THE JEWISH NEWS Back to W ork! 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 titt SYNAGOGUE ACTIVITIES City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the fourteenth day of Elul, 5721, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our .synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Ki Tetze, Dent. 21:10-25:19. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 54:1-10. Licht Benshen, Friday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. VOL. XXXIX. No. 26 Page Four August 25, 1961 Important Lessons in Israel's Election A large segment of Israel's popula- tion was disillusioned by last week's elec- tion and apathetic to it. Many believed it to be unnecessary, having been occa- sioned by a shocking -scandal involving the country's security. It had been felt that the Lavon affair should not have been given the notoriety it received, and its emergence as a great Israeli issue was attributed to the stubbornness of Israel's leaders. The election results did not bring much more power than was originally possessed by the combined forces of the Progressives and the General Zionists, and the loss sustained by Mapai was only a mild rebuke to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. However, it gives greater bargaining power to the laborites and the religious elements with which Ben- Gurion undoubtedly again will form a new government, and the Liberal General Zionists, who might have been counted upon to exert much-needed influence in the government, remain, together with the Herut, the critical opposition forces upon which Ben-Gurion's opponents must count for guidance whenever they dis- approve of the powerful Israeli leader's policies. It was not at all surprising that the Communists should have gained two seats in Israel's Knesset. Their strength comes from Arab ranks, and the defection of Arab voters from Mapai towards Com- munism should give Israel's leaders seri- ous cause for thought regarding a threat- ening internal problem. Resort to Commu- nism comes from dissatisfaction, and no amount of explaining or boasting about alleged Arab loyalties or the immense amount of benefits accorded them will solve the problem. Thus, Israel's election has brought to the front the realities of existing issues. A wholesome community can not possibly continue to prosper under conditions of constant granting of concessions to mi- nority parties whose votes are needed to sustain a coalition. Israel already has made progress in the reduction of the number of parties from more than 25 to the 14 whose candi- dates contested for election last week. Perhaps there will be further reductions in the course of time, thus bringing the contestants down to possible working majorities. Then it will be reasonable to expect that unnecessary privileges will be avoided, that it no longer will be neces- sary to have every party represented in international delegations and only func- tioning emissaries will be required to rep- resent Israel, and that hence there will emerge a political condition that will not tie the hands of a majority. The Lesson of the Millionth Settler In the midst of its stock-taking over in spite of his earlier reserved and con- 'the significance of the recent arrival of ciliatory attitude toward Israel. He may the one-millionth settler in Israel since be bargaining for the Arab votes at the Statehood, Israel must look ahead and United Nations on the Bizerte issue. In continue to operate an open-door policy any event, he now emerges as an ally of to assure a haven of refuge for the hun- the anti-Israel forces. The conditions in Communist coun- dreds of thousands who have yet to find secure and permanent homes, with Israel tries are well known. In spite of denials alone remaining as a welcoming area. of persecution,' as a matter of Communist In Morocco and in Algeria, in coun- policy of claiming opposition to anti- tries behind the Iron Curtain, existing Semitism, the Jewries behind the Iron situations are so trying, and at times Curtain live in constant fear of a repeti- menacing, that rescuers — for that is tion of the horrors that were perpetrated exactly- what ‘those who create homes for during the Doctors' Plot of January 1953. the persecuted are—must be on the alert. In the analysis of existing world con- As has been indicated in these col- ditions, at the World Jewish Congress umns on numerous occasions in the past executive's sessions in Geneva, this week, year, Algerian Jewry is in peril. If they the continuing "acute and difficult" posi- accept French citizenship, they incur the tion of the Jews in Soviet Russia was wrath of the FLN nationalists, and if they emphasized. It was indicated that "there remain Algerians under FLN rule their is a painful absence of any improvement" safety is, at best, temporary, in view of in the status of Russian Jews whose the Moslem threats to Jews wherever "enforced separation from their brethren they may reside among them. abroad" remains an element for deep Thus, more than 130,000 Algerian concern. Jews may, in the course of time, be corn- Similarly, in many other parts of the pelled to seek homes elsewhere, and only globe, the position of Jewish communi- Israel is ready to accept them. ties borders on despair, and the situation If the situation in Morocco is not is growing more threatening. worse, it is, at best, equally as serious The flight of "a large proportion of as that of the Jews in Algeria. Mass Cuban Jewry, once totaling 10,000," arrests, murders, the pillaging of Jewish adds to the global problems. While the homes combine to make Moroccan Jewry's World Jewish Congress report stated, status insecure. vis-a-vis Castro, that "we are satisfied Tunisia, too, presents a problem. that the regime in power is determined Severance of Tunisian postal communi- to suppress any form of racial discrim- cations with Israel adds to the tensions ination, ' the mere fact that half of Cuban resulting from Nasserism and Arab Jewry found it necessary to emigrate League pressures. Following Morocco's points to a serious problem that now example in severing postal relations with directly involves American Jewry. Israel, Tunisia has strengthened the posi- The need for emigration therefore tion of the United Arab Republic and the grows and will continue to grow in many Arab League in their boycott activities lands, and millions are affected by the against Israel. The boycott movement persecution hysteria. Only Israel can wel- certainly continues to mount also as a come them, and only the Jews of America result of the failure of American authori- can provide the means for resettlement. ties to prevent discrimination against That is why Israel is constantly alerted. American Jews. The latest Tunisian act That is why the occasion of the celebra- is proof anew that Bourguiba—in spite tion of the arrival of the millionth settler of the compliments paid him by World in Israel also is a time for stock-taking Jewish Congress leaders in Geneva this and for preparation for continued haven- week—has yielded completely to Nasser, building for unfortunate millions. Former Detroiter a Translator Amos Levi s Posthumous Work Describes Israel Army Life Amos Lev was 27 when he died at Umm al-Katef, in the Sinai Peninsula, Nov. 2, 1956. He had been called up for active duty with the Israeli reserves in the Sinai Campaign. His parents came to Palestine from Russia in 1923, and he was born in Tel Aviv, June 8, 1929. After serving in Israel's War of Independence, he joined a kibbutz, then taught school for two years, and in 1951 he became staff correspondent for the Israel army magazine Bamahane. He left a large collection Of reports and intimate accounts which describe life in Israel's army, and these despatches now form an excellent volume, issued under the title "With Plow- share and Sword" by Herzl Press (515 Park, N.Y. 22), together with Thomas Yoseloff (11 E. 36th, N. Y. 16). This splendid collection of little essays and brief news accounts was ably translated by Chayyim Zeldis, former De- troiter who has lived in Israel for several years, and David Goldberg. It has, additionally, a fine set of drawings by Feri Rosenfeld, who has illustrated this account of army life. The numerous incidents recorded here provide a look into the life of Israel's young soldiers, their manner of living, their reactions to the military developments. Amos, in his well-written reports, shows that he had a keen sense of observation. In spite of his youth, he understood human nature and was able to react splendidly to the ways of his associates. He has much to say about the life, activities and sentiments of the young girls serving in Israel's army. His book, however, is not limited to the army, as the title indicates. He wrote not only about the sword, but also about the plowshare. He described not only the battlefield, but also the agricultural fields in kibbutzim. An interesting chapter is devoted to the religious kibbutz. He relates how, in Hoftez Haim, a Poale Agudat Israel kibbutz, the settlers "build a life of Torah and work in a cooperative framework," how they "combine Torah and work," how even in the year of Shmitah the Jubilee Year—the rabbinical verdict for them, in time of crisis, was: "Plow and Plane!" And the settlers told him: "This means when there's a need, we'll find a solution." Amos Lev's despatches, which form the major part of the story incorporated in "With Plowshare and Sword," came from all parts of Israel, from Nahal Oz, which suffered severe tests from enemy attacks, and other strategic areas. A deeply moving postscript is appended to the book. It is signed by the author's father. The last message from son to father was to wake him at 7, on Oct. 25, 1956. It begins by quoting II Samuel 19:1: "Would God I had died for thee, 0 Absalom, my son, my son!" and it offers tribute not only to his own son, but to all of Israel's heroes. "If we live, it is because of our sons," he asserts, nevertheless repeating that he understands the lament of David for his fallen son Absalom, "Would that I had died in your stead . . ." "With Plowshare and Sword" is a deeply moving story of young Israel by a sabra who knew his land and his people. Gunther s Report on Jewry BY BORIS SMOLAR Editor, Jewish Telegraphic Agency The fact that there are today fewer Jews in Europe than before the war has substantially changed the face of several countries. John Gunther states in his new book, "Inside Europe Today," published by Harper . . . Gunther, who describes what Europe is like now as compared with the pre-war years, estab- lished that Hitler's killing of 6,000,000 Jews has left its mark on several countries, like Poland,. and several cities like Vienna and Berlin . . . They are now worse than they were before the war because of the lack of Jews, the author reports . . . A glow, a creative spark, a friendly leavening of earthiness and humor, have disappeared, he asserts . . . Gunther attributes the success of Israel to the many Jews who were lucky to escape from Ger- many to PaleStine before Hitler's mass-exterminations began and to the others who have left Europe for Israel since . . The losers were those countries where the Jews were killed by the Nazis as well as the lands from where the Jews emigrated to Israel after the fall of the Nazi regime .. . Gunther stresses that Hitler's annihilation of the Jews affected Europe - negative- ly . . . He believes that the young people in Germany have a feeling of shame over what Hitler has done to the Jews.