;,-"NaffrININNININIMINPINIWINPIONOW. 80—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Is the Diaspora in Exile? •01011• By DR. SOLOMON GRAYZEL Editor, Jewish Publication Society of American The Diaspora is a problem. had been fearful for Israel's fu- No one feels this more keenly ture, discovers that the Israelis than a Jewish visitor to Israel. have doubts about his future as a Jew. It is suddenly borne in He is exhilarated by the phe- upon the visitor that one result nomenon of a Jewish nation at of Israel's existence is to compel work; he is stirred by the en- the Diaspora Jew to re-think his thusiasm with which rocks and status, to find his place in Jew- sand are being turned into pro- ish life, to consider his function ductive soil; he is amazed by the cultural standards of a pop- as a Jew both in the world in general and in relation to the elation which refuses to be national community in Israel. overwhelmed by its innumerable Basically this perplexity reduces social, political and economic itself to two related questions: problems. Before long, however, Is the existence of a Diaspora the visitor cannot but contrast an abnormal situation, espe- all that he sees and senses in cially when the national com- Israel with the lack of com- munity is ready to receive all munal solidarity, the escapism who want to come? Is the Dias- and the cultural apathy which pora Jew living the life of an characterize the Jewish com- exile, with all the tragedy of munities in most other parts of frustration and loneliness which the world. The Israelis, for this term implies? If so, is he their part, make no secret of not foolish to stay away from their concern for the Diaspora's "home"? future. Having themselves but Whether the Jewish Dia- recently come out of such com- spora is or is not normal, it munities. they know full well is certainly unique. . No other the perils, both physical and group has ever maintained it- spiritual ; we have to face. Thus vigorously and so long the tables are turned. To the self so simultaneously in so many visitor's surprise, he, who came different environments. But to extend sympathy, finds him- uniqueness is not abnormality. self the recipient of it; he, who Itiiiii111111illn11111111111111111111111 11111111111111111111 ung VI-0/May Greetings. - _ . -. - - _. . - := : -: - - f=_- PICKWICK Fe_ _ h = a PET SUPPLY • — = Birds Boarded - with the Fa- - =':.. =. Greatest of Care — E E = W. Seven Mile Rd. ...=_ t 1 . ., - . - 12725 Near Meyers Rd. Ei F - - - _- UNiversity 4-9424 :f- Diiiit.nifilinillillniiiilliiiiiiiiiiiiilliiiiilllinill i iii 11117: New Year Greetings WISCONSIN CTZTAIN LAUNDRY t_ 11832 Grand River TE. 4-1440 Nomissua.c New Year Greetings SAF EWAY CLEANERS INC. We Operate Our Own Plant 6-Hour Service on Request If Cash and Carry \i‘l.st Side Sec. Pickup Cr Delivery "The Best Way Is the Safeway" 8532-34 TIREMAN WE. 3-3044 90 East Warren Ave. TE. 1-4600 WOLFLEY AUTO SERVICE 2520 Michigan at 17th TA. 5-9805 It would seem absurd to con- sider abnormal anything which has existed for twenty- five centuries. How long does a situation have to obtain be- fore it can be called normal? Nor is failure to become re- conciled to it—assuming that the Jews never did become reconciled to Diaspora life — evidence that a situation is abnormal. We have not be- come reconciled to the exist- ence of injustice; we do not like it, but it would be naive to say it is abnormal in hu- man society. What has misled people — Jews and Christians — into call- ing the Diaspora abnormal is the fact that it has been such a surprising phenomenon. Even when explained it appears in- credible, as startling as a mira- cle, to which it has been fre- quently compared. The only test that may be applied to the Diaspora, to de- cide whether or not it ought to continue, is .the test of inner worth, that is, in terms of its spiritual strength and cultural productivity. If Diaspora life has been as barren as its de- tractors maintain, if the Jewish communities outside of Pales- tine have been as foreign to their respective environments as every anti-Semite has pro- Holiday Greetings claimed, then the Diaspora must be considered to have been and SAMUELS BROTHERS tc. have remained a failure. But if CAFETERIA Diaspora life produced results, managing in the case of many Specializing in communities to develop within Kosher American Style their environments, it must be Cooking considered a healthy spiritual manifestation which, far from 2493 RUSSELL being deplbred, should be en- WO. 4-8686 couraged. The exile, for a large number of Jews, began with their eman- cipation. They were granted political. rights and, somewhat New Year Greetings grudgingly and by no means universally, admitted to social 0. S. WILLIAMS equality. In theory the exile ended. But the payment that & SONS was expected and rendered was in spiritual coin, with the result EGGS that the actual exile only now began. For most western Jews 1530 Casgrain exiled themselves from Jewish cultural activity, from the basic VI. 1-8566 concepts of Jewish religious life. They fortified their sense of alienation even further by cen- tering their attention on their Holiday Greetings would- be persecutors. They were so eager to be loved, or at least accepted as complete TOY FOUNDERS equals, that they willingly dis- carded much of that which had INC. given the Diaspora communi- ties creative personality. They Premiums - Novelties - Gimmicks made themselves indistinguish- We Manufacture to Your Order able from the undistinguished mass, yet they continued to suf- fer from the fear of rejection. 6470 Epworth TY. 7-1979 They thus acquired the charac- teristics of an exile : timidity, a sense of homelessness, - a loss of self-respect. This kind of New Year's Greetings exile is, indeed, deserving of sympathy. This kind of Dias- Warren Diagnostic pora will destroy itself and leave the continuation of Jewish life Hospital only to the national community in Israel. Mrs. Charles F. Kuhn Holiday Greetings Friday, September 11, 1953 New Year Greetings TWIN BEES HEATING CO. Gas - Oil - Coal Sales and Service Northwest Section 19592 Dalby KE. 1-5709 Holiday Best Wishes New ,Year Greetings SUPERIOR STARTER & GENERATOR SERVICE Westmoreland Chiropractic Clinic First in Quality W. DIEGEL 19049 Westmoreland 4401 HAMILTON TE. 1-0355 Corner of W. 7 Mile Rd. KE. 3.-4540 • t . Should this happen, it would mean a loss to Jewish as well as non -Jewish civilization. Both would lose, not only the variety upon which culture thrives, but also the positive values, the viewpoints and the answers to social problems which Judaism offers. For a generation as confused and misguided as ours, so terrified of its problems and of its own nature that it seeks to escape to other worldliness, the wis- dom of Judaism can still serve as a balm, provided the Dias- pora Jew learns to live by it and exemplify it. The Dias- pora's going into self-imposed exile is losing for Judaism an unrivalled opportunity to rise to great heights in freedom and to serve mankind in joy. Essentially . this is a problem for the individual Diaspora Jew. One means surely must be to encourage the Diaspora Jew to read books of Jewish interest and contest. He must be re- introduced to his ancestors. Books exist on these aspects of Jewish life and more are being written a n d published eons tantly. Greetings Holiday Greetings Martin Hoffman Company Royalcraft Bicycle Metalon Store Fronts Porcelain Enamelled Steel On Concrete 5- Hobby Shop Will Last a Lifetime Hundreds of Colors 12721 Seven Mile, W. of Meyers UNiversity 4-7656 16580 SAV'OIE BLVD. KE. 1-6526 New Year Greetings Holiday Greetings To Our Friends & Clients John L. Hudson Co. Howlett-Barrett- Watson, Inc. DIAMOND SETTINGS Special Order Work 12840 W. Seven Mile Rd. 435 LAFAYETTE UNiversity 3-0661 WO. 3-4657 New Year Greetings from Holiday Greetings George A. Isabel]. WOODHOUSE CIGAR CO. President Detroit Housing Commission President Isabel! Management Co. Distributors of Fine Havana Cigars 706 Lawyers Bldg. WO. 1-6323 - 24 Holiday Good Cheer E. WILDER BILDOR Complete Building Service 14851 Grand River VE. 8-61.22 37 West Jefferson Fillniniimiltlimillifilliiiiinninniiilittillilliilillitei - , --. . = - Ez- Holiday' Wishes E-x . . Sincere F.: PINE P. = . - CLEANERS ..._ = Plant: 15920 Puritan at Prevost = VE. 8-6130 = E- E-Branch: 10831 Puritan at Meyers _ - = _ - al UN. 4-7788 =...- .. 7 - 1111ililillilinilllililililllirnilillillillnlilliilnilliiiia: 1 Year Best Wishes Neu Year Holiday Good Cheer Pesick Brat iers Produce Co. SAN JUAN Super Market Deliveries Groceries - Restaurants - Hotels Solicited 2726 18th TA. 5-6150 New Year's Greetings Groceries - Produce 7624 W. McNICHOLS UN. 2-9742 Holiday Greetings _ PLUMBING SUPPLY CO. WARREN Tonnie's Tobacco & Candy Co. 9111 JOSEPH CAMPAU TR. 1-6937 Holiday Greetings For Free Heating Survey And Estimates Call TORIDHEET ENGINEERS Sides and Service 17168 WYOMING Just North of 6 Mile UNiversity 4-2013 Wholesale Plumbing & Heating Supplies 12670 EVERGREEN BR. 3-3100 New Year Wishes TYLER CLEANERS Joe Becker, Prop. 13219 Linwood IF NO ANSWER CALL TRinity 5-9100 TO. 8-6200 Holiday Greetings New Year GreetingS WEST DETROIT GLASS CO Established 1922 • Industrial Maintenance Wholesale & Retail 24 Hour Service on Plate Glass Replacement Zerillo Produce CommisSion MERCHANT 5815 W. Jefferson VI. 1-7000 2538 Market Street Cordial New Year Wishes New Year Greetings 12th & LESLIE SERVICE WEST POINT FUEL Cling to Good Service Sunoco Products Complete Electric Service Towing - Carburation - Ignition Lubrication Builders - Suppliers 15411 Tyler at Greenfield 12653 12th at Leslie VE. 8-7240 TO. 6,9665 & SUPPLY CO.