A Friend They Will Never Forget
, 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
t, 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-fifth day of Heshvan, 5722, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Hayye Sarah, Gen. 23:1-25:18. Prophetical portion, I Kings 1:1-31.
-
Licht Benshen, Friday, Nov. 3, 5:06 p.m.
VOL. XL, No. 10
Page Four
November 3, 1961
Building Jewish Leadership for the Future
For the second consecutive year, a
national young leadership conference will
be held in New York, Nov. 10-12,
sponsorship of the United Jewish 'Appeal.
While it is not the only type of youth
assembly to be sponsored by a national
Jewish movement, it nevertheless repre-
sents an important step in the direction
of building leadership in American Jewry
for the future.
Her et o f or e, congregational move-
ments have sponsored young people's
gatherings, many of them with marked
success. They were, however, factional
conclaves. The UJA conference is aimed
at enrolling representatives of Jewish
youth from all religious groups in the
country, and it should therefore viewed
as more all-inclusive.
The very idea of convening the youth
for action in behalf of the most important
philanthropic cause sponsored by Amseri-
can Jewry is significant. It aims to, train
,
and to encourage leadership, and out of
it we can hope for the emergence of
interest by the youth not only in philan-
thropy but also in the constructive efforts
that lead into cultural and spiritual areas.
There is justified concern in our ranks
over the need of good, effective and well-
informed Jewish leadership. There is con-
stant need to replace those who are either
aging or tiring in their activities in our
ranks. If we do not _build leadership
among the youth, we run the risk of
spiritual bankruptcy.
The United Jewish Appeal is to be
commended, therefore, for encouraging
youth leadership, for having sponsored
young people's tours of Israel and for
undertaking to inspire greater interest
among the younger generation in Jewish
activities. The young leadership confer-
ence to be held next week is a step in
the right direction and deserves the
encouragement of the entire American
Jewish community.
Education for Streng thening Jewishness
Former Israel Prime Minister Moshe
Sharett, who now holds the chairmanship
of the Jewish Agency in Israel, spoke in
most practical terms when he addressed
a conference on Jewish education in
London.
He was most emphatic when he ex-
pressed his views on the needs for more
extensive Jewish educational programs
as a means of perpetuating Jewish values.
But he was especially effective in his
assertions that "not all Jews can go to
Israel" and that "young Israelis must be
educated to the idea that every Jew is
their brother and sister and that it does
not come to them automatically."
If ever the time were to come for a
mass exodus of Jews from all lands into
Israel, it could only be a result of re-
newed anti-Semitic activities. Such an
eventuality can not be accepted by free-
dom-loving peoples who are rooted in
their present homes and who will battle
fearlessly for the retention of democratic
principles wherever they may reside.
"The only natural resource that Israel has
in abundance is its supply of engineers, scien-
tists, doctors and skilled technicians. In many
of these fields, Israel has a surplus.
"So now Israel is exporting its technical
Israeli Religious Viewpoints
Told in Rabbi Weiner's Book
Rabbi Herbert Weiner of the Reform Temple Israel of
South Orange, N.J., has interviewed spokesmen for all faiths,
Israelis as well as their kinsmen every- leaders among all factions of Israeli Jewry, during a study tour
where must recognize this truth and must of the Jewish State, and the result of his inquiries, contained
labor in behalf of Israel's security on the in "The Wild Goats of Ein Gedi," published by Doubleday, is
basis of the recognized fact that all Jews replete with differing views on religious approaches.
can not trek Israelward. It is encouraging
The title refers to the author's visit at Ein Gedi where the
to know that Mr. Sharett concurs in the visiting rabbi gathered viewpoints among young Israelis at the
view that all Jews can not be expected to collective settlement on the Jordan border. The young people
denied "any interest in the spiritual moods of the monastic
go to , Israel.
Jews who had lived here .2,000 years ago." Yet, "they had banded
Regrettably, out of the many -miscon- together voluntarily in a community which shared property like
ceptions about Israel and world Jewry's the Essenes."
responsibilities in relation to Israel, there
His interviews with the others — Christians, Moslems and
has developed a lack of understanding Jews. — form the major value of the book.
Abdul Shukri, Arab representative in Haifa, expressed
on the part of many Israelis of 'world
Jewry's attitudes. Israeli youth especially "cynicism about the possibility of Christians in the Middle East
are ill-informed about Diaspora Jewry. even being accepted as 'real Arabs:' " Viewing the attitude of -
Arabs, Rabbi Weiner 'states: "As church leaders in
Mr. Sharett is to be commended for his Christian
frequently and rather pathetically point out, no one has
Syria
efforts to bring about better understand- done better service for the anti-Zionist cause in the West than
ing along this line. -
Christian Arabs. But there is irony in the situation which has
We concur with him in his view that developed for these Christian communities in the Middle East
perpetuation of Jewishness in the Dia- today. Despite the theoretical division, Pan-Arabism' has become
spora must be strengthenend through synonymous with Pan-Islamism, and Christian Arabs have not
Jewish education and cannot be taken for been able to escape either their historic association with the
granted, and we join in an appeal to Crusader label or the suspicion of their Moslem neighbors that
are sympathetically connected through their church loyal-
Israelis to recognize that this principle they
ties to the 'imperialist' West. Christian Arabs continue to pro-
applies to them as well as to us.
claim their fervent Arab nationalism while Moslems continue
to hint that beneath their public anti-Zionist statements is an
unspoken relief that another non-Islamic island like Israel exists
in the midst of the Moslem sea which threatens to engulf them.
The attempt of the Christian Arabs to prove their Arabism by
know-how to many the less-advanced nations
attacking Jews and Israel was not convincing to 'true Arabs,'
that surround Israel in Asia and Africa.
suggested Shukri."
"Some of this export is aimed at winning
At the same time, Bishop George Hakim, leader of 20,000
friends among Israel's unfriendly neighbors: Greek Catholics, said there was continuous suspicion of the
Even Arab countries that are openly hostile to
government's attitude toward its Christians, and he stated that
Israel are accepting the help of Israeli experts
"the needless security regulations and travel restrictions . . .
and technicians.
had dissipated the original good feeling. among Arab Christians
"In all, more than '700 Israelis are working toward the Israeli government and made them feel like second-
class citizens."
in 35 countries, helping them to modernize
A differing opinion was expressed by the Posiviezher
their industries, economies and even their
Rabbi, who headed a talmudic academy that was destroyed by
armed forces.
the Nazis, who said that the difference between Jewish and
"When Israel declared itself an indepen-
Christian feelings about the Holy Land is that the latter
dent nation in 1948, the odds seemed high'
"don't want this land to be alive."
against its survival.
Other Christian leaders, some of them converted Jews, had
"Now Israel. is being watched by old as well other ideas. They were interested in missionary activities. They
as new nations around the world as evidence
retained an interest in their Jewish background while adhering
of what. a .determined people can do against
to their new faith. Some were interested in establishing insti-
great odds."
tutes for Jewish studies, all have mastered Hebrew, one — a
Israel is, indeed, being watched by all Baptist missionary — spoke Hebrew like a sabra.
nations. She is being watched by her
The ideas of the extremist Neturai Karta as contrasted
enemies who would like to detect faults, with the pro-Israel views of the Hasidic Lubavitcher are related
and by her friends who seek to help her as a result of an interview with Rabbi Blau who prevents his
keep up the pace in productive pursuits. followers from voting in the Israel elections or from recognizing
It is in order to attain such a goal that Israel's efforts for the ingathering of the exiles. Blau explained
American Jewry is so deeply obligated his opposition to pushing "the days of Messiah before their time."
exceedingly interesting experience with the son of the
to assure the success of the United Jewish late An
Chief Rabbi Kook is part of Rabbi Weiner's splendid
Appeal and Israel Bond drives.
account. Rabbi Zvi. Yehudah Kook is a liberal, tolerant, who
The current Allied Jewish Campaign even welcomed the Reform rabbi's presence without head
collection drive and the Israel Bond covering because he didn't want any mechitza between them.
drive's effort to make this a banner year
Scores of other viewpoints and incidents recorded in Rabbi
for investors in Israel lend themselves Weiner's book make it a most remarkable document. It is in-
as immediate means of aiding Israel's de- dispensable for those seeking and understanding of religious
approaches in Israel.
velopment.
'Israel: A David in a World of Goliaths
On a "whirlwind" visit in Detroit,
during which he met with distinguished
leaders, addressed a congregational gath-
ering, was interviewed for television and
radio programs, David Ben-Dov, cultural
attache of the Israel Embassy in Wash-
ington placed greatest emphasis on the
need . for creative efforts in the Middle
East as part of a program aimed at
alleviating want and at raising the stand-
ard of living of impoverished pebples. He
expressed the hope that as a result of
such cooperative practical efforts, there
may develop better chances for peace be-
tween Israel and the Arab states.
Mr. Ben-Dov, like many other spokes-
men for Israel, referred to Israel's con-
tributions to under-developed nations,
especially the aid his country gives to the
Afro-Asian nations. In this connection, a
very d e s c r i p t i v e analysis of Israel's
achievements, contained in a s p e c i al
article in U. S. News & World Report,
under the heading "Israel: A David in a
World of Goliaths," throws much light on
this new role played by Israel. This
article stated in part:
Editor's Note: Nov. 2 marked the 44th anniversary of the
issuance of the Balfour Declaration, pledging Israel's aid in the
establishment of the Jewish National Home in Palestine. The
Balfour anniversary will again be observed by the Zionist Organi-
zation -of Detroit at the annual Balfour Concert in Ford Auditorium
on Nov. 25.