Investing for the Future of Israel
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., 1'7100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich.,
VE. 8-9364. Subscription $5 a year. Foreign $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1952 at Post Office, Detroit. Mich., under Aot of March 3, 1879.
—.•
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Circulation Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twentieth day of Ab, 5717, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
"Pentateuchal portion, Ekev, Deut. 7:12-11:25. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 49:14-51:3.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Aug. 16, 7:12 p.m.
VOL. XXXI. No. 24
Page Four
August 16, 1957
Miriani Incident Repudiating Hate-Mongers
People have a habit of becoming un-
necessarily alarmed whenever men in
public life challenge hate-mongers. If
there is sufficient pressure and audacity,
by professional bigots, these public ser-
vants stand in danger of being accused of
vote-seeking.
This was the case in the incident in
which Council President Louis Miriani
became involved last week.
The fact is that the Moslem conven-
tion here was mainly political; that the
two chief speakers originally listed to
appear on the program had been guilty
of making anti-American statements; that
the Syrian Ambassador, Dr. Farid Zein-
nedine, had delivered the most violent
anti-Jewish speeches ever heard in this
country, and his cohort, Dr. Fayez Sayegh,
is the propaganda front in this country
for the notorious Arab League.
A number of leading American news-
papers had published editorials demand-
ing the expulsion from this country of
Zeinnedine for his violently anti=Jewish
addresses which were more anti-Ameri-
can than anti-Jewish. That being the case,
a public official' who refuses to greet a
foreign bigot should be commended rather
than condemned.
Zeinnedine's expulsion by our Govern-
ment on Wednesday may not prove this
particular point, since the action taken
was in retaliation against the new Syrian
anti-American propaganda, but it cer-
tainly adds weight to our contention.
It is of more than passing interest that
a Christian anti-Israeli, Dr. Garland Evans
Hopkins, who is spreading venom against
American Jews as well as against Israelis,
should have been chosen to substitute for
Zeinnedine who could not come here due
to illness.
That's exactly how we feel about Act-
ing Mayor Miriani's action, in spite of
the chicken-hearted comments that were
made by other city officials, including
Mayor Cobo—and we therefore commend
Mr. Miriani for a courageous stand. He
acted in good conscience in defense of an
American principle: he refused to be a
party to an anti-Semitic convention. The
orchid of the month, for good courage,
goes to Louis Miriani, President of the
Detroit Council and Acting Mayor at the
time that bigots threatened to inject
poison into our healthy community.
American Synagogue Music
In the Choir Loft'
While Dr. Eric Werner, professor of liturgical music at
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, answers the
questions of his students in his interesting book, "In the Choir
Loft," which was published by the Union of American Hebrew
. vot:gmol,;: Congregations as "a manual for organists
- and choir directors in American syna-
gogues," the historical analysis
of
synagogue music incorporated in the
book elevates it above the position of a
technical manual.
Prof. Werner, in his description of
the development of synagogue music,
states that many civilizations had added
to this musical treasure house, and that
"during the last century even a small
amount of hillbilly music was used for
some Hebrew texts." Usually, he adds,
the latter was "in poor taste."
Synagogue music, and Christian
hymns as well, he states, began in
Palestine 2,000 years ago. With the
destruction of the Temple in the year
Dr. Werner
70, Jews carried with them the old
tunes but their "revered legacy was contaminated by all
refuse to answer - the census taker." To kinds of foreign influxes."
After the so-called "emancipation," with the shedding of
avert conflicts involving the religious
conscience of Americans, it would be everything that was reminiscent of the ghetto "the care of
tradition was in serious danger." The European Reform
safest not to insert questions of religion musical
movement started in an atmosphere of "abnegation of traditional
in Federal questionnaires, even if replies values." But worshippers missed "the warmth of tradition"
were not to be made compulsory.
and "did not respond." The musical tradition of the synagogue
at its lowest ebb in 1800, and then "fortunately, a
But there remain serious differences of was
generation of synagogue musicians arose that was deeply
opinion. It has been pointed out that concerned with the preservation of our musical heritage."
questions regarding church and synagogue
Prof. Werner proceeds to describe the rejuvenating efforts
affiliations, about religious buildings and of Cantor Solomon Sulzer of Vienna and many others whO
their seating capacities and monetary followed him. He describes the works of the East European
values were inserted in previous census composers.
Referring to American congregations, Dr. Werner makes
questionnaires. Nevertheless, the danger
of a breakdown in the principle of separa- reference to the fact that "during the anti-traditionalist
tion of church and state can be created generation of 1890-1920, most cantors of Liberal congregations
dismissed." Reform synagogues "adopted as their main
anew by religious questions to be asked were
musical form type the Protestant choral. This was a grave
by census takers, and it is wisest to mistake; for ,this form has been and will always be alien
eliminate them.
to the spirit of Hebrew poetry and synagogue worship."
At issue, of course, is the basic prin- But, "led by A. Z. Idelsohn at Hebrew Union College a
ciple of separation. The moment conces- generation of composers arose and grew which created in
sions are made, one link after another can a spirit combining depth of knowledge of the Jewish
tradition with a critical approach in the free air of
be broken in the chain that separates musical
America . . . The cantor has once again taken his place in
church from state in this country. That is more and more Reform temples and all temples begin to
why the position taken by the American sponsor, albeit slowly, more good Jewish music."
Jewish Congress and the American Civil
Prof. Werner's interesting book has a fine chapter on the
Liberties Union must be supported.
development of American synagogue music and he reaches
this conclusion:
"It can be said without qualification that American
synagogue music in its best creations has surpassed anything
of Jewish music in the past."
Tonality and Its Bypaths, Characteristics of Style, Form
tian arrived in Canada on the same plane
but that he was ignored. He said: "We and Structure, Policy and Performers and a Bibliography form
can't even reach these people for a excellent follow-up chapters that are illustrated with musical
scores.
friendly chat that might ease tension."
Laymen as well as choir directors will find this book
Another sad incident is reported ' by interesting.
The historical portion of "In the Choir Loft" is an
Leonard Lyons, who wrote in one of his especially important
portion of the book.
Religious Questions in Census Fact Sheets
An appeal issued recently by the
American Jewish Congress against the
inclusion of questions regarding religious
affiliations in the 1960 Federal census
aroused considerable discussion and the
reactions were not altogether in the
affirmative. At the outset, the American
Civil Liberties Union opposed the stand
taken by the American Jewish Congress.
But the ACLU now has reversed its posi-
tion and is backing the Jewish Congress
attitude.
The ACLU and the AJC base their
joint stand upon the First Amendment to
our Constitution which states that "Con-
gress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof," holding that
the insertion of questions regarding
religion in census questionnaires would
infringe upon such guarantees of religious
freedom.
Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the
. Jewish Congress, has warned that "under
Federal law persons questioned by census
takers are subject to conviction and im-
prisonment as criminals should they
M. E. Problems: Will Only Miracles Solve Them?
When it comes to harming Israel, Arab
can show hatred even for a fellow-Arab.
We have heard of this type of iron
curtain before. An incident in Toronto a
few days ago re-emphasized it.
At the 33rd annual convention of
YMCA's Men's Clubs, one of the three
Israeli delegates, an Arab, George Haddad,
approached the Egyptian delegate, Ayad
Morgan, but when the latter noticed the
Israel insignia on Haddad's name tag, he
rejected the outstretched hand and turned
away.
It was a world fellowship meeting, but
good will was rejected there. It caused
one of the other Israeli delegates, Samuel
Shirlinsky, to comment: "You can see
what we have to face. They won't even
talk with us at a YMCA meeting which
is non-political."
Morgan refused to pose with the
Israelis and insisted that "our countries
are at war." He said he did not think his
attitude was contrary to world fellowship.
On the other hand, the Israeli Arab
said he could not blame the Egyptian.
"It was not his fault," he said. "He prob-
ably did not dare do anything else.'
Shirlinsky said that he and the Egyp-
columns a few days ago:
Red Skelton and his family, who are
touring Europe, had been scheduled to
visit the Middle East. Skelton's ailing
son wanted to see the Holy Land and its
holy sites, particularly those in Jeru-
salem. The Skeltons were invited by the
Israeli government, which agreed to let
them cross into the Jordan-held side of
Old Jerusalem and then return to the
Israeli side. But the Jordan government
would give no approval.
That's how Arabs are interfering with
good neighborliness.
These are occurences that may well
be regarded as tragedies. There can be
good will, but bigots and war-mongers
stand in the way of the kind of progress
and good will that could benefit all the
peoples in the Middle East. It may take
miracles to solve these sad problems.
Fortunately, Israel never stops believing
in miracles.
Perennial Education Problem
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
The American Association of Jewish Education has issued a.
call to Jewish parents to observe the' forthcoming Jewish Educa-
tion Month by enrolling their children in Jewish schools. The
idea of an education month is a splendid one, though no one is
naive enough to believe that it is .a sufficient stimulant against
the lethargy that ,seems to have gripped a large segment of
Jewish parenthood in our midst.
According to the Survey of Jewish Education in New York
prepared this year by Louis L. Ruffman under the aegis of the
Jewish Education Committee of New York, the Jewish child
population of Greater New York for the period 1954-55 was about
415,000, but Jewish school enrollment was only about 128,000 or
31% of the total.
An encouraging aspect of the report is the disclosure that
Jewish enrollment has increased 31% over the 1951-52 figure
though the overall increase in Jewish child population was only
nine percent.
With the "cheder" bells about to ring again, pondering of
this problem is not only appropriate but imperative. All our
elocution and speculation about Jewish survival will be in vain
if we neglect our roots and permit searing of the young vineyard.