Purely Commentary National, Local Leaders Call Upon
Detroit to Assist Histadrut
"That Drive

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Proponents of Yiddish: Their Lack of Realism

Proponents of Yiddish often show such a lack of realism that
they harm rather than help their cause. Typically unrealistic is
the distinguished professor, Dr. A. A. Roback of Boston, who so
completely forgot the quality of tact that he became insensitive to
good taste and launched blindly into an attack upon the English-
Jewish press in an effort to prove that the Yiddish press is
powerful.
Dr. Roback raised the issue in the Dec. 21 issue of Freie
Arbeiter Shtimme. He had read an excerpt from this Commenta-
tor's column, dating back about eight months, in the June issue
of South African Jewish Affairs. Your Commentator discussed,
ar Dr. Roback truthfully quotes, the decline of the Yiddish press
in the United States, but to make a case against the English-
Jewish press he charges lack of information and misrepresenta-
tion in our column on the ground that there also are three daily
Yiddish newspapers in Canada.
We could make a much better case for the status of Yiddish
in Canada because we view the existing conditions objectively and
with a nostalgic love for Yiddish. Whatever we said was in a
spirit of regret that an important factor in Jewish life should
be declining so rapidly.
Our discussion was inspired by the sad plight of the Jewish
From left: HARRY SCHUMER, ISRAEL RITOV, SENATOR
Morning Journal which, at the time of our comment, was com- MOODY, MORRIS LIEBERMAN and MORRIS SCHAVER.
pelled to suspend publication for several months, until friends
of the orthodox daily newspaper came to the rescue of the staff
National leaders joined with
"Of course, capital is a major
that undertook to revive it. The venerable Dr. Roback, who ren- heads of the Detroit Israel His- factor in the economy of the
dered far greater service with his scholarly work on J. L. Peretz tadrut campaign on Sunday country. But Israel also has, in
and other Yiddish writers (in English, friends.!) than he does evening, at a rally at Temple the Histadrut, a workers' organi-
with his ill-tempered choler and bile about Yiddish and the Israel, in urging the entire Jew- zation which seeks to cooperate
English-Jewish press, makes a prediction: that the existing ish community to assist in mak- with private enterprise in the
Yiddish newspapers will survive The Detroit Jewish News and ing a success of the drive for interests of the state. Thus, in
that when Jews stop reading Yiddish they also will cease reading $300,000 to aid the labor Israel Israel we find a lesson from
the "provincial sheets published in English."
community.
which all may learn and an ex-
Last week, before we had read Dr. Roback's unfortunately
Maurice Samuel, eminent au- ample that all might well follow.
venomous article, we pointed out in our reference to Jacob Ben- thor and lecturer, Israel Ritov,
"I have no fear that Com-
Ami's statement in South Africa regarding Yiddish, that assimila- leader of the cooperative move- munism will make major inroads
lion, to which the noted actor ascribed the demise of Yiddish, ment in Israel, and U. S. Sena- in Israel because the working
also is beginning to affect other elements in Jewish life. Unlike tor Blair Moody paid tribute to people of Israel are enlightened
Dr. Roback we are convinced that as long as Jews read their the fighters for freedom in Israel citizens dedicated to the prin-
own newspapers—even though, as in our case, they are published and encouraged the efforts of ciples of democracy that we here
in English—there will be less assimilation. When Jews stop read- the Labor Zionists. Local leaders in America hold so dear. The
ing the. English-Jewish press, the only remaining powerful factor on the program included Morris people of Israel have known the
in Jewish journalism, there will be an end to English-speaking Lieberman, who presided, Harry
taste of dictatorship, oppression,
Jewries. The final word to you, our angry friend Dr. Roback: we Schumer, Histadrut executive persecution. They know what it
are more optimistic than you are. English speaking Jewries will board chairman, and Morris is to live in a police state. They
survive, and our English-Jewish press will do all in its power to S c h a v e r, honorary campaign will have no truck with anyone
enrich them. Since you do not know it (you accuse us of using chairman. Sidor Belarsky was who seeks to menace their lib-
stereotyped news and features), we are pleased to inform you that the guest artist, accompanied by erty—their very existence."
through the American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers Rebecca Frohman. Rabbi Leon
Turning to the Middle East
a new service — AJP, the American Jewish Press — has been Fram gave the invocation and
functioning for more than a year, giving new status to our papers; Florence Weintraub led in the area, Senator Moody warned
that the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the Seven Arts Feature singing of the national anthems. that communism alone is not
the only enemy_ democracy faces
Syndicate are functioning with new vigor; that new inspiration
In a stirring Yiddish ad- there. He said that fascism has
comes to use in English from Israel government agencies. Yiddish
dress,
Mr.
Ritov
told
of
the
been in control of many areas
has declined, but is not dead. Interest in it can be 'created among
a good portion of our people by keeping alive the spirit of its need for a strong partnership of the Middle East for centuries
rich literature and traditions, but not by anger approaching between Israel and American and that is why the people in
Jewry. Asserting that the these lands have been deprived
madness.
ideals we prayed and hoped of so much.

Tact and Criticism — Devilishness and Ideality

How often have you been tempted to criticize a lecture, a
sermon, a play, a concert, but instead decided to bite your lips
and smile and said only the kindly things the other fellow de-
sires to hear? In his marvelous story of Disraeli, "Dizzy," (Harp-
er), Hesketh Pearson, describing the dissimilarity between Dis-
raeli and Gladstone, relates the following:

"Queen Victoria could chat away gaily about her paint-
ings and her distant German cousins with the sympathetic and
courteous Disraeli; but she had to listen while Gladstone lect-
ured her on the Hittites or Homer or the Athanasian Creed.
"Their dissimilarity of attitudes in social life is best con-
veyed by an anecdote. One year at the Royal Academy banquet
Disraeli (who had just become Lord Beaconsfield) criticized
the pictures to Robert Browning: 'What a terrible display! How
entirely distitute is our English School of all spirituality, all
ideality, in painting!' But in his speech after the dinner he
said that the. feature _which most forcibly struck him in the
.surroanding - exhibition was the lligh tone of spirituality and
ideality. Browning thought this very funny and related it to
Gladstone, who glared at him and said, 'Do you call that story
amusing, Browning? I call it devilish!' Yet if guests were to say
what they truly thoUght on such occasions, there would be no
public banquets; and as it was the Prime Minister's duty to
make a speech, he clearly felt that he had better say the
exact opposite of what he considered quite obvious, in the hope
that intelligent people would appreciate the irony. Gladstone
would have pumped up some spurious emotion for the occa-
sion, and before sitting doWn would have persuaded himself
that he was the apostle of integrity. A good deal of his fury
with the Tory leader was due to a secret conviction that Dis-
raeli despised his fiery oratory and derided his ardent opinions.
It was perhaps his only conviction that was. firmly based on
truth. His speeches and writings made Dizzy's head ache."

for are not handed us ort a
silver platter, he described how
Israel triumphed in spite of
all dire predictions., He de-
clared that Israel seeks peace
but out of realism is compelled
to be armed. He said that the
Jewish state must have Amer-
ican Jewry's continued assist-
ance and cooperation and
pleaded that it be provided
through Histadrut.

Deploring the irritations that
have been in evidence in Jewish
life of late, Mr. Samuel, in a
thought-provoking evaluation of
the relationship between Israel
and the Jews in this country,
urged elimination of misunder-
standings. He declared that the
Zionist movement stands for the
unity of the Jewish people and
called for re-dedication to this
idea and for strong support of
Histadrut as one of the media
for strengthening Jewish life
and Israel's position.
Senator Moody advocated that
the United States take the lead
in fighting "Communism's sin-
ister challenge to our way of
life." He stated that "our teach-
ings" must be backed up with
action and strongly endorsed
Most of us undoubtedly will continue to say the right things President Truman's Four Point
at the right time, although it would be so much healthier if Program, giving unqualified sup-
criticism were accepted as an ideality. It would help the criticiz- port to the aid-to-Israel plan.
Acclaims Histadrut
ed and would restore spirituality in a world that is obsessed
Hailing the work of the His-
with tax problems rather than art values.
Not so very long ago, your Commentator advocated that a tadrut, Senator Moody said that
book be written under the title "I'll Pay for Your Lunch." It was the Israel labor federation has
in the days when the fellow who paid for the meal was able to made a great contribution to the
exert influence upon his fellow diner. Today, competition is in preservation of democracy in
reverse and for tax purposes you do a chap a favor if you let the Middle East.
"I have recognized in the His-
him do the paying. This is part of a system which has also re-
versed the thinking of many people. It affects life—and it there- tadrut—as you here must surely
fore influences the spirit and the art and literature of our time. have recognized—an organiza-
In spite of it all, we make advances—proving that man, after tion that is vital to Israel; that
all, with or without flattery, still is a marvelous machine made has made a major contribution
in the image of Deity.
to Israel the past, Israel tae
present, and will continue—with
your help—to assure Israel the
ADL Reports Meeting With McCarthy as Non - Political
future. When I look at the do-
The Anti-Defamation League ficials . . . to discuss matters re- mestic picture of Israel, I can
of Bnai Brith has released a lated to our interests. The talk see without doubt that this out-
statement confirming their re-
. was informal and informa- post . of democracy in the Middle
cent meeting with Senator Jos- tional . . . and our view did not East can be built only by the
eph McCarthy of Wisconsin and call for any official announce- skill and intelligence of the
voicir_ the claim that "while ment. No part of the meeting worker. There can be no • sub-
ADL is not involved in politics i nvo 1 ved any commitments on stitute for him.
it feels it is discharging an im- either side nor any endorsement
portant responsibility . . . in sit- of the Senator's political activ- 2 — THE JEWISH NEWS
ting down with government of- ity."
Friday, January 11, 1952

is why," he said, some
rulers in that part of the world
are especially fearful of the
newly-founded democracy in Is-
. rael, which has set an example
of unprecedented progress in
what was and is to a large de-
gree a backward area. These
rulers fear that their people will
wish eventually to emulate this
small democratic State of Israel
and strike out for freedom. That
is why these rulers are plotting
the downfall of Israel.
"In the course of human
events, democracy will prevail
and freedom will conquer totali-
tarianism. It must. But it will
not happen automatically. We
must do the things—provide the
leadershipwhich will make it
happen."

Dr. Chaim Zadok to Speak
At Rally Sunday, Jan. 20

Dr. Chaim Zadok, Deputy At-
torney General Of Israel, will
address the first campaign re-
port rally Sunday, Jan. 20, 2
p. m., at the Labor Zionist Insti-
tute, 13722 Linwood.
On special leave from the Is-
raeli government, Mr. Zadok is
in the United States as a dele-
gate of Histadrut in the inter-
ests of the annual Israel Hista-
drut Campaign. A forthright
speaker on legal, social and eco-
nomic . problems of Israel, he
represented the Ministry. of Jus-
tice at the Harvard University
conference on Israel's constitu-
tional research project.
Mr. Zadok also will be the
guest speaker at the oneg shah-
bat of the English-speaking
branches of the Labor Zionist
movement Friday evening, Jan.
18, at the Labor Zionist Insti-
tute.
Morris L. Schaver, honorary
campaign chairman, will be fea-
tured on the "Voice of Hista-
drut" radio program on WJLB
this Sunday at 11:15 a. m. The
Yiddish-English radio program ;
directed by Louis Levine, is pre-
sented every Sunday, 11:15 to
11:30 a. m., during the Histadrut
campaign.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1952, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Israeli Views

After Premier Ben Gurion's blast against the American Zion-
ist leadership, the question now being asked by many Jews in
America is: "How do , the Israelig really look upon American
Jewry?". . . The best answer is to be found in the newsletter
issued by the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem for the benefit of Zion-
ists activities• . . It says that "the continuous upward trend"
displayed by the Jews in the United States since the time of mass
immigration is still proceeding "with considerable vigor" in com-
munities outside of New York . . . But as the Jews rise in the
social scale, they are in a proportionate measure "permeated by
a sense of insecurity" .. . Is this "Jewish fear" based upon ob-
jective manifestations, or is it merely a needless and illusory
anxiety? . . . The Zionist newsletter says that no one can answer
the question with complete certainty, but adds that even if this
feeling of insecurity is mainly subjective, it is "a perfect expres
sion of Galut" . . . It goes on to argue that the very fact that
some American Jewish leaders are "aggressively" sensitive to any
discussion of the Galut nature of American Jewry, shows best that
American Jewry "is far from being one of the ordinary groups - in
the United States . . . It then points to the fact that no Irishman
or Italian in America would be unduly perturbed if anyone from
the "old country" were to bring up such an issue ... They would,
it says, probably not react at all, or else they would regard the
matter as being of purely academic interest . . Admitting that
"there is a vast distance between the Galut of Iraq and that of
America," the Zionist newsletter, nevertheless, comes to the con-
clusion that "the barrier exists everywhere" . < It also emphasizes
that although America's economy is fairly stable, it is possible to
envisage a situation where the economy of. American Jewry will
be disturbed "to no small extent."

Accent on Youth

The importance of the Bnai Brith
Foundations be-
comes more and more obvious . . . At present the Foundations,
which were initiated in 1923, operate in more than 200 university
college campuses . . . They sponsor social, religious and cultural
programs for the Jewish students there . . These activities in-
clude discussion groups, lectures on Jewish subjects, forums, re-
ligious services and interfaith work ... The programs are directed
by 65 full-time foundation directors and more than 70 part-time
counsellors . . . The national Hillel office also sponsors a scholar-
ship program for foreign Jewish students < . The budget of the
Hillel Foundations averaged about $1,100,000 a year during the
last three years and more than a third of this budget was sup-
plied by Bnai Brith sources . . . The Jewish Federations and Wel-
fare Funds contributed about 30 per cent of the budget . . . The
remainder came from local contributions and other sources .
In addition to the Hillel Foundation, the Bnai Brith maintains a
youth organization with a reported membership of 25,000 organiz-
ed in about 1,100 chapters in 275 communities . . . The program of
this organization includes dramatics, round-table discussions, Jew- ,
ish book and music programs, debating contests, tournaments,
athletic contests, religious services for youth, etc. . . . is ad-
ministered by trained group work directors on a budget of more
than $400,000 a year.