Senator Brewster Speaks Here
Sunday at JNF Women's Event
Concluding annual fund-rais-
ing activities, the Ladies' Auxil-
iary of the Jewish National Fund
will have its yearly donor event
at the Masonic Auditorium, Sun-
day, 2:15 p.m.
U. S. Senator Owen Brewster
of Maine will be the guest speak-
er. Arthur Benavie, able Detroit
violinist, and Cantor Moses J.
Silverman of Chicago, accompa-
nied by Rebecca Frohman, will
feature the musical program.
Mrs. Albert Prag, president of
JNF Compiles Record
Of Unchecked Boxes
Benjamin Laikin, president
of the Jewish National Fund
Council, stated this week that
according to information that
frequently reaches the JNF
office there are unrecorded
Blue and White Boxes which
have not been cleared.
Mr. Laikin stated that an
effort is being made to gath-
er information about such
boxes.
Detroit Jews whose boxes
have not been cleared a r e
asked to communicate at
once with the JNF office,
11816 Dexter, TO. 8-7384, so
that a record may be made of
them and a worker assigned
to clear them.
2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, January 26, 1951
Daniel Elazar Wins
History Test Prize
the Auxiliary; Mrs. William Kla-
fer, fund-raising chairman; Mrs.
Irving Arlin, program chairman,
Daniel Elazar, 16-year-old son
and Benjamin Laikin, president
of the Jewish National Fund of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Elazar
Council, will greet the assembly. of 19775 Monte Vista, won sixth
Admission to this annual event place in the national Detroit
is by contribution to the JNF.
Gifts still can be made by cal-
ing the JNF office, TO. 8-7384;
Mrs. Klafer, Mrs. Prag or other
members of the JNF Auxiliary.
A special section devoted to the
JNF event, on Pages 11-14 in
this issue, carries names of do-
nors recorded thus far.
The JNF women this week
honored Mrs. Harry Schwartz
with a Golden Book inscrip-
tion in appreciation of her
services as office secretary.
National LZOA President
To Address Oneg Shabbat
Bariich Zuckerman, national
president of the Labor Zionist
Organization of America, will
address an oneg shabbat of De-
troit branches and Farband af-
filiates on Feb. 2._ Louis Levine
will conduct community sing-
ing.
Plans have been formed for
the annual LZOA Purim party,
which will take place March 24.
Irene Schumer is chairman, and
is assisted by Ruthe Stein,
Freda Leeman, Helen Naimark
and Sidney Shevitz.
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Henry Hurwitz of Menorah Fame on Warpath
Henry Hurwitz, for many years the leader of the Intercolle-
giate Menorah Association, had many admirers, among them this
Commentator, who had the good fortune of working with him in
his undergraduate days. All that is left of the former great inter-
collegiate movement is its magazine, the Menorah Journal, now
published irregularly—no more than four times a year—and cir-
culated among a limited number of people; and Dr. Hurwitz re-
mains its editor.. -
During the past few years, Dr. Hurwitz has aired in his journal
and by means of publicity releases grievances against New York's
United Jewish Appeal for advancing large sums to the Joint De-
fense Appeal and to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The JDA now
is on its own and JTA receives paltry sums to assist it in its im-
portant task of news-gathering and distributing. In the Autumn
1950 issue of Menorah Journal, which came off the press last week,
Dr. Hurwitz returned to his old grudge.
In a 39-page article, Dr. Hurwitz starts off well. Under the
title "Mid-Century Inventory: Review and Prospect," he points
out that Jewish educational and cultural movements are receiving
small sums from American Jewry, compared with the millions al-
located to the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defama-
tion League. But he exposes his hand at once. While he admits
that "the dynamism of pretty nearly all the 70-odd Menorah So-
cieties was provided by young leaders who were, or came to be,
Zionists," he launches into an attack on Israel's leaders for claim-
ing priority attention from American Jewry.
Dr. Hurwitz could have made a good case for increased at-
tention to educational movements and to local causes, as against
the demands for curtailment on local activities until Israel's up-
building and security are assured. Instead he devotes 21 of the
39 pages to the anti-Zionist Council for American Judaism in
a frantic effort to build up its case. Admittedly, the anti-Zionist
Council, which has never enjoyed much of a following, needs new
guidance. Its latest inroads in the field of civic defense, its
branding of a "musical menorah" as unpatriotic and other futile
attempts to grasp at straws to gain the limelight, are indications of
further decline in its status.
But mere lip service—Dr. Hurwitz's assertion that "he is a
dull clod indeed who has not been stirred by the epic of Jewish
pioneering and building in Palestine"—is soon recognized for its
ineffectiveness by the numerous "buts" which serve to destroy
whatever little is left of good will in the heart of an able man
whom vindictiveness has turned into an impotent leader and a
sour man.
Dr. Hurwitz is sour, and he does not realize that an attempt
to build up a destructive group in Jewish life is not a creative act.
He has lost all sense of journalistic proportions when he goes off
on a tangent in his pitiful effort to create a program for the
Council for Judaism in an essay which was intended as a "Mid-
Century Inventory." He can shout until doomsday: "Judaism is
not tied to Israelism. Judaism is greater than any nationalism."
Mere shouting does not prove his case. It's too late, Henry. Your
petty peeves can not be erased from print. You have lost your
prophetic powers.
*
*
The Arabs in a Huff: Arrogantly versus Israel
Israel's brilliant Ambassador to the United States and UN
Representative, Aubrey Eban, came forth—when no one else vol-
unteered—with a cease-fire plan. The U. S. and all the major
powers endorsed it. But the Arabs, refusing to approve anything
vouched for by Israel, destroyed it. The plan was. re-introduced.
Actually the adopted idea is Israel's, but it bears another's name..
Thus, the Arabs continue to play a role of vindictive arro-
gance and hatred. Their attitude is described in an anecdote, in
an article, "Ripples at Lake Success," in the current issue of the
United Nations World where we read:
"One more of the recurrent tensions, which UN hostesses and
committee chairmen must constantly take into account, is the
present crisis of antagonism now fulminating between the Arabs
and Israel. At an informal meeting sponsored by the Indian dele-
gation, as Israel's Mr. Aubrey Eban entered at one door, all the
Arab representatives walked out another, with a flourish. They
milled around outside until persuaded to return as a 'personal
favor' to Mme. Lakshmi of the Indian delegation."
And out of such mortar we would cement peace!
—Photo Courtesy Detroit Times
DANIEL ELAZAR
Times-Hearst History Awards
competition and was awarded a
' $100 bond. It was said to be
the closest contest in the eight-
year history of the competition.
Daniel will, upon his graduation
from Central, major in history
at Wayne. He is a member of
Habonim and is a student at
the United Hebrews Schools'
Midrasha.
Burdick Named Wayne
Public Administrator
Benjamin Burdick, well known
Detroit attorney, this week was
named Senior Public Adminis-
trator of Wayne
County by At-
torney General
Frank G. Milard.
Roland D. Rem-
ington, State
Public Adminis-
trator, announ-
ced the appoint-
ment.
Mr. Burdick
B. Burdick has been active
in the Zionist Organization of
Detroit. He is a leader in Detroit
Republican circles.
Levin Represents City
At N.Y. AJC Meeting
Isadore Levin, chairman of
the Detroit Chapter of the
American Jewish Committee
and a member of the national
agency's executive committee,
will participate in the Commit-
tee's 44th annual meeting which
opens on Friday at Hotel Com-
modore, New York City, and
continue through Sunday.
Over 500 community leaders
from every state are expected
to attend sessions, during which
delegates will hear addresses by
Jacob Blaustein, president, Irv-
ing M. Engel, executive commit-
tee chairman, and Dr. John
Slawson, executive vice-presi-
dent.
Simons School PTO
Plans Social Night
The third annual social pro-
gram of David W. Simons School
PTO is scheduled for Feb. 6, in
the auditorium of the Rose Sit-
tig Cohen Bldg. Mrs. Hyman
Pudavick, PTO president, has
arranged a program of enter-
tainment, games, prizes and re-
freshments.
Program chairman is Mrs.
Robert Hurwitz and ticket
chairman is Mrs. Albert Gor-
don.' The following will serve on
the reception committee:
Mesdames David Barack, Wil-
liam Feldman, Bessie Leash,
Morris Soloway, Sam Ager, John
Markowitz, Isadore Kolnitzky,
Morris Weiner and Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Lambert.
The next PTO meeting will be .
dedicated to a review and analy-
sis of the curriculum of the
United Hebrew Schools by
teachers J. M. Mathis, Abraham
Schachter and Abraham Panush.
JNF Adopts 5-Year
$250,000,000 Plan
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—A five-
year, $250,000,000 plan for the
expansion of Jewish National
Fund activities in Israel, out-
lined by Dr. Abraham Granot,
world head of the organization,
was endorsed at the Golden
Jubilee Convention of the JNF
of America.
The program's four major
objectives are: purchase of
2,000,000 dunams (500,000
acres) of land; planting of
50,000,000 trees; irrigation of
the Negev and Jerusalem
"corridor" area; and, drainage
of the 15,000-acre Huleh
swamp region in Upper Gali-
lee. Responding to a request
from Dr. Granot, the delegates
agreed to underwrite $6,000,000
of the estimated $8,000,000
needed for the Huleh swamp
reclamation. The remainder
will be raised in Israel.
American support for Israel's
needs was pledged by Vice Pres-
ident Alben W. Barkley, address-
ing the convention. He predicted
a glorious future for Israel as a
model "on which most of the
Middle East might well pattern
itself," and -praised the J.N.F as
one of the "most important
factors in the building up of .a
sound economy and a demo-
cratic society in the state of
Israel."
American Jews have con-
tributed $150,000,000 to the
Jewish National Fund during
the last 50 years, it was re-
ported at the opening session,
which was attended by about
2,000 delegates from over 800
communities.
Dr.. Harris J. Levine, president
of the JNF of America, ad-
dressed the delegates. Mendel
Fisher, JNF executive director,
reported that no Jewish insti-
tution in America 'receives more
individual gifts from American
Jews than the Fund.
"Attempts have been made
from time to time by various
organizations that wish to con-
trol and dominate the American
scene to eliminate the JNF col-
lections," Mr. Fisher said. "These
efforts have not succeeded in
the past and will not succeed
in the future. We will continue
to protect the rights and the in-
tegrity of the JNF both here
and in Israel." ,
Dr. Granot said that "neither
the Israel Government nor the
Keren Kayemeth propose" that
the land abandoned by the
Arabs who deserted Israel should
be "expropriated." "Though it is
the firm intention of our govern-
ment that the Arabs who de-
serted the country shall not re-
turn, we do not propose to de-
prive Lhem of their property but
to purchase it. The compensa-
tion they receive will be used for
their resettlement outside Is-
rael."
Israel Ambassador Abba
Eban told the conference that
"the present world tension re-
quires Israel to expedite all its
plans for the achievement of
stability and economic inde-
pendence," adding that "it is
vitally necessary for us to be,
come less dependent on ex-
ternal sources of essential
supplies, especially foodstuffs."
Israel will continue to "dedi-
cate its best efforts to the pres-
ervation of world peace, the
pursuit of social progress and
the support of democracy as
the highest expression of
man's political genius."
James G. McDonald, who re-
cently resigned as U.S. Ambas-
sador to Israel, said: "I believe
the defense of our country at
this critical juncture in world
affairs will be strengthened al-
most in proportion.' as Israel is
given the tools to speed up the
development of its varied re-
sources and is thereby enabled
to assume an increasing role in
safeguarding democracy in the
strategic Middle East."
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver said that
the U. S. Government should be
asked "to bring the great weight
of its diplomatic influence to-
ward hastening the conclusion
of peace between the neighbor-
ing Arab states and Israel." Re-
ferring to Israel's need for help
from America and American
Jewry, Dr. Silver warned against
political -demobilization on the
part of American Jewry in these
days of political alignments."
Dr. Nahum Goldmann,
man of the American section of
the Jewish Agency, stressed that
"Zionism was always meant to
be more than another national,
ist movement out to create a
state." Zionism also claimed to
be "a great idealistic and ethi-
cal movement, desirous not only
to solve Jewish homelessness
and create a sovereign Jewish
state but to implement through
the state the basic ideas of Jew-
ish history and Jewish civiliza-
tion to make it not only a state
of Jews but in a spiritual and
idealistic sense a Jewish state."
A prediction that the popula-
tion of Israel will number 5,000,-
000 persons within 50 years was
made by Dr. Israel Goldstein,
national chairman of the JNF
jubilee committee.
-
ORT National President Tells
Of Group's Expansion Plans
At a brunch given by the
Michigan Chapters and region
of - Women's American ORT on
Jan. 19, Mrs. Ludwig Kaphan,
national president, announced
plans to expand ORT's overseas
facilies in Israel, North Africa
and Europe. A subscription din.
ner held at the Wardell Shera-
ton honoring Mrs. Kaphan was
held that evening.
Between You and Me
_ By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1951, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Communal Trends
Last week we spoke here of the difficulties faced by the
Conservative synagogues in the United States . .. We now turn to
the situation in the Reform temples ... A quiet revolution is
taking place there, according to information supplied by 255
congregations .. . The Reform congregations are moving closer
toward ritual observances which' were not recognized by them
until now . . . Definite traditional trends appear in connection
with the marriage ceremony . . . About four-fifths of all Re..
form rabbis now permit the use of a "Chupah," the wearing of hats
and the breaking of the glass . Only one-fifth of the rabbis
will perform an unconditional mixed-marriage . . . . Ninety per-
cent of the Reform congregations now require a formal course of
suudy by the non-Jew before conversion . . . And they also re-
quire an examination of the candidate on the subject matter in
the course and as to his sincerity . . About 60 percent of the
Reform rabbis will help arrange a ritual divorce through an Orth-
odox rabbi, although no change has taken place in their attitude
toward the validity of a civil divorce ... Members of about 50
percent of the Reform congregations now use a "mohel" for the
rite of circumcision, while previously practically all of them used
a .surgeon .. . About 90 per cent of the members conduct Bas
Mitzvah services for their girls . . . In about one-third of the
Reform temples the organist is Jewish and in 70 percent of the
temples the choir is all Jewish , . The increasing acceptance by
Reform congregations and their members of ritual practice and
ceremonial observance is certainly a sign of our time.