Our Faith in America Our Hope For a Peaceful 5725
These are the Days of Awe—Yamim Neraim-
for more than the traditional religious reasons.
We are ushering in a New Year that is marked
by frightful evidences of an emergence of move-
ments that threaten the very existence of Ameri-
ca's basic traditions, that are marked by the ap-
plication of the most desperate practices of the
Old World to our way of life.
The Holy Days are prayerful occasions when
we dedicate ourselves towards the betterment of
the lives of all mankind. The prayers we utter
are not for ourselves alone but for all humanity.
We turn to our synagogues in supplication for the
advancement of human values, for the elimination
of the evil ways of man, for the elevation of stand-
ards of life for peoples of all faiths
We do not need encyclicals for such major
objectives: they are . imbedded in our traditions,
they are rooted in our very existence as a Nation
of -Priests. and a Holy People.
Now we direct these prayers anew to the
great hope that the destructive anti menacing ways
of people who have turned their minds towards
divisiveness among Americans will be abandoned;
that those of our fellow-citizens who are bent
upon hatreds will alter their menacing motiva-
tions and will recognize that the foundations of
our democratic way of life call for unity towards
assuring equality for all. We pray that there will
be an end to vandalism, to plundering, to destruc-
tion of life and limb, to arousing discord among a
community that must be limited in the ways of fair
play! and decency.
*
*
Rightists' disruptive activities are not new to
this land. We have had the Know-Nothing move-
ment and the Ku Klux Klan has been a blot on
the good record' of America for a long time.
But never before have we experienced so
many riotous demonstrations. Never before has
the race issue been the problem more of the North
than of the Soutth.. Only in the sad year that is
just concluding on our calendar has the conflict
been in evidence in the larger cities of the land.
Never before has the issue of racism become
so manifestly an anti-Semitic demonstration on
the part of many of our colored fellow-citizens
ho know' that from our midst have . emerged the
most outspoken defenders of their just rights.
What has hitherto been a struggle for just
rights for the Negroes has developed into a civil
war in which many innocents are involved. which
has created fear in the hearts of the people of
this land. which has inspired insecurity in the
freest democracy on earth.
That is why it is so vital that the issues afflic-
t i,ng us should be considered by all citizens as their
problem to be solved speedily. so that there should
be an end to vandalism, to threats to human lives,
to unrealistic Negro resistance as well as to the
wild backlash movement.
nocent fighters for justice and decency have been
murdered as they are to our large Eastern com-
munities.
Why did they occur so soon after Congress
and President Johnson acted to adopt and to ap-
prove the civil rights bill?
Why are there so many Negroes who are
defying the rational appeals of their leaders and
resorting to violence? •
Why is there a backlash movement that is
backing causes akin to Nazism in this country?
While the reasons are obvious — the resent-
ment on the one hand that has grown over lack
of employment and indecent housing for the
colored, and on the other hand the refusal of the
bigots to accept rule of justice which would cor-
rect the sins against our Negro fellow-citizens
during the century of inequality that has followed
the Civil War—the solutions are not readily at
hand.
That is why the year 5725 is such a chal-
lenging one for all Americans.
That is why we usher in the New Year with
trepidation that was matched only during the
years of horror under Nazism.
As we review the events of the past year, as
we begin to evaluate the seriousness of a situation
that confronts us now, we must become aware of
truth that these are not only Days of Awe:
they are Days of Judgement.
In the weeks and months to come. we will
be judged by what we do; and we, in turn, will
have to exercise good judgement over our personal
acts.
Internally. within the Jewish comunity. we
will be planning to advance the cause of Jewish
education.
We will be faced with the perennially repeat-
ing need to strengthen our spiritual life. to as-
sure relief for the needy overseas, to strengthen
Israel's hands in the struggle against war-monger-
ing neighbors. to protect ourselves against anti-
Semitism and to give new meaning to our
civic-protective movements.
Major in our considerations is the issue which
affects our land as a result of the extremisms that
MAW
In the era of Czarist brutalities, in the years
when Poles massacred Jews, in the tragic period
when Romanians and - Ukrainians attacked Jews
and plundered their homes, we dealt with the
names of cities called Kishineff, Kielce, Jassy,
Warsaw. .Odessa . .
In the year 1964 the inhuman events of the
Old World were transferred to Rochester, New
York, Chicago, Paterson, Philadelphia, Eliza-
beth . . .
It is with a sense of shame that we take into
account the events of the past few weeks.
They are occurrences that should be as
strange to Philadelphia in Mississippi' where in-
THE JEWISH .NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit JeWiA Chronicle commencing
with the 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 Vest Seven Mile Road. Detroit 48235 Mich., VE 8-9354.
Subscription $6 a year Foreign $7.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
CHARLOTTE HYAMS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
. This Sabbath. the twenty-eighth day of Elul, .5724, the fol-
lo•ing scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentatcuchal' portiop, Deut. 29:9-30:20. Prophetical. par-
tiOn, Isaiah 61-10-63:9:
• Licht benshen, Pridiy, September 4th, 6:43 p.m.
Rosh Hashanah Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: Fir s t Day of Rosh Hasranah,
Monday, Gen. 21:1-34. Num. 29:1-6. Second Day of Rosh
Ila,shartah, Tuesday. Gen. 22:1-24. Nurn. 29:1-6.
Prophetical portions: Monday, 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10: Tues-
day, Jeremiah 31:2-20.
Fast of Gedalia will be observed on Wednesday.
VOL. XLVI, No. 2
Page 4
September 4, 1964
Wit
afflict us — the rightists' bigotries and the un-
realistic Negro reactions.
We shall have to repudiate the backlash and
we must strive in all possible ways to instruct our
colored friends and neighbors to abandon their
policies of negativism' and destruction.
We are confident that the backlash element
will be repudiated. The sound-minded Americans
are always in the majorVy. Surely, they will re-
ject the backlashers as they have repudiated
Know-Nothing and Ku Klux Klan appeals.
At the same time, we must not be motivated
by hatred when there is pernicious destructivity
on the part of a minority of the colored people.
The vandals do not represent the majority of
the Negroes.. They are more of a problem to their
own rational and peace-loving people than they
are to the whites. The aim of the overwhelming
majority of Americans must, therefore, be to as-
sure the speediest implementation of civil right
In and through justice is inherent the solution
to the problem created by the race conflict.
*
There is serious solemnity in our midst. It
is with equal seriousness that the entire country's
solemnity is marked at this time, on the eve of
a national election. in the course of the nation's
responsibility to assure for itself leadership that
will guide us dispassionately, with a sense of jus-
tice, in the spirit of the American way of fair
play. in keeping our differing racial and religious
groups welded together as a harmonious entity.
While the events of the past months have
been marked by tragedies, we must approach the
coming year with confidence, with faith in the
emergence of better days, with hope for -the re-
emergence of amity among all of us..
Unless we retain our faith, we will be doom-
ed. If we retain confidence in the American way
of life and strive to retain it, we shall emerge, in
the coming year. as a strong and reunited people
This should be the aim of all Americans.
This is the aim of the Jewish community.
May the year 5725 develop into one of glory
for America. Then it will be one of blessing and
good tidings for Jewry and all mankind.
This is our wish on the eve of the New Year
5725.
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