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 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 11th day of Heshvan, 5726, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentatevchal portion: Gen. 12:1-17:27; Prophetical portion: Isa. 40:27-41:16. Licht benshen, Friday, Nov. 5, 5:04 p.m. VOL. XLVIII, No. 11 Nov. 5, 1965 Page 4 Strength Emerging From Chaos in Israel Israel's democratic election on Tuesday was preceded by all the hullabaloo of an American political campaign. There was a measure of mudslinging, former pals split bitterly, a new party was created, there were charges and countercharges, and the elec- torate showed signs of impatience with a party in power. As in our own experience over the years, Israelis seemed to be in the mood for "a change." How often have we heard the cla- mor: it's time for a change. The fact that there are too many parties in Israel may have stood in the way of an actual emergence of a challenging party strong enough to vie for first place in Israel's government. In spite of the Ben-Gurion opposition, the Mapai labor party must be recognized as the dominant factor in Israel's political setting. The prejudices that were so steadily ingrain- ed against the Herut, the party of the right- ists, and in opposition to the General Zionists, in their functions as the Liberal Party, stood in the way of notable gains by the two groups that are now merged into one party. But they may gain ground, and that should be considered as being in Israel's benefit. The major fact to be taken into considera- tion is that the democratic processes func- tioned in Israel where, as contrasted by the dictatorial rules in the neighboring Arab states, citizens have all opportunities to ex- press independent views in matters involving the government. It is true that there have been charges of pressures upon voters ema- nating from labor union controls. Similar charges have been leveled at labor leaders in this country, but it is more difficult to dictate to voters in larger areas like ours, and in Israel there may have been submissions to Mapai-Histadrut threats. But even there such instances could not have been overwhelming. Now the independent voter is proving in Israel that democracy works and that while there may be crises resulting from the shaky coalitions, the independent voter who has shaken the strength of the dominant parties is proving the validity of the contention that the Israelis are the most vital factors for the ideals inherent in democracy in the Middle East. Thus, a crucial election in Israel has its elements of progress that gives assurance of an uninterrupted and self-strengthening lib- eralism. In the course of time, there will no doubt be stabilization in Israel's governing proc- esses. Perhaps governments will fall often — more often perhaps than in Great Britain and possibly as often as they used to fall in France in pre-De Gaulle days. But there will be ad- justments. The need for common action in the country's defense will assure it. The strug- gle to retain the status of a state that must endlessly absorb large numbers of newcomers will add to the people's determined will to protect the country's freedoms. Israel is, indeed, a laboratory for social, political and economic actions — all of which played roles in the election on Tuesday. As in the achievements registered by Israel's noted scientists, the social experiments, too, are certain to benefit from the experiences of the young nation's developing activities. The events, the debates, even the animosities, that preceded Tuesday's election, contributed towards an emerging new strength that will undoubtedly supplement Israel's other pow- ers that assure survival. Old Russian Trick: Dive rt Attention from Guilt Under the Czars, Russia already had re- sorted to tricks to divert attention from anti- Semitism that has been rampant in that country. Whenever there arose the Jewish question and there were proteSts against the anti- Semitic practices of the Russian rulers, there were schemes to charge Jews with all sorts of crimes. The Russians did not hesitate to charge Jews with the atrocious blood libel. That was true in the Mendel Beilliss Case in 1910. It was true again under the Communists who permitted this outrageous accusation to emerge from the Ukraine on several occas- ions in recent years. The anti-Zionist resolution at the United Nations was not a new tactic to link Jews with Nazism. The Arabs tried it for many years, and Russia became a partner in an unholy alliance by carrying the ball for the faltering Arab bloc from whose .ranks there hasn't been a new word in the repeating assaults on Israel and on Jewry since the emergence of Israel. It is no wonder that Russia resorts to such schemes. A glance at the record will provide proof of a recurring anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union. An inheritance from Czarist times, the anti-Semitism of the Com- munist regime has not abated. It reached a stage of such shocking proportions, during the doctors' trials and their accompanying events, in the era of Stalinism, that Commun- ist leaders found it necessary to apologize for them. Then came a period of anti- Semitic practices under Khrushchev. It was hoped that the post-Khrushchev experiences would witness an end to the discriminations. But there has not been a halt to the outrage- ous Kremlin policies. The Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress contains such a tremen- dous amount of proof of a continuing Rus- sian anti-Semitic policy that there is cause for concern-about the future. United States Senator Philip A. Hart of Michigan had oc- casion to expose some of the tragedies im- posed upon Russian Jewry, and in the course of Senatorial discussions of the events trans- piring in the USSR presented to the Senate a mass of material gathered by the Joint Committee on Slavic Studies of Ann Arbor which pointed to numerous occurrences that continue the terror imposed on Russian Jewry. The tragedy of the Russian happenings is that they are inexplainable, that they are enacted without rhyme or reason against a loyal element in the Russian population. The only valid explanation for the existence of the USSR anti-Semitism is that the Russian rulers have not been able to shake off the inheritance from Czarism: a hatred for the Jewish people. Meanwhile it is becoming increasingly more apparent that the Jews in Russia have not totally abandoned their Jewish loyalties, that they live in hopes for the coming of a time when they will be able to share their Jewish heritage without fear of reprisals for doing so with their kinsmen throughout the world. The Simhat Torah celebration at the Moscow synagogue, last month, was transformed into a very happy occasion. One correspondent described the expression of Joy on that festival as an indication of "greater leniency toward Jews" by Russian officialdom. Would that this were true, but it seemed to have been -negated by the shock- ing actions of USSR spokesmen at the United Nations. Naturally all hope for a change in Ru -s- sia's attitude. Russia can not possibly bene- fit from her prejudices. Will she abandon them? Jews everywhere plead for a change in policy. But the attitude of hatred seems to be self-perpetuating. We had believed that Russia was sensitive to the protests against her policies. So far these protests have not borne fruit. We continue to live ' • in hopes that they will. — - 'Heritage Reader' is Replete With Most Important Selections Jewish Heritage, the quarterly published by Bnai Brith, places emphasis on the highly cultural aspects of Jewish life and on the most valued of our literary creations. The appearance of a volume containing the most important selections from the magazine is a welcome contribu- tion to the Jewish bookshelf. "Jewish Heritage Reader," published by Taplinger (119 W. 57th, NY 19), was first presented to Bnai Brith delegates at the convention held recently in Jerusalem. In an introductory essay, "The Creative Uses of the Past," Dr. Morris Adler, chairman of the Bnai Brith adult education commission, poses many questions relating to the status of the Jew in the modern world, and he asserts that this Reader "presents a sampling of the many elements of the Jewish past that have shaped the Jewish present and the issues that grew out of the modern Jew's confrontation with them." He adds: "Implied in its very title are both affirmation and challenge. The affirmation is that the Jewish heritage is significant and enriching and, like all great heritages of the human spirit, relevant and modern. The challenge is to transmute the many yesterdays incarnate in the exPer- ience of the Jew into the resource for fashioning a multitude of to- morrows." An essay from Jewish Heritage by Rabbi Adler, "The Jew—A Profile," is - the leading one in this volume. Another of the included essays by Rabbi Adler is entitled "Judaism's Central Affirmation." Included among 'the authors whose works have been selected for this Reader are many outstanding Jews and non Jews William F. Albright, Raphael Patai, Ellis Rivkin, Lion Feuchtwanger, Horace M Kallen, Salo W. Saxon, Erwin Goodenough, Abba Eban, Herbert H. Lehman, Harry M. Orlinsky, Cecil Roth and many others. The subjects cover every area of Jewish life, all aspects of Jewish thought, the philosophical and historical analyses - related to our history and traditions. The section entitled "Encounter and Dialogue" contains the eh/is- Han-Jewish viewpoints, an es-say on Philo, views on folklore, attitudes on conversions, etc. Then there is a special section on "Israel Reborn," analyzing tradi- tions, the new literature, the emergence of a society. Of special interest is the section devoted to Jewish life in this country, and the posed question whether Jews can be culturally creative here is accompanied by essays on education, Jewish writers, the Jewish community. Added to discussions of dilemmas and challenges are reappraisals of existing conditions. Jewish law, the dynamics of Judaism, the new translation of the Bible are among the included subjects. A section entitled "Backgrounds and Influences" treats such sub, jects as "The Shtetl," "The Library in Jewish Life," "Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev," the Kaddish, Bible, Pharisees, Midrash and many other titles. The incorporated essays and documents include the text of the Israeli court decision "When Is a Jew Not a Jew?" "Jewish Heritage Reader" is a splendid work. The editor of the quarterly, Lily Edelman, edited this volume and performed as -spies- didly in making the selections as she does in editing the magazines whence the articles are quoted. - — 'The Man' and 'An Infinity of Mirrors' Out in Paperbacks Two best sellers now are available in paperbacks, issued by Fawcett World Library (67 W. 44th, N.Y. 36). • "An Infinity of Mirrors" by Richard Condon and "The Man" by Irving Wallace now are available in the popular priced editions, and best sellers are certain to reach new heights in the paperback claw. Already reviewed in The Jewish NewS when it first appeared oft the presses of Random House, in 1964, the novel, "An Infinity of 31/00- tors," deserves an added commendation. • It is the story of a half-Jewess who falls in love with a German officer and goes through all the hells of Nazi experiences. The author throws out a challenge whether vengeance is in order. Having utilized all available works dealing with the Nazi holocaust, Richard Condon paints a picture of the Nazi rule in Paris, of the German horrors, of retribution, of the moral issues that were involved in the last war's experiences. On the best-seller list for nearly a year, "The Man" is the overwhelming story about a Negro who, overnight, becomes Presi- dent of the United States. There is a timely message in this overwhelming drama. It is a fascinating story, fast moving, filled with emotion, with action, with challenges for our era and for all time.