Mazal-Tov, Bar Mitzvah Boy !

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspaper, Michigan Press Association, National Edi-
torial 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 Po st Office, Detroit, Mich. under act of Congress of March
8, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG

Advertising Manager

Business Manager

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the sixth day of Iyar, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our
synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Tazria-Metzora, Lev. 12:1-15:55. Prophetical portion, II Kings 7:5-20.

Licht Benshen, Friday, April 21, 7:02 p.m.

VOL. X1OCIX. No. 8

Page Four

April 21, 1961

Israel at 13: Its Historic Role

Bar Mitzvah means more than mere
confirmation, in the religious sense of a
youth of 13 being consecrated to service
to his people. It also means approach
to adulthood, a step forward to maturity.
In the case of an entire people—in
the present instance of the State of Israel
—that nation's Bar Mitzvah Year, now
being inaugurated with the Yam Ha-
Atzmaut, the Independence Day of the
new natio n, it really represents the
celebration of maturity.
Israel began diplomatically from
scratch. Today it is a nation with high
standards, with highly trained statesmen,
with established government agencies
that match those of the most experienced
on earth.
Israel's great pride is that it is a
democracy in every sense of the word,
that it is governed by a duly elected
Parliament—its Knesset—and that all
its citizens, from the age of 18, regard-
less of sex or creed, or country of
origin, have voting rights.
Crises in government in no sense
shake the foundation of the new State,
as the frequent resignations of David
Ben-Gurion from the Premiership have
proven. There is a sense of confidence
that if Ben-Gurion should retire there
will be some one to take his place, and
the government of Israel will continue
to function.
Possessing a court system that already
is rooted in the highest traditions of
jurisprudence, Israel takes pride in its
efforts to assure justice for all its cit-
izens, and judicially as well as diplomatic-
ally the Jewish State has emerged as a
proud adherent to the highest ideals of
modern civilized society.
Israel is a small country. It is sur-
rounded by antagonistic neighbors — by
Lebanon and Syria in the north, the
United Arab Republic, as represented by
Syria, and Jordan on the East, and the
UAR in the monstrous role of Nasser's
Egypt, on the south. In spite of its small
size and in defiance of dangers from its
neighbors, the 13-year-old government
has prospered.
Having tripled its population, from
790,000 in 1948 to 2,128,000 in 1960,
Israel has shown rapid growth in many
areas. Its agriculture has doubled from
412,000 acres in 1948 to a cultivated area
of 1,100,000 in 1960. Its irrigation has
increased from 62,000 acres in 1948 to
340,000 acres in 1960, and • its water
usage from 250,000,000 cubic meters in
1948 to 1,400,000,000 in 1960.
The State's industrial production
was negligible in 1948. It was estimated
to be $1,070,000,000 in 1960.
Down the line, in every field of en-
deavor, Israel has shown growth and
continues to make progress.
Educationally and culturally, Israel is
on a high level. Its elementary school
attendance numbered 108,844 in 1948.
It was 600,000 in 1960. The number of

teachers increased from 5,964 in 1948 to
22,400 last year.
The educational opportunities are not
limited to Jews, but are being provided
to all of the country's residents. In 1948
Arab children's school attendance num-
bered 6,780. It rose to 42,700 last year.
It is no wonder, therefore, that there
is rejoicing in Israel on the occasion of
the State's 13th anniversary; and it is
equally not to be wondered at that
Israel's kinsmen share in this rejoicing.
Americ4n Jewry joins in this impor-
tant celebration. In our own community
the large community-wide observance in
honor of Israel'S Independence Day will
be marked by a public gathering at the
Jewish Center tomorrow night. It is an
event not to be overlooked. It is an occa-
sion for all of us to join again in extend-
ing our hands of friendship to a progres-
sive state that is lending glory to the
democratic ideals.
While joining in the celebrations of
this -historic Bar Mitzvah year, world
Jewry must keep in view the great role
Israel plays in efforts to rescue our
kinsmen whenever their freedoms are
threatened. In its May 14, 1948, Decla-
ration of Independence, Israel avowed:
"The State of Israel will be open to
the immigration of Jews from all
countries of their dispersion, will pro-
mote the development of the country
for the benefit of all its inhabitants;
will be based on the principles of lib-
erty, justice and peace as conceived by
the Prophets of Israel; and uphold the
full social and political equality of all its
citizens, without distinction of religion,
race or sex; will guarantee freedom of I
religion, conscience, education and
culture, will safeguard the Holy Places
of all religions; and will loyally uphold
the principles of the United Nations
Charter."
Having lived up to the ideas promul-
gated on the day of its founding, Israel
has earned from us the continued sup-
port it needs, in order to be able to serve
as rescuer of the oppressed.
While celebrating an anniversary we
must, therefore, also pledge renewed sup-
port to the State we salute on its Bar
Mitzvah. We must re-dedicate ourselves
to help this State in its striving for eco-
nomic security, by providing it with in-
vestment dollars, through Israel .-Bonds
and in whatever other ways we can come
to the State's aid; and by assuring the
assistance it needs -in welcoming new
immigrants—with the funds we provide
through the Allied Jewish Campaign.
The celebration of Israel's 13th anni-
versary calls for the strengthening of the
Israel-American p a r t n e r s h i p, for an
increase' in friendship and understanding
between the two Jewries. Having
attained that, the anniversary of Israel's
Independence will continue to retain
great significance on our calendar.

Portrait of a Faith and a People

Prof. Leon Roth's 'Judaism'

Prof. Leon Roth was on the faculty of the Hebrew Univer-
sity in Jerusalem for 30 years. He also taught at the University
of Chicago and Brown University. He is the author of important
monographs, an authoritative work on
the Old Testament and a book on
Spinoza.
His latest work, "Judaism—a Por-
trait," published by Viking Press (625
Madison, N. Y. 22) adds to his stature
as a great Jewish scholar.
He has chosen his sub-title appro-
priately. Judaism is, indeed, presented
as a portrait. He seeks and succeeds in
promoting "fresh thinking on the na-
ture of Judaism."
His approach to his subject is en-
tirely different from any other on
the same subject. Commencing his
theme by painting "the traditional
Dr. Roth picture," he proceeds to give "an
early systematic account" of Judaism's background and he
introduces "the first witnesses"—the early heroes of our
story—so that through them we learn that "a new type of
human being is envisaged to meet a new conception of human
ends."
Then the author deals with "The Composition." In this
section of the book the reader learns about the Hebrew Scrip-
tures, the Halacha and Aggada, the codification of Jewish law
and the literary works of great writers in the Middle Ages.
Dr. Roth proceeds to discuss "harmonies and discords," the
dogmas and enquiry into reasons, "disaffection and revolt" as
represented in Talmudic discussions.
The principles enunciated by Maimonides, the ethical teach-
ings in Judaism, metaphysical and historical studies are evalu-
ated. Comparing Jewish with Greek teachings, Prof. Roth points
to "an unbalance of terms: the Bible is a book, the Greeks a
people," and he states that a consideration of crucial importance
is suggested by the unbalance:
"Whereas the Greeks made philosophy, it is the Bible (or
rather the 'Torah,' that is, the Bible as selected and inter-
preted in the tradition) which made the Jews. The Torah is
not the product of the Jews as philosophy is of the Greeks.
It is the Jews which are a product of the Torah . . • For the -
Jews are the bearers of a message about the nature of God -
and his requirements from man, and it is the message which
matters. A letter should not be confused with the postman."
"The Outcome" of Dr. Roth's study—the concluding section
of his book—describes the prayer book, Judaism and the Jews
and the Jews in relation to Judaism. In the final chapter he is
critical of Mendelssohnian conceptions and pays tribute to Ahad
HaAm whose "greatness lay in his attempt to recall Jewry
to its ancient moral ideal which he identified with the morality
of the prophets."
The adaptation of Judaism to modern living is emphasized,
and Dr. Roth declares that "as God is found everywhere, so man
can live anywhere." His "Judaism" is convincing evidence of
the of Judaism to fit into modern life and to retain its
strength through Torah and its faith.

Books by Philip Goldstein,

Vatican Organ Perpetuates a Libel George Gamow in Paperbacks
What a sad state of affairs, that Titus themselves."

should now be exonerated for his crimes
against ancient Israel!
The article in Osservatore Romano,
citing the 'historian Tacitus who said that
"the Jewish people were so obviously
struck by divine punishment that it would
indeed have been an impious action to
spare them from destruction." And Titus
is further credited by the Vatican organ
with having been an expiator of the "hor-
rible crime" of crucifying Jesus with
which the Jewish people "had stained

By resorting to such dialetics, the
Vatican organ perpetuates an old libel
and resorts to hate-mongering that is
unworthy of the new attitude of liberality
that has been in evidence of late at the
Vatican.
This is, in a sense, a resort to pinning
"collective guilt" upon the Jewish people
for a crime that was committed by the
Romans who pursued a Roman practice
of crucifixion. Is it fair to ask the Vatican
organ "why renew the spread of hate?"

Two important books have been issued in paperbacks by
Viking press (625 Madison, N.Y. 22).
"Genetics Is Easy," by Philip Goldstein, deals with basic
principles of heredity. Diagrams and charts, and the author's
sketches, explain Gregor Mendel's experiments, multiple effects
of heredity, approachs to race improvement, etc. Included is a
thumbnail biography of Gregor Mendel, original enunciator of
the basic principles of heredity, in 1865.
Facts and speculations of science are incorporated in "One
Two Three . . . Infinity" by George Gamow. This paperback
is "a stimulating, witty presentation of the basic theories of
modern science, illustrated with photographs and the author's
own diagrams and drawings."