On Eve of U.S. Jewish Tercentenary
Celebration, Jewry Looks to Future
By SOLOMON GRAYZEL
Editor of The Jewish Publication Society of America
The great celebration is little
more than two years off. The
year 1954 will mark the three-
hundredth anniversary of the
landing of the first group of 24
Jews on soil destined to form
part of the United States. The
historical event itself is of in-
terest, but we should be able to
draw from it deeper understand-
ing of our past, greater fortitude
in our present and profounder
faith in the future of Jewish
life in the United States.
The celebration will in very
considerable measure take the
form of a tribute to the spirit
of Americanism. When we cele-
brate the tercentenary we shall
be acknowledging our debt to
American democracy, dedicating
ourselves to its perpetuation and
pledging ourselves to a continu-
ous struggle against b i g o t,r y,
subversion and religious and
economic reaction.
What have the Jews of Ameri-
ca achieved within the past
three hundred years that might
make us worthy to take our
place alongside of . the other
Jewish communities of the past?
How have we added to the
strength of the Jewish people
and the depth of Jewish life?
We can, to be sure, point to
an unselfish use of wealth. In
the area of formal religion, the
American Jew has also risen to
the demands made upon him.
The tiny synagogues of early
years, the Minyanim in back al-
leys and the chaotic congrega-
tional life of a century ago, have
given place to dignified houses
of worship and well-run organ-
izations.
What we do not know, and
cannot very well evaluate, is the
extent to which such liberality
and organization indicate spirit-
ual' sensitivity and religious loy-
alty which alone can guarantee
leadership or, at least, dignified
survival. It is exactly in this
respect that American Jewry has
not enough to show for its 300
years. It is on this point that
the celebration will have to
cease being self-congratulatory
and become self-examining.
We have failed to gain the
necessary strength in three
areas of life: education,e culture
and religious thought. Not that
American Jewry failed to make
efforts - to strengthen the life of
its spirit. The fact is that from
the very beginning the Jews who
came here were concerned about
their own and their children's
Judaism. They made valiant ef-
forts to import teachers and to
establish schools. Every type of
Jewish education was tried in
the small Jewish community of
the United States during the
first century and a half of its
existence, from private instruc-
tion to all-day schooling.
But somewhere we have
failed. The adjustment of im-
migrants to American life has
taken much time away from
constructive Judaism and Jewish.
education. Few rabbis of the
well-integrated European com-
munity emigrated to this coun-
try a n d Hebrew leaders and
scholars were mostly home de-
veloped. The community, as a
totality, is young, and. takes
time to adjust, as it took the
communities of B a b y l o n i a,
Spain, the Rhineland and Po-
land. -
American Jewish life is now
at the crossroads. Signs are not
lacking that an awakening is
possible. We have an integrated
community, consisting of men
Factory Near Petach Tikvah
To Alleviate Tire Scarcity
THE JEWISH NEWS
-
New Year Greetings to
Our Many Friends
and Patrons
4124.W. McNichols
INVESTMENT
SALES CO.
UN. 4-3012
13550 Livernois
91
New Years Greetings from
EILEEN
Beauty Shoppe
George A. -
Isabell
President
Isabel! Management Co.
WO. 1-6323-24
WE. 3-1477
••••••••••••••*•••"
Holiday Greetings
HURON FORGE
& MACHINE
COMPANY
HOWE'S
Shoemaker Co.
Extends Best Holiday Wishes
to the Community
Cigarette Vending Machines
Bars - Hotels - Restaurants
Industrial Locations
Commercial Drop Forgings
Capacity up to 15 lbs.-
Holiday Best Wishes
Homer M. Marriott, Mgr.
2373 - 17TH.
9041 Alpine — WE. 3-2062
Detroit 4, - Michigan
TA. 5-3180
-.**4**************,
to the Community
Season's Greetings
A Happy Holiday
Season
General •
Motors Bldg.
Barber Shop
1-232 General Motors Bldg.
Ideal Cabinet
Corporation
HOLIDAY
GREETINGS
JOHN L.
HUDSON CO.
GLENGARY
PRESS
7722 Joy Road
Special Order Work
TR. 5-0730-
WE. 3-0022
Holiday Greetings
Greetings
JO-MEL
CLEANERS
Otto E. Hinz Co.
Diamond Settings
Jerome Hoag
Real Estate
and Appliances
City-Wide Service
2926 GRATIOT
7915 Wyoming at Tireman
WEbster 3-1733
61 Putnam
TE. 1-3524
WO. 3-4657
Surgical Supports
LEATHER SPECIALISTS
First Class Printing
435 Lafayette
Season's Greetings
19210 James Couzens Hwy.
UN. 4-0100
LO. 7-0434
•
Member
Detroit Housing Commission
12019 DEXTER
Greetings
HELEN FITZGERALD
HAIR FASHIONS
Holiday Greetings
Individual Attention Given!
Permanents, Tinting, Hair Styling
Our Sincerest
TE. 1-0887
• •••••••••m•••••••••••
• •
New Year Greetings
•
I • Leo V. Furnari
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Excavating and Drainage
Contractors - Bulldozing
3494 KENSINGTON
TU. 1-7186
lbommoommommoviim
New Year Greetings
New Year Greetings
Mary Green
Beauty Salon
HELLER'S *
Upholstering
Chop
Specializing in Cold Waves
and Permanents
Greetings
Martin Hoffman:
•
Company
Manufacturers of Metalon —
The Metallized Building Unit
Custom Repair Work Done _
in Your Own Home
16580 SAVOIE
KE. 1-6526
Antique Pieces Restored
Furniture Re-upholstered
Free Estimates
10521 W. 7 Mile Rd.
UN. 3-4935
16719 Forrer VE. 7-8653
Holiday Best Wishes
Grow Solvent
Company, Inc.
14100 Stansbury
Or Phone Interzone
Livonia 2511
VE. 7-4554
••••••••••••••••••••••“
'
4
Holiday Greetings
.411 ■••■■ ••••N ■■ •••,••• ■■ ••• ■■ ••,:d0....11”,•11,,
New Year Greetings
HAIR DESIGN
STUDIO
Glenn P.
Crissman Co.
Tom Hatch
Chair Casters — All Sizes
For Office Furniture & Equipment
• Brown Rubber Wheels
• Will Not Mark Floors
• Fits All Furnitur,e
• Copper Finish to Match Furni-
ture and Carpet
Individual Hair
Shaping - Permanents
Air Conditioned
10604 W. 7 MILE RD.
UN. 2-4613
-
706 W. Baltimore
TR. 5-6450
••■•••■■•■••■■ ••••• ■11•■•■•■ ••
••••
GILBRATER
FLOORS
Established 1919-
Wishes the Community
a Happy Holiday Season
Michigan's Largest and
Best Equipped Cement
Floor Contractors
Our Specialty—
Installation and Repair4
of - Heavy Duty Floors
Cordial
Holiday Greetings
;
FRIENDSHIP
PLASTER &
BUILDING SUPPLY
14395 Schaefer
48 W. State Fair Ave.
FO. 6-0100
S-6000
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•••
■■•■■ •••• ■•••■■•■■■ ,../VIP, ■•■■■■■•■■•••■••••
Holiday
Greetings
Sincere New Year's
FIELDS
EMPLOYMENT
AGENCY
Greetings
Albert J. Grundy
1426 Dime Bank Bldg.
A factory costing $2,430,000
will be erected near Petach Tik-
vah by the General Tire and
Rubber Co., of Akron, an-
nounced company spokesmen of
the Israel branch. Built to alle-
viate a critical tire shortage in
Israel, truck and automobile
tires are expected to start roll-
ing off the plant's assembly line
late this year.
The S.S. Tel Aviv has already
left for Haifa carrying construc-
tion steel, pipe fittings and ma-
chinery for the building.
Friday, September 28, 1951
and women by and large above
the average hi intelligence; we
have learned to gather . large
sums; we have cultural institu-
tions which can serve us as a
nucleus; we have an abundance
of gifted authors and thinkers.
What we need is a community
"will to create" in those areas
of Jewish life which we have
come to call the life of the spirit.
We must revive the custom of
adult study among our people.
We must resume the teaching of
Jewish values, and make Juda-
ism (not antisemitism) the sub-
ject of constant conversation.
T h e tercentenary celebration
may prove to be a meaningless
holiday, if we celebrate the
past; or it may become the
turning point in American Jew-
ish life, if we Consider the fu-
ture.
TR. 3-7770
Best -
New Year Wishes
Maurice Garelik
Plumbing and
Heating
13524 Woodrow Wilson
TU. 3-0075
Holiday Greetings
Fairall Trucking Co.
CONTRACT SERVICE BETWEEN
Detroit-Toledo-Chicago
Indianapolis-Cincinnati
Refrigeration Service
Fully Insured with Sound Insurance
Day
and Night
Service
DIX RD. & PHIL.OMENE
DU. 1-0125'
.
New Year Greetings
EAST GRAND
REST HOME
130 East Grand Blvd.
LO. 8-0436
Best New Year Greetings
Holiday Greetings
New Year Greetings
Harold Flora
FELSOT
BUILDING CO.
=7.
E- -
Realtor
3 4 0 0 Guardian BuildingE.
• WO. 1-2760
ECONOMY
AUTOMOTIVE
SUPPLY CO.
Distributors - Manufacturers
Automotive Parts and Supplies
951 Penobscot Bldg.
WO. 5-4772
"Satisfaction Our Motto" .
9332 Oakland TO. 9-6038
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