THE JEWISH NEWS
A New School Year Begins
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English—Jewis h 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 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 Ha-azinu Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the thirteenth clay of Tishri, 5722, the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentatenchal portion, Dent. 32:1-52. Prophetical portion, II Sam. 22:1-51.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Sept. 22, 6:12 p.m.
Sukkot Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: Monday and Tuesday, Lev. 22:26-23:44, Num. 29-12:16. Prophetical
portions: Monday, Zech. 14:1-21; Tuesday, I Kings 8:2-21.
Licht Benshen, Sunday, 6:09 p.m.
VOL. XL. No. 4
Page Four
September 22, 1961
Max M. Fisher's Courageous Action for Unity
To Mr. Max M. Fisher goes the entire Mr. Fisher and to his committee for a
community's appreciation for having valiant task in the direction of peace.
averted a crisis resulting from the Jewish
Given time for proper and dispassion-
Community Center's plans for Saturday ate discussion, there is reason to hope
afternoon programs.
and to expect that an agreement will be
There were tensions among contend- reached that will serve the best interests
ing forces in the community that threat- of Detroit Jewry.
ened to disrupt our unity.
This community, together with Amer-
It was inevitable that out of a strong ican and world Jewries, faces many seri-
division of opinion over the issue there ous problems this year. The world ten-
should emerge contending forces who sions aggravate Jewish situations in many
seemed unyielding in their demands re- areas. There will be need for unified
lating to the type of programs to be action by all of us in support of the
conducted on the Sabbath, or whether causes that cry out to us for help and
such programs should be sanctioned cooperation. We can not afford to have
under any circumstances.
even a single community in Jewry that
Acting public-spiritedly, Mr. Fisher is to be split asunder by internal frictions.
undertook the selection, of a committee
We can least of all afford it in the
that devoted itself to the task of meeting Detroit
Jewish community. The coopera-
with the differing groups in an effort tion of all
elements is needed on inter-
to arrive at a compromise. .
national
issues
in support of the
He stepped into the picture in a time local movements and
—
education,
of crisis, and he is helping solve that crisis. recreational and social service. spiritual,
It is apparent that all factions yielded
to Mr. Fisher's entreaties and • consented Mr. Fisher has acted to assure such
to negotiate in orderly fashion, in the unity. A grateful community undoubtedly
hope of attaining amity in the Center and will affirm our contention that grateful
retaining peace in the community. appreciation is due him for wise, prompt
The entire community is indebted to and courageous action.
Biblical Interpretation, Tales
for Adults in Rosenberg's Book
The Bible as a source of inspiration, as a basis for self-
understanding, as a library of books devoted to religious teach-
ing, is the thesis of the new book by Rabbi Stuart E. Rosenberg,
of Toronto, in the volume just published by Longmans, Green &
Co. (119 W. 40th St., N.Y. 18), under the title "The Bible Is
for You — Our Biblical Heritage Reconsidered."
Rabbi Rosenberg deplores the fact that "the Hebrew Bible,
in our day, remains a closed book for most average adults."
He states that "they recognize its value as a religious textbook
for children, and often encourage their young ones to learn
well its 'tales.' Few of them, however, get to know the Bible
as a source of knowledge about human nature, as a resource
for better understanding of themselves. The Bible thus sur-
vives today at the edges of two extremes: as a book of religious
instruction for children, and as a mine to be quarried by a techni-
cian — the scholar-specialist. The average man, however, has
precious little contact with it in an intimate, existentialist fashion."
It is to close this gap that Rabbi Rosenberg has written
On two successive days last week, in with publicity-hungry representatives of
both of our local daily newspapers, arti- organizations who are so anxious to "get this book. In it he examines and interprets the Old Testament
Iles relating to Israel and the Arab states space," — anywhere — that all they can from the point of view of modern scholarship. He makes a •
of
placed emphasis on the wealth of Jews emphasize is the monetary aspect of thorough examination of the Bible contents, lists the titles - for
Books and states that they would _have been lost
the.
who assist Israel. The regrettable impres- Jewish communal activities.
e im were it not for the historic fact that the ancient JeWs
sion that is left by such emphasis on Jewish organizations, including many all
"believed it to be the word of the ever-living God." -
money minimizes the moral issues at of our congregations, often display such
Rabbi Rosenberg expresses the view that "the Dead Sea
stake, the justice of the Zionist idea in- a greed for publicity in organs of a
Scrolls lend scientific evidence to the spiritual fidelity, the
hererit in the rebirth of Israel and the strange nature that they fail to show good painstaking
concern of those to whom the copying of Scrip-
creative efforts of an embattled people judgment in material they release.
ture was a religious act, not a secretarial or professional
On the broader sphere, in the interest chore."
that is struggling to retain its just rights
of keeping the wider community well in-
to national autonomy.
Translators and commentators are reviewed and explained
Such regrettable approaches by re- formed on what is transpiring in Jewish in a special chapter, in which the MidraShic method is explained
porters tend, in the long run, to weaken life, it becomes essential for those who and Jewish allegorical approaches are outlined.
the serious efforts that should lead to speak and act for Jewry to be well ac-
The author points to the influence of the Bible, the univer- •
peace between Israel and the Arab states. quainted with Jewish life and Jewish salizing the personalizing of it, and declares:
They serve to revive ancient libels hurled needs. Else, the blunders will multiply.
"When we regard Scripture merely - as history, we read it as
at Jewry that we have "all the wealth." If hurt to the community is to be history
and it remains dry as dust. When we consider Scrip-
In at least one of the instances re- avoided in the future, if a revival of anti- ture as being only the specific story of a single people—some-.
ferred to, the error in approach was that Semitic canards—such as "Jews have all thing Puritans obviously did not do—we can view it only from
of the non Jewish reporter who . fell the money"---is to be prevented, our own a distance, dimly and darkly; it has nothing to say to those..
prey to anti-Jewish propaganda. On many approaches should be on a very high, in- beyond the inner circle. The special role which the Bible plays
in the life of America, in contrast to the role, of Greece, Rome
other instances, it is possible that the fault formative and dignified level.
and the other vital forces in its history, is due to its living, on-
•
going influence. While they borrowed Hebraic ideas from Scrip-
ture, the early Americans did not see themselves as latter-day
borrowers, but rather as the modern Israel, standing in Israel's
Jewish tragedies are mounting rather the safety of the Jewish communities.
place, hearkening to Israel's God. They did not appropriate
A new pattern has been introduced in the ideas of the Bible, as they did those of Greece and Rome;
than decreasing, and the status of Alger-
ian Jewry is another indication of the the attacks that are being leveled at they were confronted by them in vital, direct, and, what was -
horrors encountered by our- kinsmen in Jewry: it is to abuse Zionists and the terns for them, real ways."
Delving into the theme of theology and psychology, Rabbi
Zionism in an effort to create a modern
Moslem countries.
The tragic occurrences of last week, bogey and in an attempt to remove from Rosenberg explains that: "Christian theologians, following Paul's
on faith versus good works, read the Hebrew of
in Oran, Algeria, provide cause for real the bigots the anti-Semitic label. Mean- emphasis
Habakkuk—emunah—to signify 'faith.' But the Hebrew Bible
while
only
the
creation
of
Zionism,
the
concern.
does not know the word 'faith' as theological belief—only as
It is true that there is a great measure State of Israel, is aimed at as the chief faithfulness to God, on the part of moral creatures. Man
target.
It
is
to
avoid
making
Israel
the
of satisfaction in knowing that young
lives faithfully; this is what makes him righteous. And he lives
Jews are able to organize self - defense victim that Jews must learn to under- within history—not beyond it . . . This is why the Hebrew will
units in order to prevent wholesale mas ; stand what is back of some of the new marry—`a man cleaves to his wife,' and a woman longs for a
sacres in the ghettos and mellahs, but in methods of attacking all Jews under the man (Gen. 3:16) and both seek `to be fruitful and multiply.'
the long run the problem becomes in- excuse that it is Zionism that is being So unusual is the bachelor that the Hebrew Bible has no word
for it. In all of Scripture there is no mention of a theme
tensified. In the instance of the Algerian opposed.
Meanwhile, also, it is only :Israel that familiar elsewhere—the tragedy of unhappy lovers who may not
troubles, Jews are caught between two
cauldrons — between the forces of the can provide refuge for the hundreds of come together."
The second portion of Rabbi Rosenberg's book contains
FLN which are bidding for Jewish sup- thousands who must seek escape from the "Tales
for Adults,"—"The Greatest Art" (the Epic of the Crea-
port while failing to provide complete lands of persecution which now are tion), "The
Moral Punch Line" (commentaries on the stories
mainly
the
Moslem
countries.
Jews
every-
protection for the Jewish population, and
of Rebecca,' Jonah, Jacob, Joseph), "These Are the Names"
the French forces which also are flirting where, in their desire to provide proper (about a number of the Biblical heroes), "Fathers and Sons,"
assistance to the oppressed and those who "Brothers," "The Failure of Success" and a concluding chapter,
with Jewish sympathies.
There seems to be no immediate solu- must seek havens of refuge from degra- "Endings That Are Beginnings" which appropriately closes this
tion to the problem, but it is certain that dation, must be prepared to face the interesting book with the admonition: "The opportunity to
the influence of Nasser and the Arab issues realistically and to be ever ready start again, to turn toward God, is always open to man." Thus,
League in Moslem countries is a contrib- to be of help to those who now face so Rabbi Rosenberg has composed a strong religious thesis served
to inspire faithful living, through Biblical knowledge.
utin2' factor towards increased threats to many grave dangers.
Our Spokesmen Must Be Fully Informed
Algerian Jewry Between Two Cauldrons