As the Editor
Views the News
Ingathering of Exiles'
I. Shai, director general of the Israeli
Ministry of Information, made an interest-
ing prediction. On "Yom Kibutz Galuyot"—
the Day of the Ingathering of the Exiles—
he stated in Tel Aviv. that in 1950 the entire
Jewish populations of Poland, Germany,
Czechoslovakia, Tripolitania and Yemen will
emigrate to the Jewish state.
The Door She Must Enter
HUN
RIGHTS
FOR
ALL
Bulgarian Jewry already has been trans-
ported almost in its entirety to Israel. Upon
his return from Europe and the United
States, Mr. Shai reported that 300 Jews are
leaving France every month for Israel and
that 6,000 North African Jews are waiting in
Marseilles for transportation in the Jewish
state.
Thus starts the settlement of the second
million of Jews in Israel. Dr. Chaim Weiz-
mann, president of the infant state, pointed
out that this migration is not transitory;
that it is a progressive development, "since'
not one but many millions are imperative
for the survival of our state."
These facts must be taken into considera-
tion by American Jews who are asked to
participate in the historic effort in Israel by
sending technical men to assist in the great
reconstruction efforts.
Israel is not forgetting the millions of
martyrs who died at the hands of the Nazis
and the men, women and children who per-
ished on their way to Israel—the passengers
of th4 Patria, Struma and Salvatore and the
Mauritius and Cyprus exiles. On "Yom
Kibutz Galuyot" eight torches were carried
by sea, land and air from northern Tel Hai
to southern Elath (Aqaba) to commemorate
the settlement of the first million Jews.
Scrolls of the Law from destroyed Jewish
communities were transferred to Israeli
synagogues where special thanksgiving
prayers were chanted.
In the Jerusalem and Negev areas, new
settlements are being established, and_ the
links that are binding together all ends of
Israel are emerging as a reassurance that
the builders of the Jewish state know their
objectives.
These are collective symbols of under-
takings to put an end to the homelessness
of Jews and to the destruction of their final
links with lands of oppression. To make
this effort real, American Jews owe an im-
portant share in the work of redemption.
The coming year will be a test of our ability
to match the heroism of the builders of the
Fourth Jewish Commonwealth.
Democracy at Work
.The Jewish Welfare Federation is pub-
licWng an important announcement.
Having made public the nominees for
the board of governors to be voted upon
at the annual meeting on Feb. 15, the Feder-
ation makes known to the community at
large that, in accordance with its by-laws,
other nominations may be made by petitions
to be presented to the Federation office a
month prior to the election.
- This has been ruled proper democratic
action by decision of the Federation elec-
torate at the annual meeting in 1948. Those
who -desire to present nominations supple-
mentary to the selectees of the nominating
committee have ample opportunity to do so,
by securing the required 25 signatures for
each additional nominee. There is nothing
to stand in the way of true democratic
action in our community, unless the com-
plainants themselves—if there are any—fail
to make use of their rights as voters for
Federation directors.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
pr,pers. Michigan Press Association.
Services: Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Seven Arts Feature
Syndicate, King Features, Central Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
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 SLOMOV1TZ. Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager
RUTH L. CASSEL, City Editor
Vol. XVI—No. 16 Page 4 December 30, 1949
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the tenth day of Tebeth, 5710,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 44:18-47:27.
Prophetical portion—Ezek. 37:15-28.
ittlitrrtvOtlitittolt
-.
1950-Year of Consecration'
American Heritage Foundation, which conducted the
Freedom Train tour, has suggested that every American
should "stop making resolutions" and instead observe 1950
as a "Year of Consecration" to our heritage of freedom.
"Let's stop just making resolutions to be better citi-
zens," said Thomas D'Arcy Brophy, president of the Ameri-
can Heritage Foundation. "Let's get out and work every
day of the year as full-time citizens. Don't let us risk losing
our freedom. Let's get out and vote. Let's take time to join
civic organizations, and speak our minds. Let's serve gladly
on juries. Let's take part in union, school or stockholders'
meetings. Let's work actively for community improvements.
These are rights which are fundamental to freedom. With-
out them we are no longer free men, We inherited freedom
from our forefathers. But never forget that they won our
freedom at a cost of untold sacrifice, that we will lose these
freedoms unless we each observe all our duties as active
citizens."
In cooperation with the Advertising Council, the Heri-
tage Foundation suggests that each community program
during 1950 be divided into three phases : 1. a Week of Con-
secration, with events for all groups in the community, simi-
lar to the Week of Rededication held in more than 500 cities
durino. the Freedom Train tour; 2. a year-long community
effort b to examine and restate in terms of today's needs, the
ideals of our American heritage and the rights and responsi-
bilities of American citizenship ; 3. a campaign of education
and special events to promote' better citizenship through
events tied in with our major national holidays.
These- proposals present challenges to all Americans
who must carry individual responsibility for effective pro-
grams to guarantee the perpetuation of true American ideals.
Protection of our own freedoms should lead also to the
spread of freedom through the world, to the eradication of
Nazism, to the elimination of prejudices in our midst.
In the best interests of our sacred freedoms, we extend
best wishes for a happy 1950 to all.
The UJA Christian Committee
Establishment of the National Christian Committee for
the UJA, under the chairmanship of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jr. ; came at a time when the UJA needed further encourage-
ment in setting up machinery for the approaching 1950
campaign to raise a minimum of $272,455,800 to meet the
needs in Israel and Europe and to assist in -the settlement of
refugees in this country.
The declaration that the new committee will "help rally
Americans of all faiths behind the UJA" was interpreted by
Henry Morgenthau Jr., UJA's general chairman, as repre-
senting "no greater act of Christian brotherhood than help-
ing in the task of rescuing and rehabilitating hundreds of
thousands of Jews 147-ho were left homeless and destitute as
a result of World War II."
Meanwhile, the Los. Angeles Jewish community pre-
sented a check of $3,000,000 as an advance gift towards its
1950 obligations and Berl Locker, chairman of the Jewish
Agency, in accepting it, pointed out : "It took Israel 60 years
to develop into a nation of 1,000,000 Jews. With the help of
American Jews, we shall gather in and . absorb another mil-
lion people in the next five or six years."
Philadelphia has allocated $5,041,000 to the UJA from
its 1949 drive„ and at Miami Vice-President Alben W. Bark-
ley, launching a UJA campaign, paid tribute to Israel as an
"outpost of democracy." The Vice-President called the UJA
"more than a Jewish problem—it is a humanitarian problem"
and made this additional emphatic statement:
"Israel is not financially stroll°. enough to provide for
the newcomers who are coming in at b the rate of some 200,000
a year. It is not strong enough to take care of the immi-
grants alone, to provide housing, hospitals, to care for the
children and to reclaim the land and prepare it for settle-
ment. We must help the Jewish state because Israel is not
economically strong enough at the present time to meet
these needs."
Grouped together, the formation of the National Chris-
tian Committee for the UJA, the efforts of Jewish com-
munities and the declarations of Vice-President Barkley
are important advance indications of a most significant
American effort to help in Israel's upbuilding. We pray that
all our communities should live up fully to the obligations.
'Book of Splendor'
Prof. Scholem Presents
Stirring Story of lobar'
Schocken Library's latest product, "Zohar-
The Book of Splendor," selected and edited by
the world's outstanding authority on the sub-
ject of Jewish mysticism, is one of the most in-
teresting and enlightening volumes of its kind
published in recent years.
The editor of this volume, Prof. Gerschom
Scholem of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem,
writing on the Zohar, which has been pronounc-
ed as Kabbalah's profoundest achievement, pre..
sents not only some very illuminating selections
. from the Zohar but also a lengthy explanation
of the great work.
Although, as he describes the Zohar's his-
torical setting, in his introduction, "the book
of Zohar lies before us in some measure inacces-
sible and silent, as befits a work of secret wis-
dom," the reader will find himself in closer un-
derstanding of it after reading Prof. Scholem'S
explanatory essay.
Prof. Scholem points out that the Zohar,
"having succeeded in establishing itself for three
centuries, from 1500 to 1800, as a source of doc-
trine and revelation equal in authority to the
Bible and the Talmud, and of the same can-
onical rank," arose as a prerogative that can
be claimed by no other work of Jewish litera-
ture." After two centuries of profound influence
it began to lose its effectiveness, vanished en-
tirely for a time and "it was only at the end of
the 18th century that the Jewish Enlightenment
again brought it into prominence, seeking to
make it an active force in its own struggle."
There are interesting explanations of the lit-
terary value of the Zohar and important refer-
ences to the origin and authorship of the book.
Particular emphasis is placed on the work of
Moses de Leon and the important role he played
in the Kabbalah movement.
The selections in this small volume contain
stirring passages picturing the wonders of crea-
tion. exile and redemption, the hidden meaning
of the Torah, etc.
This Schocken volume is one of the most irf-
teresting and inspiring in the, entire valuable
Schocken Library collection.
Bible and Art
Compelling Combination
In Old Testament Stories
"In Our Image: Character Studies from the
Old Testament," a deluxe art work published by
Oxford University Press, will impress the reader
both from the literary point of view as well as
its artistic character.
Houston Harte is the editor of the volume
who has selected 26 stories from the King James
version of the Bible. Kent Cooper is the author
of "A Layman and His Idea," the foreword to
this work. The 32 color paintings are by Guy
Rowe.
Cooper's foreword offers interesting comment
on the James Biblical version. His essay is
a magnificent comment both on the Biblical
contents of "In Our Image" as well as on its art
work.
The impressive color paintings depict Crea-
tion, Adam and Eve, Noah and. his Wife, Abra-
ham, Jacob's Blessing, Jacob Becomes Israel, JO.;
seph and his Brethren, Moses and the Burning
Bush, Moses and the Tablets, Balaam, Joshua,
Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Ruth and Naomi,
Saul Annointed, Saul Denounced, David and Jon-
athan, David , and Nathan, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, The- Fiery Furnace, Nebuchadnezzar's
Dream, Amos, God Is Our Refuge.
In its totality, this is a most impressive work.
The Biblical stories are well selected and the
volume is ably edited.
It is questionable whether the art paintings
will merit the endorsement of the traditional
orthodox Jew. The • bare head, the extreme pas-
sion and torment, the ultra-realism may find
protest in some hearts.
In effect, however, the artist has painted
strong characters, in some instances impelling
and dominating.
Artists and Biblical students will find this
work of extreme interest and great value.
Facts You Should Know .
Why is it customary to place broken pieces
of earthenware over the eyes and mouth of the
corpse before burial takes place?
Originally, burial was supposed to take place
directly in the earth. Since caskets are used to-
day the broken pieces of earthenware grant the
corpse direct contact with something that stems
from the sail. Some read into the custom the
symbolism that man's life is compared by • the
Bible to a "broken dish" which crumbles in the
hands of a - higher power.
*
*
Why is it customary to conduct a procession
through the streets under a wedding canopy
when dedicating a new Torah?
The Midrash claims that the day upon which
the Lord gave Moses the finished Torah was "like
the day a bride is gathered under the nuptial
canopy." The union of the Torah and Israel iS
very often compared to the union of bride and
groom. Therefore, the union of a congregation
and its new Torah is comparable to a wedding
and so the Torah is escorted into the synagogue
by a procession, just as a couple about to be
married is escorted to the canopy.