Cantor Speak's at Bnai Brith Center
'
EDDIE CANTOR wasn't joking when he turned up recently
at Friday evening services held at the Bnai Brith Center in Roch-
ester, Minn., where the famed Mayo Clinic is located. In a serious
!mood he described his experiences in Israel and talked about the
responsibilities that Judaism requires of us. An overflow congre-
gation filled all seats in the chapel. The Center is a national
project of Bnai Brith, designed to meet the cultural, spiritual and
leisure-time needs of the 30,000 Jewish patients and their families
who annually visit the world-famed Clinic. It contains, in addition
to the chapel, a library, writing room and many other facilities,
all housed in a handsome, two-story brick building within walking
distance of the Mayo Clinic. The services were led by Rabbi A.
Aaron Segal, Chaplain of the Center. Others present included
Dr. Irwin A. Epstein, president of the Center, and Julius Estess,
treasurer.
Dr. Silver to Address Detroit's
Tercentenary Dinner on Oct. 17
Continued from Page 1
early in September. Later this year there will be an im-
portant American Jewish Tercentenary exhibition at the
Art Museum.
All Detroit synagogues soon will commence to plan
the observance of the Tercentenary Sabbath on Nov. 27.
There will be a series of events for children, the audi-
torium of Mumford High School having been reserved by
the school's committee for the week of Hanukah for at least
three special programs for youth.
Plans for Detroit celebrations also include a Detroit
Symphony concert which will be broadcast nationally.
Details will be announced soon.
The music and women's committees are working on
programs for a special music festival and a women's public
event in February.
The Detroit Common Council's resolution, introduced
by Council President Louis C. Miriani, and adopted unani-
mously, reads:
Whereas, on September 12, 1954, the citizens of Jewish faith
will officially launch a nationwide celebration of the American
Jewish Tercentenary to mark the 300th anniversary of Jewish
settlement in the United States, and
Whereas, the history of Detroit and Michigan indicates
conclusively that Jews were among the first traders and settlers
in this territory well over two hundred years ago, and became
a permanent part of the Detroit Community more than one
hundred years ago, and
Whereas, throughout the history of Detroit, Jews have
participated usefully and constructively in every facet of com-
munity life, and have joined actively in championing religious
liberty and human rights, and
Whereas, the theme of the Tercentenary—"Man's Oppor-
tunities and Responsibilities Under Freedom," provides an
unique opportunity for all Americans to review and re-evaluate
their part in American life with a view to strengthening their
understanding of the American tradition of harmony among
all citizens•,
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that this Common Council, on behalf of the
people of Detroit, takes official cognizance of the American
Jewish Tercentenary, and calls upon all the citizens of Detroit
to join in marking the period from September 1954 through
May 1955 with public ceremonies, and in all, other appropriate
ways to take part in the observance of this great anniversary,
and be it
Further resolved, that the City Clerk is hereby directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the National
Chairman of the American Jewish Tercentenary and to the
chairman of the American Jewish Tercentenary in Detroit,
Adopted as follows:
li
Yeas — Councilmen Beck, Connor, Rogell, Smith, Van Ant-
werp, Wise, Youngblood, and President Miriani-8.
Nays—None.
ZO—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 6, 4951
Post Office Helpless
To Bar Anti-Semitic
Literature from Mails
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Post-
master General Arthur, E. Sum-
merfield has informed Rep.
Jacob K. Javits that the Post
Office Department has no au-
thority to bar anti-Semitic prop-
aganda from the mails, and "the
Postmaster General has no al-
ternative but to accept the ma-
terial and deliver it to its desti-
nation."
Rep. Javits received the com-
munication as a _result of a res-
olution of - inquiry introduced
July 14 in an effort to prohibit
the mailing of matter inciting
anti-Jewish extremism.
Summerfield's reply made it
clear that there is nothing the
Post Office Department can do,
despite the fatt that groups are
libelled and fomented
against a religious faith.
Commenting on the Post-
master's letter, Rep. Javits said
he believed that legislation to
prevent the mailing of hate
propaganda was "logical and
necessary." Rep. Javits said "the
Federal Government should be
capable of seeing that its fa-
cilities are not abused and ex-
ploited for purposes so contrary
to free institutions and the deep
convictions of the overwhelm-
ing majority of the people of our
country."
He cited the case of Beauhar-
nais vs. Illinois which was acted
upon by the Supreme Court on
April 28, 1952, sustaining the
constitutionality of legislation
making it unlawful to libel a re-
ligious or racial group.
The present undertaking was
begun by Rep. Javits as a con-
sequence to a marked increase
of anti-Jewish material mailed
in bulk to members of Congress
and to individuals and organiza-
tions throughout the country by
professional anti-Semites.
Happy Birthday for Israel Youngsters
f
Israeli youngsters lift their voices in happy song at Mosad
Aliyah Children's Village, in Petach Tikvah, which marks its tenth
birthday as the New Year comes to Israel. The anniversary of the
village, a project of the Mizrachi Women's Organization of Amer-
ica, will be marked in the U.S. at forthcoming 29th annual national
convention of Mizrachi Women in Atlantic City, N.J., Nov. 7 to 10.
France's. First Lady Is Distant
Cousin to Family of Detroiters
A new and glorious chapter At 19, he was France's young-
has been added to the history of est lawyer; at 20, its youngest
France by M. Pierre Mendes- doctor of law; at 21, its youngest
France, the new French-Jewish professor; youngest member of
Premier, who • kept good his Parliament at the minimum age
promise to end the seven-year- of 25; and at 31, he was France's
old Indo China War within a youngest junior minister, serv-
month or step down from office. ing as Under-Secretary of -State
This is in spite of the general at the Treasury in Blum's "Pop-
belief that the Communists— ular Front" government.
whose leader called Mendes-
According to a report in the
France a "dirty Jew"—would like London J e wish Chronicle,
to see him fail.
Mendes France is known as
The forthright and fearless Mr.' France," although to a
French leader, a fighter since his few Jew-haters he is plain
student days when he battled "Mendes," and they dispute his
young, anti-Semitic hoodlums on right to use the name "France."
the Left Bank, is known for a
However, the name Mendes-
number of firsts in France.
France has been unchanged
throughout four centuries, and
1 records in Bordeaux and Bayonne
and crumbling tombstones in
ancient cemeteries bear out the
contention. .
Of Spanish ancestry, it is more
Unless the adoptive parents likely that centuries ago the
are observant, the rabbi says, family name was Mendes. Indi.4
there can be no conversion on cations are that a Mendes mar-
the assumption of a privilege ried a Franco; presumably chang-
that is in reality a great dis- ing the name to Mendes-Franco.
After settling on French soil dur-
"advantage.
ing the Inquisition, the name
The consent of non-Jewish was again changed to its present
children to conversion upon Mendes-France.
reaching maturity does not con-
The French _ Premier's wife,
sist merely in synagogue atten- who is also Jewish, comes from
dance, he declares. "Going to a wealthy Egyptian family who
shul does not make one a Jew today Still operate two depart-
anymore than going to a garage ment stores in Cairo and Alex-
makes one an automobile.
andria.
"Even if all the above condi-
Before becoming Mme., Pierre
tions were to be met, there is yet Mendes-France, her name was
special precaution to be taken in Lily Cicurel, and she is a distant
the case of •a girl that she should cousin of the Cicurel and Chic-
not marry a Kohen."
orel families in Detroit.
Although contact has long
ceased between the families,
UN Will Seek Views
one member of 'the family—
On Calendar Reform
Salvador Cicurel, of 2900 Bur-
ingame—still remembers her
GENEVA, (JTA)—The United family. At that time, however,
Nations Economic and Social Lily Cicurel had not yet been
Coimcil decided to query member born. • •
and non-member governments
Back in 1910, Salvador Cicurel
of -all countries on their views worked for Lily'S father and her
concerning a *proposal for a two uncles, Solomon, Salvador
world calendar reform and to and Josef Cicurel, in the Anno
have a report on these views pre- Department Store in Cairo. But
sented at next year's regular here, memory fails, and he does
session of the Council. A pro- not know whether Lily's father
posal by Pakistan and Chile to was Salvador or Josef. He is cer-
pigeonhole the matter indefi- tain, however, it was not Solo-
nitely was defeated.
mon, since he was the eldest of
Jews and other Sabbath ob- the brothers and in poor health.
The family had come to Egypt
servers have voiced serious ob-
jections to the' proposal before from Turkey -around the turn
the Council, sponsored by India, of the century, and to this very
because it is based on a scheme day- the family is prominent in
which would unfix the position the Egyptian community. Salva-
of the Sabbath in the week. This dor Cicurel, as the Detroit Salva-
would interfere with the eco- dor Cicurel remembers, was
nomic, social and religious activ- quite • a sportsman and was .a
ities of Sabbath observers, it was participant in the . fencing
pointed out.
championships of the Olympic •
The UNESCO adopted seven Games. At present, he leads the
resolutions on human rights Egyptian Jewish community.,
Mine. Mendes-France is por 7
which had been recommended
by the Human Rights Commis- trayed by the London Chronicle
sion. The resolutions deal with as a very Capable woman who
discrimination in occupation, the has furnished "a tastefully de•.!
fight of minorities against dis- orated, if Modest flat, embellish-
crimination, and international ed by her own . talented Paint-
respect for self-determination of ings, lively portraits, and deli
c ate still-lifes."
peoples and nations.
Adoption of Non-Jewish Children
Causes Conversion Controversy
Many Jewish families today
are adopting non-Jewish chil-
dren and raising them as Jews.
These children often go through
the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, de-
clare themselves full-fledged
members of the Jewish congre-
gation, and even assume the
status of High Priests. Later
they inter-marry with children
of Jewish parentage. All this
assumes that the . non-Jewish
children have through their
adoption become Jews.
But such is not the case,
argues Rabbi Melech Schachter,
cousin of Abraham Schachter, of
the United Hebrew Schools staff.
Rabbi Schachter calls on rabbis
to bring this issue to the atten-
tion of American Jewry and put
an end to such "irresponsible
behavior."
Civil adoption, Rabbi Schach-
ter argues, does not constitute
conversion to Judaism. The re-
sponsibility of so tremendous a
change, he states, obviously
necessitates the mature consent
of the party involved. But how,
he continues, could a minor—
and at times an infant—be con-
verted without his consent?
Acknowledging that some rab-
bis feel that since to be a Jew
is a privilege, that to perform a
meritorious deed in behalf of
another without consulting him
is permitted, and that, therefore,
minors can be converted without
consent, Rabbi Schachter says
this line of argument is inap-
plicable today.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the
couples who adopt non-Jewish
children are non - observant
themselves. The adopted chil-
dren that we - officially convert
to Judaism are brought up in an
atmosphere of Sabbath viola-
tion, total disregard for kashrus,
and all other precepts of the
Torah.
"Can this kind of Judaism be
considered a privilege that
would give us the right to per-
form the conversion ceremony
Iwithont their mature consent?"
V /PV010 1/
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