THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspape rs, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co , 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich., V& 8-9364 Snhaeription $4 a year, Foreign 65. Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879 SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher City Editor January 21, 1955 Page Four VOL. XXVI. No. 20 FRANK SIMONS Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath,, the tu)p.ntii-eighth clay of .Tebet. 5715, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion. Ex. 6:2-9...75. Prophetical portion. Ezek. 28:25-29:21. On Monday, Rosh Hodesh Shevat, Num. 28: 1-15 will be read during morning services. Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 21, 5:U p.m. The History-Making Tercentenary Exhibition The history-making exhibition, "Jewish Life and Culture in - Detroit," which was on display without interruption, at the Detroit Historical Museum, since Sept. 12, in honor of the American Jewish Tercentenary, comes. to a close Sunday,. when the Detroit Tercentenary Committee of 300 will meet, aprfropriately, at the Museuni, to evaluate the celebration's accomplishments - in De- troit. Without doubt, the Museum exhibition was the highlight of the rich programs which were sponsored by the Tercentenary committee in this City. By evaluating De- troit's Jewish history, by linking the local story with world Jewish history, by means of impressive and artistic displays, the Mu- seum's staff has rendered a very important service to our community. Good deeds always bring the deserved responses. This certainly was the case with the Museum's Tercentenary exhibition. - By the time the display is dismantled, it is be- lieved that approximately 150,000 people will have seen the exhibition. Non-Jews as well as JeWs continue to show an interest in it. More than 200 meetings were scheduled by local organizations, to enable their mem- berships to tour the Museum as part of their programs. .. The impressive 32-page Guide to the ex- hibition, the printing and nationwide dis- tribution of which was made poSsible by the generosity of Leonard Simons, has added Now—Tunisian to the significance of the Detroit Tercen- tenary celebration. While it is impossible to list all who have shared in the preparation of the Museum exhibit, the names of Henry D. Brown, Robert E. Lee, Bartlett Frost and Miss Bar- bara Paulson are receiving special and well- deserved mention. It is appropriate that they should be the first to whom the na- tional Tercentenary Commemorative Medals should be awarded in Detroit. The "Jewish Life and Culture" exhibi- tion has helped to arouse new interest in Charming Jewish Art Book the work of the DetrOit Historical Society and the Detroit Historical Museum. The numerous exhibitions at the Museum serve In an introduction to "Altars of My Fathers," by Mignon L. to perpetuate our community's legacies. by the Jewish Museum of Temple Mishkan, The dedicated men and women who conduct Rubenovitz, published Ave.; 21, Mass., the congregation's Tefila, 122 Elm Hill this work deserve the encouragement of all rabbi, Israel J. Kazis, makes Boston this comnient: their fellow-Detroiters. The most practical "The purpose of this volume is to communicate to the reader way of showing appreciation for these ex- an appreciation of the beauty and meaning which is inherent in cellent activities is for Detroiters to enroll the religious heritage of the Jewish people . . . The pictures of as members of the Historical Society in the ceremonial objects in this book speak for themselves . . in accents which . . . are today in need of interpretation for many large numbers. so that they may rediscover in these This, too, is the occasion to reiterate the of our contemporaries symbols the spiritual -significance with which they are debt the community owes to the Jewish Wel- hallowed abundantly endowed. fare Federation for its assistance to the De- "The author of this book is eminently qualified to perform troit Tercentenary Committee. By making this noble task, to convey to the children of Israel their ancestors' the proper allocation for the historic occa- sense Of the beauty of holiness.' Her intimate acquaintance with sion, the Federation has made possible the the long history of each of the ceremonial objects which she sponsoring of the impressive events which collected over the years with such love and devotion for the have made the Detroit Tercentenary cele- -1Mishkan Tefila Museum and her rare faculty for articulating in bration the outstanding program in the a remarkable sensitive manner the ideas which these symboiS objectify, and the sentiments which they inspire have served W country. produce a beautiful volume replete with enlightening information." 'Altars of My Fathers' - Jewry Must Be Rescued Jewish shops in Tunis were attacked last week by Moslem youths, and the merchants were compelled to close their doors and to call for police protection. This ti, cs not an ordinary news item. It portends a serious threat to the community of 100,000 Tunisian Jews. A few days prior to the little pogrom in Tunis, Michael Clark, New York Times correspondent in Tunisia, cabled a report to his paper to describe the fear that has grip- ped Tun seen Jewry. He pointed out that the "gathering in" of the Tunisian . Jews by Is- rael was accelerated by the, prospect of Arab rule there. . Mr. Clark reveals that Israel had ab- sorbed 536 Tunisian Jews in 1953 and that there was a six fold increase in 1954: The upsurge was especially noticeable-after the French Premier, Pierre Mendes France,.be- gan negotiations. for the establishment of self-governmerit in Tunisia. By next October, the Jewish Agency has undertaken to facilitate the settlement of 6,000 more Tunisian Jews in Israel. In his cable' .,---nort, Mr. Clark states: "here are about 100,000 Jews in Tunisia, T more than half of them residents of Tunis. Some are- French citizens, but the vast major- are subjects of the theoretically absolute Bey of Tunis. Until a Constitution is promulgated, it is impossible to tell what the legal position of the Jews may be as citizens of a self-governing Tunisia. One community, that of Tozeur, already has been dissolved (by emigration to Israel). Else- where the process is well advahced. - "The departure of the Jews from the island of Djerba, off southern Tunisia, is bringing to its end one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. The first Jewish settlers are said to have come to Djerba after the destruction of the temple of Solomon by the Chaldeans in 586 B. C. "In economic terms, Jewish emigration rep- -resent::: a tragic •loss to Tunisia, for the JeWs, whether artisians or merchants, account for a substantial part of the country's economic potential." Thus, the process of "ingathering" by Israel continues. It is still a great need in an era of insecurity tot—communities like Tunisia's. It serves to re-emphasize the im- portance of the United 3ewish Appeal, with- out whose funds any ,effort at rescuing Jews from lands of oppression would fail. - Detroit Joins in Honoring Eciwa W arburg The hOnOrs being accorded this Saturday: night, in NeW York, at a testimonial dinner, to Edward M; M. Warburg, the distinguished leader off-the. United Jewish Appeal, are help- ing in the acceleration, of 'aCtivities in be- half of the Allied Jewish Campaign in De- troit. It is appropriate that a gathering that is being convened to pay well-earned tribute to Mr. Warburg should be utilized to help the great—the major—cause in Jewish life: the fund that helps Israel and assists in the rehabilitation of dispossessed and oppressed Jews in many lands. In Mr. Warburg's honor, many Detroit- ers are making advance gifts to the Allied Jewish Campaign, in order to facilitate the presentation of early gifts towards the 1955 campaign. This is a good way of saying to a bril- on his creative philanthropic efforts by ad- vancing the cause to which he has dedicated his life. Jews everywhere will echo the sen- timents in tribute to Eddie Warburg - by re- dedicating themselves to the achievement of the goals towards which he is directing his heart and all his thOughts. U.S. Aid to Israel President - Eisenhower's message to Con- gress contains an encouraging reference to Israel and the Middle East. His request for continuation of economic aid to these countries is an indication of our Government's recognition of the need to as- sist struggling countries in their efforts to build wholesome communities. That is the only sound way of approaching the problem liant and devoted leader that he is held in of counteracting Communism and of creat- high esteem by his .fellow workers and that ing an atmosphere friendly to the western they offer evidence of . placing ...great . value _ democracies. __ This evaluation must receive the endorsement of all who are fortunate to possess Mrs. Rubenovitz's book. This evaluation becomes more adequate, however, with the additional words ot praise for the author by her husband, Rabbi Emeritus Herman H. Rubenovitz, who preceded Rabbi Kazis in the pulpit of the Boston congregation. Rabbi Rubenovitz speaks of his wife's intensely Jewish background, her university training, her 35 years of de- voted effort in collecting the art objects for the Boston syna.. gogue's Jewish Museum. Mrs. Rubenovitz, before her marriage had taught in teachers°' colleges and later gave her time to Zionism and to education and to her major love: the collection of Jewish art objects. Her book symbolizes the latter accomplishment, and it adds glory to her work by the fascinating manner in which she explains and evaluates each picture and its importance in the .religious life of the Jewish community. Commencing with the statement "I am bearer of an an tradition but also part of the world today," Mrs, Ruben- ovitz appropriately opens the series of illustrated statements- with Boris Schatz's "Mitzvah Rishonah," portraying a - child re.. ceiving Jewish instruction from an elder. "In this wonderfully beautiful and loving conception, the grandmother, guardian of folk Wisdom•and folkways., introduces her grandchild to th• tradition that spans the generations." There follows the story about an impressive Ner Tamid, the perpetual light, a sculptured head of a man with .the an illustrated article on the mezuzah, the story of a very old Ark, an explanation of the Yad, the pointer used in the reading of the Torah, the Bells, Crowns and Breast-plates of the Torah, the Kiddush Cup and Habdalah tray and twisted candle. "Queen Sabbath must be given a fitting farewell. This tendel farewell is called Habdalah," our able author explains. There is a holiday section in her fine book. It begins with the Seder plate, proceeds with the haggada, the Cup of Elijah, the Shofar, Yom Kippur—splendidly illustrated with a MyerovitS etching "Kavanah (mystic communion)", the Sukkot symbols, m xpeinoraathiosn, .Purim gragers, — each accompanied by Hanukah e There are numerous other features—stories about the Luaeh —calendar, the laver for hand washing before reading important manuscripts, the inspivation that conies to Jewry from the state of Israel, the folklore of Jewish ceremonials. It is a well compiled, well-illustrated, excellently related' continuing story about Israel faith. It is commendable in every respect. • Correcting a Columnist By NATHAN ZIPRIN - My good friend A. Glantz of the Jewish Day was so overcame by a pro-Yiddish item that he used- it as a jumping board let splashing indignity and untruth on the English-Jewish press. Glantz does ill to his cause—Yiddish—when he brutally castit- gates the English-Jewish press for a crime it has neither generated nor committed. The English-Jewish press is not the product of a struggle against Yiddish but the product of a civilization whose otherness had to be met with different media. If our raisin and almond song has withered, it is not because we have wanted it thus, but because it has been consumed by climate and otherness. What is important is not the tongue but the theme. In essence, what matters is not -the tongue in which song is chanted but that there is song and essence and meaning, Only the wicked can gloat in the decline of Yiddish and only fanatics blinded to truth can see in the English-Jewish press an enemy to a Jewish civilization whose extinction is concern ION mourning among all the silenced.