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October 07, 1966 - Image 4

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1966-10-07

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-4111111111.11111111111•111MIL

THE JEWISH NEWS

The Warp and the Woof of Israel

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

CHARLOTTE HYAMS

SIDNEY SHMARAK

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

City Editor

Advertising Manager

Business Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the 24th day of Tishri, 5727, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 1:1-6:8. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 42:5-43:10.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 7, 6:45 p.m.

Vol. L, No. 7-

October 7, 1966

Page 4

New Dangers: Hoary Anti-Semitic Threats

An extremely important book has just
been issued jointly by the Jewish Publication
Society and Alfred Knopf. In "Blood Accusa-
tion — The Strange History of the Beiliss
Case," Maurice Samuel not only reviews the
fantastic occurrences in Russia, when the
Czarist government of Nicholas II encouraged
the spread of the atrocious ritual murder
libel against the Jewish people: he presents
here a study of anti-Semitism and of charac-
teristics of haters who will not stop at any-
thing to accomplish their purpose of molest-
ing, even destroying, Jewry.
There is so much of immense value in
the research that was conducted by Sam-
uel in the preparation of his book that his
newest work may well rate among his finest
creations. There is much in it to invite com-
ment and to encourage further delving into
the problems created by the vile anti-Semites
of Czarist times. Of special interest, supple-
mentary to that of the basic subject itself —
that of the atrocious blood accusation — is
the reference by Mr. Samuel to the forger-
ies that bear the name "Protocols of the Eld-
ers of Zion." The eminent author states that
"The collapse of the Beiliss case was followed
by the rise of 'The Protocols' which did so
much to soften up the world for the first
phases of Hitlerian anti-Semitism, and the
successful launching of 'The Protocols' was
the work of those Russian reactionaries who
had made possible the Beiliss case."
*
*
*
Samuel explains how "The Protocols"
caused derision among intelligent people
when the false documents "filtered through
to the West." He quotes from the memoirs of
Dr. Chaim Weizmann who was advised by the
late General Wyndham Deedes, one of the
fairest Britishers to serve in Palestine during
the Mandatory period, to read "The Proto-
cols," advising "slowly and sadly," the man
who was to become the first President of
Israel—who had not heard about "The Pro-
tocols" before then: "You will find it in the
haversacks of a great many British officers
here (in Palestine) — and they believe it! It
was brought over by the British Military Mis-
sion which has been serving in the Caucasus
on the staff of the Grand Duke Nicholas."
But Samuel appears to be unduly op-
timistic. He adds at this point: " 'The Proto-
cols'had their day. They were read by millions
of people in every country. They died down,
but they left a large residue of hate, suspi-
ion, and fear throughout the Western world,
or, to change the figure, a susceptibility that
the Nazis exploited with mortal success in
Germany and not unsuccesfully in other
countries. The surviving supporters of the
Beiliss case and the promulgators of 'The
Protocols' had the satisfaction of seeing their
crusade for the liberation of the world from
Jewish bondage taken up by Hitler."
*
*
*
The expose is perfect, yet one wonders
how the eminent writer could entertain the
confidence that "The Protocols" had their
day. Aren't they having their day again and
again? Isn't their frequent reappearance ev-
idence that many people are getting it and are
believing it?
Here are three most recent examples of
the reappearance of these dastardly docu-
ments the publication of which was made pos-
sible at one point by Father Coughlin and
for a number of years by the elder Henry
Ford.
*
*
*
When local anonymous letter-writers were
taking exception to the treatment that was
given to the Saudi Arabian king, they referred
to the "Protocols" and rejoiced over their
continued publication over the Henry Ford
imprimatur.
A second item: Under the title "The
Enemy of Africa," the information depart-

ment of the United Arab Republic has issued
a pamphlet giving credence to "The Proto-
cols." referring to Ford's "The International
Jew," which was repudiated by the Detroit
automobile manufacturer in 1927 but which
is still being widely distributed, as a "classic."
And a third item: "The Protocols" have
been distributed in Rhodesia. When the pub-
lic's attention was called to their fabrication,
anti-Semitic letters began to appear in Salis-
bury newspapers challenging "so-called auth-
orities" who condemned the outrageous "doc-
uments" as forgeries.
*
*
*
This is how the anti-Semitic game still is
being played. "The Protocols" are not dead
issues. They are being passed around in
many quarters. The danger is still at hand
that the bigots who rejoice in spreading hate
will not end their propaganda.
Maurice Samuel has rendered a great ser-
vice by bringing to light the horrible plot
that was perpetrated against Mendel Beiliss
and by exposing "The Protocols." But we
must not close our eyes to the continung
danger from the unending spread of lies.
And we must enlighten Jews themselves
about the danger. Just as the Beiliss case is
so little known as compared with the Affaire
Dreyfus, as Samuel has indicated in his im-
pressive study of the Beiliss case, so also
ignorance dominates over many other matters
in our ranks. Not enough are aware about the
horrible ritual murder accusations and about
the incredible lies in "The Protocols." Which
induces us once again to admonish our kins-
men everywhere to enlighten the ybuth about
the historic events that affected our lives
through the generations. If they remain un-
aware of them, woe unto them in the event
they should be challenged by anti-Semitism
and will be found wanting for answers to
libels.
*
*
*
It is out of the venom that had first ac-
cumulated in Russia under an evil Czar and
then developed under Nazism that there
emerged, 20 years after the Beiliss case, the
horror of Nazism and the hatred that struck
at others besides the Jews. First the Jews
were the victims, then came the Catholics and
the Negroes. It is out of such inhumanities of
men to men that there developed a situation
that has grown into current racial strife.
These are the hatreds that call for action.
They first call for understanding, and a
knowledge of the background is vital. Having
learned how these hatreds accumulate and
develop we should be better able to battle
against them—and the waging of war upon
these cruelties is an obligation urgent upon
all people who entertain a sense of justice.

*

*

*

Play Ball

The proper addendum to the above is in
the American arena of fair play. This week
it is centered in the baseball diamond.
On the baseball fields in Baltimore and
Los Angeles and from the mounds of both
diamonds, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant
teammates are contesting for the year's high-
est honors—for the world's championship in
baseball.
People of all faiths are in the stands
cheering for one team or another.
The glory will go to the best team, but
the games are played on the basis of fair play.
That's the heart of the sport—of all sports
which erase inequity, which assure fairness
in human relations.
On the occasion of the current World
Series games we join with all our fellow
Americans in a call: "Play Ball!" And we do it
with confidence that fair play will be the
guiding line. May that be the measure of
justice also in human relations!

LITA

a5Reteit

--01

Monotheism Viewed as Unifying
Force in Emancipation Approach

Josue Jehouda, a French-Jewish writer, who had been active in
many affairs, including Zionism, in the period of the founding of the
League of Nations, and who in 1961 won the Narcisse Leven Founda-
tion Prize for Literature, has developed an interesting idea. He believes
that monotheism should be the unifying force among all faiths, and
his proposal for the achievement of true brotherhood and universal
justice is:

"The constant struggle between the believers of different
denominations but who place their faith in God, and pagan
`believers' of all kinds who bow to a plurality of god, or atheists
and devotees of a godless Science, is the very pivot of world
history which—so we wish—will one day end with the final victory
of the monotheists and therefore with the advent of the messianic
era. To hold this certitude is to be truly progressive, even un-
consciously; it is to be a follower of the monotheistic religion
whose fundamental trait is dynamism. This struggle, with its ups
and downs, is still being observed under our very eyes. To weigh
the meaning of the present events is to define the world crisis
today, which can only be surmounted when world thought finds a
common denominator between Israel, Christianity and Islam."

Jehouda's ideas emerge as especially unique be-cause he presents
them as part of an analysis of emancipatory movements. They are
outlined in "The Five Stages of Jewish Emancipation," published by
Thomas Yoseloff. The book was translated from the French by Eva
Jackson. It was prepared for English readers in a revised edition by
Robert Lilienfeld. It is in her introduction that Eva Jackson introduced
the above quotation on monotheism.

Monotheism as a unifying factor is presented as the fifth stage
in Jewish emancipation experiences.

In the first stage, Jehouda introduces Moses Mendelssohn's book
"Jerusalem," and "Mendelssohn's Ideological Starting-Point." But he
calls it "superficial" to consider as a beginning "the requirement of
solely an outward fidelity to ritual without it being necessary to study
the fundamental values of Judaism. . . ."

In the second stage he introduces the philanthropic and charitable
stage, the era of Moses Montefiore. Then there is the period of Na
poleon, of emancipation in France, of the patriotic spirit that aro.s:
from the appreciation by Jews for countries that granted them equaliti,
And finally there is the stage involving Zionism, Jewish nationalism
and the idea of a return to Judaism before there is a return to state-

hood.

In his advocacy of a monotheistic unifying factor, Jehouda
warns that "pagan anti-Semitism, in seeking to crush Israel, is
also aiming at destroying Christianity;" that "pagan anti-Semitism
everywhere denotes a savage usurpation of the temporal over the
spiritual."

In pleading for "spiritual authority," he also declares:

"Levelling is a much more formidable enemy than the most
enraged anti-Semitism. Levelling, by throwing all our values pellmell
together, prevents us from achieving unity amongst ourselves. Levelling
isolates and deprives us of a central authority without which we are
a mere plaything in the ferocious grip of vile politics. Levelling, this
is the enemy! For, in isolating ourselves, each becomes locked up in
his own sterility. Democratic liberalism should not stop us from re-
establishing a balance between our spiritual values and temporal
forces. Let us give ourselves leaders and cease being a headless body.
Unity of leadership will re-establish unity in IsraeL"

Thus we have a plea that "each Jew, inwardly at least, must take
up a position (unless he renounces his manly dignity) as regards the

savage explosion of anti-Semitism." And in the course of this analysis
the French-Jewish author reviews historical events, including the
Damascus and Mortara cases which led to the founding of the
Alliance Israelite Universelle; the Dreyfus and other cases—summing
up with his proposal for the pursuance of the universal, monotheistic,
unifying ideal which emerges supreme in his evaluation of emancipa-

tion stages.

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