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, 1952 at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Editor and Publisher

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Circulation Manager

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Yom Kippur Scriptural Selections

-

On Yom Kippur, this Sabbath, the following Scriptural selections will be read:
Pentateuchal portions: Morning, Lev. 16:1-34, Num. 29:7-11; afternoon, Lev. 18:1-30.
Prophetical portions: Morning, Isaiah 57:14-58:14; a f t e r n o o n, Jonah 1:1-4:11, Micah
7:18-20.

Sukkot Scriptural Selections, Thursday and Friday

Pentateuchal portions: First and Second Days of Sukkot, Thursday and Friday, Lev.
22:26-23:44, Mint. 29:12-16. Prophetical portions: Thursday, Zechariah 14:1-21; Friday,
I Kings 8:2-21.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 4, 5:35 p.m.

VOL. XXXII—No. 5

Page Four

October 4, 1957

Yom Kippur: The Sabbath of Sabbaths

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is spoken of in Holy Scripture as "the Sab-
bath of Sabbaths." Its holiness has elevat ed it above all days.
On this day, we recite several times, during the sacred services:
"Penitence, Prayer and Charity can avert the evil decree."
This is a call not only for atonement, b ut also for responsibility to our fellow-men,
for charity and good deeds, for compassion and benevolence.
This is what has given such great significance to the holiest day an the Jewish
calendar.
In a prayer for the Holy Days, in his "Hilehoth Teshivah" Moses Maimonides
called upon the slumberers to awaken. He pleaded with them to awaken from evil
ways and thoughts, thus:
"Although the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is decreed by the Torah,
it is nevertheless significant of a call to repentance, for it seems to say: Awake from
your slumbers, ye who have fallen asleep -in life, and ponder over your deeds. Remem-
ber your Creator, and be not of those who miss realities in their pursuit after eph-,
emeral shadows, and waste their years in seeking after vain things which do not profit
or deliver.
"Look well to your souls, and let there be betterment in your act. Forsake each
of you your evil ways and thoughts."
Such are the sentiments that inspire mankind's betterment, that lead to an
awakening to better deeds, that cause human beings to be concerned not only with
themselves, but also with their fellow men.
May this day continue to elevate the spirit of men, so that the evil decree may
be averted, so that there may be a betterment of all the acts of human beings.

Your Newspaper Serves: Annual Press Week

There's a Hush

By MAURICE M. SHUDOFSKY

There's a hush

before Kol Nidre
On dread Atonement Day,

A hush of awesome quiet
As we begin to pray.

There's a hush as we sit

waiting
To approach the Mercy Seat,
With hush of silent prayer

Our hearts the Judge entreat.

There's a hush before Kol Nidre
Steeped in choked emotion,
A hush of silent sadness
Sealed with silent devotion.

We are now in the midst of celebrating National Newspaper - Week which has
been set this year for Oct. 1 to 9. It is especially appropriate that we take note of
this annual observance in view of the emphasis on the newspaper's services.
Yale Judaica Series: Code of Maimonides
The very foundation of our Republic is based on the great moral values
enunciated in our Scriptures, and the newspaper's role in providing news about the
community's religious activities is one of the most fundamental in the functions of
our press. It is as vital as the general news, sports, social and entertainment sections,
Yale University Press is continuing'ts great contriftIlikmto
and it is to the credit of the creative Jewish cultural efforts with it.. Series, having
Is_zp-vican press that it fulfills added another volume to thy . maimoindes series.
1-
-t&ions properly
"Thc 730,1 - or
Service — Code of Maimonides, Book
,-11141-4-•-•
s The
fu u p_a
t ti _on on tip le aceom- Eight," translated Temple
41*
from the Hebrew by Rabbi Mendell Lewittes,
-
6a±-1,0"Ciff- tram Joseph is the newest addition to this series.
,reuitzer's admonition that "Our
*0"'..,4iiRepublic and its press will rise
The 13-page section 'containing the contents, printed closely,
.77V;- V; or fall together" echoes the sen- indicates the wealth of material incorporated in this 550-page
9 .1, 1
4Civre, 4,
,;:l.,-6 •
book.
timents that had been uttered
,
the founders of our Re-
Rabbi Lewittes points out in his introduction that the sacri-
4 '1.03*-.
..
4. public. Thomas Jefferson, for ficial service as performed in the Temple of Jerusalem is de-
.Vnstance, warned: "Our liberty scribed as abodah and may refer "to the whole range of the
'1 depends on freedom of the press Temple service, or, as frequently employed within the book
and that cannot be limited with- itself, to a specific act of the service. Accordingly, we have
out being lost." And Jefferson rendered Sefer Abodah as The Book of Temple Service."
The translator-editor explains that following the destruction
went so far as to state: "And
were it left to me to decide of the Temple in 70 C. E. "the body of biblical legislation aiming
whether we should have a gov- at the regulation of the sacrificial worship of Israel lost its
ernment without newspapers or applicability," but in subsequent centuries the Sages "con-
newspapers without govern- tinued to cultivate the subject matter and implications of that
legislation," with the result that this biblical legislation "con-
ment, I should not hesitate a tinued
to be expounded and expanded during the tannaitie
moment to prefer the latter." period," since it was hoped "that the Temple would be restored
one
day."
With regard to the relation
of religion and the press, let us
Maimonides shared in that hope, and he "refers several
take note of the fact that the
times in this Book to 'the Temple that will be built in the
First Article of our Bill of future'," Rabbi Lewittes explains.
Rights recognizes a sort of part-
Maimonides "indicates how real this hope was to him; a
nership of press and religion by
providing that Congress shall fact that also is seen through his identification of the spices
the Incense by their Arabic equivalents. Thus, he pursues
make no law (1) respecting the a for
task by no means hypothetical but real and practical."
establishment of religion and
Rabbi Lewittes states that "Maimonides points to the
(2) abridging freedom of speech
humane and ethical lessons to be derived from biblical and
or press. This Article also for-
rabbinic legislation. Following the law that required offerings
bids abridgement of the right to
to the Altar to be of -choice quality, he exhorts his readers
peaceful assembly. All of these
to practice true generosity in carrying out works of charity.
factors are especially related to
If one feeds the hungry, he should give of the best of his
the values of the newspapers, to the freedom of the press and to the protection of
the people's rights to free worship.
table; if one clothes the naked, he should give of the finest
of his raiment. In an epilogue he stresses the importance of
Heinrich Heine once said: "In these times we fight for ideas, and newspapers
obeying God's 'statutes' even where man's reason is unable
are
our
fortresses."
We
battle
even
more
today
than
in
the
century
Heine
spoke
of
to fathom their motivation."
for ideas,
the newspaper remains the great fortress of humanity in its aims to
perpetuate and
justice.
While this is a highly scholarly work, intended primarily
The Jewish press is just such a
rabbinical students, even lay readers will find much of
fortress in its battle for justice and humani- for
tarianism. It is the strongest factor in support of the synagogue and our faith. It interest and fascination in it.
provides strength as the major instrument in Jewry's and Israel's desires for peace
For instance, in the Laws Concerning Entrance Into the
and for the freedom of all peoples.

'The Book of Temple Service

On National Newspaper Week, the press invites the continued cooperation of
those it serves, to assure for us the security of a fortress of faith and spirituality that
will help keep people fully informed abo ut the things that happen around them,
that will keep them alerted to protect human decencies as a
ledge we gather for them, and will guarantee the perpetuation result of the know-
of the freedoms in
defense of which we hold aloft the banner of a Free Press,

!

Sanctuary, the 15 Commandments list "that a drunken priest
shall not enter the Sanctuary." The explanatory chapter is very
interesting. It outlines penalties for profanation of the ministry
for drunkenness and indicates the high ethical standards for those
ministering in the Sanctuary.

Rabbi Lewittes did a magnificent job of editing and trans-
lating and has thus made possible
the appearance ol a fine,
scholarly work.

