Our Major Hopes and Prayers
THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating
, the Detroit Jewish Chronicle comment:46g with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers. Michigan Press Association, National Editorial. Association
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co, 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich., VE. 8-9364
Subscription $4 3 year, Foreign S5.
• Entered as second class matter Aug. 6. 1992, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879
- - -
FRANK SIMONS
SIDNEY SHMARAK
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
City Editor
Advertising Manager
Editor and Publisher
Page Four
VOL. XXVI. No. 17
December 31, 1954
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the seventh day of Tebet, 5715.. the following Scriptural selections will be read
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 44:18-47:27. Prophetical portion, Ezek. 37:15-28.
On Tuesday, the Fast of Tebet, the following . Scriptural selections will be read:
Pentateuchal . portion, Ex. 32:11-14, 34:1-10. Prophetical portion, Is. 55:6-56:8.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Dec. 31, 4:49 p.m.
A New Year—With Continuing Obligations
As we commence another year on the
civil calendar, it is well to examine our ob-
ligations and to set into motion a program
of activities that will assure our retention
of the highest standards of a properly-func-
tioning Jewish community.
Many obligations face us.. as Americans'
and as Jews. Every humanitarian effort has
its appeal to us, whether it is the March of
Dimes, in whose behalf we shall be lending
our aid. during the month of January; or
in support of the Better Schools programs;
or for the Torch Drive; or in behalf of the
sale of Government Bonds; or in seeking to
assure every citizen's participation in all
efforts requiring the exercise of his suffrage.
There are continuing and recurring
obligations to t h e Jewish community
which call for review and emphasis.
Our major obligation remains the duty
of strengthening our educational system, or
assuring a good education for our youth, or
guaranteeing support to a program that will
give priority to the training of good teachers
and to their enrollment for and retention in
our Jewish school systems. Without good
teachers—whose professional ratings' must
be placed on a very high level because of
the great idealism inherent in their work—
A Bitter Woman
Miss Dorothy Thompson, -who said she
"was a Zionist" before visiting Israel, em-
erged a very bitter person at the meeting of
the American. Friends of the Middle East, of
which she is president, in Washington, . last
week. Even the chairman of the meeting,
Ambassador Mohammed Kabir Ludin of
Afghanistan, found it necessary to reject
questions he interpreted as biased against
. Israel. But Miss Thompson proceeded with
bitter attacks on Israel.
Arab diplomats and government em-
ployees who attended the meeting were told
by Miss Thompson that Israel "simply
robbed the Arabs of their properties." Ac-
cording to our JTA correspondent, she
charged that the evolution of Israel "was
not compatible with what was hilmane or
even democratic." When an Arab posed the
question about "the . expansionist nature of
the Jewish State," alleging that Israel had
designs on Jordanian territory, the Afghan-
istanian Ambassador Ludin sought to dis-
miss the question as being "outside of the
agenda of the evening," and a portion of
the audience applauded, but Miss Thompson
volunteered to outline her antagonistic at-
titude. She said she started out as a Zionist
because she was "touched by the tragedies"
of Jews under Nazism," but later changed
her view because she believed she was "mis-
led on basic assumptions."
When she went so far as to state that
Mohammedanism was superior to Judaism
and Christianity in some respects a middle-
aged man charged that "this is an insult to
the public," and walked out of the meeting.
Thus, we are treated to another chapter
In the story of Dorothy Thompson in her
relation to Zionism. She was much more
than a Zionist for many years. She shared
the Zionist platforms with Jews and non-
Jews, supported the idea of a Jewish State
and spoke in glowing terms of the democra-
tic ideals inherent in Zionism. We are kept
-in the dark as to the true reasons for her
antagonistic attitudes of recent years.
The one point that is clear is that she
has turned into a bitter woman who is re-
sorting to many methods of harming the
small Jewish State. While resorting .o an
argument involving "democracy," she fails
to indicate that Israel was established by
the democratic actions of the entire United
Nations. She has forgotten that the rem-
nant of the Jews who survived when
found secur ity in Israel, at a time w hen all
other ports were closed to then-i. She fails
to recognize the fact that the Arab states
waged war on Israel and continue to
threaten war against the small nation of
Israelis.
it is difficult to battle the whims of an
embittered woman.
we can not hope to build an effective school
system.
Let it be remembered that our Allied
Jewish Campaign provides the funds for our
educational programs. This. campaign, con-
ducted by the Jewish Welfare Federation,
retains a high place of priority on our cal-
endar of communal. activities because its
funds finance the work of the United Jewish
Appeal—the great agenCy that supplies the
means for resettlement of homeless and dis-
possessed Jews in Israel and assures relief
for the needy overseas.
The United Jewish Appeal has just
begun to .map its 1955 activities. It has
enlisted the services of a new chairman,
William Rosenwald. It continues, for an-
other campaign year, to be guided by the
ablest of all American Jewish social serv-
ice leaders, Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz. It
needs the uninterrupted encouragement
of all American Jews. We believe that
such assistance will be given in the years
to come as unstintingly as our people
have responded to Israel, to the JDC-
to all UJA projects in past years.
High on the calendar of community
undertakings for the coming year also will
be the campaign for the sale of Israel bonds.
The Jewish state; in order to become self-
supporting, must develop its economic pro-
gram. It must create new industries and
must utilize the country's natural wealth.
The bond dollars make these projects pos-
sible.
It is encouraging to know that, under
the able chairmanship of Phillip Stollman,
bond sales in 1954 exceeded those in 1953.
This augurs well for the coming year.
There is a hearteningly increasing in-
terest in spiritual efforts, through our syna-
gogues, and the new year should see a con-
tinuation of such devotion. We shall un-
doubtedly witness the erection of new Jew-
ish Centers, new Hebrew School buildings
in conjunction with the Centers, the develop-
ment of cultural projects and the extension
of attempts to enlist in communal endeavors
the assistance of our youth.
In all these projects, we pray that our
combined community efforts should meet
with success. Sincere wishes to all our fel-
low-Americans for a good 1955 accompany
this prayer.
Not All Are Saints ... 1
Fr. Borucki, in his "Here's the Answer"
column in the Michigan Catholic, explaining
"Why a Catholic May Not Be' Anti-Semitic,"
makes the point that "not all Jews are
saints, but neither are all Christians." He
goes into a detailed analysis of the question,
points to many Jewish faults, states "it as
a fact that SOME Jews are members of
secret organizations, that SOME Jews have
financed Communism, "but Communism was
not invented by Jews:' Karl Marx was a
baptized Protestant."
Then he quoted the Holy Office decree
of Sept. 25, 1928, to prove that "the church
loves the Jews" and that anti-Semitism is
decried by the Catholic church.
Fr. Borucki has placed too much em-
phasis on the part played by SOME Jews,
even if he has capitalized the word, in Com-
munist and secret organizational activities.
Even this limited recognition is an exag-
geration. We believe that we are well in-
formed about our people and our communi-
ties, yet we do not know of the existence
of secret organizations and except for
Sobel, Greenglass • and the Rosenbergs,
whom he 'mentions, we are not aware of
the existence of many Jews—in lands out-
side of the Communist orbit—who either are
Communists or support the Communists fin-
ancially.
While the declaration in the Michigan.
Catholic is welcome and while we recognize
Fr. Borucki's sincerity, we wish he had not
placed so much emphasis on the non-saint-
liness of SOME Jews. Even the SOME is
an exaggeration. The destructive element
is too limited in numbers, to be reekoriM
with.
Bennett Cerf Has Chosen- Well
Charm and Fascination in His
Encyclopedia of WS. Humor
Bennett Cerf, the master of the funny story, the great'
-
lauthority on humor, has come forth with another great creation:
1
his latest book, "An Encyclopedia of Modern American Humor,!
published by Hanover House (a Doubleday Divi-
sion), 575 Madison, NY22.
This is an anthology that deserves to be
rated a one of the very great creations of the
current year—thanks, especially, to the ability of
'Editor Cerf to select the best in American humor
and to collate them in a single volume.
Everything of merit in American humor is
represented here. There are stories and poems,
parodies and short tales for which Bennett
Cerf has become famous.
There are selections from Mark Twain and
Will Rogers, 0. Henry and Dorothy Parker, Bret
Bennett Cerf
Hart and Arthur Kober.
Bennett Cerf's "The Artful Dodgers" and Leonard Q. Ross'
"The Rather Difficult Case of Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N" are among
the gems that will keep the reader on the good-natured side.
There are 12 parts to this book, a poetry section, parody and
satire divisions.
Excerpts from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by Anita Loos,
Al Capp's "Memories of Miss Mandelbaum." Ben Hecht's and
Charles MacArthur's last scene from "The Front Page," and
scores of similar well-known quotes are in this book, the nearly
700 pages of which provide reading for many a month, since it is
easy to read a short story or poem at leisure and to return to the
book time and again for entertainment and great appreciation of
the art of humor.
Bennett Cerf's stories are among the charming portions of
the book. He has chosen well—from his own works and from the
master •laugh-makers of America.
From the World of the Cabbalah`
Rabbi Judah—Aided Movement
From Medieval to Modern Times
"From the World of the Cabbalah" by Rabbi Ben Zion Bokser
(published by Philosophical Library, 15 E. 40th St., NY16) offers
considerable light on the philosophy and life of one of the most
interesting personalities of the 16th Century—Rabbi Judah Loew
of Prague, the creator of the legendary Golem.
The reader learns about the Cabbalah as "an
exploration of the mystical way . . The Cab-
balists believed that. tokens of God's presence
are discernible throughout creation, in the
physical facts of nature. as well as in the
physical word of the Torah."
Rabbi Bokser describes how Cabbalah became
a spiritual source of the popular Hassidic mystic
movement. He refers to a number of Christians
who became adherents of Cabbalah, among them
Pico della Mirandola, the father of Christian
Cabbalah; John Reuchlin, who studied Hebrew
Rabbi Bokser
and Cabbalah under the Jewish court physician
of Frederick III, Rabbi Jacob ben Jehiel .Loanz, and others.
The life story of Rabbi Judah Loew reads very interestingly
in Dr. Bokser's book.. We learn how Rabbi Judah "evoked fierce
opposition with his insistence on the retention of the old law
against non-Jewish wine." We read Rabbi Judah's philosophy,
such as "when a person acts with kindness toward others there
is a bond between him and his fellowman. We are given many
details about the Golem story and the background of such
"creativity" in that era.
Rabbi Bokser deals with the Humanists and Judaism, with
Reason and Faith and Judaism and Christianity in relation tot
the Cabbalah theme. He includes in his book a. description of the
attitude of Christians who studied Hebrew under Jewish tutelage
but whose attitude towards Judaism as a living religion WaS
unfriendly. Of special interest is the description of Rabbi Judah'S
defense of the Talmud.
Futhermore, we learn that "Rabbi Judah helped emancipate
Jewish thought from the constraining discipline of scholasticism.`"
The noted creator of the Golem is presented by his biographer as
a person who "stands as a Jewish representative in the movement
of transition from medieval to modern times."
"From the .World of the Cabbalah" is a truly interesting and
instructive book and is a fine tradition to the scholarly Jewish
bookshelf. . .