Editorial Taking Stock on Jewish Position Again we take stock, as we welcothe the New Year 5724, on our accomplish- ments as well as on our shortcomings. It is equally important for us to take into account the failures, in order that our accomplishments may be vastly greater in the years ahead. We always make some progress in the advance- ment of our communal pro- grams. Our schools are func- tioning, the relief agencies are fulfilling their duties, our social services are among the most effective in the land. Indeed, even when we fall short of our goals in fund-raising we neverthe- less raise vast sums to carry on our major tasks. Yet, we are not succeeding so well culturally, our youth often becomes estranged from us, leadership qualities have become so standard- ized and very seldom are there new high marks in inspirational planning for the creation of a new ideal- ism that is so vitally needed in American Jewry. * * * We have had to appeal for so many generations philanthropically in support of Jewish causes that in our time, when the demo- cratic ideal has resulted in a reduction of the negative aspects of Jewish life stem- ming from anti-Semitism, many of our people are at a loss and feel leaderless in an era of new threats to Jewry's position. It was less difficult to appeal to Jewish devotionalism when the calls to duty were on the basis of threats to our ex- istence. Now, however, the major challenge is whether we can do as well in free- dom as our people did when the defense was against anti-Semitism. Are we weaker in liberty than we were under ghet- toism? Are we subjected to greater dangers that stem from assimilation now that we are in a position to live nobly as Jews than we were _ when our ancestors were ghettoized and terrorized? This is the real challenge of the hour and undoubted- ly the most serious issue for Jewry in 5724. * * There has been a search for an answer to this ques- tion for many years, and it can not be provided in a brief editorial comment. But a greater effort for such an answer must be demand- ed of ourselves. Many movements in American Jewish life will inevitably be branded as complete failures unless the youth will assume respon- sibility, unless the children of the leaders of the past will accept responsibility where parents have left off, and unless the children will do much better than the parents did in most in- stances. Let this be recog- nized as the major duty to be fulfilled by us in the year and in the years to come. This is the challenge of 5724. THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Member American Association of English—Jewish 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 year. Foreign $7. PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ Business Manager SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager a HARVEY ZUCKERBERG City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the twenty-fifth day of Elul, 5723, the following Scriptural selections will be read in our Synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Deut. 29:9-31:30; Prophetical portion, Isaiah 61:10-63:9. Licht benshen, Friday, Sept. 13, 6:27 p.m. Rosh Hashanah Scriptural Selections Pentateuchal portions: First Day of Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, Gen. 21:1-34, Num. 29:1-16; Second Day of Rosh Hashanah, Friday, Gen. 2:1-24, Num. 29:1-16. Prophetical portions: Thursday, 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10. Friday, Jeremiah 31:2-20. VOL. XLIV, No. 3 Page Four September 13, 1963 Spread Knowledge...and Increase Our Strength Periodically, we return to the discussion of what we consider to be our most vital need: to increase know- ledge. Because we are a minority among the major groupings in America, we must know and understand our position as Jews if we are to survive in the midst of majority influences, if our status as a cultural and spiritual group is to be fully understood by our neighbors. Before we can hope for an understanding by our fellow-men, we must understand ourselves. One of the most famous Scriptural quotations is the one from Ecclesiastes: "He that increases knowledge increases sorrow." If we were to permit this admonition that is applicable to all men and all cultures to deter us from acquiring learning, we would indeed become so dulled that we would be ranked among the dumb an,i- mals. That is why, having learned from Koheleth, we must turn to Proverbs where we get this encouragement "A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength." It is along the proverbial line that we seekknowledge and entertain the hope that our fellow-men will acquire information about themselVes, their neighbors, their country. So that our existence as a people, as a functioning community, may be sound and productive, so that we may live a positive existence unselfishly, for the good and welfare of humanity, knowledge becomes the major aspiration of a progressive folk. In a world in turmoil, in an era in which all faiths and all nations are challenged by emerging threats to their existence, it is especially urgent that knowledge should increase, that wherever and whenever pos- sible there should be understanding of human values and needs. In Jewish rinks especially there is great need for the spread of knowledge. An uninformed people perpetuates ignorance, but an educated group seeks to increase learning. In a family where there is a desire for knowledge, the children have the added impetus to acquire information.. Where there is no tradition for knowledge the desire to acquire it vanishes. We suffer the most in our status. as Jews because knowledge increases among us so slowly. Often a non-Jew will rebuke his Jewish friend by telling him that he knows the Hebrew Scriptures better than those who should boast of it as their heritage. And because we do not cling to our heritage we frequently sink into an unforgiveable pit of ignorance that reacts harmfully upon the entire community. May there be an increased appreciation of the need to spread knowledge in the year we are now wel- coming. May we realize that giving priority to educational movements is the most important duty for the year to come. May we prove able to fill this task as we face and recognize our duties in another challenging year which we welcome with blessings for Israel and all humanity.