Friday, June 29, 1956—THE DETROIT JEWIS H NEWS-4 Tradition With Indepehdence 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. 3-9364. 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-first day of Tammuz, 5716, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: P entateuchal portion, Pinhas, Num-. 25 :10-30 :1. Prophetical portion, I Kings 18:46-19:21. Licht Benshen, Friday, July 29: 7:53 p.m. VOL. XXIX. No. 17 June 29, 1956' Page Four A Decade of Constructive ORT Activities A 10-year account of the ORT over- seas reconstruction activities reveals a dramatic record of accomplishment. Dr. William Haber, president of the American ORT Federation, properly indicates, in an explanatory foreword to the impres- sive report of the ORT's decade of achieve- ments, that "the methods and practices pursued by ORT in its occupational train- ing and reconstruction activities are rooted in the sociology of the Jewish people and the developments of modern technology." He emphasizes that "both facets blend to make ORT an effective instrument for strengthening the econo- mic functioning of Jewish communities." The facts and figures made public by ORT corroborate these views. Of special interest are the facts that in the past 10 years—an era described by Dr. Haber as being divided into the Years of Rescue *(1945-49) and the period of re- construction since 1949 in Israel, North Africa and in Europe-200,000 were taught trades by - ORT in 28 countries: 80,000 of them having enrolled in ORT programs in DP camps after the war and 30,000 of the trainees having reached Israel, thus com- prising a sizable portion of the country's skilled labor force. It is pointed out that three-quarters of the ORT students are teen-agers. Sixty different trades are taught in 392 ORT high schools, adult work shops and agri- cultural stations. In addition, college-level institutions have been established in France and Switzerland for the training of teachers. Assignment of "a high priority to vo- cational education" is the conclusion, pointed out by Prof. Haber, to be derived from ORT's experiences. .A study of the 10-year report substantiates this view. In Israel alone, the ORT trade schools have an enrollment of nearly 5,000, the largest group being in Jaffa. The next largest groups are in Italy and in France, with Morocco, the newest trouble spot in Jewry, ranking fourth as a beneficiary from ORT planning. ORT accomplishments are made pos- sible by allocations of $12,000,000 for over- seas work made by the Joint Distribution Welcome, Bnai Brith The more than 15,000 members who are enrolled in 41 Bnai Brith lodges and chapters in Detroit will have an oppor- tunity, during the coming few days, to hear important reports on the activities of their great movement and on the growth of the Bnai Brith ideas during more than 100 years of the order's exis- tence. The convention of District Grand Lodge No. 6 will review Bnai Brith's objectives and will evaluate the accomplishments of the past year. Under the presidency of the able De- troit Bnai Brith leader, Sidney Karbel, _Bnai Brith's District No. 6 has witnessed an expansion in membership and increased interest in the order's varied activities— including the Hillel Foundations and the Anti-Defamation League. Mr. Karbel has visited nearly every city in the district in which there is a Bnai Brith lodge, and whatever recognition will be accorded his tireless efforts will be duly deserved. Detroit has always been among the leading cities in District 6 — in point of membership numbers and contributions, in money and in service. One of the coun- try's oldest Bnai Brith lodges — Pisgah Lodge of Detroit — has been among the most vital factors in District 6. We welcome the Bnai Brith delegates to Detroit and we wish them success in their convention deliberations. Committee out of United Jewish Appeal funds. Thus, Detroit -Jewry can feel justly proud that its gifts to the Allied Jewish Campaign, in which the United Jewish Appeal is the major beneficiary, are assist- ing in the continuation of the important ORT vocational training program in 20 countries. Another Israel Crisis Internal difficulties, coupled with re- newed threats to Israel's existence from an alliance of Soviet Russia with the Arabs, is adding to the uneasiness that exists in Jewish ranks over the future security of the Middle East. From all indications, Russia will be in the front ranks in the battle to reduce Israel's territory. But while the Arabs have raised another hue and cry, in which Communist Russia apparently is partici- pating, for adherence to the United Na- tions Partition Plan of 1947, realistic peo- ple now concur in the belief that no mat- ter how deep the cut into Israel territory by UN or any other decisions, it will not bring the Arabs to the peace table. It stands to reason that Israel cannot and will not submit to any sort of amputa- tion. But the indisputable fact that must be recognized is that what the Arabs are aiming at is to reduce Israel to a nonentity the quicker to be able to dispose of her. Therefore, destructive aspirations must be exposed for all their evil intents. If there are to be concessions one way or another, they must be made at a peace table. If the Arabs should continue to refuse to meet with Israelis for amicable adjust- ment of their differences, they must sub- mit to being labeled war-mongers who are interfering with the peace of the entire Middle East. The issue has become seriously ag- gravated by virtue of the Cabinet crisis in Israel. The Jewish State's enemies were quick to interpret the resignation of Moshe Sharett and his succession by Golda Myer- son as an indication of the elimination of moderates from Israel's government and the padding of the Cabinet with "activ- ists." This may be far from the truth, al- though Mrs. Myerson is known to be more firm than her predecessor. Israel's friends hope, under any circumstances, that a Cabinet change will not mean a weaken- ing of the government: Israel is too easy a target for her enemies, and the press of this country, by joining in the cry that the internal situation in Israel points to gains by those who could welcome a war with the Arabs, has rendered Israel a grave injustice. We prefer to accept the word of Israel's Premier David Ben- Gurion who continues to condemn war aims and passionately pleads for peace with his country's neighbors. NEA and the Arabs By submitting to Arab demands to bar American Jews from participation in tours which include Arab countries, the National Education Association has shown a weak- ness which does it little credit. Such submission by the NEA lends endorsement to travel restrictions and to religious prejudices, both of which are un- American. It would have been wiser and more akin to our Americanism for the NEA to reject such tours entirely, as a rebuke to Arabs who seek to inject bigotry in this country. NEA, however, has failed to fol- low the American way. Its liberty-loving members have a fight on their hands to counteract un-American policies of an ad- ministration that gives comfort to enemies of justice. . Juicy Yiddish Idioms Charles Angoff's Short Stories Unlike many Jewish novelists and short story writers, Charles Angoff always selects the most dignified themes for his books or magazine articles. He strives to raise the standards of English-Jewish literature. He aspires to emphasize the noblest ideas in Jewish life, rather than the vulgar. Too many young Jewish writers sought popularity through the latter; that is why Angoff's search for the former has earned for him the greater respect of his people. His newest book, "Something About My Father, And Other People," is proof of the point just made. This fine collection of stories (published by Thomas Yoseloff, 1 E. 36th, NY 6), bristles with Jewish experiences. It is a charming collection of narra- tives—some very serious, some purely anecdotal, all replete with Jewish idioms, with Jewish aspirations, with love for family and heritage. The initial story, about Father, tells of the affection the hero of the story had for the cat he called Shakespeare. After feeding Shakespeare, Father is quoted as saying to the narrator, at the conclusion of the story: "David, you noticed that I fed the cat before I sat down to eat myself. A great rabbi once said that a good Jew first feeds his dumb animals before he feeds himself. It is God's will that we be kind, not only to human beings, but also, and especially, to those of His creatures who cannot so well take care of them- selves, and who are dependent upon human beings." And the narrator comments: "I have never forgotten this observation of my father's. It reveals a. great deal about him, and explains why so many people were drawn to him and liked to spend time with him." Simple, isn't it? Yet, it is the very simplicity of his stories that elevate Mr. Angoff's position in Jewish literary ranks. Altogether, there are 35 stories in this exceptionally fine book. He tells a good tale about Phyllis, the girl who, having started as a Zionist, turned leftist, beckrie assimilated, was antagonistic to Jewish ideas. Then she retraced her steps. It was too late, but she returned to Jewish ranks, to her people, to Jewish studies. Like the other stories, it is told with remarkable simplicity. When he italicizes "a shikker iz a goy" he does it without malice, and the non-Jew will enjoy his stories as well as Jews. When he applies terms like prost, (common), nashing and others, some translatable and others that cannot possibly attain the juiciness of Yiddishism in translation, to his characters, to the situations created in his stories, he does it with a naturalness and a love for the language. Thus, Charles Angoff is the able interpreter of the fine feelings of the generation of American Jews that is in-between the new arrival (the immigrant) and the thoroughly assimilated Jew in this country. He creates themes that apply to characters all of us know. He makes us feel akin to his stories. That's his success. A Handbook for Jewish Parents 'When Your Child. Asks' What's in the Bible . . . What is the TaNaKH? . . . Who can lead a religious service? . . . What's in the Bible? . . . What is the most important prayer in the Jewish prayer book? . . . Are the Ten Commandments important only for Jews? . . . Are the Jews called a nation? . If I can't see God, how do I know he exists? . . . These and scores more of important questions relating to our faith are incorporated in Rabbi Simon Glustrom's "When Your Child Asks," an important handbook for parents, pub- lished by Bloch. In 170 pages, this book suggests questions, provides the answers, fortifies parents in facing religious problems posed by . their children. The book's sections deal with the Jewish view of God, descriptions of the Bible and answers to questions relating to it, evaluations of Jewish holidays, explanations of Jewish re- ligious duties, answers to questions on anti-Semitism. There is a list of recommended books for additional reading. Parents will be grateful for this book. It will make a good textbook and is suitable for general reading to acquire informa- tion on Jewish religious practices.