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Passover

The Passover celebrates the beginning of
the self-consciousness of Israel; the setting
forth of Israel upon its mission. It is the Rs-
, tival which commemoxates the giving of a
charge. the founding of a mission, the institu-
tion of a brotherhood, which were intended to
spread the knowledge of God throughout the
world.
Again. the Passover is the festival of liber-
ty in moral life, liberty in religious life.

Passover also is the festival of reunion
in the home, the great holiday on which
families meet together to celebrate a great
event 211d to rejoice in the liberties attained
and the freedoms aspired to. The Passover
Haggadah emphasizes that if we are slaves
this year, our defiant declaration is "next
year free men." Refusal to yield to despair
that accompanies oppression has made the
Passover ideal the leader in the struggle for
just ice.
Passover also is the festival of the chil-
dren. Their participation in the Seder cere-
mony, the Questions they ask, their search
for the Afikomen, combine to lend special
significance to the holiday for the youth.
Mankind's libertarian hopes arid aspira-
tions, our people's leadership in the battle
for freedom and the beauty of ceremonial-
ism join in nrakinf__-; Passover a festival 0! joy
and insp;ratic-n. We are elevated by its mes-
sage and are inspire--d bY it to perpetuate
the Mosaii:. ideals. May the Passover mes-
sage give «..urage to all peoples and may Is-
rael be str(.Pgthened hy its spirit.

Ghetto Memorial

Warsaw's heroes will be honored Sunday.

at the Jewish Community Council event at
Temple Beth El.
It is anliiVortant event on our calendar.
Nine years ago, the men, women and chil-
dren who were huddled together in the
ghetto of Warsaw, gathered their fast-dim-
inishing strength to offer battle to the Nazis
and to reject any attempt to be taken to the
gas chambers. The story of their struggle
will go down in history as one of the most
heroic manifestations for human rights. •
The, Warsaw fighters knew in advance
that their lives were doomed. But they gath-
ered courage from the knowledge that they
were not alone in their struggle; that world
Jewry was watching them and was praying
for the success of their efforts in order that
tyranny should be discredited: that lovers of
liberty .evervwhere were involved in an ef-
fort to destroy bigotry—even if the martyrs
for freedom, must die in the attempt.
Today, we are reviving interest in that
heroic chapter in Jewish history by honor-
ing the ghetto fighters. The idea they stood
for must not be forgotten. Sunday's meet-
ing will, in a sense, be another test of the
interest that is being taken by our people
in the perpetuation of historic occasions.
On the eve of Passover it would be a source
of encouragement to community leaders to
see the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial meeting
attended by an overflow audience, as a sym-
bol of the faith we share with those who
fought and died but who nevertheless won
their battle because•they refused to yield to
tyranny. -

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 $5.
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

Page 4

April 4, 1952

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the tenth day of Nisan, 5712,
the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Lev. 6:1-8:36.
Prophetical portion—Mal. 3:4-24 or Jer. 7:21-
8:3; 9:22, 23.

Licht Benschen: April 4, 6:41 p.m., April 9, 6:46 p.m.

Passover Scriptural Selections
Pentaeuchal portions — First Day, Thursday,
Ex. 12-21:51; Num. 28:16-25; Second Day, Fri-
day, Lev. 22:26-23-44; Num. 28:16-25.
Prophetical portions—First Day, Josh. 3:5-7;
1:2 6:1, 27; Second pay, 11 Kings 23:1-9, 21-25.

-

Loddies' View of N. Y.

GERMAN-JEWISH

Liberty was defined by the late, Dr.
Claude Montefiore, leader of the liberal
Jewish ranks in England, as "freedom
through law." Describing the "i mmense
range" of liberty, Dr. Montefiore, traced the
foundations of freedom to Passover and gave
this most interesting evaluation of the Fes-
tival of Freedom:

Vol. XXI—No. 4

Fire

Magnificent Study of
Grand Old Manhattan

New York always is a fascinating topic —
especially when it is properly illustrated.

"As You Pass " By—Old Manhattan Through
the Fire Laddies' Eyes," by Kenneth Holconib
Dunshee (Hastings House, P.OB. 909, NY), sue-
passes anything that has yet been done on the
subject. The hundreds of illustrations, the many
reproductions of multicolored paintings, the
charming stories—these are a few of the ele-
ments that combine to make this a very - great

BONN

qv it ex i vm eN T

book.

410Jurrey

Iron Curtain Anti-Semitism

A U. S. State Department official. in a report reviewing
this country's foreign policy, charges that "Soviet agents
miss no opportunity to encourage trouble between Israel
and the Arab states."
This is an amazing development from the days when
Soviet Russia was among the leaders in the effort to parti-
tion Palestine into two states—one of them Jewish—and vas
second only to the United States in its prompt recognition
of the new state when it was established on May 14, 1948.
The U. S. report asserts that "the Soviet Union seeks
control of the Near East but is not interested in relieving
its trouble . . Their agents only blow on every fire and.
sabotage every element of good will or good sense." It em-
phasizes that Arab-Israel tension is a disturbing Near East-
ern problem and that this -country looks "beyond the present
emergency" with a "program designed .to help the people
of the Near East obtain the tools and technical guidance
now which will enable them to, carry -on their development
through the years to come."

The author, an ex-cowpuncher and cavalry-
man, a Mississippi steamboat cub-pilot and
writer, is editor of News from Home, the official
publication of Home Insurance Co. _ He proves
his ability not only as a writer but also as a
storyteller—and art-collector in this enchanting
collection which is evaluated on the cover by the
quotation The City Slumbers O'er Its Silent
Walls."
Many Jewish landmarks and a number ed
Jewish personalities are recorded in this impres-
sive book.
We are told about the earliest Jewish syna-
gogue which was located on South William Btu
"Some years later, this site, which contained sr
fresh spring where ritual cleansings and ablu-
tions had been performed, became a mill seat.
The bark mill of Ten Eyck is believed to have
stood there."
Then we learn about New York's oldest cem-
etery: "After access to the original cemetery had
been cut through by the building up of the loth
on Chatham Square. Jew's Alley became the way
leading from Fayette (now Oliver) and Bancker
(now Madison) Streets to the Jews Burying
Ground. A part of this sacred ground of the
early Spanish Jews, maintained by the Congre-
gation Sharith Israel, still survives. This is
probably the oldest existing cemetery. excepting
Trinity. in the city today." This passage is ac-
companied by photographs of the Jews Burying
Ground.
There is reference to another Jewish ceme-
tery, in the review of Skinner Road, on the south
side of IIth St. east of 6th Ave. This cemetery
was established in 1804-5.
Another landmark recorded is that of the
HIAS building: Speaking of Astor Place, our
author writes: "Part of the Vauxhall Garden
was later occupied by the Astor Library, which
Washington Irving was largely Instrumental in
persuading John Jacob Astor to establish. The
building is now occupied by the Hebrew Shelter-
ing. & Immigrant Aid Society."
Among the personalities who figure in 'AS
You Pass By is Adah Isaacs Menken, the famous
"Mazeppa"; the actress Rachel; the Mendota*
(Isaac, Aaron, Mark and David) ; the famous
personalities of the East side—subway-builder
Sam Rosoff. Walter Winchell, Irving Berlin,
David Sarnoff, Lillian Wald and others.
In its entirety, As You Pass By" is a work
that will hold the reader's interest and will draw
him back again and again to its pages--to study
the charming photographs—of the Fire Laddies
and their great city—as well as the thrilling
stories that combine to make up the history of
New York.

The situation created in the Near East by pressure from
behind the Iron Curtain is disturbing in many respects. In
his testimony before the House Appropriations Committee,
Secretary of State Dean Acheson indicated his concern that
"political confusion is creating weakness" in the Middle East
"at the very moment when it is of paramount importance
that we join together for collective security." Fortunately,
American aid is mitigating many of the problems and serves
to check the dangers that stem from Soviet-controlled areas.
In the meantime evidence is mounting that Iron Curtain
anti-Semitism is increasing. Even left-wing political leaders
from Israel have not been able to escape arrest in Czecho-
slovakia, whence 30,000 Jews came to settle in Israel. Of Facts You Should Know:
the 12,000 Jews remaining in Czech territory, 4.000 have
What is `Yizkor?" What is this prayer's or-
applied for visas to Israel but have not been permitted to igin?
leave. Their applications meanwhile indicate an urge to leave
"Yizkor" is the name used to denote the
that totalitarian land where anti-Jewish agitation has been memorial prayers for the dead which are recited
on the last day of Passover, Shevuoth and Suc-
in evidence for some time.

In a review of the situation in Czechoslovakia, in a cable
from Tel Aviv to the Christian Science Monitor, whom he
represents there, Francis Ofner states that "Czech hostility
was reflected in the fact that Zioniarn is put into the same
basket with Titoism, Trotskyism and the like." The fate of
"a number of formerly proininent Jewish Communists in
Czechoslovakia is unknown," Ofner reports.
It is possible that these developments are responsible
for the split that has occurred within ranks of Mapam, two
of whose Israeli parliamentary representatives left the party
because. of its "blind adherence to the Cominform's line."
Even the remaining Mapam loyalists are beginning to take
exception to the arrest of Mordecai Oren in Czechoslovakia.
Al - Hamishmar, the Mapam official organ, has refuted
the Czech charges, in defending Oren's innocence.

C

•

While a wider Mapam split is predicted as a result of
the anti-Jewish sentiments in evidence in Iron Curtain coun-
tries, it is regrettable that a number of die-hards should re-
main on the scene to continue to disturb the political situa-
tion in Israel, even under circumstances when their own
pro-Communist members are being persecuted.
The situation, judged by evidence that is piling up in
Washington and Tel Aviv, is very grave. There are hun-
dreds of thouSands'of Jews behind the Iron Curtain whom Is-
rael had hoped to rescue but whose fate may be sealed by the
growing anti-Semitism which is emphasized by the closing of
doors that hitherto remained open for those desiring to
settle in Israel. Perhaps the solution eventually will come
through the strong position of the western powers—under
the leadership of this country—whose aid to Israel is an im-
portant factor in strengthening democracy in the Middle_
East.

coth plus the day of Yom Kippur. This term is
used because it is the first word of the prayer.
The Midrash mentions the fact that it was
customary to memorialize the dead on the Sab-
bath because of the Sabbath the dead rest from
the fiery-hell of Gehenna. Praying for the dead
may add favorable consideration and thus pre-
vent them from returning to the inferno for more
punishment after the Sabbath. Even today, a
special prayer is customarily chanted for the
dead during the first year after their demise and
for the annual Yahrzeit on the Sabbath. As fat
as the holidays are concerned, it seems that the
principle occasion for memorializing the dead
was Yom Kippur. Several reasons are mentioned
for this. First of all, the dead need forgiveness
on the Day of Atonement just as the living do.
As a matter of fact according to some authori-
ties, the dead are judged by the acts of the
living. Thus the prayers of the living help the
cause of the dead.
Three holidays, Passover, Shevuoth and Suk-
kot, may be symbolic of the three Patriarchs,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are amongst the
dead and therefore bring the dead to mind.
Others claim that the reading of the last day
of the three festivals mention the necessity of
giving alms and the alms are assigned in mem-
ory of the deceased. It might also be that each
of the three holidays are in themselves days of-
judgment — Passover, the day of judgment for
grain; Shevuoth for fruits and Sukkot for rain.
Thus, like Yom Kippur, in seeking a favorable
edict in judgment we seek the aid of past gener-
ations. It might also be that the Jew never
forgets the dead—even at the height of his holi-
day festivity, asserting that his happy holidays
are a cherished inheritance from the past.

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