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 8-9369. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Business Manager

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Advertising Manager

CHARLOTTE HYAMS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the fifteenth day of Heshvan, 5727, the following Scriptural selec-
tions will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuch& portion; Gen. 18:1-22:24. Prophetical portion, 11 Kings 4:1-37.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Oct. 28, 5:13 p.m.

VOL. L. No. 10

Page 4

October 28. 1966

Balfour Declaration: Zionism's Current Form

Forty-nine years after the issuance of the
Balfour Declaration, the Zionist idea remains
a vital factor in Jewish life. Its aims and
hopes are necessary adjuncts to the aims of
assuring complete fulfillment of the idea of
national rebirth.
Two noted scholars, Prof. Benjamin
Akzin and Yehezkel Dror of the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, in a volume "Israel
— High-Pressure Planning," published by
Syracuse University Press, offered this defi-
nition of the Zionism of our time:

Zionism is the specific form Jewish national-
ism has assumed in relation to the land of Israel.
Essentially, it stands for affirmation of Jewish
group-identity in conditions of security and dig-
nity in a country in which they form the ma-
jority. In view of the historical connection of the
Jewish people with the land of Israel, Zionists
maintained that it was the only possible home-
land. Immigration, pioneering activities, social
and cultural orientations and willingness to
make personal sacrifices are related to this basic
ideology. After the consolidation of the state, the
significance of Zionism as the guide to personal
action diminished, though by no means dis-
appeared. It still operates, as do similar ideas
in most Western countries, mainly on the insti-
tutional level, Providing accepted goals for public
and political activity, to be achieved more
through bureaucratic methods than through in-
dividual involvement by the population at large.
On the level'of social action, Zionism remains
overwhelmingly important, providing the basis of

a number of unquestioned goals. They include
the encouragement of Jewish immigration, the
return to agriculture and other forms of "pro-
ductive" labor, the revival of the Hebrew lan-
guage and literature, and the resettlement of
waste lands such as the Negev, Upper Galilee,
and the Judaean hills. Some of these goals are
currently and reasonably justified in terms of
military or economic security, but they are also
fundamentally related to the underlying ideology.
In specific instances, the requirements of this
ideology are given priority by the political de-
cision-makers even if they conflict with economic
development, and this priority must be taken into
account in any planning activities.

The programs pursued by our functioning
movements ought to be geared towards these
ideas. It is heartening to know that the local
Zionist forces have reaffirmed the basic
needs — of strengthening cultural values, of
assisting in raising the standards of voca-
tional training in Israel, as is being done in
the Kfar Silver Agricultural School near
Ashkelon; of striving to retain American
Jewry's interests in the objectives of a great
libertarian cause.
Detroit's Zionists gain their encourage-
ment in the community from the annual Bal-
four celebration, represented in its traditional
concert. By bringing two able Israeli musi-
cians to this year's event they forge addi-
tional links between Israel and American
Jewry.

Code of Fair Political Campaign Practices

Thus far, the political campaign here
has been conducted on a high level of de-
cency. There are enough issues involved in
American life today to obviate resort to ap-
peals to prejudices.
It is heartening to know that the code
adopted by the Michigan Fair Campaign Prac-
tices Commission is, in the main, observed
by candidates. The code repudiates support of
any individual or group which resorts to
methods found to be repugnant. Among them
are appeals to "prejudice based on race,
creed, or national origin." The code recog-
nizes the need for frankness and the right to
criticize and pledges candidates to "defend
and uphold the right of every qualified Am-
erican voter to full and equal participation
in the electoral process." But it condemns

"the use of personal vilification, character de-
famation, whispering campaigns, libel, slander,
or scurrilous attacks on any candidate or his
personal or family life . . . the use of campaign
material of any sort which misrepresents, distorts,

Adults Education

or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding any
candidate, as well as the use of malicious or
unfounded accusations against any candidate which
aim at creating or exploiting doubts, without
justification, as to his loyalty and patriotism
any dishonest or unethical practice which tends to
corrupt or undermine our American system of
free elections or which hampers or prevents the
full and free expression of the will of the voters."

The ideas inherent in this code are basic
to the American way of life, and voters must
insist that all candidates adhere to them at
all times.
Meanwhile, as election day nears, voters
should study issues, examine the records of
candidates and make certain that their selec-
tions for the important offices to be filled
should be in the best interests of city, state
and country.
It is imperative that all voters should
cast their ballots, and Nov. 8 must be viewed
as one of the very vital days in every citizen's
life.

Especially for Young Adults

An urgent appeal has been issued by the
Jewish Community Council in support of
adult education programs sponsored by local
synagogues and Hebrew schools.
The list of programs and the number of
synagogues sponsoring education programs
for the elders are in themselves most re-
vealing. They are indications that the cul-
tural needs of the community are not over-
looked. Besides the Midrasha of the United
Hebrew Schools, 14 congregations are pro-
viding courses for adults.
These are encouraging factors in the
life of a community that gives priority to Jew-
ish education. For those who may have com-
plained that sufficient progress is not made
in advancing our educational programs, the
curricula of the courses provided by the 15
sponsoring groups are adequate answers
that for those who have an earnest desire to
pursue their studies there are sufficient
courses available to acquire all the knowl-
edge that may be needed for a full Jewish
spiritual life.

The shortcomings, therefore, are attri-
butable not to the community but to the
members of the community. There are pro-
visions for courses, but the response is not
what it should be. Therefore the faults are
traceable to the would-be students and not
to the available teachers..
There is one major aspect to the adult
education program that needs to be under-
stood. An adult program of education is
not necessarily for old people. It is for
those who are older than the regular high
school student population. It should be
geared primarily for the young adults who
must be retained knowledgeably in our com-
munal structure. We have emphasized time
and again that the need primarily, in assur-
ing the retention of our youths' interest
in Jewish life, is to encourage the young
adults, the post-Bar Mitzva and post-high
school youth, to pursue Jewish studies. If
we can attain that, we will have succeeded
in promoting the most desirable adult educa-
tion programs.

'A Philosophy of Judaism'

Heschel's 'God in Search of Man'
Reissued as a Paperback

"God in Search of Man — A Philosophy of Judaism" is one of the
classics that introduced Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel to a vast public
as a major philosopher and theological expert of our time. First pub-
lished jointly by Harper and the Jewish Publication Society of
America 11 years ago, it is now available at a Harper Torchbook
paperback published by Harper & Row.
This is an immense work, richly annotated, dealing with the sense
of mystery, with unsolvable enigmas, with the challenging questions
addressed to mankind.
It is a classic for all faiths, because • of its brilliant evaluation of
the mythical and the ethical, the philosophic and the theologic trends
in their relation to history and to present needs.
It is an immensely important work for Jews in its approaches
to such matters as revelation, prophetic lore, the Bible and the
world, faith and Israel's commitment.
The three sections of the book are entitled God, Revelation ana
Response, and in the latter there is the rich text dealing with mitzvot,
with religious behaviorism, freedom's problems, the spirit of Judaism
and the meaning of Jewish existence.
There are deeply moving passages in this work, such as: "The
great dream of Judaism is not to raise priests, but a people of
priests; to consecrate all men, not only some men."
He teaches that Tora is more than law, that "one must sacrifice
mitzvot for the sake of man, rather than sacrifice man for the sake
of mitzvot" and he declares:
to bring life to Israel, in this world
"The purpose of the Tora
and in the world to come."
He states among other things: "Jewish existence is not only the
adherence to particular doctrines and observances, but primarily the
living in the spiritual order of the Jewish people, the living in the
Jews of the past and with the Jews of the present. It is not only a
certain quality in the souls of the individuals, but primarily the exis-
tence of the community of Israel. It is neither an experience nor a
creed, neither the possession of psychic traits nor the acceptance of
a theological doctrine, but the living in a holy dimension, in a spiritual
order. Our share in holiness we acquire by living in the Jewish com-
munity. What we do as individuals is a trivial episode, what we attain
as Israel causes us to grow into the infinite."

About Biblical Characters

'Hebrew Myths: Genesis'
Enriches Scriptural Literature

Two distinguished scholars combined their skills to write "Hebrew
Myths: The Book of Genesis," and when it was first issued it was
welcomed as a classic. Now it is available as a paperback, issued by
McGraw Hill Book Co., and once again this work, by Dr. Raphael
Patai and Robert Graves, attracts interest in fascinating subjects about
biblical characters.
Graves is the well-known poet, novelist and essayist. Dr. Patai,
biblical scholar, folklorist and anthropologist, is director of research of
the Herzl Institute in New York.
These collected myths add immeasurably to the scholarship which
has become so eminent in the gathering of legendary material about
ancient times.
These Hebrew myths, by the two noted scholars, contain tales
about practically all the characters in Genesis. Starting with "The
Creation According to Genesis" and completing with "The Death of
Joseph," there are legends dealing with the Creation story, the Deluge,
the Patriarchs, events in Egypt, etc.
Three maps, "The World of Genesis," "Abraham's World" and
"Palestine Under the Judges," assist students in their study of biblical
legendary history.

N