Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Mob Rule versus Genuine Justice
In his address here before Mizrachi, Dr. Emanuel Rackman
referred to a 2,000-year-old Jewish law which declared that if,
in a court of justice, a criminal fails to find a single com-
passionate gesture, that court is declared null and void and the
criminal must be set free. Such a court, without compassion, the
tradition asserts, becomes a mob-dominated assembly when not a
single person rises to express some measure of sympathy for the
condemned. , •
He was referring to the Security Council's recent action
against Israel. There was not a single nation among the 59 as-
sembled there in addition to Israel to speak out in defense of the
Jewish state's precarious position in the face of years of intimida-
tions by the Moslems. Therefore, he concluded, that Council
turned into a mob for lack of a feeling of justice.
Such a stand does not mean, in any sense, an endorsement
of the Kibya tragedy. But it does call attention to the need for
merciful attitudes in all human relations—even if they also in-
volve politics.
An Evil Force That Harmed Jewry Outlawed by Naguib
One of the evil forces in the Middle East that caused much
trouble for Jews was the Moslem Brotherhood. But it harmed also
the Arabs whom they had misled into acts of terrorism. It has
been outlawed by Egypt's strong man, Mohammed Naguib, and
the New York Times editorially evaluated that act as follows:
There is a lot of history—some of it as vicious and sinister
as a Hollywood thriller could supply—behind the Egyptian
Moslem Brotherhood. Obviously, Premier Naguib had to smash
the Brotherhood, or try to, the alternative being that they would
get him sooner or later.
The Brotherhood is an evil flower of the day when fascism
was coming to bloom between the World Wars. Its appeal was at
first to urban workers, students and lower middle-class youth of
the towns. -Soon it penetrated the countryside, the army and—
with great effect—the clergy, or mullahs. It was as a fanatically
religious Islamic movement that it gained force, turning natur-
ally toward nationalism, xenophobia, anti-feminism, anti-West,
even anti-Copt, for the Egyptian Copts are Christians.
Being fascist, it soon raised paramilitary forces and went in
for violence. It gained strength during World War II and claimed
2,000,000 to 3,000,000 members.' That made the organization pow-
erful and hence a political force. The Botherhood helped General
Naguib to execute his coup in July, 1952, but it stood to reason
that a regime dedicated to peace, order and friendly relations
with the West could not indefinitely get along with a fanatical,
West-hating, anti-secret, semi-military organization like the •
Moslem Brotherhood. One presumes that Premier Naguib was
looking for an opportunity to strike, and the Brotherhood pro-
vided it when some of its student followers clashed with youth
of the Army's Liberation Rally in Cairo.
To eradicate a movement with such ramifications and such
an appeal throughout the Middle East will not be easy. The Broth-
erhood was banned once before, in 1948, and came back strong.
It is one of those dark and evil forces that our disturbed cen-
tury has made possible. If Premier Naguib succeeds in crush-
ing the Brotherhood, he will have done a good deed for Egypt
and for the free world.
The natural question to ask at this time is whether Naguib
and the rationally-minded Arabs realize that those who strive :
for terrorism against Jews also tolerate terrorism against their
own people. The outlawing of the MoSleni BrotherhOod is a step
in the direction of a more peaceful atmosphere in the Middle
East. Why not go all the way and strive for peace in the entire
area—by accepting the sensible road of direct peace talks with
Israel?
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Arab Poison: Will It Find Ready Ears?
A WJA report from London quotes a Damascus radio as stat-
ing that Ahmed El Shukeini, the Arab League's assistant secre-
tary, has returned from visits to the Vatican, Italy and Spain and
a visit with the Vatican Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the
Italian Foreign Minister with whom he discussed "the Arab at-
titude on the Jordan River issue, the Palestine problem and other
Arab questions." The report states that—
In his conversation with the Pope, Ahmed El Shukeini is re-
ported to have presented details on Jewish measures to turn
mosques and churches into synagogues, to have warned against
the danger th_ at might arise to the Holy Places in Israel and to
have urged a Papal inquiry into these matters.
The Arab League Secretary, according to the Damascus
broadcast, added that he had met with equal goodwill and spirit
of understanding for Arab problems" during his visit to Spain,
despite the "intense effort of Jewish propaganda."
The lie about Jewish aims to transform mosques and churches
into synagogues indicates the questionable qualifications of this
Arab spreader of poisonous falsehoods to speak on matters involv-
ing Israel-Arab relations. He follows the line of the Arab malign-
ers of constant harping on "Jewish propaganda." Thus, while
following the Hitler line of repeating the lie for the effect of repe-
tition, the rnalitners of Jewry and of Israel, tongue in cheek,
accuse us of the methods they pursue. And in Jewry's case it is
becoming more difficult to get a hearing for the truth, and for
the quest for peace. Evidently the road to justice must remain a
rough one.
•

World Adventure's 21st Anniversary
George V. Pierrot showed great vision in moulding the World
Adventure Series into an important instrument for the spread of
knowledge about the world's major centers. The 21st anniversary
of this lecture series, to be observed on Sunday, therefore becomes
an even to be taken note by all Detroiters. Vast opportunities
exist for greater expansion of this series. Non-political, mainly
non-controversial, these lectures serve an important purpose in
advancing our community's understanding of all peoples of the
world. The future of this series is assured of even greater suc-
cesses. We join in congratulating George Pierrot on his truly
magnificent accomplishments. .

N.Y. Legion Condemns Anti- Semitism

NEW YORK—Two anti-Semitic publications mailed to Ameri-
can Legion posts from Union, N. J., should be regarded as "dan-
gerous rubbish," 60 Americanism committee chairmen of the
Legion were told last Saturday.
Distribution of this literature was reported at the meeting by
Martin B. McKneally, state chairman of the Legion Americanism
committee, who stated: "We stand for the exact opposite of what is
published in these anti-Semitic tracts, and I ask all of you to
regard it as dangerous rubbish.
Reported mailed in brown envelopes, the material condemned
by the Legion includes the four-page anti-Semitic tabloid "Com-
mon Sense" and a single sheet entitled "The Red Dictatorship."

Federation and
Two Agencies
Meet Tuesday

More than $32,00O 3000 has been
allocated by the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit since 1946,
Samuel H. Rubiner, President,
reported prior to the annual
meeting of Federation tobe•held
at 8:15 p.m.. Tuesday, in the
Davison Jewish • Center.
Included in the program of
the annual meeting will be the
election of nine members-at- 1
large to the board of Federation,
the annual business meeting, the
financial report, review of the
past year's *activities and the
presentation of the Fred M. But
zel Memorial Award for distin-
guished communal service.
The Fresh Air Society and the
Jewish Vocational Service also
will hold their annual meetings
at this time. Mrs. Harry L. Jones
will report as president of the
Women's Division.
Activities of the Detroit Serv-
ice Group will be detailed by
its president, Milton K. Mahler,
and Julian H. Krolik will pre-
sent the treasurer's report. The
report of the nominating com-
mittee will be given by its chair-
man, Max Osnos.
Nominees to the board of Fed-
eration are: Tom Borman, Max
M. Fisher, William Friedman,
Joseph Holtzman, Mrs. John C.
Hopp, Abe Kasle, A. C. Lappin,
Milton Maddin and George M.
Stutz.
The activities and outlook of
Federation will be discussed in
Rubiner's report. Isidore Sobel-
off will report as executive di-
rector.
Mrs. Emil T. Stern, chairman
of the Fresh Air Society's nomi-
nating committee, will present
the committee's selection of the
following for election: Mrs. Eu-
gene J. Arnfeld, Mrs. I. Irving
Bittker, Mrs. Herbert J. Bloom,
Joseph Gendelman, Max J.
Gerstman, Mrs. Morey L. Rosen-
thal, Mrs. Julian H. Scott, Mrs.
Emil T. Stern, Mrs. Max M.
Fisher and Walter D. Schmier.
An amendment willalso be
presented to change the by-
laws to allow the Fresh Air So-
ciety to hold its meeting at a
time other than the annual
meeting of the Federation.
The nominations committee of
JVS, headed by Jacob Kellman,
will present the following nomi-.
nees: Walter L. Field, Mrs. Joseph
B. Gaylord, John P. Heavenrich,
Harry H. Platt, Theodore Barg-
man, Robert N. Janeway, Nath-
an L. Milstein, Fred E. Schwab,
Mrs. N. J. Greene.
The Jewish Community Cen-
ter's teen-age dramatic group
will present a skit, "Take a
Minute," portraying the bene-
ficiaries of the Allied Jewish
Jewish Campaign.

Name Leonard Simons
To Head Reform Drive

Leonard N. Simons has ac-
cepted the post of national vice-
chairman for the nationwide
campaign f o r >``:.". " . M;A
$2 1 9 5 , 0 0 0 to
support in 195,0
the two major:
national insti 7:.
tutions
American Re-
form Judaism--,
the .Union of
American H e-.
brew Congrega-
tions and th
Hebrew Union Simons
College-Jewish Institute of Re-
ligion.
Mr. Simons, who is active in
local civic and communal af-
fairs, is president of Temple
Beth El.

Boston Council Opposes
Prayers in Classrooms

WWJ Cited for Carrying Eternal Light

EDWIN K. WHEELER, general manager of WWJ-AM-FM-TV,
accepts a citation from Rabbi MORRIS ADLER commemorating
the 10th anniversary of the program "Eternal Light" on WWJ. The
presentation was made during "Anniversary Salute," a special
broadcast last Sunday. From the left: LOUIS BERRY, chairman
of the Detroit Friends of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi
Adler, Wheeler and DAVID SAFRAN, chairman of the Michigan
Eternal Light committee.

Commission on Israel and Middle
East to Meet on Feb. 7 in Detroit

:

Delegates from Michigan and
the other Great Lakes states will
assemble to listen to experts on
Middle East and Zionist prob-
lems, on Feb. 7, at the Hotel
Statler, Detroit, in an all day
conference, states Morris M.
Jacobs, program chairman of the
Zionist Organization of Detroit.
Leon Kay will welcome the
delegates.
Rabbi Leon Feuer, national
chairman of the Commission on
Israel and the Middle East, will
preside at the sessions.
A review of Israel's foreign
policy problems will be given
by Yaacov Shimoni, Counselor
of the Israel Embassy in Wash-
ington.
Israel and the American scene
will be discussed after an ad-
dress by the Rev. Karl Baehr,
executive secretary of the Amer-

ican Christian Palestine Com-
mittee.
I. L. Kenen, Washington rep-
resentative of the American
Zionist Council, will review the
situation of Zionist action in
this country.
A summary and analysis of
foregoing sessions will be made
by Harold P. Manson, New York,
director of the Commission on
Israel and the Middle East.
Zionist leaders from the Mid-
dle West will attend the sessions
in addition, to a considerable
number of delegates from the
Zionist Organization of Detroit,
according to Rabbi Moses Lehr-
man, ZOD president.

2—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, January 29, 1954

On the Record

By NATHAN ZIPRIN

(Copyright, 1954, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate)

Prediction
Irving M. Engel will be the next president of the American
Jewish Committee, though there is still a movement afoot to have
Jacob Blaustein reconsider his decision against another term.
There has been strong pressure on Blaustein and there may even
be a stampede to draft him at the forthcoming 47th annual meet-
ing of the Committee, but he will not be budged. Incidentally,
among the candidates prominently mentioned as his successor
was Judge Simon H. Rifkind.

About People
David Ben-Gurion is now a staff member of The Day - Jewish
Journal, New York Yiddish daily. Under an arrangement reached
with the former Israeli Premier, the newspaper will have exclusive
rights to his weekly writings and comments.
Arthur Waley, who was recently awarded a gold medal by
Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to English literature, mainly
through bringing the Chinese, Japanese and English tongues to-
gether through translation, stems from a prominent Jewish fam-
ily. His name originally was Arthur David Schloss. It was not
to conceal his Jewish identity that he changed his name but only
because his mother was a. Waley, of the prominent Jewish families
in England bearing that name, believed to be a derivative from
Levy.

A Changing World
The Educational Alliance, whose edifice on East Broadway and
Jefferson Street on New York's lower East Side was once teeming-
with colorful Jewish immigrant life, is gradually adjusting itself
and its educational and cultural activities to the needs of a chang - .
ing population. When the Alliance was founded some 65 years .ago,_
its objective was to meet and serve the spiritual, social, educational.
and even the religious needs of the Jewish immigrants who came
streaming to the new world. Today the organization has paused to
examine its future against the background of a changing service
area and a population which is still however said to count about
90,000 Jews. There is no way of determining' the course of action
the Alliance will pursue after completion of the survey it is cur-
rently conducting of the area under the aegis of the Center of
Human Relations of New York University's School of Education,
but it is this corner's guess that the adjustment will be in the
direction of a more secular program of activities. Most of the re-
maining Jewish residents of the area are elderly people with a
dimishing interest in recreational activities. This, indeed is a far
cry from the days when a barely discernible "Masliansky Yedaber"
(Masliansky will speak) sign would draw hundreds upon hundreds
of people to the Alliance auditorium which simultaneously served
as synagogue and concert hall.

Philadelphia Story
Henry David Epstein, a Jewish young man from Philadelphia,
is "the most remarkable thing that has happened to real estate
since the Louisiana Purchase," according to a pen portrait of the
wizard in the current issue of the Saturday Evening Post by Hugh
Scott. Perhaps equally remarkable is the fact that the 32-year-old
Philadelphian, who is described as persisting in behaving as if he
had come into the businest world through a side door for a brief
apologetic stay, managed to perform the miracle of running a. bor-
rowed $2,000 into nearly $2,000,000 in eight years. Epstein, Who
shudders at the suggestion that he is a wonder boy, holds the
record as the youngest real estate broker ever licensed. to. Phila-

BOSTON, (JTA)—The Jewish
Community Council of Greater
BostOn has voted to oppose a
proposal to enforce the recita-
tion of a prescribed prayer daily
in all Massachusetts p u bl i c
school classrooms. The proposal
is contained in a bill now before
delphia.
the Massachusetts Legislature.

