THE JEWISH NEWS
Let's Keep That Door Open
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers. Michigan 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.
simmovrrz.
PHILIP
Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager
RUTH L. CASSEL. City Editor
Vol. XVII—No. 3
By LEON GUTTERMAN
Page 4
March 31, 1950
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
(Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
This Sabbath, the fourteenth day of Nisan,
5710, known as the Great Sabbath, the follow-
ing Scriptural Selections will be read in our Syn-
agogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 6:1-8:36.
Prophetical portion—Ma. 3:4-24; or II Kings
7:3-20.
Passover Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: First day, Sunday, Ex.
12:21-51, NUM. 28:16-25; second day, Monday,
Lev. 22:26-23:44, Nurn. 28:16-25.
Prophetical portions: Sunday,' Josh. 3:5-7;
5:2-6:1; Monday, II Kings 23:1 (or 4)-9;2:25.
Chol Ha7noed Passover Scriptural selections:
Num. 28:19-25 is read each day in addition to:
Tuesday, Es. 13:1-16; Wednesday, Ex. 22:24-
23:19; Thursday, Ex. 34:1-26; Friday, Nurn. 9:
1-24.
A Shocking Situation
Memories of the race riots on Peoria
Street, .Chicago, were reawakened by the de-
cision of Judge Joseph H. McGarry, who last
week discharged the last of the young men
who were charged with causing the distur-
bances.
Judge McGarry said that the disturbances
were "the result of a miserable conspiracy
hatched and put into effect by a small but
highly organ vocal band of subversive
agent;, professinnal agitators and sabo-
tenes, ,, and that thepurpose was to discredit
the city, --its police \department, and the
courts and the people\.of the affected dis-
trict.
Covom Institute for American D•moctocy,
Our Festival of Freedom
In spite of its age, the Passover message is as new today
as it was nearly 3,500 years ago when the great drama dur-
ing history's first struggle for freedom was enacted.
The first Passover was a revolt against tyranny and
oppression. Blessed with the brilliant leadership of Moses,
Jews left the land of slavery and set out in search for the
Promised Land of liberty and opportunity.
Since the first Passover, many revolts for liberty took
place, and to this day people who fall victims to the whims
of tyrants find it necessary to rebel against injustice. -
But the Chicago Sun-Times felt differ-
Such a revolt took place only two years ago when Jews,
ently about it. In an edito/W entitled "A
refusing
ever again to become victims of oppression, under-
Judge Needs Education," th,. Sun-Times
maintains that the police departntient needed- took to establish a state. The rise of Israel marked, in
education last November and that. the judge effect, a repetition of the Passover theme of 3,500 years ago.
needs it now. After examining the transcript Under able leadership, with a strong will, Jews who were
of testimony, the Sun-Times maintains: stateless and defenseless struck a blow for independence and
"Judge McGarry could have verified that won their fight against great odds.
testimony, if he needed to, by consulting the
records of the police department. The record
Thus, the Passover story continues, and as we shall read
shows that the city government recognized in the Passover Hagadah:
the racial character and origin of the dis-
"In every generation each individual is bound to regard
turbance at the time it was going on. Judge
himself
as if he personally had gone forth from Egypt, as is
McGarry's conclusion that the whole affair
was a miserable conspiracy, hatched and
said: 'And thou shalt relate to thy son that day, saying, this
put into effect by .. . subversive agents' sim-
is on account of what the Eternal did for me, when I went forth
ply does not square with the facts. His will-
from Egypt.' It was not our ancestors alone whom the most
ingness to believe that fairy story betrays a
Holy, blessed be He, redeemed from Egypt, but us also did he
miserable ignorance. His erroneous state-
redeem with them."
ment from the bench betrays a reckless dis-
regard for the public welfare."
The freedoms which were attained by the Israelites of
old established the foundations for democracy. They con-
While prominent leaders have come .to Ainue to serve as a pattern for all libertarians everywhere.
the conclusion that the Peoria Street riots
For the Jewish people, which is gathering in 'gratitude
were anti-Negro and anti-Jewish in nature,
Judge McGarry saw fit, to whitewash the -.for the Sedorim, Passover is more than a .pattern. It is an
group charged with the offenses. - Rabbi endless challenge which binds us to our duties to those
Morton M. Berman, president of the Chicago . .: whose liberties --are not secure. If we rejoice in our free-
Division of the American. Jewish CongreSs, doms earnestly, we must be equally as determined that no
called the judge's opinion a "dangerous .en 7 one else should suffer want. If we understand the true value
couragement advocate of 'Violence" over - • of liberty, we must recognize that none can remain free as
racial and religious prejudice, and urged that "-long as his fellOwmen are threatened with want either for
bread or a roof over hislioad or the means for defending his
there be an appeal against the decision dis
life.
missing the offenders._
Thus, a serious problem is becoming
much more serious as time goes on. It is
fortunate that, in condemning Judge Mc-
Garry's verdict, Waitsti'll H. Sharo, director
of the Chicago Council Against Racial and
Religious Discrimination, made it clear that
his group "will continue its fight against
racial and religious bigotry." The fight must
go on. everywhere to prevent the recurrence
of the horrible riots in Chicago for which,
as we already pointed out, there is only one
description : POGROM.
Truman to Beth El
President Truman's message on the oc-
casion of Temple Beth El's 100th anni-
versary, which was addressed to Dr. B.
Benedict Glazer, urged the great Detroit
Reform congregation "ever to bear witness
to the ancient culture which Israel gave to
all the world."
This sentiment fitted in admirably with
the theme of the historic celebration here
which placed emphasis on re-dedication by
the Jewish community to its ideals. In the
spirit in which Temple Beth El marked the
conclusion of its first 100 years, we are jus-
tified in looking forward to even more not-
able advances in the decades to come.
Darryl Zanuck Has
Unique Position As
Honored Non-Jew
In this respect, the Passover of 5710 is no different -from
the Passovers of yesteryears. • Our responsibilities remain
great. We dare not rest until the, brave men and women
who only a short time ago re-created their nationhood be-
come secure in their new state. In our satiation with food,
especially in this land of plenty, we must 'give thought to
the needs of those whose supplieS of the necessities for life
are limited. .
Possession of freedom must never be interpreted as a
right to shirk duties, to free .oneself from obligations to his
fellow men. That is not freedom but abuse of privilege.
Free men do not oppress others. They strive for equal
opportunities for all. Therefore free men must battle as
valiantly for the rights of their neighbors as they would
for their own, else their own security is at stake; for, a
world divided—half slave and half free—can never survive.
American Jews have a great responsibility on this
Passover in the year 5710: they must re-dedicate themselves
anew to the task of guaranteeing the freedom of their fellow
Jews. Since this task, in behalf of the unfortunates who
are being gathered from lands of darkness, can only be
accomplished in Israel, the major duty is to the United Jewish
Appeal which provides the means for the rebuilding of
broken lives.
Fortunately, we are not required to make serious sac-
rifices. All we are asked is to give liberally. The Allied
Jewish Campaign is the Detroit instrument for the action
we have described for free men. We pray that men of
courage and freedom should never fail in their duties. If
we adhere to our responsibilities properly, we shall indeed
have a very happy Passe ver.
HOLLYWOOD--It is no small matter for any
non-Jew to be singled out year after year by
Hollywood Jewry as having made the outstand-
ing contribution of a private individual to his
country, to the brotherhood of man and to the
betterment of inter-racial unity.
But Motion Picture Producer Darryl F. Za-
nuck of the 20th Century-Fox studio merits this
distinction because he has pushed forward the
frontiers of this great art by striving year after
year to prove that fine entertainment can also
be significant and purposeful. In doing so he
has earned for himself the greatest of Jewish
accolades—that of being Hollywood's Jewry's
most honored non-Jew.
Many honors have came his way. Our gov-
ernment has recognized his wartime service to
our country. The motion picture industry has
given him the highest awards at its disposal in
tribute to his dramatic genius. Yet one honor
he is most proud of is that which the Jewish
men and women of the film industry have given
him—that of being the outstanding leader
among those in the forefront of the fight for
justice and tolerance for all our people.
Throughout his years in the motion picture •
industry, Darryl Zanuck has consistently made
pictures Which only a man of unflinching cour-
age would dare to make. They were pictures
which spoke out against oppression, injustice,
intolerance. Pictures which sought to create bet-
ter understanding and feeling between nations
and races, between man and his fellow man: "I
Was a Fugitive From A Chain Gang," "The
House of Rothschild," "The Grapes of wrath,*
"How Green Was My Valley," "Wilson," "Gen-
tleman's Agreement," "Pinky," "Snake Pit" and
"Twelve O'Clock High."
Zanuck has been and is still a pioneer and
leader in the highest ideals of motion picture
production. The fact that his pictures have
been financial and professional successes has
many times been only incidental to the more
important fact that they carried a socially sig-
nificant message.
Zanuck is one of the few film leaders who has
made his name known outside of Hollywood. He
has given motion pictures a significance and an
importance in the world that they've never before
enjoyed. As rich and famous as he is, he is still
leading an intensely busy but intensely happy
life; still making an eager but unselfish search
for knowledge, human betterment, inter-racial
understanding and justice for all our people.
Freehof's New Book Reads
Like the Bible's Biogrqphy -
PREFACE TO SCRIPTURE. By Solomon B. Freehof. - T. D. ,.
Union of Arneri•nn Hebrew Congregat ions, Cs n.i nnati:
Reviewed by ISRAEL BETTAN,, Professor of .
Homiletics, HebreW Union College, Cincinnati
It is as a biography of the Bible that "Preface
to Scripture" can best be read and appreciated.
The book opens with a kind of prologue, in
which_ the impact of the Bible on the careers
of nations and races. and on the individual lives
of humble men and women is vividly portrayed.
This impressive prelude, compressed into barely.
ten pages, is followed by a brief account of the..
birth of the Bible, its early form, its growth, its .
rise to full stature. Then comes a graphic. de-.
scription of the way in which the guardians of
the Law sought to protect the body of the Bible
from any - possible injury..
'We then see the Bible , make its appearance
in the synagogue, 'beeoming an important ele-
ment of Jewish worship and a close companion
of the' worshippers. Multitudes of men, thus.
having' come to know the Bible intimately, •soon-..
began to think its thoughts and speak its lan,: •
guage. People and Book joined hands in undy,
ing loyalty.
Here Dr. Freehof pauses to tell us of the
descendants of the Bible, its literary offspring.
For the Bible had a numerous progeny. Mid- •
rash, Mishnah, Talmud, all owed their exist-
ence to the written word of the Bible. How
the .ancient rabbis derived their own views-
and practices from the text of the Scriptures -
is clearly and concisely demonstrated by the
author. •
The faithful biographer is not satisfied with
merely relating the personal adventures of his
hero; he would also delve into his character,
unveil the true qualities of his nature. It is to
this part of his task that Dr. Freehof devotes
the larger portion of his book.
Dr. Freehof, instead of dissecting the ideas
of the Bible, summons its various Books to
appear in turn on a public platform, so to speak.
As each of the Books makes its appearance, our
author gives it an appropriate introduction and
lets it rehearse its most characteristic lines,
with its customary passion and eloquence.
"Preface to Scripture" is a book from which
all classes of readers will derive much knowledge
and inspiration. It is particularly well adapted
to the needs of Bible classes and study groups.
As a key to the Scriptures, Dr. Freehof's work
has a unique quality which few readers will fail
to note. Lovers of the Bible will be grateful to
the Commission - on Jewish Education of the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations for
having made this excellent book available.