As the Editor
Views the News .. .

`Let's Guard Him. Together'

Fineberg Tells What You
Can Do About Prejudice

Israel: No.1 Achievement

In his annual report to the General As-
sembly of the United Nations, UN's Secre-
tary General Trygve Lie rated the Palestine
case as the "Number One" achievement of
the world organization's peace efforts in
1949.
Palestine's problem rested at the very
root of the basic ideals which motivated the
establishment of the United Nations. The
peace of the entire Middle East depended
upon the solution of this issue. While it is
regrettable that an unnecessary war had to
be fought to implement a major UN decision,
the firm stand that was taken towards that
end militated in support of the very idea of
international cooperation and a world or-
ganization.
Mr. Lie's report, by calling for high
priority for the Middle East in the UN pro-
gram of technical assistance to underdevel-
oped countries and by stressing the import-
ance of the Jordan Valley Plan among
significant water development projects, gave
weight to the reality of the issues revolving
around the establishment of the state of
Israel. In this respect, too, the UN, under
the direction of Mr. Lie, is playing a very
great role as a guide to smaller nations who
are determined to develop democratically
within the orbit of the world organization.

Drop in Relief Funds

A report just issued by the Council of
Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds
shows that American Jewish communities
which in 1948 had raised a total of $71,005,-
256 for overseas relief and local needs has
secured only $58,990,500 in 1949.
The CJFWF report indicates that cam-
paign results this year will either equal or
surpass all previous years—except the ban-
ner year of 1948—and pays this compliment
to American Jewry : "The current campaigns
show that American Jews take their respon-
sibilities seriously. When presented with the
challenge for supporting vital and urgent
needs, the American Jewish communities can
continue to raise tremendous sums of money
despite less favorable conditions."
What are the "less favorable conditions?"
The CJFWF statement lists : 1. Fear of the
economic future which cut sharply into big
giving for campaigns ; 2. There were "man-
power" difficulties—lack of workers and less
intense coverage of prospects ; 3. Poor col-
lection records of previcius years ; 4. Inde-
pendent capital fund drives harmed the wel-
fare funds ; 5. Internal conflicts in national
agencies affected local efforts.
While these explanations may be valid in
themselves, they do not relieve the trying
situations that were created by the drop in
incomes for overseas reconstruction agencies.
In a cabled report to the New York Herald
Tribune, Dr. Ruth Gruber describes the
strained conditions in Israel and warns that
the new immigrants are 4/ becoming disil-
lusioned, despondent and filled with a sense
of betrayal" because the lack of funds makes
it impossible for the authorities to keep the
camps in best condition.
Miss Gruber states in her cable: "The
only solution, it is felt here, is more financial
aid from abroad, particularly through the
United Jewish Appeal. The need grows more
crucial daily as some 68,000 persons live in
30 camps without sanitation or privacy, in
hot overcrowded tents and barracks."
The solution to such a condition does not
lie in absolving American Jewish communi-
ties for their failures to provide the needed
sums. If the need is greater in 1949, then this
should have been the banner year.
Our first obligation is to assure the in-
gathering of all funds pledged thus
far. Having completed the job of
collecting the pledges, new drives must be
planned in a spirit of confidence that we
shall continue to create banner years, in spite
of unjustified fears of the economic future.

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, Palcor
News Agency.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co.. 2114 Penobscot Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 6-1155.
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMA.RAK, Advertising Manager

VOL. XV—No. 23

Page 4

August 19, 1949

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-fifth clay of Ab,
5709, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Dent. 11:26-16:17.
Prophetical portion—Is. 54:11-55:5.

'Punishment Without Crime'

TeURXIAPPIK. AcArm

Progress in Race Relations

In its fifth annual report submitted to the Mayor, Com-
mon Council and the people of Detroit, the City of Detroit
Mayor's Interracal Committee approaches existing problems
realistically. While it recognizes that many problems remain
to be solved, it is not pessimistic and it retains confidence in
the ability of the American democratic way to triumph.
The Interracial Committee's - report, entitled "The Fifth
Anniversary of an Idea," outlines the developments in four
major program divisions:
(1) Preventing and controlling situations of tension
and conflict.
(2) Education to develop constructive attitudes and
foster democratic practices.
(3) Formulating democratic goals in programs to
change discriminatory conditions.
(4) Stimulating community action programs to bridge
the gap between democratic ideals and present practices.
"Important beginnings to bring about changes have
been made" the report states, and it lists three spheres in
which important tasks are yet to be fulfilled to assure the
end of discrimination in employment, housing and public
places.
In its entirety, the committee's report is a thought-pro-
voking statement. In its conclusion, "Postscript: A Word to
Tomorrow." the committee's report hurls the following
challenge to the people of Detroit:

"The problems in race relations which our city faces are
very real. Their existence constitutes not only threats to the
public peace and safety, but also denials to the rights of equal
citizenship and full participation in the public life of the city.
People in Detroit are increasingly aware of the seriousness of
these problems and the important beginnings which have been
made to bring about many changes. Yet these problems still
remain: Despite the high level of employment, discrimination
in job placement is very great. Despite the recent Supreme
Court decision invalidating restrictive covenan7s, the housing
market is still far from being free and unrestricted. Despite
Michigan's civil rights law, many restaurants and other places of
public accommodation continue to evade the requirements of
equal service to all persons. There is, also, the necessity to remain
watchful of those factors which have created periodic break-
downs in confidence and respect between police and minority
groups, the opportunity for greater equality and fairness in the
services of governmental- agencies, and the responsibility for
removing the restrictions based on race and religion_in many
privately operated health and recreation facilities.

"The problems which Detroit citizens face and many of the
inconsistencies in the 'democratic American way' can be re-
solved. The Mayor's Interracial Committe must play a leading
role in providing a channel through which change can take
place, if we, as a city of many races, many nationalities and
many religions, are to control our own future."

An important beginning has been made in the serious
effort, inaugurated after the horrible Detroit race riot of
1943, to put an end to and prevent the recurrence of com-
munity-wide tensions and conflicts. As the Interracial Com-
mittee's report points out, the idea for which it is working
"is 172 years old; as old as Thomas Jefferson, as old as the
Declaration of Independence which points out so clearly that
`to secure . . . the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness . . . governments are instituted among men.' Our
operations are based on the extension of this idea : that local
government has become and must continue to be a positive
force in protecting. and guaranteeing the right of ALL citi-
zens of Detroit to exercise their American heritage."
The idea is not difficult to put into effect-- --provided all
of the people of Detroit work together for the common good
and in accordance with the principles outlined by the Fathers
of our Republic. A good beginning has been made by the
Interracial Committee. All good citizens hope—and must
strive to make 'it real—that its efforts are pointing to an
end of tensions and conflicts for all time to come.

A stupid fellow on Chene street posted a
sign last week announcing that he is selling
cigarettes at the "gentile price" of $1.74 a car-
ton. A few people became unduly alarmed about
it. It is doubtful whether this merchant did .
himself any good. Those with hurt feelings,'
however, believe that something should be done
about it. What would you do?
Dr. A. Andhil Fineberg undoubtedly would
use the long method—the peaceful way of point-
ing out to this chap that he is wrong, that
there is no such thing as a "gentile price," that
good relations among Americans call for the
elimination of such tactics which serve to en-
rage one group against another.
The peaceful, long-range program will be
detected in Dr. Fineberg's new book, "Punish-
ment Without Crime" (Doubleday & Co., pub-
lishers, 14 W. 49th St., New York 20). ,
Dr. Fineberg uses as a subtitle to this book
the question "What can you do about prejudice?"
He cites incidents and suggests ways of up-
rooting the evil .of bigotry, but while he opposes
drastic measures he does approve of pressure
for the enactment of legislation for the pro-
tection of minority groups.
In the main, Dr. Fineberg seeks to uproot
bigotry in the American way, by teaching the
democratic way of life, through education. He
advises:

"In the tradition of America, each of us
has a personal share in eradicating prejudice
at its roots. Those roots are enmeshed in the
fabric of our lives and we must know how
to cut them without destroying more of good
than of ill. But the eradication of prejudice
and of the discriminatory practices it breeds
is not something we may do or not do as we
please .. . True to the American way of life,
we must solve some parts of the problem as
individuals, each in his own sphere. We will
not sacrifice cherished liberties and transfer
to the control of government officials the
whole area of human relationships. True it
is that flagrant violations of human rights
require effective action on the part of civil
authorities. Clearly there is a need to
strengthen the Civil Rights Division of the
United States Department of Justice and to
create similar agencies in the various states.
Laws to abolish certain forms of discrimina-
tion likewise have a proper - place in the strug-
gle against intolerance. But in the final analy-
sis it is not the government, it is WE—every
individual one of us—who must eliminate the

innumerable snags and barbs in group rela-
tionships and free our communities of the
snide and brutal tricks that prejudice plays
upon all of us."
What should be done about hotheaded pro-
posals? Dr. Fineberg advocates: 1. Avoid be-
coming personally involved in activities advocat-
ed by the irresponsible ("marches," street fight-
ing, breaking up meetings). 2. In discussions
with individuals or groups try to persuade them
that non-violent methods of dealing with inter-
racial tensions are always superior to inflam-
matory means. 3. Work for enactment of laws
and for law enforcement that will protect the
rights of all minority groups. 4. Keep cool and
remain careful under the cross fire of group
tensions.
He encourages a knowledge of American
history and a study of decisions by ballots and
by courts,, personal practice of democracy, de-
fense of freedom of speech, maintenance of law
and order, placing loyalty to the principle of
democracy above loyalty to any racial or reli-
gious group. He writes:

."Don't let your mind dwell upon personal
incidents of intolerance against any group and
don't narrate them needlessly to other mem-
bers of your group. Such rehashing breeds
inferiority complexes in yourself and in your
group."
These are, briefly, his approaches to the

problem of bigotry. There are many—perhaps
the majority—who disagree with him. His views,
nevertheless, present an important approach to
the issue of defending those who are punished
without crime. His book is well worth reading.

Facts You Should Know . .

Why is it customary to eat gefilte fish on
Friday night?

Apparently the fact that the "gefilte fish" is
prepared in round pieces may be a symbol of
the manna which the Jews ate in their journey
through the desert and which came in round
pieces. On the Sabbath the roundness of the
"kugel" has the same significance. Some sources
speak of the three creations that were blessed in
sequence as they Were created—fish on the fifth
day, man on the sixth and the Sabbath on the
seventh. A three-fold blessing is always revered
in Jewish life, so, on the Sabbath, the Jew joins
the fish to his Sabbath and adds himself for the
three-fold blessing. Another interesting reason
advanced is. that the custom dates back from
the days when the Jews were .receiving manna..
This manna is said to have 'had every possible
taste available for the individual except that of
fish—and that is what made the Jews complain
by Saying: "We remember the fish we ate in
Egypt." Fish therefore assumed a special taste
of its own and on the Sabbath a Jew is sup-
posed to have every possible sort of delicacy-
so.L1.,..pays special tribute to the fish, which was
the only taste not available in the manna.

