As the Editor
Views the News . .
Bring Them In!
Complete Poetic Works
of Noted Hebrew Writer
A Happy 1949
We are on the eve of another important
year. While international issues reached
boiling points during 1948, the New Year
1949 is being ushered in with hope that prob-.
lems among nations will be adjusted and that
peace will be assured through proper nego-
tiations within the framework of the United
Nations.
The controversy with Russia is not beyond
repair. The Middle East can be made peace-
ful and fruitful—provided that perfidy is
avoided. Through proper approaches, there
is no reason for abandoning hopes for peace
in other parts of the world.
Unless reactionary elements are permitted
to destroy our economy, there is no reason
for an interruption in the prosperity of our
country—the type of prosperity which should
inspire an economic upsurge throughout the
world.
Let us start 1949 with optimism, confident
that mankind must go forward, and we shall
have a Very Happy New Year.
A Case of Fright
Because of the involvement of a Jew as the
central character in the British Parliamen-
tary inquiry into alleged bribery of govern-
ment officials, serious concern is expressed
by the Jewish communities in Great Britain
over the possible effects of the case.
There is in evidence an unjust reaction to
Jewry in the British press. References to the
"Jewish oath" taken by witnesses with cov-
ered heads and other comments have left bad
tastes.
•In the course of the Parliamentary hear-
ings, it became necessary for the Attorney
General, Sir Hartley Shawcross, to make
these comments:
"There are some who think the matters un-
der investigation here, or some of them, in-
volved some reflection on the Jewish commun-
ity. That is an unfortunate, and as I submit,
an unjustified impression. The position surely
is this: If one has occasion to examine the
activities of any particular individual one
usually finds that his associates and acquain-
tances are mainly to be found in the same
community as himself.
"Possibly some of the Jews involved were
not of particularly good repute, but that af-
fords no basis or justification for an attack on
Jews generally. They form a valuable and
integral part of our community as a whole,
and I think that is something which should be
said."
It is sad enough that it was necessary for
the Prosecutor to say these things. But vast-
ly more disturbing is the fact that one of the
British political parties has become so fright-
ened by the charges in this case that it has
withdrawn from a Parliamentary contest the
name of a Jewish candidate. By yielding to
fear, already aggravated by . the British-
Israeli issue, basic principles are being sac-
rificed and justice is unduly abused.
There have been many occasions for doubts
and fears in British-Jewii!L ranks. Dr. Chaim
Weizmann relates in his autobiography,
"Trial and Errc.:<..," that the Jews in England
were frightened over their British loyalties
in the Uganda issue and that it took years to
bring them back to their practical Zionist
senses. More recently some Jews in England
were disturbed over the Palestinian situation
on the basis of their position as citizens. For-
tunately, the community as a whole handled
itself unusually well.
It is to be hoped that incidents of the na-
ture of the bribery case will not cause undue
fright among Jews. It is impossible to avoid
some semblance of law-breaking in a normal
community and there is no earthly reason
why Jews alone should be expected to pro-
duce only angels in their ranks. If we yield to
fear, we harm our position as citizens. By
avoiding fear, we help the community at
large.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Independent Jewish
Press Service. Seven Arts Feature Syndicate_ Palcor
agency, King Features. Central Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publish-
ing Co.. 2114 Penobscot Bldg.. Detroit 26. Mlch.. WO 5-1155
gaibscription. $3 a year: foreign. $4.
' Entered as second-class matter Aug 6. 1942. at Post Of-
fice. Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 3 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor
VOL. XIV—No. 16 Page 4 December 31, 1948
Sabbath Hanukah and Rosh .Hodesh Tebet
Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the thirtieth day of Kislev, 5709,
the following Scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions—Gen. 4:1-44:17; Num. 28
9 15, 7:42-53..
I: Prophetical portion—Zech. 2:14-4:7.
I . On Sunday, Hanukah and Rosh Hodesh Tebet,
Num. 28:1-15:7, 48-53 will be read during morning
services. On Monday, last day of Hanukah, Num.
:54-8:4 will be read.
-
4 7-
Malik in Translation
- Unity Alone Can Aid Israel
Israeli Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan's history-making
announcement of the floating of three important national
loans was accompanied by a disturbing statement.
Mr. Kaplan expressed the hope that it would be possible
to stabilize Israel's Treasury in this era of mounting needs,
especially in view of the last few financially difficult months
during which help from abroad had declined in comparison
with the contributions that were received during the summer
months.
This revelation must have come as a shock to zealous
American Jews into whose ears is being dinned the constant-
ly repeating appeal of "aid Israel . . . aid Israel" . . .
Mr. Kaplan makes it clear that the Jewish Agency has
not received enough funds from abroad to cover the cost of
absorbing new immigrants; that Israel's already over-bur-
dened population is carrying the brunt of responsibility in
welcoming the liberated Jews from displaced persons camps;
and that it is hoped that contributions will increase in the
months to come.
If it is not yet clear to American Jewry that the United
Jewish Appeal is the major, all-inclusive fund-providing
project upon which Israel depends for possibly 98 per cent
of its income for the settlement of hundreds of thousands of
immigrants, then let it be stated again.
There are many worthy causes which supplement the
UJA income. But without the UJA Israel would not be able
to subsist and the Jewish State could not have welcomed the
nearly 120,000 Jews who settled in,Medinat Israel during 1948.
Having expressed . anxiety over the availability of funds,
Mr. Kaplan has given American Jews something to think
about. We can't continue to. shout "aid Israel" slogans as
long as the ranks of Israel are split on too many fund-raising
fronts. If some of the divisive drives are responsible for the
slackening of fund-raising on the major front, it is time for
an accounting of our efforts and for re-evaluation of our
needs. If the diminution of funds is due to other conditions,
then community spokesmen .must pool_ their thinking and
their resources to assure for Israel the vast sums that are
needed to complete the job of liquidatinF, the DP camps and
of establishing an economically strong Jewish State.
The coming year will be a crucial one for Israel. In 1948,
the Jewish State won the fight on the battlefront; in 1949,
Israel must establish itself securely in the. industrial sphere
in addition to being assured of means for defense. This can
be accomplished—provided we work together. But if we di-
vide our energies, Israel—the People and the State—will be
harmed.- Since none of us would consciously harm Israel, an
of us must cooperate in our fund-raising efforts in behalf. of
Israel.
Will Perfidy Never End?
Conditions in all areas of the Middle East remain related.
The renewal of warfare in the Negev, which resulted from
Egyptian attacks on Israeli forces, came as a result of a vacil-
lating United Nations' policy. Had the UN 'taken a strong
stand, Egypt would not have dared flaunt international
authority and we might, today, have had successful peace
negotiations.
Events in the Negev and in other Middle Eastern
territories are inspired, in the main, by the anti-Israeli atti-
tude of the present Bevin-controlled British Labor Govern-
ment. Cyprus and its horrible concentration camps for Jews
seeking admission to Israel are examples - of British perfidy.
The most shocking example of disregard for international
public opinion is Britain's insistence upon the perpetuation
of the Cyprus camps. Decribing conditions in Cyprus, in a
radio address heard in New York from Tel Aviv, Morris
Laub, Joint Distribution Committee director on Cyprus,
stated:
What - is life in Cyprus like? The first thing you should learn
is that the camps are, in effect, a prison—figuratively and liter-
ally so. The area in which the camps are situated is surrounded
by three rows of barbed wire, 10 feet high, spaced at intervals of
100 yards or so by watchtowers manned by armed guards both
day and night, whose orders are to shoot to kill anyone who at-
tempts to escape, and since Cyprus is a prison, some detainees
have made attempts to escape, even at the risk of death. Only
a few weeks ago, a youg- man, Shlomo Chaimson, whose wife is
in Israel, made that attempt and he `vas shot dead 30 feet from
the fence. In his pocket was a telegram announcing the birth of
his only son, two days earlier.
Such experiences can be multiplied a thousand-fold. It is
the perpetuation of Nazi tactics. Failure to stop such in-
decency is an indication. of the weakness of the United
Nations in its . present form. Will perfidy never end?
Histadruth Ivrith of America (165 W.' 46th St.,
New York 19) has made a departure from its
previous policy of publishing all its works in He-
brew. By publishing "The Complete Poetic
Works" of Hay-yim Nab-
man Bialik in an English
translation, it enters a
new field of activity. That
this effort is eminently
worthy is evident from
the text itself, the excel-
lent • translations, the
able editorship and the
illustrations.
Thus, four factors
combine to make this a
great work:
1. The poems by the
great Hebrew poet Lau-
reate.
2. The splendid illus-
trations by the noted ar-
tist, Lionel S. Reiss.
3. The fine work of
H. N. Bialik.
the editor of this volume,
Dr. Israel Efros, who wrote the introductions.
4. The superb translations by the following:
Ben Aronin, Bertha Beinkinstadt, Mortimer I.
Cohen, Harry H. Fein, R. J. Feiwel, Reginald V.
Feldman, Helena . Frank, Florence Louie Fried-'
man, Grace .Golden, Leon M. Herbert, Abraham
M. Klein, I. M. Lask, Philip M. Raskin, Nina Sala-
man, Jessie Sampter, Maurice Samuel, L. V.
Snowman, Alexander Alan Steinbach.
While, in all- honesty, the editor in his
introduction quotes Bialik's comment on
translations—"He who reads his people's lit-
erature in translation is like one who kisses
his mother's face through a veil"—the reader
of this collection is certain to express the
wish that there were more such marvelous
works to be kissed through veils.
Some of the poems are very long. "The Scroll
of Fire" occupies 45 pages. The famous poem, "The
Matmid" is 21 pages- long. There are many short
ones. But, long or short, all are inspiring and en-
chanting. The entire collection breathes with the
spirit of the magnetic genius of the great author.
Whether it is "The City of Slaughter" or "To a
Bird," the charm and power of Bialik are in evi-
dence in every line in this volume.
There is universality, humanity, justice, ap-
peals to reason and to the Maccabean spirit in
this great work. Bialik becomes a reality in these
pages for those readers for whom he was hitherto
a myth—because he wrote in Hebrew—and who
waited for this complete collection- of his poems
in a good English translation.
The Outpouring of the Soul
Late Dr. Hertz s Superb
Daily Jewish Prayer Book
A Daily Prayer Book in itself is no longer a
book to call for review. But when a Prayer Book
carries Notes and ComMentaries by so eminent a
scholar as the late Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz
of the British Empire,
it becomes "a great his-
torical work on Jewish
liturgy," as the publish-
ers — Bloch Publishing
Co., New York—refer to
this magnificent 1,142-
page volume.
This first American
revised edition of the
Hertz edited Daily Pray-
er Book contains the He-
brew text, English trans-
lations and the commen-
Late Dr. Hertz
taries.
It is interestingly noted that Dr. Hertz, who
did not live to see the completion of this great
work, nevertheless had completed all -proof cor-
rections and the last topic he checked was "Con-
fession on Death-Bed" on page 1064.
The introductory essay is a masterful evalua-
tion of the paramount importance of prayer.
Hebrew prayer is described as free from incan-
tations, as a true "outpouring of the soul." Te-
fillah is interpreted, as "self-examination," as "an
invocation of God as judge," as "an appeal for
justice."
A life-time effort is in evidence throughout
the Prayer Book. Each topic is ably translated
and in every instance the commentaries help the
reader and worshipper understand the text and
ther'efore feel more deeply its . spiritual signifk-
cance.
The notes on "Pirke Aboth" ("Sayings of the
Fathers") represent genuine scholarship. The
Prayer Book's all-inclusiveness is impressive.
Incorporation in it of the "Selection From Jewish
Moralists" should serve as a guide to Jews and
non-Jews in causing them to recognize the genius
of Jewry's ethical leaders and teachers.
This Prayer Book is a superb work. Everyone
who possesses it surely must feel enriched.
Facts You Should Know
Why do we have to wear hats or "Yar-
mulkes" when we are eating or in the house?
We do not find this custom mentioned in the
Bible except for the fact that a cap was part of
the dress for the priests in the Temple (Ex. 39:28).
It might be in order to say that every man should
consider his home a temple and his table an altar.
Every man is hence a priest as we are all together
a "kingdom of priests," and so each of us should
wear a head-gear to cover our heads "while eating
or in the house." Observant Jews, however, keep
their heads covered at all times.
The origin for this adherence is found in the
Talmud (Trcatate Kiddushin 31a) where we are
told that Ray Huna, the son of Rabbi Joshua,
never walked four steps without his head uncov-,
ered, because, as he put it "the Divine Presence
is above .me." Only a few pages further the Tal-
mud relates that "Ravina was once sitting to-
gether with Rabbi Jeremiah of Difta when a bare-
headed man passed by. Ravina thereupon ex-
claimed: 'See hqw irreverent that man must bet '
"