecutions is that Jews are in flight, 80 per cent of the 7,000 Damascus Jews having left the country. Lebanon: In Lebanon alone, Jews have been given freedom of movement. The Maro- nite Christian community favors cooperation with the Jewish state and is friendly to Zion- ism. Lebanon is an oasis in an Arab desert of corruption and persecution. Egypt: The murder of 200 Jews and the wounding of 1,000 has created panic. During the past year, Egyptian Jews have lived in constant dread of what the morrow may bring. French Morocco : Poverty and pogroms dominate this backward territory. The 1948 Oujda pogrom indicated the trend of events. There was a pogrom in Djerda where 35 Jews were killed and anti-Jewish riots took place in Alcazar-Quivir in Spanish Morocco. Here is collective proof of unending danger for Jews in Arab territories. What are the great powers doing about this ? How about an inter-change of populations, as- suring settlement of the unfortunate Jews under Arab rule in Israel and the transpor- tation of the Arab refugees to their kinsmen in the lands that retain the spirit of the desert ? The great "humanitarians" who speak of justice to the Arabs had better look into the position of Jews in Moslem coun- -before it is too late. Plain Talk at Rabbis' Convention A number of rabbis did some plain speaking at the 60th anniversary convention of the Central Conference of Ameri- can (Reform) Rabbis, at Bretton Woods, N. H., last week. Matters , affecting the National Conference of Christians and-Jews and pending legislation to provide financial aid to educational institutions were under discussion. Rabbi Abram M. Granison of New York stirred up a hornet's nest with his condemnation of so-called "goopl movements and his attack on both the Conference of Chris- tians and Jews and the Council for Judaism. With reference to the former he asserted that Jewish dignity should de- mand "something more from the good will movement than the make-believe brotherhood, at' which Jews rub elbows with Christians at round-tables under the auspices of the national conference of several Christians and a few Jews— just to hear some sweet nothings in the form of pious and 'nocuous platitudes." This is not the first time that the efficacy of the "broth- erhood" movement has been challenged. We know of in- stances when "good will" meetings, at which platitudinous expressions of amity were followed by most venomous at- tacks on Negroes and Jews—in some cases on Catholics— by men who had played an important role in organizing such meetings. We know of events in high schools which experienced minor race riots among students after as- semblies at which Round Table speakers pleaded for good will and brotherly love. Such manifestations of bigotry surely are not ascribable to the work of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The Round Table organizations certainly have tried hard to create good feeling among all faiths. All that the occasions we have pointed to prove is that the good will movement still is groping in the dark, that it must find a way of solving the problem of lack of brotherhood, that the rubbing of shoulders of clergymen and rabbis and a few benevolent folk of all faiths—many of whom revert after such meetings to the five o'clock society deadline which draws the line between talk and actual socializing—is inef- fective in establishing genuine good will. Perhaps Rabbi Granison's challenge will inspire a new approach to the brotherhood ,idea, which has flourished on paper, in the form of inspiring messages from Presidents and national leaders, but remains platitudinous. Most positive is the Reform Rabbis' stand in opposi- tion to "Federal or state aid to educational institutions main- tained by religious groups, Jewish or Christian.' Dr. Joseph L. Fink of Buffalo, chairman of the Committee on Church and State, declared that the problem of separation of church and state "is growing in vehemence as well as in interest. There are signs that the people of America are becoming increasingly aware of the far-reaching implications of the issue." His report favored "absolute devotion to the princi- ple of religious freedom in America and an unbreathable wall of separation between church and state." This stand brings the Jewish group into active conflict in the issue in which Protestants and Catholics already are major partici- pants. Francis Cardinal Spellman. of New York, in an ad- dress recently to 15,000 Roman Catholics in New York called Rep. Graham A. Barden of North Carolina, sponsor of an amendment to the federal aid to education bill which would limit its financial benefits to public schools, a "new apostle of bigotry." The Christian Science Monitor, a con- sistent opponent of any move which would link church and state, replied editorially: "Is it being a bigot to stand on one's convictions that this is the soundest public policy and to resist the demands of an organization which claims ex- clusive religious privileges for itself in countries where it can obtain them? If so, many will risk the epithet." It is regrettable that venomous religious arguments of- ten enter into the discussion of the issue affecting separation of church and state. But in view of the fact that Jews who insist upon the observance of this sacred American principle to the letter of the law object also to subvention grants to Jewish parochial schools, their sincerity is obvious. This issue must be solved in the American way—by means of free discussion and without rancor, on the basis of principle and true evaluation of facts. Bitterness is not helpful to free discussion. It is to be hoped that Jewish spokesmen will be able to guide the discussions along lines of rational examination, away from existing ill feelings. Intrigued by the absorbing question of first names, and the haphazardness with which He- brew names are chosen for Jewish children, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch has written an inter- esting book, "These Are the Names" (published by Jonathan David Co., 505 Fifth Ave., New York 17). The book contains more than 1,500 popular English names, their meanings and their Hebrew equivalents. A 10-page index to Hebrew names, in Hebrew and Yiddish, is appended to this book. Its greatest value, however, lies in the author's able exposition of The Name. He deals with superstitions which accompanied the naming of children, Shephardic and Ashkenazic practices and translations. Rabbi Kolatch makes an interesting plea for the use of Hebrew names: "It would be a mag- nificent compliment to our Jewish social sense, no less than to our aesthetic sense, were we will- ing to desist from the niceties of the time& and return to Biblical names when we decide upon the nomenclature of our children." The author deplores the adoption by Jews of Christian religious names and the shying from Jewish names. He declares that "the people of the Book have drifted far from the Book." "These Are the Names" has an interesting chapter on statistics to show by comparison the Shift in popularity of names between the last two generations of American Jews. Negro's Book on Health Urges More Intelligent Meal Planning by Jews J. Ida Jiggetts, Negro nurse and social worker who has made a deep study of Jewish customs and diets, recommends more intelligent meal planning in order to "influence fruitful returns in better *health for Jews and other ethnic groups." Mrs. Jiggetts' recommendation is made in an interesting book, "Religion, Diet and Health of Jews," published by Bloch Publishing Co., New York. Daughter of a Methodist minister, Mrs. Jig- getts . became interested in Jewish customs as a child. She was guided in her studies by her father and later in life studied at the Jewish Seminary of Social Studies of Jewish Theologi- cal Seminary where she was art editor of "Torah Lishmah," and studied Hebrew privately. The bibliographical list appended to her book indicates that she read widely in order to be able to outline the customs, lOws, orthodox nu- tritional pratctices and Jewish historical back- grounas of the subject to which she has devoted her work. She describes in interesting fashioin the kashrut laws, dietetics, Jewish holidays, the differences in views on dietary practices among orthodox and reform. One chapter is devoted to the preparation of food by Jews and another offers the nutri- tional analysis of the orthodox Jewish diet. Charts and diagrams illustrate several aspects of the book. Morbidity trends, prevalence of di- abetes among Jews and other statistics are ex- pertly viewed. Mrs. Jiggetts also points out ex- amples of ignorance in some viewpoints on dietary restrictions. The author's work is praised in the preface, written by Dr. Abraham I. Katsh, professor of education at New York University. Facts You Should Know . . . What is meant by "Olom Haboh?" and "Tech- iyat Hamaysim?" Literally translated, "Olom Haboh" means "the world to come." Sometimes it is taken to refer to the days of the Messiah when the peo- ple of Israel shall be fully redeemed as prophe- sied by Isaiah. Sometimes it is taken as referring to the final Utopia when the entire world will be redeemed and freed from evil as expressed by the prophet Zephania. "Techiyat Hamaysim" is the technical Hebrew term for "Resurrection of the Dead," believing in some way that the dead shall some day come to life. This doctrine is one of 13 cardinal principles of faith listed by Maimonidies as one of the ten- ets of the Jewish religion. To what extent did women participate in the service of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem? The Talmud interprets the Biblical verse, "One law exists for all the multitude," as in- cluding the rights of women. The Mishnaic code mentions special offerings brought by women. There was a special section in the Holy Temple known as "Ezras Nashim" reserved for women; a special entrance for women is mentioned in the Talmud. Indeed women had their own spe- cial privileges and parts in the services. Why is Jewish tradition opposed to crema- tion and the storage of dead bodies in mauso- leum vaults? Jewish tradition insists upon burying the corpse in the ground. The Bible is the original source for this insistence. In the Pentateuch it is ordered that the body of the deceased "be buried." Genesis declared that "Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return." Cremation is thus not "a return to dust" nor is it a form of burial. Storage in mausoleum vaults is also not a "re - , turn to dust."