THE JEWISH NEWS
"4"wwillig""""'

Champion of Democracy

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 $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

SIDNEY SHMARAK

FRANK SIMONS

Editor and Publisher

Advertising Manager

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections •

This Sabbath, the twenty-ninth day of Shevat, 5716, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 2,1:1-24:18,; 30:11-16. Prophetical pol'tion, II Kings 12:1-17.
Rosh Hodesh Adar, readings of the Torah, Sunday and Monday, Num. 28:1-15.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Feb. 10, 5:40 p.m.

VOL. XXVIII. No. 23

Page Four

February 10. 1956

A New Approach to Middle East Peace

The Joint Declaration of the President
of the United States and the Prime Minis-
ter of the United Kingdom, which has be-
cOme known as the Washington Declara-
tiOn, makes important references to the
situations in the Middle East. It calls for
reconciliation of position by "both sides."
It accuses the Soviet bloc of having added
to the tensions in the area by the sale of
arms to Egypt. It provides for further dis-
cussions, together with the French, to help
the peoples of that area to achieve "their
legitimate aspirations."
It is too early to judge the effects of
this declaration. Any unfortunate occur-
rence may add fuel to the smoldering fires.
Only absolute impartiality will lead to a
just solution of a sad problem that should
have been solved immediately after the
rebirth of Israel.
*
*
*
In the main, the Eisenhower-Eden dec-
laration must be considered as a prelim-
inary statement to a solution yet to be
arrived at between Israel and the Arab
states. Their views deserve careful study.
The two leaders stated:

We discussed the tensions which prejudice
the stability of the area and carry a poten-
tial threat to -world peace:- .1t.' was. :.agreed-,,
that every effort should be made to decrease
sources of misunderstanding between this
area and the Western world. We are eager
to contribute wherever possible to the
settlement of difficulties between states in
the region. We wish to help peoples of this
part of the world achieve their legitimate
aspirations.
A settlement between Israel and her Arab
neighbors is the most urgent need. This will
be possible only if both sides are willing
to reconcile the positions which they have
taken. Our two goverrzments have declared
their readiness to contribute to such a
Settlement by assisting financially in regard
to the refugee problem and by guaranteeing
agreed frontiers.
In the meantime we are concerned at the
state of tension in the area and have
considered what steps can be taken to reduce
it. The tripartite declaration of May 25, 1950,
provides for action both inside and outside
the United Nations in the event of the use
of force or"threat of force or of preparations
to violate the frontier or armistice lines. We
are bound to recognize that there is now
increased danger of these, contingencies
arising. Accordingly, we have made arrange- .
ments for joint ,discussions as to the nature
of the action which we should take in such
an event. The French government is being
invited to participate in these discussions.
We believe that the security of states
in this area cannot rest upon arms alone
but rather upon the international rule of
law and upon the establishment of friendly
relations among neighbors. The action of the
Soviet bloc in regard to arms supplies to
Middle East countries has added to the
tensions in the area aid increased the risk
Of war. Our purpose is to mitigate that risk.
We express our full support for the
efforts of Gen. Burns, head of the United
Nations truce Supervisory organization, to
maintain peace. We would favorably consider
recommendations for any necessary enlarge-
ment of his organization and improvement
of its capabilities.
We reviewed the situation in Arabia and
the Persian Gulf, with particUlar reference
to* current disputes and differences in that
area. We believe that these differences can
be resolved through friendly discussions.
*

It was inevitable that the heads of the
two great democratic powers should have
placed- major blame for the explosive
situation: .:.upon. ;_ the Ccaninunists.;._

Czechoslovakiah munitions sale to Egypt
was responsible for the increase in ten-
sions. Meanwhile, the refusal of the
United States to sell arms to Israel, to
balance the power in the war-threatened
area, is increasingly endangering Israel's
position.
Our major hope is, therefore, that when
the Big Three meet, Soon,_ again to confer
on the situation, that serious efforts will
be made to assure for Israel means for
defense, so that the airways and the sea
-should not become avenues for attack up-
on the young state which is defenseless
today against . jet and MIG planes and
submarines.
.*
*
*
There is one chief concern in the situa-
tion. President Eisenhower and Sir An-
thbny Eden spoke of reconciliation of
their positions by "both sides." What ex-
actly does this mean? Would it call for
the sacrifice of territory by little Israel,
whose 8,000 square miles of land repre
sent a mere mite compared with the near-
ly 3,000,000 square miles occupied • by the
Arab nations? The statesmen of the world
ought to understand, by this time, that
Israel cannot make further sacrifices, and
that a solution :must; be found on : reason-
abletioithaS.
Also: if the security of the states in-
volved is to rest, as it should, not upon
"arms alone but rather' upon_ the interna-
tional rule of law and upon the establish-
ment of friendly relations with neigh-
bors," the big powers in the,world, through
the United Nations, must offer assurances
to Israel that she will not be treated like
a stepchild. Heretofore, all of the Arab
war threats•have beeh ignored, but Israel
constantly was taken to task for reprisals.
While retaliation is. deplorable, a- situa-
tion .must be, created that will eliminate
causes for reprisals. But if the Arabs will
be coddled while Israel will be censured,
the dangers will increase rather than
diminish.
We pray for good results from the
Eisenhower-Eden talks. We pray for ra-
tional approaches to a situation that. has
developed under darkened skies. We hope
that a passion for fairness towards Israel
as well as the Arabs will motivate all
international actions. -We pray for it in
the interest of world peace. There can
be no peace for mankind as long as there
are threats of war in the area surround-
ing the Holy Land.

Butzel Award Winner

.

Samuel H. Rubiner deserved that he
should have been selected for the annual
Fred M. Butzel Award by unanimous vote
of the judges.
As president of the Jewish Welfare
Federation, as a worker in the ranks 'and
as a leader in our Allied Jewish Cam-
paigns, as an ardent advocate of the cause.
of Jewish education, he -dedicated himself
to Jewry's most sacred causes.
His interest in the development of Is-
rael took him twice to the Jewish State,
so that he should have first-hand informa-
tion about Israel's progress and her needs.
He has followed in the footsteps of the
first Award winners — Henry Wineman,
Judge William Friedman, Abraham Srere,
Mrs. Joseph H. Ehrlich and the late Julian
K,rolik—with his dedicated devotion to
this great land and this fine community.
We congratulate him on receiving this
.welkarned honor.

4

Dr. Heschel's 'Philosophy of Judaism'

'God in Search of Man'

"Religion is an answer to man's ultimate question," Dr.
Abraham J. Heschgl asserts at the outset, in his approach to
"A Philosophy of Judaism," in his inspiring new book, "God
in Search of Man," published by Farrar, Straus and. Cudahy,
and simultaneously released as a mem-
bership book by the Jewish Publication
Society of America.
This is one of the outstanding works
of our time. It is a natural sequel to
-Dr. Heschel's preceding book, "Man Is
Not Alone," as well as to his soul-
stirring earlier works—"The Sabbath"
and "Man's Quest for God."
Dr. Heschel analyzes Prophecy, the
Principle of Revelation, Revelations and
'the Spirit of Judaism, and he offers an
especially thought-provoking study of
Freedom. Viewing liberty as "an act of
spiritual ecstasy," he describes freedom
as "an act of self-engagement of the
spirit, a spiritual event." ,
Dr. Heschel
We are admonislaed, that "in Jew-
ish thinking, the problem of being can never be treated in -
isolation but only in relation to God."

. Analyzing the unique expression of the spirit. of Judaism,
Prof. Heschel returns to the Sabbath theme and speaks of the
Jew's day of rest as "holiness in time," as "the presence of
eternity, a moment of • majesty, the radiance of joy." He
interprets Shabbesdikeit as "spirituality, the epitome and spirit
of Judaism." - "The Sabbath," he declares, "is one day,
Shabbesdikeit is what should permeate all our days."

The concluding chapter makes interesting comments on
"The Dignity of Israel" and asserts that "belongihg to Israel
is in itself a spiritual act. It is utterly inconvenient to be a
Jew. The very survival of our people is a kiddush hashem,. We
live in spite of peril. Our very existence is a refusal to
surrender to - normalcy, to security and comfort. Experts in
assimilation,- the Jews could have disappeared even before the
names of modern nations were known. Still we are patient and
cherish, the will to perpetuate our essence." He states that "as
parts of Israel we are endowed with a very rare, a very precious
consciousness, the consciousness that we do not live in a void."
And we are treated to this great lesson:

"We have not chosen God: He has chosen us. There is no
concept of a chosen GO but there is the idea of a. chosen
people: The idea of a chosen people does not suggest the
preference for a people based upon a discrimination among
a number of people. We do not say that we are a superior
people. The 'chosen people' means a people approached and
chosen by God. The significance of this term is genuine in
relation to God rather than in relation to other peoples. It
signifies not a quality inherent in the people but a relationship
between the people and God."
Prof. Heschel'S "Ekamination of the Prophets" is among the

very instructive portions of his fine book. Similarly, "The Bible
and the World" is a - ievealing section. Calling the BilDit "the
perpetual motion of the spirit, an ocean of meaning, its waves
beating against man's abrupt and steep shortcomings, its echo
reaching into the blind alleys of his wrestling with despair,"
Dr. Heschel writes: "The omnipotence of God is not always
perceptible, but the omnipotence of the Bible is the great
miracle of history. Like God, it is often misused and distorted
by unclean minds, yet its capacity to withstand the most vicious
attacks is boundless. The vigor and veracity of its ideas are
perceptible under the rust and batter of two millenia of debate
and dognia. It does not fade in spite of theology nor collapse
under abuse."' .
' •
:!
•
Thus, Prof.i . )Hescliel, analyzes Judaism's philosophy, the
quest of man by Gods with great spiritual fervor. He has added
a truly great. book; (to,: his inspired works.

1

