THE JEWISH NEWS

. . Hold it .F

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., 17106 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35.
Mich., VE 8-93(34. Subscription $5 a year. Foreign $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Offict, Detroit, Mich.. under act of Congress of March
3, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

FRANK SIMONS

Circulation Manager

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Tishri, 5719, the following Scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Haazinu, Deut. 32:1-5 2. Prophetical portion, II Samuel 22:1-51.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Sept. 26, 6:31 p.m.

Sukkot Scriptural Selections, Monday and Tuesday
Pentateuch& portions on first two days of Sukkot, Thursday and Friday, Lev. 22:26-
23:44. Num. 29:12-16. Prophetical portions: Thursday, Zachariah 14:1-21; Friday, I Kings
8:2-21.

VOL. XXXIV. No. 4

Page Four

September 26, 1958

Unethical Boycott ancrMoral Health' in Business

Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Chancellor of the business life of some Americans. For
the Jewish Theological Seminary of some months now, frantically urgent ap-
America, arguing that the businessman's peals have been addressed to a number of
moral failures may lead to the destruc- exporters not to become parties to an
tion of our society, in an article in Fortune unjust boycott of Israel that was inspired
Magazine, made this observation: by Arabs who are bent upon destroying
"Morally sensitive and informed
Israel.
businessmen can c o in p e I American
It has been pointed out that the eco-
philosophy and religion to focus on the
nomic boycott of Israel does not help the
basic problems troubling mankind."
downtrodden masses of the Arab people,
"The businessman can," Dr. Finkel- and that all it does is prolong the state of
stein asserted, "without 'moralizing' war between the two kindred peoples.
(which would be deadening and self- But that is just what the Arab war-
defeating), transform his home into a mongers want, and honest businessmen
school for moral responsibility." should not be parties to such destructive
Calling upon the businessman to international programs.
"literally place ethics on the agenda—for
There still are a number of business
himself at home and in the office, for the firms that continue to support the Arab
company and trade association," the dis- boycott. There are cigarette manufactur-
tinguished leader of Conservative Juda- ing concerns that go along with a British
ism proposed that the businessman
concern which has yielded to Arab pres-
"should put moral health on the same
sures in supporting the boycott of Israel.
level as mental and physical health,
Others have just as blindly gone along
indeed above them. This means he
with Arab attempts to end Israel's exist-
should read literature dealing with
ence.
ethics, alone and with colleagues and
scholars; work for the establishment of
This is where Dr. Finkelstein's pro-
research in ethics, as he has worked
posals could do a world of good. The
magnificently for the development of
boycott of Israel is unethical. It is as
research in science and technology."
unethical as if the businessmen involved
These are unusually interesting and had boycotted an element of their own
sound bits of advice for the man in busi- people, among their workers or their
ness, in a critical time in the nation's competitors.
history, and all of us should pray that Dr.
What the manufacturers and export-
Finkelstein's admonitions will be listened ers who go along with the Arab boycott
to and his suggestions put into practice. need is a lesson in ethics, some training
in the "moral health" that Dr. Finkelstein
There are many areas in which Dr. wrote about.
Finkelstein's advice can be workable. It
Nothing else has helped when appeals
car work in relation to the workingman. were made to the manufacturers of ciga-
It can function in competitive activities. rettes and to others, who are guilty of
It can be applied also to the relationship participation in the boycott of Israel to
among nations. abandon their destructive tactics. Will a
In the latter sphere, we are compelled lesson in moral laws do some good?
to touch upon a very disheartening situa-
Here is an opportunity to put Dr.
tion that has entered dishonorably into Finkelstein's theories to the test.

Drawn For National Newspaper Week by Povl Conrad of the Denver Post

Morris Epstein's Fine Children's Book

'My Holiday Story Book

Morris Epstein is one of our best informed Jewish writers.
He is especially well equipped to write stories for youngsters,
whose cultural needs he understands and the approaches to
whom he makes so ably as editor of World Over.
His newest book, "My Holiday Story Book," published by
Ktav Publishing House (65 Suffolk, N. Y. 2), therefore is a
most welcome addition to the Jewish children's library.
Quoting Rabbi Mein, "for the children's sake I give you
Torah," Epstein fulfills this admonition in every story in
his book.
He knows how to address children, and each of his tales
proves it. Steeped in Jewish knowledge, he imparts the basic
ideas to the young reader.
He begins with "Fish for Sabbath" and concludes with
the Shavuot narrative, "A New Commandment." Sandwiched in
are other holiday stories.
In the Shavuot story, the festival is viewed as two holidays
—as a harvest festival and as the Ten Commandments holiday.
The child, Gita, in the story, tells her mother that there ought
to be eleven Commandments — the eleventh to keep the other
ten!
The other stories are: "The Boy's Prayer" for Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur; "Gita Meets Some Friends" for Sukkot and
Simhat Torah; "The Old Dreidel" for Hanukah; "Gita Asks a
Riddle" for Tu b'Shvat; "Father's Secret Invention" for Purim;
"A Just Reward" for Passover and "Rabbi Akiba's Answer"
for Lag b'Omer.
Informative, entertaining, well-written, Epstein's stories will
thrill the young readers. The parents will delight to share the
stories with their children when reading it to them. "My
Holiday Story Book" is, indeed, a very fine book for youngsters.

`My First Book of Prayers

There is a growing need for books with Jewish contents
for the very young readers.
A most attractively published little volume—five inches
wide by 101/2 inches deep—provides just such a need. It is
"My First Book of Prayers" by Edythe and Sol Scharfstein.
Appropriately illustrated by Ezekiel Schloss and Arnold
Lobel, this little volume, published by Ktav Publishing House
(65 Suffolk, N:Y. 2), opens with "Good Night Prayers"—
"Forgive me if I have this day
Done any wrong in work or play •
Before I sleep I'd like to say:
. 'Thank You for a happy day.' "
There follow prayers for Good Morning, Sportsmanship,
Daily Food, Foods That Grow, Good Deeds, Prayer for Help,
For Everything, The World, Shma YiSroel, All of Me, For
Morn and Dad. For Friendship, For Our Home, . Sabbath
Prayers, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah,
Hanukah, Purim, Passover, Shevuot and America.
The titles indicate not only the wide range of subjects
but also the all-inclusiveness of a child's everyday interests.
The Scharfsteins' "My Filst Book of Prayers" is a 'most
appropriate and helpful little volume. It will be found very
useful in teaching young children their Jewish duties and
to inspire them in Jewish devotions.

Despots Continue to Rule Middle East

Western aid to Arab nations continues
unabated. But while the democracies are
assisting backward nations in an effort to
strengthen libertarianism and to offset
communist inroads, the Arab peoples who
are surviving with our help are dis-
criminating against our citizens.
Two weeks ago, it became known that
Jordan was barring members of the Jew-
ish faith who are serving in the armies
of the Western powers.
Last week, Sidney Silverman, a Jewish
member of the British House of Com-
mons, who sought admittance to Jordan
for the purpose of visiting British troops
stationed there, was prevented from
entering the ,Hashemine kingdom.
A World Jewish Affairs report from
London this week stated:

According to the Amman correspondent
of the London Times, conversations between
the Jordanian authorities and the headquar-
ters of the American forces in the Lebanon
on the question of permitting American sol-
diers to visit the Holy Places in Jordan "have
reached a standstill because Jordan made her
agreement conditional on preventing any
American soldier of Jewish origin from
entering her territory."
Simultaneously, the British Embassy in
Tel Aviv has confirmed reports of the Israel
Government having given special permission
for the flight over Israel on 1st September of
members of the Jordanian Royal family in a

-

the Queen Mother; King Hussein's daughter
Alia, his sister and Queen Zein's aunt. The
members of the Jordanian Royal family were
reported to have been "on their way to have
medical treatment in Europe."

That's how the Arab nations are re-
paying the United States and her allies
for favors extended to them.
And thus far there has not been a
single protest against the despotism and
bigotry of the Arab nations.
Congress is in recess, and there is
hardly a public forum where a protest
can be uttered against injustices to Jews.
It is about time such protests were
heard.

*

*

Speaking of protests, one must begin
to wonder what has happened to the
so-called Presidents' Club. It was formed
by heads of nearly all our national Jewish
organizations, for the purpose of acting
in time of crisis. But it has been ominous-
ly silent in the last several months.
It should have spoken in protest
against the undue involvement of Israel
into the most recent Middle East crisis
by irresponsible propagandists. But its
leaders were silent. It should have spoken
out against the revived boycott of Israel,
but this Club has suddenly become in-
visible.

'1_1.2.

• •

F

The Term `Massorah'

By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX

Copyright. 1958, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.

1

The term "Massorah" has come to be known as the word
used to refer to Jewish tradition. The original word as found
in the Bible is said to come from the Hebrew root meaning "to
bind."
The Talmud (Babli-Ketubot 106a) tells us that a standard
copy of the Bible was deposited in the court of the temple for
the benefit of the copyists who made and wrote scrolls. All
texts were copied from others which were originally taken from
this manuscript, Along with the manuscript went an oral tradi-
tion which divided and subdivided the text, provided rules for
pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and writing style. This tradi-
tion was later standardized and written down in the form of