THE JEWISH NEWS
Back from Vacations
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 Ne.ws Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35,
Mich.. VE 8-9364. Subscription $5 a year. Foreign S6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under - Act of Congress of
March 3. 1879 .
PHILIP SLOMtVITZ
'Editor and Pulisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Advertising Manager
FRANK SIMONS
Circulation Manager
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath. the twenty-first day of Elul, 5718. the following Scriptural selections Will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuch& portion, Ki Tabo, Deqtercmo•ny 26:1-29:8.-Prophetica/ portion, Isaiah 60:1-22.
Licht Benshen, Friday, September 5, 6.15 p.m.
VOL. XXXIN. No. 1
Page Four
September 5, 1958
Complacency: Jewry s Vital Enemy
With the advent of a new year, Jewish
communities everywhere will be faced
by many problems.
They will be confronted with respon-
sibilities towards their less fortunate
kinsmen overseas—and the declines that
have been experienced in fund-raising
may seriously affect the fulfillment of
these duties.
Israel's plight will cause us grave
concern: The 'threats leveled at Israel by
the nations surrounding her, who are
bent upon combining their military forces
to destroy her, are not declining.- They
are becoming much more serious as time
passes. In order to strengthen Israel's
position, Jewish communities everywhere
must provide her with economic strength,
since the Israelis will have to depend
upon their own resources to acquire
means for their defense.
There are numerous internal prob-
lems. While there is a vast movement
for the construction of new synagogues
and community centers, less attention is
being given to the problem of training
better teachers. to the need for improved
guidance of our children's education,
to the advancement of our cultural needs.
American Jewry - will remain, for
decades to come, the major Jewish com-
munity in thl.. pworld. We possess the
means wherewith to aid the homeless and
dispossessed, to support Israel's resettle-
ment programs, to encourage industrial
developments in Israel. We must, at the
same time, find solutions to the declining
spiritual status of Jewry.
No matter how optimistic some of our
leaders may be, regardless of the certainty
that exists -in some religious quarters
that there is a religious upsurge in Amer-
ican Jewry, the facts point to the con-
trary. Intermarriage is increasing, the
Bar Mitzvah and confirmation remains
the major factor in the religious lives of
our youth and we have only begun to
train good teachers to direct our chil-
dren's education.
If we face the problems that confront
us with due seriousness, we must take
these conditions into account.
Our major difficulty may remain the
one detrimental element that has always
hounded us: complacency. If we remain
complacent, we will continue to decline
as an organitied community. If we be-
come determined to overcome indif-
ference and to instill in Jewish hearts
concern over Jewry's future, our prob-
lems will be solvable.
,
The UN's Role: for Good or for Evil?
In a recent article on how the United
States "uses" the United Nations in order
to save face in world crises, Joseph Alsop
had this to say:
The truth is that a double standard of
internationals morality, typified by UN Sec-
retary General Dag Hammarskjold, is now
an accepted fact. Hammarskjold and the
others like him ducked and dodged and
pleaded and equivocated in order to avoid
doing anything serious about the bloody
- massacre in Budapest. But Hammarskjold
and the others like him might well have
joined to inflict a public humiliation on the
United States because of the entirely blood-
less, officially invited landing - in Beirut.
With enormous efforts, Lodge has :probably
averted this kind of public humiliation. This
is already something gained. Then: the UN
cover-up is positively convenient, when the
great nations of the West have decided not
to stand by their friends any longer,. and
wish to put the best possible face on their
decision to throw their friends to the wolves.
In reality, the United States has already
abandoned its friends in Lebanon. The U.S.
and Britain are also quite plainly preparing
to abandon brave young King Hussein in
Jordan. (Remember when we sent the 6th
.fleet and the President declared that Jor-
dan's independence was essential to the
United States?) If such abandonments are
unavoidable, it is no doubt better to transfer
the onus to the local parliament of man.
So much, unfortunately, is all that any
realistic man can say in favor of these
'strange UN goings-on.
Is there any wonder that Israel and
her friends are sceptical about the latest
developments? The first steps taken by
the Arab nations was to reunite their
forces, with the moribund Arab League,
which has been discredited hither t o,
being brought back to life again, and
with new threats beginning to loom on
the horizon for Israel.
•
With all due allowances for .the Don
Quioxotic "heroism" of Hussein, it would
be well to take into consideration the
events of November 1956. Realistic news
analysts have spoken of them in connec-
tion with the most recent happenings,
and Alsop made this reference to it in
his column:
Preventing Gamal Abdel Nasser's tr4-
umph in all these (Middle East) countries
has been the sole object of America's Middle
Eastern policy, ever since our government
recovered from its strange orgy of imarmy
self-righteousness during the Suez crisis. •
`Say It In Hebrew' Book, Assisting
Record, Aid Students of Language
Dover Publications (920 B'way, N.Y. '10) have rendered a
real service to students. of languages with their Say It Language
Phrase Books. The "Say It In Yiddish" book already has been
reviewed in these columns.
The modern Israeli usage in the "Say It In Hebrew" booklet
has special value for those desiring to acquire a knowledge of
Hebrew spoken in Israel.
As additional help in conducting such a study. Dover Publi-
cations also have issued a 33 1,3 RPM record, "Hebrew, Pronounce
It Correctly."
The record is a pronouncing guider It contains 10 minutes
of the spoken language on a two-sided long-playing record,
accompanying which there is an instruction leaflet.
The "Say...-1t In Hebrew" book was prepared by Aleeza Cerf.
It contains more than 1,000 phrases which assist the traveler
to Israel in all his needs—in clearing customs, buying tickets,
traveling, ordering meals, reserving hotel rooms, automobile
motoring, time expressions, sightseeing, shopping, etc.
An introductory guide on pronunciation assists the student
in mastering the Hebrew sounds.
Aleeza Cerf also prepared the vocal transcription for the
record. In it, "the simplified phonetic transcription is given
as an aid to correct pronunciation. It is an imitated sound sys-
tem which should be read as if it were English."
This simple statement explains the easiness with which the
subject is approached.
Both the book and the record should be made use of by
students of Hebrew. This is a very excellent means of acquiring
knowledge of the language.
`Price of Diamonds': Interesting_,
Novel Abou*t Life in South Africa
With his new novel, "The Price of Diamonds," published by
Knopf, the young South African writer. Dan Jacobson, is making
his mark upwards in the literary world.
Born in Johannesburg in 1929, Jacobson received his B.A.
at the University of the Witwaterstand. He worked in an Israel
When the UN General Assembly agricultural settlement in 1949, taught school in London in
grabbed at the opportunity "to save face" 1950, was a newspaperman in Johannesburg in 1951, in business
and adopted the Arab nations' resolution, the following two year's, then devoted himself to writing, and
the New York Herald Tribune asserted his first two nov s were highly acclaimed. He now • lives in
that passage of that resolution" "will not, London where he is orking on his fourth novel.
In "The Price of Dia onds," Jacobson describes an uncalled-
of itself, insure peace in the Middle
East." Many newspapers shared this for conflict between two otherwise very friendly partners in
the Fink and Gottlieb manufacturers' representatives firm. A
view and the New York Times stated stranger
leaves a Small box, with diamonds, at the firm's office
editorially:
after receiving alms from Gottlieb—in Fink's absence. But there
. . . The more pertinent question is is an I. D. B. law—:to prohibit Illicit Diamond Buying. Gottlieb
whether this resolution, accepted by the
teases Fink about a secret, but he does not divulge the possession
Soviets and Nasser, will really stop them
of the diamonds. Meanwhile the police also become involved.
from continuing the policies that led to the
Fink is seriously hurt by a rowdy, in an incident totally
crisis in the first place. Their record for
unrelated to the diamond mystery. But he learns about - them
living up to pledges offers little optimism on
from -Gottlieb's wife who is not supposed to discuss it with
that score. The American and British troops
anyone. When Fink recovers, the differences between the two
did stop them from engulfing Lebanon and . partners are patched up and their strong friendshipis restored.
Jordan and may have even brought home
Both families are relieved by the resumption of friendliest
to them the grave danger of their' policies.
relations.
In taking over the task of guarding Middle
There is a warmness that is very unique about this novel.
Eastern peace and security, the UN has
Jacobson possesses fine literary skill, as indicated in "The Price
assumed a grave responsibility, and one can
of Diamonds."
only hope that it will prove equal to it.
ermons for jewis
ren
Once again, we now live on hopes—
that the UN Secretary General will dis-
Many volumes have been published containing compilations
prove the repeated contentions that "a Of sermons
by American rabbis. Unique in such publishing proj-
double standard of international moral- ects is the publication
of a series of sermons that were given for
ity" has been dominating the w o r l d children on Sabbath and festivals.
scene, and that he will make the sincere
efforts required to avert troubles for
Israel and to lead the Middle East nations
to a road of peace and tranquility.
Dag Hammarskjold has been accorded
a role that is tantamount to dictatorial
rule in the Middle East. The Arab nations
joined in granting him powers that have
never before been placed in the hands of
an individual. There is justification in
asking: will he use them for good or for
evil?
"Speak Unto the Children of Israel" by Rabbi J. Newman,
of Johannesburg, South Africa, published by Bloch, is a splendid
addition to sermonic compilations.
The popularity of junior congregations in -most of our
synagogues adds to the values of such a volume . Dr. Newman's
brief talks were prepared especially for youth and serve their
purpose with great effect.
Practically every Sedrah in the Five Books of Moses is
commented upon, and all of our festivals and special Shabbatim
are reviewed in the Newman sermons.
There are 63 sermons in this book. In their totality, they
are an all-inclusive commentary for youths on the Bible and on
the Jewish Year.
f?;