As the Editor
Views the News
Their Heritage
Newsweek's '49 Events
Include Facts on Israel
Feast of Booths
After the return of the Jews from the
Babylonian Exile, the proclamation was
issued:
"Go forth unto the mount and fetch olive
branches, the branches of the wild olive, and
branches of thick trees, to make booths."
In response, "the people went out, and
made themselves booths, every one upon the
roof of his house, and in their courts, and in
the courts of the house of God, and in the
broad place of the water-gate, and in the
broad place of the gate of Ephraim."-- (Ne-
hemiah 8:15, 16).
In our own time, this act is being repeat-
ed. Tens of thousands of Jews are compelled
to build booths as permanent homes, in con-
trast to the tradition of erecting Sukkoth
merely for the celebration of the Festival of
the Booths.
The immensity of the problem represent-
ed by the Booths can be gleaned from these
facts:
There are at present 31 camps _in Israel,
housing 88,100 immigrants. In addition, 2,-
200 children are in six camps.
While new buildings are being built rapid-
ly. the incoming immigration is too large and
too rapid for the number of new homes.
Thus, Sukkoth assumes a new meaning in
our time. It calls for the erection of more
permanent abodes, of assuring homes for
the homeless, of fulfilling a great task whose
symbols are emphasized in the Sukkoth
Tributes to the memory of General Jan Christian Smuts
story of wandering and home-searching.
poured in last week from every portion of the globe. Rut the
greatest tribute to this distinguished South African leader
is the thriving settlement that was established in his honor
in Israel: Ramat Jochanan.
When Ramat Joshanan Smuts was dedicated in Eretz, Is-
Spokesmen for American Jewish com-
munities have been invited to participate in rael on May 15, 1935, in Emek Zebulun, Jews everywhere re-
a National Conference on Jewish Education, joiced. It was Jewry's way of saying to a great friend that
to be held in New York City Oct. 28-30 for his efforts are appreciated, that an harrassed people is grate-
the purpose of "charting the future of ful for the help it received from one of the world's leading
American Jewish education." In addition to statesmen.
our educators, representatives of syna-
At the dedication ceremony at Ramat Jochanan—whose
gogues, organizations and centers are asked settlers include a number of pioneers from Detroit—the late
to take part in this conference:
Menahem Ussishkin, the head of the Jewish National Fund
1. to consider the present condition and
in Jerusalem, declared:
future possibilities of Jewish education for
"We are glad to have in Palestine the beautiful and
American Jewish communities,
lasting monuments of the fathers of the Balfour Declara-
2. to seek a consensus regarding the per-
tion—Lord Balfour, Mr. Lloyd George, and General the
sonnel, the methods, the content, and the
Honorable Jan Smuts."
costs of the Jewish school, whatever its form.
3. to work out a cooperative program of ed-
Moshe Sharett, . then bearino. the name Shertok and
ucation which
serving as Political Secretary of the Jewish . Agency, asserted:
,
"Israel wisheS to do you honor, and having no other
a) will establish the educative instruments
honor to offer you, we chose . this method of commemor-
of the Jewish community in transmitting and
ating on the soil of our homeland, the man who has done
developing the entire heritage of Jewish cul-
ture and ideals, and
so much for us and for the world."
b) will develop Jewish education as an ef-
This brief tribute contains the essence of Jewish feel-
fective - reinforcement to our public school
ings. Jewry had only one way of honoring its friends : by
system in teaching the principles and pro-
inscribing their names in the Golden Book of the Jewish
grams of a democratic society defined by the
National Fund, by establishing colonies in their honor, by
Declaration of Independence, the Federal
perpetuating them in the annals of Jewish history.
Constitution and American classics.
At the time we wondered whether those whom we chose
In issuing the call to this conference, to honor did not have tongue in cheek when they accepted
the American Association for Jewish Edu- the tributes that were extended to them, whether they did
cation in effect challenges the Jews of not feel in their hearts that they were empty gestures. In
America to share with it concern over the the instance of Jan Christian Smuts, he is honored in an
status of our schools and to consider "the inerasable fashion, in a great settlement whose progress
relation of education to Jewish survival."
represents one of the remarkable achievements of a Jewish
The current year is a crucial one for group whose members, struggling against difficult obstacles,
Jewish activities. Israel -must be encouraged, nevertheless established economic and physical security for
world Jewry should be fortified with the themselves and defied the enmity of the mandatory rulers
cultural media which lend strength to our and the hostility of hate-blinded neighbors who could have
people wherever they may reside and our benefited from Jewish ingenuity but instead chose to follow
children must he handed down the heritage orders of leaders who led them to the brink of destruction.
we cherish with dignity and with a deter-
General Smuts, who fought against the British in the
mined will to perpetuate our spiritual values. Boer War but who later became one of the leading defenders
Locally and nationally, the call that comes
to us in 5711 should be heeded. It is sincerely of Great Britain on the world arena, was in a predicament.
to be hoped that there will be a good re- He expressed confidence in the Zionist movement at a
sponse to the call of the American ASSocia- time when the leading power in the British Commonweaalth
of Nations was obstructing Jewish efforts. But he kept on
ton for Jewish Education. and that the Oc- assuring Jewry not to despair. In March, 1943, he told a
tober conference will be successful.
deputation of South African Jews that their people would
not be annihilated and that from the remnant remaining -
after the Nazi holocast the people would grow again. The
people IS growing again. He was horrified by the White
Member.; American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers. Michigan Pr :ss Association
Paper,
but at San Francisco he was handicapped by British
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg.. Detroit 26, Mich.. WO. 5-1165.
policies and could do no more than say to Jewish spokesmen,
Subscription $3 a year: foreign $4.
behind the scenes, not to despair.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office.
Detroit. Mich.. under Act of March 3. 1879.
Like most world leaders—Jews as well as non-Jews-
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ.. Editor
General Smuts did not dream that Israel would be re-estab-
/ SIDNEY SHMARAH. Advertising Manager
lished in our time. But he predicted good results. In March,
Vol. XVIII—No. 2 Page 4 September 22, 1950 1943, he spoke of the eventual rise of a Jewish Common-
wealth, but he believed it would come as part of a Semitic
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
federation. He had learned, as we all did, that under corrupt
This Sabbath, the twelfth day of Tishri, 5711, leadership this was an impossibility in the Arab world. Jews
the following Scriptural selections will be read
had to shift for themselves. They had to win their freedom
in our synagogues:
through their own powers—and they did.
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 32.
Prophetical portion—II Sam. 22.
Among the world's leaders General Smuts always stood
out as one of our sincerest friends. Under his leadership
Sukkoth Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: First Day, Tuesday: refugees were admitted to South Africa and were given
Lev. 22:26-23:44, NUM. 29:12-16; Second Day, haven in his commonwealth. He could always be counted
Wednesday: Lev. 22:26-23:44, Num. 29:17-25,
upon to uphold Jewry's just rights. In appreciation, a great
Prophetical portions: Tuesday, Zech. 14; Wed- monument exists in. Israel and Ramat Jochanan will for all
nesday, I Kings 8:2-21,
time proclaim to the world that the friendship of General
Hol. Hamoed Scriptural Selections: Thursday, Jan Christian Smuts will never be forgotten by the Jewish
Num. 29:17-25; Friday, NUM. 29:20-28.
people.
-
Ramat Jochanan: Tribute to Smuts
Education in 5711
THE JEWISH NEWS
'History of Our Times'
Of "Newsweek's History of Our Times: Vol-
ume 1: Covering Events of 1949," published by
Funk & Wagnalls Co. (153 E. 24th St. New York
10), Walter Winchell said: "What a picture of
1949! 'Newsweek's History of Our Times' makes
me realize what a year we lived through.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world."
This offers in a few brief words an incontro-
vertible commercial about this excellent book.
In this current history the reader learns
about the biggest news breaks of the past year,
the outstanding baseball players, the invention
of new drugs, scientific research and discovery
and scores of other fine points about an impor-
tant year in world history.
The Editors of Newsweek, who prepared this
book, have given considerable space to Israel
and to the situation in the Middle East. As a
matter of fact, Israel is given a place of major
importance in the chapter dealing with the
Middle East. Speaking of the Negeb as an "ir-
resistible temptation to Israel". and describing
the manner in which the builders of Israel are
trapping the flow of winter surface water. News-
week's Editors write:
"It' is not hard to see why, truce or no
truce, the Negeb was an irresistible tempta-
tion to Israel. For the northern Negeb, at
least, is not desert. It is dry, true—an arid
extension of the rich green plain that
stretches southward from Tel Aviv toward
Gaza and eastward toward the Southern Ju-
dean hills. But it is laced with rushing brooks
during the winter, and there are almost un-
limited resources of subterranean streams.
Pumps and cisterns already watered Zionist
vineyards and broad, freshly turned fields in
the Northern Negeb.
"Below Beersheba the grass gives way to
sparse, stunted desert shrubs, the red soil to
drifting sand, which sometimes covers the
road and bogs down light cars. But at Zionist
kibbutzim (collectives) hardy young pioneers
learned how to trap the flow of winter sur-
face water and to distill the slightly salty
underground supplies. In a typical collective,
cistern water irrigated vegetables, grapes,
olives, and figs, while distilled well water sup-
plied the personal needs of the one hundred
or so settlers living in low wooden barracks
grouped around the stone main
combined office, storeroom, and watch tower."
Tel Aviv's growth, Jerusalem's present status,
the positions of Haifa and Nazareth are included
in the Israel chapter. So is the situation that
has led to unrest in the Arab states.
"Newsweek's History of Our Times" is a
powerful analysis of last year's occurrences. It
is well written, has a good collection of photo-
graphs and contains material that will prove
of value to the man of research for many years
to come.
787 U. S. Colleges Accept
Hebrew for Entrance Credit
A survey conducted recently by Prof. Abra-
ham I. Katsh of New York University shows that
787 American universities accept Hebrew as a
language entrance requirement; that 206 insti-
tutions of higher learning teach Hebrew either
as a Semitic or as a modern language; that 37
universities; colleges and theological seminaries
teach Hebrew as a modern language.
Dr.. Katsh polled 1,221 schocils, received 1,025
replies and gathered interesting material on the
_subject. He has incorporated his findings in a
96-page book, "Heb_. ew Learning," published by
Payne Educational Sociology Foundation, 157
W. 13th St., New York 11.
We learn from Dr. Katsh's study that "a
custom inaugurated at Harvard in 1655, and
continued for many years, called for the rendi-
tion by all students except freshmen, of a verse
from the Hebrew original of the Old Testament
into Greek, as a part of morning prayer. In
1735 the college sponsored publication of a Heb-
rew 'grammar prepared by Judah Monis, a con-
verted Jew."
We also learn that at New York University
Hebrew has been taught since the school's foun-
dation in 1831 and that Rabbi Abram S. Isaacs,
who held the chair in Hebrew for 30 years, "al-
ways met his classes in a cutaway coat, striped
trousers, and a shiny hat, which reposed on his
lecture table during the class session."
Schools in Michigan which have been teach-
ing Hebrew are listed by Dr. Katsh as follows:
Calvin College, Grand Rapids; St. Mary Col-
lege, Orchard Lake; University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor; Wayne University, Detroit; Calvin Semi-
nary, Grand Rapids; Suomi C. T. S., Hancock;
Western T. S., Holland.
University of Detroit stated in 1940 that it
had never been requested to accept Hebrew as a
college requirement but in 1950 announced that
it accepts it as an elective course. In 1940,
Hillsdale College; Hillsdale, and Hope College,
Holland, did not accept Hebrew but accept it
now.
- Detroit Institute of Technology, Detroit;
Michigan State College, East Lansing; Michigan
State Normal College, Ypsilanti; Olivet College,
Olivet, now accept Hebrew as a college require-
ment.