THE JEWISH NEWS.

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

The Seder in Soviet Russia

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 $8.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under act of Congress of
March 8, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

2ditor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG

Advertising Manager

Business Manager

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the third day of Nisan, 5722, the following Scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Tazria, Leviticus 12:1-13. Prophetical portion, II Kings 4:42-5:19.

Licht Benshen, Friday April 6, 6:45 p.m.

Vol. XLI, No. 6

Page Four

April 6, 1962

Extent of German Spoliations

There were 3,071,662 individual corn-
anti-Jewish policies of Germany and
pensation claims filed in West Germany
her allies and satellites, which, in
for losses during the Nazi regime, as of
substance, had four aspects or sought
Dec. 1, 1961, and in the adjudicated 2,-
to achieve as many aims: (a) to elimi-
200,000 cases West Germany paid corn-
nate the Jewish influence on the econ-
pensation amounting to three-and-a-half
omy of the country and to substitute
billion dollars. In a compilation of ma-
for the Jews the 'aboriginal' population
terial damage suffered by Jews, by Dr.
(which in Nazi parlance came to be
Nehemiah Robinson, published by the
known as `aryanization'); (b) to pauper-
World Jewish Congress, it is revealed
ize the Jewish inhabitants as one of
that an additional amount of two-and-a-
their methods of 'elimination' by de-
half billion dollars has been paid in resti-
priving them of means of subsistence
tution and reparations, as distinct from
so as to force them out of the country
compensation. This makes a total paid
or starve them to death; (c) to acquire
for spoliation by the Nazis of six billion
funds and materials for the preparation
dollars.
and waging of the Nazi war; and last
The survey indicates, however, that
but not least, (d) to reward the regime's
the losses suffered by Jews as a result of
favorites by giving them Jewish assets
Nazi spoliation v.•as about twenty-seven
(or positions) as outright gifts or for
billion dollars; that the actual value of
administration, in recognition of their
the lost property would be nearly 80 per
'services' in the cause of Nazi or
cent higher; that there were other spolia-
Fascist activities, including those of
tions which would vastly increase the
the extermination or spoliation of the
amount of Jewish losses.
Jews."
When, therefore, reference is made
to the "generosity" of the Germans who
This is a summary of the holocaust,
are paying restitution, reparations and an analysis of the shockingly inhumane
compensations, these facts should be approaches to the "extermination" poli-
taken into consideration.
cies which were exposed again during the
5
5
5
Eichmann trial and which receive even
In his explanation of the methods of more graphic description in Dr. Robin-
spoliation, Dr. Robinson points out that son's survey.
in the narrow sense "the word relates to
In view of new efforts now being
deprivation of assets" _and that in the made to secure additional restitution
broader sense it includes "exclusion from, funds from West Germany, the facts and
or restriction in. the exercise of profes- figures made known by Dr. Robinson are
sions and vocations and the use of Jewish timely and important. The least that the
manpower as forced labor for the benefit present German government can do to
of the exploiter." His definition of "spo- prove that it is sincere in its efforts to
liation" is:
compensate and atone for the crimes of
"Spoliation, i.e., deprivation of ma-
the Nazis is to repay all of the damages
terial wealth and means of subsistence,
incurred by Jews as a result of the
was one of the important parts of the
spoliations.

Humanization of Immigration Laws

Deploring "the strictures in the pres-
ent quota system (which) have made the
reunion of families difficult and some-
times impossible," Senator Philip A. Hart
of Michigan, in a statement made when
he introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate
to revise the immigration quota system,
declared:
"Just as world events of 25 years
ago forced us to abandon 'splendid iso-
lation,' the events of today must move
us toward an immigration policy con-
sistent with our philosophy as a free
and democratic nation. America's strug-
gle with totalitarianism is far more
than a contest for domination in world
power politics. Above all, it is a strug-
gle for the vindication of democracy's
belief in the individual worth of human
beings as opposed to the totalitarian
concept that individuals have no iden-
tity except as components in the polit-
ical and economic structure of society.
"The incongruities of our basic
immigration statute deeply trouble
those of us who join in the introduc-
tion of this new proposal. Until those
provisions of our immigration laws
which discriminate against certain na-
tional and racial groups are eliminated,
our laws needlessly provide grist for
the propaganda mills of Moscow and
P e iping."

escapees and displaced persons; but that

this has been achieved in spite of the
1952 act, and the measure he introduced
on his own behalf and that of a number
of other Senators is concerned with the
number of immigrants, and the distribu-
tion of their selection. The aim of the

new bill, he said, is "to respond to human

needs," and to eliminate offense to
friends of this country, and he added:
"America's role of leadership in the
free world is one of great sensitivity and
our position is not enhanced by an immi-
gration policy which implies that some
nationalities and some races are less de-
sirable members of the family of man
than are others."

*

*

4,

In his eloquent statement, Senator
Hart pointed out that planks in both the
Democratic and Republican party plat-
forms pledged the amending of obsolete
immigration laws, and on the strength of
such commitments he appears on safe
ground that his bill may be adopted.

Insofar as Jewish immigrants are con-

cerned, the needs have changed corn-
pletely. Jewish communities whence im-
migrants had come until the last war
have been completely eradicated and
their populations exterminated by the
Nazi criminals, and those who now seek
* *
havens of refuge have an historic home
Senator Hart made the interesting to turn to: Israel. That in no sense demin-
observation that the United States immi- ishes the values of the proposals by
gration record since 1952 is "a corn- Senator Hart and his associates who pro-
mendable one"; that 2,500,000 immi- posed that existing immigration laws be
grants have been admitted during that humanized. We commend the sponsors of
period, a million of them being refugees, the new bill and we urge its adoption.

'Judaism and the Scientific Spirit'

Dr. Stout Shows Acceptance
Of Science as Way of Life

Humanity's spiritual concepts and man's appreciation of
the physical cosmos often have come into conflict. But modern
religious leaders are succeeding in proving that scientific
and religious thoughts can go hand in hand.
In the newest "Issues of Faith" book series published by
the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (838 5th. NY21),
Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, in a significant essay, "Judaism and
the Scientific Spirit," shows how science and Judaism, inter-
related, contribute jointly to a better understanding of the
world.
Dr. Plaut's important book -shows how religion has been
"a steady loser" in the struggle for the mind of man during
the last century, and he draws the lines for faith and reason
and to emphasize "the continued relevance of Judaism."
He traces the history of heresy trials and shows that the
issue of science versus religion was hardly in evidence at that
trial, that the Dutch Jews acted against Spinoza because they
felt insecure, that "heresy trials were not a part of old Jewish
tradition."
Dr. Plaut proceeds to show that "science and religion cannot
be irrelevant to one other because both are relevant to man,"
that Judaism, going beyond the axion of God's existence, "also
stipulates that God communicates with man and, consequently,
that man can know Him."
Admitting that religion cannot be defended against the
accusation that it often made men intolerant„ he nevertheless
shows how "by nature Judaism is hospitable to freedom and its
challenges." He declares that "a faith divorced from science
is obtuse," and he emphasizes that "Judaism, as a way of life,
includes all life, and this encompasses the knowledge of life
which science provides."

Caravan'—Valuable Collection
of Noteworthy Literary Works

Under the title "Caravan — A Jewish Quarterly Omnibus,"
edited by Jacob Sonntag, Thomas Yoseloff (11 E. 36th, N. Y. 16)
has published an impressive volume containing the outstanding
selections from the Jewish Quarterly, published in London.
Works of noted authors, translations of Hebrew and Yiddish
essays, stories and poems, essays on aspects of Jewish history
and Anglo-Jewry and a score of other topics are included-in this
well-edited 400-page book.
Its value becomes apparent in the four opening articles
which deal with the failure of the Menasseh ben Israel mission,
by Joshua Podro; the Johannes Rechlin controversy, by Dr. J.
Litvin; new evidence on the Khazars, by Reuben Ainsztain, and
the battle of the Dead Sea Scrolls, by Dr. David Diringer.
Anglo-Jewish writings and British Jewry today are sub-
jects of two sections In which are included articles by such
eminent authors as Joseph Leftwich, Louis Golding, Emanuel
Litvinoff, Wolf Mankowitz and a score of others.
A section devoted to "Men of Letters" deals with the works
of Kafka, Heine. Stefan Zweig, Sholem Aleichem, Lion Feuch-
wanger, Peretz and Reisin.
Stefan Zweig, Arnold Zweig and David Daiches are among
the authors of essays on aspects of literature, Freud and the
Modern Writer, Jewish poetry, Shakespeare and other subjects.
There Is a special section devoted to "Aspects of Israel,"
in which a group of Jewish leaders discuss Israeli culture, the
"Judenstaat," Israel and the Diaspora.
In the translations from the Hebrew and Yiddish are in-
cluded selections from Yehudah Halevi, Saul Tchernikhovsky,
I. L. Peretz, Rahel, Itzik, Sholem Aleichem, Abraham Sutzkever
and a number of others.
This "Caravan" is an instructive book. It contains entertain-
ing selections but Its value lies in the numerous scholarly
analyses of aspects of Jewish life today,

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