As the Editor
Views the News
A Joyful Summer
The Great Campaign
Before the end of the week, the political
field will have narrowed down to two can-
didates. Our major political parties will
have chosen their standard bearers, and vot-
ers - xx ill have final say on November 4.
While it is inevitable that personality
issues should be dragged into the campaign,
Ihe needs of the hour call for frank dis-
cu.ssion of issues, for debate of the principles
embodied in the platforms of both parties.
rather than the dragging in of matters
which may involve private lives.
There is particular need to be on guard
against the injection of racial or religious
hatreds in campaign propaganda. The Re-
publican and Democratic parties are offi-
cially opposed to permitting appeals to pre-
judice. Individuals may resort to it in some
sections of the country. It is important,
therefore, that the leaders of both parties
should stand ready to repudiate such un-
American practices.
A campaign that will be free of bias will
make it possible for our citizens to judge
the issues and the candidates on their merits,
thus assuring a good administration for the
four years to come. We urge those who are
in position to exert influences upon the polit-
ical contenders to strive for an unbiased
campaign. Then our basic American ideals
will be secure.
Eliezer Kaplan
Eliezer Kaplan played a great role in the
establishment of the state of Israel. An en-
gineer by profession, he became the finan-
cial expert of the young nation. It was his
task to get funds from Jews everywhere, to
facilitate the settlement of nearly a million
newcomers from all parts of the world, and
to encourage the flow of capital from various
governments, especially the United States.
He had a difficult task, but he fulfilled it
with glory. His life was dedicated to Israel's
upbuilding. He earned the esteem in which
he was held and the encomia which poured
in from all lands on the globe when news of
his sudlen_ death shocked Jews everywhere.
Blessed be his memory. His name will
live in the annals of Israel.
German Reparations
Latest indications are that the talks be-
tween Israel and J e w i s h organizational
spokesmen with the Bonn government rep-
resentatives will end successfully and that
the question involving _reparations for the
wroncs committed against millions of Jews
by the Nazis will be settled by common
agreement.
In addition to the $715,000,000 which
Germany plans to pay Israel in goods, a
sum of $107,000,000 is contemplated for re-
lief and rehabilitation of v i c t i m s from
Nazism. Apparently the spokesmen for the
Adenauer government have recognized the
validity of Jewish claims which are to be
fulfilled without the attachment of any
strings. Even on the question of possible
Bonn-Israel diplomatic relations, Prof. Franz
Josef Boehm has stated that it is a matter
for "Israel's free choice." This points to real-
ization that indemnification is only for ma-
terial losses, and that moral harm and whole-
sale murders can not be atoned for.
Meanwhile the nations of the world must
remain on guard against the recurrence of
conditions which marked the a d v en t of
Nazism or the repetition of the wholesale
massacres for which most Germans must
continue to take blame.
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 115.
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
Tisha b' Ab—a Tragic Date
The New Israel Citizens
Israel's new nationality law brings to light some very
interesting facts with . relation to the establishment of the
Jewish state and its effect upon the citizenship of Jews in
Tish b'Ab--the ninth day of the Hebrew
(--
their respective countries.
month of Ab—which occurs this year on Thurs-
Anti-Zionists made much of this law, in an effort to day, July 31, not only is the anniversary of the
prove that it forces dual loyalties on Jews and that it jeop- destruction both of the First and Second Ttilln-
ardizes their status as citizens outside of Israel. Nothing pies in Jerusalem, but commemorates also many
could, of course, be further from the truth. The law states , other tragic events in Jewish history.
The First Temple was destroyed by the Baby-
specifically that citizens of other lands have a right to re-
ject Israeli citizenship by declaring their preferences. Thous- lonians in 586 B. C. The Romans sacked Jerusa-
in 70 C. E.
ands have done so, and thereby have refuted the conten- lem Tisha
b'Ab also witnessed the massacre of
tions of Israel's enemies.
the Jews in Alexandria in the days of Emperor
Thus, on the day on which the new nationality law went Trajan of Rome. The revolt of Bar Kochba end-
into effect. thousands of residents in Israel rushed to their ed on Tisha b•Ab, in the year 135 C. E.
The Jews were expelled from England on
Consulates and to government offices to declare their de-
sires to remain citizens in the lands from which they stem- Tisha b'Ab—July 18. 1290.
Wholesale arrest of French Jews occurred on
med. The largest group which asserted for "opting out"
under the new law was from the United States. Of the Tisha b•Ab. July 22, 1306.
The expulsion of the Jews from Spain also
nearly 6,000 American citizens who immigrated to Israel,
was on Tisha b•Ab—July 31, 1492. The Roman
more than half are retaining their American citizenship. ghetto was established on Tisha b'Ab—July 12,
Of the 1.000,000 Jews who settled in Israel since the declara- 1555. and Florence introduced the ghetto on July
tion of statehood, 20,000 chose to "opt out."
31, 1571—Tisha b'Ab.
French North Africans represented the second largest
The expulsion of the Jews from Vienna in
group that "opted out." French and Morocco Jews, who hold 1660, the beginning of the disturbances in Pal-
estine in 1929 and scores of other events occurred
French passports, were reluctant to relinquish them.
b'Ab.
It is not so difficult to understand the attitude of the on Tisha
Jewry never gave up hope of redemption and
hundreds of Iraqi citizens and one from Kuweit who chose the Sabbath following Tisha b'Ab is observed as
to retain their former status as citizens in the. land of their Sabbath Nahamu — the Sabbath of Consolation.
birth out of hope to recover the property they abandoned Having clung to consolation, Jewry was privi-
when they emigrated to Israel.
ledged in our day to see Israel redeemed.
It also is not so difficult to understand the explanation
that has been offered that many settlers in collective settle-
ments would have retained their American citizenship if it
were not for the social pressure that was exerted by their
The Canadian Yehoash Committee (195 Dun-
fellow-settlers. The builders of the Israeli settlements, it
St., London, Ontario) has rendered a dis-
must be understood, came to Israel to build a new society das
tinct service by publishing "Poems of Yehoash,"
based on prophetic justice. They could not abandon their the eminent Yiddish author.
associates and remain faithful to their ideas.
Isidore Goldstick has selected the poems for
'Poems
inclusion in this book and a
Page 4
July 25, 1952
translator from
The Arabs in Israel present a special problem. While the Yiddish shows his mastery both of Yiddish
150,000 have been granted citizenship under the new law, and English. As the author of "Inside Kasri-
levke," his translation of the famous Sholem
several thousand remain unnaturalized. The entire issue in- Aleichem
and of "Yiddish Proverbs," both
volving Arabs who had fled from Israel when the state was published work,
several years ago by Shocken, Dr.
created provides fuel for a Communist conflagration. Pro- Goldstick has already gained a worthy place for
tests against the new law have been instigated by the Com- himself in literary ranks. He heads the depart-
munists, especially by the militant group in Nazareth.
ment of modern languages at the London (On-
Prof. Norman Bentwich, in a discussion of the position tario) Central Collegiate Institute.
The .biographieal sketch of Yehoash in this
of the Arabs in Israel, links the Arab problems with the
• volume was written by his daughter, Evlin Ye-
refugee issue and reaches these conclusions:
hoash Dworkin.
"The attitude of Israel to the Arabs in its country is marked
by certain ambivalence, as though it could not make up its
mind whether to be guided by faith or by fear. Equal political
and civil rights are granted, but economic discrimination, denial
of the rights of property, and security measures which involve
hardship diminish the virtue of political assurances.
"A section believes that the best and simplest solution would
be to encourage the Arab minority to leave Israel But within
the Government Coalition a section believes in carrying out the
Biblical maxim, 'dwell in the land and cherish faith.' The well-
being of Arabs in Israel depends on the satisfactory solution of
the problem of the Arab refugees from Israel."
In the main, Israelis have clung tenaciously to tradition
and to established principle of honoring "the stranger in its
midst." The agitation from the outside, unfortunately, has
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
been damaging not only to external but also to internal
This Sabbath, the fourth day of Ab, 5712, the peace. Amity between Israel and the Arab states can and
following Scriptural selections will be read in soon, it is hoped, will, lead to peace for all concerned.
our synagogues
Meanwhile those who are maligning Israel stand shorn
Pentateuchal portion—D eut. 1:1.-3:22.
of proof in their arguments regarding duality of citizenship
Prophetical portion—Is. 1:1-27.
or unfairness towards the citizens of non-Jewish faiths.
Readings of the Torah on Tisha • b'Ab,
There is proof that the "dual citizenship" arguments are false
Thursday, July 31
Pentateuchal portions: Morning, Deut. 4:25- and that Israelis are ready to share their liberties with their
neighbors. Without such a policy, the new state's position
40; Afternoon, Er. 32:11-14; 34:1-10.
Prophetical portions: Morning, Jar. 8:13-9:23; would be weakened, and the Israel state builders are in
every sense bent upon strengthening their position with a
Afternoon, Is. 55:6-56:8.
I social idealism.
Licht Senshen, Friday, July 25, 7:39 p•M.
Vol. XXI—No. 20
of Yehoash'
The publication of this book of poems has
been timed to coincide with the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the poet's death. Yehoash (the
pen name of Solomon Bloomgarden) was born
in Lithuania in 1870, settled in the United
States in 1890, and died here in 1927. The lat-
ter half of his short life was overshadowed by
the disease (tuberculosis) of which he died. But
he worked all the more intensively as he knew
that he would not live his full span of years,
toiling especially feverishly, during the last dec-
ade and a half of his life, on his monumental
Yiddish translation of the Bible. As though sus-
tained by his sacred work, he died when he had
finished the last revision of his translation of
the Hebrew. Testament.
Mrs. Dworkin's essay "My Father Yehoash"
is a moving tribute by a daughter. It pays de-
served honors also to her mother who, after Ye-
hoash's death, undertook to publish his works.
Dr. Goldstick, in the opening chapter, de-
scribes "The Pantheism of Yehoash." He shows
how "natural objects are invested by the poet
not only with external human characteristics but
also with a human soul."
A number of Yehoash's longer poems, some of
his fables and three posthumous poems are in-
cluded in the volume, in addition to the large
selection incorporated in this fine volume.
I.