THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating the -Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing 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 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
.
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
Page Four
VOL. XXVII, No. 5
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
April 8, 1955
Passover Hol Hamoed Sabbath Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions, Ex. 32:12-34:26, Num. 28:19-25. Prophetical portion, Ezek. 36:37-37:14.
Hol Hamoed Passover, Torah Readings
Sunday, Ex. 13:1 16, Num. 28:19-25: Monday. Ex. 22:24-23:19, NUM.. 28:19-25: Tuesday. Num.
9:1-14, 28:19-25.
-
Scriptural Selections for Last Days of Passover
Pentateuchal portions: Wednesday, Ex. 13: 1 7-15:26, Num. 28:19-25: Thursday. Deut. 15:19-16:
17. Num. 28: 19-25. Prophetical 'portions: Wednesday, 11 Sam, 22: Thursday, Is. 10:32-12:4.
Licht Benshen: April 3, 4:45 p.m.; April 12, 6:50 p.m.
`Roofs of Preluclicei: Re-actions of Youth
An examination of "The Root of Preju-
dice" conducted at one of the panels of the
New York Herald Tribune's ninth annual
High School Forum brought to light interest-
ing reactions of . Israeli and Arab youth on
problems facing Israel on the world scene.
The statements of the 17-year-old Jor-
danian and Israeli spokesmen are sufficiently
important to be quoted in full.
Akram Z. Bakarat, Jordanian, delivered
this address:
When I was chosen to represent Jordan in
this Forum, I did not know there would also be
a delegate from Israel. Then, in the letter of
congratulations from Mrs. Waller, telling us how
to prepare for the trip, I saw the name of Israel
among the countries to be represented. It was
really difficult for me to think how I would act.
My first thought was that I would not speak
with him at all, and treat him as our countries
treat each other. But this was difficult from the
beginning because his country was listed as
"Israel" and we call it "Palestine." I talked to
some of my teachers and friends to get their ad-
vice. Some said I should not speak to him at all.
Others said I should treat him just as I would
treat any of the other delegates, to show him
that we do not have any enmity against people.
When Gur arrived at Kober House the day
after I did, together with boys from Italy and
Switzerland, I got to know him just as I did the
other delegates. We all had so much in common
as members of the same group that our political
differences didn't come up.
Two days later we both happened to be as-
signed to wash dishes together, with some of
the other delegates, and Gur and I started to
talk about the Palestine problem. I was sur-
prised to find that some of the others had not
even heard about it. In trying to explain to
them, we had to go easy on the "heat" in order
to shed some light. And although we were
talking about a very complicated problem from
very different points of view, still neither of us
broke a dish!
Only three months ago, I used to think that
all the Jews are Zionists. Since I have been here,
I have realized that there are some Jews who
don't have any faint idea about Zionism. So, a
very good thing I learned, first of all, is that
Judaism is not synonymous with Zionism. Juda-
ism is • a religion. Zionism is a political idea.
So we should not confuse the two.
There, although I still have prejudice against
Zionism—naturally enough—I don't have any-
thing against Judaism now. However, as an
Arab, I do feel prejudice against Zionism because
of all the troubles it has brought to this part of
the Middle East.
My job here as a Forum delegate, in six dif-
ferent host schools and all the others I have
visited, has been to talk about my country and
explain our point of view. In some of these
schools there have been not only large numbers
of Jewish students but many Zionists. In many
cases I gave them their first opportunity to hear
the other point of view. And it was also my
first opportunity to discuss this problem with
Zionists.
I was so glad you know—I really felt happy—
when some of them not only understood my
point of view but really appreciated a chance for
discussion instead of angry argument. It was
the first time for some of them to see that the
other point of view is possible.
Gur Ben Ad., a native of Tel Aviv, fol-
lowed Akram with this address .which served
as a reply to the Jordanian's differentiation
between Judaism and Zionism:
I've got another suggestion for the diplomats
who come back here on Monday. If they haven't
time to wash their dishes together, maybe they
could play ping pong? After Akram and I fin-
ished doing those dishes he told you about, I
went down to the ping pong table with the Arab
League. I beat Rifaat, from Egypt, but then
Akram beat me.
Speaking of the Arab League, Saniya, from
the Lebanon, was washing dishes that day when
Akram and I were drying them. She didr4t say
a word when we were talking about the Middle
East. At first I thought she kept quiet so that it
wouldn't be two against one. Then I discovered
she was having to concentrate all her attention
on doing a job she never had learned how to do
lit the Lebanon.
Five Months ago, when I wrote my essay
on "The World We Want" for the Forum com-
petition, I wrote as an Israeli, without any
international experience. My horizon has been
considerably widened.
In these three months, I have often felt my-
self thinking as an American, a Burmese, or a
Japanese.
Once I even got myself into a really tough
spot! It started as a game. You know that in
each host school we have been together with
two or three other Forum delegates. Listening
to each other say the same things about our
countries so many times in assembly programs,
we practically learn each others' speeches by
heart. So, one night in Washington when all of
us were together, just for fun we exchanged roles
to see how well we could present another's point
of view. And I found myself being the delegate
from Jordan, and almost convincing the dele-
gate from Israel (played by another of the dele-
gates from the Middle East). In the end it was
a draw!
We have had a lot of fun. But we have also
discussed many serious problems.
Sometimes I realized how narrow-minded
people can be pursuing only selfish interests, and
forgetting that there is something more funda-
mental—serving good international interests, as
nations and as individuals. Of course, this is not
as easy as it may sound. Coming back to what
you said, Akram, about your experience here,
and what you discovered about Judaism and
Zionism. My experiences were entirely different.
I am happy to say that all the Jews I met and
also most of the non-Jews I talked to were very
sympathetic toward Israel and what it stands
for. Especially the Zionists, who see in the an-
cient new country of Israel the fulfillment of
.their age-long hopes. Our different experiences
here show how complicated problems are.
We don't want a world where we can breathe
freely in the morning just because no calamity
happened overnight! We don't want a world
where countries spend most of their energy on
armaments in order to bring closer the possi-
bility of dying together. Instead we should be
finding a way to live together!
This Forum encouraged me to be an opti-
mist. Now I am sure that co-existence is possible.
This Forum helped me in another way. Tt
made me proud of being a citizen of my young
country. I was asked many times whether I
would like to live here. To me it was like asking,
would I like to exchange my parents. However, I
find much that is alike in your country and
mine. Both countries face the problem of in-
-tegration, the problem of forming -one nation
out of people from everywhere. And we are over-
coming their prejudices and making one nation
just. as you have.
Israel is a country of challenge that gives
every citizen a feeling of being needed—especial-
ly the youth!
What my country needs now, as all other
nations, is peace. We have much constructive,
creative work to do. War prevents this and solves
nothing.
I said I was an optimist. - I wonder whether
we will be able to impart the wonderful experi-
ence we have had here to as many as we would
like to. Maybe that is why - I can end by saying
I wish the politicians would solve their problems
the same way we did. We lived here in the
world we want, a peaceful world which, dis-
counting prejudices, can be achieved.
A
•
I,
• V
1* - 101141„
Ribalow's Splendid Anthology
American Jew at Mid-Century
Harold U. Ribalow, who recently has established a high repu-
tation as a book reviewer, as author of several books and as trans-
lator from the Hebrew, is enhancing his position with his latest
book, "Mid-Century:- An Anthology of Jewish Life and Culture in
Our Times," published today by Beechhurst Press (11 E. 36th,
NY16).
This volume accomplishes with great skill the objective it has
set out to attain: to present the works of the outstanding Jewish
writers of the past half century.
A glance at the list of authors whose works are .included here
will provide the best evidence of the value of this work. Mr. Riba-
low, who also has included his own "Some Melamdim I have
Known" and "Zion in Contemporary Fiction," has selected the
most impressive works of the following:
Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel, the late Menachem Ribalow,
editor of Hadoar, father of the compiler and editor of this book;
Dr. Jacob S. Minkin, Dr. Jacob B. Agus, Maurice Samuel, Dr. Will
Herberg, Menahem Boraisha, Dr. Milton Steinberg, Hannah
Arendt, Harry L. Golden, Milton Hindus, Charles Angoff, David L.
Cohn, Robert H. Glauber, Daniel Bell, Ashley Montagu, Irving
Howe, Leslie A. Fiedler, Dr. Ludwig Lewisohn, Michael Blankfort,
Edith Handleman, Shloind Katz, Alfred Werner, Naomi Ben-
Asher, Abraham Rothberg, Charles I. Glicksberg, Eliezer Whart-
man, Benno Weiser, Johan J. Smertenko, Hayim Greenberg,
Prof. Horace Kallen, Meyer Levin, Marvin Lowenthal, Dr. Sidney
Hook, Leon Stein, Nathan Glazer, Irving Kristol, Prof. Mordecai
M. :Kaplan, Dr. Trude Weiss-Rosmarin.
In addition there is the story "I Changed My Name" by an
anonymous author and the article by nine contemporary authors
that attracted wide attention when it first appeared. "Why I
Wrote a Jewish Novel."
This volume may well be said testrike one of the highest notes
in literary efforts on the occasion of the American Jewish Ter-
centenary. The writers selected have produced the finest type of
Jewish creative works. They have already written on high notes
of integrity- and of respect for their people.
Mr. Ribalow is correct—this reviewer believes—in stating that
his collection "offers an accurate portrait of the American Jew at
mid-century."
EsSays like Dr. Heschel's "The Meaning of Jewish Existence"
and Dr. Herberg's "Religious Trends in American Jewry" provide
justification for this assertion. Dr. Hayim Greenberg's "Jewish
Culture and Education in the Diaspora" and "On Dual Loyalties"
remain as valuable and as analytical today as when they were first
written.
This is true also of the other essays which throw light on the
A young Jordanian's attempt to draw a
sharp line between Jewish religious tenets status of American Jewry and on the literary creations of out-
and nationalism may or may not indicate standing American Jews. Mr. Ribalow's anthology deserves a very
that he was thoroughly briefed on the sub- wide circulation.
ject before coming to this country. Many
adults, unless they come from the prejudiced
circle of the Council for Judaism, will be
amazed at the views of a 17-year-old boy who
seems to know all about Judaism but lacks
understanding about a people's—in this case
the Jewish people's—right to a homeland. It
is regrettable that Akram Z. Bakarat should
only have learned from his dish-washing ex-
perience alongside an Israeli that he thereby
gains an audience for anti-Zionist ideas.
It is pleasing, on the other hand, to note
the- emphasis placed by an Israeli on the need
for peace. While it is doubtful Whether Gur
Ben An was able to inject a desire for amity
in the heart of his neighbor, the Israeli's op-
timism is heartening.
Forums like the New York Herald Trib-
uune's, which bring together young people
from many nations, provide excellent means
of clarifying the views of opposing forces. It
is especially encouraging when the effort to
bring youth together is made in a free land
like ours. Perhaps out of this environment
will come the great incentive for world peace
—including a speedy rapprochement between
the Israelis and the Arabs.
Jewish Adventures in U.S.:
Biographically-Told History
In 243 pages, the eminent novelist and story-teller, Mrs. Elm*
Ehrlich Levinger, has written an interesting history of the Jews
in the United States in novel form: through a series of biograph-
ies of noted personalities.
The book, under the title "Jewish Adventure in America," has
just been published by Bloch.
Her story begins with the first Jewish- settlement. in New Am-
sterdam — now New York—and is a fine addition to the America*
Jewish Tercentenary publication s. It continues the narra-
tive of American Jewry's story with fine descriptions of the devel-
opment Of Jewish settlements in other areas—in Newport, Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, the Southern states_
Interspersed are the biographies of the noted leaders--the
early American . martyr Francis Salvador, Benjamin Nones, the
Revolutionary heroes, the war-time "rabbi" Gershom Mends
Seixas, Haym Salomon, and scores more.
Mrs. Levinger describes the activities of Judah T01.11'0, Solomon
Nunez Carvalho, the heroes of the Civil War period, Emma Lazarus.
Samuel Gompers, Mordecai Manuel Noah, Henrietta Szold, Louis B.
Brandeis, Nathan Straus and many, many more.
Beautifully illustrated, this is an 'excellent and informative
i volume for young and old.