Opening the 'Flow' Is the Big Job

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle co-mmencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Asso-
ciation
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35. Mich., VE.
$-9364. Subscription $5 a year, Foreign $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6. 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

FRANK SIMONS

SIDNEY SHMARAK

City Editor

Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-third day of Tebet, 5716, the 'following Scriptural selections will be

read in our synagogues:

Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 1:1-6:1. Prophetical portion, Is. 27:6-28:13, 29:22, 29.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 6, 4:58 p.m.

VOL. XXVIII. No. 18

Page Four

January 6, 1956

Israel and U. S. Principle of Fair Play

In recent months, it has become evident most influential newspapers. In reply to a
that there is a "ganging-up" on Israel, in an letter by a MI% Canham, who referred to the
effort to destroy the very young and very establishment of Israel as an "international
small state. We use the term destroy, not crime," the Monitor's editor asserted.
"It seems to us that a state of nearly
harm, advisedly.
2,000,000 people which has established and
There are elements in our State Depart-
defended itself for seven years, has ma-
ment whose antagonism to Israel is in evi-
terially improved its country, and repre-
dence whenever the very name of the new
sents historical aspirations of over 2,000
nation appears in the headlines—and Israel,
years, is too solid a fact to be wished away
unfortunately, always is headlined when-
ever there is trouble. Little attention is given
or argued out of existence.
"Mr. Canham said any Arab-Israeli set-
to the great accomplishments that are to
tlement or imposed truce 'should leave the
Israel's credit—the conquest of the desert,
door open to revision and improvement of
the rescue of more than a million people
present frontiers, . . '. should definitely
from humiliation and persecution, the re-
provide for relief of the Arab refugees,
taining of an open door for all Jews who
(and) should open the door wider to sound
need a haven of refuge from bigotry.
economic development of all the nations
There are the Arab propagandists in this
involved.'
country. The American Jewish Committee,
"The State of Israel is based on the
in a courageous statement, accused the Arab
same right of self-assertion as the United
diplomats of being the worst offenders. One
States and most of the Arab nations, plus
of them, Whose outrageous remarks before
the Balfour Declaration by Great Britain
the Detroit Economic Club are quoted in
the American Jewish Committee's statement,
under a League of Nations mandate in
is Mohammed Fadhel al-Jamali. Detroit
1917 and plus the adoption by the United
Jewry may have forgotten tha4 shocking
Nations of a Palestine partition plan in
meeting, at whir the loyalty of all Amer-
1947, which the Arab states now seek to
ican Jews was questioned by the Arab diplo
invoke though they forcibly rejected it
mat. Our community still is waiting to hear
at the time.
"This newspaper has no wish to per-
that time has been given for a reply to that
petuate injustice to individual Arabs,
libelous and insulting address. The damage
condone excesses by Israelis, or foster
has been done, and it is no longer possible
expansionism by either party in Palestine.
to forgive the anti-American act of the Eco-
Under the circumstances about the only
nomic Club, the actions of whose director,
practical course toward establishment of
over a period of several years, have had the
peace in the Middle East and protection
sting of antagonism to Israel.
of world peace from the effects of hostility
*
*
*
there appears to be is that which Secretary
The American Jewish Committee's state- .
of State Dulles and Prime Minister Eden
ment declared: "There is no doubt that Arab

propagandists are seeking, by their use of
anti-Semitic propaganda, to weaken the
status of Jews in America and thereby
weaken Israel's position in the Middle East.
Right-wing extremists in this country, in
happy accord with any anti-Semitic cam-
paign, are publicizing the Arab view." The

Detroit Economic Club, having adonted a
policy of giving a platform to anti-Israel,
anti-Jewish, anti-American speakers, has
aligned itself with the worst anti-Semitic
elements in this country. The American
Jewish Committee includes in that list "such
individuals as Gerald L. K. Smith and Conde
McGinley and such organizatinns as the
openly Hitlerite Nation a 1 Renaissance
Party."
We make this point, at this time, regard-
ing the Detroit Economic Club, because the
anti-Israel-anti-Jewish speaker they have
sponsored has repeatedly come forth with
attacks on all American Jews; because a
great body of American Jews has found it
necessary to expose the outrageous activities
of the anti-Semitic propagandists in this
country; because it is our conviction that
most of the members of the Economic Club
are unaware of what had happened at their
recent meeting at which their Jewish fellow
citizens were maligned, , and that if they
were acquainted with the facts they would
never again permit the recurrence of such
an outrage. We are compelled, therefore,
once again to call this to the attention of our
community so that all of us should be on
guard against a repeat anti-Semitic perform-
ance on ahy American platform in Detroit.
* * *
Complacency must, henceforth, be elimi-
nated from our vocabulary in dealing with
the Israel situation. The attacks of the anti-
Semites are no longer limited to Israel: they
are now aimed at all American Jews, at the
entire Jewish people. All who have a sense
of decency and fair play will have to be
enrolled in the battle against the anti-
Semites. We have no doubt that members
of both Houses of Congress will be born-
barded with anti-Semitic propaganda when
Congress gets into session this week, and
we must be prepared for all eventualities.
As against the shocking developments
that stem from the attempts to destroy Israel,
we must reassert our sense of confidence
in the attitude of fair play of the American
people. We call to witness a statement that
has been made by the editor of the Christian

Science Monitor, one of America's best and

have urged—namely. compromise. adjust-
ment, and a spirit of 'live and let live'."

We differ with the Monitor's ,acceptance
of many of the views of Messrs. Dulles and
Eden, involving compromises and adjust-
ments. As a matter of fact, some of the
compromises proposed by the two statesmen
already have been withdrawn. But we accept
the fair statement of the Monitor's editor
as an indication that Americans won't be
taken in so easily by propaganda that seeks
to destroy an entire people and to negate
Prophecy and international decisions.
We are hopeful that Israel's position will
not be truncated, primarily because Israel
won't permit it and also because we feel
that the fair-minded people in the world
won't permit it. But hope alone, and prayers
for the restoration of decency in the battle-
scarred Middle East, will not accomplish the
purpose of establishing peace in that area.
The truth must be made available to all
Americans. The false propaganda must be
exposed. The activities of anti-Semites must
be demolished. This is a program not only in
defense of Israel, but also as a protection
of the position of American Jewry whom the
vilest elements — a combination of Arab
propagandists and home-bred anti-Semites—
are now subjecting to a campaign of lies
and vicious attacks.

Shmuel Niger

A New JPS Children's Book

N

Stories of King Solomon '

Lillian S. Freehof (the wife of Dr. Solomon Freehof of Pitts-
burgh), whose "Stories of King David" have won wide acclaim,
has produced another excellent collection of tales for children,
"Stories of King Solomon." Like her earlier book, the Solomon
stories were published by the Jewish Publication Society of
America.
The new book takes the young readers on an adventure, on
magic carpets and eagles' wings. Many lands are visited, and the
reader, as he travels with the narrator, experiencs the fascination
of the many Midrashic stories on which the Solomonic tales are
based.
Beggar King and Impudent Bee, The Man Who Laughed and
The Wagging Tongue, The Traveling Throne and the Serpent at
Court, and a score more of famous legends are recounted in this
excellently-written book.
Mrs. Freehof has drawn upon Dr. Louis Ginzberg's famous
"Legends of the Jews" to compile her stories. The illustrations by
Seymour R. Kaplan add to the new book's attractiveness. The skill
of good story-telling, displayed by Mrs. Freehof, makes it possible
for Dr. Ginzberg's "Legends" to be enjoyed by the youngest readers.
Mrs. Freehof's "Stories of King Solomon enriches the Jewish
bookshelf and adds an exceptionally good volume to Jewish juvenile
literature. It eases the problem of gift-giving for children as well
as that of selecting reading material with Jewish content for our
youngsters.

Behold My Messengers'

Personalities of Prophets

Six of our Prophets are presented as very strong personalities
in the new volume by Althea 0. Silverman, published by Bloch
under the title "Behold My Messengers: The Lives and Teachings
of the Prophets."
Amos is introduced as "The Shepherd Prophet," Hosea as
"The Compassionate,' Isaiah as "The Statesman," Micah as "The
Peasant," Jeremiah as "The Martyr" and Ezekiel and "The Priest.*
An additional section deals with Isaiah as "Prophet of the Exile."
Mrs. Silverman, the wife of Rabbi Morris Silverman of Hart-
ford, is the author of two juveniles and co-author of "The Jewish
Home Beautiful." In her newest work, she evaluates the vitality of
the Prophets, reviews their lives and their teachings and interprets
the conditions of the times in which they lived.
Amos is presented as the "champion of the downtrodden, spokes-
man for the wronged and afflicted." Hosea's is a message of "loy-
alty and love, faithfulness and morality."
Isaiah, the brilliant orator and master of diction, is described
as the guide of his people through many crisis. Micah is the "lover
of humanity, champion of the poor."
Although called the prophet of doom, Jeremiah also is the
"prophet of hope, foretelling a brighter future." Ezekiel is priest
and prophet.
The illustrations are by Reuben Leaf.

`The Pillar. of Salt'

A Tunisian Jew's Story

Albert Memmi, a young Tunisian Jewish writer, who now is
teaching social psychology in his native Tunis, after having earned
his degree at the Sorbonne, is the author of a strong novel, "The
Pillar of Salt," which, in translation from the French by Edouard
Roditti, has been published by Criterion Books (100 5th, N.Y. 11).
His childhood experience stood him in good stead in his descrip-
tion of the experiences of the hero of his story, Mordekhai, who
was brought up as a Jew, although his mother was a Berber. The
current troubles of North African Jewry will be better understood
upon reading this novel, in which are delineated the tragedies of
a people in constant fear from hostile, uncivilized neighbors.
One of the most touching chapters in the book is the one that
describes the program. "Little by little, in spite of ourselves, we
regressed • into the historical darkness of bygone ages, of blind
brutality. When the storm broke out we were already certain of
our inevitable fate."
It was in high school that Mordekhai "discovered how painful
it is to be a Jew. Until then he world had been alien to me, hostile
of course, but no more so than anything unknown. I was not the
cause of my own suffering, I did not feel alien to myself as I do
today. Can I make myself more clear? Anti-Semitism seemed to
be a characteristic of the others. . They were not Jews, as I
was, so they were anti-Semites . . ."
He did not feel it while in the Alliance Schools, but that's how
he reacted on the day of the program. That's how he became em-
bittered about his Jewishness. But he emerged stronger in his
Jewishness from the trials and challenges of the North African
turbulence.
Albert Memi's novel possesses strength acquired from the
author's personal experiences. It is a convincing and a challenging

News of the death of Shmuel Niger, the
eminent Yiddish writer, came as a severe
shock to thousands of Detroiters.
He was beloved here for his literary
criticisms, for his scholarly essays, for his
enlightening lectures he had delivered be-
fore local audiences.
He was one of the mainstays of the
Yiddish movement in this country. His ex-
periences in Russia, in Western European
countries and in the United States"gave him
the status of a man of great authority on
world affairs. But he was especially gifted
in the literary field. Few men in our time
were as well versed in the literary creations
of our time.
Shmuel Niger (Samuel Charney) leaves
an indelible mark on American Jewish
literary history. His name will long be re-
membered for the inspiration he had given
to his readers and his audiences. Blessed be
work.
his memory.

