Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Dr. Solomon Goldman: Irreplacable Loss

The belief that "no one is indispensable" is belied by the giftS
to Jewry made during a turbulent lifetime by Dr. Solomon Gold-
man. The passing, a week ago, of this great scholar, lecturer and
spiritual guide is a very serious loss to Jewry. It unfortunately
means that his projected 13-volume encyclopedic
work on the Bible—of which only two were .pub-
lished by Harper—will remain a dream. He had
planned other Jewish works of research. What
he had already created, however, will serve as
indestructible tributes to his memory.
He was an unpredictable person, often erratic,
certainly controversial. But he was courageous.
He was fearless in his insistence upon uncom-
promising devotion to Israel, to Zionism, to the
Hebrew language. He was a brilliant interpreter
of Jewish •values, an inspiring speaker, a fas-
Dr. Goldman cinating conversationalist, a loyalist as a friend.
Only two months ago, this entire column was devoted to a
review of his latest book, "The Words of Justice Brandeis." As
author of "Undefeated," "A Rabbi Takes Stock," "The Jew and
the Universe," "Crisis and Decision," "The Golden dhair" and
other works he has made all Jewry indebted to him. "Zichrono
livracha"—blessed be his memory!

`World in the Making'

—

Shortcomings of a Book

"World in the Making: The Story of International Coopera-
tion" by James Avery Joyce, with maps, diagrams and illustrations
by Bunji Tagawa, published by Henry Schuman (20 E. 70th, NY21),
is an attractive book. That's as much good as we can ascribe to
the beautifully printed and illustrated volume. But we can not
subscribe to the claim of the publishers (on the book's jacket),
that it tells "of the constant reaching out of Man . . . towards all
peoples of the earth." What they should have said is that it
reached out from some men to a few others. But it can not be
claimed that it is an unbiased work, written with a view to cover-
ing the scene of a world in the making.
Our complaint fs against a writer who has seen fit to invoke
the experiences of Christianity and Mohammedanism but has for-
gotten to mention Judaism. Palestine is mentioned three times—
with an additional reference in the Index, thus: "Palestine (and
Israel), 18, 38, 145," and the latter reference reads: "The U. N. is
not, by any means, complete. Peaceful nations, like Switzerland,
and new states, like Israel, do not yet belong to it." All the valu-
able appeals by Joyce for all that the UN offers are vitiated
by this erroneous statement. An author who pleads for the good
things in the UN and is unaware that Israel has been a full-
fledged UN member for four years can not be depended upon for
accurate information. It is with regret that this Commentator
must say that Joyce's "World in the Making" leaves a negative
effect and can not be recommended.

Jewish Labor Committee and Council for Judaism

Only one national Jewish organization—the Jewish Labor
Committee— greeted the recent 10th anniversary convention of
the Council for Judaism. While the JLC message did not deal
with the "Judaists' " .(so the New York headline writers refer to
them) anti-Israel and anti-Zionist program, the mere alignment
raises the issue whether a convention greeting does not lend en-
couragement to a position that is unacceptable to the overwhelm-
ing number of American Jews.
Adolph Held, JLC chairman, in his message to Lessing Rosen-
wald, expressed thanks for the Judaism Council's aid in maintain-
ing the Vladeck and other homes in France. He said he was
"grateful for the opportunity of extending my hand of friendship
to you with deep appreciation for the warm-hearted sympathy
you have shown for the children's rescue work" and added: "May
you have many, many years ahead of health and the fire
of idealism which had motivated your interest in our humanitar-
ian program."
These are sweet-sounding words, but we regret the incon-
sistency that is evident to those who know that most of - the
Judaism Council's leaders are not supporting the United Jewish
Appeal through which our "humanitarian" programs receive
major support. Just because Mr. Rosenwald's• group gives assist-
ance to the JLC activities—and that, by comparison with UJA
and JDC, is a very small part of the rescue work that needs to be
done—does not absolve them from blame for having attacked and
thereby harmed our major relief and rehabilitation tasks.
Where and when does one draw the line in sending messages
of greetings? Some of us are working in behalf of Israel with poli-
ticians who, in other fields, are ultra-conservative. We assume
it is reasonable to greet Lessing Rosenwald for his efforts in be-
half of the JLC-sponsored Vladeck homes for children, while
repudiating him for his anti-Zionism, just as it is possible to say
a good word to a Senator for his pro-Israel work while differing
with him on the McCarran acts. But in the JLC instance, we
draw the line because the persons they are blessing have chosen
to stay away from the central humanitarian efforts spon-
sored by American Jews. The major plank in their program
seeks to destroy our basic aim of freeing oppressed Jews. There-
fore Mr. Held is a bit inconsistent. We, too, wish Lessing Rosen-
wald the best of health, but we can not bless his "idealism" or his
organization's program—even if Mr. Held chooses to label it
"humanitarian."

2—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, May 22, 1953

Bnai Brith Blood Bonk
Set for Next Tuesday

Bnai Brith calls upon all
its members to participate in
its Blood Bank Rally Tuesday,
6 to 12 p.m. at Adas Shalom
Synagogue.
Each person who will do-
nate a pint of blood will re-
ceive a prize, donated by
Sams and Martin Horowitz.

LZOA Leader
To End Series
Of Local Forum

Jacob Katzman, executive sec-
retary of the Labor Zionist Or-
ganization of America, will ar-
rive here Monday as a guest
of various Labor Zionist groups
for three days.
On Monday evening, he will
deliver the concluding lecture in
the Labor Zion-
ist Forum, with
a talk on "The
Effect of Labor
Zionism on the
American
Scene."
Other meet-
ings he will ad-
dress are those
of the L Z OA
Council on
Tuesday eve-
ning, and of
Branch Four,
Katzman
LZOA, on Wednesday, at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Morris W.
Stein, 2372 Oakman Blvd.
Katzman was appointed to his
post only last February. His
appearance here will be the
first since he assumed the office.
Prior to his present duties, Katz-
man served in various capacities
since 1932, first in Young Poale
Zion Alliance - Habonim, a n d
later as associate general secre-
tary of Farband, Labor Zionist
Order.
Born in Boston, he attended
Boston University Suffolk Law
School and Hebrew Teachers
College. He served three and a
half years on the Boston staff
of the Jewish Daily Forward.
After a distinguished record in
World War II, Katzman was
associate director of the Jewish
Reconstructionist Found a t i o n,
and is a member of the editorial
board of Reconstructionist FoUn-
dation magazine.

Seven Notables to Get
Honorary HUC Degrees

Seven distinguished American
will receive honorary degrees
from the Hebrew Union College-
Jewish Institute of Religion in
June.
Arthur Hays Sulzberger, pub-
lisher of the New York Times,
will receive the degree of Doctor
of Humane Letters.
Three alumni will receive the
degree of Doctor of Divinity.
They are Col. Henry Tavel, Rab-
bi Samuel Wolk, Albany, and
Rabbi Harry Kaplan, director of
Ohio State Hillel.
Dr. Harry D. Gideonse, presi-
dent of Brooklyn College, and
Dr. S. Ralph Harlow, professor
of religion and Biblical litera-
ture at Smith College, will re-
ceive the degree of Doctor of
Humane Letters. The degree of
Doctor of Divinity will be con-
Bnai Brith's New President: Up From the Ranks
Philip M. Klutznick of Chicago, former Federal Public Hous- ferred on Abraham W. Binder,
ing Commissioner by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's appoint- professor of Jewish music.
ment, is the youngest man to rise to the high position of presi-
dent of Bnai Brith. He rose to this post from the ranks—having Dr. Senator to Study
M begun his Bnai Brith career in Aleph Zadik
Aleph—AZA—Bnai Brith's junior organiza- University Methods
" ton, which he served as president. He
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
held nearly every office in Bnai Brith, in
to The Jewish News
Omaha; later was given high recognition
JERUSALEM—Dr. Werner
by his district and then advanced nation- Senator left Israel Tuesday on a
ally. He is, additionally, a leader in Zion- seven-month tour of the scan-
ist ranks, has shown keen interest in the dinavian countries and the Unit-
Center movement and in Federations and ed States to study the organi
has been acclaimed for his oratory. He Is zation and methods of univer-
well qualified for his new post, and hiS sities there for subsequent ada,p-
associates are especially pleased with his ton by the Hebrew University
understanding of the challenge that comes at Jerusalem.
to him from predecessors like Henry. Mon-
Before his departure Dr. Sen-
Klutznick •
:
ator told the press the univer-
sky and the other noted leaders who headed Bnai Brith.
His rise from the ranks is part of the heartening trend in sity is planning establishment of
Jewish organizational activities. The young, American Jew is tak- its seventh faculty, a Faculty of
ing his place in the community as a leader and guide in import- Fine Arts. He said the time was
ant movements. We welcome such genuine interest. It spells ripe for it "and the country
needs it."
greater good for American Jewry in the years to come.

MSA Director Harold Stassen to Speak
At UJA Washington Action Conference

.

Harold E. Stassen, United Israel Ambassador to the United
States director of Mutual Secur- States Abba S. Eban, Jewish
ity who last week visited Israel Agency Chairman Dr. Nahum
Goldmann, and Edward M. M.
Warburg, UJA general chairman,
The two-day emergency con-
ference, with an expected at-
tendance in the Mayflower Hotel
of more than 750 regional, state
and local leaders, will terminate
the UJA's current special drive
for $25,000,000 in cash launched
on May 1 to provide this sum-
mer for the urgent financing of
critical immigration, settlement
and rehabilitation programs in .
Israel and other parts of the
world.
Stassen
Eshkol
Mr.. Holtzman, who is also a
with Secretary of State John UJA national campaign chair-
Foster Dulles on the first leg of man, emphasized in his an-
a tour of Middle East countries, nouncement that "only weeks re-
will head the list of national main before the $25,000,000 cash
and international figures who drive is officially over."
He urged "all communities in
on June 6 and 7 will address' the
United Jewish Appeal's emerg- these closing days of the drive
ency National Action Conference to devote their greatest energies
in Washington, D.C., it was an- to the raising and remittance of
nounced by Joseph Holtzman of cash funds," asserting that "if
Detroit, U J A, national cash there is no loss of time, there
will be no loss of lives."
chairman.
The UJA cash chairman called
Mr. Stassen will address the
UJA Conference within eight special attention to a recent
days following his return to this plea from Dr. Giora Josephthal,
treasurer of the Jewish Agency
country on May 29.
Mr. Holtzman announced that, in Jerusalem, urging the United
in addition to Mr. Stassen, the Jewish Appeal to speed the flow
conference will hear from Israel of cash funds to help Israel es-
Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, tablish 36 new agricultural set-
who arrived in this country tlements in the next 75 days as
earlier this week, Senator Her- a major step in overcoming re-
bert H. Lehman of New York, current food shortages.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1953, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate)

The Diplomatic Scene:

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles returns May 28 to
Washington from his trip to the Middle East in a pessimistic
mood . . . His talks with the rulers of Egypt, Syria and other Arab
countries did not contribute anything to his original belief that
the Arab world can be won to the American point of view on the
defense of the Middle East . .. Nor did he find them willing to
talk peace with Israel ... He found that the situation has changed
for the worse . . . It can now be revealed that prior to Dulles'
departure for the Middle East there had been noticeable activity
in Washington, Cairo, Tel Aviv in the matter of preparing
for Arab-Israeli peace talks . . . It seems that Egypt is the mem-
ber of the Arab League most ready to make peace with Israel
because she has no real quarrel with the Jewish state . . . Her
interests face South and West, to Africa and Suez, in cotton and
in the trade, not to the Levant coast • Furthermore, she is
primarily interested in getting the British out of the Suez Canal
area and being in a state of war with Israel is, to a certain ex-
tent, a hindrance in her fight with England . . . Hence, the Wash-
ington-Cairo-Tel Aviv talks prior to Mr. Dulles' departure for the
Middle East had reached a point where F.gypt was willing to take
the lead in persuading the other Arab states to come to terms
with Israel . . The terms discussed were based on a five-point
program . . . 1. Arab refugees to be settled where they are now,
with foreign aid . . . 2. Jsrael to pay . the Arab refugees about 100
million pounds compensation for abandoned properties . . . 3. Is-
rael to grant Egypt a land passage from Sinai to Jordan through
the southern Negev . . . 4. Jerusalem to remain partitioned, as at
present . . . 5. Boundaries between. Israel and Jordan in central
Palestine to be redrawn on more rational lines . . . These proposals
seemed attractive to Egypt, but the other Arab countries—whom
Egypt seeks to drag into her quarrel with England—balked at the
plan . . • They do not have the same motive as Egypt for making
peace with Israel, and they are in no such hurry . . . On the con-
trary, Jordan, Iraq and Syria see no advantage for themselves
from Britain's le a v i n g Egypt, because they feel they need.
western protection in the Middle East, in event of Russian.
aggression . . . Thus, Secretary Dulles' hopes of bringing about
Arab-Israeli peace talks through Egypt's mediation did not mate- ,
rialize.
*
*
*

The Washington Scene:

The pessimistic attitude among American Zionist leaders is
now turning into optimism regarding American financial aid for
Israel . . . Pro-Arab elements in Washington are still busily
attempting to influence •President Eisenhower against Israel, but
it seems that the recent visits of leaders of various American
Jewish organizations to the White House have given the President
much food for thought . . . It is known now that President Eisen-
hower is considering the Israel situation in a different light from
two months ago . . . His final views will, naturally, be formed after
the return of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles from his pres-
ent trip to the Middle East . . In the meantime, it is noticed
that the Eisenhower Administration, in talking abbut financial
and military aid to the Middle East, mentions neither Israel nor
the Arab countries, but prefers to talk about the Middle East area
as a whole . . . This, American Zionist leaders believe, is a good
omen for Israel . . • It implies—without saying so—that Israel
will not get less financial aid from Washington this year than
last . . Official documents relating to the views of the Wash-
ington Administration toward economic aid to Israel and the Arab
lands, which I have examined, speak of. a "single package" ap-
proach on American economic aid to the countries of that region,
. . . These documents reveall that a similar concept is behind the
American military aid programs contemplated, for Israel and the
Arab countries . . . The most interesting revelation in these docu-
ments is the fact that the United States Government intends to
provide economic and military aid 'to the countries of the Middle
East "for the next few years" . • The view of the American Gov-
ernment now is that the U.S. has made but a "modest start" dur-
ing the last three years in its assistance to Israel and the Arab
countries, and that U. S. interests call for "continuing support"
of an economic and military nature.

