THE JEWISH NEWS
De Gaulle to B-G: Shalom
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 Office, Detroit, Mich. under act of Congress of March
8, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Advertising Manager
Circulation Manager
FRANK SIMONS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the second day of Sivan, 572 0, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Bamidbar, NUM. 1:1-4:20. Prophetical portion, Hosea 2:1-22.
Shavuot Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: First Day, Wednesd ay, Ex. 19:1-20:23, Num. 23:26-31; Second Day,
Thursday, Deut. 15:19-16:17, Num. 28:26-31. Prophetical portions: Wednesday, Ezek. 1:1-28,
3:12; Thursday, Hab. 2:20-3:1-19.
Licht Benshen, Friday, May 27, 7:38 p.m.
VOL. XXXVII. No. 13
Page Four
May 27, 1960
Shavuot and the Mosaic Code
The great festival marking the Giving
of the Law to Israel has become an oc-
casion to celebrate graduations and con-
firmations. For the Jewish communities
everywhere, however, Shavuot is the Fes-
tival of the Torah, the event for re-dedica-
tion to Jewish spiritual living.
It is the festival that reminds us of the
great spiritual Mosaic Code, which has
become the guiding spirit for all faiths.
In an essay "Live and Let Live," Henry
George thus evaluated the Mosaic Code:
"The Hebrew Commonwealth was
based upon the individual—a common-
wealth whose ideal it was that every
man should sit under his own vine and
fig-tree, with none to vex him or make
him afraid; a commonwealth in which
none should be condemned to cease-
less toil; in which for even the bond-
slave there should be hope; in which
for even the beast of burden there
should be rest. It is not the protection
of property, but the protection of hu-
manity, that is the aim of the Mosaic
Code . . . Its Sabbath day and Sabbath
year secure, even to the lowliest, rest
and leisure ... the slave goes free, and
a re-division of the land secures again
to the poorest his fair share in the
bounty of the common Creator. A
reaper must leave something for the
gleaner, even the ox cannot be muzzled
as he treadeth the corn. Everywhere,
in everything, the dominant idea is .. .
`Live and let live.' "
"Even to the lowliest," the Code that
has become one of the basic ideals
handed down by Jewry to humanity, rep-
resents a legacy for all mankind which
we take into account as we observe the
Edgar O'Ballance, who served as a major in the British
Festival of Shavuot.
army in the Middle East and has travelled through that area
Major O'Ballance Sees Israel as
Future 'Sparta' of Middle East
Israel Philharmonic 's Visit Here Nov. 1
numerous times, and whose knowledge of conditions in Israel
and the Arab countries was shown in an earlier book, "Arab-
Israel War, 1948," is the author of an important account, "The
Sinai Campaign of 106," just published by Frederick A. Praeger
(64 University Pl., N. Y. 3). It is one of the most detailed
explanations of the Israeli war on Egyptian soil.
O'Ballance, who now is stationed in Derbyshire, does more
than give a day-to-day account of the Israel triumph. He. also
issues a warning against over-confidence by and for Israel in
the years to come. The following statements he makes in his
prof ice are worth taking note of:
Detroit will be privileged to be includ- pines and India.
ed on the itinerary of the Israel Philhar-
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
monic Orchestra, when it comes to this has an interesting history. It was organ-
country in October, thanks to the local ized in 1936 by the world famous violin-
Zionist Organization.
ist, the late Bronislaw Huberman. Its
The committee in charge of the annual first conductor was the late Arturo Tos-
Balfour Concert has arranged for the Is- canini.
"Whenever the 'Palestine Problem' is mentioned, Arabs
rael Philharmonic Orchestra to be the
The Israeli orchestra plays to over-sold
featured attraction at the annual Detroit houses in Israel—at concerts in Tel Aviv, point out that the Christian Crusader Kingdom was more
event, on Nov. 1, at the Masonic Temple. Jerusalem and Haifa—ten months in the powerful and covered, at its height, an area larger than does
Israel, and yet that did not last a hundred years.
Corning to this country under the aus- year. It conducts concerts in the numer- presently
They are convinced that the Jewish state will soon suffer the
pices of the America-Israel Cultural ous Israeli settlements and in the Negev, same fate and that the name 'Israel' will disappear from the
Foundation, with the first concert in the and the additional income it will derive map to be replaced with the old, familiar one of 'Palestine.'
seven-week tour set for Oct. 16 at the from its American visit will enable it to The Arabs are in no hurry and have a saying, 'Have patience
Metropolitan Opera House in New. York, expand its activities and to bring its con- and the body of your enemy will be carried past your door.'
the Israel symphony will have as conduc- cert to the music-hungry people of Israel.
"I mention these facts, for there may be a danger that
tors Carlo Maria Giulini, Eugene Or-
The Zionist Organization of Detroit is the Israelis will overestimate the value of their victory. I
mandy and Josef Krips. Whoever directs to be highly commended for sponsoring have tried to put the campaign, well conducted and executed
in Detroit, the event is certain to be one the Israel Philharmonic concert here on as it was, into its true perspective.
"If hostilities are successfully avoided, beyond all doubt
of the most festive on our calendar. -
Nov. 1. The date should be noted far in
Marking the 25th anniversary of the advance, so that the Israeli musicians may Israel will continue to live as a nation, sustained by World
Israel symphony, it is interesting to note receive the warmest welcome by a com- Jewry. Few - doubt that. But if the issue is to be decided on a
doubts must arise. However, if Israel heeds the
that the orchestra's American visit will be munity that will set the date aside, for a battlefield,
lessons of the Sinai Campaign it may develop into a `Sparta'
preceded by concerts in Paris and will _complete concert sell-out, with nothing of the Middle East, and there are indications that it is doing
be followed by a Far Eastern tour, taking else to interfere with the baruch habah to so." .
the Israeli musicians to Japan, the Philip- be given the eminent Israeli musicians.
In his objective account, O'Ballance shows how there were
-
Decent Political Campaign Code
From many indications the threatened
injection of religiouS bigotry in the pres-
ent Presidential campaign is subsiding.
But the prejudices, racial as well _as re-;
ligious, have not been • entirely -.erased...
There are rashes of bigotry that threaten
the unity of the American people.
It is important, therefore, that the ap-
peal for a fair 1960 campaign, issued by
the National Fair Campaign Practices
Committee should be circulated widely.
This committee, with the cooperation
of the major religious bodies in this coun-
try and the National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews, suggests a set of "stand-
ards for decent political campaigns." The
following is the code provided for candi-
dates by the National Fair Campaign
Practices Committee:
"I shall conduct my campaign in the best
American tradition, discussing the issues as I
see them, presenting my record and policies
with Sincerity and frankness, and criticizing
without fear or favor the record and policies
of my opponent and his party which merit
such criticism.
"I shall defend and uphold the right of
every qualified American voter to full and
equal participatiton in the electoral process.
"I shall condemn the use of personal vili-
fication, character defamation, whispering
campaigns, libel, slander, or scurrilous attacks
on any candidte or his personal or family life.
"I shall condemn the use. of 'campaign ma-
terial of any sort which misrepresents, dis-
torts; or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding
any candidate, as well as the use of malicious
or unfounded accusations against any can-
didate which aim at creating or exploiting
doubts, without justification, as to his loyalty
and patriotism.
"I shall condemn any appeal to prejudice
based on race, creed, or national origin.
"I shall condemn any dishonest or un-
ethical practice which tends- to corrupt or
undermine our American system of free
elections or which hampers or prevents the
full and free expression of the will of the
voters.
"I shall immediately and publicly repud-
iate support deriving from any individual or
group which resorts, on behalf of my can-
didacy or in opposition to that of my oppon-
ent, to the methods and tactics which I con-
demn."
The adoption of this code of standard's
can go a long way in eliminating bigotry
and in assuring fair play. and decent ap-
proaches in political campaigns. It is
urgent that this code should be put into
force and that a demand should be made
of all candidates to practice the code dili-
gently, and religiously.
some exaggeratfons in the descriptions of Israeli triumphs, but
in the main he describes the Sinai activities as a great credit
to Israeli genius and dedication to the task of protecting the
state's position.
.His background material shows how the Arabs had sent
trained fedayeen—suicide squads—to harrass Israelis, to murder
and to pillage, and how Israel finally went into the Sinai Cam-
paign to put an end to them, as she actually did. -
The Sinai Campaign is described ,as "Operation Kadesh; ' "
after the ancient city of Kadesh-Barna situated in the area
The tactics of both armies are evaluated.. The Israeli gains
and the Egyptian losses are noted in great detail.
"A number of factors contributed towards the Israeli sue-
cess," he writes. "Perhaps the main one' was the high standard
of leadership of the senior officerS, their knowledge of their
job, their drive and determination. All the Israeli officers, both
staff and regimental, were marked with a high degree of in-
telligence, which was not damped down by rigid plans and staff
tables, as is so often the ease in large armies today." •
"The 'chief reason for the Egyptian defeat," he points (Alt,
"was the quality of the-Egyptian officers;. their lack of ability,
lack of aptitude, lack of keenness, their poor morale and the
absence of any aggressive fighting spirit ; ."
While he states that "on the whole Israeli intelligence
was good and adequate," he points to some flaws—"in the
passing of information to the troops in the field," in the "mobil-
ity .problem . . . in places there was hopeless congestion and
muddle at times . . ." But, "in spite of them, Operation Kadesh
was without doubt a brilliant 'command performance.' "
Evaluating the events since 1956, O'Ballance declares: "The
conclusion one must come to is that Israel can only survive as
long as the West takes an interest in her well-being and is
prepared to help her against aggression. S'hould the West cease
to do so, then Israel's future will become uncertain. Should
the status quo continue there is a distinct probability that Israel
will in the future develop into a 'Sparta' of the Middle East."