Mid-East Playtime
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 Post Office, Detroit, Mich. under act of Congress of March
8, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher •
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
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City Editor
Sabbath Nahamu Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the sixteenth day of Ab, 5721, the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Peutateuchal portion, Vaethanan,, Deut. 3: 23-7:11. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 40:1-26. .
Licht Benshen, Friday, July 28, 7:37 p.m.
VOL. XXIX. No. 22
Page Four
July 28, 1961
The Tragic Status of Algerian Jewry
An Algerian Jewish merchant, describ-
ing the position of the Jews in Algeria,
recently told a correspondent of an Amer-
ican newspaper:
"Our status is that of neither fish nor
fowl. We are not really full-fledged
Frenchmen. Very few Jews become mixed
up with the `Algerie Francaise' ultras,
either. And yet, we do not know exactly
just what is to become of us if we remain
in an independent Algeria."
Westernized Algerian Jews thus find
' themselves in a great predicament. The
Moslem nationalists have asked the Jews
-to become citizens of an independent
Algeria and have assured them full rights.
On the other hand, the French have asked
that they remain under their protection,
as French citizens.
Thus, a minority in Algeria is in a
great dilemma, and because they are
Jews their status becomes all the more
uncertain and they remain in a state of
grave danger. The Moslems have inherited
an anti-Jewish feeling that has been in-
creased by the venomous propaganda of
the Arab League; and the anti-Semitism
that prevailed in French colonial military
ranks is a matter of record.
The Algerian Jews, therefore, are not
only "neither fish nor fowl": they also
are between the devil and the deep sea.
For many, the solution eventually
will be in emigration, Israel being the
only place they can turn to. But there are
loyalties among the Algerian Jews, dating
back many generations — many of the
Algerian Jews came to Algeria after the
Spanish Inquisition, in 1492—which will
keep them there, even under threats to
their lives, until the very end.
It is to be hoped that "the end" will
bring succor and that there will be a
peaceful solution to the problems of
Algeria. Meanwhile, the Jews of Algeria
are in a state of real danger, and•we pray
that "the end" envisioned will be one of
justice for them as well as the people
among whom they live.
Konvitz Traces Negro's Fight
for Rights to Biblical Ideal
"The demand that the Negro makes today is as reasonable as
that which Diogenes made of Alexander: 'Stand out of my sun-
shine!' ", Dr. Milton R. Konvitz de-
clares in "A Century of Civil Rights,"
published by Columbia University
Press. Dr. Konvitz, who is professor of
industrial and labor relations at Co-
lumbia University, reaches the con-
elusion that the slavery of the American
South is the harshest system of its kind
in history because "it left no hope for a
slave to become a freedman and for a
freedman to become a free man."
Collaborating with Prof. Konvitz
in writing this book is Theodore Leskes,
director of the legal division of the
American Jewish Committee, who wrote
four chapters—a study of "State Law
Prof. Konvitz
The situation as it exists today is far Against Discrimination."
Dr. Konvitz commences his theme by defining the status of
from bright in the Middle East. The Rus- freedmen
as contrasted with free men by declaring: "The neo-
sian position there is uncertain, and while Kantian philosopher
Hermann Cohen pointed out that it was the -
there have been differences between alien, the stranger, who
introduced to the ancient Hebrews—
Cairo and the Kremlin, the United Arab and thus to the world—the idea of humanity. It was not difficult
Republic still is being armed to the teeth to recognize a common humanity with one's kinsman, with a
by Soviet Russia, thereby adding to the member of one's tribe or nation; but the foreigner might be of
war threats in that entire area.
- another breed, another species. It was against the natural inclin-
Arab boy'cotts have proven harmful ation of men to see kinship in the alien, and so they had to be
to the interests of American seamen, and commanded constantly to love the alien, the stranger. This com-
it is no wonder that the National Mari- mandment in the Old Testament was probably the first acknow-
time Union, in order to protect the ledgment in history of a common humanity among all men, and, .
the same time, it was a recognition of man's strong disincli-
interests of American seamen and of free- at
nation to assimilate the stranger to his own kin or nation."
dom of navigation once again is threaten-
Leskes' study makes reference to the ruling against the Bob-Lo
ing measures to counteract the discrimi- company when Negroes were barred on its excursions in 1948. It
nations imposed by Nasser against anyone also mentions the case of the N. Y. Times' editing of discriminatory
dealing with Israel.
ads and the court ruling in favor of the newspaper.
A speedy solution to these problems
Among the historic statements quoted in Dr. Konvitz's conclu-
will go a long way in solving the interna- sions is a passage from the first Justice Harlan's dissenting opinion
tional pressures in the Middle East. A in the Berea College case in 1904. Justice Harlan then ruled in
firm stand is needed, and what is required support of the integration of Negro students in the Kentucky col-
is not only the retention of the clause lege, and stated:
"If the views of the highest court of Kentucky be sound,
opposing discrimination by the Arabs that commonwealth
may, without infringing the Constitution of
against Israel, in the foreign aid bill, but the United States, forbid
the association in the same private
also its strict enforcement.
school of pupils of the Anglo-Saxon and Latin races respectively,
or pupils of the Christian and Jewish faiths, respectively. Have
we become so inoculated with prejudice of race that an American
government, professedly based on the principles of freedom, and
charged with the protection of all citizens alike, can make dis-
tion consists in practicing in this and in coming
tinction between such citizens in the matter of their voluntary
generations a morally unassailable, h6norable,
meeting, for innocent purposes, simply because of their respec-
and loyal policy for the reconstruction of
tive races?"
Europe — to atone for what we contributed
Dr. Konvitz's analysis of the 100-year history of civil rights
through a criminal policy to the destruction of struggles, with emphasis on equality of treatment in public accom-
Europe. That is historical reparation. What we modations, housing, education and employment, offers a powerful
are paying the Jews today doesn't count for plea for justice for the Negro. He declares:
"The American people—through Congress, through the Supreme
much. And it won't bring the dead back to life.
In thirty years there won't be much talk about Court, through states' civil rights and fair employment practices acts,
it. But in thirty years we shall be asked, 'What through executive action affecting the military and civilian popula-
have you Germans done to make good your tion, and through a Civil War that was the bloodiest and costliest
debt to Europe? You opened the door to Bol- war in American historyhave rejected the slavery arguments for
shevism. You started the war that brought the the inherent inferiority of the Negro race. With the ending of
Russians to the Elbe. What have you done to slavery, a hundred years ago, there should have come an end to
make good the crimes you committed against the incidents and badges of slavery, concretized in racial segrega-
tion enforced by state law and custom. For these badges and inci-
Europe.' That is what they will ask us."
of slavery were based on • an immoral opinion of what human
Like his confreres in the present West dents
nature is. low Americans must still teach one another what it
German government, Straus accepts re- means
to be a human being. The choice is not between law as a
sponsibility for the Jewish sufferers from means and education as a means; for the law is itself a teaching
Nazism. The fact that he acknowledges a device and education is itself an enforcing device. The disagree-
debt to all of Europe confirms the sense ments are only superficially over the means. The•real disagreements
of indebtedness to all mankind. Are we are over the ends—the inclusion of the . Negro race in the corn-
to wait for an entire new generatioh to munity of citizens and in the communion of human beings. But in
arise as proof of Germany's total repudia- this instance; end and means are inextricably intertwined; for the
tion of the past crimes? Straus' inference Constitution, which is a law, demands that the school shall itself
a means and an end: that it be a demonstration of the ideal of
is realistic. It relates to the hope that be
equality, and that it contribute to the establishment of a society in
Germany's youth will be properly edu- which equality 'is a working ideal. The question that Ecclesiasticus
cated to reject every attempt at the re- asks about one's self can be asked also of a nation: 'Who will
vival of anything that is akin to Nazism. justify him that sirmeth against his own soul? and who will glorify
Unless the new Germany succeeds in this him that dishonoreth his own life?' As the Negro struggles for
task, all attempts at democratizing all of freedom from dishonor and freedom from indignity, he struggles,
too, to free America from dishonor and indignity."
Europe will be endangered.
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Foreign Aid Bill Must Counteract Bias
Many issues involving Israel and her
neighbors, the refugee and other prob-
lems are certain to be placed on the
agenda of the next session of the United
Nations General Assembly, in September.
Because the discussions at the UN
may be affected seriously by events in
Washington, it is to be hoped that there
will be positive approaches on issues in-
volving Israel in Congress and at the
White House.
At the moment, it is urgent that the
foreign aid measures should be adopted
by Congress. Our representatives in
Washington should be told of the com-
munity's sentiments in support of the
Kennedy foreign aid program.
,But our representatives in both
Houses of Congress also should be
advised to take a strong stand against
the Arab boycotts of Israel and of
American business firms trading with
Israei, thereby preventing discrimina-
tion by nations receiving American aid
against a friendly nation.
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What Future Hopes Out of New Germany?
A world crisis exists vis-a-vis Germany.
The East-West -conflict involves not only
the German Federal Republic and the so-
called East German Democratic Republic,
but also the Western powers, and espe-
cially the United States.
From England it is reported that there
is extreme caution, arising from mem=
ories of a tragic war and great opposition
to another world conflict. Our govern-
ment's position is firm on the question
of West Berlin's autonomy.
What does the future hold in store
for mankind, in view of the current
developments? George Bailey, Reporter
Magazine correspondent, writing from
Bonn, suggests that Franz Josef Straus,
who heads the German Ministry of De-
fense should be watched in the present
issue and he says of him: "He is the new
Germany!" He quotes Straus as having
told him in .a recent interview:
"There are three kinds of reparations to be
made—moral, material, and historical. Moral
and material reparations must be made to the
victims of the Third Reich, whether they were
Jews, Socialists, or Catholics. Whenever I speak
publicly I always give particular emphasis to
historical reparation. This is not to be paid
merely in books about the Third Reich or by
collective shame. Not at all. Historical repara-
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