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.