THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS -- Friday, October 3, 1958 38

`Exodus': A Novel of Israel

Leon Uris Combines a Good Story
with Complete Historical Details

Leon Uris spent a lot of time
gathering material for his new
novel, "Exodus," which deals
.with the events prior to and
during the establishment of
Israel. He ti aveled through
many lands and collected a
mass of data for his 626-page
narrative. The result is a his-
tory as much as a novel of
Israel—perhaps history more
than novel.
Uris' publishers. Doubleday
& Co., point out that the
author of this novel (Uris also
is the author of "Battle-Cry"
and "The Angry Hills," and the
fight at 0. K. Corral") has read
300 non-fiction books in prepa-
ration for "Exodus." He went
to Denmark, Iran and Cyprus
in addition to Israel and he
interviewed many people.
An ex-marine who, at 17,
ran away from his native Balti-
more to fight for his country
in 1942, Uris, his wife (a
former lady marine who once
was his sergeant), their three
children and a dog settled
near Tel Aviv. Border troubles
forced his family to leave, but.
he remained to cover the Sinai
campaign as a correspondent.
He returned to his home in
Encino, Calif., in 1957, to write
the novel "Exodus."
* * *
The story begins in Cyprus.
The reader is introduced to
the Jewish refugees who, pre-
vented from entering Palestine,
were taken into a new exile
on the island of Cyprus. It is
there that a revolt against the
British developed, in support
of an effort to take several
hundred children to Palestine,
under the leadership of daring
Palestinian Jews.
Two youngsters in the lot
that defied the British and
compelled them to grant per-
mission for the children to

Newport Community
Marks Tercentenary

NEWPORT (AJP) — The
300th anniversary of the New-
port Jewish community—corn-
memorated this year—will be
highlighted by a Tercentenary
Ball to be held in one of Amer-
ica's great mansions, the Bel-
court, Sept. 20.
Ambassador and Mrs. Abba
Eban will be the honored
guests. The Israeli diplomat is
expected to deliver a major ad-
dress during the closing exer-
cises on Sept. 21.
The three hundred years of
religious liberty of the Newport
Jewish community began in
1658. Fifteen Jewish families
came that year after learning
about Roger Williams' declara-
tion of religious freedom.
For a hundred years these
Jewish settlers, whose numbers
had increased by additional set-
tlement and natural growth,
held their religious services in
homes. Then, on Dec. 2. 1763,
following much effort and per-
severence, the Touro Synagogue
— which had taken four years
to build — was completed and
dedicated.
The oldest synagogue in the
United States, it was dedicated
as a National Historic Shrine
on March 5, 1946. The complete
history of Touro Synagogue is
fully told by its former spiri-
tual leader_, Rabbi Dr. Morris A.
Gutstein, in his book, "The
Story of the Jews of Newport."

settle in Palestine stand out
in the story. They are the
brave and able young girl,
Karen, and the morose young
passport forger Dov. Karen be-
comes a leader of the youth
and later an active member of
a Palestinian settlement. Dov,
because of the horrors he ex-
perienced in the Battle of the
Warsaw Ghetto, is difficult to
deal with. Only Karen has an
influence over him, and he
later develops into a creative
personality. Karen's death, in
one of the battles for Israel's
independence, leaves a void,
but emphasizes the triumphs
of the searchers for justice.
Another major character in
the novel is the Christian
American • nurse, Kitty Fre-
mont, who participates in the
Palestinian Jewish effort
against her will but out of a
deep interest in the leader of
the Cyprus operation, Ari Ben
Canaan. She is tossed between
many doubts, but in the end
she remains in the new-born
State of Israel, and the love
between Ari and Kitty blos-
soms.
* * *

There is hardly an incident
in the story of Israel's rebirth
that is omitted from this nar-
rative. Uris reviews. the details
of the birth of Zionism, the
rise of Hitlerism, the struggle
against Nazism, the search for
a solution to the mounting
Jewish probleins through Zion-
ist efforts.
Step by step, he takes the
reader through history and
introduces him to nearly every
important Zionist leader of the
past 50 years. He leads up to
the United Nations' partition
resolution, to the Arab war on
Israel, to the Israelis' battle
for independence and to the
devotional and heroic activities
of. the Israelis to their collec-
tive settlements.
Uris has made suriti a
thorough search into Pales-
tinian activities and Jewish
struggles that even the names
of some of the British and
Jewish leaders that appear in
his story under disguise will
be recognized. For instance,
the Major P. P. Malcolm who
helps the Haganah and is re-
moved by the British for assist-
ing the Jews will be recognized
as Major Orde Wingate who
organized the Jewish defense
corps in Palestine in defiance
of his government but out of
deep conviction of the justice
of their cause.
•
*
*
The methods that were pur-
sued during Israel's struggle
for independence by the under-
ground are highlighted in
"Exodus." The reader learns
to justify the activities of the
terrorists who resorted to occa-
sional brutal activities out of
necessity to convince the
British and the Arabs that the
Jewish settlers would not yield
to the injustice of the British
or to the terrorism of the
Arabs.
British tactics emerge here
anew as cruel practices by
bigots who were determined
to prevent the fulfillment of
the Balfour Declaration pledge.
"Exodus" is an exciting and
enlightening story. It teaches
history while serving as a good
narrative.

-Buying

World's First Pre-Fabricated Synagogue

A new trend in economical construction of community buildings is the pre-fabricated
structure. The photograph shows the first pre-fabricated synagogue in the world. Golf Manor
Synagogue, in suburban Cincinnati, accommodates 285 families at worship and provides four
classrooms for religious instruction. The ease of expansion of a pre-fabricated building was
demonstrated in the addition of the auditorium which can seat '750 persons. It contains a
social hall, a lobby, a checkroom, dressing rooms and a conference room. As a demonstration
that a substantial synagogue structure does' not require a huge investment either for con-
struction or upkeep, the Golf Manor Synagogue is an outstanding success. Exclusive of land
and furnishings, the first section cost $50,000, a pittance compared to the cost of a similar-
size conventional synagogue. Upkeep costs also are low.

Print Eisenstein Book on Religion in Revised Form

revised book has been designed
for use in Jewish schools, its
value goes beyond that. The
many followers of the Recon-
structionist movement through-
out the land and all who are
interested in its ideology will be
guided to a deeper understand-
ing of the Sabbath and our fes-
tivals as they are evaluated in
thtis book.

Rosh Hashanah, for example,
is viewed as the symbol of a
better world, and Yom Kippur
as the "symbol of human nature
Prof. Kaplan Dr. Eisenstein remade." The Sabbath is por-
trayed as symbolizing "the per-
Dr. Ira Eisenstein, rabbi of fect life."
Congregation Anshe Emet, Chi-
The importance of prayers,
cago, was associated with his
father-in-law, Dr. Mordecai M. Jewish values attached to the
Kaplan, founder of the Recon- ideal of freedom, the power of
structionist movement, in the religion, the significance and
Reconstructionist Synagogue in the sacredness of the various
New York and in the move- seasons on the Jewish calendar,
are given new meaning in the
ment's pioneering efforts.
With his father-in-law, he is, interpretations given to Jewish
therefore, one of the leading observances. .
"What We 'Mean by Religion,"
interpreters of the Reconstruc-
published by the Reconstruc-
tionist idea.
Rabbi Eisenstein's newest tionist Press (15 W. 86th St.,
book, the revised and enlarged N.Y. 24), is based on Prof. Kap-
edition of "What We Mean by lan's "The Meaning of God in
Religion: A Modern Interpreta- Modern Jewish Religion. In his
tion of the Sabbath and Festi- introduction, Dr. Eisenstein
vals," therefore serves as an states:
"At all times, Jews have
authoritative presentation of the
found that religion was a great
Reconstructionist viewpoints.
Friends and admirers of source of strength to them. It
helped them to have courage
Prof. Kaplan will undoubted-
ly be moved by the fact that
and hope even though they
Dr. Eisenstein has dedicated lived through the most terrible
his new book to his mother- hardships. . . . All the nations
in-law, the late Mrs. Morde-
and the peoples of the world
cai M. (Lena) Kaplan, a are today facing serious prob-
founder of national Hadassah
lems and sometimes the men
and a distinguished Jewish
and women throughout the
women leader, who passed world wonder whether they are
away several months ago.
ever going to solve them —
While Dr. Eisenstein's newly- whether the problems can be

iiefAig*

Bonn Invokes Race Law
Against Hate Pamphleteer

MUNICH (JTA) — For the
first time in four years, the
Bavarian state law against in-
citing to race hatred was ap-
plied here with the initiation of
criminal proceedings against H.
Meissner, national chairman of
the right-wing "Deutscher Bloc."
Meissner distributed a bro-
chure, during the recent trial
of ex-Buchenwald camp guard
Martin Sommer, which was anti-
Semitic in content. In his pam-
phlet, Meissner a 1 s o attacked
prosecution witnesses who had
testified against Sommer. The
Bavarian law against dissemi-
nation of race-hate material was
last invoked in 1954 against two
Ukrainian immigrants who were
convicted of distributing anti-
Semitic material.

Force Ex-Nazi Guard
from Ballot in Germany

MUNICH (JTA) — Public
protests have brought about the
withdrawal of the -candidacy of
a former SS guard in the Mau-
thausen concentration camp who
had been nominated by the
Christian Social Union as its
candidate to the state legislature
from Kehlheim-Mainburg.
The one-time guard, Peter
Preukelmayer, had won designa-
tion as t h e candidate of the
party, which is allied to Chan-
cellor Konrad Adenauer's
Christian Democratic Union,
and was virtually assured elec-
tion. T h e protests, however,
forced the party to withdraw his
Dropsie College Sets N.Y. Extension Courses
Authorization to conduct an credits to become candidates name and call for a new primary
extension division in New York for the doctoral degree by com- contest.
City • was granted to
• Dropsie pleting one full year of study
College of Philadelphia by the at the college in Philadelphia. Jesse! Boosts Douglas
New York State Education De- The courses given in New York for B-G Screen Role
partment. In accordance with parallel t h o se offered at the
NEW YORK, (AJP)—It has .
this authorization, Dr. Abraham college.
become known in theatrical cir-
A. Neuman, president of the
The New York Extension cles here that George Jessel, in
college, announced that stu- Division is now an integral part receiving approval from Premier
dents majoring in education of the college in its entirety David Ben-Gurion that his life
can, by availing themselves of including its sub-divisions, the be filmed, has suggested that
the full ,course of studies of- School of Education and the Kirk Douglas play the role of
fered in the Extension Division, Institute for Israel and the the doughty little Israeli Pre-
earn within two years sufficient Middle-East.
mier.

Selling

or Best Result

solved. For this reason, religion,
with its message of hope and
courage, is more necessary to-
day than ever before. And that
is why this book has been
written."

USE THE .
, , AND
RE,A
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