THE JEWISH NEWS A Few Borrowed Pages incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20. 7951 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., Subscription S4 a year, foreign $5. Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879. FRANK SIMONS City Editor PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager Page 4 Vol. XXII—No. 23 WO. 5-1155. February 13, 1953 Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twenty-ninth day of Shvat, 5713, the following Scriptural selections win be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 21:1-24:18; Prophetical portion, I Sam. 20:18-42. On Saturday and Sunday, Rosh Hodes* Adar, Nunn. 28:1-15 will be read. Licht Benshen, Friday, Feb. 13, 5:07 p.m. The Message of National Brotherhood Week Twenty-five years ago, under the leader- ship• of Charles Evans Hughes, Newton D. Baker, the Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, Roger W. Straus and Prof. Carlton J. H. Hayes, the National Conference of Christ- ians and. Jews was formed . . . ". . . to promote justice, aniity, under- standing and cooperation among Protestants, Catholics and Jews, and to.. analyze, moderate a n d finally eliminate intergroup prejudices which disfigure and distort religious, business, social and political relations, with a view to establishment of a social order in which the religious ideals of brotherhood an d justice shall become standards of human relation- ships." This basic idea has developed into a three- fold objective— Rededication to the ideals of respect for people and human rights. Demonstration of practical ways in which Americans can promote these ideals. Enlistment of more people in year-round activities to promote brotherhood. This program is the foundation for Brotherhood Week, which was introduced as a major part of the activities of the Na- tional Conference of Christians and Jews in 1934, at the suggestion of Monsignor Hugh McMenamin of Denver. Now, Brotherhood Week, which has become an established in- stitution in American life, observed uninter- ruptedly since its first introduction, is cele- brated in more than 7,000 communities throughout the land. The 1953 Catholic, Protestant and Jew- ish co-chairmen of the National Conference of Christians and Jews — Thomas Benson Ford, Thomas Braniff and Roger W. Straus— have summarized the basic beliefs in the val- idity of Brotherhood Week in the following: "NCCJ believes that brotherhood can be achieved without seeking a union of religious bodies and without weakening the loyalties or modifying the distinctive beliefs of any creed; "NCCJ believes in stressing the positive; "NCCJ believes that brotherhood can be 'Made a normal and natural part of everyday living; "NCCJ believes that brotherhood is giving to others the same dignity and rights one claims for himself." Here are views of the spokesmen for all faiths gathered to indicate the importance of Brotherhood: "Has not God borne with you these many years? Be ye tolerant to others."—Hosea Ballou. "The great secret is not having bad man- ners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manners for all human souls." —George Bernard Shaw. . "We have committed the golden rule to memory; let us now commit it to life." —Edwin Markham. "Intolerance, and racial and religious dis- crimination, are not the by-products of any particular kind of working condition, wage- classification, or economic group. They are germs which do their damage in every type of human being, and they are just as con- tagious and indiscriminate as chicken-pox, while having a mortality factor more closely resembling that of cancer and tuberculosis." —Charles E. Wilson. American Justice President Eisenhower's State of the Union Message gave new courage to Ameri- cans of all shades of opinion that whatever errors were committed in the past years by ultra-conservative elements in Congress will be corrected. The President was firm in his assurance that he will strive for the expansion of civil and social rights of Americans of all creeds and races. His pledge to eliminate segrega- tion in the nation's capital was a courageous statement that should give • new hope to liberals who envision the day when preju- dice will disappear from our midst. President Eisenhower's request that the existing immigration law be amended was another splendid step in the direction of as- suring the perpetuation of the highest Ameri- can ideals. We pray that the hands of our President be strengthened in the attempts to make jus- tice and fair play the dominant notes. in American living and acting. . "From where I'm sitting, tolerance is just a big word for peace. War can't get going where there's a synipathetic understanding of nation for nation, man for man, and creed for creed." —Bing Crosby "All your strength is in your union All your danger in discord; Therefore be at peace henceforward And as Ili-others live together." —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "Mail was created alone, for the sake of peace tinzong men, that one might not say to his fellow: 'My father was greater than thine'." —Mishnah, Sanhedrin iv. 37. "Common to all Christians and Jews and any creature created by God is the great Com- mandment of Love . . . True charity admits of no substitute. If we prostitute our love by ad- mitting some and excluding others from our affections because they differ from us in race, religion, color, political beliefs, then we are counterfeit religionists and traitorous Ameri- cans." —Bishop Mark K. Carroll. "To exert every possible effort to eliminate un-democratic practices and undemocratic at- titudes, to do all that we can do to close the gap between our professions of democracy and our practice of it . . . is the only way that we can achieve our maximum national strength and unity and fully discharge our international responsibilities. in these critical times, this we ,must do. We cannot afford to do less." —Ralph J. Bunche. The idea is self-evident. The questiOn- and the problem—is how to apply it to life; how to make it real and observable. The fact that Brotherhood Week is cele- brated in schools and colleges, in churthes and synagogues, in the press and on the radio and television, points to the progress that has been made organizationally. The National Conference of Christians and Jews has made significant progress in spreading its objectives, in seeking to invade the hearts of men of all faiths and racial origins. But the work of making the Brotherhood Week objective a reality goes on. During this year's observance—Feb.. 15-22—it will be necessary for all Americans to join forces in eradicating prejudices, in creating under- standing, in adhering to the common denom- inator—the American Idea of Fair Play. If we can learn to practice this principle of fairness and good will, we shall make the American democratic policy secure. This is the spirit we must introduce into the Ob- servance of Brotherhood Week of 1953. H I STOR I ETTE Civil War and the Heart's Struggle tfr, Though • he opposed slavery, Gen. Robert E. Lee faced the problem during the Civil War of allegiance to the Union and kinship with his fellow citizens of Virginia and his love for his family. That same problem vexed many a man in those shaky days. The problem of loyalty affected Jews as it did any other group of people, and there is an interesting story of how a Jewish man and his son each went his own way during the conflict, though their attachment was never lost. Alfred Mordechai was a major in the Army Ordnance Depart- ment when the war broke out. Born in North Carolina he felt his allegiance to his state and family more pressing than to the North. At this time, too, his son, Alfred Mordechai, Jr., was graduating from West Point. The younger Mordechai Served as a lieutenant at the start of the war, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel by war's end, and served brilliantly with the Union Army during the campaigns of Manassas and Bull Run.1 His father sent this note a day before the boy's birthday on June 29, 1865: "Friday, June 30, Our son Alfred's birthday . . I trust he is well, & that God has softened his heart towards his fellow countrymen & relatives of the South ... Mine bleeds daily to think of them . . . let me try not . ." • The younger Mordechai eventually became a brigadier general and finally retired from the Army in 1904. ' Status of Chalutziut in America What is Chalutziut? How is the movement for the training of pioneers for Israel progressing in this country, and what is its back- . ground? A firm collective statement, answering the questions that may arise on the subject and providing data regarding it, is incorpor- ated in "the year-book devoted to the cause of Chalutziut in Ameri- ca," published by the Chalutziut and Youth Commission of the Labor Zionist movement, (33 E. 67th St., N. Y. 21), under the title "Chalutz and Youth." The 5713 (1952-53) yearbook deals frankly with the subject Mrs. Israel Goldstein, chairman of the CHAY (Chalutziut) Com- mission, approaches the issues—touching even upon failures—with real earnestness. The numerous articles by authorities in the move- ment are replete with facts and figures that will prove valuable to The hands of Allied Jewish Campaign all interested in the subject, regardless of their party affiliations. Dr. James G. Heller, David Ben-Gurion, Hayim Greenberg, leaders were strengthened by the hearten- Maurice Eliahu Dobkin, are among the noted leaders par- ing, experience provided by the recent bud- ticipating Samuel, in discussing theories of Chalutziut. The realities are geting conference, at which a formula was outlined by active participants in pioneering efforts. agreed upon for division of the income ex- The yearbook is illustrated. The statistical data will enlighten pected from the 1953 campaign. the student of Zionist affairs and of projects in behalf of Israel. Campaign Amity Every effort was made by the steering committee to avoid conflicts and to assure the cementing of unity, in order that the •urgent needs overseas should be fully pro- vided for, at the same time guaranteeing funds for local agencies. For the sake of amity, those who propa- gate larger capital funds conceded to making reductions and to the inclusion in the drive of items that call for the irreducible minimum for the - financing of community structures. This concession will make it possible for the United Jewish Appeal to receive the maxi- mum support, and there is strong hope that Israel and the other overseas needs will be better cared for than last year. The Communist anti-Semitic wave has created another area into which relief funds will have to be poured in the coming months. The influx of refugees from East into West Germany will tax the Joint Distribution Committee, and UJA will be called upon to provide means to help these escapees. It is good to know that the budgeting plans have materialized in an atmosphere of amity and that the campaign leaders ex- pect considerable increases in income in the coming months. Their hands should be strengthened by the combined efforts of the entire community. Dr. Silver's. Birthday Editorial in New York Herald Tribune The testimonial dinner to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver at the Wal- dorf-Astoria climaxes many separate observances by Jewish coin,. munities all over the country in honor of his sixtieth birthday on Jan. 28. Ordinarily, the sixtieth birthday of a man still in the fullest vigor of life might not occasion such widespread celebra- tion of the anniversary. Rut Dr. Silver, though in his prime and as ready as ever to take on new tasks of leadership, has become a legendary figure in his own time. He is honored for achievements which are now history—for his contributions to the formation of the Jewish state of Israel, for qualities of intellect and statesman- ship which make him not only one of the great Jewish 'figures of the time but a great American. This newspaper joins with his friends and admirers all over- the world in paying him tribute and wishing him many more years of fruitful service in causes to which he has dedicated his life. `Tall Tales': A Children's Classic "The Three Tall-Tale Tellers" by David Rodin, a children's classic, written in Yiddish, now is available in a charming English translation by Rabbi Abraham Burstein, The appropriate illus trations are by I. Lichenstein. Vantage Press (120 W. 31st, NYI) is the publisher of the English translation. In their adventures, the principals defy all obstacles—height, distance, credibility, time. Wherever they go, they find food for their tale-spinning and their imagination grows and grows. Thus, strange uncles and cousins, the objects of the zoo, farm- ers and others are victims of their bragging. Mr. Rodin has spun interesting tales and has delineated likeable characters. Young and old will enjoy reading this charming children's book.