THE JEWISH NEWS
Tourist Season 1962
Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English—Jewisb Newspapers, Michigan Press Associations, National
F.ditorlal 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-eighth of Sivan, the following scriptural selections Will be read in
our synagogues.
Pentateuchal portion, Shelah lekha, Num. 13:1-15:41. Prophetical portion, Joshua 2:1-24.
Licht Benchen, Friday, June 29, 7:53 p.m.
Vol. XLI No. 18
Page Four
June 29, 1962
The Aim for Higher Cultural Standards
Prof. Ernst Simon, of the Hebrew
University, one of the great scholars of
our time, said in Jerusalem last week,
during his participation in the "Dialogue"
between American Jewish Congress and
Israeli leaders, that Jewish content is
running thinner and thinner. He ex-
pressed the view that "Jewish intellec-
tuals are on the highest level in the field
of scholarship and on the kindergarten
level in the Jewish field."
American Jews, at whom this may
have been aimed in the main, must take
such a criticism seriously. Is this charge
true, or was Prof. Simon generalizing?
If this accusation is true, then it ap-
plies also to British and other Jewries,
and it is possible that Israelis, too, suffer
from such a fault. The Israelis—especially
Israel's youth—are better trained for ..a
knowledge of the Bible, because they
often trek the roads of our ancestors
even in their daily lives; they know He-
brew—although there has been criticism
that the Hebrew df the daily usage in
Israel is all but literary or Biblical;- but
it is doubtful whether they are conscious
of historical implications even as they
apply to their own short history of
Statehood. There has been such a stub-
born desire to cut loose from the past
among the youth of Israel, that it, too.
created a sort of "kindergarten level in
.Jewish thinking."
Without generalizing, accepting graci-
ously the warnings that Jewish content is
running thinner and thinner, Jewish com-
munities, wherever they may be situated,
must think seriously in terms of creating
Jewish content on a high level wherever
that is possible. There should be a re-
examination of our program of cultural
and spiritual activities. We must strive
for higher goals, in the spirit of the her-
itage of the ages.
That is why we view the anger that
has been expressed by Jewish Center
leaders in their attempts to refute accu-
sations made by Conservative Rabbis as
unwise. If there is ground for the crit-
icisms—and there must be some justifica-
tion for them if our standards of Jewish
cultural efforts are running thin—then
we must correct our errors. If the crit-
icisms projected are exaggerated, then
we must still strive to rise even higher
and higher in giving the communities
served by Jewish movements the best
Jewish-content programs. But anger
against criticism hardly repairs anything.
As long as the existing conditions are
discussed, the end results must be for
the good. That is why the "Dialogue" in
Israel, the Conservative Rabbis versus
Jewish Center leadership in this country
and other deba,tes must lead towards an
improvement in existing practices, out of
the recognition of great needs. We like to
believe that we are on the road towards
improvement. If we were to believe other-
wise we would be additionally handi-
capped by a lack of faith.
An American Principle at Stake
In her stirring address here last week
in behalf of the Israel Bond campaign,
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt expressed regret
that the United Nations, in its action of
censure against Israel when the recent
Israel-Syrian border clashes were under
discussion, had not taken into consider-
ation the numerous provocations which
were responsible for Israel's retaliations.
It was an important admonition to our
representatives at the UN and to the
Administration in Washington that hasty
action like that of Ambassador Adlai
Stevenson can only delay peace negotia-
tions between Israel and the Arab states.
It is encouragement such as was given by
the United States to the Arab antagonists
of Israel that strengthens the hands of
those who seek to destroy the Jewish
State.
Mrs. Roosevelt is hopeful for a happy
solution of the problems in the Middle
East. But all indications are that the
appeasements to the Arabs account for
the delaying tactics and for the continu-
ing prejudicial actions against American
Jews in Arab lands.
The fact that Arab discrimination
against American Jews continues was sub-
stantiated in the statement submitted by
a bi-partisan, group of 10 United States
Senators who charged, in a letter to Sec-
retary of State Dean Rusk, that the bias
against American citizens continues in
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries,
on grounds of race or religion, and that
even persons in transit are barred from
entering the Dharhan airfield. The Sen-
ators, charging that "certain Arab League
members continue to bar Americans of
the .Jewish faith," declared: "It is a funda-
mental principle that all Americans are
entitled to the equal protection of our
laws and in our judgment our govern-
ment must be firm in the determination
to eliminate any such discrimination or
disabilities."
The issue can not be resolved by a
single American Jewish family going into
self-imposed exile, as a method of protest-
ing against the failure of the Kennedy
administration to put an end to the exist-
ing prejudices. The Senatorial action
serves, however, to call attention to the
discriminations, reviving the hope that
American principles will not be sacri-
ficed, that a single group — in this in-
stance they are Americans of the Jewish
faith — will not be selected for exclusion.
thereby negating a basic American ideal
of non-discrimination against any one and
protection of all Americans abroad, re-
gardless of their faith or nationality
origin.
The Borman Gift
A gift of $250,000 by Al and Tom
Borman towards the building fund of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek sets a new
high for generosity to a religious cause
in our community.
The Bormans' contribution does sev-
eral important things for our community:
it strengthens the hands of those who are
striving to attain Shaarey Zedek's goal
for what is expected to be the most im
pressive synagogue building in America;
it encourages others in their congregation
to emulate their example, but above all
it lifts the entire community to a new
standard of giving for the advancement
of spiritual and cultural causes.
A grateful community therefore will
undoubtedly view the act by the Borman
families as a great step forward ii ,com-
munity functions. The Bormans already
have made their mark in the field of
philanthropy, as participants in educa-
tional causes — as the builders of a
Borman Branch of the United Hebrew
Schools and in other ways — and as co-
operators in movements in behalf of
Israel. Their generosity lifts them to high
statures among our fellow citizens.
-
Bloch-Geis Criminology Study
Analyzes Crime and Criminal
Law in Jewish Jurisprudence
Man, Crime, and Society," by Profs. Herbert A. Bloch of
Brooklyn College and New York University and Gilbert Geis
of Los Angeles State College is a most revealing book about
"the forms of criminal behavior."
Published by Random House, this monumental study of
criminology makes a serious effort, "objectively and scientific-
ally," to analyze and reach conclusions on the roots of such
problems as homosexuality, organized crime, homicide and
assault, sexual and property offenders, white-collar crimes,
prostitution, narcotic addicts, delinquents, behavioral systems of
crime and a score of other problems related to their over-all
subject.
Reviewing the history and relativity of crime, the two
authors of this impressive work point out that "Biblical litera-
ture strikingly illustrates the close accord between crimes and
moral deviancy."
"The Hebrew language, in fact, contains no equivalent for
the word 'crime'," they declare, quoting Hyman Goldin who
wrote in "Hebrew Criminal Law and Procedure": "It is a strange
fact that we find Hebrew words for sin, iniquity, and other
synonymous expressions, but we do not meet with words or
phrases corresponding to the expression crime and criminal law
in their legal senses. Every offense, no matter what its nature.
is termed in the Talmud aberrah, a transgression."
The authors thereupon add: "The fundamental premise of
Jewish jurisprudence was that the revealed will of God was the
sole source of legislation; consequently, every punishable act
constituted a violation of God's will."
They also state: "Mosaic law included 36 capital crimes,
punishable by one of four methods of death: stoning, burning,
decapitation, and strangulation. The types of acts leading to
death clearly reflect the nature of the society. and included
such items as necromancy, idol-worship, sorcery, cursing one's
father and mother, and sexual relations with a betrothed female."
This. too, is quoted from Goldin.
Students of the issues involved in capital punishment will
find the Bloch-Geis book an excellent guide and text book on
the subject. While only briefly touched upon, the authors have
included in their book a valuable history of capital punish-
ment in the United States and much valuable data on the
subject.
"Man, Crime, and Society" is an enlightening work. - It is
an immensely valuable contribution to the study of criminology.
-
'Israel'—New Travel Guide
A new travel guide, "Israel," published by Random House
and prepared with the cooperation of the editors of Holiday
Magazine, serves a very valuable purpose and will be found very
useful by tourists in Israel.
This guide is a fact-finder, containing lists of hotels and
restaurants, shops as well as places of general interest.
Carrying explanatory chapters on the land and the people of
Israel, on the historical background of the State and its present
status, this guide book tells how to pass through customs, what
to take on the trip, what to wear, how to tip, what holidays
are celebrated in the land.
An entire chapter is devoted to the Holy City of Jerusalem
—the places of interest there, including Hebrew University,
Mount Zion, Hadassah Hospital and Medical Center, Biblical
Zoo, etc.
Then there is a chapter on "What to See in Israel" that takes
the reader on a guided tour from Dan to Beersheba, Akko, the
major industrial and other centers.
Of major interest is the chapter of Hebrew words and phrases
in phonetic English translations—a section that will be most
useful to all who visit Israel.
This is a very fine guide, containing major points of infor-
mation, condensed in 128 pages, with a map to guide the
traveler.