As the Editor
Views the News--
More Than Unity
The annual meeting of the 'Federation
usually is a signal for action by the entire
community in .behalf of the Allied Jewish'
campaign. The heat of debate and contro-
versy in which we were embroiled last week
left little room for campaign preparation.
For a passing moment there were victors
and vanquished. But the responsible leaders
realize .. .that in the interests of wholesome
community building it is dangerous to gloat
over triumph; that it is necessary. in order
to keep a community intact, to retain the
good will of all elements.
In the best interests of our major com-
munity functions and of the Allied Jewish
Campaign, - it is vitally necessary that we
should • take into consideration the need for
amity, for• mutual understanding, for respect
of each others.' feelings. For the sake of aim-
ing at success in the coming drive, at
the same time aspiring to peace in o u r
midst, we must recognize several basic facts.
The Federation election was conducted
in democratic fashion, and 1.012 qualified
voters cast their ballots for members of the
hoard of governors. It is regrettable that
many more, out of the balance of more than
27,000 contributors. did not consider it suf-
ficiently important to make an effort to
attend the meeting and to vote. But the
turnout nevertheless was a good one. Of
the 1,012 xvho voted, 397 favored the Com-
munity Council amendment while 470 -cast
negative votes on the subject. Hundreds of
those attending failed - to vote. But there
were :197 who expressed themselves in sup-
port of the Council's proposal, thereby es-
tablishing, a strong minority with definite
feelings in behalf of the Council's id logies.
This group must be reckoned with.
If the false impression has Men left
that there are big and, little people, it must
be correcttiLd. There is big money and little
money, but' collectively we are a single Jew-
ish community, a compilation of human
material. The ,rnan . who gives a dollar—
within his - means—represents a human as-
pect on a...par with the man who gives. ten
thousand dollars. When a man gives below
his means in these challenging times, he is
untrue to himself and faithless to his com-
munity, but we•do not possess police powers
to extract from him a moral debt. In corn-
munities like ours there exists also the
problem „of collecting on pledges. That is
why it be6ornes our duty - to use moral per-
suasion and to invoke the admonition from
Koheleth 5:4: "Better is it that thou should-
est not vow, than that thou shotildest vow
and not pay." •
But our people in the main .give well and
pay promptly. It is ,a good community and
we respect it—and we deplore hasty word
which infuriate in time of anger. After all,
muses, not individuals,. must be the con-
querors of communities, and causes in the
long run rule and survive on merit.
Naturally, when we speak of respect for
one another's !views, we must also recognize
the right of people to express Such views.
A person who calls a spade Vspade need
not be abused, and one who leans towards
one faction or another is not necessarily
"lopsided"—else we would have an unusual
number of "lopsided" people in all directions.
:When we have learned to show respect for
differing viewS, we Will have attained the
status of rationality that will lead to an ami-
cable solution of our problems.
Meanwhile we must strengthen the one
cause in behalf. of which we are able to
evidence Unity: the Allied Jewish Campaign.
Perhaps there should be a three - month
moratorium on controversies until we will
have attained the goal. of securing the en-
tire amount ,needed for the drive that fin-
ances the activities of all our local agencies
—including the Council—as well as Israel.
If we do not agree on harrrionious action,
the drive may suffer.
-
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 Publishing
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg.. Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription $4 a year; foreign S5.
Entered as second class. matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Rost Office,
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879_
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager
FRANK SI•ONS, City Editor
Vol. XXI—No. 1
Page 4
March 14, 195?..
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the eighteenth day of Adar,
5712, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
• Pentateuchal portions—Ex. 30:11-34:35; Num.
19.
Prophetical portion.—Ezek. 36:16,38.
Licht Swished, Friday, March 14, 6:17 p.m.
With a String Attached
PIEDMONT COLLEGE IN GEORGIA ACCEPTS
A $500 — MONTHLY GRANT FROM
AN-CI—SEMITIC MILLIONAIRE
GEORGE W. ARMSTRONG—
'Unambo' and 'The Juggler'
2 Novels About Israel
IsraeL
At last, we have two good novels about
It was inevitable, that out of the war and the
birthpangs of a nation should come good nar-
ratives which are linked to the struggle for in-
dependence. We welcome the two works and
commend to our readers Brod's "Unambo" and
Blankfort's "The Juggler."
•
•
*
Michael Blankfort shows that he has a gen-
uine knowledge about the Jewish state in his
splendid story, "The Juggler," published by Little
Brown Sz Co. (34 Beacon St., Boston 6).
Well written, flawless in the details related
by the able author, "The Juggler" not only tells
the story of the newcomer to Israel, Hans Muller,
but also of the people among whom he finally
finds home and peace of mind.
Hans is unhappy. From the moment he lands
at Haifa he expresses a desire to return to Ger-
many. He lost his family there, but he is unable
to fit in anywhere.
His first blunder is to mistake a woman with
a child in her arms for his dead wife and child.
It is a humiliating experience, and his friend
Willy Schmidt who arrived with him and an Is-
raeli doctor try to help him, but to no avail.
Then comes real tragedy! Stopped by a police-
man who is in search of a criminal. he attacks
him—mistaking him for an SS Trooper—and
leaves him for dead. Then starts his flight for
life and a search for a hiding place. He meets a
12-year-old orphan, Yehoshua, with whom he
treks the road southward, and they finally land
in Tel Ha-Galil. Yehoshua escaped death when
they struck a mine and was taken to the col-
wow.,
ony's hospital and Hans remained there with
the boy. -
In the course of their stay, Hans fell in love
with Ya'el, a young w idow. When the detective
Yehuda caught up with him, he learned that the
The visit here next Wednesday of Mayor Shlomo Zal- policeman he thought he had killed was alive
man Shragai of Jerusalem is an occasion for Detroiters- to and he finally was induced -to -remain in Tel
Galil. He is accepted by Ya'el, and. when he
study the history of the Holy City, which will this year ob- Ha
rescues an old settler - from a barn fire, the
serve its 3,000th birthday,. as well as salute the great majority of the settlers become indebted to him.
city through its distinguished leader.
"The Juggler' is a good story. Incidentally it
Mayor Shragai, who will have been in this country two reveals much about life in Israel. It is a tale told
-welcomed for its fine
xveeks when he comes to Detroit, told the JTA that the _pur- with dignity and will be
waling:
pose of his visit in,this country is to interest Americans in narration and splendid
•
•„_ •
plans to beautify Jerusalem as "the world's and Israel's
Max Brod's "Unambo: A Novel of the War
capital," and to enlighten people on the position Jerusalem in Israel."
translated by Ludwig Lewisohn, the
holds in the foremost places among the world's capitals.
newest work of the Jewish Publication Society
of America, 1222 N. 15th, Philadelphia 2). is more
t
*
It is the story of a film producer who
It is obvious that- Jerusalem's natural beauty. its place powerful.
settled in Israel. who sought to advance his in-
in Biblical lore, its foundation by King David as the capital dustry there, who became involved in an un-
of Judaea. make it stand:. out as one of the most important : , happy love affair with an actress. who was in-
centers. if not the most important center, in the world. Mayor - ' fluenced by the magic of the contraption called
Shragai believes that it Nvill cost $50,000,000 to complete the "Unambo" which made hirresee the future while
task of improving' and beautifying Jerusalem. Surely, world living in the present.
Jewry will take a deep interest in such a project and will
The commentaries on events in Israel are the
give the distinguished mayor •proper support in his venture. matters of major importance in "Unambo." The
Detroit Jewry meanwhile; has the privilege of welcoming the bdok is a remarkable evaluation of the struggle
for freedom, of the developments an the battle-
distinguished guest and of hearing his message.
field, of the heroism of the libertarians. Not all
Mayor Shragahas strong support for his mission in is rosy. There are speculators and those whO
the Bible. He has the backing of Isaiah (62) who admonished traded in gold at the expense of the new state.
But that, too, is part of the struggle for libera-
all our generationS-
tion—although the sinful are excoriated in no
,
uncertain terms.
For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
It is a novel of idealism—of great devotion
And for Jerusalem's sake I Will not rest,
to the Israel cause. it is an indictment of the
Until her triumph go forth as brightness.
British and of Benin.
There is daring and determination in the
In the interest'of Jerusalem's brightness, Mayor Shragai
brings with him an interesting message. During the 3,000 struggle waged. by the young pioneers. When
of a convoy on the way to domed Zur-
years of her history, Jerusalem has been sacked and rebuilt, part
Yaacov turns back for more help, beautiful Ring
devastated and forsake_n and reclaimed again by Israel.
protests against the defense that "they took all
The great poet -Jehudah Halevi sang to Jerusalem nos- the 'risk possible" "They think they're wise
-talgicall:
guys," she cried. - On that principle we sliciuldn't
have risked founding eur state."
Beautiful height! 0 joy! The whole world's gladness!
The author expresses his resentmentagainst
0 great King's city, mountain blest!
a number of conditions, among them the use
My soul is yearning unto thee—is yearning
of all languages but Hebrew by the speculators.
From limits of the west .
It is another way of repudiating this type of
settler.
And who shall grant me, on the wings of eagles.
Shelanu, our own, is a popular word. The
To rise and seek thee through the years,
thrill that_ comes from possessing something-
Until I mingle with thy dust beloved,
after-being dispossessed—is great.
The waters of my tears?
Chapter Six is by far the most important
section in "Unambo." It graphically describes
I seek thee, though thy King be no more in thee,
the defense of a colony, the struggle for sur-
Though were the balm hath been of old—
vival, the battle against overwhelming odds,
The Gilead's balm—be poisonous adders_lurking,
the ultimate triumph. This one chapter is
Winged scorpions manifold ...
worth the cost of the entire book.
There is great beauty in "Unambo"—in - its
The King is no more in Jerusalem, but the rule of Israel style, the fine story, the flawless writing,
is restored, a noted scholar is the Holy City's Mayor, there the splendid translation. It is a book that will
is - hope for peace and with tranquility will come blessings thrill the discriminating reader and will inspire
for Israel and her neighbors.
lovers of good literature.
..1 , 14.••••4. ,
Welcome
,
Mayor Shragai
•
The encinent guest comes here in behalf of the United
Jewish Appeal, to invite this country's participation in the
celebration of Jerusalem's 3,000th anniversary and to up-
hold the objectives of his party, Hapoel HaMizrachi. All are
commendable objectives in which we wish him success. Those
who have watched Hapoel HaMizrachi's activities in Israel
know what a splendid job this movement has done in the
building of self-supporting settlements and in the country's
defense. It deserves commendation for its constructive efforts.
Mayor Shragai's visit is therefore an occasion for re-
joicing. It is an event of real importance. In more than one
sense, Mayor Shragai, who represents the orthodox labor
Zionist wing Hapoel HaMizrachi, is above party. He speaks
for Jerusalem—and that is most noteworthy.
It is a pleasure to join in welcoming to Detroit Jeru-
salem's Mayor, Shlomo Zalman Shragai.
Facts You Should Know:
Who originated the "Tefillin"?
The command to wear "Tefillin" or "phylac-
teries" as they are called in English is traced
back to the Bible where we find four portions
containing a commandment to "bind them for a
sign upon thine hand and for frontlets between
thine eyes." Thus these four portions (Ex. 13:1-
10;. 11-16; Deut. VI 4-9 and XI:13-21) are in-
scribed upon parchments and placed into con-
tainers that are strapped around the arm and
around the head. Mention of this practice in
found throughout the Talmudic literature that
'ensued. The detailed descriptions of the propor-
tions of the phylacteries is considered part at
the oral tradition handed Moses at Sinai. Thus
these "Tefillin" stem from the earliest of period,
in Jewish history and can not be traced to and
one person in particular, except to the coml.
mandments of the Lord Almighty.