THE JEWISH NEWS
The New Pilot
incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 19.51
Member American Association of English—Jewisb 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 $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid At Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
HARVEY ZUCKERBERG
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath., the twenty first day of Tammuz, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Num. 25:10-30:1. Prophetical portion., Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.
Licht benshen, Friday, July 12, 7:49 p.m.
VOL. XLIII. No. 20
Page Four
July 12, 1963
Political Fears as Obstructions to Peace
Pharmaceutical and automobile firms
in Michigan are known to have yielded
to pressures from the Arab Boycott Com-
mittee and, contrary to their best business
interests, are refraining from doing busi-
ness with Israel.
There are other firms throughout the
land who have yielded to Arab pressures.
Yet, many firms in this country, and
in a number of European countries, have
rejected Arab threats and have business
relations with the Jewish State.
Last week a statement by a noted ec-
clesiological professor, Father Gustav
Weigel, was interpreted as an indication
that even churchmen are yielding to pres-
sure and that, out of fear for Arab reac-
tions the Ecumenical Council had re-
frained from acting on a resolution con-
demning anti-Semitism.
Now we have a denial of Fr. Weigel's
interpretation of the reason for the drop-
ping of the resolution on anti-Semitism
by the Ecumenical Council. A spokesman
for the American Jewish Committee's
European office cabled the denial on the
basis of statements from sources "very
near to the Presidency of the Secretariat
for the Unity of Christians of the Ecu-
menical Council." The denial stresses that
"no authorization whatever" has been
given "to making statements like the one
attributed to Father Weigel."
Father Weigel has since then explained
that his original statement was an, expres-
sion of "my personal guess without in-
struction from anyone and representing
no one;" that action against anti-Semitism
"would probably be avoiced in the sec-
ond session" of the Ecumenical Council.
He added: "Gladly do I accept information
from those in a better position, who can
give a contrary prognosis. The question I
at issue is a moral one and political argu-
ments are not in place."
This is all well and good, and on the
face of it we concur that moral issues
should not be turned into political weap-
ons. But many moral issues have been
transformed by Arabs who advocate Is- World's Faiths Described
rael's destruction into political weapons.
Their threats have been extended into
areas affecting Jews everywhere, regard-
less of Israel's interests in any given is-
sues, and it remains to be proven, in spite
of the American Jewish Committee's in-
Aimed as "an objective study of the religions of the world
tercession, whether the Ecumenical Coun- as a scientific and scholarly discipline," Grosset & Dunlap (no
cil can overcome the dangers that step B'way, NY 10), have issued an impressive volume, "Non-Christian
Religions—A to Z," edited by Horace L. Friess, chairman of the
from Arab animosities.
Columbia University department of religion and based on Hel-
If threats of boycotts and retaliations muth
von Glasenapp's work.
will continue to influence business firms
As "an obvious necessity to its plan and purpose," Christian-
and will, at the same time, serve as a club ity has been excluded and is the subject of a separate volume.
It is explained that "where appplicable each article (in the
also upon leaders of morality, one must
wonder what hope there can possibly be Fries book) covers the name of the religion, its symbols, the
for an emergence of moral forces capable background, the founder, the history, the sacred writings, the
view, the supernatural powers, the cult, the priesthood, the.
of dealing with the ills of a sick world. world
social life, the ethics, and the view of life after death."
If it will develop that the most powerful
Commencing with "American Pre-Columbian Religions"
church in the world will feel impelled
and continuing through a list of 32 faiths ending with Zoroas-
to hesitate to act against "the sin of anti-
trianism, the book includes a 31-page section devoted to
Semitism"— a phrase coined by Pope Pius
Judaism.
Early civilizations, the literatures and the customs of the
XII—there will be increased difficulties in
the struggle for peace and harmony among Aztecs, the Mayas, the Chibchas, the Incas are covered in the
pre-Columbian religions.
the people's of the earth.
Then come the Babylonian-Assyrian, Bahai, Baltic, Bon,
It is to be expected that the Vatican Buddhism, Caodaism, Celtic, Chinese Universism, Egyptian,
will exert its influence for peace between Finno-Ugric, Germanic, Greek, Hellenic Mystery, Hinduism,
Jews and Arabs. But a yielding to the Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Korean, Mandean, Manioheism, Near
Arab boycott movement would encourage East Ancient, Primitive Tribal, Roman, Shinto, Sikh, Slavic,
war. The road to amity remains bumpy, Yezidi and Zoroastrian religions.
There are numerous illustrations—the swastika is the sym-
and the obstacles to peace will become bol of
some mats, and the lengthy bibliography
nigh insurmountable if encouragement and the Jainism—and
well-compiled index add to the book's merits.
will be given to premediated obstruction
The article on Judaism begins by explaining the name,
to peace.
the derivation of "Jew" from the Tribe of Judah and "Israel-
31 Non-Christian Religions
With an Article on Judaism
Negativism Turns Dialogue Into a Flop
By facing realities, participants in the
Dialogue conducted last week in Jerusa-
lem by representatives of the American
and Israeli communities indicated that
Jewish issues need not be hidden in
fogs and that it is possible for Jews to be
the strongest partisans and patriots in the
lands of which they are citizens while
retaining Jewish spiritual and cultural
loyalties.
But there also was, as a New York
rabbi charged, a "vulgarization" of tradi-
tions and an attempt by Jewish novelists
who already have d r a g g e d the Jewish
name through the mud to negate Jewish
values.
There can be great value in the type
of Dialogue that was arranged by the
American Jewish Congress. Indeed, in the
sessions that were held in Israel last week
there were many frank declarations and
the criticisms that were uttered, the chal-
lenges that were hurled at Jewish leader-
ship, the demands that were made for
more thorough cultural activities and for
emphasis on learning gave a measure of
status to the debates.
It is out of such a Dialogue that we
can hope for positive results. The critics
and the pessimists alike need to be lis-
tened to, for without them and their
views the true meaning of difference of
opinion could not be recognized and
understood. It is the traditional acknowl-
edgment of the right to differ that gives
us strength, and such power for spiritual
revival surely can and must be antici-
pated every time a Dialogue is conducted
on a high level.
Most regrettably, however, the selec-
tion of participants in last week's discus-
sions was a very poor one. Some of those
who were chos6n to present their views
came with a background of animosity to
Jewish traditions. They did not represent
the positive Jews. And because of that the
Dialogue must be viewed as having been
a flop.
Is It 'Food-for-War?
In an address delivered in New York
last week, U.S. Senator Kenneth B. Keat-
ing charged that Egypt's President Nas-
ser would not have been able to carry
out his own "ambitious preparations for
war" without U.S. aid; that American
aid to Egypt, the bulk of it spent on the
Food-for-Peace pro g r a m, has exceeded
$862,000,000 since 1952, and that, there-
fore, "it might be more appropriate to
call it a Food-for-War program."
The Middle East needs assistance to
raise the standars of people who need
food, who should be helped in their ef-
forts to eradicate illiteracy, whose health
and welfare must be uplifted. Instead, in
the words of Senator Keating, "U.S.
readiness to supply Egypt with food has
made it possible for Nasser to barter his
cotton crop to the Soviet Union for mili-
tary equipment and weapons."
This is a most unfortunate develop-
ment in an area where there is so much
need to help several nations whose stand-
ards are far below those of Western
peoples. Is it expediency that turns a
Food-for-Peace plan into a Food-for-War
program? Senator Keating's admonitions
should arouse a sense of realism instead
of the search for expedient ways of ap-
peasing a dictator.
ite" from what is erroneously termed the Tribe of Israel.
"Hebrew" is .traced to the nomadic people of Habiru. The
Star of David is given as the symbol of Judaism, but the
hexagram is spoken of as a sign common also to other peoples.
The Menorah, too, is referred to as a Jewish symbol.
In giving the background of Judaism, the article traces the
history of the Jewish people, lists Moses as the founder of the
religion, presents historical data from Joshua to the Babylonian
exile, then to the destruction of the Second Temple, proceeding
on to the Age of Enlightenment, the Period of Emancipation,
and from there on to the present time.
Of course, Moses was not the founder of the Jewish
religion. That role was played by Abraham. Moses was the
great Lawgiver.
There is an evaluation of Jewish literary achievements, ex-
planations of all festivals, a discussion of Eschatology and Mes-
sianism and a review of various Jewish tendencies, sects and
schools of thought.
Perhaps it is because of the necessity for brevity that this
article is incomplete, but in spite of the several points that might
be challenged by Jewish scholars, the story of Judaism, as well
as those of the other 31 non-Christian faiths, as depicted in this
book, published in both hard covers and paperback, will be
found most valuable by students, scholars and lay readers.
Dr. Salt stein's Medical Memories
By BORIS SMOLAR
While a general history of the development of the Jewish hos-
pital movement in this country is yet to be written, the history of
that movement in Detroit has now been published by the Wayne
State University Press ... Its author is Dr. Harry C. Saltzstein, well-
known Detroit surgeon who contributed no little to the development
of clinical medicine under Jewish auspices in Detroit, which cul-
minated first in establishing the North End Clinic and later—in
1953—the Sinai Hospital of Detroit . . . Dr. Saltzstein gives a
broad picture of more than 60 years of Jewish medical service in
Detroit which started in 1900 under the auspices of the local Ladies
Society for the SUpport of Hebrew Widows and Orphans and
reached its present height of a 357-bed modern hospital with
more than 230 physicians on the active staff ... Step by step he
relates the story of the ups and downs which the early proponents
of a Jewish hospital experienced and how their dream was finally
realized . . . He also brings out what the Sinai Hospital has meant
to Jewish doctors, the Jewish community, to the city in general
and to the further development of Jewish medical practice . . .
His story is, to a certain extent, the story of many Jewish hospitals
in this country and the motives that brought about their establish-
ment ... Dr. Saltzstein throws light also on the development of
Jewish communal life in Detroit and on some of the Jewish
personalities there.