THE JEWISH NEWS
Only Way to Fight the Fire
Incorporating the Detro it Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
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Member American Association of F.‘glish-Jewisb Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co, 17100 West Seven Me Road, Detroit 35. ?Mob.. VE. 8-9364
Subscription $4 a year, Foreign $5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3. 1879
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
VOL. XXVII, No. 3
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Page Four . -
March 25, 1955
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
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This Sabbath., the ,third day of gissan, 5715. the following Scriptural selections urill be read
in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion,, Lev. 1:1-5:26. Prophetical portion, Is. 43:21 44:23.
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Licht Benshen, Friday, March 25, 6:29 p.m.
Let Us Examine the Campaign Dollar
We have just begun another great com- ish Community Center and. its Mothers' Club
munity drive for a goal that must approxi- - Camp, Jewish Social Service Bureau Depart-
mate $5,000,000 as a minimum if Israel is to ment for Aged, Fresh Air Society, Hebrew
receive the full benefit from a full quota.
Free Loan AssoCiation, Midrasha, Sinai Hos-
From the immense sums contributed by pital and North End Clinic, Resettlement
Detroit Jewry in the .past decade, the major Service, Sholem Aleichem School, United
Jewish Folk Schools, United Jewish High
amount has gone for the upbuilding of. Israel
and for other overseas causes. Thus, evalu- School, Workmen's Circle School, Yeshivath
ating the division of the campaign dollar in Beth Yehudah, Jewish Vocational Service,
1954-55, the Jewish Campaign contribution Student Training Fund, Tamarack Hills Au-
thority, United Community Services Scholar-
was split up as follows':
ship
Fund, Salaried Employes Pension Fund,
For Israel and overseas causes, 58.2%;
Community Workshop, Jewish House of
for national muses, 4.6 % ; and the balance,
the 37.3 % used for local needs was sub- Shelter, Jewish Welfare Federation and Al-
divided as follows: 17% for health and wel- . lied Jewish Campaign operating and collec-
fare, 7% for education, 2.3 % for community tions fund.
*
relations and 10.9% for capital development..
A careful study of this list of causes
will prove how cheaply we are buying Al-
Our allocations will be better appreciated
lied Jewish Campaign • services through
by a subdivision like this:
• The remarkable, intimate story of Charles Laughton, by Kurt
this united fund-raising effort; how ex-
Singer, published by John C. Winston Go: (NIG Arch St., Phila. 7)
Taking an average $100 contribution—
penses in campaigning are reduced to a contains some very impressive facts about the eminent actor's
not an excessive gift from a person of
minimum and how ManpoWer is conserved strong reactions against Nazism. It is a splendid tale about a
average moderate means—as a yardstick,
for an • all-out communal
ti to as- great actor, his rise i;o fame, hiS deep interest in the arts.
dedicaon
the donor's money is divided as follows:
sure assistance to every vital project that
Two noted•Jews are mentioned in this book in _relation to Mr.
$58.20 for the United Jewish Appeal
has 'a right to American 'Jewry's support. LaughtOn's anti-Nazi sentiments—Stefan Zweig and Herman
which includes the United Israel Appeal,
This breakdown is offered so that every Wouk.
the American Jewish Joint Distribution Com- contributor may study the ,facts and gain a
The Zweig story is especially important for an understanding
mittee and the • United Service for New new sense of appreciation of the great of the reactions to Nazism. The biographer of Charles Laughton
Americans_, as well as these UJA beneficia- values attained by our campaign dollars: refers to an incident in which Mr. Zweig was personally involved
ries: ORT and Jewish National Fund; Amer- The allocations are the result of years of and which brought to light the horrors of Nazism. It was when he
ican Committee for Weizmann Institute of . study, of perennial reviews by leaders in all met with Zweig in.London. The story as related by Kurt Singer:
"Zweig had written a libretto for a new opera by RiChard
Science, American Friends of Hebrew Uni- walks of Jewish life, and by an appreciative
Strauss, 'The Silent Woman.' Strauss' position in the new Germany
versity, American Fund for Israel Institu- constituency, numbering :close to 30,000 had been quite secure—Hitler had personally always liked Strauss'
tions, American Technion Society.
annual contributors who, by. their generos- music and had therefore appointed him head of the Nazi Music
$4.60 for these national agencies: Ameri- ity, give to our communal leaders the sup- Chamber ... However, before the premiere of 'The Silent Woman,'
can Academy for Social Research, American port they have earned in the sponsorship the Nazis discovered that Strauss was going to present an opera
Association for Jewish Education, Arnerican of a - campaign that has elevated our corn-, based on the libretto of the Jew Stefan Zweig and the half-Jew
Jewish Congress, American Jewish Histori-
munity to the highest ranks of philanthropy. Hugo von trofrnannstahl , Strauss was called before Hitler, who
said he would make an exception just once and let him- put on
cal Society, Bellefaire, Bnai Brith National
the Zweig-StraUss opera in Dresden. But after the second per-
Youth Service Appeal, Conference on Jewish
There is T'a very -'ride --appeal for every lormance
Goebbels and the Nazi Party raised such a- howl that
Relations, Council of Jewish = Federations member of our community in the Allied
the
ouera
to be discontinued. As a result of all this Strauss
and Welfare Funds and its East . Central Jewish Campaign. Our -dollars support the had to be had
fired from the presidency of the Music Chamber. His
States Region, Dropsie College, Histadruth vital institutions without which our Com- lettera of indignation
at the state of things in Germany had
Ivrith, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish
munity . would be an empty shell — and we been intercepted and turned over to the Gestapo. Laughton was
Occupational Council, Jewish Publication
allocate the major campaign collections for horrined. He , thought there must be some effective way of pro-
Society, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Jewish the upbuilding. of ISrael, hours of need and testing such barbarous cultural censorship. Isn't there some way
for you to fight back?" he asked. Zweig answered him quietly:
War Veterans, Joint Defense Appeal, Men-
anxiety.
`Not I. It's up to those whose books were not burned in Germany
orah Association, National Community Re-
We have listed enough reasons to juStify to do the protesting'."
lations Advisory Council, National Jewish generous increases in our Contributions to
Laughton's work with Herman Wouk involved "The Caine
Welfare Board, United HIAS Service, Yid- the Allied Jewish Campaign. Let there be
Mutiny." Wouk was angry at the outset with Laughton's editing,
dish Scientific Institute.
such an effective pooling of our forces, such
The sum of $10.90 goes for capital de- wholehearted cooperation to give the 1955 but later admitted the actor was right in his judgment.
Deeply impressed with the Jewish character Greenwald in
velopment, for the construction of new ur- • campaign priority over all other efforts in
"The Caine Mutiny," Wouk is commended for his delineation of a
gently-needed buildings -- including Centers
our midst, that we shall once again emerge Jew who has come -Co respect authority deeply: Laughton is quoted
and Hebrew Schools and additions to the as. a city that provides - the finest example as saying: "Greenwald
has the long wisdom of the Jew in him.
Home for Aged and Sinai Hospital, and $24 to..its sister communities for .0 n s t i,n t e d He has the depth, the age of the race in him." Asked, behind the
is subdivided among these local agencies:
labors, generous giving and hearty aid to all stage, whether he knows that Wouk teaches at Yeshivah. Uni-
United Hebiew Schools, Jewish Home who depend upon us for sustenance and en- versity, Laughton said: "You're telling me? •In fact, I had an
awful time getting him away from his classes to work on the
for Aged, Jewish Community Council, Jew- couragement. •
'The Laughton Story': Actor's
Deep Resentment of Nazism
I
--
play."
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There are a great many incidents in • "The Laughton Story"
that will thrill the reader and will leave him with the feeling that
he has not wasted his time by familiarizing himself with this fine
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lishment of a permanent peace. This is the book.
We Repeat: Peace Only Middle East Solution
In his report to the United Nations Secur-
ity Council, Maj. Gen. E. L. M.- Burns, the view of all fair-minded observers. It is the
UN truce chief, made this important` asser- only conclusion that can possibly be reached
tion:
by those • who aiin ,at true harmony. Unfor-
"The Egyptian authoritieS should apply
tunately, there are too many people who
strictly the severe penalties provided by
appear to be anxious to perpetuate strife.
Egyptian ordinances against illegal cross-
Guilt for the existing troubles must be laid
ing of the demarcation line, take the mea-
at their doors.
sures necessary to ensure that no arms or
We are convinced that a sincere effort on
explosives are in possession - of unstable :
the "part Of our State Department; acting
elements and, especially, give adequate
jointly With the Other:Western PoWers in the
publicity to punishments meted out for
United Nations, 'could. bring a speedy peace.
theft or illegal crossing. Such publicity
But
there are antagonists in Washington who
should include notification to the Mixed
subject themselves to the charge of being
Armistice Commission. Otherwise it is
biased: And there are, throughout the land,
understandable that, seeing no news of
elements that are encouraging such a. biased
infiltrators being punished, the Israelis re-
attitude -- among them being a .dissident
fuse to believe that a serious attempt is
Jewish group whose shocking tactics at their
being made to prevent the depredations.
which eventually build up tension to a ‘, convention in Dallas this week lead one to
feel as if they had acted not in free America
dangerous point."
In the best interests of peace and of the but :n Cairo.
Also regrettable is the attitude of some
security of the area in which so much strife
continues to recur, Gen. Bums' statement newspapers which have made it a practice to
must be viewed with deep. sincerity. The subject Israel to notoriety wheneVer the small
continuing infiltration by Arabs into Israel's state is Censured, but. Whose poliCy it seems
territory, the murders, the robberies and the to be to ignore facts that place her in a good
vandalism are responsible for a resentment light. ..
which has resulted in reprisals that have cost
Arid so we continue to plead: let there be
many lives.
peace between the Arab states and Israel
We are compelled again, and again to and -we shall see an end to strife in the Middlp
*declare that there is _only .one possible. solu- East as well as be.fortified with .greater hoed
d on to the Middle 'East's tension: the estab- for worldwide amity.
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Spinoza's Legacy for Our
Time Outlined in New Book
In his new book, "Baruch Spinoza and Western Democracy,"
published by .Philosophical Library (15 E. 40th, NY16), Dr. Joseph
Dunner makes, an unusual approach to the writings of the great
Dutch-Jewish philosopher of the 17th century. Interpreting Spin-
oza's philosophical, religious and political thoughts, Dr. Dunner
applies them to our time and draws interesting lessons from, them.
He emphasizes that Spinoza "taught us that the state is not
the result of a deliberate social contract but rather the expreSsion
of a dynamic process of man's adaptation to his physical and
mental environment. He established the fundamental conception
that man, in the end, is responSible for his social institutions and
that in many respects he makes his own" destiny."
Turning to Spinoza for guidance in dealing with dictators—
with Communists as well as Nazis—Dr. Dunner writes: "Appease-
ment of aggression is poor psychotherapy. In the end, it destroys
both the doctor and the patient. Aggression, as Spinoza knew so
well, must be met by firm resistance, a just estimate of its charac-
ter, and a wise dealing with it." Dr. Duniler. concludes:
"Spinoza,-in all his writings, searched for a way of life which
harmonizes the intelligence and activity of..ma.n with the nature
of the universe under conditions of maximum freedom for the
development of man's talents and abilities. To survive the total-
itarian onslaught, demQcracy, must never give up this search for
man's salvation in this world."
Dr. Dunner's new book has the special value of an interesting
biographical sketclvof , the philosopher 'as well as,,, ,n, impressive
review. of Spinoza's MetAphYsks, Concept of GNI . and Political
Thought.