. THE JEWISH NEWS

Maccabean Spirit Prevails

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

Sabbath Hanukah Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, Sabbath Hanukah, the twenty-eighth day of Kislev, the following
Scriptural selections will- be read in our synagogues.
_Pentateuchal portion, Mikketz, Gen. 41:1 44:17. Prophetical portion, Zechariah 2:14-4:7.
Rosh Hodesh Tebet will be observed on Monday and Tuesday.

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Licht Benshen, Friday, Dec. 20, 4:23 p.m.

VOL. XXXII, No. 16

Page Four

December 20, 195'7

Hanukah's Challenge to Jewry

Hanukah lights are in evidence this They admonish us to hold on to faith, to
week throughout the world. Wherever be courageous in our struggle for sur-
there are Jews, these lights sparkle. They vival and to elevate the standards of
demonstrate in remarkable fashion the Jewish living.
retention of a great memory: of the sur-
Thus, the mere lighting of. the Han-
vival of the Jewish people through the ukah candles is not enough. It is essential
miraculous triumphs of the Maccabees.
also that the spirit of Israel should be
Other miracles are recorded in Jew- in evidence during this festival—and this
ish history, but none other, except the spirit calls for the strengthening of our
Israeli one in our own time, resembles cultural 'values and for the advancement
the Maccabean triumphs. of the basic idea which distinguished us
Jewry's will to live is reflected in as "a kingdom of priests and a holy
the Hanukah symbols. A people that nation." It implied adherence to high
desires to survive holds on to memory, ideals of justice, a search for knowledge,
demonstrates the symbolisms of its his- the advancement of the spiritual values
tory, elevates its culture and adheres. to which have been handed down through
traditions. Jewish sources to all mankind.
These elements in Jewish existence
*
*
*
are especially symbolic of Hanukah.
Hanukah,
in
addition
to its reminder
*
*
*
to all Jewish generations of the heroism
The rebirth of Israel has given to of those who have fought and continue
the spirit of Hanukah new vigor. The to fight for Jewry's survival, also is the
new Maccabees, whose heroism has been occasion for the issuance of the challenge
witnessed by our own generation, add to our people not to forsake our cultural
weight to the miracles of old. They lend heritage.
truth to the principle that miracles are
This festival is a time to recall that
wrought in a will to live.
there is a great tradition of learning to
however,
much in more
than Hanukah
a festival is,
that
had its roots
mil- be upheld in Jewish life, that we can not
itarism. Its origin is in our ancestors' unless we honor the Book.
determination to retain the right to wor-
Hanukah is a time to encourage
ship in accordance with their conscience.
They rejected idolatry and the doming- learning, to inspire efforts for adult as
tion of a foreign priesthood. They fought well as children's education, to induce
for the right to perpetuate their faith. our people to build up libraries—private
That, too, called for courage, and out of and community.
If we can attain these things, Han-
their brave acts grew the miracle of the
ukah will, indeed, resume its major role
Feast of Lights.
*
*
*
as a great spiritual festival.
The spiritual elements in the Han-
In the spirit of courage and of learn-
ukah festival continue to issue challenges ing, may our Hanukahs ever be joyous
to the descendants of the Maccabees. ones for all Israel.

Program for an Informed Leadership

In a statement in which he proposed
a "required" list of reading as a "must"
for communal leaders, Dr. Jacob R.
Marcus, eminent American historian, pro-
fessor of history at Hebrew Union Col-
lege-Jewish Institute of Religion, in Cin-
cinnati, warned that "unless professional
Jewish leaders in America acquire a
more adequate understanding of Jewish
life and its aspirations, American Jewry
has no significant future."
This is a very grave statement, but
we accept it as a timely warning and as
a necessary declaration.
We may differ with Dr. Marcus on
his selection of books, but not with his
conclusion that: "Any Jew who read these
books and understood them will have an
adequate concept of the place of the
American Jew in world Jewish life and
of the goals and aspirations of world
Jewry."
This is applicable to a study of world
Jewish history, of the American Jewish
community, of our people's contributions
to civilization.
Dr. Marcus has reference, in his
admonition, to the lack of a general
knowledge of Jewish conditions even
among the most active leaders in Jewish
life.
The best proof may be found in the
fact that the Jewish Publication Society
of America, which has so much to offer
to American Jewry and to other English-
speaking Jewries throughout the world
has less than 10,000 members. It is pos-
sible that only a fraction of them repre-
sents Jewish leadership; that the vast
majority of the members are laymen who
love books, who seek knowledge, who are

anxious to encourage Jewish learning.
But there must be at least ten times the
number of the JPS membership that
either is listed as "Jewish leadership" or
desires to be included in that category.
Why don't they read Jewish books?
Why do Jewish books have such
limited circulations? Only when a sexy
volume makes the "best seller" lists does
it suddenly become a popular Jewish
volume.
The fault lies with so-called Jewish
leaders that do not understand the value
of Jewish knowledge. The sufferers are
our communities.
We thoroughly agree with Dr. Mar-
cus' viewpoint. American Jewry should
feel grateful to him—and to all others
who advance the opinion he has ex-
pressed—for the timely warning he has
addressed to the leaders in American
Jewry.

A Stupid Demand

.

Israel is here to stay—and the Arab
politicians know it.
But Israel's antagonists constantly
are looking for tricks to undermine the
Jewish State's position.
The latest stunt is to demand a re-
turn to the 1947 Palestine Partition boun-
daries which were obviated more by the
war declared on Israel by the Arabs than
by the Israelis themselves.
Israel justifiably rejects the new de-
mand which must be branded as utterly
stupid by all who possess a sense of fair
play. Any reduction of Israel's territory
would reduce the shell of a state to half
a shell.

`Adventure in Pioneering'

Tribute to Danny Ginsberg
•
in Habonim Camping Volume

The remarkable story of 25 years of Habonim camping pro-
grams, the integration of some of those who were through
Hachshara training and the life of some of American youth
settlers in Israel, is described in an informative 200-page book,
"Adventure in Pioneering," published by the Labor Zionist
Organization of America (45 E. 17th St., N. Y. 3).
A former Detroiter, Abraham Cohen, describes the growth of
the Habonim idea in an essay "A Decade of Experience in
Cooperative Jewish Camping." Another prominent Israeli who
is married to a Detroiter, Ben Zion Ilan, has contributed articles
to this volume.
Detroiters also will be interested in the essays of Saadia
Gelb, who worked here as a Sheliach from Israel.
Of special interest to the Jewish community of Detroit is •
the tribute to the memory of a leading member of Habonim,
Danny Ginsberg, who died in action of Iwo Jima. The honor
paid him in Furrows magazine in May 1945 is reproduced
here. It is the tribute of the Habonim movement to a dedicated
member of the labor Zionist youth movement.
As an added tribute to the memory of Danny Ginsberg, this
volume reproduces his essay, "The Coming Season," which he
had written in 1940. Danny had spoken of "work and handi-
crafts" as "not being neglected in our Kvutzot," and he made
a plea for "flowers and landscaping" as being of "great signifi-
cance," and he added on this subject:
"A feeling of aesthetics should be inculcated in Habonim,
and here is a grand opportunity. Flowers and shrubs can trans-
form a barren piece of land into a beautiful scene, and labor
is of little signifiCance if it does not go hand in hand with a
desire for beauty and freshness."
Bert 'Goldstein, as chairman of the Chay Commission of the
LZOA, in a foreword to this volume, states: "Twenty-five years
of Habonim camping will undoubtedly afford mixed feelings of
reminiscence and of nostalgia to those who have experienced
the pleasure and the vicissitudes of summers within the orbit
of these camps.
Many youth leaders are represented in "Adventure in Pio-
neering" with their reminiscences and special essays about the
Habonim program.

An Inspiring JPS Book

'Prayer,Humanity,Compassion,

The eternity and universality of the quest for God is so
movingly analyzed and evaluated by Rabbi Samuel H. Dresner,
in the Jewish Publication Society's newest book, "Prayer, Hum-
ility and Compassion," that his work deserves a place of honor in
our literature.
Seven wood engravings by Ilya Schor illustrate this fine
book and add to its beauty.
Rabbi Dresner's central plea is for the acceptance of the
need "for our father's God who pursues us 'down the nights
and down the days ... down the arches of the years' seekirtg to
enter our hearts and souls and lives."
In his exalted explanations of prayers, Rabbi Dresner de-
scribes the "democracy of prayer in _Israel: "Every Jew who is
able and worthy can lead the congregation in worship. It is not
a sacrament reserved for a special body of annointed ones and
denied to others."
A treasury of the finest selections from Jewish prayers is
appended to this section of the book.
"The world survives because of humility" is his approach
to the second portion of his theme. "Blessed be He who hath
compassion upon the earth; blessed be He who hath compas-
sion upon His creatures" is the emphasis on the last section.
The epilogue concludes with a rabbinic story in which the
answer to the question "Where does God dwell?" is given as:
"God dwells wherever man lets Him in."
Rabbi Dresner has fulfilled his task well. His readers will
be inspired by his inspiration.