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
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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
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG
Editor and Publisher .
Advertising Manager
be
Circulation Manager
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-ninth day of Heshvan., 5721, the following Scriptural selections will
read in our synagogues:
Pentatezichal portion, Toledot, Gen. 25:19-28:9. Prophetical portion, I Sam. 20:18-42.
Licht -Benshen, Friday, Nov. 18, 4:50 p.m.
VOL. XXXVIII, No. 12
Page Four
November 18, 1960
Our Annual Jewish Book Fair
Books are again serving as the sym- tion that comes from the Book Fairs.
bols of our common heritage, as the It is on occasions such as our Book Fairs
media for unifying all Jews into a single that more people take into account the
Jewish community, and the annual Jewish acclaim to "The Book of Books" as
Book Fair, sponsored by the •Jewish Com- given by Walt Whitman in the following:
munity Center, serves to achieve this
"How many ages and generations
purpose:
have brooded and wept and agonized
Our Jewish Book Fairs, which have
over this book! What untellable joys
become veritable holidays, have attracted
and ecstasies, what support to martyrs
at the stake, from it! To what myriads
the co-sponsorship of many organizations,
has it been the shore and rock of safety
of men and women in all walks of life.
— the refuge from driving tempest and
The programs planned for these
wreck! Translated in all languages,
events have been marked with .so much
how it has united this diverse world!
dignity, and have been so informative and
Of its thousands, there is not a verse.
inspirational, that they have raised the
not a word, but is thick-studded with
standards of our communal programming
human emotion."
to a very high level.
It is, of course, our inherited rever-
A rich literature beckons to an in-
ence for books that has contributed in spired public during the Book Fairs, and
great measure to the advancement of -the the event assumes a holiday significance.
idea of a Jewish Book Fair, and it is this
This year's Book Fair has the added
reverence that inspires many who come to importance of serving to honor a great
the Book Fairs not only to buy books, lady, the late Henrietta Szold, the 100th
but to continue their: interest -in book anniversary of whose birth is now being
reviews, in authors and their publishers celebrated by Jews everywhere. It is not
and therefore in buying books and en- Hadassah alone—the important women's
couraging their widest circulation.
Zionist movement which she founded—
It was an eleventh century Jewish that takes note of the Szold anniversary.
scholar, Hai Gaon, who wrote in his All of our people, and many non-Jews
"Musar haSekhel":
who had the privilege of knowing her,
"To three possessions thou shouldst paid homage to her name and tribute to
look: Acquire a .field, a friend, almok."
her memory. The Book Fair's objectives
This is part of our tradition which are enriched by the dedication of the
admonishes - us to make our -books our opening night to honors for the leading
companfons, to treat them sacredly, to 'lady in Jewry in the last few generations.
bind them properly.
Bernard -Isaacs, the distinguished De-
There is a tradition also that tells us troit educator and short story writer, also
that when one is impoverished and must will be honored during the current Book
sell his possessions, he should dispose Fair, on the occasion of the appearance
first of his house and other properties, of his new book of Hebrew stories.
and of his jewels, and that he should
The 'primary honor, however, goes to
deprive himself of his library only as a the Jewish Community Center and its
last alternative.
staff and to the cooperating organiza-
"The Book of Books" is, of course, tions who are making the Book Fairs
the Bible, and the Bible, too, finds a place possible. It is thanks to their understand-
in our Jewish Book Fairs. It acquires ing of a community's literary wants 'that
new purchasers as a result of the inspira- such needs and aspirations are fulfilled.
Valuable Data About State and
Its People in Israel Year Book
"The 1960 Israel Yearbook," just issued by the Israel Yearbook
Publications, 41 Yehuda Halevi St., Tel Aviv, in cooperation with
the economic department of the Jewish Agency, contains the basic
material needed for an understanding of the major activities of
the Israel government and its numerous economic, legal, educa-
tional and other departments.
Prepared under the editorial direction of Dr. L. Berger, editor
in chief, A. Hirshberg, R. Levin and Shalom Yedidyah, this 300-
page volume incorporates also the Palestine Yearbook and Israeli
Annual, formerly published by the Zionist Organization of America
and the Anglo-Palestine Yearbook formerly published in England.
In view of the large number of American investors in Is-
rael's economic projects, the 20 pages devoted to the text of
the "Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments" will
prove especially valuable.
While this is a "year book" with facts about the state, it is
of unusual interest to note that the book opens with an evaluation
of the goVernment's "central objectives," outlining the basic prin-
ciples. of its program, such as: Support of world disarmament plans
and 'proposal of non-aggression pacts, achieving economic inde-
pendence while bringing Jews to Israel from countries where they
are in distress, vocational training, populating empty areas, and
other aspirations.
Finance Minister Levi - Eshkol describes Israel's economic
progress in one of the leading articles, and a four-year industrial
plan is explained — indicating concessions to investors — by
Minister of Commerce Pinhas Sapir. A summary of financial pros-
pects is giVen by David Horowitz, Governor of the Bank of Israel.
The head of the economic department of the Jewish Agency,
L. Dultzin, suggests possibilities of encouraging middle class im-
migration to Israel. An industrial and absorption program is
presented by Dr. Berger, and absorption of middle class settlers
is eiplained by .E. Akabas.
Communications and transport, the legal system of Israel, de-
must be arrived at on a bi-partisan basis. velopment of statistical methods, descriptions of the food and chemi-
industries. and agricultural production are outlined in special
But since the Democratic party is in cal
articles. .
power, and since its declaration, as em-
There are important essays on archaeology, educational and
bodied in its party platform, was consid-
erably stronger than the Republican cultural programs. the film industry, demography, tourism and a
score of other subjects.
plank, we must refer back to it. -
Abba Eban has written an articleon "Science at the Service
The Democratic plank promised to of Young
Nations." Walter Eytan, Israel's Ambassador to France,
"work for guarantees to ensure indepen- describes "Israel-Arab Relations." The Israel Stock Exchange and
dence for all states." It called for "direct other functions are evaluated in this important year book.
The Election and the Platforms
The historic 1960 Presidential elec-
tion accomplished one thing: it ended, we
hope for all time to come, the attempt
to make a candidate's religion the test
of his qualifications for office. The elec-
tion of a Catholic makes it easier to judge
the issues on their merits, rather than on
the religious faith of the man who is now
the people's choice. •
There were a score of other develop-
ments in the campaign that ended with
the election on Tuesday that should cause
people to think seriously about our many
problems, foreign and domestic.
Among the major issues facing our
nation and the world at large is the one
affecting the Arab-Israel struggle in the
Middle East. Both candidates agreed on
the need for speedy action to effect peace
in that area. President-elect John F. Ken-
nedy went farther than . his' opponent, on
the eve of the election. He said he would
withhold aid from a nation that engages
in warfare against another nation receiv-
ing similar aid from the United States.
Vice President Richard M. Nixon was
more cautious in his attitude. He said he
does not favor the imposition of economic
sanctions upon nations and that he is
anxious to strive for peace.
The new administration will be faced
with just that task: the search for peace
in the Middle East. Both parties have
gone on record in favor of strona defen-
b recog-
sive action for Israel. Realists must
nize the fact that any approach to a just
solution of the Middle East's problems
Arab-Israel peace negotiations.'!_ It urged
continued economic assistance to Israel
and the Arab states and pledged "best
efforts for peace in the Middle East by
seeking to prevent the arms- race while
guarding against the dangers of a mili-
tary imbalance resulting from Soviet arms
shipments."
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It now remains to be seen what the
next administration will do to help put
an end to the Arab boycott of Israel
and the Arab potentates' warlike actions
against Israel.
Solutions may not be so easy .td at-
tain. They will call for bi-partisan con-
sideration. They demand cooperation
from both parties.
We pray that the new President
should be given strength to carry on the
serious duties that face him., We hope,
at the same time, that he will be able to
put into. practice the assurances he gave
during the campaign that he will strive
for a Middle East peace and that he will
oppose boycotts, recriminations and at-
tempts to violate freedoms, including
freedom of the seas.
Dr. Moses Hadas' Translation
of Zabara's 'Book of Delight'
One of the great classics of the 12th century has just been
issued in a paperback by Columbia University Press; in a trans-
lation by Dr. Moses Hadas, distinguished Hebrew and Greek
scholar.
"The Book of Delight" by Joseph ben Meir .Zabara, one of
the leading Hebrew scholars of his time, is accompanied by. an
explantory introduction in which Dr. Merriam Sherwood pre-
sents the background of Zabara's time, his works and the signifi-
cance of the philosophic author of the Middle Ages.
The significance of Zabara's descriptions of his travels, of
his experiences, his narrations are skilfully depicted by Dr. -
Hadas, who believes this is "the only complete translation in a
European language with the exception of a Catalon version
published in 1931."
Dr. Hadas also has included in . this volume translations
of Zabara's "The Seats of the Soul" and "Dedicatory Discourse
to Rabana Sheshet ben Beneviste. An extensive bibliography
assists the students of Zabara's works in further study.
Two other paperbacks just issued by Columbia University
Press are: "Paths of Loneliness—The Individual Isolated in Mod-
ern Society" by Margaret Mary Wood and "The Biological Basis
of Human Freedom" by Theodosius Dobzhansky.