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 S4 a year, Foreign $5.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879

PHILIP SLOMOVJTZ
Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager

VOL. XXVII. No. 8

Page Four

FRANK SIMONS
City Editor

April. 29, 1955

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath., the eighth clay o 1 Iyar„ 5715, the following Scriptural selections will he read in'
Our synagogues;
Pentateuchal portion, Lev. 16:1-20:27. Prophetical Portion, Amos 9:7-15 or Ezek, 22:1-19.

,

Licht Benshen, Friday, April 29, 7:08 p.m.

The Seventh Anniversary of the State of Israel

When the Detroit Jewish community cele-
International relations have been con-
brates Israel's seventh anniversary, on Sat- ducted with dignity. Recognized by 62 coun-
urday evening, at the annual Yom Atzmaut tries, in 48 of which she is represented and 37
to Medinat Israel, it will be a signal for all of of which maintain diplomatic missions there,
us to reaffirm our admiration for the builders Israel, having drawn into her diplomatic
of Zion who have defied all obstacles in estab- corps her ablest sons and daughters, is con-
lishing a state that is now an accomplished ducting her affairs with courage and with a
fact in the council of the nations of the world. high sense of responsibility.
The young state's compulsory, universal
It also will be a time for reasserting that our
kinship with the people of Israel calls for con- educational system, with free school facilities
tinued efforts in defense of the young state's for all children 5 to 14, places Israel on a
high literate plane. •
economic position.
These are just a few of the happy events
While it has been left to Israel alone to
fight for her political rights, within the Unit- that mark Israel's rebirth and the new state's
ed Nations, and to defend her borders against seventh anniversary. They can be multiplied
'numerous onslaughts, Yom Atzmaut chal- many-fold by pointing to the progress made
lenges all liberty-loving people also to come in the rehabilitation of the Negev, the growth
111.ftEkt'EIN:57E/Ai 1.79 —19.50
to Israel's defense whenever powerful coun- of the Hebrew University and the Technion
tries indicate a desire to pour ammunition and the numerous new industries created
laesrittoas scit-Avs• HIJA4A1417740/AN
into the countries that threaten Israel's exist- there.
In addition to these achievements, young
ence. That is why we must be on the alert
against unfriendly acts against Israel and on Israel has taken off the hands of Jewish com-
guard. that our fellow-citizens of all faiths munities th•oughout the world a great re- Toward the Understanding of Judaism
should not be misled into supporting a war on sponsibility: that of providing asylum and ON JEWISH LAW AND LORE. By Louis Ginsberg. Philadelphia, Pa., The Jewish
Israel.
caring for hundreds of thousands of persecut- Publication Society of America, 5715-1955. 262 pages. $3.50-
A Review by Dr. ROBERT GORDIS
ed, dispossessed and disfranchised Jews. She
Associate Professor of Bible at Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Israel ' s population of 1,717,834—as of
continues to beckon to those who are threat-
At the beginning of the present century, when American
Dec. 31, 1954 included 89 per cent Jews- ened by tyranny and bigotry, and her only
Jewry, as we know it now, was still unformed, a massive cultural
1.526,016; and 11 per cent non-Jews, of whom request is that we provide some of the means project
of pioneering character was launched on these shores.
131,500 were Moslems, 42,800 Christians and for the integration of the newcomers and that The publishing firm of Funk and Wagnall undertook the gigantic
17,500 Druzes. These people are ruled by we make proper investments in her economy. task of issuing a "Jewish Encyclopedia" in 12 volumes. The task
democratic processes. There is religious free- It is very little to ask of us, whose kinsmen before the editors was not merely to present a survey of all phases
dom, although many issues involving internal in lands of oppression have only-Israel to look of Jewish history, biography, literature, sociology, religion and
Jewish religious controversies are yet to be to for haven and succor.
f folk-lore. In the case of many departments of Jewish culture
resolved; but the Moslems and the Christians
Therefore, on the seventh anniversary of the basic research had not yet been done. This was particularly
are worshiping under rules of complete re- Israel's rebirth, while .saluting the courageous true with regard to the vast "sea of Talmud" and the limitless
ligious freedom, comparable to the liberties Young state, we must re-dedicate ourselves to expanse of rabbinic literature and law.
Fortunately, hOwever, a brilliant young man had recently
that are enjoyed by us in this great land.
friendship for Israel, to her economic defense,
come to Anierica from Europe, who was superlatively equipped
Israel's trade, agriculture, industry and to . striving to prevent attacks upon her, -to an for
the task. Louis Ginzberg was the scion of a distingUished
projects for the development of natural re- aim to avert dangers to her security.
family of rabbinic scholars in Lithuania. Having studied at the
sources have 'made many gains. They are
In congratulating Medinat Israel, we also great yeshivoth of Telshe and Slobodka, he had achieved . a
indicative of the alertness of a people that extend to her hands of friendship and an as- phenomenal mastery of rabbinic literature and could qualify
has established a state with a determined surance that we not only rejoice in her tri- as a, ',Gaon," or rabbinic genius, in the traditional sense. To this
desire and will to bring the most advanced umphs but that we shall help her retain and' Matchless background Dr. Ginzberg, however, had added years
of study at the universities of Berlin, Heidelberg and StrasS-
western ideas into the country.
protect them.

bourg, where he had concentrated upon the study of Semitic
languages and literatures, besides -- achieving a broad and all-
inclusive knowledge. of Western culture, as a whole.

Albert Einstein and the People of Israel

in Palestine and :left to hunger and cold and
Dr. Albert Einstein undoubtedly would
persistent hostility. There is no country, even
have objected if he were told that people
today, that would be willing or able to offer
were to mourn his death. He would want us
them a place where they could ,. live in peace
to accept death as the inevitable occurrence
and security. And the fact that many of them
and to pursue life in mankind's best interests.
are still kept in the degrading conditions of
concentration camps by the Allies gives suf-
Let us learn the lessons of his life.
ficient evidence of the shamefulness and hope-
He was a guide for righteous ideas as
lessness of the situation. -
well as for the scientific.
.
"These people are forbidden to enter Pal-
He was a strong supporter of the Jew's
estine with reference to the principle of de-
aspiration for equality and independence, and
mocracy, but actually the Western Powers, in
because of it he had been offered the presi-
upholding the ban of the White - Paper, are
dency of Israel.
yielding to- the threats and the external pres-
sure of five vast and under-populated Arab
He believed in the Hebrew University
States. It is • sheer irony when the British
which he helped organize, together with Dr.
Foreign Minister tells the poor lot of Euro-
Chaim Weizmann.
pean. JeWs they should remain in Europe be-
He never failed to condemn Israel's en-
cause their genius is needed there, and, on the
emies, whether they were outside or within • other hand, •advises them not to try to get at
Jewry's ranks. That is why he invoked. the
the head of the queue lest they might incur new
lesson of Germany in this Warning against
hatred and persecution. Well, I am afraid,
the destructive, anti-Zionist Council for
they cannot help it; with their six million dead
they • have been pushed at the head of . the
Judaism:
-
queue, of the queue of Nazi victims, much
"The American Couneil for Judaism is
against their will.
a fairly exact copy of .the Zentralverein
"The picture of -our postwar world is not
Deutscher Staatsbuerger Juedischen Glau-
bright. As far as we, the physicists, are con-
bens (Central Association of German Citi-
cerned, we are no politicians and it has never
zens of Jewish Faith) of unhappy memory,
been . our wish to meddle in politics. But we
know a few things that the politicians do not
which in the days of our crucial need
know. And we feel the duty to speak up and
showed itself utterly impotent, and cor-
to
remind those responsible that there is no
roded the Jewish group by undermining
escape into easy comforts, there is no distance
that inner certitude by which our people
ahead for proceeding little by little and de-
could have overcome the trials of this
laying the necessary changes into an indefinite
difficult age."
future, there is no time left for petty bargain-
ing.
Of Israel, Prof. Einstein had said that
"The situation calls for a courageous effort,
it was a "precious gift with which all Jews
for a radical change in our whole attitude, in
have been presented the opportunity to take
- the entire political concept. May the spirit that
an active part in this wonderful task."
prompted Alfred Nobel to create his great in-
On Dec. 10, 1945, Dr. Einstein addressed
stitution, the spirit of trust and confidence, of .
generosity and brotherhood among men, pre-
the Nobel Prize Institute dinner in New
vail in -the minds of those upon whose decisionS
York. He made • a courageous statement,
our destiny rests. Otherwise human
challenging those who stood in the way of
tion will be doomed."
Jews who sought refuge in Palestine.
Thus, he always spoke fearlessly. He had
speech was hailed as a *fearless declaration
no
fears
because he spoke for right and jus-
for the rights of man. He declared:
tice. And as a man of justice, as a great
"While in Europe territories are being dis-:
student of the world's hidden powers and Of
tributed without any qualms about the wishes
human nature, he will always be remeni,-
of the people concerned, the remainders of
bered. He is one of the few who have gain
European Jewry, one-fifth of its pre-war popu-
tlation, - are - afrain- denied -access to- their-haven - - immortality during their - lifetime-. — -

.

With this equipment, Dr. Ginzberg wrote dozens of articles
in the field of rabbinic literature for the new encyclopedia. Many
of them proved to be examples of pioneering
pieces of research in untrodden fields, marked
by extraordinary learning, brilliant insights and
lucidity of expression.
It was clear that a distinguished career
awaited the young scholar. Shortly thereafter
-Dr. Ginzberg was appointed Professor of Talmud
the Jewish Theological Seminary of America,
;:where he taught from 1902 until his death in
..1954.
During this half century he raised a score
of disciples and wrote a dozen books, which
Dr. Ginzberg belong to the classics of Jewish learning, besides
scores of papers. Perhaps the - best known is his seven volume
work "Legends of the Jews," which surveys the entire folk-lore
of Judaism, which incidentally, had considerable influence upon
Christianity and Mohammedanism. His last great work was his
massive Hebrew "Commentary on the Palestinian Talmud."

When Harvard University celebrated the• tercentenary of its
founding, it conferred honorary degrees upon sixty scholars
representing every branch of science and learning in the world. It
was natural that the vast field of modern Jewish scholarship
be represented in this brilliant galaxy by Louis Ginzberg, who
was recognized as the greatest Jewish scholar on the American
continent, and one of the chief masters in the field of all time.
It is a source of profound . gratification that the Jewish
Publication Society of America has now published a collection
of Dr. Ginzberg's papers called "On Jewish Law and Lore."
This volume includes papers drawn from the early, middle and
closing periods of Dr. Ginzberg's fruitful career. Even the oldest,
which are reprinted from the "Jewish Encyclopedia," such as
"The Allegorical Interpretation of Scripture" and the "Codifi-
cation of Jewish Law" possess abiding value.

Mystical literature, which is treated in "The Cabala" has been
the subject of intensive scholarly research and widespread interest
ill our time. Dr. Ginzberg approaches this complex and difficult
field from the standpoint of a Lithuanian rationalist. Nonetheless,
he is able to bring a clarity in his treatment, so that his paper is
an excellent guide to an intricate and obscure subject.
Perhaps the most important paper of the volume is the lecture
Dr. Ginzberg delivered during the year he taught at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, - "The Significance - of the Halachah for
Jewish History."
The paper he delivered at Harvard University on. "Jetvish
Folk Lore East and West" demonstrates that Jewish life and
thought was almost never isolated from.the mainstream of human
culture. Finally, the opening paper, which belongs to the elOSing
period of his career, "An Introduction' to the Palestinian Talimid"
is an authoritative presentation, geared to the general reader- 7 :of
the nature and history of the Talmud, both in Babylonia and in.
Palestine, and an expOsitiori of its method and spirit.
•
WhoeVer • wishes to achieve an authentic understanding Of
JUdaismwily find .light • .qnd
prof. Ginzberg's

“O'n. Jewish

'and

