As the Editor
Views the News ..

The Necessary Bridge

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4

Setback to Good-Will

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Lewis A. Wilson, acting New York State
Commissioner of Education, has issued a
far-reaching decision in which he ruled that
it is illegal to hold a public school baccalau-
reate service. His opinion was that such
services are religious in character and there-
fore are forbidden by the state constitution
and the practice has been to hold such serv-
ices in churches, limiting attendance to chil-
dren on a volunteer basis.

In itself, Mr. Wilson's ruling sounds logi-
cal and within the traditions of this land to
keep our schools intact on a non-sectarian
basis, within the framework of separating
church and state. The incident which forced
Mr. Wilson's opinion, however, marks a set-
back to the good-will movements in this
country and to inter-faith activities in com-
munities throughout the land.

Mr. Wilson was called upon to rule on a
decision of the board of the Central School
of Somers, N. Y., which would have per-
mitted Rabbi Solomon Kahn Kaplan and the
Rev. Joseph L. Germeck, pastor of .a Prot-
estant Episcopal Church, to participate in
a baccalaureate service on June 18, in spite
of the protests of a Catholic priest.

The Rt. Rev. Edward V. Dargin, the Ro-
man Catholic priest, stated in his letter of
protest to the school authorities: "Our ob-
jection to the annual religious baccalaureate
service for the Catholic, Protestant and
Jewish students is that Catholics are for-
bidden by Canon 1258 of the Code of Canon
Law of our church to *actively participate
in the religious services of non-Catholics."

The Rev. Germeck was bitter in his re-
ply in which he called the effort to abolish
the baccalaureate service "most tragic,"
stating:

"Not only does this action of the Roman
church deliberately stress the division of the
Christian church, but it effectually empha-
sizes the differences between Jew and Gentile.
The great strides made in recent years toward
understanding of another religion would be
seriously harmed. It is a travesty on the good-
ness of Almighty God that any one can main-
tain the impossibility of Jew and Gentile to
stand together to call down God's blessing on
a group of young people. To attack the serv-
ice on theological grounds is simply a cover to
hide some deeper meaning. Such a service, is
not held in a church. There is no teaching }
no ritual, no creed, no vestments."

The latter statement has borne fruit.
Ferdinand T. Sopkins, chairman of the
Somers school board, has announced that
the baccalaureate service will be held in
spite of the decision by Mr. Wilson, thus
making the controversy a matter for the
courts to decide,

The controversy has deeper meaning in
this respect : If Catholics, Protestants and
Jews can not get together on a non-sectari-
an, non-ritual basis, then the entire move-
ment for inter-faith cooperation is endan-
gered. But there is an even more important
issue involved : the elimination of all types
of religipus services from our schools. In this
respect, Mr. Wilson's ruling is the only
proper one. If conflicts among the numerous
creeds which make up our population are to
be avoided, all pretexts which would en-
courage disputes must be eliminated. Only
by avoiding the introduction of religious
teachings in our schools and by keeping
schools and churches completely separated
will we be able to protect the basic principles
of our democracy which is based on hu-
manitarian, non-sectarian ideals without be-
ing influenced either by church or mosque
or synagogue.

THE JEWISH NEWS

Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
pi.pers. Michigan Press Association.
Publishes every Friday by The J ewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1156.
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit. Mich.. under Act of Mardi 8. 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ. Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager
RUTH L. CASSEL. City Editor

Vol. XVII — No. 14

Page 4

June 16, 1.950

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the second day of Tammuz,
5710, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogUes:
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 16:1-18:32.
Prophetical portion—I Sam. 11:14-12:22,

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A/W$314 T11 ► 1411APtti, A GRALY .

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Serious Challenge to U.S. Jewry

This Jewish Telegraphic Agency cable from Jerusalem
must be clothed in a heavy black border in order that it
should receive its full significance :

JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Just at a time when the pros-
pects for the migration of large number of Jews from East
European countries to Israel are becoming brighter, the
Jewish Agency and the Israel Government are compelled—
because of financial reasons—to limit the number of im-
migrants entering Israel to 12,500 a month.
This was reported at a meeting of the joint immigra-
tion coordinating board established by the Jewish Agency
and the Israel Government. It is understood that the Ro-
manian Government has agreed to permit all Israel-bound
immigrants who obtained exit visas last month to leave on
Israel ships.

If the time has come to limit immigration to Israel,
then we must declare it a period of mourning.
If immigration is being limited, it is clearly being done
contrary to the wishes of the people of Israel.
What about US ?
•
For more than 30 years, American Jewry has been ac-
tive politically and philanthropically in behalf of the move-
ment for the restoration of the Land of Israel to the People
Israel.
Since the re-establishment of Israel, the supplies which
have hitherto been sent to assist in the settlement of large
numbers of Jewish survivors from persecutions and oppres-
sions have been diminishing. •
The decision of the joint immigration coordinating
board, if it is to be permitted to stand, will mean that Is-
rael will receive, during the coming year, not 250,000 new
settlers=as originally envisioned—but only 150,000.
This will mean that all the Iraqi Jews who are per-
mitted to emigrate will not be able to enter the land; that
the Romanian Jews, awaiting an opportunity to escape the
Iron Curtain barriers, will continue to languish in their
present surroundings, and that others, willing to pioneer
in Israel, will be deprived of that opportunity.
The only reason for the new condition is the lack of
funds—the "financial reasons"—the drop in income for the
United Jewish Appeal in this country.
Surely, this is not the last word. American Jewry, having
written a golden chapter in the history of Israel's upbuild-
ing, can retain the glory of -partnership in the most romantic
episode in all history.
American Jewry can keep Israel's doors open for un-
limited immigration. There is still time to act—through
augmented funds for the UJA.

Much Too Explosive' Situation

Returning from Europe where he made a study of the
displaced persons' problem, J. Donald Kingsley, director gen-
eral of the International Refugee Organization, reported that
143,000 refugees from Poland, the Baltic countries, Ukrainia,
Czechoslovakia and Hungary will be among the first groups
to be placed under German and Austrian control next month.
He also reported that some Jews will be placed under the
Austrian administration but emphasized that no Jewish DPs
in Germany will be placed under German Control since the
situation is "much too explosive." He pointed out that 107,000
DPs will not be included in the initial transfer, in addition
to about 3,000 Jews in German camps who represent the
"hard core" sick and aged cases.
Mr. Kingsley's statement is of special importance be-
cause of the frankness with which he spoke of the "much
too explosive" situation affecting the German Jews. In spite
of the recognition of the seriousness of the existing prob-
lem, some American officials continue to be conciliatory to-
wards former Nazis. Thus, new dangers are rising and
democracy again is endangered. Nevertheless, our State De-
partment encourages the Buttenwiesers who would appease
the builders of a neo-Nazi movement in Germany. Those who
demand total denazification are accused of extremism and
are charged with being "motivated by a spirit of vengeful-
ness." In the meantime the conditions affecting Hitler's first
victims are "muck too explosive" and the vigilant must carry
on the fight to protect the "victories" of the last war in
order that the last vestiges of democracy should not be
destroyed.

Recipes From Israel

New Book Tells of Good
Food & Quotes Maxims

When a country .reaches out to the world
with its recipes and menus, it is a sign that it
functions as an entity.
Israel now is providing proof of its complete-
ness and unquestioned existence by having been
included in a book of recipes—"Good Food from
the Near ,East" by Joan Rowland, published by
M. Barrows & Co. (114 E. 32nd St., New York 16).
The 16-page chapter on Israel, which opens
with the quotation from Exodus 111.8: "A land
flowing with milk and honey," points out that
"Israel is a young nation and her cookery is in a
state of change." "Cookery of former homes is
still favored" but "traditional methods are
changing as skills more appropriate to another
climate are being discovered."
Many Arab dishes are being adopted in Israel
where "homemakers are learning to enjoy the
native foods . „ . eggplant, olives and their oil,
local herbs." Housewives are learning to make
use of oranges and vegetables. Window boxes in
residential areas are filled with "light green
feathery sprays of dill, or dark thick rows of
parsley and chives." Mint, loved by Jews and
Arabs for its flavor, is used widely. Its Hebrew
name is alai mastika and the Arab na'na.
Thyme, used many dishes, is grown in large
quantities at Raanana.
In her introductory chapter to the recipes on
Israel, Joan Rowland (Mrs. Nicholas Mochar-
niuk) quotes Israeli maxims and proverbs about
food, among them the following:

If you deal in honey, you have a chance
for a lick.
Guests and fish spoil on the third day. •
If you can't afford chikken, a herring will
do.
When there is too much on the table, some-
thing is missing.
You can't get two skins off one ox.
For bread you can always find a knife.
From a goose you can't buy oats.
Roast pigeon don't • fly into your mouth.
If you cook with straw, your food stays raw.
When a miser becomes extravagant, he eats
borscht with honey cake.

The reader and possessor of "Good Food from
the Near East" will learn Hebrew names of some
of the recipes given in the book. For instance:
Tovaleen is hors d'oeuvre; yerack marak is herb
soup; yerak yirakim is vegetable broth; dag
masoke ye hamats hecht - is sweet and sour fish;
tarnegol paprika oreez is chicken paprika with
rice; assis is pomegranate juice; pree harveetsah
is fruit pudding.
Here• is a sample of the recipes in this inter-
esting book:

CHAZILIM FRIKADELLEN
(Eggplant Balls)

1 large eggplant
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons flour

2 ,/, tablespoons grated cheese
teaspoon spaelpt
teaspooni pepper
tea
2 eggs, beaten

•

"Peel the eggplant and cut it into small
cubes. Stew in two tablespoons of the oil for 10
minutes. Separately saute the onion in a little
oil. Put through the food grinder or ricer, with-
the eggplants and one tablespoon of flour, one
tablespoon of the cheese, and the salt and pep-
per. Stir in the eggs. Add more flour if neces-
sary to form this mixture into small round balls.
Saute in the remaining oil. Sprinkle with cheese
and serve with hot rice, potatoes, or meat.
Yield: '4 to 6 servings."
Other countries whose foods are included in
this book include Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria,
Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Saudi-Arabia, Syria,
Lebanon and Turkey.
This fine book has a shopping guide of im-
porters in this country, a complete index and an
interesting index of foreign names of the foods
referred to.

Morgenstern ' s

N

Testament

of

Lost Son' Completes Trilogy

Soma
By
THE TESTAMENT OF THE - LOST SON.
l'uforgenstern: Translated by Jacob Sloan in collaboration with
Maurice Samuel. Philadelphia, Pa. Jewish Publication Soc-
iety of America, 1950. 359 pages, $3.00.

Having given us two examples of his con-
summate skill as a story-teller, Soma Morgen-
stern now climaxes his efforts with the third
and best in the series. "The Son of the Lost
Son" appeared four years ago and gave is as
('-\
charming a picture of Jewish village - life in
Eastern Europe as one could find. "In My.
Father's Pastures" appeared two years later, a -
marvelously entertaining novel. "The Testament.
of the Lost Son," just published, rounds out the
story. Each novel may be read independently,
yet the three form a whole in conception and
plot; the son who was thought lost is brought
back to the bosom of his family.
The story—simple, entertaining and moving—
is of course the - heart of this novel; but the
characters constitute its charm. Whether Jews
or Christians. they are alive so that the reader
almost feels their physical presence. This is
especially true of the lost son himself. He has •
been dead a long time; all we have of him is his
last will and testament; nevertheless, he is with
us in all his strength and weakness as a. human
being. Morgenstern has not only heard about psy-
cholanalysis, he understands it and knows how
to use !t, to portray a man's character, - reveal his
inner struggles and point out the inevitability of
his fate.
Morgenstern's trilogy is a picture of (or, if •
you like, a monument to) East European Jewry, -
especially its last generation.