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
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
Editor and Publisher
SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the twenty-seventh day of Tishri, 5722—Sabbath Be-reshit—the following
Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 1:1-6:8. Prophetical portion, Is. 42:5-43:10.
Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, Tuesday and Wednesday
Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 6, 5:47 p.m.
VOL. XL, No. 6
Page Four
October 6, 1961
Ben-Gurion's Glorious 75th Birthda
In spite of the difficulties he now en-
counters, during an interim in the forma-
tion of a new Israeli government, David
Ben-Gurion is at the height of his glory
at this time, on his 75th birthday.
It is no wonder that the heads of many
governments and leaders in all walks of
life in many lands, including his own
people, are acclaiming him on this im-
portant period in his life.
At 75, Ben-Gurion remains a strong
man. He has solidified his people's activi-
ties during the 13 years of Statehood he
helped create. It was thanks to him that
Israel's military strength has been solidi-
fied in order to provide the security the
embattled nation needs under existing
circumstances of threats from hostile
neighbors.
There are many positive aspects in
Ben-Gurion's car e e r. He aspires for
cultural values and he has acquired them
through the progressive school system
and the higher institutions of learning.
He seeks the cooperation of the nations
of the world and is succeeding in cement-
ing the most wholesome international
relations.
Thanks to Ben-Gurion and his associ-
ates, there are the friendliest relations
between Israel and the West, and especi-
ally with the United States. Ben-Gurion,
at the same time, has assured the reten-
tion of amicability also with the East and
with Soviet Russia.
Ben-Gurion aspires for peace. He has
not succeeded in attaining it, and amity
with the Arabs still appears remote. But
he is a man of deep-rooted hope, and
there is good and justifiable reason for
believing that in 20 years, as he has said,
peace will be restored to the Middle East
through friendly agreements between
Israelis and Arabs.
Recognizing the difficulties for the
entire world in the existing cold war .be-
tween the East and the West, Ben-Gurion
is not blind to reality; yet, he contributes
towards peace by striving for it.
The policies that were instituted by
Israel towards friendly relations with the
Asio-African states is an indication of the
trends in his government, and Israel,
thanks to Ben-Gurion, may eventually be
a leader in the efforts to attain a common
understanding among all races.
Ben-Gurion is presently out of power.
He may be succeeded by someone else in
his party in the Premiership of Israel.
But his influence continues to be felt and
he remains his country's strong man.
It is unfortunate that there is now
internal strife in Israel and that a Fifth
Column should be in evidence among the
Israeli Arabs who are benefiting to vast
degrees from Israel's progress. But even
in dealing with internal foes the strength
of this man of 75 is being felt. No nation
can afford to be undermined by internal
strife, and Ben-Gurion shows his determi-
nation when he insists upon full protec-
tion for his state and his people.
Even his political opponents recognize
that Ben-Gurion represents the most
effective and most vital force for the
fusing of his nation into a fully coopera-
tive entity. Whether it is the religious
element, with whom he has worked
amicably during the 13 years of his
country's independence, or most of the
other political parties in his government,
he has acquired solidity in time of crisis.
It is no wonder that all Israelis pray
for his health and hope to be able to
count upon him for guidance for many
years to come.
His Jewish kinsmen throughout the
world share in that sincere hope.
May his hands be strengthened and
may he be granted the health he needs
to continue to serve his people.
It is with pride in his accomplish-
ments that we join in greeting David Ben-
Gurion on his 75th birthday.
Shocking Lack of Decency at the UN
It has happened before that crudely
irresponsible members of the Moslem
bloc at the United Nations snubbed mem-
bers of the Israel UN delegation at public
functions.
The most indecent act was that of the
present president of the General Assem-
bly, Mongi Slim of Tunisia, Who turned
his back on Mrs. Golda Meir at the recep-
tion for President Kennedy.
There were no other indications of
discourtesy on the part of any other
member of the United Nations, and the
same cordiality was extended to the
Israeli representatives as to other mem-
bers of UN delegations by President
Kennedy.
But the discourteous act of the
Tunisian delegate, who has been elevated
to so high an international position, does
not speak well either for the bloc whose
members show a lack of respect for
fellow-members, even though they rep-
resent nations they would like to destroy,
contrary to the principles of the United
Nations Charter, or for the UN regula-
tions which permit a man who lacks tact
and decency to become the president of
the international organization.
The protest registered against Slim's
selection as Hammarskjold's successor is
justified and should be heeded.
Detroit's 2 Important Symphony Organizations
Two important musical events mark
the inauguration of the year's activities
in the realm of music.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra last
night commenced its current season, and
the event is of importance in view of the
reappearance on the podium of M. Paul
Paray, one of the world's most distin-
guished conductors.
We share the hopes of those who have
circulated petitions for his return here
next year that M.. Paray will withdraw
his resignation as the Detroit Symphony's
musical director and that he will continue
to serve this community during 1962.
This is a good opportunity also to
welcome the selection of _M.. Paray as
conductor of the special program to be
presented by the Detroit Symphony Or-
chestra at the annual Balfour Concert of
the Zionist Organization of Detroit, Nov.
25.
The second noteworthy musical event
will be the opening of the new season
of the Center Symphony Orchestra, under
the direction of Julius Chajes, who has
rendered valuable services to Detroit as
conductor, teacher and composer. Mr.
Chajes and the Center Symphony Orches-
tra have earned the wide support
usually given them by our community,
and their services attest anew to the
wealth of cultural activities made avail-
able through the Jewish Community
Center.
WI lL OTHERDROPS RMOW?
Ethical Living Emphasized in
Gittelsohn's 'Man's Best Hope
Dr. Rolland B. Gittelsohn, rabbi of Temple Israel, Boston,
sees the need for re-thinking "our ideas of God in a context
which includes the biological discoveries of Darwin, the physical
insights of Einstein and the psychological
imperatives of Freud." In his new book,
"Man's Best Hope," published by Random,
in which he seeks a fusion of "religion
modified. by the insights of science" and
"science tempered by devotion to spiritual
values," as a means of making our life
worth living, he states: "Our need is for
men and women who, without rejecting -
those who neither understand nor accept
their thinking, will nonetheless press for-
ward persistently and courageously toward
Dr. Gittelsohn
the future."
Developing his theme, Rabbi Gittelsohn discusses the proper
uses of religion to spur us on "to higher standards of conduct."
He turns to an analysis of the influence of science, states that
"our search for meaning in evolution will have to continue,"
and discusses human values in the attainment of "reciprocal
relationship between the individual and the group." He makes
this point:
"If man is a bridge between past and future, he is also
a ligament between beast and God. Physically he is an animal,
much like many other animals. Spiritually he comes closer
than any other creature we know to resembling God. Jewish
tradition seems to have grasped this with uncanny acuity. One
of the ancient rabbis said that when God reached the sixth
day of Creation He was in doubt about the kind of creature
to have dominion over. the truth. He feared to fashion just
another beast because it would be aware only of coarse physi-
cal experience. At the same time he was reluctant to hand
dominion over the angels because He was bored with their
doing nothing but praising Him. His decision was to create
a new kind of creature, man, who would be a combination
of both."
Rabbi Gittelsohn, commenting that "man is not wholly free,
neither is he wholly enslaved," quotes Maimonides who said
that "God does not decree that a man should be good or evil,"
that man is free to become righteous or cruel.
Expressing disbelief in miracles, Rabbi Gittelsohn writes
that he believes in only one kind of miracle, the one which
the late Rabbi Milton Steinberg called "the achievement by
spirit of what by every law of logic and common sense seems
impossible."
Decrying ignorance of nature's physical laws, Rabbi Gittel-
sohn deplores application of suffering to God's will. He points
out that ignorance of physical laws can bring tragedy. He
declares: "I do not believe that God deliberately sends tragedy
in order to test or improve us. Yet the sorrows which come to
us through the inevitable operation of God's laws can have this
effect. We can use them or be used—and broken—by them."
Rabbi Gittelsohn makes interesting comments on grief
resulting from death of dear ones. He writes that time brings
ultimate healing, but that it is a mistake to wait for mood to
strike favorably, and he advocates positive though painful
attempts to induce it.
The author of this book emphasizes that "prayer is not
only tenable but indispensable if it reminds us of our place
in the universe, of our unique human proclivities, and of the
physical and spiritual framework within which we perforce
must operate." He describes the several ways in which prayers
can be restoratives to health and strength-producing.
He describes the search after material possessions as bring-
ing pleasure and enjoyment but never happiness and he con-
cludes that "my modern religious orientation convinces me
that I must live ethically because only thus can I live happily."
`This Believing). World' in .Paperback
The late Lewis Browne's "This Believing World," recently
reissued and reviewed in these columns, has been issued by
the Macmillan Co. as a paperback.
A best seller when first published, still retaining its great
value and popularity, this book provides an account, offered.
in simplest terms, of mankind's great religions. •
The book contains more than 70 illustrations and animated
maps that were drawn by the author.