THE JEWISH NEWS

Help Develop Science in Israel

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20. 1,51

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 2e. Mich., WO. 5-1155 .
Dubscription 34 a year, foreign 35.
Esftered as second class matter Aug. 6. 1942, at Post Office. Detroit. Mich., trader At of March 3. 1879.
)

PHILIP SLOMOVtTZ
Editor and Publisher

Vol. XXII—No. 17

PRANK SIMONS
City Editor

Page 4

SEEM ST' !ES
IN ISRAEL 'PRIMED

SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager

January 2, 1953

Sabbath .Scriptural .Selections
This Sabbath, the sixteenth :day of :Tebet, .57a; the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:-
Pentateuchal portion,• Gen. 47:28-50;26; Prophetical portion. I Kings 2:1-12.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 2, 4:54 p.m.

The Major Community Occuri-ence in 1953

Sinai Hospital's dedication on Sunday
and the commencement of functioning of the
first Jewish hospital promise to remain vn
record as an eventoof major significance (on
the Jewish calendar in 1953.
The magnificent structure has bee n
equipped, advisedly and properly, - with the ,
finest instruments, the best available mater-
ial, the perfected medical supplies, the most
soothing lighting and color schemes. Every-
thing has been geared for the comfort of the
patients and for the satisfaction of those
related to them: and visiting them.
This, we say, is the proper approach to
the building of so outstanding a structure
that represents Detroit Jewry's contribution
to the medical needs of our community. It
would have been unwise to stint, to ,econ-
omize needlessly in matters that involve the
health of patients and the peace of mind of
convalescents. •
By the same token, the hospital manage-
ment has selected the -ablest medical staff,
a well-recommended group of nurses, -dieti-
tians trained to take care of the three kitch-
ens, including the two kosher (milk and
meat) departments.
*
*
*
Sinai Hospital represents a great resPon-
sibility to our community. It was •iected
primarily as a contribution by the Jewish
community to Detroit's needs for expanded
hospitalization facilities. The fulfilling of
such a desire to share in our city's care of
the sick calls for large expenditures of funds,
and we shall be called upon to be prepared
to provide the necessary means for the 'up-
keep of so great an institution.
Naturally, we hope that the additional
funds will be made available without
pinging upon the other vital local needs and
the obligations we have to overseas causes.
Such encroachements would be harmful to
the overall community planning program,
and should be avoided, as it can be. Detroit

Jewry's record for generosity surely should
make it possible for s to carry • the added
burden without ham to other needs.
*
*
In past years, a Jewisla hospital was prop-
agated primarily because of the need for
kashruth facilities -and in order to provide
facilities for Jewish internes who, it was then
contended, had met with discrimination in
other hospitals. The first need is being, pro.;
vided for in the two kosher 'kitchens in the
Sinai Hospital, and the latter problem appar-
ently has been eliminated as a result of the
increased demand both for doctors and in-
ternes in all hospitals.
There - is another vital objective. which
can be fulfilled to great advantage in the
new hospital. It involves research .and plan-
ning for the advancement of medical and
health needs in our community. In this area
Sinai Hospital can do much in providing
facilities for Jewish doctors and men of re-
search. We feel confident that this need will
be fulfilled to great advantage.
Having assumed responsibility for a Jew-
ish hospital, it is of primary importance
that controversies involving the functions of
the hospital, personnel and financing should
be avoided. We can ill afford internal con-
troversies. We have built here .a good com-
munity and we must proceed to cement good
feelings internally, for the sake of our own
needs as well as in the best interests of our
relations with the outside world. We can
not permit it to be said in the community at
large, that Jews are split over details entail-
ed in the functions of a hospital, and our self-
respect should dictate amicable solution of
all controversies.
We join in congratulating the men and
women who supervised the building of the
Jewish hospital on the completion of this
imposing structure. May it serve in the best
interests of our community as well as of our
neighbors.

-

Obligations Our Community Must Face in 1953

The advent of another civil year calls for
the enumeration of obligations which will
face us in the months to come.
This may be a crucial year for our coun-
try and our community. We are faced with
the problem of eradicating war and of effect-
ing peace, with the need for continuing the
social advances that have been made in this
land in the past generation, with the urgent
necessity of assisting in solving overseas
problems which unavoidably affect us here.
A new administration will take over the
affairs of estate in Washington and the Am-
erican people must unite in behalf of pro-
grams mapped for the good of all. To attain
the highest goals for mankind, we can not
afford to have a divided nation.
We must, out of natural impulses, begin
the evaluation of our needs and duties, with
our own community.
Detroit Jewry has much to do in thiS
year of crisis. We would be ostriches, our
heads buried in sand, if we did not recog-
nize that this is a year of crisis. We must
plan for the retention of morale among our
•youth. We must increase our efforts in the
field of education. It is urgent that we • con-
tinue our efforts in support of Israel. At
the same time, we must be prepared to act
in defense of oppressed Jewries who con-
tinue to live among Moslems and behind the
Iron Curtain.

In time of war—and we are engaged in
a serious conflict between East and West—
we must think of our youth. There is danger
of a loss of faith in an era that continues to
threaten us with another world conflict.
True: this problem is the Nation's, our gov-
ernment's. But we must consider the issues
involved in it as a community matter, as a
challenge to our institutions and our homes'.
This calls for expanded educational ac-
tivities. The training of our youth, their pre-
paration for future thinking, for future
leadersAip, remains the most vital. need in
American Jewry. For nearly two decades,

.

we have witnessed a gradual minhnalization
of educational programs. While there are
differences of opinion on this score, there is
strong feeling that spiritual values have de-
clined and that there is visible a faltering in
faith. By giving primary . attention to our
educational institutions, we can ,advance cul-
tural values, we can more effectively incul-
cate in our youth the spiritual values which
will make them better men and women with
a stronger faith both in. Judaic values and
Arrierican traditions. .
*
*
*
When faith is strengthened, it becomes
easier to speak of important overseas needs
and of our responsibilities to Israel. -
A task well begun must be continued .and
eventually concluded properly. Having given
Israel the encouragement to absorb hun-
dreds of thousands of oppressed Jews,.• we
must carry on the work • of rebuilding and
must share the burden of reconstruction.
Israel's struggles are far from past. They
may have just begun, in view of the new
crises that arise almost daily with the re-
fusals of the Arab states to negotiate with
Israel's spokesmen. The additional burdens -
of caring for the newcomers and of finan-
dng the state's health and immigrant wel-
coming agencies must be borne by us.
*
The burden has grown heavier as a result
of the new anti-Zionism, which is in effect
anti-Semitism, that is now evident in Soviet-
controlled countries. At the same time, new
dangers are evident and imminent in Moslem
countries. Jews everywhere must - be made
aware of these pressures that continue to in-
crease our responsibilities.
In the year 1953, these dangers, which
create dutieS, may grow, and we must be
prepared for them. We hope for a good year,
but it may be a very trying one. It is well
to be prepared for the most serious aspects
of an uncertain future, in order that we
should be in position to solve them with
courage and without hesitation.

Historiette

The Story of Acetone: Tribute
To Weizmann,'s Chemical Genius

From the Memoirs of David Lloyd George
Acetone—commonly produced by The distillation of wood—
is -dependent on exports from America. Without acetone there
could be no cordite for our cartridges, for rifles or big guns.
Weizmann, as soon as I met 'him I -realized .he. was a. Very
remarkable personality. His brow gave assurance of a fine
intellect, and his open countenance gave Confidence in his corn- •
plete sincerity. I told him that we were in a 'chemical dilemma
and asked him to assist us. T explained the shortage in wood
alcohol and what it meant in munitionment. 'Would he help? Dr.
Weizmann said he did not know but he would try. He could pro-
duce :acetone/by a fermentation process on a laboratory scale
but it would require some time before he could guarantee sue-
ce,ssful production on a manufacturing -scale.
"How long can you give me?" he asked. I said "I cannot give
you very long." Weizmann replied, "I Will go at it might and day".
• In 'a few weeks' time he came -W . me and said "The problem -
is solved:" After a prolonged study of the microflora existing on
maize and other cereals also of those occurring in the soil he
succeeded in isolating an organism ,capable of transforming the
starch of cereals particularly that of maize, into a. mixture of
acetone 'butyl alcohol. But generations of these organisms die
very quickly•. and In quite a short time, Working .- day and night
as he promised, he secured a culture which would enable us to
get our acetone from maize.
Now maize contains about two-thirds of its weight of starch,
and our sources of .supply were very wide: so that this discovery
enabled us to prodUce very considerable 'quantities of the vital
chemical. Today this discovery is the center of an important
industry.
In King's Lynn there was an oil-ooke factory which had been
converted . in 1912 to make acetone from the starch -content
potatoes. It had come' into the field with promises of , supply, but
the quality of its autput'was nck satisfactory ..and financially the
company • was. unsteady. So in March, 1916,, it was nationalized
and by June it was making acetone from maize by the Weizmann
process with highly successful and valuable results. The shipping
Shortage in 1917,, which forced us to restrict all unnecessary im-
ports, induced yet another experiment. In the autumn of that
year horse-chestnuts were plentiful, and a national collection .of
them was organized for the. purpose of using their starch content
as a .substitute for 'maize . . . The 'Weizmann process was turning .
out acetone from - horse-chestnuts by the time the factory was
closed. in 1918.
When our difficulties were solved through Dr.. Weizmannl
genius-I said to him "You have rendered .great service to the
State, and I .should like the Prime Minister to recommend you to
His Majesty for some honor". He said -"There is nothing I want
for myself."
"But is there nothing we can do as a recognition of your
valuable assistance to the country?" I asked. He .replied ._"Yes, I
would like you to do something for my people." He then explained
his aspirations as to the repatriation of the Jews to the sacred
land they had made famous. That was the fount and origin of
the famous declaration about the National Home for the Jews.
in Palestine (rebuilding of Zion)„ It is the only reward he seeks,.
and his name will rank with Nehemiah in the fascinating and
inspiring story of the children of Israel. '

of

Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar_

Behrman House 4261 Broadway NY1) has just published a,
valuable book by Arthur Spier under the title "The Comprehen-.
sive Hebrew Calendar: Its .Structure, History and One Hundred
Years, of Corresponding Dates: 5660-5760, 199G0-2000." The title
explains the contents, but the numerous explanatory notes corer .
bine to offer the student of the subject and Jewish scholars val-
uable information on the Jewish calendar.
Dr. Samuel Belkin, president of Yeshiva university, New York,
points•out in a prefatory n.qte that the ease with which dates can
be located on the Jewish calendar through this book Makes it
deserve a place on the library shelves of our synagogues, Yeshi-
voth and other schools ... ParticUlarly useful'are the . colummi of
the Parashioth and Haphtaroth added to the tables and the hala-
chic expositions clarifying the laws concerning Bar Mitzvah - mad
Yahrzeit."
The facts in this book are not new, but they are valua6le
cause they are included in a single volUme and can be traced with
ease. The historical remarks on the Jewish Calendar, the review
of elements of calendar calculation and the listing of speck&

anniversaries and events add to the merit of the valuable wook- •

