THE JEWISH NEWS

An Apple for a Teacher

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

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Business Manager

Advertising Manager

CHARLOTTE HYAMS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
The Sabbath, the 11th day of Elul, 5726, the following scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Deut. 21:10-25:19; Prophetical portion, Isaiah 54:1-10.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Aug. 26, 6:58 p.m.

Vol. L No. 1

Page 4

Aug. 26, 1966

Warnings of Menacing Extremisms in U.S.

S. Y. Agnon's 'Two Tales' Raises
Hebrew Writer to New Heights

As the Chinese say, a picture is the equivalent of a thousand words in describing an
event. This photograph speaks volumes in revealing the links between bigots, in exposing
the dangers from the right, in - warning against the "white power" segregationists who have
begun to use the swastika to rally white segregationists against Negroes.
The photograph shows white hecklers who paraded simultaneously with the 500 civil
rights marchers in Chicago's Gage Park section. They carried swastika emblems. Apparently
they were mobilized by George Lincoln Rockwel's American Nazi Party, whose Midwest
office in Chicago has begun to operate with vigor. The American Nazis' appeal to hatred
uses the slogan: "The only uniform is a white skin" and orders the Negroes to go "back to
Africa." It is the same party that had appealed for the extermination of the Jews in a
Washington public square. This is how Nazism arose in Germany and how it can gain power
anywhere else.
The danger from the right is clear. It serves as a warning also against all appeals for
power — includina the black power menace
since both the white and black power
movements tend to b destroy rather than to build good will and citizenship cooperation.
Both power movements serve as warnings to Americans not to tolerate extremism
and to reject appeals to hatred. Both movements are admonitions to the responsible federal,
state and local agencies charged with protecting life and property to exert all efforts to
assure that a law-abiding spirit should be restored in our disturbed American environments,
with special emphasis on such protection in the large cities.

—

2 Sides of German Coin: Danger Remains

An increase in vandalism, cemetery dese-
crations, swastika smearings and occasional
shouts of "heils," resulting from reported
gains by German rightists and the gains made
by the NDP—the National Democratic Party,
are causing renewed concern over occur-
rences in West Germany.
There is a danger on the right and it can
and should be fought vigorously, judging by
the opposition to the neo-Nazis among many
Germans. When it was announced that the ex-
treme right-wing NDP was to demonstrate in
Karlsruhe, recently, the West German Trade -
Union Congress issued a call for a mass pro-
test and 20,000 of the anti-Nazis turned up to
condemn the manifestations. There were
seven special trains and 250 buses with pro-
testing anti-Nazis who warned: "Remember
Auschwitz."
Thus we have two sides of the coin, and
it is to be hoped that the neo-Nazis will re-
main the stnall minority the party is today.
Nevertheless there is the continuing need.
for vigilance. There are reports that the neo-
Nazis are vociferous, that their propaganda is
causing "Bonn to shiver," that the bNDP is
receiving considerable encouragement and
has "influential and wealthy sympathizers."
There is no doubt that the danger exists
that a Hitler-inspired element may continue
propaganda against democratic rule for a
long time to come and that, in spite of the

S. Y. Agnon already has earned the respect, the affection, of
readers of his narratives not only in their Hebrew original, when
published in Israel, but equally as much among English readers who
cherish his works and await their appearance in English.
His latest work again will enchant many readers. Schocken Books
(67 Park, NY16), has just issued two of his tales, in an excellent
translation by Walter Lever.
The book is entitled "Two Tales." It contains two brief novelettes
—"Betrothed" and "Edom and Ena." As narratives they are superb.
Their style is, Agnon-like, replete with biblical quotations and refer-
ences, couched in a biblical form that will cause the knowledgeable
reader to feel ecstatically uplifted by the spirit of the ages.
Now in his 78th year, Agnon retains a spirit of youth in tales
marked by tradition linked with modernity. This is in evidence
in "Betrothed" in which there are human relations on a high
level, and a craving for love marked by conditions under early
Palestinian Jewish life. Its setting is in Jaffa before the first
world conflict, and the age it depicts also draws into it the atti-
tudes of that time. It is a story about a scientist, a scholar who
became world famous, and a betrothal made in his youth. In a
sense, the end is tragic, but its magnitude is in a manner in which
the author depicts his characters.
"Edom and Ena" is somewhat different. It deals with curious
hymns and a curious alphabet, with legend and allegory, with the
demonic and the mystical.
It, too, is so filled with biblical allusions, with- so many traditional
references, with so much allegory, that the novel becomes a study
in the mystic lores.
Because of references to people, places, conditions, related to
historical developments in Jewish life, there is appended a glossary
that will be helpful to the reader. But the knowledgeable, and those
who know the Bible and the prayers, will find in these two tales a
reconstructed road to brilliant narrations dealing with Jewish folklore
and tradition and mysticism.

'Israel in the World'

reduction of the Jewish population in Ger-
many to a very small and a diminishing com-
munity, there may once again. emerge a
strong Nazi movement in Germany. That is
Abba Eban, presently Israel's foreign minister, for 10 years his
why the anger that was expressed by the country's
to the United States and later minister of ed
Bonn ambassador to Israel over criticism and cation and ambassador
deputy prime minister, has had his speeches publishe
suspicion that remains among Jews in rela- Some of his notable addresses have been available on recordings.
tion to Germany was unjustified.
Now there is another literary treat: Thomas Yoseloff has ju
The issue was aired more extensively at published "Israel in the World," containing the texts of two of the
the World Jewish Congress sessions in Brus- television programs on which he was interviewed. Included in this book
sels than at any other time since the end of is the complete record of the "Open End" TV program during which
Hitler rule in Germany. The chief spokes- he was interviewed by David Susskind, March 14, 1965. The second is
man at the sessions were conciliatory. They the "Meet the Press" program conducted by Lawrence E. Spivak March
supported Dr. Nahum Goldmann's policies 7, 1965.
.
Susskind and Eban were the only participants' in the first pro-
of a continuing "dialogue" not alone between
gram. Participants in the second program included Pauline Frederick
Israel and West Germany but by world Jewry and
four other correspondents, Bradlee, Finney, Hensley and Brooks.
with the Bonn regime. It was a realistic
In
both instances, Eban outlined Israel's position, including re-
approach, and there were reservations: the lationships
with the Arab states, with Germany and the United States.
crimes can neither be forgotten nor forgiven.
On
the
"Meet the Press" program, Eban stated: "The maintenance
There has thus been established a climate
of understanding: responsible Germans of the military balance is a permanent, constant and delicate function."
with Nasser, in reply to a question by Susskind, Eban said:
agree that the crimes are not excusable and "It is Dealing
no small thing to hear threats of your extinction, repeated day
must be atoned for, and Jews know that there by
day and night by night, blared at you from every radio station a
must be vigilance against the recurrence few miles away. Therefore, we tend to think that Nasser seriously
of the horrors that were imposed upon means what he says. In my few years as a working politician, I have
humanity. If both elements — the Jews and learned that you cannot assume that a politician always believes the
the rest of mankind who were the sufferers opposite of what he says. I believe that Nasser has this vision. The
and the Germans who have inherited the threats themselves are a source of tension. We cannot afford to take
stigma that sterns from Nazism — will take the optimistic view on matters of security if we are faced by an
alternative: to take the stringent view or the complacent view; we take
these conditions into consideration, we may the
stringent view. So we assume that he does plan or hope for this
hope for better understanding among peoples assault and we must counterplan accordingly."
and for true avoidance of recurring crimes
Many important issues are reviewed in these recorded programs,
against humanity.
and numerous matters are clarified.

2 Eban TV Interviews Recorded