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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
SLOMOVITZ
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
CHARLOTTE HYAMS
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
the
26th
day
of Nisan, 5726, the following scriptural selections will
This Sabbath,
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion: Lev. 9:1-11:47; Prophetical portion: I Sam. 20:18-42.
Rosh Hodesh lyar reading Wednesday and Thursday: Num.. 28.1-15.
Licht Benshen, Friday, April 15, 6:55 p.m.
Page 4
VOL. XLIX. No. 8
April 15, 1966
The Suburban-Trend Augury for 1975
A continuing 16-year study of population
trends in Detroit predicts for Detroit Jewry
a. future akin to that of Cleveland.
The major Ohio Jewish community is now
totally without Jews, all of them having
moved to the suburbs.
If the prophesy, based on long-term stud-
ies, is to prove true, in less than 10 years
Detroit Jewry may be reduced to less than
an eighth its present numerical strength, the
rest of the population being destined for the
suburbs.
Such a prediction may inevitably lead to a
state of panic which must be averted, yet we
must be realistic and we must view the trend
with a view to the future in the best interests
of the city of Detroit and of its Jewish com-
munity.
Having avoided the pressures that affect-
ed Cleveland in the past 20 years or more,
we are inclined to believe, in spite of the
arithmetical admonitions contained in the
report issued by the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion's statistician last week, that the figures
as analyzed are judged exaggeratedly, that
the migratory flight will not be as drastic
as foreseen.
There have been effective efforts in our
community in recent years to prevent panic,
to assure perpetuation of neighborhoods, to
encourage residents to remain in the homes
they have occupied for many years, some
for two decades or more. By accelerating
such efforts, there is the possibility that
migrations might be reduced considerably.
Should these offorts fail, then a realized
drastic transfer of Detroit's Jewish popula-
tion to the suburbs will indicate the failure
of liberal efforts to encourage integration, to
assure greater cooperation among racial ele-
ments, to create a feeling of confidence in
differing peoples' ability to live together in
good neighborliness. While it is true that
there are normal population movements and
neighborhood changes regardless of the racial
issues involved, it is difficult to believe that
changing of locations of homes in an entire
community need be as drastic as the predict-
ed figures indicate.
In the event the augury should prove true,
on the other hand—thinking strictly in terms
of Detroit Jewry's role as an organized com-
munity—a drastic change by 1975 will not
necessarily mean the demise of Detroit as a
great center of organized life in Detroit. As
in Cleveland, many of our community's rec-
ognized spokesmen already live in Franklin
Hills, Birmingham, Huntington Woods, South-
field and other suburban areas. A reduction
of the Jewish community living in Detroit
proper will not necessarily mean that the
name of the organized community will
change. It will still be Detroit Jewry.
We must look forward to the future with
confidence, retaining faith that differing peo-
ples can live together. We must strive to as-
sure integration, because only in an integrat-
ed community does the spirit of America re-
main strong. It is in defense of such spiritual
virility that we must hope that the augury as
presented to us will prove grossly exagger-
ated.
Concern Over Growing Anti-Semitism
From all parts of the globe come reports
of a growing anti-Semitism, of a revival of in-
sanities that are akin to Nazism.
An official government declaration point-
ed to increased anti-Jewish activities in West
Germany, and while that report was played
down in the West German press, the facts
are that many instances of cemetery desecra-
tions, of swastika smearings and other anti-
Jewish acts point to the existence of a strong
neo-Nazi movement in Germany.
Anti-Semitism is not limited to Germany.
We have had increases of anti-Semitic acts
in many areas, in numerous American com-
and the
including Detroit
munities
many acts of vandalism cannot be written
off as being the acts of pranksters. When
vast swastikas are printed on a great Balti-
more synagogue and these vandals return
two months later to inscribe on the syna-
gogue's walls the ancient anti-Jewish appeal
—given life again by the Nazis — of "Perish
Judaea," we need not be told that they are
jokes.
—
—
Much damage has been done in recent
years and a revival of Nazism should serve
to awaken the non-Jewish world to the truth
that when bigotry starts with the Jew it soon
reaches out to the Negro, then to the Catho-
lic and inevitably to all mankind.
They may be few in number, but the re-
presentatives of the rightist movements are
brazen. They have gained supporters in re-
cent years and they appear to be well pro-
vided financially to carry on their propagan-
da of hate, anti-Semitism being major planks
in their platforms. They often deny this, but
their acts expose them.
If there still are many who fail to see the
handwriting on the wall, who would follow
a policy of hush-hush, who do not realize that
there is greater need for vigilance today than
there has been since the defeat of the Nazi
armies, let them look at the record. Let them
realize that a menace, once permitted to gain
ground, can grow into a point of becoming
invincible. Let us renew the old plea: eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty.
Refugee Problem Shockingly Misrepresented
There is no doubt that the Arab refugee
problem is at the root of many of Israel's
problems and that it stands in the path of
negotiations because it has been perpetuated
by Israel's enemies as a war threat against
the Jewish State.
Recognizing the extent of the problem
and admitting that it calls for drastic steps
to assure a solution, it is doubly regrettable
that this weapon against Israel should serve
as a method of misrepresenting the estab-
lished facts.
A great newspaper, the New York Times,
has permitted the intrusion of falsehoods in
articles reviewing the refugees situation. One
of them listed the number of Arabs who had
left Israel — they are spoken of as having
been "driven out" when as a matter of fact
they fled against the wishes of the Jews of
the then-Palestine — as having been in excess
of 800,000. • As a matter of fact, even the
extremest claim was not in excess of 550,000
in 1948.
Then, in a follow-up article, the Times
permitted the injection of another gross error:
a mythical figure of 2,000,000 former Pales-
tinians, including Jews. By linking Jews with
Arabs as ex-Palestinians in a farcical proposal
for a plebiscite, the issue of the Samaritans
was injected — thus introducing another
means of beclouding the issue.
This is most regrettable, and it is espe-
cially shocking when a truly great newspaper
permits itself to be a contributing factor in
the spread of falsified figures related to a
great human problem that can be solved over-
night, provided the Arabs who prevent the
solution will facilitate resettlement and will
sit with Israelis to discuss peace and the fate
of the refugees.
Russian Jewry's Attainments:
Valuable Record of 1860 to 1917
Under the joint editorship of Gregor Aronson, Jacob Frumkin and
Alexis Goldenweiser, the Union of Russian Jews has sponsored the
publication of a highly informative volume, "Russian Jewry (1860-
1917)," published by Thomas Yoseloff.
As the title indicates, this is a record of Russian Jewry's creative
accomplishments prior to the Communist era. With Mirra Ginsburg as
translator, the editors have included in their collective - effort a series
of essays by authoritative writers on the history of the Jews in Russia,
their economic status, their literary and political involvements, their
role in Zionism, their legal status, their artists, Hebraists, historians
and activists in many other fields of activity.
This is a remarkably illuminating collection of essays. It com-
mences with background material—an article "Russian Jews of the
18'70s and 1880s" by Mark Aldanov—and proceeds to describe the
roles of Jews in many fields of endeavor.
The late President Itzhak Ben-Zvi of Israel is the author of the
article on "Labor Zionism in Russia."
Jacob G. Frumkin, chairman of the Union of Russian Jews, is the
author of "Pages from the History of Russian Jewry—Recollections
and Documentary Material."
Gershon Swet analyzes Russian-Jewish contributions to musk and
also describes "Russian Jews in Zionism and in the Building of
Palestine."
Other essays and their authors are: "Legal Status of Jews in
Russia," Alexis Goldenweiser; "Jews in the Russian Economy," I. M.
Dijur; "Ideological Trends Among Russian Jews" and "Jews in Russian
Literary and Political Life," Gregor Aronson; "Jews in the Russian
Bar," Samuel Kucherov; "Yiddish Literature in Russia," Judel Mark;
"The Russian Jew in Art," Rachel Wischnitzer; "Literature in Hebrew
in Russia," I. M. Klausner; "Yeshivahs in Russia," N. Menes; "Jews
in Russian Schools," and "Jewish Institutions of Welfare, Education
and Mutual Assistance," Ilya Trotzky; "Russian Jews in the United
States," M. Osherovich; "Historians of Russian Jewry," Isaiah Trunk;
"Reminiscences of a Jewish Historian," Mark Wischnitzer.
In every instance, the noteworthy achievements of a people
that had been under harrassment, their artists and scientists, their
communal leaders and their welfare workers, are reviewed with
historical accuracy.
This volume serves the important purpose of keeping the record
alive, of presenting facts to indicate how, in defiance of discrimina-
tions and many obstacles, despite government interference, Jews were
a creative force in Russia. They contributed towards the struggle for
freedom, they aided in self-liberation through Zionism, they were
leaders in social and economic movements.
The authoritative authors of these essays describe the roles and
the accomplishments of Simon Dubnow, M. M. Ussishkin, David Ben-
Gurion, Chaim Zhitlowsky, Zalman Shneour, men and women in the
arts, in the theater, the works of many Russian Jews who settled in
the United States.
Many movements which were founded in Russia—notably the
ORT—are under review, and the entire record offers a most interesting
account of great achievements by many who became world famous,
by those who advanced Jewish cultural programs.
In the essays on music, for example, there are descriptions of the
Klezmer as well as the wedding orchestras, and Jews in the operatic
art are listed in addition to the composers and others who play their
roles in music.
Among the Russian Jews in the United States are many who have
risen to high ranks here.
This record of Russian Jewry is a most valuable anthology that
serves as an important addendum to available world Jewish histories.
Precedent vis-a-vis Saudia Arabia
(From Near East Report)
Saudi Arabia traditionally bars Jews from its soil, and so
Washington lifted diplomatic eyebrows when the Washington Post
society page reproduced a photograph of pretty 17-year-old Nancy
Levine dancing the "Swan" at the Saudi Arabian embassy, at a party
given by Faisal al Sowayel, son of the Saudi Ambassador. She had
met her host because he is a classmate of a friend.
Miss Levine, a student at Greers School in Tyrone, Pa., is the
daughter of Dr. and 1VIrs. Jack Levine of Washington. She is a
member of Washington's Temple Sinai and hopes soon to pay a
visit to Israel.