THE JEWISH NEWS incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 National Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Associations, e;ditorial 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 SIDNEY SHMARAK Editor and Publisher Business Manager Advertising Manager l it1131. HARVEY ZUCKERBERG City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the fourth day of Elul, 5723, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Deut. 16:18-21:9; Prophetical portion, Isaiah 51:12 52:12. - Licht benshen, Friday,August 23, 7:04 p.m. VOL. XLIII No. 26 Page Four August 23, 1963 Vindication of Pro-Israel Functions Dr. Emanuel Neumann undoubtedly centralized in the American Zionist Coun- was correct in his assertion that the cil, have been fully evaluated. During the hearings it was indicated Jewish Agency's activities were vindi- cated during the hearings on the func- that there may have been "technical" tions of the Agency's American Section violations, but there were no misrepre- that were conducted by Senator J. W. sentations and the funds were handled Fulbright at a public session of the Sen- scrupulously and the functions of the movement were carefully organized. ate Foreign Relations Committee. Distinguished members of the U. S. Similarly, the status of the Jewish Senate utilized the public hearings for Telegraphic Agency, whose financial dif- expressions of friendship for the Zionist ficulties compelled it to look for aid from movement and for the efforts to resettle the Jewish Agency, was frankly stated refugees in Israel, and Senator Fulbright, and evaluated. The hearings may have caused some while seeking information to establish the relevancy of the foreign principals' reg- embarrassment because spokesmen for istry act, was not antagonistic, as reports the Zionist movement were compelled to make a public appearance to state their A Revised Prayerbook may have indicated. The 200-page Senatorial report on the case and to open up all their records anc1 hearings reveals that all the necessary to present to public view the financial information Senator Fulbright's commit- statements. But, as Dr. Neumann, the tee was in search of was provided, that chairman of the Jewish Agency American the monetary negotiations and the politi- Section, said, the pro-Israel activities con- cal activities in defense of Israel were ducted by American Jews have been vin- fully recorded and nothing was hidden. dicated. Everything that has been said, Unusual interest attaches to the second revised edition of If there was a temporary embarrass- all that was heard, serve to encourage "Weekday Prayer Book" issued by the Rabbinical Assembly, ment, the record now is clear and all of American Jewry to continue the humani- which represents 800 rabbis and their Conservative congrega- the activities that have been conducted tarian efforts for the liberation of the tions. The editorial and translating committee, headed by Rabbi by the various branches of the Zionist oppressed in many lands and for an Gershon Hadas of Kansas City, which included Rabbi Max Weine, movement, especially those that wer e assurance of the security of Israel. Traditions Adhered to in New Edition of Conservative Siddur 'Cold War' in Arab 'Unity' Scheme A review of the "Shifting Sands of foreign analyst made this observation: "The Cold War which is now developing Power in Arabia," written for the London between Nasser and the Baath can threaten Times by its -Middle East correspondent, both Western oil wells and East-West peace. contains this telling sentence: Yet neither side is likely to win decisively. "Every time an Egyptian bomber Today Nasser is the stronger, and may yet climbs into the dawn above Sana, the topple his opponents in Damascus and Bagh- high Yemen capital, and disappears on dad. But the union with Syria showed that another grim errand, it is a mockery of the Nasserist system of government did not suit the temperament and tradition of the the trust the United States puts in Presi- other Arab peoples. And Yemen has shown dent Nasser, even though she has recog- that force is no substitute for an indigenous nized the Yemen government Egypt is political base .. . in this way supporting." "Meanwhile the wretched Arab peasant This is a very disturbing rebuke, yet continues to live on an income one-tenth the it has been uttered in many other ways Western European average. The Cold War and has been heard in this country as between the Baath and Nasser may distract well. Western attention from over-population in The pathetic thing about the whole Egypt, underproduction on farms throughout the Middle East, and falling investment in mooted business of Arab unity, which industry. But these remain the crucial issues, still subsists on hatred for Israel, is that and no Arab movement is likely to succeed the Arab masses continue to live in unless it can resolve them." poverty and degradation while their That's the tragedy: that the Arab masters are building up strong military masses continue to live a wretched eco- machines. The New Republic also has analyzed nomic existence while their dictators the Arab issue, in a discussion of the strive to perpetuate power. And we are "Cold War Among the Arabs," and its helping the dictators! Chills Come from German Surveys A West German survey on the trials of Nazi criminals, issued from Bonn, shows that more than 10,000 Nazi war criminals have been sentenced since the end of the tragic World War. There were 489 executions out of the 818 who re- ceived death sentences, but only 12 of those who were executed received their death sentences in German courts, the others having been ordered to the gal- lows by Allied courts. These are revealing figures. There is no doubt that West Germany is anxious to cleanse its people by imposing penal- ties upon the guilty who have besmirched the German name. But some of the facts revealed in the newest survey arouse deep concern over the attitude of the Ger- mans, nearly all of whom must share responsibility for what had happened under the Nazis. The fact is, as shown in the survey, that only three of those who were sen- tenced to death by German couts were executed before the abolishment of capi- tal punishment by the West German Fed- eral Government. While West Germany tried 12,846 since the end of the war, only 5,526 were found guilty, and many of the 5,025 who were found guilty in Allied courts might have escaped punish- ,rnent if the German Court actions are to be taken as indications of the workings of the German legal minds. There are many who may say that the war is over, that we should forgive and forget. But there are so many indi- cations of a threatening re-emergence of sentiments that condone many of the Hitlerite acts that there is need for greater vigilance lest we have a recur- rence of the crimes and the tragedies. Surveys often conducted in Germany to probe the German minds and to evalu- ate the desire to punish the guilty often leave us quite chilled. Too often we become aware of a German indifference to the past and of a desire to forget in an effort to forgive and thereby to justify what had happened. That's what should trouble every person who recalls what the Germans did to our people and to humanity. of Camden, N. J., a prominent former Detroiter, was subjected to criticisms when the first edition appeared in 1961. But the errors to which exceptions were taken were mainly technical and the corrections were made in the second edition. The new edition may incur wrath in orthodox quarters be- cause of the introduction of alternate readings in the Sabbath and festival Musaf (additional) services of special versions which are explained by the committee as follows: "The Hebrew text of the Weekday Prayer Book is tra- ditional except for variants reflecting vital changes in Jewish life and thought. Such variants are especially significant in the Musaf services. There the traditional prayers for the restoration of the Temple and the resumption of animal sacrifices have been replaced by a new text commemorating the Temple observances and expressing the prayer that the Land of Israel shall remain a haven for the homeless of our people and grow as the spiritual center of Jewish life every- where. As alternate readings, the rendition of the Musaf in our Sabbath and Festival Prayer Book has been retained." Since both the original and the alternate versions are in- cluded in this Siddur, it will be interesting to know whether those who object to any changes or variants whatever will rise up to protest against the Rabbinical Assembly's newly revised edition of the prayer book. In its entirety it is a highly commendable work and its improved translations and the readability of the prayer book make it stand out as a noteworthy Siddur that stands out for its attractiveness as well as of its all-inclusiveness. It is unquestionably a traditional Siddur, except for the variations indicated, and another addition to it is a specially composed prayer, appearing together with similar prayers for Purim and Hanukah, to be recited on the anniversary of Israel's independence. • The entire text, including the additions, is, of course, in Hebrew, with the English translations on opposite pages. Adding greatly to the value of this Siddur is the inclusion, at the back of it, of the Torah readings—these are exclusively in Hebrew—for Mondays and Thursdays, Rosh Hatlesh, Hanukah, Purim, intermediate clays of Pesah and Sukkot, Tisha b'Ab and fast days. * * * The Hanukah and Purim prayers, the Havdalah service, the Hoshanot liturgy, and special prayers for bride and bridegroom, newborn babies, the sick and for Gomel Benshen—on deliver- ance from danger or recovery from illness—are part of this Siddur. The introductory notes carry suggestions for an abridged morning service, indicating the prayers to be included in such a service; and they suggest the form of a service in a house of mourning. There is no doubt about the excellence of the transla ,. tions in this new Siddur. With only three exceptions—Adon Olam, Yigdal, Maoz Tzur —the English text of this Siddur is new. The editors state that "the Hebrew text is faithfully reflected in the translation except in the passage Wondrously Are we Made (page 8) which is an interpretation rather than a translation of the original." Thus, since tradition is strictly adhered to, it is to be ex- pected that the Rabbinical Assembly's "Weekday Prayer Book" will meet with very wide acceptance.