Religious Freedom in USSR

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Associations, 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

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG

Business Manager

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the sixth day of Adar I, 5722, the following Scriptural selections will be read
in our synagogues:
Pentatouchal portion, Teruinah, Exod 25:1-27:19. Prophetical portion, I Kings 5:26-6:13.

Licht Benchen, Friday, Feb. 9, 5:39 p.m.

VOL. XL, No. 24

Page Four

February 9, 1962

The U.S. Language Resources Project

Under the sponsorship of the U. S. aims. Dr. Fishman stated, in his call to
Office of Education, our Government has schools, newspapers and community or-
undertaken a Language Resources Proj- ganizations to reply to a series of ques-
ect which aims at securing an answer to tionnaires inquiring about the present
the questions: What are American na- status of non-English languages in this
tionality groups doing to preserve their country:
"Our final report to the U. S. Office
ancestral languages, and how can their
of Education will have two objectives: to
efforts be assisted and encouraged?
This is a most unusual undertaking, accurately describe the language-mainte-
directed by Dr. Joshua A. Fishman. It is nance efforts in connection with each
the first time in our history that our language and to recommend whatever
Government indicates its concern that the steps seem to be called for to strengthen
languages of immigrant groups that have these efforts.
"This is the first time that the 'lost
settled in this country should continue
continent' of the non-English languages
to be taught, that they should not aban-
don speaking them and that they should spoken by Americans has been recog
nized. Our country is in great need of
not permit them to die.
It stands to reason that both Yiddish increased competence in all languages in
and Hebrew are affected by the study. In order to maintain and improve its diplo-
the instance of Yiddish, the study must matic, cultural and commercial relations
deal with a language that is declining with the peoples of the world.
"It is important, therefore, that we
rapidly as a popular medium of expres-
sion and as a tongue whose literature is recognize the linguistic gold mines that
read less and less. If the efforts of the we have in our midst and it is particularly
important that first, second - and third
U. S. Language Research Project, which
has the assistance of the American Coun- generation Americans recognize the value
cil for Nationalities Service, will meet of preserving this precious heritage of
with some success, it may renew interest their parents and grandparents. In doing
so, they will be helping their country as
in Yiddish among American Jews.
The status of the Hebrew Language well as enriching their own lives."
Thus, the genius of America emerges
is vastly different. Hebrew was spoken in
this country by only a handful of people. anew, recognizing the need for perpetu,
It was and is primarily the language of ating "linguistic gold mines," encouraging
prayer. The emergence of Israel, how- the preservation of the "precious heri-
ever, has vastly increased interest in tage of parents and grandparents," taking
Hebrew and many new classes have been into account that there is a "lost conti-
formed not only for children's study of nent" in the non-English language ele-
the language but also for adults. The new ments to be saved for this country. In-
U. S. study may well serve to increase deed, this project deserves all the assist-
ance that it can gather from our various
even this growing interest in Hebrew.
The new project has many interesting cultural and linguistic elements.

Precarious State of Algerian Jewry

Algerian Jewry's .status, in spite of for the Jewish community and Moslems
last week's reported concessions by the will continue to harass its members, there
FLN, is, at best, precarious. The Algerian will be only one course left to them;
independence organization reportedly emigration either to France or to Israel.
conceded to a French proposal that the Therefore world Jewry must be pre-
Algerian 100,000 Jews should, if they so pared to provide shelter for those who
choose, be considered Europeans and may suffer from developing conditions
would, therefore, in an autonomous state in Algeria.
Our own community should keep
of Algeria, be part of a proposed "Euro-
these facts in mind as we carry on our
pean Community."
Previously; FLN leaders had insisted activities in behalf of the Allied Jewish
that the Algerian Jews must be consid- Campaign. The major portion of the cam-
ered as "native Algerians." Having been, paign income will go to the United Jew-
during the critical years, the targets be- ish Appeal, which provides funds for the
tween the hammer and the anvil, between Joint Distribution Committee, the guard-
the devil and the deep sea, subjected to ian of the refugees in many ports of exit
the status of being squeezed in a vise, one and entry. What we do in the current
wonders whether the position of the Al- drive may spell either sustenance for the
gerian Jews can ever be secure. needy or doom for many if we fall short
Of course, many of the Jews in Al- of the means necessary to help them.
geria face the same fate as all Europeans
whose security had been in danger. For
HMO Anniversary
the Jewish population, however, the situ-
The 43rd birthday of the American
ation had been much worse in view of
the threats that were hurled at them Zionist Medical Unit, with which the
from Arab quarters, and because of the Hadassah Medical Organization program
peril in which they were placed by con- commenced in Palestine three months
stant harassment from the Arab League. before the end of the first world war,
The mixture of rebel and Moslem in- drew worldwide attention this week.
The HMO anniversary sparked a num-
fluences have created a very precarious
condition for Algerian Jewry, and the ber of important events in Jerusalem,
fact that many of them had indicated a where the 50th anniversary of Hadassah
desire to find refuge in Israel added fuel was observed by the leaders of the worn-
to the fire that was being built under en's Zionist organization and Israel gov-
ernment leaders. It was an occasion also
them under Arab League threats.
While the latest concession by the for celebration of the commencement of
FLN holds out some hope for the Jews the expanded program of the Hadassah
of Algeria, it must be viewed with reser- Medical Center at Ein Karem. The anni-
vations in view of past experiences. versary deservedly gained worldwide at-
It may well be that the mass emigra- tention and the congratulations of all
tion of Jews from Moslem countries may American Jews who have had occasion to
be expanded in the course of time. If the be gratified by the significant work' of
French can not provide proper protection Hadassah in Israel.

Frank G. Slaughter's New Novel

'The Curse of Jezebel'
Based on Biblical Story

Frank G. Slaughter has written more than 30 books. Several
of his novels are on Biblical subjects. His latest, "The Curse
of Jezebel," a novel about the evil queen of Israel, published
by Doubleday, enhances his career as an author who rises to
great dignity and who delves deeply into historical records when
he writes on a subject that calls for study, as is so well illu-
strated in the Jezebel account.
Of course, there are deviations from actual facts, and the
novelist's license is properly resorted to. But the general
account he gives in his story, his knowledge of the geography
of the Holy Land, his acquaintance with the Bible, stand him
in good stead.

a

On "The Curse of Jezebel," Slaughter gives an account of
court intrigues, of the struggles for domination in the ancient
world, of Israel's relationship to Jtidaea and of the enmity and
battles with the Assyrians.
His descriptions of the battles are superb and his delinea-
tions of area conflicts are masterful. The major account, how-
ever, is related to Jezebel, who was married to Israel's King
Ahab and who carried on many love affairs and sought to intro-
duce idol-worship into the land.
Slaughter gives an account of Prophet Elijah's exhorta-
tions against Jezebel, his admonitions to his people not to yield
to lasciviousness and his curse that dogs will one day eat
Jezebel's flesh. Thence the title of his new novel.
The story revolves around Prince Michael, son of King
Jehoshaphat of Judaea, who yielded to the wiles of Jezebel and
who could not resist her beauty, while knowing that she was a
menace to her people. Michael had fallen in love with Miriam,
the daughter of Naboth, who was murdered at Jezebel's insti-
gation because she knew of his opposition to her and because
she desired to secure his land. Michael later exposed her and
proved his loyalty to Miriam, who became his wife.

In the course of the story, Jezebel complained to Michael,
when he challenged her ways, that she was merely a binding
party, in her marriage to Ahab, as .a treaty between Israel and
the Tyre and Sidon. Therefore, she said, she pursued the role
of a goddess of Ashtoreth and was determined to impose her
rule of licentiousness upon her people.
The Prophet Elijah triumphed, and Michael's loyalties finally
asserted themselves, Jezebel dying as Elijah predicted—as food
for her own . dogs.
"The Curse of Jezebel" is a well told story. While the
manner in which Elijah supposedly "challenged the priests of
Baal to a test of power" may not be accepted entirely, it must
be judged as fiction based on Biblical facts, and as such Slaugh-
ter has attained a splendid goal.

In an historical note appended to the novel, Slaughter
explains that the history of Ahab and Jezebel are part of the
Old Testament Book of Kings. He states: "Modern historical
and archaeological research has revealed , that Ahab was one of
the truly great kings of Israel, a statesman and warrior whose
one major mistake seems to have been his marriage to Jezebel
in order to form a political alliance with the important Phoeni-
cian city-states of Tyre and Sidon. Through this marriage an
alien religion was introduced into Israel, earning for Ahab the
condemnation of the great prophet Elijah and the wrath of
God."
Slaughter states that in reconstructing this story he drew
upon hundreds of sources. He states: "Archaeological discoveries
in recent years confirm the fact that Ahab turned Megiddo into
a. heavily fortified center for chariot warfare, enlarging upon
the original fortifications built by King Solomon." He confirms
that Michael is recorded among the sons of King Jehoshaphat
of Judah and states that it was not difficult to incorporate a
Biblical account into a fictional structure in writing "The Curse
of Jezebel "for in the Book of Kings truth is often stranger
and more dramatic than fiction."