THE JEWISH NEWS

Al ter Geneva - What?

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish. Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Assotiation of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association; National Editorial Asso-

el at i on .

Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich., VE.
11-9364. 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

FRANK SIMONS

SIDNEY SHMARAK

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

City Editor

Advertising Manager

Editor and Publisher

Sabbath- ScriptUral Selections

This Sabbath, the eighteenth day of Ab, 5715; •_tfte;following Scriptural selections. - tviii - be
read in our synagogues:
Pentaieuchal portion, Dent. 7:12-11:25.. Prophetical portion, Is. 49:14-51:3.

Licht Benshen, Friday; Aug. 5, 7:27 p.m.

,, 1955

Page Four

VOL. XXVII — No. 22

•

The Unjustified Attacks on Zionism

Israel's rebirth as a nation was accom-
panied by a gradually-developing series of
attacks on the Zionist movement, whose
heroic leaders and whose strong principles
were responsible for the development and
the rise of the Jewish state.
It is natural for realities to overshadow
*visions and dreams. With the creation of the
State of Israel, the vision inherent in Zion
faded. Certainly a vision turned into reality
can no longer be termed a dream, and
dreamers thereupon automatically become
realists, pragmatists, partners in a great re-
demption effort.
No one .can possibly be above or beyond
criticism, especially when he labors for a
cause. It is only the inactive person who can
never be subjected to criticism. Nevertheless,
the attacks on Zionism and the Zionists have
come not only from former anti-Zionists and
froth non-Zionists but also from Zionists;
and this is inexcusable.
Thus, at the Bnai Brith Institute at Star-
light, Pa., a former propagandist for the
Zionist cause, Dr. Trude Weiss-Rosmarin,
saw fit to explode a bomb by asserting that
the Zionist movement was bankrupt. She
referred to the movement as it is constituted
at present as "largely - a holdover of both
men and ideas from an age when scientific
Zionist achievements were made." She was
fair enough to add that they were "achieve-
ments which culminated in the formation of
the State of Israel." But the attack itself—
the charge of bankruptcy—is too da -maging
to be condoned.
At this point in Jewish life, if there is a
"lack of imagination" in Jewish communal
planning, especially in the fields of education,
culture and information, then the fault must
be placed at the door posts of all Jews, re-
gardless of their party affiliations: Zionists
are not alone in such unimaginativeness and
in a concentration of internal politics. The lat-
ter is a universal fault, and to pin it on
Zionists may be mere headline-seeking. Dr.
Weiss-Rosinarin certainly has succeeded in
securing notoriety for her charges, and she
should be called to task for sensationalism.
This is not the way to find a solution to an
admittedly-serious problem which affects
American and British Jewries, and perhaps
also all -other Jewries outside of Israel.

*

*

.

The scholarly London magazine, The
Gates of Zion, recently published this edi-
torial on "Zionism and Our Survival":
Twelve years ago, after an heroic struggle,
the Warsaw Ghetto was wiped out, which
marked the peak of the extermination of East-
ern and _Central European Jewry. The German
murderers have been reprieved and Germany
is being wooed both by the East and the West.
But our wound has not yet healed and even the
existence of the Jewish people itself is still in
danger. It is the duty of the Zionist movement
to lead the Jewish people in the struggle against
assimilation which is now stronger than ever
before in our history, as the bulk of the Jewish
people live in Anglo-Saxon and Latin-American
countries where assimilationist tendencies have
strong traditions. In the Iron Curtain countries
the totalitarian regimes ruthlessly try to uproot
the very existence of our people. Our spiritual
future must be safeguarded, this is the task of
the Zionist movement.
This is a point well taken." It is our con-
viction that the movement that was pri-
marily responsible for the awakening of the
Jewish masses to the need for national re-
birth remains :well qualified to continue the
battle for the safeguarding of our spiritual
future. As in the past, Zionists must work in
this field with the -synagogues and with
other elements in Jewish life, but they must
again assume a leading role in the serious
effort to regain our spiritual stature and
dignity.

*

*

In his address at the recent convention
of the Zionist Organization of America, Dr.
Abba Hillel Silver spoke of the continuing
Jewish interests in Israel. He described Is-
rael's recent triumphs• and the need for
matching the Israelis' perseverance, and
stated:
"The men and women in Israel today go
about their work with such a resoluteness and

tiuch an intrepid and joyous confidence as to

make one feel that they are guided with strength
and are building for • perinanence. - - -
"I hope that we can match their persever-
ance and their courage. So far we have; and.
this gives me an additional ground for . con-
fidence in the future progress and stability of
the State of Israel.
"One is pleased to note that Jews of Amer-
ica are visiting Israel in increasing numbers
each year. Many go as tourists; but return as
pilgrims. They come back with a new insight,
a new pride, and a new consecration. What our
arguments here at home and our persuasion
failed to accomplish, the unfolding - heroic
pageant of reborn Israel which they see with
their own eyes—its drama, its dynamism, its
achievements—seems to accomplish with the
suddenness and the thoroughness of a conver-
sion.
"In increasing numbers, too, Jewish students
are going to Israel to advance their studies,
their knowledge of the Hebrew language and
literature, and generally to get closer to the
radiant center of their people's national life.
Some remain there for a longer time and some
even permanently, attracted by its life and
eager to share in the exciting adventure of
nation building. If proper preparatory work, of
an administrative character, were done both
here and in - Israel for the organization, recep-
tion, and integration of these young people, not
necessarily students but people of all walks of
life, many more would be coming, I am sure.
We are inclined to accept Dr. Silver's
rather than Dr. Weiss-Rosmarin's views on
this subject, for this reason: people must re-
tain faith, they must build and create with
a spirit of confidence.• There is not to be a
denial of the right to criticize to anyone,
but a critic must be constructive rather than
sensdfidnal; and a charge of "bankruptcy"—
which we view as untrue—is pure sensa-
tionalism.
Admitting that we are in a state of
stress, that this is a -challenging period in
Jewish history, then we must be even more
cautious and must act with greater care, lest
there should be a distortion of criticism into
despair and resignation. In the best interests
of spiritually-strong Jewish communities
everywhere, we must approach all our issues
with dignity, and we must strive to make
the reality of Israel's existence the means
with which to assure the retention of our
stature and the strengthening of our dig-
nified existence.

`Twenty-One Stayed'

.

Israel's Elections

•

Youth's Psychological Strains

"Twenty-one Stayed" by Virginia Pasley, published by Farrar,
Straus & Cudahy (101 5th, NY3) is one of the most sensational
books of the current year. It is the story of American youths who,
after three years in Korean prison camps, had chosen to accept the
Chinese Reds' way of life.
The study is valuable because it delves into the :background of
these young people, searches into their family lives, tries to ascer-
tain their thinking which has led them astray from their heritage.

The author tells us about the 21 that: "Three are Negroes,
the rest white. Sixteen are Protestants of various denomina-
tions; four are Roman Catholics; one is a Greek Catholic; there
are no Jews."

Mrs. Pasley's conclusions are vitally important. She writes that
our war prisoners "were not prepared sufficiently for the psych-
logical strains they were to bear;" that they were not informed
about Communism in their army training, nor were they "given
any understanding of the reasons why they were fighting in Korea.
They had no answers for the Communist gibes" when they were
subjected to the psychological warfare in the prison camps. Perhaps
a partial solution lies in the following quotations from Mrs. Pasley's
book:

--

Indeed, we may have been on the wrong track merely in pre-
senting Communism as a "dirty word," rather than by opening it
up for discussion in contrast to the eminence of the democratic
ideals of our 'land.
But there may be other reasons for the "staying" of the 21. Mrs.
Pasley summarizes the backgrounds of the 21 ,youths and among
other things reveals the following:

"Eighteen grew up in poverty (eight knew real privations).
Sixteen had homes broken by death, divorce and separation.
Sixteen were withdrawn, lone wolves (four of these were picked
on). Ten were poor, some better off now. Eight knew extreme
pOvertY and deprivation."

•

The decline in strength of both the Mapai
and the General Zionist parties—the part-
ners in Israel's last coalition government—
may not indicate anything other than in-
ternal changes in attitudes towards existing
parties.
•
Herut's rise to a second place position
probably is the result of a mellowing of
sentiments within that party and a recogni-
tion on the part of many Israelis of the need
for retaining a gtrong, critical voice in the
government.
-The gains made by the religious groups
may, in themselves, be heartening demon-
strations of the existence of spiritual forces
that will ever be evident in Jewish life—in
defiance of the irreligious on the one hand
and the fanatic's who seek to undermine the
security of the Jewish state on the Other.
Israel presently is faced with the task
of adjusting itself to a new political situation
—to a new coalition government that will be
composed of parties that were in the opposi-
tion benches in the last two years.
There is a justified feeling of confidence
everywhere that the new administration will
carry on the task of building the state, and
defending it, with courage, dignity and pride.
Israel still is in the throes of dangers on
many fronts, and all parties are aware of it.
Therefore, the new governMent surely will
conduct its duties in the best interests of its
people and with a view of strengthening
international relations with Israel's fellow-
members in the United Nations.
At the same time, the gestures of Israel's
kinsmen, the Jewries throughout -the world,
will be to assure the new government that
it can count on the same measure of -support
from the Jewish people as was given to
those who headed Israel's previous adminis-
trations.

"Most educators I talked to believe that Communism should
be a subject for instruction in the schools; that the 'climate' of
our times prevents it; that they are further hindered by having
few teachers who themselves know enough about it to teach.
"Because of their ignorance that 'Communism is sometimes,
if only verbally, 'on the side of the angels,' these 21, with their
religious upbringing, were astounded to hear the Chinese ex-
press sentiments about the 'brotherhood of man' and 'peace on
earth.' It made it easy for the Chinese to convince many that
the lies were on their own side rather than on the Communist
side.
"In this context it is particularly interesting that the
Neg'foes, no better educated than their white comrades in arms,
were much more sophisticated on the subject of Communism—
'A lot of our boys had- been worked over by them back home.' "

Of the eight who had both parents, three were afraid of their
fathers, three were estranged from their fathers, only two Were
seemingly on good terms With their fathers. Five of the 21 lost their
mothers when they were young and three also lost their fathers;
five were away from their mothers from childhood, two had mothers
who were problem drinkers, four had mothers who worked away
from home, five had mothers who were strict, one could not speak
his mother's language and she could not speak English.
Thus, it is a problem
_ * for sociologists and for psychologists—
and the problem should not have been ignored by the army.

There is a lesson in the story of the 21 who stayed in Red
China. for those who would make the foreign-born in our midst
the goat for all the evils" that may confront the land. It is a
lesson for the sponsors.ot evil immigration laws and who blame
Communism on aliens. With only one exception, this group was
brought up in American- cities or on American farms—in Ohio,
" Texas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Mississippi, Rhode Island,
Oklahoma, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, Michigan, Georgia and
Maryland. How will . the haters of immigrants explain this
phenomenon?

-

Mrs. Pasley's "21 Stayed" poses many questions, demolishes
many phobias, disproves many prejudices, offers much food for
thought. It is just the . book that is needed to set the uninformed
politicians straight on such a variety of subjects. It is a psychologi-
cal challenge. No one who is seriously concerned with America, our
GIs,. our security and our honor, can afford not to read this book.

- f

-

Behrman s Four Great Plays

S. N. (Samuel Nathaniel) Behrman, whose plays have been
arnOng the great Broadway successes, has to his credit a number
of plays with enduring qualities. Four of them have just been pub-
lished by Random House (457 Madison, NY22).
Within the covers of this single volume are incorporated the
following Four Plays:
"The Second Man," "Biography," "Rain From Heaven" and
"End of Summer."
The first of thiS group will be remembered as a success that
dates back to 1927, It was first presented by the Theater Guild on
April 11, 1927, at the Guild Theater, under Philip Moeller's direc-
tion, and featured Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt.
The other three plays also were introduced by the Theater
Guild: "Biography" on Dec. 12, 1932; "Rain From Heaven" on Dec.
24, 1934, and "End of Summer" on Dec. 17, 1936.
Readers as well as spectators now have an opportunity to read
these magnificent productions.

