THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Seventeen Years Later ... 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 CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ HARVEY ZUCKERBERG Advertising Manager Business Manager City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twenty-ninth day of lyar, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues. Pentateuchal portion, Be-midbar, Numbers 1:1-4:20. Prophetical portion, I Samuel 20:18-42. Licht Benchen, Friday June 1, 7:43 p.m. Vol. XLI No. 14 Page Four June 1, 1962 Trek Toward Synagogue and the Aftermath In a report to the Rabbinical Assem- bly convention last week, the executive vice president of the association of Con- servative rabbis, Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, stated that a problem facing American .Jewry is not that either of assimilation or intermarriage, or of "Jews running away from Judaism," but of tens of thou- sands of parents and children "running towards the synagogue." He added that those who run to the synagogue are look- ing for "stronger identification without tradition and for answers to their many problems, or often just to find out what they should be perplexed about." If this is so, why is it a problem? The Rabbinical Assembly spokesman ex- plained that "we are baffled because we have been overwhelmed by this mass looking to us, and many of us feel so in- adequate and unprepared to answer." The admission of inadequate comes as a shock? Is it possible that a rabbinic group finds itself unprepared to meet a challenge, especially when it arrives in the form of a positive repsonse to the call of the synagogue? One of the serious challenges to Jew- ish communities is the lack of response that comes from the college students. The moment our youth leave their homes for the universities, they seem to be lost to us — at least until their return to their homes, when many are induced to take an interest in Jewish life in one form or another. The Rabbinical Assembly's exec- utive vice president, in his report to his colleagues, stated that if Jewish stu- dents in universities "are exposed at all to literature, philosophy and other hu- manities, they will discover the per- vasive influence of Christian religious thought and culture in these areas," and he added: "In the colleges and universities. with rare exceptions, they will learn little about Juda- ism as an adult religion, and often all that will have remained with them from their years of religious school attendance is a recollection of Jewish education which dealt with lovable tales about Abraham smashing the idols, a few ethnic jokes, and a very detailed, quaint Jew- ish cuisine: that Hamantaschen are eaten on Purim, matzot on Passover, gefilte fish on Fri- day nights ... It is not surprising that Judaism is identified in the minds of so many people with caterers and other trivial characteristics." His admonitions are well taken. The only knowledge many Jews have is that imparted to them by degrading jokes passed on by comedians and food idio- syncrasies. What has been done to over- come these negatives aspects of Jewish life which have spread not only among students but through all our communities? Are the existing collegiate Jewish organi- zations inadequate to deal with the prob- lems? Are they unable to impart Jewish knowledge to our students? Have the rabbis failed to reach our youth? If there is a condition of "running towards the s y n a g o g u e," what arms have been stretched out to welcome those "in flight?" Unless our rabbinical organizations will be able to meet the challenge, there will be an inclination to doubt the Rab- binical Assembly's report. Else we will be compelled to believe that the rabbis have, thus far, failed to meet obligations, simply because they may have arisen sud- denly. We shall have to await a more logi- cal report both on "the problem" of Jews suddenly trekking towards the synagogue as well as on the adequacy of Jewish spiritual leadership to provide a solid Jewish ground for those on the move towards positive Jewish values. Confirmations, Consecrations, Graduations On the eve of Shavuot, the Festival of the Torah, let there be a thorough re- evaluation of our obligations to our youth and of our expectations from the youth for whom we provide Jewish training in our schools. There will be scores of celebrations in honor of confirmands, consecrants and graduates. Many of our young people are receiv- ing high honors for scholastic attain- ments, and we rightfully rejoice that learning remains the chief aspiration of our people. Nevertheless, when we speak of com- mencements we must also think in terms of the continuation of studies, of the re- sumption of interest in Jewish subjects when the current school year will have ended. Our Hebrew and congregational schools will have many graduates dur- ing the coming days. It is heartening to know that the interest in Jewish school- ing has advanced during the past decade. It is to be hoped that this interest will grow, that provisions will always be avail- able for our your people to enroll in post- graduate Jewish studies. In planning for such higher standards of learning, we must place emphasis upon the strongest influence of all: the home. It is from the parents as much, if not more, than the teachers, that inspiration must come for a retention of interest in Jewish life, in Jewish institutions, in our community and its objectives. The parents who display so much in- terest in the social functions in honor of their children must show as keen an in- terest in their studies and the continua- tion of learning. We'll have a strong community if we will be assured of a thinking and well informed youth. Let the home remain the great inspiration for this objective. May the home, linked with the school, emerge once again as the great instrument for Jewish survival and for the elevation of the standards of Jewish learning to which all of us aspire. Release of Frozen Arab Funds in Israel Israeli and Arab leaders agreed, at the United Nations, on a plan for the re- lease of another large sum of money from Arab refugee funds. That agreement points, first of all, to Israel's sincerity in offering redress and compensation to Arabs wherever justi- fied. It also proves that where there is a will there is a way, and if there were a will to do so, there could be peace in the Middle East. Most recent reports show that Israeli Arabs live remarkably well in the Jewish State. Peace could bring similar benefits to Arabs outside Israel, as a result of ex- tended good will and commercial rela- tions. A Great Artist's Creations 'Woodcuts of Jakob Steinhardt' A major contribution to the literature on art has just been made by the Jewish Publication Society of America with its im- pressive 9x12 book reproducing and evaluating the creative work of Jakob Steinhardt. Containing 446 drawings, portraits and woodcuts by the emi- nent artist, the book appears under the title "The Woodcuts of Jakob Steinhardt." They appear chronologically, fully reproduced. Edited by Dr. Leon Kolb, lifetime graphic art collector and associate clinical professor emeritus at Stanford University School of Medici'ne, the book contains an analysis of the life and work of Steinhardt by Dr. Haim Gamzu, former director of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, who in 1955 was one of the 11 judges at the Third International Bienniale of Sao Paulo, Brazil, at which Steinhardt was awarded the highest prize for graphic art. Dr. Kolb states in his introduction that Steinhardt, who will he 75 this year, "is at present living in Israel where, retired from the directorship of the Bezalel Art School, he continues his activities as dean of Israel's artists and as a beacon reminding the growing nation through the medium of art that the strength of the spirit must not be lost in the drive for mechanized progress. There, in the birthplace of the ancient prophets, he believes the spirituality of the East should be ideally integrated with the practicality of the West and encouragement given to a fraternity of all men of good will . . . Steinhardt is recognized all over the world as one of the trail-blazers of the important expressionist art movement. It was Steinhardt and Ludwig Meidner, another Jew, who with Richard Janthur started, very early in the expressionist movement, the group of the 'Pathetiker.' This book shows the artistic insight of Steinhardt into the many phases of Jewish history and Jewish culture." Steinhardt received many honors, among them the recent award by the city of Naples of the Golden Medal in recognition of his Biblical woodcuts. His life, from his birth in the Posen district of Germany, his struggles, his great works in woodcuts, are evaluated in an inter- esting essay by Dr. Gamzu, who points out that Steinhardt never ceased painting in colors. His creative accomplishments are ex- plained, the "Pathetiker" experiences are evaluated and Dr. Gamzu says of the distinguished artist: "He seeks Man first and foremost. His landscapes and other works in which no human beings are apparent are nevertheless replete with their unmanifested presence. With all his use of the varied techniques—of oils, water colors, gouaches, drawing and etching—he reaches the peak of his personal expression in the woodcut . . . It is Steinhardt's firmest faith that Art, which derives from Man must in the last resort return to Man and that the creative artist not only liberates himself by his achievement, but also frees others from the weight of their frustrations. That is why the message he brings us in his work, particularly his masterly woodcuts, is not only imbued with his own personal appeal but also bears the stamp and seal of our tragic, tempestuous era." The themes depicted in the woodcuts in the new JPS book are varied. There are Jewish scenes and characters, eminent per- sonalities, impersonations, holiday descriptions, in many moods. There are Sabbath themes and the artist's interpretation of the Ten Plagues. The composite Hagadah illustrations, the impressive "Mah Nishtana," the Hanukah and other expressions reveal the skill of the great artist. Ghetto scenes, mourning moods, the description of the drunk- ard, the sadness at the funeral and a score of other impressions appear in all their magnificence in this great JPS volume. There are a number of most artistic book marks. Yemenite scene are delightful and Israel depictions are superb. Biblical and Israeli scenes abound in this valuable collection which makes "The Woodcuts of Jakob Steinhardt" one of the great books produced by the Jewish Publication Society.