As the Editor
Views the News . .
For a Banner Year
Holden's 'Noses' Throws
Light on Physiognomy
A Cruel Incident
Deportation of 108 displaced persons-
92 of them Jews—who originally fled from
Nazi Germany, suffered want in Shanghai,
China, and were denied haven in this coun-
try, was one of the cruelest incidents in the
history of American experiences as a land of
refuge for the oppressed.
Only a few days before the final order
was issued by the Department of Justice,
refusing to permit the DPs to remain in this
. country until their admission could be legal-
ized under the amended immigration law,
President Truman said that "anybody with
a heart would permit these people to stay."
The liberal press pointed out the farce
of sending the DPs back to Germany, with
the assurance that they would be returned
to the United States pending clearance of
their records in European consulates.
The very idea of sending these people to
Europe at our expense, later to bring them
back—after temporary care in IRO camps
in Europe—is an indication of a lack of the
sense of efficiency that is necessary in gov-
ernment as in business.
Of course, it is gratifying to know that
the orders of our government are that these
people should be given priority in the
issuance of visas under the new DP law.
In the meantime, however, additional in-
juries have been imposed upon the deportees,
Julian Venezky, chairman of the United Jewish Appeal
they are being humiliated by a return to
National
Campaign Cabinet, and Samuel Rothberg, chair-
Germany and injustice has been multiplied
-
man
of
the
UJA national initial gifts committee, are good
on technical grounds.
men,
liberal
contributors and devoted leaders in behalf of
Only their speedy return to this country
the
cause
of
Israel.
Detroiters who have heard them speak
can correct the wrong that was- committed
in
support
of
our
Allied
Jewish Campaign have learned to
by this great land.
appreciate and respect their sincerity.
But the best men blunder_ at times. Last week, these
two men, on another of their .numerous trips to Israel, advo-
cated curtailment of immigration in order to give fund-
The annual meeting of the United He- raising in the United States a chance to catch up. They
brew Schools assumed a new high level of warned that if the financial realities are ignored and the -
dignity due to the raised standard accorded present rate of immigration to Israel continues, the whole
the testimonial tributes in honor of this thing would "blow up in their faces."
community's pioneer in educational en-
In order fully to understand the implications of a
deavors—Maurice H. Zackheim.
situation that, in the view of two important American
Dr. A. M. Hershman's scholarly ad-
Jewish leaders, may "blow up" in the faces of the severely
dress, in which he reviewed the development
tried and tested administrators of Israel's fate, it is neces-
of Jewish institutions of learning from earl-
sary that the background of the immigration situation
iest times, and Mr. Zackheim's reminiscen-
should be reviewed. During the first two years of Israel's
ces, transformed the event into an historical
existence as a sovereign state, the Jewish survivors from
analysis of Detroit's activities in behalf of
Nazism were transferred from DP camps to Israel and
Jewish cultural advancement.
the Yemenite population was rescued from the indignities
The highlight of the meeting was Mr.
they suffered in the land of their birth through settle-
Zackheim's gift of $1,000—liberal for a man
ment in the Jewish state. North African Jews were set-
in his circumstances—for two scholarships,
tled in Israel in the tens of thousands. Now, the Jewish
one in memory of Hyman Buchhalter and
state is in the process of rescuing the Jews of Iraq and
one in honor of Dr. Hershman. By designat-
Romania, the governments of these two countries having
ing these scholarships for the teaching of
consented to the release of their Jewish residents, provided
the Talmud and Mishna in the United He-
they are taken to Israel this year.
brew Schools, Mr. Zackheim becomes re-
Although original plans were to settle 150,000 Jews in
sponsible for advancing an old field of Jew- Israel in 1950, all indications are—in view of the situation
ish study. It is possible that through the that has developed in Iraq and Romania—that this number
establishment of such scholarships Mr. Zack- will rise to 200,000. Israel's leaders have stated again and
heim has rescued the study of the Talmud again that immigration will not be curtailed. The basic
from its declining position.
principle motivating Zionism has been kibbutz galuyot—the
While $1,000 is not a large gift if judged in gathering of the exils—and any attempt to yield to the
by the standards that have been set in com- type of pressure which is being exerted by Messrs. Venezky
munity campaigns, Mr. Zackheim's contri-
and Rothberg may mean the downfall of any government
bution is most important because of its des- that would yield to the abandonment of the major ideal of
ignation. He is to be highly commended for the movement that has succeeded in achieving national re-
repaving a community's tributes with his birth for Israel.
own generosity and wise choice of objective
Therefore, taking into consideration all the goodness
for his gift.
that is in the hearts of the Venezkys and the Rothbergs--
and there are many of them in this country—it is our con-
tention that their proposal is shortsighted and does not
take into view the historic significance of the liquidation
District Grand Lodge No. 6 of Bnai Brith of the ghettos through an ingathering of all the exiles. The
meets here during the coming week-end to fact that the UJA campaigns are declining must not become
tackle important problems facing world and a dominant reason in favor of the abandonment of the
American Jewry. The distinguished leaders resettlement work in the infant Jewish state. The UJA's
position must be strengthened—but not by weakening Israel.
who will participate in the convention are
This question must be put to those who would curtail
fully equipped to give wise guidance to the
delegates. We welcome the convention to De- Israel's ingathering program : When does one catch up with
troit with best wishes for success in its de- declining fund-raising campaigns?
We did not catch up with 1949 in 1950. If we are to
liberations.
catch up with ourselves in the coming months and years
to come, we must not provide an additional excuse for re-
duction in contributions. On the contrary, word must go
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
forth from Zion that the need remains great_ and the con-
rohpers. Michigan Press Association.
tributions must be increased.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 8-1156.
Furthermore, Jews dare not speak in terms of hmni-
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
oTation
"blowing up in the faces" of the builders of Israel.
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 8, 1879.
We did not permit Arab tanks to blow up in their faces,
PHILIP sLomovrrz, Editor
therefore we will not let human beings blow to bits, or
SIDNEY SHMARAK. Advertising Manager
remain in danger, by curtailing immigration.
RUTH L. CASSEL. City Editor
Those who would curtail immigration overlook one
Vol. XVII—No. 16
very important fact: that those who MUST settle in Israel
Page 4
June 30. 1950
will get there somehow, and once they reach the shores
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
of the Jewish state they will be admitted. Israel is not
This Sabbath, the sixteenth day of Tammuz,
Great Britain and therefore will not convert immigrants'
5710,- the following Scriptural selections will be ships into Patrias. Isn't it better, gentlemen, that immigra-
read in our synaoogues:
tion should continue with our consent and desire?
Pentateuchal portion—Num. 22:2-25:19.
A basic ideal would be sacrificed if we were to start
Prophetical portion—Micah 5:6-6:8.
"blowing up" immigration in the faces of the builders of Is-
The following Scriptural selections will be
rael. We refuse to believe that Israel ever will consent to the
read on Sunday, the Fast of Tammuz:
shortsighted proposals of curtailing immigration, or that
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 32:11-14;34:1-10,
Israel's kinsmen throughout the world—especially in the
Prophetical portion—is. 55:6-56:8.
United States— ever will consent to it.
Shortsightedness of Good Men
M. H. Zackheim's Gift
Welcome, Bnai Brith
THE JEWISH. NEWS
A Myth Exposed
"Noses" by Harold M. Holden (M.D.. D.D.S.,
Ph.D.), just released by World Publishing Co.
(2231 W. 110th St., Cleveland 2), is, indeed, as
the book's jacket states, "an exhaustive and
fascinating work on the nose in psychology, lit-
erature, art, plastic surgery, folklore and an-
thropology."
The author, a foremost plastic surgeon, is
the master of his subject. All aspects of the case
are covered in his interesting book which is
replete with quotations from the Bible, the
classics, dramas and operas. Studies in physi-
ognomy, caricature, the plastic arts are thor-
oughly analyzed. The importance given to the
sneeze, to itching, breathing, bleeding, odor;
etc., is reviewed.
Full of humor, "Noses" holds the reader's in-
terest because of its numerous tales relating to
the subject and the large number of quotations
and superstitions listed in it.
Noses are classified as Solar, Lunar, Martian,
Mercurian, Jupiterian, Venusian, Saturnian and
Earth Types. Pierre Abraham is quoted as
classifying them into four main types: Respira-
tory, Digestive, Muscular and Cerebral.
Lengthy comments are made in reference
to the myth about the "Jewish nose." Dr.
Holden writes that "it has been found that
this (Jewish) nose is far less prevalent among
Jews than popularly supposed. Furthermore,
it is imist prevalent among Jews when it is also
prevalent among the general population, as
among the Mediterranean or Bavarian people.
The 'Jewish' nose is in fact not Jewish but
Hittite, an Iranian-plateau type."
Nevertheless, the "Jewish type is referred to
in many quotations appearing in the book, in-
cluding Robert Hitchens, Moysheh Oyved, Karl
Shapiro, Edmund Wilson.
Pointing out that what has been referred to
as the "Jewish" nose actually is the 4anian-
plateau type, Dr. Holden asserts that "employ-
ment" of the "Jewish nose" as "a perfect ex-
ample of pictorial exaggeration of a trait pres-
ent only to some degree in a given group as a
means of social target- shooting" is resented by
Jews because it leads to misery instead of laugh-.
ter, and adds: "A joke ought not to end in
murder." He used the figures of Dr. Maurice
Fishberg in presenting the following facts:
The investigation of thousands of Jews in
New York City showed that only 12 to 14 per
cent had the No. 6 nose. We call it No. 6 be
cause artists tell us that the best way to make
a caricature of the 'Jewish' nose is to write a
figure 6 with a long tail. Between 57 per cent
and 59 per cent had straight and Grecian
noses, between 13 per cent and 22 per cent had
snub noses, between 6 per cent and 14 per cent
had flat and broad noses."
Dr. Holden makes these additional comments:
"The question is: Ifs the Jews don't have 'Jew-
ish' noses, who does? For one, the Bavarian
Germans. Thirty-one per cent of Catholic Ba-
varia has such large and hooked noses, particu-
larly in the Alpine valleys. in those pockets of
the past where the Homo Alpinus developed and
still flourishes, and this nose is the mark of the
typical Alpine man. Consequently also it is the
Bavarian Jews who also show the highest pro-
portion of hooked noses in comparison with
Jews of other countries. This fact points up an .-
other fact. In Slav countries where the snub
nose is the form most frequently found among
the non-Jewish population, so too is it the most
typical form among the Jewish population. Afri-
can Jews in North Africa, like the non-Jewish'
Africans, are more frequently wide-nosed. than
elsewhere. In other words, noses everywhere con-
form to an old proverb: When in Rome, do as
the Romans do . . Yet some anthropologists,
race theorists and comic paper publishers and
artists persist in depicting the Jews as a people
all having the Hittite nose."
By debunking this and other myths, by his
interesting descriptions of nasal traits and leg-
ends dealing with the subject of the nose. Dr.
Holden has produced a book interesting from the
viewpoint of folklore, science and history.
Birnbaum's Prayer Book
For Sabbath and Festivals
"Prayer Book for Sabbath and Festivals" by
Dr. Philip Birnbaum is an excellent addition to
his earlier wide-acclaimed "Daily Prayer Book."
His publishers, Hebrew Publishing Co., (79
Delancey St., New York), who have produced his
earlier scholarly works, share in the glory of his
new achievement through the excellence of the
typographical make-up of the Sabbath and Fes-
tivals Prayer Book. The clarity of the Hebrew
text as well as its English translation and the
fine choice of type make the book easy on the
eyes.
Dr. Birnbaum's introduction, translation and
annotations are the result of great scholarship
which qualifies him for the task of compiling
prayer books which do not deviate from tracii,
tion.
The responsive readings in English, the trano.
literations of important passages, the runni
commentary and the all-inclusiveness of tkAt
text make Dr. Birnbaum's "Prayer Book for Sab-
bath and Festivals" stand out as an excellent
Siddur.
Dr. Birnbaum also is the author of the trans-
lated and annotated 'Ethics of the Fathers" and
the abridged edition of "Maimonides' Mishneb
Torah"—also produced by Hebrew Publishing Co.