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, 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
Business Manager
City Editor
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Rosh Hodesh Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh Heshvan, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions. Gen. 6:9-11:32, Num. 28:9-15. Prophetical portion, Isaiah
66:1-24.
Licht Benshen, Friday. Oct.
VOL. L, No. 8
14, 5:35 p.m.
October 14, 1966
Page 4
'Newspapers Make a Difference in People's Lives
NATIONAL
NEWSPAPER
WEEK
CCT. 9-15, 1966
ti lt
Taking note of its motto "Newspapers
Make a BIG Difference in People's Lives," we
are now in the process of observing National
Newspaper Week.
In the course of this observance, those
who are concerned that the citizens of this
democracy should be fully 'aware of the need
to assure a free and untrammeled press are
evaluating anew the basic principles inherent
in this proposition.
As the voice of the community, as the pro-
tector of the people's right to know what is
happening in government and in society, the
American newspaper occupies the first rank
as the defender of the basic rights of all
citizens.
There has been a revolution in the news-
paper field. Many important publications have
vanished due to economic pressures. In some
respects the newspaper as the voice of the
people has suffered setbacks. In order to
A tot
repair the losses, Newspaper Week's goals
must be to continue to strive for the retention
of the most vital ideals inherent in American
journalism as the term has been interpreted
and applied to our way of life.
The Jewish community needs to take a
special interest not only in the general press
but in its own literary creations and in the
values that stem from the Jewish press. Our
newspapers, like those of the general com-
munity, often suffer from poorly trained in-
terpreters of Jewish historical backgrounds.
It becomes the responsibility of our com-
munity to take the major journalistic needs
into account and to assure for their strength
and security.
Meanwhile it should be remembered that
"Newspapers Make a BIG Difference in
People's Lives," and as such should be assist-
ed in gaining strength and in retaining the
freedom that leads to the defense of all
freedoms essential for humanity's survival.
Nazi Stigma Remains Unwashed
Rudolph Hess, the only remaining Nazi
criminal among those who were sent to the
Spandau Prison near Berlin, said shortly be-
fore the release of the two other inmates,
Albert Speer and Baldur von Schirach, that
he does not regret anything he has done.
Is it possible that many of the present
youth of Germany, with memories of the
crimes that were instigated by the Nazi crimi-
nals, especially by von Schirach, still are un-
der the influence of the curse that has struck
mankind through the Germans?
When Hess' two associates in crime were
released from Spandau last week, hundreds
of West Germans demonstrated in behalf of
the retained Nazi. "Drunks and youthful
rowdies" is the manner in which West Ger-
man police branded the young demonstrators,
shrugging off any semblance of seriousness
in the riots that ensued. Is it possible that
acts in defense of Nazis by "rowdies," who
were not even born when the Third Reich of
Adolf Hitler was functioning, are emulating
the criminals and have not learned to hide
themselves in shame over the acts of their
parents?
A new study sponsored by the Bnai Brith
Anti-Defamation League, to be published un-
der the title "The Apathetic Majority," shows
that, in a query conducted in ADL's behalf
by the California Survey Research Center, 41
per cent of those queried did not know that
Adolf Eichmann was a Nazi and, curiously
enough, 9 per cent said they thought he was
a Jew! The report states that although 84 per
cent of the queried were aware of the trial
and 77 per cent admitted it was a "good
thing" Eichmann was brought to justice, only
13 per cent were knowledgeable about the
events that transpired.
The study showed that only 33 per cent
of those who were aware that the trial was
takina place had an accurate knowledge of
the official
estimate of the Jewish victims
b
of the Nazis, and while mass media kept men-
tioning the figures, only 50 per cent accepted
the facts as given and the researchers state
that "disbelief of the official estimate has
long been part of the arsenal of the profes-
sional anti-Semite."
In the latter assertion rests the major
guilt of the present time: the anti-Semitic
policy of denying guilt, of ridiculing the Six
Million figure, of making a mockery of Jew-
ish suffering and thereby lending support to
Nazism more than 20 years after Hitler's
defeat.
The drunks and the rowdies who demon-
strated in behalf of Hess—granted that this
is what they were—have proven that many,
too many, young Germans have not yet learn-
ed to blush over their parents' guilt. By dem-
onstrating as Nazis they seem to approve of
what had transpired. This can not be shrug-
ged off. German guilt remains one of the
major blots on world history of the 1930s
and 1940s.
The West German government this week
made a correction: it indicated that the dese-
cration of 300 cemeteries reported recently
was over an 18-year period. But during those
years there were other desecrations, there
were swastika smearings, evidence mounted
that a Nazi spirit existed in many quarters.
Much worse, however, is the undeniable
fact that the resort to the swastika by Ameri-
can Nazis, by bigots in many lands, stemmed
from the teachings of Germans.
In the past two years, a number of syna-
gogues in this country suffered from Nazi-
type vandalism. In all instances, the swastika
painted on synagogues or inside houses of
worship was the symbol of the hate that grew
since Hitler, a hate that does not seem to
have diminished.
That is why it is so evident that there is
need for new approaches, for revision of
teaching methods, for resort to courses that
will teach the offspring of Nazis the lessons
that accompany their shame: the shame of a
dozen years of cruelties under the Hitlerite
rulers who were cheered to triumph by their
parents.
L. Davidson's 'The Menora Men'
Is Historic Data Suspense Drama
Archaeology has inspired many writings. It has encouraged new
commentaries on the Bible. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has
become an incentive for new interpretations of biblical lore. Gen. Yigael
Yadin's historic work at Masada, the findings at Ein Gedi, have induced
writers to turn to subjects related to the excavations.
This is the case with "The Menora Men" by Lionel Davidson, a
novel published by Harper Row.
It is an exciting tale, full of adventure, marked by fury and
mystery. There is an interesting love tale, intrigue involving elements
in Israel and in Jordan and much terror. All of it is linked to the
search for a scroll and for the Menora which was supposedly hidden
for centuries, dating back to the era of the Romans, Flavius and Titus.
i
Involved in the plot is a Christian Englishman, Caspar Laing, who
is brought to Israel to assist in finding the "True Menora," the his-
toric gold candlestick which Titus reportedly had taken with him to
Rome after subduing the people of Israel. It was the Menora taken
from the Temple of Solomon. A Hebrew University professor, Doctor
Agrot, approaches Laing with the proposal for his mission. He has
read his works on Jericho and Megiddo, knows that the Englishman
has an acquaintance with Israeli archaeology. and history, and Laing is
brought to assume the task of finding the lost Menora.
He soon learns that there have been casualties in the process of
this exploratory effort. that lives have been lost. that Jordanians are
equally interested in finding the lost Menora. Soon it is established
that only a lost scroll can lead to the area of the Menora's burial and
the search goes on.
And so does the interference, with attempts on Laing's life, with
Jordanian invasions, with mysterious obstacles to the mission.
What Laing establishes is that Titus' and the Rotnans' invasions
of the Solomonic temple and the acquisition of the Menora are not
merely a chase for a candlestick but for vast stores of gold running
into the many thousands of tons—the search for treasures that were
supposedly kept in the temple.
As Laing is about to return to England, giving up the idea of
locating the lost scroll, he goes into a .cave., stumbles upon the docu-
ment, is in great danger of being shot by outside guards, risks his
life to save the scroll and manages to get to a kibbutz after a perilous
journey near Ein Gedi. Then the work begins to dig for the Menora
—to induce a wealthy property owner to permit such digging under
his properties.
In the course of this adventure. Laing has a love affair with his
22-year-old Yemenite jeep driver who is engaged to a Moroccan. The
illicit affair goes on, deluding the MoroCcan who is a major in Is-
rael's army.
S
The immense significance of this novel is not only its well - told
adventure, the understanding the author shows of conditions in Israel
and of Hebrew terms, but more especially of his delving into history
to evolve his plot. He deals with philosophy and with history. He offers
the background of Ein Gedi and Masada and of the discovery of the
Dead Sea Scrolls, and in the latter process he tells how Jordanian
elements learn to capitalize on findings by searching for scrolls
and demanding high sums for them.
Especially valuable in "The Menora Men" is the description
of Josephus Flavius. From this tale the famous historian once again
emerges the traitor who, once a general of the Israel army of defense,
capitulated to the Romans, became Flavius' friend, dropped the Ben
Matthias name for the Latinized Josephus and adopted Flavius' as his
last name. But it was from Josephus that the detailed accounts of the
Roman wars in Judea are so well known, and Lionel Davidson draws
upon Josephus for his facts. as all other must do when they study and
recapitulate historic events.
Davidson gives an account of philosophy in relations to the history
in his narrative. He refers to the Sicarii. His story. suspenseful, drama-
tic, is filled with archaeological data, is flavored with the love story,
is a superb mystery. Its qualities are manifold.