THE DETRO IT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, Ma rch 1 1, 19 60-2
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Purim Comedy: Why We Eat Hamantashen
BY DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright, 1960,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
the king himself.
signal honor!
What a
understand your remark — I
didn't get the hang of it."
"You will," said Esther, "but
It seemed to him as he made
Boy, was that an affair! For off to the queen's dinner that please don't stop eating. Here,
days, the Persian newspapers he had figured out everything let me pass you the cakes. Try
When it became known that the public schools of New York were full of it and everyone just right, but one little thing them. I think you wit/ like
were ordered closed on the Jewish Holy Days, the Pilot, 1 e
ed People crave a he hadn't figured out—that the them."
Haman tasted a hamantash.
Catholic weekly newspaper published in Boston, carried the was
little excited.
excitement — relief from queen was a Jewish girl. Mor-
"Wonderful," he said. •
following editorial:
the
daily
grind
and
King
Alias-
decal
had
told
her
not
to
say
•
"Do you know," said Haman,
"An announcement from the New York City superintendent uerus was certainly providing it anything about her religion.
of schools has indicated that the public schools of_ that city will with the feast to mark the third When they asked her about it, "that . is :truly. a. great honOr.
henceforth be closed on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. These anniversary of his reign. she had simply said she was a d,on't think I deserve quite -so
are of course religious holidays, and attendance on these days, Everybody who was anybody member of Hadassah. Hadassah much honor."
"0 yes," said Esther, "we
because of the absence of Jews, is very light. The superintendent in Persia was there. The royal was her Hebrew name, of
to you for
apparently feels that it is a waste of public funds to keep schools princes, the officers of the course, but they just took it as Jews are indebted
them."
open and so has ruled in favor of closing. armies, the governors of the a joke.
Haman looked puzzled into
"The news dispatch mentioned that schools in New York provinces, numbering no less When Haman came to the Esther's face. "Did I hear you-
were already closed on two Christian holidays—Good Friday than 127 over which HiL Majesty queen's apartment, Esther met correctly to say 'we Jews'?"
and Christmas. The reason for these closings are probably ruled. him at the door and escorted
"Why, yes, Haman, .1 am sue-
to his seat. I want you to
Imagine the sensation a few him
different than that of the new ruling, since Christmas is already
sit right next to me, so in case prised at you. Don't tell me you
a legal holiday and, we must suppose, that the Good Friday days later when the Persian I want to choke you, I won't didn't take me for Jewish?"
papers appeared with such have to reach out," she said
closing is out of religious reverence for the day not absenteeism.
Haman looked at the king:
headlines as "Queen Ban-
"Your Majesty, don't you think
"For our part we find the ruling a sensible one since so
smiling.
"Vashti Is Given
here?"
many of the students in that area are Jewish, and certainly fished," and
"Your Majesty has a delight- it's a little warm
*
*
Heel
When
She
Won't Peel."
there are no ill effects on the remainder of the community.
ful sense of humor," said Ha-
of how
The
papers
went
on
to
ex-
That's
the
true
story
Unfortunately, there will probably be some who will wish to
man.
Haman was full of praises for it happened. Haman's aides had
dispute the superintendent's right to do what he has done and plain that the king had been
will speak of 'separation of church and state' and any other displeased by the refusal of the the meal. "This goose is won- told him truly that Moses died
on the 13th of Adar, but as the
convenient phrase that comes to mind in these situations. These queen to "show her beauty." derful," he said.
"I hope to cook your goose rabbis pointed out, they forgot
people resent any concession to any religious group, or even an There was a lot of newspaper
comment. While some averred equally well," said Esther.
to tell him that Moses also was
apparent concession.
that the queen had shown com-
didn't quite born on the 13th of Adar.
"Your
Majesty,
I
"All of us have to learn to live with our neighbors of what- mendable womanly modesty,
•• . ..I. 1. 4m. o am.
o
, •■■ ■■ ens. ••■• ■ ■ ■•■•
ever religious and cultural tradition they may be. When adjust- there was a feeling also that
mow ° .aln. t 4•••o4IND. c .aw mew o lm., .1... tr.ww-o •■■=4
ments are required, which do not interfere with the rights of as a woman she should have
Boris Smolar's
others, we must make them with good will. The New York City obeyed her husband or all the
decision strikes us as the kind of situation where, if the roles women of Persia would soon
reversed, we would
ould expect understanding; we should be be wearing the pants and the
price of trousers would go up.
prepared to give it as readily."
It was a generouS editorial, from the point of view of the
After that, there was more
tolerance shown towards the rights of Jewish children to abstain national excitement when a
(Copyright, 1960,
from school activities on the holiest Jewish days of the year. nationwide contest was staged
Jewish Telegraphic_ Agency, Inc.)
But it certainly failed to contribute anything substantial towards to find a wife for the king. It
was something to see contestants
the problem of church-state separation.
Ben-Gurion's Visit
Merely to say that the "separation" argument offers a from all the many provinces at
One hears all kinds of speculations about the purpose of the
"convenient phrase" means evasion of the issue, which can not the boardwalk in Shushan.
-
be dismissed so easily. The basic principle involved in the When it was announced that an sudden'visit to the United States of Israel's Prime Minister David
American "separation" tradition calls for absolute avoidance orphan girl named Esther who Ben-Gurion. . . No one takes seriously the official announce-
of the fusing of religion with state matters, When schools legis- .had been raised by her cousin ment that he came merely to get an honorary degree from
late to close on a religious festival, they open an avenue for 'Mordecai was the winner, the Brandeis University . . It is obvious that whatever the real
similar regulations on all religious matters, and that is contrary joy was very great. There were purpose of Ben-Gurion's present visit is, his presence in this
country dramatizes for Washington the necessity of keeping
to basic American ideas. . . . . pictures of Esther and Mor-
Jewish children have a right to stay away from public decal in all the magazines and Israel in mind at the forthcoming summit conferences .. . The -
schools on their holy dayS and festivals, and _members of other Esther was offered 5,000 dinars suspicion exists that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who is
known for his animosity toward Israel, may come to -the
faiths have similar rights on their festive days: When the school's to endorse a .Persian rug. _ .
of-New York ruled for a general closing on Rosh Hashanah and - Then things got quiet again summit conference with plans for imposing a peace. in the •
Yom Kippur it was as a convenience for teachers and pupil, and some of the people of Per- Middle East . . . This would occur at a time during which- the
Russians, Poles and Czechs have been supplying Egypt and
since , SD, many classes are emptied in the thickly , . populated sia began to - talk of much other Arab countries with the most up-to-date weapons, and .
Jewish sections. But there are also sections in New York where needed reforms in the govern-
non-Jews predominate, and it is non-Jews as
ment. Haman, one of the poll- have been training the Arabs in their use. : -. Israel has recov-
. well that are affected tician
demagogues, figured to ered no arms in any significant quantities since the Sinai cam-
by an act to accommodate a single religious group. -
paign from the West and has never had any -arms from the
If, out of selfish benefits, the Jews of New York benefit counter them by a Jewish issue.
Soviets . . It thus stands to reason that Ben-Gurion will use
from the ruling, and if, at the same time, a wedge has thereby A hate program can always be
country to draw Wash-
been hammered into the "separation" idea, then the Rosh Ha- counted on to create excitement the opportunity of his brief stay in this
ington's attention to the danger of the increasing imbalance
and
confusion.
So
Haman
pro-
shanah-Yom Kippur school closing is undesirable. Meanwhile,
in the supply of arms between Israel and her hostile Arab
posed to kill the Jews.
the "separation" debate remains - moot, but the ideal is weakened.
*
Purim in Hebrew means lots. neighbors . . . The United States haS been refusing to sell
*
- of
Haman east lots on which day arms to Israel, while the Arabs are getting the latest types and
The Late James L. Devlin—Noble Christian
the massacres of the Jews weapons in tremendous quantities not only from Russia
For many years, the name of James L. Devlin was known should take place, and the lot her allies, but- also to some extent from the West . . . Egypt
among numerous nationality groups in Detroit as that of a man fell on the 13th day of the is reported to have 10 Russian submarines, while Israel - has
who understood their problems and their needs better, perhaps, month of Adar. His aides told only one which has been in use for some time, and another .
than any other local newspaperman.
him that this was very aus- on order . . . Egypt and Syria have about • 200 of the latest
He was a great reporter. While, in his later years, he was picious for it was also the 'day type of Russian jet fighters, while Israel . has only a few of
assigned to the Federal Beat of the Detroit News, he covered of the death of the great Moses, the latest Western models of this weapon . . Egypt's armor is
said to include at least 400 big Stalin and other tanks, and Jordan
himself and his paper with glory for more than a decade when the leader of the Jews.
has received $20,000,000 worth of U. equipment, including
he served temporarily as the News' religious editor and later
So everything was fine. He Patton
tanks . . . The danger lies in the possibility that the grow-
as reporter of cosmopolitan news happenings here.
had gotten the king's assent ing military strength of the Arabs may attempt them to risk
When he edited the religious page of the News, he befriended
to his plan and the occult a fight against Israel, especially if they would also feel that
the late Drs. Leo M. Franklin and A. M. Hershman, as well as auspices were favorable. And
the rest of the world would not move to stop them . . . It would,
other rabbis, ministers, priests, clergymen of all faiths.
to top it all, just at this time
Then came his role as a writer of news about the Detroit had came an invitation from therefore, be only normal for Ben-Gurion to draw Washington's
attention to this danger and to urge the U.S. to restore the
nationality groups. He came very close to the Jewish community
Queen Esther to be present
when he covered the first visit in Detroit of the late Dr. Chaim at a dinner at which the only balance of arms between Israel arid the Arabs by selling weapons
of arms to Egypt and Syria.
Weizmann, who spoke in Yiddish before a huge gathering at the
other inan present would be to Israel to offset Moscow's supply•
* * *
Arena Gardens. Jim didn't understand a word of Yiddish, but
from that evening on he studied the Zionist idea, became a close
friend of Zionism and admired the aims of those who labored in rael Bond Conference took place Behind the Scene
Talks now going on between the Jewish Agency and Ameri-
behalf of the Jewish National Home. As a patriot of the move- at a time when Arabs' again
were
threatening
Israel,
when
- leaders on the formation of a joint American body
can
Jewish
ment for Irish independence, he understood the values of the
our own Government was giving to determine the spending of funds raised in this country for
aspirations of Jews for freedom for their kinsmen.
and
On the Federal beat, he befriended Judges Charles C. encouragement to nations who Israel may - drag for some time . . . There are conditions
- that the bar-
Simons and Theodore Levin, as well as the other jurists in the are refusing to accept Ameri- counter-conditions, and indications point to the fact
cans of the Jewish faith who are gaining will continue for weeks to come . . . Meanwhile, political
U. S. District Court.
being
sent to them on military organizations in Israel which have received allocations from the
A genuine cosmopolitan, he was one of the organizers of
and
economic
missions. His Mi- Jewish Agency for a number of years for their agricultural set-
the Society of the Occident and the Orient, whose membership
ami
speech
was
an occasion to tlements, expect they will not get such allocations next year .. .
at one time counted newspapermen, from more than 20 countries.
They are now discussing the possibility of conducting a joint
He was a devout Catholic, a genuinely religious man, an ex- speak out against the condoning
fund-raising campaign of their own in the United States . .
cellent reporter, a man without bias. Those of us who knew him . of two classes of citizenship for Whether such a campaign has any chance for success is rather
Americans
insofar
as
backward
will always remember this inspired man -who inspired us with
doubtful . . . Dr. Goldmann stresses that in return for allocations
his sense of justice and fair play and his ability to work with all and bigoted countries are con-
—which total about $2,000,000 a year—the organizations have
faiths and people from all nationality backgrounds on the highest cerned. He could have said surrendered their right to carry on independent fund-raising
something in condemnation of
level of dignity.
* *
the threats that are continuous- campaigns throughout the world .. . He points out that the al-
ly heard against Israel from locations have thus been instrumental in strengthening the
Miami
Speech
Former President Truman's
many quarters. Instead, he de- United Jewish Appeal campaign . . . He also makes it clear that
Leo Mindlin, the able . executive editor of the Jewish Flori- livered, as Mindlin properly in- the Jewish Agency is fully satisfied that the work of the organ-
dian, Fred K. Shochet's fine English-Jewish weekly published , in
dicates, - a dull speech. Perhaps izations which received the allocations is of a bona fide philan-
Miami, while paying deserved honors to former President Harry his Jewish advisers are to blame thropic nature and has contributed greatly to the . integration
S. Truman, was critical, in his column last week,,of the hastily-. for their failure to guide him of many immigrants in Israel • .. However, he agrees to abide
composed, insignificant observations" made by the former Presi- properly. Because he did not by any decision the UJA leaders may take on this matter
dent in his address at the Israel Bond Conference.
I rise to the occasion and did not Incidentally, the Jewish Agency is allocating funds also to the
Mindlin justifiably comments that "if Mr. Truman considered
resort to the "fire and brim- Weizmann Institute, the Hebrew University and other Israeli
the occasion uninspiring, it would have been more honest to beg stone" he utilized at the Demo- institutions in order to prevent them from conducting indepen-
off than dully to repeat the Tigris-Euphrates-Nile Valley plan he cratic Party meetings in the dent fund-raising drives in the United States . . . They, too, have
offered in Miami in 1957." The fact is that this plan originally
same city, Mindlin's criticism been informed by the Agency that the allocations arrangement
was proferred by President Hoover. Mr. Truman has advocated
may not be renewed for 1961.
i
it with earnestness and dignity on several occasions. But the Is- was justified.
The Moot Question of Church-State Separation
Between You
... and Me'
-
i