Israel Is Not a Widower'
s
Story-of lsraer
Sacker ' .Splendid
Harry Sacher writes with authority about Israel and ZioniStn.
He has lived in Palestine, as a member of the Jerusalem Bar; he'
has written extensively on the subject, for the Manchester Guard-
ian and other publications, and he has been active in official]
Zionist ranks.
His "Israel: The Establishinent of a State," published in Lon-
don and distributed in this country by the British. Book Center,
122 E. 52nd, N. Y. 22, is without a doubt the beSt work produced':
thus far on the historical evolution of Zionism and the rise' 01
Israel. .
It is, in every respect, a broad work. Although the author
leaves no doubt as to his sympathies—he is above all else a Zion-
isthe treats the British and Arab angles objectively and draws
a good picture of the romantic story of Israel and the movement
that strove for its re-creation.
Mr. Sacher begins with the Mandate. He develops the his-
torical occurrences, the British role and the part played, in. Pales-
tine's struggles and the recognition of Israel' by the United.
States.
The occurrences in Israel proper, after the establishment a
the state, occupy an important portion of the book. Mr. Sacher-'s
book is, in fact, a history of Israel's few but already fruitful years.
It is encouraging for the reader to know that Mr. Sacher
confident of the future. While recognizing the existing problems,
he offers these encouraging words in the concluding paragraph
"The Jewish people throughout the world look to Israel
for inspiration. They do not know what law will come from
Zion; but they' expect with confidence a rebirth of Judaism.
Neither the petrified Orthodoxy• bred in the ages of persecution .
nor the borrowed 'Liberalism' of the age of assimilation is a
satisfying expression of the Jewish, spirit. That must come from
the normal experience of the free JewiA people in the free
Jewish land. Will it have a wider message for the world? One
can only say with the rabbis—Israei is not a widOwer."
In its entirety, Mr. Sacher's "Israel" is a highly informative
work. It is replete with inspiring references to a people's emer-
gence out of oppression and suppreSsion into independence. It ilf
the work of a very able writer, a highly informed man and
leader who has earned the right to the title "historian."
Rabbi Kertzer's 'What Is a Jew?'
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The Season of Redemption and Brotherhood
We were slaves unto Pharoah in Egypt. _And the Lord, our God, took lts 044t of there with
a strong hand and an outstretchgd arm."
"Out of distress I called the Lord. He answered me.
. The Lord is for me among My
helpers, and I shall see the downfall .of mine enenties."
—from the Haggadah
One of the great lessons. of Passover is
incorporated in the two sentences in Lev-
iticus, 19:33-34:
the inter=faith movements. It calls.for broth-
erhood observance 12 months in the year,
not for lip service during a single week on
our calendar. -
"And if a stranger sojourn with thee in the
• land, ye shall do him no wrong. The stranger
This Passover message also carries with
k that liveth with you shall be unto you as the
it. an admonition to Jewry everywhere that
home-born among you, and thou shalt love
brotherhood 'is not for the stranger alone,
him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the
but for brothers as well. It tells us that we
land of Egypt.". •
must not lay doWn our arms in the struggle
Add to this the admonition in ExO7dus: for justice for all peoples and that we dare
"And- a stranger thou shalt not wrong; n o t ignore our own kinsmen who are
threatened with destruction by tyrants.
neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt"—and you_
Let us remember this lesson—on Pass-
have the most significant ,moral code for
over and in the months to follow. Let us
mankind. - -
remember it in order that -justice may super-
We call it a moral code because it was ' sede rescue, in order that the great relief
the first principle set forth in the history efforts should not fail, in order that Israel
of the world for true brotherhood and for should not be abandoned to the vvolveS.
cooperation for the good of all. It derriolishes
If the Scriptural lesson is correct, as we
the destructive and poisonous . teachings of contend it is, then we need no apologies for
bigots. It refutes the fears of those who hes- aiding Israel and for assisting the needy.
itate to help their fellow men and who are in
. Our only plea this Passover is that the
jitters when they are asked to assist their great Biblical lesson should never be for-
awn kinsmen. -
-
gotten. Then - we shall surely always have
Passover carries, with it a great lesson for permanent brotherhood.
THE JEWISH NEWS
Out of the sensational article by Rabbi Morris .-x. Kertzer4 .
"What Is a Jew?", first published in Look magazine, and reprinted
in Readers Digest, has grown the expanded full-size book undeir
the same' title, published by World Publishing
Co. (2231 W. 110th, Cleveland 2).
Rabbi Kertzer answers many questions.
He follows the same routine he used in the
magazine article, - and in the . expanded text
he deals with Jews• in the community, mar-.
riage and family life, traditions and -customs,
rituals and religious laWs, fasts and feasts,
Israel - and 'Christian-Jewish relations. • , .
The impact of Rabbi Kertzer's article was
most revealing and served to encourage him
to do a larger 'work, in the more permanent
book form. When he first described "What
Is a Jew," he had many inquiries—from a
Christian who wanted to embrace Judaism,
from Catholics and Protestants and people of
different racial origins, from an Arab who Rabbi Kertzer
expressed a craving for peace with Israel. It is not surprising that -
the inspiration that came from these letters -Should have _resulted
in the larger work... .
• The reader is informed by Rabbi Kertzer about Jewish atti-
tud,es towards manual labor; censorship, psychiatry, suicide, et*.
There are important evaluations and definitions of the major •
terms current in Jewish observance and tradition—Bar Mitzvah,
Pidyan , HaBen, Tefillin, Tallith, etc. Israel and American Jewry's
attitude toward the. Jewish. state is explained without bias:
"What Is a Jew?" is a good book. It will prove valuable te -
young Jews seeking explanation's for Jewish practices and values.
It will enlighten non-Jews as well as Jews. •
t
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle 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 28, Kith.,
Subscription $4 a year. foreign $5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 8, 1942, at Post Offic e, Detroit Mich., under Act ef. March 3, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ.
Editor and Publisher
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
We. 8-1158.
• SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
Vol. XXIII—No. 3
Page 4
March 27, 1953
Sabbath :Ilagadol ScriptUral Selections -
This Sabbath, Sabbath HagadOl—the Great Sabbath-Ltwelfth day of Nisan, 5711,- the follow-
ing Scriptural selections will be read in our .synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion,..Lev. 6:1-8:36, Prophetical . portion, Mal. 3:4-24 or II Kings 7:3-20.
Licht Benshen, Friday, March 27, 5;55 p. m.
Passover Scriptural Selections ,
First Day . of Passover, Tuesday: Pentateuchal portions, Ex. • 12:21-51, Num. 28:16-25; Pro-
phetical portion, .Thsh. 3:5-7, 5:2-6, 7,
Second Day of Passover, .Wednesday: 'Prophetical portions ; 'Lev. 22:26723:44, Num. 28:16-25;
Prophetical portion, II Kings 23:1 for 4)-9:21-25. •
Hot Hamoed PasSover Readings of the Torah: Thursday, Ex. 13:1-16 ; Num. 28:19-25; Friday,
Ex. 22:24-23:19, Num.. 28:19-25. .
.°
1 MY PEOPLE GO"
Detroit's Allied Jewish Campaign incorporates in its Passover
appeal a strong call to our community ,for support of the cause
that includes the United Jewish Appeal. It- is the major fund kr'
relief of the downtrodden and for the settlement of the home.
less in Israel. A prompt response to this appeal and the eons* ,
went of large numbers of volunteer workers Will 'reduce the
suffering of the- oppressed we se-06 to aid through our hporno.,
tarian drive.