THE JEWISH NEWS
hicorporating- the lietrojt. Jewish Otronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
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 Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Vol. XXII—No. 6
October 17, 1952
Page 4
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-ninth day of Tishri; 6713, the following Scriptural selections wilt be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 1:1-68. Prophetical Portion—is. 42:5-43.10.
On Sunday and Monday, Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, Num. 28:1-15 will be read during morning
services.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 17, S:29 p.m.
The 'Popularity' of the Bible
What book ever had a reception like this
on the day of publication?
By actual count, 3,418 communities in
the United States and Canada, Canal Zone,
and Hawaii, took time Sept. 30 to welcome
the new Revised Standard Version of the
Bible with suitable ceremonies.
—From a News Story in the
Christian Science Monitor
It stands to reason that Jews are keenly
interested in the reception that is being ac-
corded in Christian ranks to the revision of
the earlier texts of the Bible, on the occa-
sion of the 500th anniversary of the publica-
tion of the Gutenberg Bible. In our Rosh
Hashanah issue, Dr. Solomon Grayzel, the
editor of the Jewish Publication Society, dis-
cussed at length the trends in Christian as
well as Jewish ranks to improve upon Bible
translations and to inspire the in the
Scriptures. Writing under the title "Chris-
tians, Jews and the Bible," Dr. Grayzel was
optimistic over the responses to efforts to
create new devotion to the Bible.
At this time, the Jewish Publication
Society is embarking upon a program of
publishing. Biblical commentaries, with a
fund that was established in honor of Dr.
Samuel Schulman, rabbi emeritus of Temple
Emanu-El, New York, and himself a noted
scholar. Dr. Grayzel, in his optimistic re-
view of Jewish attitudes, acclaimed this ef-
fort and called it "fortunate" that "the tradi-
tion of Bible study has not altogether dis-
appeared from our midst"; that "the nurn-
ber of Jews writing on the Bible, both scien-
tifically and interpretively, has of late in-
creased considerably."
Nevertheless, it would be interesting to
ascertain how many Jewish homes possess
Bibles and, inversely, how many do not; it
would be valuable to know how many Jews
possess information on the Pentateuch alone,
not to speak of the Prophets and of Biblical
Commentaries. We fear that the record is
none-too-favorable and that much must be
done anew to re-inspire a desire among our
people to know the contents of the Book
which should be treasured as an inheritance
by all Jews, and the presentation of which to
mankind continues to be acclaimed by Chris-
tianity as Jewry's greatest gift to the World.
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The question may well be posed: are
Jews inseparably linked to the Bible or are
they unappreciative of a valuable heritage?
A Baltimore physician has related to us
an interesting experience. One of his pa-
tients, who was physically well, nevertheless
came to him for medical assistance. She was
mentally disturbed and she sought relief
from her anguish. This doctor, having ex-
amined her thoroughly, gave her this ad-
vice: "I believe," he told her, "that you could
help yourself if you would read a chapter of
the Bible daily. I have the feeling that the
comfort that is to be found in our Holy
Scriptures will help you a great deal."
The woman looked at him in amazement
and said: "Doctor, are you crazy? What do
you think I am, a `Goya?'?"
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This is one of the misconceptions which
must be, allayed if our great treasure is not
to be abused, if Israel's most cherished pos-
session is to be retained for our own comfort
and is not to remain merely as a gift from
our ancients to humanity at large.
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The current Biblical celebrations, the ap-
proaching observance of Oct. 20-27 as Bible
week and the new Biblical programs under-
taken by the Jewish Publication Society un-
doubtedly will make some inroads into even
the most indifferent of Jewish homes. The
ultimate result should be an increased in-
terest in and devotion to the Bible and
a desire Ito know the Book whose contents
inspire men of all faiths: In • the course of
time, perhaps, the particular Biblical herit-
age that goes also with language—with the
Hebrew of the original—may serve to re-
kindle in Jews particular pride in the tongue
and spirit of Biblical lore which is especially
theirs.
`Most Stupid of All Bigotries'
Assailed by World's Leaders
At the height of the rule of the Nazis, a gi•oup of Christian
leaders gathered to condemn anti-Semitism as the "most stupid
of all bigotries." They gathered the opinions of noted Christians
in all fields of endeavor and published them. They declared that:
"The greatest minds of all ages have agreed that the Jew*
have made a contribution to civilization of inestimable value."
Thus Nietzsche, the great German philosopher, whom eve*
the Nazis regarded with reverence, said:
"The Jew is a blessing, especially if one lives among Ger-
mans."
"I should • like to know .how much, in a final summing up,
one ought to overlook in a people which has had a history more
painful than any other, and which the world has to thank for
the noblest Man, Christ, the purest of Sages, Spinoza, the
mightiest of all Books, and the most effective moral law."
"It does not make an anti-Semite any more respectable that
he lies on principle."
Count Leo Tolstoy said:
"The Jew is the emblem of civil and religious toleration."
" 'Love the stranger and the sojourner' Moses commands,
'because you have been strangers in the land of Egypt.' And
this was said in those remote and savage times when the princi-
pal ambition of the races and nations consisted in crushing and
enslaving .one another."
"The Jew is the pioneer of liberty. Even in th4se olden days,
when the people were divided into but two distinct classes, slaves
in Zionist ranks, that it has been able to ar- and masters—even so long ago had the law of Moses prohibited
range for tours of its members to Israel to the practice of keeping a person in bondage for more than six
study the language of the land and condi- years."
"The Jew is the pioneer of civilization. Ignorance was con-
tions there at the source. The current 11- demned
in olden Palestine more even than it is today in civilized
month work-and-study-course in Israel, spon- Europe. Moreover, in those wild and barbarous days, when
sored jointly with the Jewish Agency, is an neither life nor the death of anyone counted for anything at
encouraging factor in advancing American- all, Rabbi Akiba did not refrain from expressing himself openly
Israel relations. The eight Detroiters who are against capital punishment, a practice which is 'recognized to-.
participating in this Youth Workshop in Is- day as a highly civilized way of punishment."
"Anti-Semitism is a mad passion, akin to the lowest perver-
rael should be able to bring back to our com-
munity an inspiration for greater youth ac- sities of diseased human. nature. It is the will to hate."
Habonim in Action: Commendable Work
Detroit's Habonim, the youth movement
of the Labor Zionist Organization, upon
launching an annual expansion drive to en-
list young people in the organization, has
made known a number of unusually inter-
esting projects. The organization pri-
marily concerns itself with halutziut—with
preparation for service in or for Israel. But
in the course of planning, Habonim have in-
troduced Bible and Hebrew studies, the ob-
servance of Jewish holidays and Seminars
in Israel.
It is to the credit of this youth group,
to this day the strongest junior organization
Bani David: 60
Congregation Bnai David's 60th anni-
versary, to be observed at a series of events
starting on Oct. 22 and continuing until
Nov. 16, is an occasion in which the entire
community is interested.
This synagogue, among the oldest in De-
troit, has rendered important services in the
years of its existence. It has helped mobilize
sentiment not only for the advancement of
our traditions but also in support of the im-
portant Jewish causes. It is currently a vital
factor in the Israel bond drive, its members
play a leading role in the Allied-Jewish Cam-
paign and civic movements also have had
encouragement from them.
The Bnai David school, its junior congre-
gation, its Boy Scout troops, its auxiliary
organizations—all combine to make this syn-
agogue stand out as a vitally • functioning
agency. We extend to its rabbi, officers and
members hearty congratulations on this an-
niversary.
tivities in Zionism.
Thus, Habonim have earned the support
they now ask, for their general activities
and for their Israel Workshop:
David K. Niles
Matthew Arnold, the great English writer said:
allebraism rules the conduct of three quarters of our life."
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President Woodrow Wilson wrote:
"Through the Church there entered into Europe a potent
leaven of Judaic thought. If we could but have the eyes to see
the subtle elements of thought which constitute the gross sub-
stance of our present habit, both as regards the sphere of pri-
vate life and as regards the action of the State, we should easily
discover how very much besides religion we owe to the Jew."
The Archbishop of Canterbury_ fin his New Year message
In its editorial tribute to the late David
K. Niles, adviser to Presidents Franklin D. 1937), said:
Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, the New
"I am concerned to notice some signs of the growth of an
York Post inter alia made these comments: anti-Semitic sentiment in this country. It is, I know, at present
confined to a few very irresponsible people, but unless it is
". . His concerns were universal. During
the darkest days of Israel's fight for freedom
he fought long and hard to win American aid
for the embattled Israelis. He often seemed
a lonely, aloof man; yet there were few great
liberal battles of the last 25 years in which he
did not participate . . Damned and derided
as he was by the anti-administration press,
Niles stuck to his tasks and never begged for
mercy. And he served his country well."
While these facts were generally known,
they flash the light again on this interesting
man's devotion to his ideals, on the services
he had rendered to Israel, on his searching
•for facts with which he guided two great
Presidents along liberal paths. David K.
Niles was a good man whose deeds created
blessings for his memory.
checked it may spread. I trust that we may be spared the shame
of giving any sort of encouragement to the discreditable preju-
dice which has led to the cruel persecution in other countries,
and especially Germany, of the race to which our Saviour in
His human life belonged."
The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd-George stated:.
"Of all the bigotries that savage the human -temper there is
none so stupid as the anti-Semite. It has no basis in reason;
it is not rooted inn faith; it aspires to no ideal. In the sight of
these fanatics the Jews of today can do nothing right. If they
are rich, they are birds of prey. H they are poor, they are Ver-
min. If they give generously—and there are no :.ore liberal
givers than the Jews—they are doing it for some special purpose
of their own. If they do not give, then what could one expect
of a Jew but avarice? . . . No good has ever come of nations
that crucified Jews. It is poor and pusillanimous sport, lacking
all the true qualities of manliness, and those who indulge in it
would be the first to run away were there any element of danger
in it."