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Help Her to Help Them

As the Editor
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.Dr. Hershman's Illuminating
Translation . of Maimonides .

The 28 Children

Several Months ago, the government of
Norway entered into an arrangement with
the Joint Distribution Committee to receive
Jewish children from North Africa for train-
ing and preparation prior to their settlement
in Israel. Some of them were difficult 'young-
sters, but in the course of time all of them
proved that they were of good mettle. The
first group of 200 children were settled in
Israel. Norway consented to welcome more
of the North AfricanS for a continuation of
the original purpose.
• Last week a group of 29 children from
Tunisia were on their way to Norway to
commence their training for • Israel. The
tragic story of the plane crash, of the death
of 28 of these youngsters, is well known by
this time. Removed from the Tunisian in-
ferno which has become an impossible place
to reside in for the Jews whose history there
dates back many centuries, these youngsters
met their death near Oslo. Israel has lost
28 excellent future citizens—as the prede-
cessors of these youths attest in their in-
tegration in the activities of the Jewish
state.
The 28 who perished nevertheless remain
ea
a symbol of the rising tide of restored honor
for the oppressed in Israel. Max Lerner, the
brilliant essayist who has described Israel
more realistically than any other writer who
recently has visited there, is among those of
Detroit's Israel Histadrut Campaign will get underway
us who were deeply moved by the tragedy of
the 28. In a column in the New York Post, in a few days and our community will be asked to contribute
addressed to them, he keeps "imagining how $300,000 for the continuation of the many projects of the
you would have liked Israel: your first labor movement in the Jewish state.
There is much to be said in support of the Histadrut.
glimpse of Mt. Carmel as you landed at
Haifa; the Youth Aliyah camps and training Its 200,000 members in Israel represent a strong force for
schools, where you would learn the meaning good for the country at large. Israel can prosper best when
of community living and common action ; the her citizens have a high standard of living. Thanks to His-
pup-tents, and the work in the fields, and tadrut's firmness, basic pay in Israel is higher than in many
the talk at table in the dining-room, and the European countries and Israel's standards are r far , aboye
strong yet kindly men and women to keep those of any of her neighbors. By spreading the economic
advances of Israel among her neighbors we shall have greater
an eye on you as you grow up."
Because "this is idle dreaming," Lerner assurance of a lasting peace.
Histadrut's objectives lead to the establishment -of the
writes to these children :
ideal state and the labor movement therefore has-earned
"You will miss the desert and the thirst,
Jewry's encouragement and support. Detroit haS been lead-
the fearful waiting, the back-breaking toil,
er in efforts in behalf of Histadrut. We urge continuation
but you will miss also the construction
of our traditional support in the approaching drive,
and the 'chance that every youngster
4 ;
wants—to show -What stuff he is made of.
And most of all, the working together, the
living together, the sense of being .part of
In their initial attacks on'the Zionist movement and in-_
something not inconsiderable.
cidentally on all Jews, in the course of the discussion of the
"I know that those who are now in
Palestine partition proposals, Arab spokesmen warned that
Israel will miss you too. Every Irionan life
if a Jewish state were set- up there would be bloodshed in
is precious, but to the men and women of
their countries and their Jewish residents would be attacked.
Israel there is a special heartbreak in los-
It is well to remember that in Arabic countries, in some
ing Jewish youngsters who were not want-
of which Jews had resided for many hundreds of years, our
ed in Tunis and Morocco, and who could
kinsmen were denied not only the rights of citizenship but
have riveted some of their young strength
also the opportunity to help oppressed Jews elsewhere-
into the foundations of a new Jewish state.
through the Zionist movement.
"It seems a needless, tragic waste—
The backward state of Yemen proves the point. Yemen-
this waste of your lives. But it is all part
ite Jews, who have lived in that land for nearly 2,000 years,
of a campaign of history whose outlines
were persecuted, molested wherever they went, ordered not
you will never see, yet you were none the
to provide a Jewish education for their children. As a result,
less a part. The in-gathering of the peoples,
the Jews of Yemen began a march to Palestine and when-
to form Israel, is going on by land, by sea,
ever a family was able to escape from that land it trekked
by air. The Jews have waited 20 centuries,
towards the Holy Land.. In the last eight months, nearly
yet now every hour counts."
35,000 of them have left Yemen and most of them have
How true—this reference to kibutz reached Israel where they now have an opportunity to live
galuyoth—the ingathering of the exiles— as free human beings.
and therefore the work goes on.. The 28 who
In other Arabic countries, Jewish property has been
died will not be forgotten. On the contrary, destroyed, a number of rich Jews were murdered and their
they will be remembered in the continuation properties confiscated, and for most of these people Israel
of the program of building, in the perpetua- remains the only hope of salvation and freedom.
tion of rescue plans for the children of Tunis
Thus, the Arab attacks have been leveled not only at
and Morocco and Yemen and Algeria. The Israel but also at Israel's kinsmen everywhere. The attacks
ingathering of the exiles is accompanied by on the Jews of Iraq, the threats to the security of Jews in
needless sacrifices. Yet the work goes on. Egypt, the unsafe conditions under which Jews live in Moslem
The job must be finished. The children who countries hold out a serious threat, and the need for taking
will follow. those who have been prevented these people out of the lands of their birth is apparent.
by death from seeing Israel will, in the
Arab politicans, however, are not satisfied with mere
knowledge of their mission, carry on the
attacks on their Jewish neighbors and their threats to Israel.
work. Blessed is the memory of the dead; They also are attempting to prejudice western countries
.blessed be the lives of those who build a against their Jewish citizens and to raise the false issue of
better future for the oppressed.
"dual allegiance" in their attacks upon Jewish spokesmen.
- In an effort to refute the charges of discrimination
and persecution in Iraq, Nathir A. Umari, attache of the Iraq
embassy in Washington; wrote a letter to the New York
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
Times in which he stated : "Zionist insistence on patronizing
'opens, Michigan Press Association.
Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature
Jewish nationals of certain states, for obvious motives, will
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association, Palcor
have the inevitable consequences of sacrificinc, the interests
News Agency.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
of Jewish minorities everywhere and giving substance to the
Ce. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
already current opinion that Zionist quarters claim the loyal-
Subscription $3 a year; foreign ;4.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
ty of Jewish citizens all over the world to Zion as superior to
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
their loyalty to the countries of which they are nationals."
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
It is clear that the motive of such a statement is to
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager
undermine confidence in Jewish citizens in democratic coun-
RUTH L. CASSEL, City Editor
tries. The falsehood in Umari's accusation is emphasized by
Vol. XVI—No. 12
Page 4
December 42, 1949
the lack of good taste in which his letter was written. He has
dragged the discussion of existing conditions in Iraq down
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
to the lowest level. Such attacks can be ignored and our
This Sabbath, the twelfth day of Kislev, 5710,
American fellow-citizens will surely understand the motives
the following Scriptural selections will be read
of Arab baseness, provided that Jews themselves do not fall
in our synagogues:
victims to their indecent arguments. A dignified Jewry can
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 28:10-32:3.
withstand abuse from reactionary Arab forces. The problem
Prophetical portion—Hos. 12:13-14:10 or 11:7-
is to prevent Jews themselves from becoming fooled by in-
12:12 or 11:7-14:10.
dignity and the bad manners of lying politici s.
Mr..
Milk

N.% YEVEGRAPN14 iyaNILKCY

Histadrut's Effective Program

-
Bad Manners of Arab Politic ians

THE JEWISH NEWS

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-'0,,IIMPAIr ,.4!

Scholarly Treatise

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Detroit Rabbi's Work Contains His-
Re-Discovery .of RAMBAM's
.Comments on Jesus

Dr. A. M. Hershman's translation from the
Hebrew of "The .Code of Maimonides: Bo o k
- Fourteen : The Book of Judges," published by
Yale University Press, Is a remarkably illumi-
nating book whose vahle is enhanced by clarify
of the tranSlation and the scholarly introdiid-
tion of the eminent Detroit rabbi.
Published as part, of a series of 15 volumes
dealing with "The Code of Maimonides," the
book translated by. Rabbi Hershman deals with
five treatises: Sanhedrin, Evidence, Rebels,
Mourning, and Kings and Wars. In every in-
stance, the wealth of information offered to the
English reader reveals the genius of the great
Jewish scholar and the advanced views he pro-
pounded 800 years ago.
The superbly humanitarian approaches in
Maimonides are outlined by Dr. Hershman. We
learn that "Maimonides was unalterably op-
posed to anything that smacks of superstitious
belief;" that he stressed the duty of visiting
the sick; that even the High Priest if he "coin- ,
mits a sin, he, like any other man, is adjudged
by a court-of-three to be flogged and is rein-
stated"; thus ad 'infinitum. To quote from this
work in proof of Maimonides' wisdom and sense
of justice would require endless space.
The section dealing with the Sanhedrin is of
particular value at this time in view of the re.-
newed discussion of the possible revival of the
ancient Jewish courts in Israel. Laymen as well
as lawyers will find a tremendous amount. of
valuable and interesting material in the see-
tion on Evidence. Justice would be speeded even
in the most .democratic courts if some of the
principleS - incorporated here were to be ap-
plied to our time.

Kings and Wars similarly contains many
basic principles which could be used for the
advancement of governments. There is a high
moral . note in the concluding two paragraph's
in this bocik:: •
." 'The Saj.es and Prophets did not long for the clays of

the Messiah that. Israel might exercise dominion over th#
World, or 'rule over the heathens, or be exalted by the
- tions, or that
might at and drink and rejoice. Their
.piration was .:that Israel be free to devote itself to the Law
anti its wisdoin, ;with- no one to oppress or disturb it, and
thus be worthy: of life in the world to come.
"In - That ..era• there will be neither famine nor war,
neithei jealoUS nor strife. Blessings will be abundan
t,
comforts withirr:the reach of all. The one preoccupation ;of /
.whole, World7will • be to know the Lord. Hence .Israeltee
i•
Will:, be -ye4 ;wise, they Will knew the things that are niiVvt
', concealed find will attain an • understanding of their (3reato.ir .
t^ .tlys capacity.-of the, human mind, as it is written,._
• Tor the earth shall be full" ofthe knowledge of thC LOid;'
as the waters cover the sea Is. 11:9)'."
-
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Dr. - Hershman's book has attracted 'riation-
wide attention as a result of his comments in hiS
introduction . on his rediscovery of an hither- :
to lost • passage in the writings of Maimonides
on the founder of Christianity. He points out
that "in the Vehice edition of the Oxford
Codex the greater 'part of the passage Mi
been expunged."

In this passage, quoted by Dr. Hershman,-
Maimonides maintained that Jesus "did not
meet with full success and was slain" and
therefore , was not the Messiah. Maimonides
is quoted as follows: "Even of Jesus of Naza-
reth, who imagined that he was the Messiak.
but was put to death by the court, Daniel had
prophesied, as it is written 'And the children
of the violent among thy people shall lift
themselves up to establish the vision; but they
shall stumble (Dan. 11:14).' For has there
ever been a greater stumbling than this? All
the Prophets affirmed that the Messiah would
redeem Israel, save them, gather their dis-
persed, and confirm the commandments. But
he caused ISrael to be destroyed by the sword,
their remnant to be dispersed and humiliated.
He was instrumental in changing the Torah
and causing the world to err and serve an-
other beside God. But it is beyond the human
mind to fathom the designs of the Creator;
for our ways are not His ways, neither are
our thoughts His thoughts. All these matters
relating to Jesus of Nazareth and the Ishmae- .
lite (Mohammed) who came after him, only -
served to clear the way for Bing Messiah, to
prepare the whole world to worship God with
one accord as it is written 'For then will I
turn to the peoples a pure language, that they
may all call upon the name of the Lord to
serve Him with one consent (Zeph. 3:9).'"

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Maimonides' statement, expunged by censors
of the Middle Ages, was found by Dr. Hershman

in an old manuscript that escaped censorial
attention. It was part of the treatise "The Book
of Judges" entitled "Laws Concerning Kings and
Wars" and formed the basis for the great Jewish
scholar's legal-theological discussion holding
that Jesus was not the Biblical Messiah.

Dr. Hershman states that he hopes to dis-
cuss the Maimonides passage on Jesus in a
special article. Christian and Jewish scholars
already have indicated a deep interest in the
subject he has raised and are encouraging
him to write the article as soon as possible.

An excellent translation, a thorough under-
standing of the codes of Maimonides, a rich
cultural background are revealed in Dr. Hersh-
man's approach to his task in the present work.
He has made another great contribution to Jew-

ish scholarship with his new work..
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