THE JEWISH NEWS

Innocence' Across the Jordan

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20 1951

*ember 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 $4. a year. foreign $5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942: at Post Office, Detroit.. Mich.. under Act of March 3, 1879

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher

. VOL. XXIV, No. 8

SIDNEY SFIMARAK
Advertising Manager

FRANK SIMONS
City Editor

Page 4-

October 30, 1953

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-second day of Heshvan. 5714, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pezztateuchal portion, Gen. 23:1-25:18. Prophetical portion, I Kings 1:1-31.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 30, 4:38 p.m.

A Call for Fairness Towards Israel

In the days, perhaps weeks, to come,
American Jewry will be faced with the se-
rious task of challenging a call for decisions
made in an attempt to penalize the Jewish
state for a tragic act that resulted from
a. continuous series of Arab attacks which
remain unrebuked either by the United Na-
tions or our Government.
It is not a pleasant duty, but we shall
have to pursue it in the interest of fair play.
The tragic Kibya incident, the murder
of Jordanians by Israelis, shocked all of us.
No one in responsible positions, either in Is-
rael or in Jewish leadership anywhere, de-
sires to see the perpetuation of terror. But
in more sober moments, after giving due con-
sideration to all the events that transpired
in the last few years, students of current his-
tory must add to their expression of horror
strong protests against the indifference that
has hitherto marked the reactions of United
States and United Nations statesmen to the
infiltrations of Arabs into Israeli territory,
their robberies and murders, their defiance
of international authority.

tility towards Israel is not a new expres-
sion, that it is part of an organized scheme
to undermine the existence of the Jewish
state. The state of war maintained by the
Arabs is at the root of all the existing prob-
lems. Those who encourage t hem a r e
blind to the reality of Israel's existence and
to the accomplishments of an untrained
group of people who have created the in-
fant state and have rescued in it hundreds
of thousands of people who would otherwise
have remained the victims of oppression in
East European countries, among former
Nazis and in Moslem lands.

It is encouraging to know that the crisis
in Washington has been resolved as a result
of President Eisenhower's order on Wednes-
day to restore aid to Israel as provided for
in the Mutual Security Act.
Congress is an record in support of Israel.
The traditional American .policy of friend-
ship for the Zionist cause and for Israel dates
back to the earliest days. But from time to Maurice Samuel's_ 'Level Sunlight'
time elements antagonistic to Israel come
forth with acts which are aimed at under-
mining such friendship.
We therefore again urge our State De-
partment and the President to stand pat on
this subject, to strive for amity—in the in-
terest of peace in the Middle East.

Brilliant Analysis of Zionism:

ef,

Responsibility for weakness in dealing
with the existing situation must also be
pinned on the UN Mixed Armistice Commis-
sion and on all those who have f a i led
through the years to demand that Arabs
comply with Israel's requests for peace con-
ferences for the establishment of lasting
amity among all the peoples in the Middle
East. It is easy to rebuke Israel for an act
of aggression, but it should have been equal-
ly as vital for the men in power, in Wash-
ington and in London and at the Quai
d'Orsay and at the United Nations to call a
halt to Arab tactics which finally resulted in
a loss of patience by Israelis.
At the risk of repetition we must indi-
cate again that the newest outburst of hos-

Brutal Criticism of 3 Leaders

. *

-

There is only one solution to the Israel-
Arab problem: peace to be attained by direct
Israel-Arab negotiations.
A strong stand by the United States and
the United Nations can accomplish this ob-
jective.
This is the time to renew the peace of-
fensive. It is our sincere hope that our Gov-
ernment will play a leading role in this quest
for peace in the Middle East, as one of the
major steps in the enforcement of peace
everywhere.

Community's Major Goal: Education of Our Youth

American Jewry faces many problems.
We carry the responsibility of providing aid
for our less fortunate kinsmen overseas. We
must assist Israel in hurdling the many
crises that have arisen as a result of an in-
flux of hundreds of thousands of newcomers
and the continuing dangers from hostile
neighbors. We shall be called upon, time and
time again to enlighten our own Government
on the validity of Israel's claim to assistance,
in order that the young state become secure
and thereby serve as an instrument for the
democracies in the Middle East.
We have many internal responsibilities.
Each of our communities is called upon to
c r ea t e cultural and social centers, to
strengthen the synagogues and to build
schools for our children.
Our educational responsibilities are, un-
doubtedly, of major importance. We can not
properly assist the homeless, for whom we
have helped establish statehood, without an
understanding of the issues involved. It is
impossible to keep the chain of Jewish kin-
ship unbroken unless our people appreciate
the values- inherent in our upholding the
principles handed down to us in the heritage
from our ancestors and our history.
In planning the observance of Education
Month it is essential, therefore, that adult
education should be emphasized on a par
with the advancement of our functioning
schools. Our synagogues are currently en-
gaged in promoting such adult programs.
Those that place emphasis on language, his-
tory, customs and religion are rendering
great aid to such a program. The entertain-
ment programs become less valuable because
they can be secured through many other
media. Any community program which
seeks only the sensational entertainers and
eliminates the cultural values in Jewish life
makes itself impotent and unworthy of the
s u pp ort it seeks from the community.
While responsibility for educational ac-
tivities among adults has been assumed by

the synagogues, and in some measure by
several of our organizations, the work for
the advancement of our schools must be
conducted by community agencies. The pro-
gress shown by the United Hebrew Schools,
the increase in enrollment of our boys and
girls, the improvement in curricula, are in-
dications of advancement which must react
to the benefit of the entire community. But
there is much yet to be done in many areas.
There still are many boys and girls who
remain uninstructed in Jewish knowledge.
There is need for more schools in expanding
areas which have recently become populated
with large numbers of our people. And the.
shortage of teachers remains a major edu-
cational problem.
The United Hebrew Schools. with the aid
of the Jewish Welfare Federation, is giving
serious consideration to the formation of new
branches. Its growing enrollment is encour-
aging. With unstinted community support
the schools should be able to train new
teachers and draw others from schools where
they are receiving pedagogic training.
In the meantime, parents must be made
aware of the need of enrolling every boy
and girl in one of our schools. They should
begin to realize that a child's education does
not begin and end with Bar Mitzvah and
they should, therefore, make every effort
to keep their children in the schools for
several years after they have completed their
elementary studies.
This is the message and purpose of Ed-
ucation Month. The Jews of this country no
longer are looking to European scholars for
the advancement of our cultural needs. We
are now on our own and must look to our
own resources in advancing our • cultual
values. The parents, working cooperatively
with the schools, recognizing that our edu-
cational needs must be given priority in com-
munal planning, • can be of great help in the
attainment of our major goal: of training
well-informed Jewish communities.

Maurice Samuel's "Level Sunlight" (Knopf) is an "evaluation
of the State of Israel since its founding," as a sub-title explains.
It begins with, and throughout the book the author reverts to, fas-
cinating recollections of Dr. Chaim Weizmann. In a sense, this
book is, in the main, a tribute to Dr. Weizmann. Whenever the
author mentions a Zionist crisis, an Israel tragedy, he expresses
the view that Dr. Weizmann, in the days when he possessed the
physical strength—he never lost his mental powers—could have
solved all problems.
At times, such hero-worship sounds somewhat
exaggerated. Dr. Weizmann was unable to cope
with the British. He could not persuade Churchill
in the hours of serious crises. He found it neces-
sary to resign Zionist leadership in the years of
Britain's perfidious actions under Attlee and
Bevin.
Mr. Samuel's analyses are brilliant. He is his
usual self as essayist, as master of the English
Samuel
language, as interpreter of world Jewish affairs
and especially of Zionism. But he is not always fair. Blinded by
loyalty to Weizmann's memory he is cruel in his comments on
Brandeis, Jabotinsky, Herzl and others who, he points out, like
Nordau, Zangwill and Rutenberg, "came to Zionism with char-
acters and philosophies formed outside the Jewish field, while the
Weizmannites and Achad Ha-Amists grew up with Zionism."

*

There is truth in the difference between the two elements, but
this is not sufficient for rebuke or condemnation. The newcom-
ers who were stirred to action, the Bsandeisists and Jabotinsky's
followers were passionate supporters of the great Zionist idea.
Their methods, their programs of action, varied. Iri their way,
they helped build the Jewish state. It is difficult to approve of
the criticisms leveled at them. Perhaps they, too, could have solved
the present-day problems. And surely, Weizmann himself would
not have desired to be deprived of the title dreamer. Out of
dreams came the great idea.
Of Weizmann, Samuel says "he was Zionism;" that "he was
the assimilating Jew in reverse action: HE had assimilated the
best of the Western discipline, remaining himself." But while he
speaks of Brandeis as having been "profoundly sincere in his
Zionist attachment," Samuel says he "was struck by his single-
mindedness." And Herzl, he writes, was remote from Jewish tra-
dition and for him the Jewish state might as well be Timbuctoo.
Wasn't Pinsker, too, inclined to any area until the idea of Pale-
stine became evident as the only place Jews would accept for
statehood?

Samuel is stronger when he views Zionism "as a remarkably
affirmative phenomenon." He writes impressively about the cur-
rent problems, especially when he evaluates the "sundering"
status now evident between American and Israeli Jewries.
Here, too, we wish Samuel would have offered more positive
means of solving the existing problems. The "sundering" is, re-
grettably, a situation resulting from new conditions in the world,
from a decline in cultural standards,- from a reduction of under-
standing of conditions existing in Jewry. The new generation is not
as strong as Shmarya Levin's, but we prefer to view it as a pass-
ing phase; with a retention of hope that there will be improve-
ment and the inevitable rise of new leaders who will revive devo-
tions now lacking for a more effective program in support of
Israel.

a%

*

*Ji

We are not belittling Mr, Samuel's analyses. We are enchanted
by his style, by his approach to the problems, by his evaluations.
We are not pleased with his condemnations of men without whom
Zionism, even with Weizmann, could not have been as successful
as it was. Nor are we pleased with mere criticisms sans more
solid solutions.
Yet, because of the power that is Samuel's, his book is,. st
must for all Jews.. Zionists especially ShOuld read it and study 4.
"Level Sunlight" is so' well written that we shall haVe to go 'back
to it and read it again. It is stimulating with all its shortcomings.

