Another Log on the Fire

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue or July 20. 1951

• Member American Association' of English-Jewish Newspapers. Michigan Press Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich., VE. 8 - 9364.
Subscription S4. a year. foreign S5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit., Mich.. under Act of March 3, 1879

SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher

Page 4

VOL. XXIV, No. 7

FRANK SIMONS
City Editor

October 23, 1953

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the fifteenth day of Heshvan, 5714., the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, 'Gen. 18:1-22:24. Prophetical portion. II Kings 4:1-37.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 23, 4:47 p.m.

A Plea to Eisenhower for Middle East Peace

"Murder," which was the password of hostile Arab bands that have been invading
Israel for many weeks, has begun to play a tragic role on the international scene. Arab
marauders, apparently inspired by war-mongering elements in the Middle East, were not
satisfied with nightly attacks on Jewish settlements neighboring on Jordan. They went to
Jerusalem, hurled a hand grenade into a private home and killed a woman and her two in-
fant children. The inevitable Oriental spirit of retaliation inspired by murder resulted in the
murder of Arabs across • the border. The equally inevitable feeling of revulsion caused the
world's major powers—the United States, Great Britain and France—to register protests
and to demand punishment of the guilty Israelis.
Now, Israel, already loaded with a pack and that the Arabs will stop brandishing
of troubles, is facing additional difficulties.. swords at Israel every time the very name
The United Nations Security Council has of the Jewish state is uttered.
stepped in to demand retribution for retali-
ation. Israel will, without question, exert all
There is, indeed, mockery on all sides.
her efforts to re-establish the best relations There is the question of Jerusalem. There I
with the world powers and will continue to has been a demand for the internationaliza-
seek peace with the Arabs. But the tragedy tion of the Holy City. In that demand the Sholem Asch's New Theme: Atonement
is that at the bottom of it all, that the cause unknowing have included the New City,
of all the trouble, is the desire of the Arabs •which was built, from the year 1854, when
and friends to seek the destruction of the the noted American Jewish philanthropist,
Jewish state.
Judah Touro, made the first large bequest
for the establishment of a residential section
Israelis have cause to feel resentful at the that has since formed the beginning for the
Atonement for sin is the theme of "A Passage in the Night,"
attitude of some of the governments involved New City of Jerusalem, by Jews for Jewish the new novel by Sholem Asch, published by Putnam's (210 Madi-
in the new crisis. The snipings, the infiltra- settlers, against many odds. Only five per son, NY). In a sense, Mr. Asch continues his work in the field he
tion of Arab marauders into Israel territory, cent of the Holy Places are in the New City has been pursuing for a number of years—the field of spiritual
has been going on for a long time. Israel of Jerusalem. The other 95 per cent are in values as opposed to materialism.
In his new novel, his' hero, Isaac Grossman, a successful real
and her friends have uninterruptedly asked the Old City held by Jordan.
that the Arabs be induced to discuss terms
Israel has consistently offered coopera- estate operator, son of immigrant parents who were in dire eco-
for a crime
with her and to talk peace is in evidence in tion in efforts for the internationalization of nomic straits but ultra-religious, seeks atonement
youth. As a salesman
his
T3gg74*committed
in
the UN and instead of striving for peace— the Holy Places. But it is sheer nonsense to
who was pulling in trade for a clothing':
as pledged in political campaigns—our own ask that 150,000 Israelis, residing in Jerusa-
tore, he needed $25 to be able to get a •
Secretary of State, our President, statesmen lem, should also be internationalized, when
more lucrative job—the job that ulti-
representing many nations have waited for their status is strictly that of citizens of the
mately took him on the road to success.
A Pole, Jan Kovalsky, dropped his wallet
tragedy as the opportune time to act.
Jewish state. But the Arabs, who have cre-
with $27 and Isaac took it. Jan needed
It was exactly so also during the Arab- ated all obstacles in the UN's requests for
the money to go to his daughter's wed- •
Israel war. The Holy Sea, authorities at Lake cooperation, do not hesitate to grab at any
ding. He moaned that his family will ac-
Success, in Washington, London and Paris, straw—even Jerusalem's internationalization
cuse him of drunkenness, but Isaac re-
were silent during all the attacks on Israel, —as long as it will harm or embarrass Israel.
nained the money.
the intentions of which were to destroy the
In Washington, last week, contrary to
He was plagued by the memory in later
struggling young state. Then came some Is- the known facts relating to Jordan's attitude
ears—when he had acquired wealth,
raeli victories, and at once the powers set on the status of Jerusalem, the Iraqi Foreign
:AThen his son was his partner, when he
their efforts into motion to establish the Minister, Abdullah Bakr, after an audience
had nothing to fear. He went to the small
Connecticut town in search for Kovaisky
truce that checked the violators. In the with Secretary of State Dulles, made the
and made it known that he would turn
meantime there was loss of life and destruc- curious revelation that Jordan now favors
over the land he owned there for a Ko-
tion of property.
Jerusalem's internationalization. May we be
Sholem Asch valsky Housing Project for GIs. At that
*-
permitted to say that we do not take serious point his son stepped in to declare him incompetent, to put him
A similar situation prevailed during the stock in this new assertion? Jordan is gam- in a convalescent home under the care of a psychiatrist.
past few months. There were attacks and bling on Jerusalem as a vital stake in her
But Isaac persisted in his plans. His grandsonwho decided
counter-attacks, but the world's powers were entire future and we doubt seriously wheth- to become a Jew and to study for the rabbinate, in spite of his
silent. The new action is accompanied by new er she has any intentions of giving up her being a half-Jew, his father having married a Quaker—came to
threats involving unrealistic approaches on position in the Holy City. Once again we his aid. His granddaughter, who, although she retained her
associations, was to marry into a prominent Jewish
the Jerusalem issue, efforts by our own gov- must depend on time to prove the sincerity Christian
family, also sympathized with him. An 'investigation resulted in
ernment not only to reduce Israel's income of statesmen.
the tracing of the truth of Isaac,Grossman's story, the establish-
from Mutual Security appropriations but
ment of a memorial to the wronged man in his (Catholic) Church
even to withhold such- allocations which were
and the realization of the project undertaken by the man who
The
attacks
that
are
being
made
on
Is-
authorized by Congress.
sought forgiveness for a crime in his youth.
The crisis is not limited, therefore, to the ' rael at whatever gatherings Arabs may be
There are many elements of interest in this new Asch novel.
issue involving the inexcusable murders in attending, the indifference that is being dis-
In
the
first place, the psychiatric angle will create considerable
played
to
such
tactics
by
representatives
of
Israel and in Jordan. They extend to Wash-
interest. There will be a tendency towards caution in dealing
ington, they involve new political approaches other governments participating in such con- with
those who are too prone•to commit suspected people of suf-
of the British and they provide an opportu- ferences, the vileness of utterances by those fering from mental illnesses. Psychiatry is not condemned, but in
who
have
only
one
objective
in
view—the
nity for those seeking Israel's destruction to
it does not emerge so glorified in "A Passage in the Night."
destruction of Israel—continues to be the spots Then,
resume their pressures at the UN.
because the story commences in Florida, there will be
most serious threat to the peace of the Mid- added interest in Asch's description of the glamor of the winter
If the United Nations permits the pres- dle East and of the entire world.
haven to which men of means take their wealth for display and
ent Arab policies to continue, if the world
Our major regret is that our own Govern- for extravagant amusement.
organization, and especially its most power-
Primarily, however, there is interest in this story in the man-,
ful member, the United States, do not act to ment has failed to take a firm stand for ner in which Asch describes the religious transformation in a
peace.
When
Mr.
Eisenhower
was
a
candi-
compel the contending parties to sit down at
Jewish family—from the ultra-orthodox• observances of the first
a conference table to talk peace, it may re- date for the Presidency and Mr. Dulles was generation to the indifference of the second. (Isaac's),' to the in-
not
yet
the
head
of
our
State
Department,
termarriage of the third (his son Lazar'S), to the returii. to the
bound to the unending disgrace of the world's
there was much talk about the aspiration of fold of the fourth (grandson Roberts) . , and the: reacquisition of
civilized powers.
We are moved to make these comments the Republican are for peace. These pro- peace of mind through a return to. the spiritual - of the .atoning
especially at this time, when the former Sec- ferred 'pledges are in danger of evapOratina. Isaac.
*
S
11 :' •
retary General of the United Nations is All indications are that a new attitude of
The
explanation
offered
by
Lazar
to Robert, in answer to :the
about to visit our Community in behalf of hostility is dominating our State Department. question about his Jewishness or ChriStianity; the discourses
It is this attitude of our own Govern- the rabbi who guided Robert during his GI days towards Jewish
a great investment effort for Israel—the Jew-
ish state's bond drive. Mr. Trygve Lie is ment, in a matter that involves, the security thinking, Isaac's transformations, the Christian-Jewish relations
kiiown as a man of peace, as a statesman of Israel and the -peace of the . Middle. East, —these are items that will provide a' wealth of material for book •,
reviewers, for pulpit discourses, perhaps for a return to the evalu-':
whose chief hope in life is to see the fulfill- that concerns us.the most.
ment of the task he had first undertaken as
We therefore renew the oft-reiterated ation of Sholem Asc.h's status in Jewish•ranks, occasioned by the
he had forsaken Jewish interests for christologica.
a UN official—to advance the cause of peace plea to our goVernment and to our State De- thinking. that
•
.
and amity among all nations.
partment to adhere to the established'policy
The latter will find additional support in the explanation' ola':•-
Mr. Lie is no longer in an official posi- of friendship between Israel and the United fered by Asch for "the Hebrew name of Bethesda" (the conVa.-'"
tion to be helpful. But his mere presence States, to strive for justice, to make every lescent home in which Isaac was confined): .'"That had been the
here should serve as a reminder to the world effort to end the 'Arabs' intrarisigence, to name of the pool by the sheep's gate•of JeruSalem Where, accord.'
organization that it can not retain its glory demand that the Arabs 'join Israel at a ing to the gospel of St. John, the sick and crippled came to bathe;
as long as warfare is possible anywhere.
peace 'conference to plan amity for the en- there an angel descended from time to time and renewed the
We hope that Mr. Lie will join in a call tire Middle East. The present administration waves; and there Jesus performed many , miracles." Thus, Asch •
briefly to his themes in "The' Nazarene"- and "Mary."
for peace, in a demand for action to compel in Washington has the unusual opportunity returns
As a story, it reads well, it hOldS the reader's attention, it- is - .
the war threatening Arab states to consent to help brinc, peace to Israel, to the Arabs, the usual
good writing of Sholem. AschT But the theme, the
to Sitting down with Israelis at a conference to the world: May our President, our Secre- ligious implications, may provide new theMes for debates •and
table to talk amity. Such action provides the tary of State and their official families re- group discussions. Atonement and spiritual values in "A Passage..
only assurance that the frightful occurrences alize speedily the noble opportunities that are in the Night" are certain to inspire. controversy which will help
Dn the Israel-Arab borders Will not recur. theirs!
Sell his book.

t

Materialism Under Attack in New
Novel, 'A Passage in the Night

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