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.