Same Old Soup THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich., VE 8-9364. SubscripLion $6 a year. Foreign $7. Second Class Postage Paid At Detroit, Michigan PHILIP SLOMOVITZ CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ SIDNEY SHMARAK Editor and Publisher Advertising Manager Business Manager CHARLOTTE HYAMS City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections day of Shevat, 5724, the following Scriptural selections will be the eleventh Sabbath, This read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion: Exod. 13:17-17:16. Prophetical portion: Judges 4:4-5:31. Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 24, 5:19 p.m. VOL. XLIV. No. 22 Page Four January 24, 1964 An Eleventh Commandment of M. E. Justice In 1944, Harper & Brothers published a volume entitled "Palestine—Land of Promise." Its author, Dr. Walter C. Low- dermilk, the famous American soil con- servation expert, had gone to what was then Palestine and suggested the estab- lishment of a Jordan Valley Authority for the protection of the soil and the preser- vation of the precious water supply. Dr. Lowdermilk, a devout Christian, acquired new inspiration for his life's work during the research he conducted in the Holy Land. He wrote what he called "The Eleventh Commandment," and during the dedication of new Pales- tinian villages he broadcast its text over the radio in June 1939. The command- ment he composed stated: "Thou shalt inherit the holy earth as a faithful steward conserving its resources and productivity from generation to gen- eration. Thou shalt safeguard thy fields from soil erosion, thy living waters from drying up, thy forests from desolation, and protect thy hills from overgrazing by the herds, that thy descendants may have abundance forever. If any shall fail in this stewardship of land, thy fruitful fields shall become sterile stony ground or wasting gullies, and thy descendants shall decrease and live in poverty or perish from the face of the earth," Dr. Lowdermilk's idealism was not directed to Jews, but to an area. He was not praying for Israel but for the peoples of the Middle East—all of whom would have benefited, had his irrigation plan been adopted. What a pity that the politicians have taken over and, instead of encouraging cooperation for the advancement of all nations, they are propagating war! The late Dr. Eric Johnston, whose scheme for such cooperation was en- dorsed by the United States Government, knew about the Lowdermilk plan. In a sense, he had embodied it in his proposals for Arab-Israel cooperation. But the Arabs are bent on war and will not recog- nize Israel. Therefore Israel had to do her job herself. Dr. Lowdermilk earned the commen- dations of American officials for his de- voted efforts which included his research in Palestine. On Oct. 31, 1940, the former Vice President of the United States, Henry A. Wallace, who previously headed our Department of Agriculture, had this to say about Dr. Lowdermilk: "Some years ago, I called into the office of the Department of Agriculture a soil ex- pert by the name of Dr. Lowdermilk. I said that I felt trouble closing in on the world, and I hoped he could go to certain lands over- seas where there had been ancient civiliza- tions, and discover as completely as possible, the evidence . . . of the way in which soil, and therefore civilizations, had been destroyed. "Dr. Lowdermilk took on the task. He re- turned from abroad and came to our office. The very first thing he gave me was a thirty- to forty-page document with photographs, the result of his observations in Palestine. Dr. Lowdermilk is not of Jewish descent but he had become the most complete Zionist convert anyone could ask for. "In reading Dr. Lowdermilk's report I was convinced that the material foundations of Zion were very real and deep indeed. Some of us . . . have sometimes wondered how deep in the soil Zionist enthusiasms were. Dr. Low- dermilk set this question at rest. As an agricul- turist and soil expert, he was profoundly im- pressed with the scientific character of the work, and as a human being he was infinitely inspired by the human beings whom he met there on the Land . . . "The Jewish people have been hungering for some kind of stability on the land for thou- sands of years—on that ancient bit of land which Abraham paid for and which was aban- doned for a time by Joseph and his brethren, but which was built up again, and is now being resettled for a third time—resettled not by grace of government help, but through the funds, spirit and tradition of the Jewish people. "And, so I, a Gentile, close to this effort, regard the translation of this spirit into tan- gible reality as one of the most exciting un- dertakings in the world—for it is a spirit which comes down from olden times, but is at the same time forward looking." Strong Pleas for Traditional Principles Made by Schonfeld "The secularists have no explanation of life" and "Judaism explains life as a refining of the matter and energies of cosmos," Dr. Solomon Schonfeld declares in his newest book, "Why Judaism." Published by Shapiro, Vallentine & Co. in London, the book is being distributed in this country by Bloch. Dr. Schonfeld, who is the presiding rabbi of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations of Britain, treats his study of Judaism as a philosophy of man and the universe and places emphasis on the unique status of Torah. The author, declaring that the theme of his book is "ex- planatory rather than argumentative, encouraging rather than defending," states that "Jews with a definite philosophy of life should feel at one with their allotted role in the unfolding of history." Discussing Biblical Judaism in relation to the sciences, Rabbi Schonfeld maintains that scientists "are currently veering towards the inclusion of faith within the scientific view." Maintaining that "the Bible already has the ultimate answer to all research," he states that the scientist "should be helped to a realization that the Bible is in step with him just as he should be in step with the Bible." His appeal is for the strengthening of the family as "the foundation-stone of real civilization." He deplores lascivious devia- tions, easy-going sex "looseness," the excusing of homosexuality and asserts that "the inviolability of every family home is a modern concept in line with Biblical teaching." "Jewry and Judaism have never aimed to deprive Christians of their Christianity," Dr. Schonfeld declares in a discussion of Christian-Jewish relations. "It is fundamental to Judaism," he adds, "that every human being should acknowledge his Maker. So long as they do not compel the Jew to pray their prayers, the Jew wants the Christian to pray, officially and publicly." Rejecting and condemning communism, Dr. Schonfeld de- plores the existence of leftist socialism in Eretz Israel. He appeals: "Judaism for Jews is positive: Live Judaism! Treasure the Torah-Bible, the genuine Judaism! Let Jewry create its climate around the synagogue." In this spirit, Rabbi Schonfeld's "Why Judaism" is a strong plea for adherence to traditional Judaism. Israel's irrigation plans began long be- fore there was an Israel. The Jewish farmers, more than 30 years ago, already were concerned about the need for soil reclamation and water preservation. That was why Dr. Lowdermilk was invited, with the cooperation of the United States Government, to study the soil conditions and the possibilities of making use of every available water resource, without depleting the water supply in the entire area. But the Arabs are rattling their sabers against Israel in a sudden rage of anger over the newly-established water scheme as if it were a sudden develop- ment. It was never a secret. Similarly, the nations of the world also knew about the plan. Why the sud- den sensationalism? It is consonant with the type of diplomatic inconsistencies which have brought much trouble to the world because the statesmen, instead of acting promptly and firmly on major is- Translated from the Yiddish sues, usually wait for an upheaval to force attention to serious problems. Then we experience threats, resort to expe- diency, hypocrisy. Is the United Nations, with the aid of our own government, able now to avert an unnecessary crisis? Bergner's 'Light and Shadow' an Australian Jewish Novel Sen. Hart's Liberalized Immigration Proposal Senator Philip A. Hart of Michigan has emerged as one of the chief advocates of legislation to abolish the national im- migration origins quota plan, and he should be given the support of all citi- zens whose loyalties are motivated by a sense of justice. Evaluating his position in testimony he presented to the Senatorial committee dealing with the problem, Senator Hart showed that 'arbitrary ethnic and racial barriers became the basis of American immigration policy," and he declared that the present system "was framed by an irrational element—the national ori- gins concept, which said in clear and echoing words that the people of some nations are more welcome to America than others." 'Why Judaism' The need for reform of the present laws was urged by Senator Hart for "moral and national interest reasons." He declared that "the national origins quota system "neither satisfies a national need nor accomplishes an international purpose." He now asks for restoration of equality and fair play in the selection of immigrants, facilitation of the reunion of families and other reforms. Senator Hart believes that "congress can this year enact an immigration statute which speaks a welcome to the immigrant in the spirit of brotherhood and justice." President Johnson has informed Con- gress that he favors liberalization of the present immigration laws. Under Senator Hart's able leadership it is to be hoped that this objective can be accomplished at this session of Congress. Herz Bergner, a native of Poland who came to Australia in 1938, became an Australian naturalized citizen and continued his story writing he had begun in Warsaw, is attracting attention with his second novel, "Light and Shadow," just published by Thomas Yoseloff (11 E. 36th, NY 16). It has been ably translated by Alec Braizblatt, and an Australian literary critic, Alan Mar- shall, in a foreword, highly commends the author, who had won the gold medal of the Australian Literature Society for his first novel, "Between Sky and Sea." Bergner has a good background which enabled him, in his new and excellently written story to describe the life of incoming immigrants in Australia, to show how they welcomed refugees from Nazism and assisted in Israel's upbuilding. "Lights and Shadow" deals with an interesting family that leaves a small community to settle in Melbourne. One of the sons intermarries, the daughter gets involved with an Italian while engaged to a fine young Jewish lad who marries her after his return from a German prison camp—only to have his love affair cooled by his wife's actions. The youngest son leaves for Israel after rejection by a refugee woman much older and with a child whom she rescued while escaping from the holocaust. On board ship he is elated to learn that the girl whose love he had rejected also is on the way to the State of Israel. There is a joy that indicates a reconciliation. Thus, the many aspects in the novel reflect life in an im- portant Jewish community, well delineated by an able writer.