THE JEWISH NEWS

On the Way to a Purim Party

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. SubscripL.on S6 a year. Foreign S7
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
This Sabbath, the nine day of Adar, 5724, the following Scriptural selections will be read in .
our synagogues.
Pentateuchal portion: Exod. 27:20-30:10. Prophetical portion: I Samuel 15:2-34.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Feb. 21, 5:54 p.m.

VOL. XLIV. No. 26

Page Four

February 21, 1964

Israel Water Project: Badly Misrepresented

Much has already been written and
said about the Israel water project. It
has been established that the United
States, through the late Eric Johnston,
had arrived at a solution to the problem
six years ago. A plan was formulated
whereby the Arab states, jointly with
Israel, would have benefited from a vast
irrigation scheme that was to have been
financed by the United States. All parties
at the outset agreed to it—until the Arabs
conceived a second thought: that it would
mean recognition of Israel's statehood.
They therefore backed down.
Israel, again with the encouragement
of our Government, proceeded to develop
the scheme, and the flow of water from
the north to the Negev, as a humanitarian
means of developing the southern portion
of the land, will proceed in due course
very soon.
But the Arabs have not stopped pro-
pagandizing against Israel. They haven't
ceased spreading libels against the small
state which they are virtually surround-
ing, constantly threatening its v e r y
existence.
Thus, in order to spread its venom,
Arab propagandists are touring the land
and are charaina that Israel is planning
to divert the Jordan waters and thereby
to rob the poor Arabs of their water
supplies.
It becomes necessary once again to
present some basic facts, so that the truth
should be known, and so that the shocking
misrepresentations should be recognized
for all they are worth.
What a pity that available means of
serving the entire area have been aban-
doned due to hatreds! The impoverished
Arab masses would have benefited from
a unified irrigation plan. But obstruc-
tions stand in the way, and there are
falsifications of facts which prevent the
world from knowing that the sources to
be utilized by Israel represent only one-
thirtieth of the available water supplies
in that area—the Arabs possessing most
of the waterways.

A noted expert on the subject of water
availability in the region explained the
true status by pointing out the following:
"One of the many sources of water
in the region, urgently requiring utiliza-
tion, is the Jordan-Yarmuk river sys-
tem, which is shared by Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan and Israel. Syria and Lebanon,
however, also have at their disposal—
in addition to the Jordan-Yarmuk river
system—the Euphrates, the Orontes
and the Litani, as well as other rivers,
springs and underground water re-
sources. In these river systems alone,
there are almost 30 billion cubic meters
available to the Arab countries. The
Euphrates, to which Syria is a riparian,
is one of the world's largest river sys-
tems. In comparison, the Jordan -
Yarmuk river system holds a mere
billion cubic meters of water; i.e.
a THIRTIETH of the water volume
of the other river systems. Moreover,
this small river system is shared be-
tween Syria, Lebanon, Israel and
Jordan. As it is, the overwhelming part
of existing, purely Arab-controlled
waters remains unused to this day, and
there can, therefore, be no genuine
anxiety on the part of such countries
as Syria or Lebanon, that they could
conceivably be deprived of water sup-
plies which they might even potentially
need. It should be noted that all irrig-
able lands in Syria and Lebanon could
be fully watered and still leave major
surpluses in Arab river basins."
These are only a few of the elementary
facts in the situation. The entire issue
has been muddled. If the Eric Johnston
statements, which were made public, and
the Johnston explanations that appeared
in The New York Times were thoroughly
understood, it would be recognized at
once that Israel is being libeled, that
there is an unfortunate campaign of hate
against Israel in the course of what should
have been a scientific rather than pre-
judice-inciting discussion.

Purim Its Great Lesson and Its Jollity

One of our sages has said that if all
of our holidays were to be abolished,
Purim alone might remain.
- There are many reasons for such a
view. Purim, while it has its negative
aspects involving the Schutz-Jude, the
protecting Jew who emerges in the royal
sphere as the pleader or protector of his
people nevertheless carries with it the
valuable element of refusal to yield to
threats from ruling elements when the
survival and security of the Jewish peo-
ple is involved. It is linked with a measure
of fearlessness when it becomes neces-
sary to speak up against intolerance and
persecution.
There are numerous other factors in
the Purim festival that have a strong
appeal. It is a festival that lends itself
to humor and to levity. The fact that it
encourages masquerades and family ban-
quet — the traditional Seudah, the Purim
meal, as a major part of the home ob-
servance of the minor holiday—gives to
Purim considerable significance.
Purim is especially significant because
it appeals to the children, because it pro-
vides such an effective way of creating
jollity for them and brings them closer
to their people, their homes—especially
those in which parents have the wisdom
to create a holiday spirit for them, and
in the synagogue where they can express

Youth in New York

'Hurray for Me,' Delightful,
Humorous Novel by Wilson

In "Hurray for Me," his first novel, published by Crown
(419 Park, S., N.Y. 16), S. J. Wilson has caught the spirit of
youth in a crowded district of New York and has narrated a
meritorious story that involves many aspects of life in a mixed
area where Jews mingle with Italians and a wholesome humani-
tarianism prevails.
While there may enter the feeling that a story told in the
first person—throughout this novel—by a 5-year-old boy—is un-
realistic, the entire plot does have elements of genuine realism.
There is a soundness in it that will excite the imagination of the
reader. It is marked by warmth and good will.
The young lad, Bobby, who tells the story is seriously con-
, cerned about his mother's absence. She had gone across the road
to take care of a very sick lady. It turned into a devotion that
taxed all her energies. The ill woman's children had to be sent
to an orphan asylum—the directors insisted on calling it a chil-
dren's home—and since one of them—Johnny— was Bobby's
playmate, he asked his father to take him to see the boys.
The disturbing impression lingered and Bobby began to won-
der whether mothers die. He kept asking that question—of the
Italian neighbor girl Carmella who plays a good role in the
story, of his father and brother—and then, on his own, he takes
a walk to the synagogue to pose the question to the rabbi.
The rabbi, taken by surprise with his question, replies:
"Mothers are like time. Time passes, but it is always here. Time
goes, but it always comes. So it is with mothers ..." And he gives
him his blessing.
Then comes the funeral of Johnny's mother, the insistence of
could capitalize on it! Bobby's mother protests.
There is another incident when a poor family is being
evicted and the neighborhood protested.
These are among the evidences of a craving for justice that
creeps into the delightful story.
Wilson's "Hurray for Me" has humor and pathos—and the many
occurrences combine to make it an excellent novel.

Meritorious Recording

their protests by means of the noisemak-
ers against anti-Semites and anti-
Semitism.
This is the festival that will provide
joy f6r Jewry next week. May it retain its
spirit of joy as well as its lessons that a
There is an enchantment in Hassidic melodies that has
free people will never permit aggressors captured
the imagination of all elements in Jewry. Their warmth,
to threaten its existence.
the joy they inspire, their ascension to spiritual heights, make,

1\likhoakh`- -Joyful Chabad

Lubavitcher Hassidic Music

Bar-Ilan Charter

The granting of the Charter to Bar-
Ilan University in Israel by the Board of
Regents of the State of New York is more
than a tribute to the university's decade of
experiences during which it established
itself as part of the cultural life of the
Jewish State.
With the growth in Israel's population
and the apparent need for educational
services that should supplement those of
the great Hebrew University, it was inev-
itable that there should have emerged
the University of Tel Aviv and Bar-Ilan
University. It was equally a natural phe-
nomenon that there should be established
a university under religious sponsorship,
and in the latter category Bar-Ilan serves
an important purpose.
The acquisition of the N.Y. Regents'
Charter by Bar-Ilan University devolves
to the credit of that university's leaders
among whom a number of Detroiters play
significant roles.

them immensely noteworthy as links with a great movement in
Jewish life.
The Chabad movement is to this day one of the strong
forces in Jewry. The name comes from the three words Kokhma,
Bina, Daat—wisdom, understanding, knowledge—the initials of
which provide the name for the movement that arose soon after
the death of the founder of the Hassidic movement—the Baal
Shem Tov.
Under the name "Nikhoakh"—taken from the initials of
the words Nigunei Hassidei Chabad Lubavitch—the melodies of
the Lubavitcher—a most impressive record makes it possible for
us to enjoy the joyful Hassidic songs.
The Lubavitcher Chorus, with an instrumental ensemble,
made this recording which includes, on its two sides, 16 songs.
Commencing with "Ovinu Malkenu," concluding with "Ki
v'Simcho," the selections include two songs without words, one
melody with a Russian text, the others based on Biblical
selections and liturgical texts.
The records, produced by Collectors Guild (507 5th Ave.,
NY17), will provide joy and entertainment. It will brighten many
an hour in Jewish homes where the Hassidic melody still has a.
place of importance.
The Lubavitcher Hassidim sing constantly. From their ranks.
have come a number of good recordings. Their songs bring joy—
they create an interest in an important era in Jewish life and
in an interesting element among us. "Nikhoakh" is among the
more delightful of the recordings with which we have been
blessed by Chabad.

