Purely Commentary •Nt When this issue reaches its readers, the first Seder will have passed into the year's history, the children will both have asked the Four Questions and acquired the Afikomen, the ancient ritual will have been read. Only the discussion about freedom will remain unfinished—not only to -be continued at the second Seder, but to be reviewed again and again among the imponder- ables in human experience. Passover is destined to remain the great occasion on which those who treat its traditions and its lessons seri- ously will debate the elements of liber- tarianism and will consider the issues involved in protecting the freedoms of mankind. There are so many different aspects in practicing liberty! It is easier to attain it—in spite of the obstacles that often stand in the way of shedding the shackles of liberty—than to practice it and to live up to all its principles. It is not only because there is -always need for "eternal vigilance," but because, under freedom, the freed- man often is perplexed how to act towards his own government, in rela- tion with his own people as well as himself. • • • Several vital issues of immediate concern to American Jews have arisen to justify this assertion. How, for example, is one to act towards the United Nations and its United States delegate in the matter involving Israel and its antagonistic Syrian and Egyptian neighbors? What stand should be made in deal- ing with the rightists who are endanger- ing the liberties of all Americans, and how should one view the ludicrousness of a so-called Jewish anti-Communist bloc? What attitude is called for is deal- - ing with domestic problems—housing, employment, neighborliness, inter-faith relations? These issues may have nothing spe- cifically to do with Passover, but they are inherent in the discussion about freedom, and they must be faced frankly and courageously. Indeed, it takes a lot of courage to meet head-on challenges like those that come from the United Nations. Our representative took the lead in a one-sided decision to censure Israel while neglecting to warn those who were responsible for Israel's military actions. Are we to remain silent be- cause of our American loyalties? But our American loyalties demand that our representatives should act justly wherever they may speak for us. There- fore loyalty demands that those who misrepresent us should be rebuked. We would be sacrificing and abandon- ing our elementary rights if we failed to state that Adlai Stevenson acted unfairly in chastising Israel. We be- lieve that he was echoing State De- partment views, and we have no hesi- tation in stating that the State Department should be condemned for its biased attitude towards Israel. • • • In the matter involving the rightists, it is fortunate that they are now under attack from all quarters—in our Gov- ernment. in political, educational and social circles. Bat they must not be taken lightly. They must be viewed as enemies of our Government and of humanity. Yet. rightist groups seem to be gaining strength. The Birch group alone purportedly has a million mem- bers, and it is not the only threaten- ing element in our society. The more it grows—if it should gain strength— the more fearful some people may be- come to criticize it. . Major Passover Lesson: Eliminate Panic in Defending Just Position The time is ripe, therefore, to ad- yield to monish all libertarians not to condemn panic but always fearlessly to inequities' and to strive for liberty for all. It is in relation to the battle against the bigoted rightist groups that there • has emerged another problem: the re- newed attempt to link everything the rightists do not believe in with Com- munism. That is why the Rev. John F. Cronin, in his booklet excoriating the rightists, published by the National Catholic Welfare Conference under the title "Communism: Threat to Free- dom." stated that Communism need not be fought by the divisive methods of the rightists,. that "if carried far enough these movements would para- lyze American diplomacy." The Catholic scholar properly indi- cated that: "A mature and strong people has the inner strength to live with occasional frustrations and failure. It does not cry disloyalty every time its will is thwarted." It was part of the warning against divisive approaches in American policy-making, and he made these references to Jews and Protestants: " "Communist influence among the Protestant clergy today is virtually nonexistent. - Some anti-Communist sources are also anti-Semitic. These groups are small and have little influence except among bigots. The organized Jewish commu- nity in the United States is strongly opposed to communism." But there is a rightist group in our own midst, and the functions of so ridiculous an element as a Jewish anti- Communist league must be exposed lest they should tend to divide more people ow the question of Communism_ Our Government is negotiating with the Soviet Union while preventing its intrusions into our body politic and By Philip Slomovitz into world affairs. Let there be serious effort through our Government in off- setting the Communist menace. The danger to Jewry is so great in Russia that many are in trepidation lest an- other large-scale Czarist-patterned pog- rom should engulf the nearly 3,000.000 Jews in the USSR. But a league that is organized along rightist lines is neither necessary nor feasible; and when from such quarters there come suspicions against American citizens. a Jewish league can become as menacing as the Birchers. * * * Let there be enough courage among us to speak up against undesirable elements. They are as dangerous to libertarian idealism as the anti-Israel Judaism Council or the pro - Arab Friends of the Middle East. There must be courage in speaking up for the common principles of hu- manitarianism inherent in people's right to jobs, housing, education and health facilities. There must be no discrimination on any score. This is part of the Passover lesson. Major in learning this lesson is not to become panicky when one has to speak his mind, when criticizing even one's. own people and Government. Else, the very basis of freedom is sacrificed on the altar of fear. The Passover lesson is elementary, but it needs repetition. That is why the Hagadah admonishes us to tell the festival story to our children, repeat- edly, at each Seder, lest the idea of freedom should be relegated to for- getfulness. "Do not forget" remains a basic rule—so that the wrongs ever com- mitted should be remembered to avoid repetition, and so that the aspirations for freedom should ever be kept in view, never to be abandoned. Allied Campaign Appeals Issued by Federation Executive Director and Chairman of the_ Drive Sobeloff and Zuckerman Point to Urgent Needs in Year of Crisis Urgent appeals in behalf of the current Allied Jewish Campaign, during which a new record sum /trust be raised before May 2 to provide for all local, national and overseas needs and for an emergency additional fund for the . United Jewish Appeal. were issued this week by Isidore Sobeloff and Paul Zuckerman, executive director and chairman of the drive, respectively. Their statements follow: • Passover's Lesson for Today Passover Then and Now By PAUL ZUCKERMAN without respect for individual Chairman, Allied Jewish Campaign The struggles of these people As we review the awe inspir- to leave lands of oppression for ing story of Passover, each part the haven that is Israel, rival has an analogy in 20th century •the trials of the Jews in 40 years M wandering in the desert. living_ Even with the aid of the In the time of the Pharobs the Jewish people were en- United Jewish Appeal, which is slaved by a totalitarian • regime the collective modern Moses, it that had no respect for 1:112/1's takes great courage to endure dignity, incli-1 the privations of leaving a land viduality or; ef oppression for an arduous aspirations. journey to Israel. Today, large; In the desert, when a crisis numbers of of want and desperate need was Jews are vir- reached, manna appeared. The , tually impris- manna magically turned into oned within; food, drink and shelter. Manna, in modern terms, is the boundaries of countries stoney. The money we contrib- whose leaders; ute to the Allied Jewish Cam- are using their paign magically turns into train labor without and plane tickets, medical care, the compensa- food and shelter, clothing, voca- tion of a de- tional retraining, language cent standard I training and tools and equip- Zuckerman of living and "sent. holes of countries of denial and deprivation — and we are en- gaged in the holy task of bring- Every special day on the cal- ing them in—into the land of endar gives us an opportunity Israel and into any other lands to glory in our past and to of freedom where this is per- take strength and inspiration mitted. for our present-day living from As members of the Detroit the historical record. Jewish community, we employ Passover is an especially apt the channel of the Allied Jew- time to note this pride'and re- ish Campaign to give effect to ; spect for hu- this program of rescue and re-1 man dignity habilitation. It's a bigger task i and to learn this year. with additional thou- anew the val- sands depending on our in- ues of per- creased response for their sonal freedom. chance for survival in freedom. Passover is To date. the Campaign has wan an opportune the hearty response of thou- time to apply sands of our fellow-Detroiters the lessons of through increased pledges, beat the past and there are thousands more who to remind our- have yet to speak. Scores of selves that re- local and national domestic spect for the serviecs also rely on the awaited faith and response to insure a strong Jew- works of our ish community at home and a forefath- continuing and .adequate plan ers must be of support for those in need matched by abroad. our expression Passover is, indeed, a time of these vir- Sobelellf to celebrate freedom — and a toes in our own lives today. I time to extend freedom to Every exodus has its whence. those who share our common and its whither. Part of the fate as Jews. Ready, generous Max M. Shaye, (extreme right), chairman Passover story involves escape I and adequate giving to the of trades and professions, had a conference from oppression; the other part Aliled Jewish Campaign is a with division heads at the Allied Jewish involves alliyah and rescue at vital part of the proper celebra- Campaign's last report meeting. Chairmen, the receiving end. Similarly, to- tion of Passover. When the from the left, are: Nathan Rubenstein, metro- day, there are two phases to Campaign solicitor asks you to politan division; Lewis H. Manning, mercantile our personal and communal participate, it will be in order division; Peter B. Copeland, food service tasks. We are engaged in bring- for you to reply with an under- council; Dr. Abraham Becker, professional ing people out—out of the hell- standing heart. division: Sam D. Jacobs, mechanical trades By ISIDORE SORELOFF Executive Vice President, Jewish Welfare, Federatiea The one great difference be- tween biblical times and today is that the manna will not magically appear. Unless we provide it in sufficient quantity, many of our co-religionists will succumb to desperate want. The part of the Seder Service that sticks most in my mind is the reply of the indifferent son who says, "You Jews--." The local and national agen- cies of our 1902 Allied Jewish Campaign supports strive to maintain the cohesiveness of our Jewish Community by pro- viding formal and informal Jewish education, recreation and the social services that en- able us to proudly proclaim, "We take care of our own." When the 1902 Allied Jewish Campaign doses May 2, we want each member of our Jew- ish community to be able to say, "We Jews had a peat Cam- paign because we all met spe- cial needs with special in- creased giving." Campaign Heads Strive for High Goal division; Irving Goldberg, arts and crafts division; Milton J. Miller, professional division; Myron D. Stein, services division; and Lewis S. Grossman, real estate and building division. All chairmen are striving for 100 per cent of last year's giving by the middle of Passover holiday and 120 per cent. by the campaign victory dinner on May 2.