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 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. 1942 at Post ()file._ Detroit, Mich. under act of Congress of March
187:.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Advertising Manager
Circulation Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh Shevat, these Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions, Vaera, Ex. 6:2-9:35, .1\I um. 28:9-15. Prophetical portion, Is. 66:1-24.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 9, 5:01 p.m.
VOL. XXXIV. No. 19
Page Four
January 9, 1959
Wooing a Dictator: Western Blunder
The West appears to have embarked
on a new series of political blunders.
After two years of struggles against .
Communism in the Middle East, and nu-
merous attempts to overcome the intru-
sion of Nasserism into the affairs of Arab
nations that have, nominally at least, co-
operated with the democracies, the West-
ern powers are once again wooing Egypt's
President Nasser.
Indicating the new trend is the open-
ing paragraph of a special item from
Washington, by-lined by Marguerite Hig-
gins, in the New York Herald Tribune, on
the day on which the New York news-
papers reappeared after a 19-day strike.
That item stated: "The crackdown or-
dered by President Gamal Abdel Nasser
on Communism in the United Arab Re-
public is not just talk but the real thing,
involving among other things the arrest
or exile in the last few days of Moscow-
trained Khaled Bakhdash, the Arab Com-
munist leader."
The Herald Tribune correspondent
took for granted a single incident as in-
dicating that the Egyptian dictator has
suddenly adopted democratic principles.
To those who have watched events in the
Middle East and have witnessed the series
of assassinations and the appeals to hatred
against the United States and. our allies,
this is sheer nonsense, and the new pro-
Nasser move must be viewed as one of the
major blunders of our time.
The Washington Post, and a number
of other newspapers, as well as some ob-
servers who are watching current events
in the troubled Middle Eastern areas,
view the situation differently. The Wash-
ington Post has warned editorially: "A
word of caution is in order in welcoming
Adding to Our Duties
Le Monde, the Paris daily newspaper,
reports that Romania has issued more
than 3,000 visas to Jews emigrating to
Israel in November, that this figure was
exceeded in December and that any one
of the 240,000 remaining Romanian Jews
wishing to go to Israel will be permitted
to leave.
The Le Monde wrote that the Romanian
government's decision to permit the exit
of Jews "is not a gesture of humanitarian-
ism" but rather a decision by Romanian
authorities to "rid themselves" of a min-
ority that can not be assimilated.
There is a motive in the latter insult
in the revelation that a major reason for
"ridding themselves" of Jews is that Ro-
manian government leaders see the open-
ing of a number of desirable jobs and the
freeing of certain economic sectors for
other citizens of the country. Le Monde
believes that Romanian Communists favor
the departure of Jews so that Communists
and their hangers-on can take over some
good jobs now held by Jews. This is in
itself another way of misleading the Ro-
manian people regarding the existing
truths, since most Jews already have been
purged from their economic positions in
Romania.
But the more interesting point made
by Le Monde is that Premier Khrushchev
would be willing to see Jews leave Russia
but fears to do so lest he offend his Arab
friends by aiding the enlargement of
Israel's population.
These are revealing facts and they
have one important admonition for us: to
prepare the ground for large scale im-
migration to Israel. This means that our
support of the Allied Jewish Campaign
must be greatly increased this year.
the resumption of American wheat sales
to Egypt. More normal relations with the
UAR are certainly desirable . . . Nas-
serism is no more attractive merely be-
cause Col. Nasser is making anti-Com-
munist noises . . . Nasser has been
playing the West and East alternatively,
so his motives must remain suspect."
There is genuine cause for distress
over the new approaches to Nasser. As-
sistant Secretary of State William M.
Rountree's sad experiences in Baghdad,
the anti-Israel broadcasts from Cairo, the
vile attacks on this country, combine to
serve as added warnings to the West to
be on guard against new dangers to the
democracies fomented by Nasser.
There were similar warnings not so
long ago against a house painter named
Hitler. Are we forgetting the myopic
views of misled statesmen who, in the
middle 1930s, made concesssions which
led to a tragic world war? The present
situation is akin to that which permitted
the rise of Nazism. We pray that the
statesmen of the world, in the interests of
world peace, will be more cautious now.
Bar-Ilan University
When speaking of the miracles that
were wrought in and by Israel in the
past 10 years, too little is said about the
young nation's cultural attainments.
Israel is the third largest book-buying
nation in the world per capita. The young
country has several institutions of higher
learning. Its newspapers exert a great
influence. There are several exceptionally
fine children's periodicals.
Israel's chief handicap, however, is
that too few of its youth are acquiring a
secondary education. This is cause for
serious concern.
On the university level, Israel has
made great gains. The Hebrew University
ranks high among the great schools of
learning in the entire world. The Tech-
nion—the Israel Institute of Technology
—is the leading engineering school in the
Middle East. The Weizmann Institute of
Technology renders great service in many
fields of research. There is also a func-
tioning university in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli university, Bar-Ilan, spon-
sored by Mizrachi-Hapoel Hamizrachi,
already has made tremendous progress
and already prides itself on its first com-
mencement, its first graduates having
been awarded their degrees this year.
Bar-Ilan combines science with religious
learning. It makes a definite contribution
to the spiritual life of Israel and to world
Jewry, many of whose communities will
no doubt be served by Bar-Ilan graduates.
It is to be hoped that out of the prog-
ress made by Israel's schools for higher
learning also will emerge greater effort
in the secondary education sphere, and
that the teen-agers of Israel will be en-
couraged to acquire a high school edu-
cation. With the help of the Israel govern-
ment and of Jewish communities that
encourage cultural efforts in Israel, this
should be an attainable goal.
Meanwhile, Bar-Ilan University has
earned commendations for its efforts.
Detroit Jews have been in the front ranks
of this university's supporters. They are
justifiably rejoicing over the first com-
mencement of the school, which is to be
acclaimed at the annual dinner in the
school's behalf. At the same time, the
local community will also justifiably
honor two men who have rendered valu-
able services in behalf of Bar-Ilan Uni-
versity—Max and Phillip Stollman.
Excellent Young Readers'
Hebrew-English Dictionary
Ktav Publishing House, 65 Suffolk St., N.Y. 2, already
has made a definite contribution to children's literature with
its several quite interesting books for Jewish youngsters, for
the holidays and other occasions.
Perhaps its best product to date is "Milon Lakoreh Hatzair-
The New Illustrated Hebrew-English Dictionary for Young
Readers."
This splendidly compiled dictionary, by Nathan Goldberg,
of the department of modern languages of Brooklyn College,
should prove most effective in Hebrew teaching and in encourag-
ing children to acquire a knowledge of the language.
Ezekiel Schloss supervised the art and design for this
dictionary, which was illustrated by Arnold Lobel.
There is special value in this book in the guidance it pro-
vides for parents who may supervise their children's study
of Hebrew words; in the explanation on how to use the diction-
ary, making note of use of nouns, plurals, adjectives and verbs,
and other guiding notes.
The most important and most commonly used Hebrew words
are included in the dictionary, and the illustrations will assist
the youngsters in understanding the meaning of the terms and
in gaining knowledge of Hebrew.
We highly recommend this dictionary for young readers,
and it is certain that adults who guide them in their Hebrew
word studies will similarly benefit from it and will acquire
a better knowledge of the language.
3 UAHC Children's Books
The Union of America Hebrew Congregations, to whose
credit there already are on record a number of fine books for
children, has issued several new titles. They enrich the children's
library and serve valuable purposes.
Most impressive, especially since it is so suitable for the
very young as well as children of 5 to 7, is "The God Around
Us, A Child's Garden of Prayer," by Mira Brichto. Well illustrated
by Clare Romano Ross and John Ross, it is a picture book of
poems and prayers. Accompanied by the Hebrew texts of prayers
as well as the English translations, the glories of nature and
God's creations enhance every page in the book.
Lightning and tender blossoms introduce the youngsters to
the world around them. The making of bread introduces the
reality of life. The immensity of mountains, the beauties of
nature, actual experiences in life, spice these pages. The verses
and the prayers will inspire the young reader.
Then there is the second volume of "Bible Stories for Little
Children" by Betty R. Hollander. William Steinel illustrated
it. The stories begin with Joshua, relate many Biblical incidents,
including the story • of Samson, the leadership of Samuel, the
selection of a king for Israel, the triumphs of David, the rule
of Solomon and the wisdom of the man who built Solomon's -
Temple.
These books contribute towards the best in literature for
our children.
Another UAHC children's book is "G'dee" by Helen Fine,
with scores of appropriate illustrations by Hal Just. The stories
in this book, about the Sabbath and all the Jewish holidays
and other appropriate events in a Jewish home, is built around
a goat — g'dee is Hebrew for goat. The kid is everywhere.
When the goat arrives, the children are gleeful.
Then begins a series of adventures. The g'dee is mischievous
and gets tangled up. But he also plays his role in the numerous
events described in his book. He watches the blowing of the
shofar on Rosh Hashanah, has to be controlled from getting into
accidents on public streets, is forgiven for misdeeds on Yom
Kippur.
G'dee has a share in the Sukkah, eats cinnamon grass for
Simhat Torah, is at the Hanukah party, getting in on the de-
licious food, and so on down the line.
Meanwhile, in this fine 160-page book (including a glossary),
the young readers learn about all the festivals, are treated to
narratives and poems and learn a great deal about Jewish
customs and traditions.
Thus, in three fine children's books, a veritable literary
feast is offered for Jewish children.