THE JEWISH NEWS

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 Subscription
Friday by The
Jewish
News Publishing
Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35,
Mich.,
VE 8-9364.
$5 a
year. Foreign
$6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post °filet., Detroit, Mich.. under act of Congress of March
5, 1871:.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Editor and Pithfisher

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Circulation Manager

Who Is Being Fooled?
o1/4 os NATION/10,9+

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the tenth day of Kislev. 5719. the following Scriptural selections will be
react in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Vayetze, Gen. 28:10-32:3. Prophetical portion, Hosea 11:7-12:12.

•

VOL. XXXIV. No. 12

Licht Benshen, Friday, Nov. 21 - 4:48 p.m.

Page Four

November 21, 1958

Dedication to Jewish Book Fair

Jewish Book Month, now being observed nationwide, is highlighted locally
by the Annual Jewish Book Fair sponsored by the Jewish Community Center.
The Jewish News dedicates this issue to the Book Fair, in recognition of
the accomplishments of the past years, and in tribute to Our community, whose
constituents have helped to elevate cultural standards by transforming the Book
Festival, its programs and exhibits, into major events in Detroit Jewry's communal
functions.
Thousands of spectators annually view the many exhibits at our Book Fairs.
Many hundreds participate in the cultural programs. As a result of the commend-
able efforts of the Jewish Community Center's staff, the Book Fair inspires the
purchase of many Jewish books, enrollment of new members in the Jewish Publi-
cation Society and a keener interest in authors and publishers.
It is to the credit of Morris Garvett, the chairman of this year's Book Fair
Festival here, that new vigor is being shown in the preparations for the events
starting tomorrow night. to continue through Monday.
F
Nationally, it is to the credit of the Jewish Welfare Board-sponsored Jewish
Book Council, under the direction of Rabbi Philip Goodman, that the Book Month
events have spread throughout the land.
It was Mohammed who first honored us with the title people of the book —
Nearly 30 years ago, James T. Farrell had already earned
Ahl' ul kitab — in the' Koran. It is the Jewish people itself that must make it a an enviable reputation as a novelist and short story writer. He
reality through its actions and by its devotion to its Scriptures, its Wisdom litera- also is known as a keen observer in public matters.
ture, its traditional, prophetic and modern creative works. Our Book Fair assists in
He recently went to Israel and the result of his observa-
the perpetuation of our most sacred ideas.
tions and his meetings with every element in the population=-

It Has Come To Pass
Farrell's Good Book on Israel

Education--Based on Public Attitudes

Jewish, Christian, Moslem—is a book for which he has chosen
the title "It Has Come to Pass." It has just been published by
Herzl Press (250 W. 57th, N.Y. 19).
It is a very stirring story. It tells about the settlers and
their transformations, their integration into a new life and
their fusion into a newly-developing democracy.
Approaching all issues frankly, Farrell spoke to many of
the settlers and drew from them asseverations of great interest.
He met people who were greatly disillusioned when they first
came to Israel, but who soon learned to love the land and to
become attached to it.
A Moroccan woman told him why she would not go back
to Morocco, why she would not go to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv
but preferred to work on the land.
He met people who did not mind serving in the army,
because it became part of a great obligation in the new life
into which they had been drawn for freedom's sake.
Farrell found even the Israeli Arabs to be anti-Israel, but
in the long run he is not hopeless of a better future. He views
the Arab refugees as speaking "out of confusion, frusration,
misery."

In the report of the survey conducted
betterment of himself and his com-
by the Citizens Advisory Committee on
munity.
School Needs, organized last year by the
In making our educational recom-
Detroit Board of Education, with George
mendations for the decade ahead we
W. Romney as chairman and Dr. Norman
propose to think in terms of the youth
Drachler as coordinator of research, it is
of Detroit and their educational needs,
pointed out that "financial support of
as these pertain to their ". . . Life,
education is not primarily a question of
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,"
resources but — of public attitudes and
and to the welfare of Detroit, our nation
policy."
and the world-at-large.
This is a proper approach to issues
This is a commendable approach, and
in tieh,. the report states, "our objet- we heartily endorse it. The results of the
e is better schools for a better com- study conducted by the Citizens Com-
munity." This objective is explained as mittee may still have to be scrutinized,
follows: but the recommendations, intended to im-
The schools must seek with vigor prove school conditions, "to prepare youth
He is concerned over the religious conflict in the land
and determination to place marked em- for their responsibility as citizens, to and he states that while the bitterness of a religious contro-
phasis on the attainment of social, civic qualify citizens for useful work, to cult- versy "cannot, in my opinion, destroy the country, it well can
and spiritual values. This era calls in- vate a climate -which will encourage in- produce a divisive struggle of serious character."
creasingly for a citizen:
tellectual interests, to develop scientists,
The political and structural character of the country, he
who can make wise decisions inde-
etc., to educate citizens to deal with the believes, represents another problem. He asks, in relation to
pendently and act accordingly.
various needs of our community," must Histadrut, Mapam, Mapai and the kibbutzim, "how much power
who can make ethical, political and
the government wield, and how much should remain in
be accepted with the utmost seriousness. should
the hands of these other organizations?"
social judgments,
We have advocated similar approaches
Farrell pleads for efforts "to help create a- world opinion
who can enjoy a good book, a good
in the Jewish community — in behalf of which
will cause a pressure for peace by direct negotiations"
painting or good music, and
modern school structures, enrollment of between Israel and her neighbors. "In this way," he writes, "we
who can appreciate his own culture
the ablest available teachers, the eleva- can perhaps think and act constructively both in terms of poli-
and the cultures of other people.
tion of all educational standards. We cies and people."
Our major objective is a citizen who endorse the. ideas promulgated for the
His "It Has Come to Pass" is a constructive book. It faces
has a vast amount of knowledge about community at large. The survey of the all issues frankly and the result is a splendid evaluation by a
his work, his culture, his world and him- Citizens Committee renders a real service keen observer.
self — and applies his knowledge to the to Detroit.

Three New JPS Paperbacks

Thanksgiving for Our Bounties

.

Thanksgiving has its roots in Hebraic of this year's RIAL program is "Find
traditions. It began as a harvest festival the Strength for Your Life ... Worship
and Henry Alford properly evaluated it Together . . ."
when he wrote the verse:
RIAL does not mean to ask all people
Come, ye thankful people, come,
actually to worship together in a single
Raise the song of Harvest-home!
religious edifice. What is implied is wor-
The festival for the evoking of thanks shipping by families in their respective
to God for the bounties with which we synagogues and churches, as groups with-
are blessed had its beginning in Sukkot, in their denominational settings. And the
its Hebraic counterpart. intention is not to limit worship to a sin-
Many of our Presidents, in proclaim- gle week or month in the year, but to
ing Thanksgiving Day, quoted from the inspire regular services.
Pslams in their expressions of thanks to
The idea may sound visionary, yet, by
the Almighty for the blessings which linking it to the spirit of Thanksgiving, it
we derive in this great land.
assumes significance in the life of our
It is because of the great spiritual people. It is on Thanksgiving that we gain
values and inspirations that we derive on greater appreciation of the bounties with
Thanksgiving Day that the month of No- which we are surrounded, and on this clay
vember was chosen for emphasis of re- we are inspired to a sense of gratitude
ligion in the American way of life by the to the Almighty for having blessed us
RIAL—Religion in American Life Pro- with the gifts that have been showered
gram. Increased attendance in synagogues upon us as Americans.
and in churches is urged during this
Blessed be this day—and the land in
month, as means of more regular partici- which we are privileged to offer thanks
pation in religious services. The theme for the many comforts we enjoy.

Schechter, Abrahams Works,
History by Margolis, Marx

One of the important projects of the Jewish Publication
Society of America this year is the reprinting of its major
classics in paperback editions, making the works available at
lowered prices, in cooperation with Meridian Books.
Last week, again in collaboration with Meridian Books,
the JPS issued three more reprints, in paperbacks, the follow-
ing important books:
"History of the Jewish People" by Profs. Max L. Margolis
and Alexander Marx.
"Jewish Life in the Middle Ages" by Dr. Israel Abrahams,
and
"Studies in Judaism" by Prof. Solomon Schechter.
An interesting slogan appearing on these paperbacks is
the quotation from Proverbs 1:2-3:

"To know the discipline of wisdom.
Understand. the words of discernment;
Accept the lessons of reason, of justice,
and order, and right."

Earlier volumes published jointly by the Jewish Publication
Society and Meridian Books in paperback editions included:
"For the Sake of Heaven," by Martin Buber: "Students,
Scholars and Saints," by Louis Ginsberg, and "A History of
Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy," by Isaac Husik.

