Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Our Deteriorating Public Relations
There has been cause for concern for some time over the im-
poverished status of our public relations capacities.
We do not speak. here of the civic protective agencies and their
tasks of fighting , anti-Semitism. As a matter of fact, we are less
concerned with the battle on anti-Semitisni than we are with the
obligation of - American Jews properly to evaluate the Jewish posi-
tion and to interpret Jewish values in positive form.
The time has come for frank speaking. The fiasco that was
staged at a bond rally here recently compels - serious re-considera-
tion of our obligations as Jews and as citizens, as an honorable
community whose constituents must strive for dignity.
There were, - at that rally, a number of very distinguished
Christian leaders from all walks of life. The meeting provided an
opportunity for an able Jewish spokesman to review the tradition
of Christian support for Zionism and to explain how, for many
decades; non-Jews have recognized the justice of the Jewish posi-
tion as a separate religious entity and the right of Jews to national
independence.
Parenthetically, let it be stated here, that there is no duality
in such recognition either by Jews or by non-Jews; that only the
unduly jittery—you can call them cowardly, but let us rather
say the uncourageous—are frightened by the, possibility of a
• charge of dual allegiance in speaking of the right of those who
favor independent nationhood for those Jews who seek it In
his challenging book "Nor By Power," in which he differs with
the violently anti-Zionist views of Rabbi Morris Lazaron, Morris
D. Waldman, former executive vice-president of the American
Jewish Committee, makes this significant statement: "With re-
spect to Palestine I have found few, if any, Christian fellow-
citizens who question our loyalty to America because of our in-
terest in, and support of, a Jewish Palestine."
The explanation that could have been made at the meeting
we have in view called for a brief talk—for a three to five minute
comment on one of the most romantic developments in all history.
But there was not a person there—at least among the participants
in the program—who ventured to accomplish the task!
When we left that meeting, we felt: woe unto us! witness what
has happened to American Jewry since the days of Louis Marshall
and Judge Mayer Sulzberger, Jacob Schiff and Felix Warburg,
Judge Julian W. Mack and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise! Our forces are
intellectually impoverished and our public relations forces have .
deteriorated!
We have a handful of good men nationally whom we would
not hesitate to select to speak for us—Eddie Warburg, the brilliant
son of Felix; Nahum Goldmann and a few others. But the field
has narrowed, and on the local scenes we are not doing well.
We have labored for many years to befriend our non-Jewish
neighbors and to enlighten them on our position. We made pro-
gress. In a single evening, that progressive achievement may
have been destroyed! What has happened, what is happening in
many communities, calls for a review of our communal practices,
for radical changes that will make it impossible for important
programs to be totally lacking in positive spokesmanship for Jewry.
For several years now, communal groups have been packing
their public programs with entertainers, with vaudevillians, with
banalties that have no place in dignified Jewish life. Our Corn-
plaints have been cries in the wilderness. The time has come to
speak out again and to demand an overhauling in communal pro-
gramming and planning.
We are concerned also about the inability of our young people
to face issues they are confronted with in times of crises. is
traceable to the deterioration in public relations in the adult
community.
12—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, November 6, 1953
Congress Conference
To Honor Truman
Former President Harry S.
Truman (left) will receive the
annual Stephen Wise Award for
Civil Rights at the national bi-
ennial convention of the Amer-
ican Jewish Congress, to be held
this weekend in New York's
Hotel Roosevelt. Meeting con-
currently with the Congress will
be its Women's Division, which
will be addressed by Bishop G.
BROMLEY OXNAM, Methodist
Bishop of Washington, D.C.
Many other leaders, both Jewish
and non-Jewish, will address the
conferences.
NCCJ to Observe
25th Anniversary
At Parley, Nov. 8-11
The National Conference of
Christians and Jews will cele-
brate its 25th anniversary Nov
8-11 when 800 representatives
and guests from all sections of
the country convene at the Ho -
tel Mayflower, Washington, for
the annual meeting of the or
ganization.
Theme of the silver jubilee
celebration is "Our Moral and
Spiritual Resources for Brother-
hood," it was announced by the
NCCJ national co-chairmen
Benson Ford, vice-president,
Ford Motor Co.; Thomas E. Bra-
niff, president, Braniff Interna-
tional Airways; and Roger W.
Straus, chairman, American
Smelting and Refining Co.
Highlights of the four-day
meeting include a symposium on
cultural pluralism in today's
world, a panel on youth contri-
butions to better inter-group
relations, a dramatic presenta-
tion of the first quarter-century
of the NCCJ, and a White House
The time has come to train a well-informed constituency ; reception.
. spokesmen who will represent us with dignity steeped in knowl-
An. Armistice Day luncheon
edge. We can not afford to delay a re-evaluation of our position will close the anniversary cere -
and the immediate commencement of new approaches in the monies. At that event a special
training of leadership.
anniversary tribute will be paid
to Mr. Straus, a founder of the
Wherein Lies the Solution?
organization who has served as
the Jewish, national co-chair-
People who criticize should offer solutions.
How can we correct the unfortunate conditions which have so man without interruption for 25
impoverished us in leadership?
years.
Perhaps our community needs wider democratization. Our
publie programs should be planned not by individuals but by groups
Sen. Paul Douglas
equipped to select dignified participants in our functions.
It is possible that a more democratized community would, To Speak at Beth Aaron
through its representatives, place emphasis on the possession not
of material wealth but of knowledge in the selection of presiding
The Men's Club of Beth Aaron
officers and speakers. We have sold our birthright for a mess of Synagogue this week extended
pottage and do not even have the pottage.
an invitation to members of the
The challenge is a most serious one. Either we create stronger community to hear Paul Doug-
foundations for Jewish communal activities or our entire structure las, Senator from Illinois, who
will crumble. When mismanagement dthgraces us among non- will deliver a major address at
Jews it lowers our status internally. If we are to create justified 8:30 p. m., Sunday, in the syna-
pride in our heritage, we must dignify the inheritance—and that gogue, 18000 Wyoming.
calls for the acceptance only of the highest standards, eliminating
Sen. Douglas, who has sup-
the banalities and crudities which have crept into our lives.
ported most of the liberal meas-
*
ures since his election to the
Balfour Declaration Day: A Forgotten Occasion?
Senate in 1948, will speak on
Nov. 2 marked the 36th anniversary of the issuance of the "The Contemporary Scene in
Balfour Declaration. Little was said about it, even by a Zionist Washington." . .
Sidney M. Levine, chairman,
group, in our community.
In the course of the tension that was created by the latest announces that the program is
crises in Israel, this may have been "lost in the shuffle." But one of a series of outstanding
it should not have been forgotten completely. Just because there events planned by the Men's
was a crisis, there was added reason for the day to be remembered. Club during the 1953-54 season.
It has been said that the Balfour Declaration was ambiguous There is a charge for admission.
and confusing. But Arthur James Balfour was neither confused
nor ambiguous. He knew what he proposed and he 'fought for it. Wide Interest Shown
Whatever confusion was created was the result of internal Jewish
obstruction that compelled the British Cabinet to' make changes In Glicker Exhibit
after changes in the famous docuMent. •
Considerable interest is being
Balfour himself must, as he will, be remembered. as one of the
supporters of one of the greatest • roiriances in all 'history, By shown in the exhibition of the
remembering him, and knowing how to judge his and'his confreres' recent painting of Ben Glicker
Works in behalf of Israel's rejuvenation; we might have been able at Garelick's Gallery, 20208 Liv-
better to explain the. tradition of Christian friendShip for Zionism ernois.
A native Detroiter, Mr. Glicker
and support of Israel.
has specialized in the drawing
It is not too 'late to mend a wrong.
of clowns. But his collection in-
eludes a variety of paintings on
Zionists Win in Buenos Aires Jewish Elections
many subjects.
Included are two synagogue
BUENOS AIRES — (JTA) — ers, who cast ballots in 38 poll- paintings—"In the Synagogue"
The United National Committee ing places, throughout the city. and "Prayers."
Robert Garelick, director of
slate, supported by the Zionists, Samuel RabinoVich, a General the
studio, announces that sev-
.
•
Zionist, former president of the
swept th e JeWish , .communal Argentine Z:i ist ,.Federation, eral Other interesting exhibits
elections, capturing 64 per cent will be the. Community's_ next are planned at his gallery for
Of the ballots Cast by .13600 vot- president.
I the Coining niOnths.•
`Hadassah Corners' to Honor
Group's Membership Drive
By proclamation of Mayor Al-
bert E. Cobo the week from
Nov. 15 to 21 will be observed as
H-Week, and with official sanc-
tion from the Common Council,
the busy Livernois and Seven
Mile • Rd. intersection will, on
Nov. 15, be known as HaCi ssah
Corners.
Both occasions, H-Day and H-
Week, which mark the official
opening of the Detroit Chapter
of Hadassah's membership drive,
were made in recognition of the
high standing in which Hadas-
sah is held both locally and na-
tionally, announced Mrs. Nor-
man Rom, vice-president in
charge of membership.
During this one-week period
hundreds of Hadassah member-
ship workers will set out to en-
roll prospective members who
will be expected to assume re-
sponsibility in the many projects
carried on by Hadassah's army
of women, stated Mrs. Rom.
Mrs. William B. Isenberg,
Chapter president, announces
that Mrs. Rom is assisted in the
membership drive by Mesdames
Fay Moss, chairman, Joseph
Ravit, H-Day chairman, Jacob
Jaffe, secretary; and Joseph
Ehrlich, honorary H-Day chair-
man.
To spur the drive, Mrs. Moses
P. Epstein, former national Ha-
dassah president and currently
national chairman for Israel
bondS, will be guest speaker at
Tuesday's open meeting at Cong.
Hoenig Lecture to Open
Rabbinical Council Series
Shaarey Zedek. The program
will open with a dessert lunch-
eon at 12:30 p. m., prepared by
;Mesdames Harry Baum and
cob Bernstein.
! Mrs. Epstein, one of the top-
most authorities on Israel and
the Middle East, will clarify
present U. S.-Israel sArab vela-
tions. After spending the entire
summer in Israel where she
toured many of Hadassah's ,in-
i stallations, Mrs. Epstein also will
speak on the Hadassah Medical
Organization, stated Mrs. Louis
Glasier, program chairman.
Mrs: Samuel J. Cohl, Chapter
HMO chairman, stated in ad-
vance of the meeting that HMO
services 1,000 people a day. It is
important to remember. she
added, that it is not an installa-
tion, but an organization which
provides hospital facilities for
curative work, an out-patient
department which services tens
of thousands, a network of
health and welfare stations
which bring modern medical re,
sources to the people.
Other participants in the pro-
gram are Mrs. Sampson Witten-
berg, who will sing the National
Anthem, accompanied by Mrs.
Royal Maas, Mrs. Samuel Cohl,
who will give the invocation and
Mrs. William Flashenberg, in
charge of displays.
Mrs. Charles Jacobson, Chap-
ter gift shop chairman, an-
nounces that Hadassah will be
among the many exhibitors at
the Detroit Food and Honie
Show at the State Fair Grounds,
from Nov. 14 to 23.
Among the items to be disr
played and sold in both the Col-
iseum , and Dairy Cattle Bldg.
are hand-made linens, infants'
and children's knitwear, bric-a-
brac, hand-made candles and
other items made by the gift
shop committee. •
The following are in charge of
obtaining merchandise and vol-
unteer saleswomen: Mesdames
Irving Bernstein, Caesar Cho-
den, Max Fertel, Richard Lazar,
Sam Levitt, Maurice Meyers,
Irving Miller, Alfred Rosin, Abe
Sloan, Herbert Warner and Mor-
The Detroit Area of the Mid-
west Region, Rabbinical Council
of America, will open its 1953-54
series of public lectures with a
program at 8:30 p. m., Nov. 18,
in the Young Israel Center.
Dr. Sidney B. Hoenig, profes-
sor of Jewish history at New
York's Yeshiva University, will
speak on "Trends in American
Jewish Communal Life Today."
Members of RCA affiliated
synagogues participating in the
Orthodox. Institute of Jewish
Studies are invited to attend and
ris Witus.
urged to bring 'their friends.
B
etween Yo u• and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1953. Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The Israel Scene
Now that Secretary of State John Foster Dulles has reversed
his decision on withholding American financial aid from Israel,
it can be told that the suspension of such aid would have been a
serious, but not a devastating,' blow to Israel's economy . Had
Dulles' decision to suspend aid to Israel occurred a' year ago,
Israel's entire economy would have been virtually knocked out
This year, however, German reparations plus contributions from
American Jewry would have considerably softened the blow . .
Two years ago, most of the $63,000,000 received by Israel in Amer-
ican economic aid was used for relief and food ... The bread eaten
by Israelis, the fuel to bake it and the trucks to deliver it were at
that time paid for mostly by American aid . Milk powder to
supplement Israel's scanty milk production, sugar and most of the
oil used by Israeli housewives could not have been imported with-
out American grant-in-aid then . . However, now Israel's diet
does not depend so greatly on American assistance . . . Food and
fodder imports used up about $42,000,000 of American aid in
1951-52 : . . This sum was reduced a year ago to $28,000,000 and a
further reduction to $12,000,000 was planned for 1953-54 . De-
crease of dependence for basic food and fodder on American aid
was due mainly to successful agricultural development carried out
during the last two years . . The suspension of American aid
would, however, have affected Israel's expansion of irrigation and
industry, and would have caused increased unemployment in the
country . . • On the 'whole, it was assumed that Israel could look
forward to about five continuous years of. American aid . • Of
these, two have now passed,
,
4
*
!
The American Scene ..
..
.
I will not be surprised if Secretary Dulles—despite his shaking
a big stick at Israel—will be one of the speakers at the forthconl-;
ing American Zionist Assembly which is to. take place in New York
early next month . . . He may be one of the leading Americans
invited to address the gathering, and sthe possibility is riot ex-
cluded that he may accept the invitation . .. As a result of the
lesson learned by American Zionists from Secretary Dulles' pres-
sure on Israel, greater interest is now developing for the Zionist
Assembly . . . Leaders of the American, Zionist movement have
come to the conclusion that a split Zionist front in this country is
no asset to Israel's interests . .- : And the. Zionist ,Assembly—the
first gathering of all Zionist groups in the United States—may
pave the . way for the eventual establishment of an American
Zionist Federation, representing: all Zionist groups . . .. The ZOA
and the HadaSsah 'continue to oppose the idea of the creation. of
a Federation, and they will have the • largest delegations at the
forthcoming AsSembly . . . Preparations forthe , Assembly are now
being completed and the agenda iS being worked out, ....:Altogether
`there will be about 490 delegatesia,t the Assembly; •