THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, Sept. 2 5

Two New Covenant Books Top List of
New Noteworthy Stories for Children

The Covenant Books—Boon to Literature

Working cooperatively, two great American publishing
houses, the Jewish Publication Society of American and Farrar,
Straus and Cudahy, two years ago began the publishing of an
outstanding set of books about Jewish heroes in many climes.
Using the title, Covenant Books, the two publishers now have
eight titles to their credit in this series, the two newest books
being "Keys to a Magic Door:
Isaac Leib Peretz," by Sylvia
Rothchild, and "Aboab: The
First Rabbi of the Americas,"
by Emily Hahn.

are created. Eli was to have played in the final game of the
year with his team, and the game, occurring on Yom Kippur,
could not be postponed. The decision, to play or not to play,
was left to Eli. There was an internal struggle, but he finally
remained in the synagogue and abstained from the game.
The next day came the big surprise: while he was not the
best player on the team, he was selected captain—in tribute to
his momentous decision not to play on Yom Kippur.
This and other incidents help make "All On the Team" a
most delightful story. Mrs. Sandmel writes well, narrates inter-
estingly and teaches children a good lesson in good will.

Legacy Books

Ike, Nixon Laud
Work of ORT

WASHINGTON, (J T A ) —
President Eisenhower, Vice
President Nixon and Secretary
of State Christian Herter lauded
the work of the ORT in mes-
sages sent to the opening ses-
sion of the four day national
convention of the Women's
American ORT. Ambassadors
and ministers of countries in
which the ORT operates at-
ended Sunday's convention
dinner.
World ORT leaders who ar-
rived here to address the con-
vention reported that in 1959,
over 40,000 youths and adults
received training in ORT cen-
ters. New information indicates
that more than twice that num-
ber, although they pass qualify-
ing exams, must be turned away
because pr es e n t facilities,
budget limitations, and currency
devaluations inhibit the opera-
tion of ORT centers and pre-
vent expansion to meet grow-
ing demands.
- A special resolution presented
to the convention would pro-
vide for a new project of the
Women's American ORT ex-
panding ORT activities to pro-
vide additional training. World
ORT leaders here for the con-
vention are Dr. William Haber,
president of the central board
of the World ORT Union; Max
A. Braude, director general of
the Union; F. F. Schrager, di-
rector of ORT in France; Jacob
Oleiski, director of Israeli ORT,
and B. Wand-Polak, director of
ORT in Morocco.
Pr esid en t Eisenhower, , ex-
pressing pleasure in greeting
ORT, said in his message that
"the achievements of your or-
ganization, based upon the
sound philosophy of 'helping
man to help himself' have been
of direct benefit to many around
the world: With a broad pro-
gram of technical education and
vocational training, you help to
advance the welfare of man-
kind."

Bennett Cerf's New Venture
As the titles indicate, these
A
new
venture
in children's books is Random House's
are two intriguing subjects. Per-
etz was one of the greatest liter- latest additi6n to many of its enterprising publishing ventures
ary figures of the latter part of —the Legacy Books.
The first 10 of the Legacy books attest to the originality
the last century and the first 14
years of the present. He was a of the scheme and the desirability for the series. • -
Included among the first Legacy Books is John Gunther's
leader and a writer, an inspirer
of our people and a man of cour- "The Golden Fleece." The eminent world traveler and author
age who gave the Jews in Poland deals here with an ancient Greek town and an heroic crew. It
is a splendidly told story. So is Maurice Dolbier's "Paul
courage to carry on in the face Bunyan."
of many obstacles and tragedies.
. The other new Legacy Books are: "Cupid, the God of Love,"
Mrs. Rothchild, who has by Frances Winwar; "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," by
had a splendid Jewish back- Anne Terry White; "The Voyages of Ulysses," by Clifton Fadi-
ground and has a good record man; "The Trojan Horse," by Shirley Baker; "The Gods of
I. L. Peretz
for published articles, traces
Mount Olympus," by Robert Penn Warren; "Thor's Visit to the
the Peretz story to its very beginnings. She describes the
Land of the Giants." by Nancy Wilson Ross; "The Sword of
young Isaac's craving for knowledge, his inquisitiveness, his
Siegfried," by Katharine Scherman; "Robin Hood," by Orville
Prescott.
desire to write.
Pertz had a sad life. His first marriage was most unhappy.
All the books are splendidly illustrated by able artists.
As the reader must already have gathered from the titles
His wife was Uncooperative. She left him and later secured a
divorce. Out of that marriage was born a son who made Peretz's of the new series of books, the Legacy tales are old and endur-
life equally unhappy by adhering to the stubbornly antagonistic ing legends, retold by noted authors for the children of today.
practices of his mother.
The retelling of old tales has special merit. For instance,
There was a second marriage that was congenial and happy. the young reader will know what people speak of when they
But it, too, was marred: by childlessness.
say "fifth column" after reading "The Trojan Horse" that is so
The great value of "Keys to a MagicDoor" is the light it well related in Shirley Barker's story.
throws on life of Jews in the Polish ghetto and the influence
Legacy Books is one of the brainchildren of Bennett Cerf,
that was exerted by Peretz upon an unhappy people. His name president of Random House. The first creations in the new
was a light to his people. They followed his leadership and series already augur well for the enterprise, whose success we
they honored his work.
predict and for which we congratulate Bennett Cerf and wish
He was a successful lawyer, until the Russian authorities him well. Cerf's views on his new venture are wrapped in
prohibited him-from pursuing his practice, on the charge that enthusiasm. He has written us in part:
he was engaged in revolutionary activities. At one time he
"Random House is launching a new juvenile series this
served a three-month jail sentence on that charge.
fall that is very close to my heart. The series will be called
Pertz's genius was in his story-telling, in his linguistic
Legacy Books and it is dedicated to presenting exciting brand-
knowledge, in his indefatiguable activities in behalf of the
new versions of the world's greatest and most enduring myths,
downtrodden.
legends and folk tales.
There were 150,000 people at his funeral. It was one of
"In my opinion, Legacy Books should be just as popular
the tributes paid him by an admiring community of followers. as our Landmark and Allabout series. We realize full well here
Mrs. Rothchild's story is for children. But adults will enjoy that the emphasis today is all on books of science and fact,
reading it, and they should especially read it in order to inter- but boys and girls can still thrill, I feel sure, to the wonderful
pret its important meaning to the next generation.
stories of imagination, heroism and wild adventure that have
Bernard Krigstein drew many interesting illustrations for been handed down from generation to generation. We have
the "Keys to a Magic Door."
backed this .conviction by persuading ten authors of top rank
to do our first list of Legacy Books: Robert Penn Warren, John Israel Ups Trade
The story of Aboab is entirely different. It is about a
Gunther, Shirley Barker, Clifton Fadiman, Anne Terry White,
personality in another world. Furthermore, the author had to
Nancy Wilson Ross, Katharine Scherman, Orville Pr e s c o t t, With All but USSR,
use her imagination to produce it.
Maurice Dolbier and Frances Winwar."
An explanatory note by Miss Hahn states: "Apologies are
Yearbook Reports
always in order when fiction has been .mixed with fact, as it
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—Israel-
has in this book. I would not have made the mixture if the The Looking Glass Library Series
Am( rican relations grew closer,
facts on record. had been plentiful enough for the story ; but
Another most interesting undertaking in the publishing of during the past year, and
they were not. Aboab did however • exist, of course. He did go children's books is the new Looking Glass Library, with offices
"active interest" of the United
to Brazil with his wife, and departed again after years of brave at 457 Madison, New York, which has Jason Epstein, Clelia
States in Israel's security was
struggle, which he described, in part, in a long poem. That is Carroll and Norman Podhoretz as editors and W. H. Auden,
again shown, according to a
all we know of his early days. The details of daily life in the Phyllis McGinley and Edmund Wilson as consulting editors.
review of the activities of the
colony, and the outline of politics that led to the first Jewish
The new Looking Glass Library books will be reprints of Foreign Ministry contained in
venture into the New -World, I found in three books: 'The classics in children's books. Published and distributed by Random the Government Yearbook.
Dutch in Brazil' by my husband Prof. C. R. Boxer, and 'The House; these books, several of which already have appeared,
Discussing Israel's relations
Marranos' and `Menasseh ben Israel' by Cecil Roth."
will be 224 to 448 pages in length and will have as many as 300 with Eastern bloc countries, the
In spite of the lack of available facts, Miss Hahn produced illustrations each. The books are sewn in -paper over boards and
article notes an improvement
a fascinating story. It dates back to the middle of • the 17th are popularly priced at $1.50. -
in relations with Poland and
century when the Amsterdam Jews sent Aboab to Brazil where
"The Blue Fairy Book" by Andrew Lang is an example of Yugoslavia, while the relation-
he served the Jewish community.
the excellence of the undertaking. It is a 448-page book, is ship with others remained satis-
The Dutch were defeated by the Portuguese in 1654, and
splendidly illustrated and contains classic selections that are factory.
loved by children.
Isaac Aboab then went back to Amsterdam. That was when 23
However, "attempts made by
of his community decided to try their luck in another part of
Other books that already have appeared in this series are Israel to renew trade relations
the New World and became the first organized Jewish com-
"Five Children and It" by E. Nesbit: "Wild Animals I Have and develop cultural relations
munity in the United States, having settled in New .York. Known" by E. T. Seton; "The Looking Glass Book of Verse," with the Soviet Union have not
Their story was related widely during the American Jewish
edited by Janet A. Smith, is an anthology of the best known elicited positive reactions from
Tercentenary celebration.
poems from the 16th to the present centuries, and "The Peterkin that country." During the past
Miss Hahn's book is well illustrated by Charles Walker.
Papers," the classic of American humor by Lucretia P. Hale.
two years, the report notes
Both the Peretz and Aboab books are splendid additions to
Israel's overall East European
the Covenant book series. Both the Jewish Publication Society
trade increased by 130 percent.
and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy are to be highly commended for
The review discloses that an
this effort. • -
unnamed Israel. envoy — pre.
*
sumably the Foreign Ministry's
'All on the Teani l
Oirie Book for Young Readers
Deputy Director General Maur-
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A tion before resorting to other ice Fisher—conferred with the
Among the new books for young boys and girls is "All On
the Team," by Frances Fox Sandmel, the wife of Prof. Samuel warning that Egypt's intraysi- measures."
new Pope "whose friendship
•
toward the Jews was demon-
Sandmel, Provost of Hebrew . Union College—Jewish Institute gence may ultimately compel
He
also
said
that
Israel
must
Israel to use force in order to
of Religion.
started by the change in the
•
secure
passage
through
the
Suez
not
go
through
another
Sinai
text of the prayers of Good
Published by Abingdon Press, ably illustrated by Sylvia
C
"However," he added Friday."
Roman, "All On the Team" is a story about Christian-Jewish Canal was contained in an ar- Campaign,
that "just as we are not to be
relations, about parents and children of both faiths who learn title by Shimon Peres, former limited in our choice of a par-
The review also points out
that the reunion of families
how to live together and cooperate, without entertaining thoughts Director General of the Minis-
try
of
Defense,
in
the
Jerusalem
titular
military
action,
so
we
of prejudice.
Post. will not back up .at the realiza- from Romania halted after the
Romanian g o v e r n m e nt pub-
Christian children are introduced here to Jewish holidays
"It would be the height of tion that political wisdom is not lished a statement attacking
and the Sabbath, as guests of their Jewish neighbors, and the
acceptable
to
Egypt."
stupidity to assure Nasser that
Israeli leaders" "for publications
Jewish children learn how a Christian church service is con- he may do what he pleases
Peres charged that, since the connected with Aliyah."
ducted and how much Judaism has influenced the Christian
while we sit by drawing purely Czech arms deal, the Soviets
faith.
Discussing the Suez blockade, -
verbal comfort from the United have sided with the Arabs "rob-
There is action in the story and there are friendly discus- Nations .Charter," Peres said. bing the United Nations of its the review points out that 41
sions among the children regarding their backgrounds. Often He stressed that "every oppor- ability to mediate and of the ships carrying Israel cargo
there is a squabble, especially in the selection of the baseball tunity and every means must be moral authority to demand the passed through the Suez Canal
between March 1957 and March
team or its operation.
exploited among the various implementation of international of this year, when Egypt began
It is through the ball team that even stronger friendships bodies concerned with this ques- agreements."
seizing Israel cargoes.

.

—

Warns Egypt on Compelling Israel
to. Use Force in Opening Suez Canal