In Humanity's Name
THE JEWISH NEWS
•
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
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1
Member: American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers. 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 Poet Office, Detroit, Mieh,, under Act of March 3. 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
Vol. XXII—No. 5
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
October 10, 1952
Page 4
Shemini Atzeret Scriptural Selections, Saturday
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 14:22-16:17; Num. 29:35-30:1.
Prophetical portion—I Kings 8:54-66 or 9-1.
Simhat Torah Scriptural Selections, Sunday
Pentateuchal portions—Deut. 33:1-34:12; Gen. 1:1-2:3; Num. 29:35-30-1.
Licht Benshen, October 10, 5:05
Jewish Unity: Criterion for Action
_Officials of the Austrian government last
week taught a lesson to Jews who fail to rec-
ognize the need for unity in major Jewish
projects.
Declaring their. readineSs to open nego-
tiations for reparations to Jews, the Aus-
trian leaders • stated that they could not
undertake to compensate Jews for their
losses under the Nazis as long as the na-
tional American organizations were submit-
ting individual demands. Nov, however, that
these organizations have united on a single
program, it has become possible for Jewish
spokesmen to meet with Austria's leaders
on the reparations issue.
Granted that unity is not always possible
and that Uniformity should be avoided at all
costs in the interests of democratic action in
our communities, there is an imperative
need for recognition of the justice of the de-
mand that no single organization or group
of organizations should ever act independ-
ently in matters that involve the welfare of
all Jewry. The Austrian comment, which
smacks as a rebuke, is not new in our ranks.
rears ago, at Evian, when world Jewry was
called upon to confer with various govern-
ments in matters involving the refugees and
their rescue, in the era of Nazi domination,
there was consternation in the, ranks of the
statesmen of the world. More than 30 sep-
arate Jewish petitions were presented at
that time, and it is possible that some of the
delays in action in behalf of the refugees
were due to the lack of unity in • Jewish
ranks, to the lack of agreement and to the
refusal. of many leaders to concur in im-
portant matters.
Now we have another lesson in • unity.
Having gotten together on a major issue,
there is hope that the satisfaction we sue for
will be secured. Divided we were licked, in
unity we can attain justice.
Perhaps the Austrian lesson also is ap-
plicable to the NCRAC issue. There are ma-
jor issues in behalf of which w _ e must act
in unison. And if we are agreed on basic is-
sues, there is little reason for multiplicity of
functibns in overlapping headquarters of
several organizations.
. Besides, we must never forget that in
unity there is strength.
`Not Jewels-Jews': Columbus Day Story
The story of the Jew in early American life is entwined with
the very beginnings: the periods of discovery and colonization.
That Columbus' expeditions were possible only because of the
financial support of two Spanish Marranos, Luis de Santangel,
counselor of the King, and Gabriel Sanchez, treasurer of Aragon.,
is well known. As one historian put it: "Not Isabella's jewels, but
her Jews, were responsible." Columbus likewise owed a debt to
Jewish scientists, especially Judah Crescas, the "map Jew," and
Abraham Zacuto, the astronomer. Five of his sailors were con-
verted Jews and it seems that one, Luis de Torres, an interpreter,
should not be misled by her enemies who was the first to go ashore.
lean towards the destructive extremes but
Although Spain at that time forbade all non-Cdtholics, and
have not yet learned the value of sound cen- even new converts, from going to her colonies, such laws could
trality which spells peace.
not have been rigidly enforced, for it was deemed necessary *
establish the Inquisition on the American shores, as well. This
terrible institution preyed on Marranos seeking freedom. It claim-
ed its first Jewish victim. in Mexico City in 1574, and many
Detroit's cultural aspirations partially throughout the subsequent century. The secret Jews of Brazil
are fulfilled in the musical field by the De- therefore welcomed the conquest of that country by the liberty-
troit Symphony Orchestra, whose recon- loving Dutch in 1631. Many openly returned to Judaism. The re-
struction last year redeemed our community conquest by Portugal, however, dispersed the large Jewish colony.
in the eyes of the country at large after a Although many fled to Holland, some joined the free Jewish settle-
in Dutch Guiana, where they prospered in trade and the
lapse of time during which we were the only ment
cultivation of sugar. Others entered the Jewish quarters of Cura-
large city in this land without a major musi- cao in the Dutch West Indies, or of Jamaica, which had been
re-
cal organization.
cently taken by the British. It was from these various colonies
The Symphony's opening of another sea- that the first Jews came to North America.
Mufti:. Pal of Both Nazis and Commies
In an enlightening article, "Of Moslems
and Moscow," in the New York Herald Trib-
une, Albert Parry, professor of Russian
civilization and language at Columbia Uni-
versity, reveals some interesting facts that
point to Communist influences in the Middle
East. Of particular importance is his refer-
ence to "the Comintern's contact with no less
a disciple of the Prophet than Haj Amin el
-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of. Jerusalem,"
and about this incident in a turbulent chap-
ter in current history, Mr. Parry states:
This dated back to 1928, when the Grand
Mufti received secret Comintern support for
the seventh Arab National Council he sum-
moned in Jerusalem. Similarly effective aid,
with anti-British aims, was given him from
Moscow later, in the years of the Pan-Islamic
Congress. In 1929 and 1936, during the Arab
pogroms of Jews in Palestine, two Arab Com-
munists served as liaison men, between the
Grand Mufti and Moscow. They were Fuad
Nazr (also known as Abu Haled) and Nimr
Od.ah.
The Grand Mufti's anti-British and anti-
Jewish activities brought him to the Nazi
camp. During most of World War II Berlin
was the refuge and main scene of his pro-
Axis work. Yet the Kremlin, in all its war-
time anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist propaganda,
never attacked the Grand Mufti. Likewise, in
1951, in their fierce campaign against the
Pan-Islamic conference at Karachi, the capi-
tal of Pakistan, the Communists failed to
single out or even mention the chairman of
the conference—the ex-Grand Mufti again;
Later it was established that the ex-Grand
Mufti and the Communist party of Pakistan
had been "in touch."
This is the type of "touch" that Israel
has to contend with to this day. It is the
sort of all-out—albeit inconsistent—affilia-
tion with extremists on the right as well as
on the left on the part of the Nazis that has
placed the small Jewish community on the
defensive in the midst of a hostile world.
Unfortunately, the dangers have not end-
ed. The threats to Israel's security continue
to this day from neighbors who are ready
to be in the fascist camp one day and in
the communist sphere that very night.
• Israel's friends therefore are compelled
ever to be on guard that the little land
should not be harmed and that the world
Symphony and Paray
son of activities, next Thursday, under the
able direction of. Paul Paray, is occasion for
acclamation. Mr. Paray's presence here is
of special interest. Known as a humanitarian
as well as a great musician, he has gained
admiration during the last war when he
participated in the anti-Nazi resistance move-
ment in France. As conductor of the Israel
Symphony Orchestra for two seasons, he
helped raise the standards of the musical
movement in the young state and at his en-
couragement many Israeli symphonic com-
positions were produced there.
We join in acclaiming the opening of the
Symphony's current season and we urge
wholehearted community-wide support to
this important Cultural effort.
'Ha'K'hel'
An interesting old custom was re-enacted
in New York on Oct. 8 by the J e w is h
Agency's culture department and the Rab-
binical Council of America.
The occasion was the celebration of
"Ha'K'hel," which means assembly, marking
an observance in ancient Israel at the end
of Shernitahthe Sabbatical year, when, in
accordance with a Torah injunction, t h e
Jews of the Holy Land gathered in Jeru-
salem. on Sukkot to hear the reading of the
Torah.
Coinciding . with a similar assembly in
Jerusalem, the New York "Ha'K'hel" as well
as the observance in the Holy City were the
first such re-enactments since the Disper-
sion. Such observances tend to renew interest
in traditional events and invariably lead to
an understanding of Jewish historical devel-
opments.
Jewish Astronomer's Tables Used By Columbus
A 15th century book of the astronomical tables used by
Christopher Columbus in his later voyages, and mentioned by hint
in his diary, was on exhibition recently at the Museum of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York.
The tables are the work of Abraham Ben Samuel Zacut
Zacuto), a Jewish astronomer of Salamanca, and the copy exhibit-
ed in the Museum of the Seminary is the edition of 1496 of his
"Great Composition," one of about fifteen extant in the world to-
day. This is the edition which Columbus owned. On his voyage of
1504 to the New World, when he and his crew were in danger of
starvation and the hostile Indians had prevented them from pro-
visioning the ship, Columbus invoked an eclipse of the moon
(after consulting the tables of Zacut), and scared the Indians into
feeding his mariners.
This edition of 1496 is an abridgment, of the original work by
a pupil of Zacut's; Joseph Vicenho, and appeared in both Latin .
and Spanish. It was printed by the famous Portuguese Jew, Abra-
ham D'Ortas, at Leiria, under the title "Almanach Perpetuus" and
was used by Columbus and other navigators of the time.
Abraham Zacut was born in Salamanca about 1450 and studied
mathematics at the university there. He wrote his "Great Com-
position" for his patron, the Bishop of Salamanca, Don Gonzalo
de Vivero, between the years 1473-1478. Don Gonzalo in his wilt
in 1480, asks that the works of Abraham Zacut be preserved M
his church because of their usefulness.
When the Jews were expelled from Spain, Zacut turned to
Portugal and became the astronomer to John II and then to
King Manuel. He was consulted during the preparations of Vasco
da Gama's expedition "to the Indies" and constructed a new iron'
astrolable for him, the first to be made in metal.
Upon the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal, Zacut went to
Tunis where he composed his "Book of Genealogies" which gives .
him a permanent place in Jewish literature as a great Tahnudist
and chronicler. He was yet to go to the East before his wand
ings were over, and he died shortly after 1522 in Turkey.
That Columbus was much impressed by the works of Zacut
evidenced by the discovery of two of his astrological treatises isa
Columbus' library, now in Seville. The manuscripts, which west
in Spanish, were published about ten years ago.