As the Editor
Views the News
The Tight-Rope Walk
Splendid Evaluation ofl
12 _Greatest Classics
The 1952 Campaign
Detroit's. 1952 Allied Jewish Campaign,
scheduled to open on Tuesday evening with
an address by the eminent scholar and Zion-
ist. leader, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, pursues
traditions of such vast significance, marked
by varying interests, that nothing short of
very large increases over last year's income
can satisfy the drive's leaders and workers.
Not only are all important causes —
serving the needs of overseas, national and
local agencies—included in the drive, but
the personnel of the campaign organization
is equally as fascinating. In addition to the
trade and professional groups, 2,000 women
are active in the campaign, young people
are working through their own division and,
for the first time, teen-agers are organized
in a division of their own.
The campaign thus becomes an important
educational agency in our community. By
training the young as well as their elders
for service in behalf of sacred causes, we
also teach them . the basic principles involved
in supporting our social service agencies, our
health institutions, our schools and recrea-
tional agencies, in addition to assisting in
Israel's upbuilding.
.
.
First campaign reports are encouraging.
The volunteer 'workers who have been ac-
tive in pre-campaign activities have paved
the way with increased gifts and apparently
are receiving responses that match their own
loyalties. Continuation of the early efforts
for the drive should lead to attainment of
the year's goal: plus gifts for the more than
50 causes included in the single over-all Al-
lied Jewish Campaign.
Israel remains, of course. the chief bene-
ficiary in the drive. The burdens carried by
the young state, resulting from the reception
of hundreds of thousands of newcomers, are
so pressing that only encouragement and
support from American Jewry will enable it
to carry on the task of nation-building.
•
•
The RYt- si causes must not be forgotten.
Israel and our kinsmen everywhere will be
weaker if American Jewry is weakened. To
keep our communities 'strong, we must ex-
pand our educational and social services.
Our Allied Jewish Campaign is the obli-
gation of every Detroit Jew, of every man.
woman and child who shares the heritage
of Israel. This community has always been
in the front ranks of contributors for over-
seas aid as well as for our local agencies.
We are confident that this year's efforts will
repeat the successes of previous years.
May the hands of the campaigners be up-
lifted in this great effort as the drive official-
ly opens next week.
JWB's Conclave
Detroit Jewry will have an opportunity
to become more intimately acquainted with
the ohjectives of the National Jewish Wel-
fare I'',oard at the gathering of its leaders
here this week-end, at the biennial conven-
tion.
.1WF, no longer limits its activities to war
fronts and military camps. In addition to
servicing the men and women in uniform
and cooperating with USO. this important
movement supervises the building and edu-
cational program of Jewish Centers through-
out the land.
Its efforts in the field of programming
have been especially successful. The reports
and exhibits at the Detroit convention will
provide proof of the contributions made by
JWB to Jewish life.
We join in welcoming JWB's national
leaders to Detroit and in wishing them
success in their deliberations.
GERMAN- ISRAELI REPARATION TALKS —
Israel Religious Groups' Blunder
Israel's splintered educational system has been viewed
as one of the major problems facing the Jewish state. Au-
thorities within Israel as well as guests who have observed
the existing four-way school system that operates to satisfy
the whim of parties have been advocating the unification
of all schools into one functioning body, under government
supervision. But the religious elements last 'week reached a
decision to oppose such unification and to battle against it.
-We view the religious groups' decision as a serious
blunder. Experience has shown that Israeli authorities are
respectful of the religious views of individuals as well as
groups and neither the orthodox nor the radical elements
have anything to fear from the emulation of educational
policies that are in practice in the United Sthles.
Fortunately, Premier Ben-Gurion and many of his as-
sociates strongly favor a unified system. It is to be hoped,
in the best interests of Israel, that the proposal for unifi-
cation of the splintered educational set-up will win the sup-
port of all Israeli parties and that the religious elements
will modify their present position.
'Americans Understand Israel'
Look Magazine's excellent article on "Young Israel,"
published on the occasion of the infant state's fourth anni-
versary, has some fine catch lines. Chester Morrison's fine
story, atractively illustrated by Phil Harrington, asserts that
"young people with a vision of the future will make the em-
battled nation a going concern." One of the headlines in the
story declares that "Americans can understand this country
—it's like our rugged pioneer West."
It is a fine point. Those who do not should understand
young Israel whose battle for life is like the struggle that was
conducted by America's pioneers; it is a struggle similar to
ours for democratic ideals. Such fighters have earned en-
couragement. We have an excellent opportunity to provide
proper help through the Allied Jewish Campaign—which is
being opened very auspiciously at the beginning of Israel's
fifth year.
Solving Teachers' Shortage
An interesting report from the department for culture
and education of the World Zionist Organization reveals
that 33 Hebrew teachers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and
Mexico have gone to Israel to participate in a pedagogical
seminar in Jerusalem and that trained Hebrew teachers
have been sent to Brazil. We also learn that under the di-
rection of Prof. Salo W. Baron courses in Hebrew, Israel
and Middle Eastern affairs are now being offered at Colum-
bia University.
incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle
These are trends indicating that a serious view is being
commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
taken of the need for trained Jewish teachers. There is a
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News-
shortage in Hebrew teaching staffs throughout the United
papers. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
States and it is sincerely to be hoped that the exchange of
Co. 708-10 David Stott Bldg.. Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
teachers between this country and Israel, and the introduc-
Subscription 64 a year foreign S5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6. 1942 at Post Office,
tion in Israel of special courses for American Jews desiring
Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
to enter the Hebrew teaching field should be encouraged.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, editor
The introduction of Hebrew into high schools in New
SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS, City Editor
York, the effort to expand such efforts to communities like
May 2, 1952 Detroit and the creation of a special advisory council for the
Page 4
Vol. XXI—No. 8
study of these needs point to a recognition of the needs in
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
be impossible to
This Saebbath, the eighth day of lyar, 5712, the Hebrew language study field. It will
introduce
Hebrew
in
our
high
schools
unless
we are as-
the following Scriptural selections will be read sured of the availability of teachers. At the same
time, the
in our synagogues:
teachers' need in our established schools must not be over-
Pentateuchal portion—Lev, 16:1-20:27.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Prophetical portion — Amos 9:7-15 or Ezek.
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'
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22:1-19 (of I 6) • ' • ' - -
Licht Banshees, Friday. May 3, 2:12 p.m.
'The Greot Jewish Books'
looked. By strengthening the links in the Hebrew cultural.
_bridge betweenisrael .and this country, we may hope to see
a speedy solution to this problem.
Samuel Caplan and Harold U. Rif:416w,
editors of Congi'ess Weekly, have serected"th
12, most important books" for discussion an
analysis in.a special volume, "The Great J
Books and Their Influence on 'History." Publish
ed. by Horizon Press, (63 W. 44, NY), the vOlului
contains the reproduction of the series that
appeared in Congress Weekly. Their effort A
commended in a special prefatory essay, "Thi
Jew and the Book," by Dr. Ludwig Lewisohn. I
Their 12 selections are: The Hebrew. Bib
The Talmud, The Siddur, Rashi, Yehudah,-Halev
Maimonides, The Zohar, The Shuichin Arta
Heinrich Graetz' -Jewish History, Herzl's Judea
staat, Ahad Ha-am's essays, the works of Wahl'
It is a commendable effort, but it goes be
yond good judgment: it excels in the fact that ,
the authors and the contents were described an
selected by experts in their fields. -•
Dr. Solomon Goldman was chosen to writ
on the Bible and to select the outstanding por
tions included in the book. Similarly excellen
jobs were done for the Talmud by Simon Fed'
erbush, the Siddur by Samuel ROsenblatt. Rasl -
and commentaries by Samuel M. Blumenfiele
Yehudah Halevi and Kusaro selections by Jaco.
B. Ag us.
Maimonides and his works are treated bf"
Jacob S. Minkin, Moses de Leon and the. Boha
by Dr. Agus, Joseph Karo and the Shulchw'
Aruch by Oscar Z. Fasman, Graetz by Solomo
Garyzel, Theodor Herzl by Joachim Prinz, Aha
Ha-Am by Harry Essrig, Malik by Ribalow.
This volume, treating the collected work
briefly but with good judgment, makes a fin
contribution to the Jewish bookshelf. Author
and editors have rendered a real service wit.
"The Great Jewish Books."
Facts. You Should Know:
Why is it customary to kiss the Mezuzah whe
entering or leaving the house?
This has been an old custom. Some piou
Jews will touch the Mezuzah with their hand ant,
kiss the hand while others will kiss the mezuwk,
directly. The sources trace this affection for th*. ,
Mezuzah to the' story of the convert Onkelc;
(Tractate Abodah Zara 12) in the Talmud w ,
placed his hand upon the Mezuzah and prow
explained that while pagan gods were lie •
within a sheltered place and were watched ova:,
from without the God of Israel stands outside thi
home (as symbolized by the Mezuzah on the door
post) and watches over us who are within. Gen
erally one should look at this custom with Lb
background of the knowledge that the tore
outward symbols of Jewish life, i.e. the Talitr.
(Prayer Shawl) the Tefillin (Phylacteries) an
the Mezuzah are all treated in this affectionat
manner. We thus tenderly kiss the fringes c
the Talith and the phylacteries in the same wa:
This shows-a general tendency of love and al
fection for God, since these symbols indicat
His presence near us. It generally shows tha
the Jewish religion is not merely one of fear c
superstition but one of deep love and affectio
for holiness.
The Mezuzah parchment is shielded by plac
ing it in wooden, plastic or glass containers. A.
most any material- is satisfactory for a shielt
e. g., also wood. etc. The reason for the casin
is quite obvious. It serves as a means of prc
tection for the parchment. It thus preventff dig
coloration, rubbing off of the letters throug
the constant touching of the skin and th
weather's effect upon the scroll. Thus all of Lb
parchment scrolls such as the Torah's, etc., ai
kept shielded and never allowed to remain ex
posed while not in use.
The Mezuzah is placed on the doorpost. Th
Bible clearly states And thou shalst write thei
upon the doorposts of thy house and upon th
gates." This refers of course to the text that
inscribed within the scroll. The commentarit
have explained this as a symbol of the presenc
of the Lord and as a reminder to us to respet
Him both within and without the home. Inter
esting is the fact that the Karaites, usually ad
hering to the strict letter of. the text, actual]
wrote the text upon the doorpost itself.
What is "Mo-os-Hitim?" Why is this speck
collection made under this name for the Pass
over?
"Mo-os Hitim" is the name given to th
monies that are collected for the poor for us_
on Passover. The term means "money for wheat.
Passover, the festival of freedom, was meat
to be one to be enjoyed by all. A determine.
effort was made to see that even the poor wh
are usually barred from celebrations by theil
poverty, would be able to enjoy the Passover;
Special attention was given to the Passover hob
day because the poor man couldn't depend upo
his left-over morsels for the Passover since the
would be prohibited. He also couldn't get gift
of Passover food since the food is not ready unt
close to Passover. Money was thus given him t
purchase - his own wheat and make his own mat
zos without waiting for others. Thus we get th
term "Mo-os-Hitim" (money for wheat). Toda
when manufacturing processes make the preps
rationlreasier, we still retain the UM as a symbt
of our respectful care of the poor at this time