-, - 4WWWWWW/Wifir*irdiiW
As the Editor
Views the News
Food Crisis and WA
There is a severe food crisis in Israel and
- the cause is understandable. From Jan. 1 to
July 31, 1951, 170,000 new settlers were wel-
comed to Israel. They brought the total num-
ber of Jews who came to Israel since the
state's creation to 685,000. This means that
Israel's population more than doubled in
three years. If we were to double our popula-
tion, we, too, would suffer from shortages in
food, medicaments, housing, clothing.
In addition, Israel suffered a serious
drought. Only a third of the normal crops
were yielded by the soil cultivated by Israelis.
The loss thus mounted to nearly $20,000,000.
A small country can not stand such diversi-
ties and Israel is suffering.
The United Jewish Appeal recognizes- the
problems. At the report conference to be
held this week-end in New York, an effort
will be made to assure success for the na-
tionwide drive to collect 835,000,000- in cash
before the end of 1951. All our communities
are obligated to join in this task. The UJA
funds are the major means of providing re-
lief for the new settlers. All other campaigns
are supplementary—if we are to judge the
great UJA tasks by the sums gathered, by
the projects supervised by people of exper-
ience who have been laboring for decades for
Israel's upbuilding.
Detroit Jewry is urgently requested not
to overlook the basic needs cared for by
UJA. Payment of pledges, renewal of pre-
vious contributions and increased giving are
vital obligations in this hour of crisis.
Is It Just a Scrap of Paper?
ska
WO RLD JEWISH CONFEREI
°N Cr ER MAN(
2 Yale Judaic() Volumes
[
----'
Another volume in "The Code of Maimonides"
series, issued by Yale University Press, continues
the task of completing this great literary under-
taking. The latest, "The Book of Acquisition"
(Book Twelve) was translated from the Hebrew
by Dr. Isaac Klein, who was trained in Judaica
at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
and received his • Ph.D. at Harvard.
Dr. Klein followed the method of translation
that was used in the previously published volume
Fourteen, "The Book of Judges," which was
rendered into English by Dr. A. M. Hershman of
Detroit.
"The Book of Acquisition" consists of five
treatises on the Laws of Sales, Gifts, Neighbors,
Agents and Partners and Slaves. Students of
law will be especially intrigued by the contents
of this work which proves that Maimonides'
codes in the main compare with the finest
interpretations of our own time, in spite of
the fact that he lived 800 years ago.
The 'New' Germany and the Jews
In view of the important meetings now taking place in
New York, under the leadership of the Jewish Agency, with
the participation of Jewish spokesmen from eight . countries,
to act on the offer made by German Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer for restitution to Jews for Nazi persecutions, it is
important that the present conditions in Germany should be
examined anew.
Of special importance is this letter on the attitude of
West German youth which appeared in the Oct. 4 Man-
The Christian Science Monitor, discuss- chester - Guardian Weekly:
I have been comparing -the present German mentality with
ing the case of Egypt, points out editorially
that of some years ago since I have been concerned with the
that while the sympathy of the world goes political
re-education of . Germans.
out "to the abjectly poverty-ridden peasants
The .result of numerous investigations and discussions with
and low-paid workers" in the entire Middle Austrians and Germans, especially those aged 16 to 18, is this:
East, "the explanation of their. misery is not
1. They believe even now that Hitler's principles in politics
primarily in foreign exploitation, since it were correct, his actions unselfish, but that the deeds of many
could be argued that the foreigner has subordinates were wrong.
2. They are convinced that the atrocities committed by the
brought to their lands more wealth than he
has taken; but it is rather in the stubborn Nazi Administration and connived at by so many Germans were
feudalism of an oligarchy of landowners and greatly exaggerated in spite of the findings of Nuremberg, which
was a partial and unfair trial.
politicians." •
3. The Landsberg trial and executions 5 were not justified.
Similarly, the distinguished New York
4. They consider the German working class as mentally in-
Post columnist, Dr. Max Lerner, makes these capable and feel that a beneficial dictatorship - would be the
important observations:
right thing.
Egyptian Fallacies
"The real question is about the Egyptian
people. Needing bread, they have been giVen
the flaming stone of the Holy War against all
Westerners. Needing science to cut down their
diseases and death rate, they have been given
only the hardness of hatred.
"This is the fallacy of the Moslem fanatics
—of Mossadegh,. of Nahhas Pasha and Fouad
Sevag El Din, who runs the Wald Party, of
the racist army generals in Pakistan, who or-
ganized the assassination of Liaquat Ali
Khan .
" . . . The poverty and squalor and disease
are still there in the streets and villages of
Egypt, the harvest of hatred—of British, of
Americans, of Jews—is still stowed in their
hearts. The people of Israel could show them a
lesson of how nationalism and freedom can
lead to social vigor and creativeness, better
living standards ; cultural greatness. The
trouble is that if the Moslem peoples once
started wanting these things, they might turn
against their leaders who don't' dare lead them
to such goals."
Perhaps the Moslems will learn the truth
of theSe assertions. Peace with Israel, with
the West, with the United States and Great
Britain, would lead to peace with and among
themselves. But in the meantime there is
trouble—unending trouble. Iraq follows the
path of disease-ridden Egypt. Jordan's ruler
is straying towards Cairo rather than to the
West and to fair play. And Israel, in a sense,
is the goat, because the raging battles of
words and the frequent gunfire merely post-
pone peace between the Jewish and Arab
states.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
commencing with issue of July 20,1951
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
papers, Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publisning
Co 106-10 David Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., W0.5-1155.
Subscription $4 a year; foreign S5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS, City Editor
Vol. XX—No. 7
Page 4
October 26, 1951
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-seventh day of
Tishri, 5712, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 1:1-68.
Prophetical portion—Is. 42:5-43:10.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Rosh Hodesh
Heshvan, NUM. 28:1-15 will be read during in/ira--
ing services.
-
Licht Benschen, Friday, Oct. 26, 5:14 p.m.
Maimonides' 'Codes'
Anthology of Falashas
5. They think that the English are a bunch of hypocrites.
As many of these young people with whom I talked in their
own language attend secondary schools and were therefore 11
or 12 years old at the .armistice, it is only fair to assume that
their teachers are either unable or unwilling to explain the true
significance of events in the past; moreover, that in fact the
old nationalistic, militaristic mentality is preserved.
Nor are young Germans given good examples by such events.
as: Western German policemen sentenced for singing "Wir wol-
len. nach England marschieren" ("We want to march to Eng-
land"); the omission of Thomas Mann from the list of hon-
orary presidents at a civic occasion in his home town at Lubeck;
the hundred thousands • of votes for the Nazi General Remer;
or the non-payment of compensation to the relatives of six
million exterminated Jews; or eulogies for misunderstood war
criminals.
To admit at present even small units of Germans with their
officers to a European Army is asking for trouble. A nucleus of
their officers' clique will soon make it sure that such contin-
gents will stand on their own feet and fight for "lebensraum,"
whatever precaution the Allies may take.
The people of this country should refuse to be part of any
pact which makes the revival of German militarism possible.
This is far from encouraging. Neither is the report on
conditions in Germany submitted to the New York Times by
its correspondent from Bonn, Jack Raymond, who asserts
that "the statement of the principle of religious tolerance
that accompanied the offer by the West German government
to make financial restitution for the Nazi persecution of the
Jews has revived a discussion of anti-Semitism in Germany."
Although Mr. Raymond indicates that there is evidence of
opposition to anti-Semitism—proof including the sentencing
of a German Federal Parliament member to nine months
in jail for anti-Semitic remarks and the fact that "even the
neo-Nazi Reichs Party philosophers who advocate the 'best
portions' of the Hitler program, carefully stress that they
are opposed to anti-Semitism—he presents enctigh data to
show a rise in bigotry.
The Raymond report shows that "six years after the
end of the war, most Allied observers agree that anti-Semi-
tism continues to exist in Germany." He declares that 'anti-
Semitic sentiments often are revealed in "crude vandalism
against Jewish cemeteries or brutal attacks in speech and in
print - by extremists." Although these are ascribed to "regur-
gitations" from the past, there is enough proof to indicate
that the reaction of Germans to Jews are not only unfriendly
but are packed full of dynamite spelling trouble.
The remaining 20,000 Jews in Germany are not the
only people in danger. The issue involved is one Of a possible
spread of revived Nazi ideas to the rest of Europe and to
other parts of the world..
These factors must be taken into consideration as
spokesmen for world Jewry gather to act on the Adenauer
offer. Unless restitution is made promptly and in a measure
to compensate the survivors from • Nazism for their losses,
the entire proposal will prove to be a farce.
Jews everywhere, and especially the half million sur-
vivors who have found haven in Israel, anxiously await the
results of the Jewish Agency meeting and the response that
will be given its decisions by Dr. Adenauer and his associates
in the West German government.
Justice for the underpivileged is emphasized
throughout the book.
Of interest also is this note: "If one sells or
gives anything as a gift on the Sabbath, let
alone on a festival, his act is valid though he is
punished with lashes for violating the Sabbath
or the festival. Thus also when anyone, binds
himself by a kinyan (acquisition) on the Sab-
bath the kinyan is binding, ,while the deed is
written and delivered after the Sabbath."
In the treatise "Neighbors" there are several
rules which point to the validity of modern ef-
forts of preventing slaughtering houses from be-
ing constructed in residential sections, of barring
the setting up of assembly halls, the existence -
of which may disturb the neighborhood, etc. But
by the same token, residents of a city can be
compelled to assist in its upbuilding, in advanc-
ing its welfare, in its improvement. Thus, to -
quote Maimonides' Codes:
"The residents of a city can compel one an-
other to help build the wall, the gates and the
bolt - for the city, to help build a synagogue, and
to help buy a scroll of the Law, Prophets, and
Hagiographa so that anyone who wishes to read
them may do so ..
"If one of the residents of a blind alley
wishes to become a circumciser or a bloodletter
or a weaver or a teacher of the children of
heathen, the law is that residents of the alley
can prevent him because he would increase the
number of people coming in and going out."
Prevention of abuses is interestingly ruled
upon in the treatise that deals with partnerships.
There are many valuable codes in the treatise
on "Slavery." The concluding words in the lat-
ter prove the point that Maimonides codes are
based on justice. They are:
"Whoever has compassion will receive com-
passion, as it is said: 'And He will show thee
mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and
multiply thee (Deut. 13:18).' "
Dr. Klein's translation of "The Book of Ac-
quisition" has enriched American Jewish scholar-
ship, by making the text of another great He-
braic work of Maimonides available for the Eng-
lish reader.
Dr. Leann' s Talasha Anthology'
Maimonides' "The Book of Acquisition" is the
fifth volume in the Yale Judaica Series publish-
ed for Judaica Research at Yale University with
funds provided by the Louis M. Rabinowitz
Foundation. The sixth volume in this imposing
series is "Falasha Anthology," translated from
Ethiopic sources with an introduction by Wolf
Leslau, associate professor of Semitics at Bran-
deis University. Prof. Julian J. Obermann is edi-
tor of the series.
Prof. Leslau gathered his facts, and the col-
lected prayers which he incorporated in his
book in an English translation, at the source,
by studying the life of the Falashas in Ethiopia
and -by conducting valuable research which, for
the first time, presents data that has not been
brought to light even by the first explorers in
that area.
The term Falasha means "to emigrate,"—a
term applied to them by their neighbors. But
the Falashas refer to themselves as "Beta Is-
rael," "the House of Israel," or just as Israel, or
as "Kayla."
Giving full credit to all the sources of knowl-
edge about the Falashas, Prof. Leslau proceeds
to describe his own experiences, and to delineate
conditions among them. Falasha leaders were
very helpful to him in his research activities. He
learned their ways, their observances of Jewish
festivals and the Sabbath. We learn that "the
distinctiveness of the Falasha lies in their re-
ligion and culture."
Falasha customs and ceremonies, their eager-
ness for education, their strict observance of the
laws of the Bible concerning animals, their
obeyance of laws governing birds, their religious
life, the manner of naming children and of
treating the mother before and after pregnancy
—these and scores of other points illumine _the
Falasha position in the author's introduction.
This chapter thus becomes a most valuable essay
on a hither-to-little known subject.
The volume in the main is devoted to the
translation of the Prayers—the anthology that
was rendered from the Ethiopian into English.
These prayers gave the reader an excellent idea
about the Falashas' Jewish interests . and He-
braic devotions. They show their concern over
the sanctity of the Sabbath.
"Falasha. Anthology" is another of the im-
portant additions to Jewish literature made pos-
sible by Yale Judaiaca through the Rabinowitz
Foundation.