Israeli's Challenge
For Moral Courage
In Effecting a
'Return to Judaism'
HE JEWISH NE
A Weekly Review
Expose of Spread
of Anti-Semitism
in Soviet Russia
of Jewish Events
Review of Dr. Schwarz's
• Read Commentator's
Column on Page 2
Book on Page 4
Michigan's Only English - Jewish Newspaper—Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
VOLUME 19—No. 23
708 David Stott Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155 Detroit, Michigan, August 17, 1951 .
tii:Tf_.7)1kc. 7
$4.00 Per Year; Single Copy, 10c
World Jewry's Manpower Asked
At Zi•n Congress to BuildIsrael
News
JERUSALEN1—A call to Jews from "truly free and equalitarian com-
munities" to offer their manpower to Israel marked the opening here Monday
night of the 23rd World Zionist Congress—the first to be held on Israel soil
and the most momentous Zionist assembly since the first World Zionist Con ,-
press which was held in Basle in 1897.
The call was voiced by Berl Locker, cha irman of the Jewish Agency Executive in his
address which formally opened the conclave attended by nearly 500 delegates from all
parts of the world and thousands of guests. Mr. Locker stressed the unprecedented im-
migration to Israel from countries where th e Jews are persecuted and emphasized that
Israel needs immigrants also from democratic countries. The idea of settlement and con-
centration in Israel must penetrate large a reas of Jewish people, he said.
The 3,000 men and women who filled the convention hall rose M silent tribute to
the memory of Dr. Theodor Herzl, founder of political Ziopism, before Mr. Locker
formally addressed the session. Prior to the o peninc, of the Congress, the delegates • and
guests made a pilg,rimage -to Herzl's tomb on Mt.lierzi here.
There were moist eyes in the audience as Mr. Locker, in his opening speech, listed
the generation of Jewish martyrs and heroes—the 6,000,000 Jews who perished in Europe
under the Nazis, the Zionist pioneers who formed the Shomrim or Watchers' Society
which protected Jewish settlements in Pale stine at the turn of this century from attacks
by Arab bands, the heroes of the Ghettos in East European countries who have revolted
against the Nazis, the Heroes of Israel wh o won the battle of liberation in 1948 against
invading Arab Armies.
Rare 1518 Bible Acquired
By Theological Seminary
Israel Is_ Expected'
To Accept UN's- Bid -
For Arab Peace Talk
The celebrated Prague Bible, published in 1518 by the
noted Hebrew printer, Gershom Kohen, has been acquired
by the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary of
Afnerica, Dr. Louis Finkelstein, president, has announced.
The above is a Woodcut illustrating the Book of Genesis in
this Bible.
The rare Bible, generally recognized as the first major
Hebrew work printed in Prague, contains the five Books of
the Pentateuch. The first page of each of the nooks is en-
hanced by intricate Woodcuts, a fact of special• interest to
experts who point out that illustrated books of the 16th
century Bohemia are extremely scarce. Only one other
copy of the Prague Bible is known to exist today, owned by
the Bodleian Library of Oxford University.
The volume contains within its covers a detailed de-
scription - of the various financial and other tribulations
which beset Gershom Kohen and his associates while the
Bible was being printed. Work was begun in June, 1514,
and was not completed until January, 1518. The craftsman,
known as the first and greatest Hebrew printer of Prague,
appended a poem thanking God for the privilege of having
been able to print the first Hebrew Bible in Bohemia. This
volume 'has since become recognized as the masterwork of
the Kohen printing house.
The circumstances surrounding the Seminary's acqui-
sition of the Prague Bible stretch back 50 years. In 1901,
Dr. Alexander Marx, director of Libraries at the Seminary,
who was then a young student at the University of Koenigs-
berg, visited that city's public library and came away deep-
ly impressed by the copy of the Prague Pentateuch. In
May of this year, as Dr. Marx was leafing through a cata-
logue of.an auction sale to be held in Amsterdam, he was im-
mediately struck by the reference to the "Pentateuch and
Haftoroth with Rashi's Commentary printed by Gershom
Kohen." He communicated with Louis H. Silver, Chicago
attorney and connoisseur of rare books, who undertook to
bid for the Library, and shortly thereafter, the historic
volume became the property of the Seminary.
The Library, which houses the greatest collection of
rare Hebrew books and manuscripts in the world, already
owns the only known copy of another product of the -Kohen
- printing house, a Prayer Book, published-in-1522. ,
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_
UNITED NATIONS, N. Y., (JTA)
—The opinion that Israel will accept
the invitation of the United Nations
Palestine Conciliation Commission to
attend a meeting in Paris together
with the Arab states in a new attempt
to make peace in the Middle East was
expressed in diplomatic circles.
The invitation, extended by Ely
Palmer, American chairman of the
UN Commission, from Geneva, where
the group is meeting, was addressed
to Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan and
Lebanon. It expressed the hope that
results could be achieved in time to
report to the UN General Assembly
which. will begin meeting in Paris
Nov. 6. The commission also stated
that it "will be prepared to exercise
its mediatory functions by suggesting
specific solutions toy specific problem.
(A JTA report from Washington
this week revealed that John Waldo,
head of the Palestine Affairs Section
of the State Department, had denied
reports that the United States is pre-
pared to propose "a vast scheme" to
make peace in the Middle East.)
Outlining the Zionist obligations to partici-
pate in physical settlement and pioneering in
the Jewish state and to place financial resources
at Israel's disposal by means of investment no
less than by contributions, the chairman of the
Jewish Agency Fxecutive called for "affluent
Zionists and Jews with pioneer audacity." He
also called for the revaluation of Jewish educa-
tion in and outside Israel so as to open to Jew-
ish youth the rich moral intellectual resources
of literature from the Bible to contemporary
Hebrew writing. For this purpose, he pointed
out, the Hebrew language is an indispensable
instrument.
With regard to the special status demanded
by the Zionist movement from the state of Israel,
Mr. Locker said, "It is taken for granted that
such status does not trespass the sovereignty of
Israel and that it means full and unqualified and
unconditional cooperation with the Israel govern-
ment in immigration and absorption of mass im-
migration as well as in the settlement of the im-
migrants. The status is not an aim but a means to
facilitate the world Zionist movement to better
fulfill its functions."
Dr. A. Shalitt, secretary of the late Theo-
dor Herzl, founder of the modern Zionist move-
ment, called the assembly to order by three
symbolic taps of the gavel, followed by 10 more.
Sessions of the Congress are being held in the
foyer of the "Building of the Nation," a huge
building project which; when completed, will
cover an acre and a half of ground. The build-
°
Continued on Page 16
Knollwood Israel Bond Dinner A ttracts
Wide Attention; Keyserling the Speaker
1
Knollwood Country Club, having set the level of U. S. war bond buying with a mil-
lion dollar drive in World War II, next Thursday evening- will seek to establish another
precedent for country clubs at a dinner at which it is aimed to sell a million dollars worth
of Israel bonds.
James I. Ellmann, Knollwood president and chairman of the dinner, and Israel
Davidson, honorary chairman of the bond drive, believe that the Aug. 23 event will set
a standard which will be studied by communities throughout the land.
With dinner reservations coming rapidl y, it is expected that a large gathering will
be present to hear the address of the guest speaker, Leon Keyserling, chairman of the
Council of Economic Advisors of the President of the United States t and Myron Cohen,
famed Jewish wit and story-teller. Mr. Keys erling, who is an authority on problems of
an expanding economy, has made several studies of Israel's problems and prospects. A
dynamic speaker, • he has previously addressed the Economics Club and a national con-
vention of mortgage bankers in Detroit. Co hen is a well known TV and night club en-
tertainer.
The following have accepted committee %assignments to make the million dollar dinner 9.
success: Louis Alper, Merrill Arden, Louis Berry, Irving Blumberg, Harry Davidson, Sol Eisen-
berg- Edward Feldman, Harry Freedland, Joseph Frenkel, Jogeph Gendelman, Joseph Holtzman,
John Isaacs, Harry Jaffa, Sidney Kalt, Max Kogan, Louis Koppy, Jack Lapides, David Laven,
Ben Levinson, Lou Luckoff, Charles Matler, David Miro, David Newman, Arthur Robinson,
Nathan Rosenberg, James Rossin, Leonard Schwartzman, Ed Shumer, Sol Shaye, Sid Sidney,
Irving Steinman, Ben Tolmich, Morris Zack and Samuel Zack. Mrs. Samuel Sofferin heads the
women's committee which includes Mesdames Sol Eisenberg, Harold H. Gilbert, Charles La-
pides, Carl C. Meyers, Jack Behrmann, Joe Horwitz, Arthur Robinson, Norman Jasen, David
Newman, John Keystone, Paul Zuckerman, Adele Kates, Joseph Gendelman, _Harry Jaffa, I. H.
Dix, A. C. -Rosenberg. Haul fir, James M. Rossin and Leon.. Zectunan,