. 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. - 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.