THE JEWISH NEW
In the Good Old Summertime
the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspap2rs. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich.. VE. 8-9364.
Subscription $4. a year, foreign S5.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
VOL. XXIII, No. 21
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
Page 4
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
•G•
July 31, 1953
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twentieth day of Ab, 5713, the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our ssynagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Deist. 7:12-11:25. Is. 49:14-51:3.
Licht Benshen, Friday, July 31, 6:53 p.m.
Sentimental Day: Jewish News in New Home
Strong ernotions accompany this issue of The Jewish News to our large
family of readers. Its contents still are being written from the David Stott
Building our downtown offices where we functioned during history-making
years. But by the time this issue is brought to the doors of the members of our
community by Uncle Sam's mailcarriers on Friday morning, the desks and
typewriters, addressograph, teletype and other machines, will have been re-
moved to 17100 West Seven Mile Road; new telephone connections will have
been set up at our new quarters and the electric wires, telephones and office
equipment will have been removed from the vacated quarters. ,
As we swing into action in our new quarters, we rededicate ourselves to
service — to country and faith, to the highest American ideals and to the
Judaism we profess.
We pledge anew to meet our responsibilities humbly, in the knowledge
that we are the trustees of our community, that there are serious duties to be
performed and that we are charged with the responsibility of gathering and
disseminating the facts which a well-informed constituency must know if it
is to function with courage and dignity.
The English-Jewish community newspaper, having gained the position of
serving as the chief instrument of public information for American Jewry,
faces solemn duties. It is an American newspaper, with a duty to share in the
battle for the perpetuation of our basic American ideals and for an assurance
of justice for the oppressed and downtrodden who traditionally look to this
country for succor and encouragement. It is the organ of the Jewish communi-
ty for whom it must interpret Jewish values, gather the news, sift untruth
from truth and enlighten Jewry on happenings in their ranks. There are duties
to serve home and synagogue, the schools and social services, the youth and
the adults; and to assist the State of Israel. These responsibilities we are re-
solved to fulfill in the future as we did in the past—conscious of the sacredness
of our task and in the full realization of the seriousness of having truth guide
Americanism and Judaism towards paths of justice and humanitarianism.
As we enter our new home, we are moved by sentiments of gratitude for
the part so many of our fellow-citizens have played in encouraging this or-
gan of public opinion. We are mindful of the faith placed in our communal
mission by a group of men who aided us in embarking upon this project of
newspaper expansion. We are grateful to the many thousands of families
which are so loyally linked with us as a family unit in forming a reading, pub-
lic that represents the overwhelming majority of Michigan Jewry. We are
thankful to the advertisers whose cooperation has been a source of help in
establishing the solidity of the The Jewish News.
A hearty thank-you for past services and an invitation for future coopera-
tion accompanies this creedal expression. May our combined efforts redound
to the good of country and faith.
McCarthyism and Anti-Semitism: Gutter Politics
McCarthyism may or may not defeat has resulted in another outburst of bigotry
itself by its tactics of character assassina- which the distinguished Senator from Wis-
tion and the dragging in of issues irrelevant consin, Alexander Wiley, has labelled anti-
in matters involving the welfare of this na- Semitic. Senator Wiley has branded the
tion. In the course of time, however, we be- "slanderouS abuse" of the sponsors of the
lieve that the people of this- country will rec- new DP bill as stemming from "a poisoned
ognize the menacing elements in a game well of anti-Catholicism and anti-Semitism."
now pursued by Senator McCarthy and sev- He stated: "The anti-Semitism is particular-
eral of his associates to practice witch-hunts ly vile in connection with this bill, because
and to harrass decent Americans by inspir- so tiny a percentage of individuals of the
ing fear and distrust. Jewish faith is involved in any way at all
The attacks launched by Senator Mc- among the potential immigrants."
Carthy upon Senators Lehman and Mon-
We have called to the attention of our
roney are indicative of a tendency to invoke readers, on several occasions, the indispu-
all types of prejudices to accomplish his pur- table fact that the new DP bill in no way
pose. By calling one a pro-Communist and would assist the remaining Jewish displaced
the other an anti-Semite he earned condem- persons in Europe. The fact is that most of
nation from the entire American people. If the remaining Jewish DPs belong in the
his ridiculous charges are to remain unre- "hard core area" of the ill and aged who are
buked they will react to the discredit of his barred from entrance in this country by
party and of the administration in power. existing legislation. But the chief opponent
There are signs, however, that he will not of any attempt to liberalize our immigration
be permitted to spread his venom unreserv- laWs—Senator Pat McCarran—is a die-hard
edly. The fact that Senator Potter of Michi- in his attitude against the easing of restric-
gan and several other Republican Senators, tions for newcomers to our shores. Further-
as well as the President's brother, have tak- more, he has shown bias in relation to Jews.
en issue with him is proof of a new trend in
Only a week ago, when the long-nego-
Washington.
tiated Treaty of Friendship and Commerce
Meanwhile, the ugly political fight con- with Israel was adopted by the United States
tinues. Senator Lehman's liberalism is mis- Senate, Senator McCarran cast the lone vote
interpreted with a charge of pro-Commun- against it, 86 Senators voting in the affirma-
ism. Criticism of two Jewish attorneys for tive. In spite of the sponsorship of the treaty
their roles as associates of Senator McCarthy by the State Department, Senator McCarran
is resented with a charge of anti-Semitism followed a consistent • policy of animosity to-
against Senator Monroney—and the political ward Jews and Israel.
pot continues to boil with a stench that
Thus, anti-Semitism plays many roles in
smacks of the worst kind of un-Ainericanism.
Washington. It exists in matters involving
The McCarthy issue is not the only vile Israel and the admission of DPs, and it is be-
one in Washington. The request of President ing injected on the Cohn-Schine front in the
Eisenhower for the adoption of emergency McCarthy corner. It is used freely by poli-
legislation to permit the entrance of 240,000 ticians who thus are dragging basic Ameri-
additional Europeans in the coming two years can ideals into the gutter.
A Keen American Observer
Harry Simonhoff's Travel Tales
Harry Simonhoff, now a Seven Arts Feature Syndicate col-.
umnist whose sketches of American Jewish personalities appear
in many publications, a former Miamian
who has made his mark in JewiSh commu-
nal life, has recorded his impressions of
travel in many lands in an interesting
book. His "Under Strange Skies," published
by Philosophical Library (15 E. 40th St.,
NY 16), is a collection of keen observations,
linked with historical facts.
Included in his travels were India,
Spain, Israel, Latin America, South Africa,
the European continent and the displaced
persons camps.
In every instance, Mr. Simonhoff made
notable comparisons between the past and
the present. He met many important per-
sonalities and was able to view conditions
affecting Jewry, setting down facts in all
their realities. Harry Simonhoff
His coverage of the British scene will be found most inter- -
esting. He recognizes the genius of Churchill but does not hesi-
tate to charge him with dualism in dealing with Zionism. He
shows how the great statesman was pro-Zionist out of office,
anti-Zionist when in power.
"Land of the Herrenvolk" is a powerful condemnation of
Nazism and whatever survives of the Hitler spirit.
He is pessimistic about the position of French Jewry. He
shows that there is an increase in intermarriage and con-
versions.
Greater optirilism is brought from the Eternal City: "In
Rome . . . after all the degradations and humiliations designed
to render Jews despicable to God and man, dignified and well
attended services are still held in a beautiful ornate synagogue,
almost within sight of the Vatican."
His story of Spain, once a powerful center of Jewish life, is
a well told report of Marranos,. their descendants, their tor-
mentors.
Israel's rise and glory are reviewed in several fascinating
chapters.
A large concluding portion is devoted to his former home
of Miami.
•
Books and Authors
Sholem Asch Gets a Severe
Thrashing from Lieberman
By NATHAN Z I PR I N
Editor, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate
Eliezer Lipsky, author of "Kiss of Death" and other works,
is on the road to another literary triumph. His novel "Lincoln
McKeever," to be published by Appleton, is the Literary Guild's
choice for September.
Sholem Asch has been a controversial figure in Jewish life
ever since his publication of the Nazarene and the Apostle, and
his sharpest critic has been Chaim Lieberman, noted Yiddish
writer and author. Now Mr. LieberMan fires his guns at Asch
with devastating effect in an English volume, by the Philosophical
Library, entitled "The Christianity of Sholem Asch." The thesis of
the volume is that Asch is not the objective writer of a Christian
theme but a virtual Christian. Asch- claims what he has sought
to do was to cement Christian-Jewish friendship through syn-
thesizing the basic concepts of both faiths. But Lieberman con-
tends that Asch had undertaken a crusade on behalf of Christi-
anity and that in his zeal he presented a distorted and, at times,
even a slanderous view of Judaism. Apart from seeking to ex-
pose Asch, the author, a fine Jewish scholar and a man of pro-
found religious conviction, also juxtaposes the basic concepts of
the two great faiths of the world. At times Lieberman is almost
cruel in his criticism, as when he tells the story of Berl and.
Schmerl. Berl had passed a church where Schmerl was begging
alms. When Berl, in amazement, asked Schmerl for an explana-
tion, the latter replied: "It's like this, in these hard times a man
can't make a living from only one God."