THE JEWISH NEWS

o

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 48235 Mich.,
VE 8-9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Advertising Manager

Business Manager

CHARLOTTE HYAMS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the second day of Adar II, 5725, the following scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion: Exod. 38:21-40:38; prophetical portion: I Kings 7:51-8:21.

Licht benshen, Friday, March 5, 6:09 p.m.

VOL. XLVII, No. 2

March 5, 1965

Page 4

Allied Campaign's Urgent Objectives

Well on the road to the success, in terms
of the minimum goal of $5,000,000 to which
our community aspires this year, the current
Allied Jewish Campaign nevertheless must
resort to consistent and uninterrupted
prompting of all prospective givers so that
there should be no let-down in campaign
activities.
Much is at stake in this campaign. It is
not only the overseas need but also the na-
tional and local obligations which must be
met with generosity.
Let there be complete understanding of
the campaign's objectives.
As in past years, we call the attention
of the entire community to the causes that
are provided for in the current drive. The
following is a complete list of the causes
and agencies that will be helped by the
Allied Jewish Campaign:

OVERSEAS AND ISRAEL

1964-65
$ 14,000

American-Israel Cultural Foundation
Hebrew University - Technion Joint
30,150
Maintenance Appeal
American Friends of Hebrew Universi ty
American Technion Socity
8,000
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
42,000
United HIAS Service
2,050,982
United Jewish Appeal

$2,145,132
TOTAL
LOCAL OPERATING ALLOCATIONS (Federation)
1964-65
Health and Welfare
$ 22,033
Community Workshop
28,051(a)
Fresh Air Society
4,091
Hebrew Free Loan Association
5,439
House of Shelter
175,523(b)
Jewish Community Center
Jewish Family and Children's Service
75,741(a)
(including Bellefaire)
94,850
Jewish Home for Aged
101,764
Jewish Vocational Service
*Jewish Welfare Federation
119,570
Administration
Depreciation and
65,000
Replacement Fund
36,405
Resettlement Service
133,900
Sinai Hospital
1,200
*Student Training Fund
8,094
Tamarack Hills Authority

$ 871,661
*Central Services
(a) For calendar year 1965
(b) For calendar year 1964
Education
$
2,500
Pontiac Hebrew School Unit
38,122
Beth Yehudah Afternoon Schools
Combined Jewish Schools of Sholem
36,380
Aleichem and Arbeiter Ring
8,770
Hayim Greenberg Hebrew-Yiddish School
27,800
Midrasha
378,344
United Hebrew Schools

$ 491,916

Community Relations
Jewish Community Council

101,239

TOTAL

$1,464,816

LOCAL OPERATING ALLOCATIONS
(United Community Services)
1964
24,400
Fresh Air Society
373,338
Jewish Community Center
300,823
Jewish Family and Children's Service
123,6'00
Shiffman Clinic of Sinai Hospital

$ 822,161

NATIONAL

Health and Welfare
Bnai Brith National Youth Service Appeal
Council of Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds
Jewish Occupational Council
National Jewish Welfare Board
National Jewish Welfare Board
(one-time grant)

$

20,500

22,260
1,600
33,600

1,000

In recent years, more than in previous generations, great inter-
78,960 est has been evidenced in the writings of Josephus, in his life, his
Education
200 collaboration with the Romans, his apologia.
American Academy for Jewish Research $
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls contributed in great meas-
8,100
American Association for Jewish Education
350 ure to the renewed interest.
American Jewish Historical Society
100
Bitzaron
A new work on the historian, "The World of Josephus, the Life,
100 Times and Works of the First Century Historian," by G. A. William-
Conference on Jewish Social Studies
500
Congress for Jewish Culture
2,750 son, published by Little, Brown & Co. (34 Beacon, Boston 6), there-
Dropsie College
2,250 fore assumes great importance.
Histadrut Ivrith
1,500
Jewish Publication Society
Josephus was born in the year 37 of the present era. He was
400
Jewish Teacher's Seminary
Joseph the son of Matthias, his birthplace was Palestine, he had
National Conference for Jewish
been a general in the Jewish forces who had fought against the
500
Communal Service
Romans, and when he was defeated he became an apologist bit.
6,600
National Foundation for Jewish Culture
4,650
YIVO-Institute on Jewish Research
the Romans, adopted the name Josephus Flavius, yet also defended
Jews against anti-Semitic charges.
$28,000
Thus,
even to this day he remains a dilemma in Jewish history,
Community Relations
$ 35,000 and the debate goes on whether or not he was a traitor to Jewry.
American Jewish Committee
25,300
American Jewish Congress
Williamson traces the history of that era, reviews the backgrour',
35,000 of the Herods, the emergence of Josephus as an historian, Joseph `
Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith
12,300 reply to the anti-Semites of his day in "Apion," and he especially
Jewish Labor Committee
8,000 makes this important comment on Josephus' attitudes:
Jewish War Veterans
National Community Relations
"Josephus . . . gives a great deal of space to an eloquent and
12,010
Advisory Council
1,000 reiterative apologia for the Romans, for his patrons, and for his
Synagogue Council of America
friends. But he never ceased to be a Jew, and in spite of their sins
$128,610 and follies he desired to defend them, and let it be seen that he was
loyal to them. He knew that they had behaved perversely, but under-
$ 235,570 standably, under great provocation; and though in general he praised
the conduct of the Romans so highly that he made no attempt to
Need anything else be added in empha- whitewash such unsatisfactory and disreputable procurators as Pilate
and Albinus, or to hide the appalling brutality and corruption of
sizing the appeal in behalf of the current which
Florus had been guilty. He was always ready to criticize the
drive? The causes listed here are so urgent, Jews: in the 'War' he lashed them unsparingly. But it was a particular
they are so all-embracing, they are so nu- misguided generation that excited his indignation: to the race in
the race that had known God and had produced the great
merous, that only the hardest-hearted could general,
lawgiver and the inspired prophets, he was always ready to pay
possibly ignore the objectives of the present tribute . . . "
fund-raising effort.
It is clear that to the author of this new work on Josephus, the
Let the response be commensurate with Jews had earned punishment. There is still the apparent inconsistency
the needs and with the great objectives of in Josephus who defended both sides. Williamson states that .
_
"For 30 years our author plied his busy pen arguing the case I
the present campaign!
the defense-defense of his ancient nation, of the great empire of
which he was now a citizen, of his patrons and friends, of his own
life and writings-in fact, of all that made up the world of
Josephus."
It sounds like being on the fence. He performed admirably in
We have had many critical situations, and
yet his condemnations of Jews while he defended the land of
we are experiencing one now as part of a "Apion,"
he was a naturalized citizen retains the old query: was he or
growing indifference, especially among our which
was he not a traitor to Jewry?
youth, towards the values inherent in our
Williamson's is a thought-provoking work. He throws much light on
heritage. By exploring the experiences of the Josephus. He asks: "How many of the ancient historians came any
past we should be able in some fashion to nearer than Josephus to a critical approach?" He would not deny
come closer to a possible solution of our Josephus "his own nature," and Williamson comments: "He wrote as
he must; and if he irritates, perhaps infuriates us as we read, is it
immediate current problems.
The Midrasha lectures must be viewed as not all to the good?"
This biographical work quotes Jewish authorities, points to the
much more than a mere adult program for
four weeks. It is a program in which many differing views about Josephus in Jewish ranks, and Williamson makes
young people participate, and their participa- this further comment about Josephus:
tion requires study and research. This en-
"In addition to the doubtful character of his statements about
himself there was a second factor, the tendency, so common in
courages continuing studies in Jewish mat-
ancient authors of a rhetorical temperament, to exaggerate the
ters, and the project is part of the aim at a
virtues of their friends and the vices of their foes. Josephus'
continuing community program to inspire
friends were the patrons to whom he owed everything . . . "
learning.
This has not been uncommon among Jews who have flattered
This year's series should add greatly to the
gains that have been recorded in the valuable their people's enemies.
lecture series sponsored by the Hebrew
But Williamson's work does not overlook the negative aspects,
Schools. They mark one of the most note- and while we may not share his conclusions, there is much to be
worthy contributions to local cultural efforts. learned from his scholarly work.

$

Midrasha Institute's Explorative Values

The major obligation of educators is to
get people to think, and those who plan a
community's cultural programs must have in
view the need to encourage exploration of
attitudes based on historical facts.
If there is to be an understanding of basic
Jewish values, there must be a knowledge of
these values, and a full appreciation of our
cultural heritage is nigh impossible without
proper probing and research.
For eight years, the United Hebrew
Schools' Midrasha Institute has been pur-
suing the task of inspiring such knowledge
based on research among a large element in
our community that has devoted itself to the
study of basic Jewish problems and of the
backgrounds involved in analyzing commu-
nity issues on the strength of historical
experience.
This year's Midrasha Institute lectures
will seek to explore cultural crises in Jewry.

'The World of Josephus' Deals
With Historian's Life and Time