Doubletalk
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
4.sociation.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Mich. 48235.
VI: 8-9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
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CHARLOTTE HYAMS
SIDNEY SHMARAK
CARM1 M. SLOMOVITZ
City Editor
Advertising Manager
Business Manager
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections .
This Sabbath. the fourth day of Tevet, 5727, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuch& portion, Gen. 44:18-47:27. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 37:15-28.
Tora Readings for Fast of Tevet. Dec. 23.
Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 32:11-14, 34:1-10. Prophetical portion. Is. 55:6-58.
Candielighting, Friday, Dec. 16. 4:44 p.m.
VOL. L. No. 17
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December 16, 1966
Page Four
Detroiters' Leadership Roles in UJA
Detroit's Jewish community for a number
of years has held a major position of leader-
ship in philanthropy. While attaining such a
role, it has been this city's good fortune to
have been able to build an excellent educa-
tional system, and our aspirations continue to
attain the most effective results in providing
for the training of our youth.
While serving Jewry commendably as a
community, it has been our added good for-
tune to have witnessed the emergence to top
leadership of one of our most dedicated lead-
ers—Max M. Fisher—who for the past ten
years has served as general chairman of the
United Jewish Appeal.
American Jewry now benefits again from
Fisher's consent to contribute his services
for another year as the UJA general chair-
man. During the time he already has served
in that capacity he gave unstintingly of his
time and his energy. He has traveled widely
to enroll the cooperation of many Jewish
communities in behalf of the great fund-
raising effort. He has succeeded in gaining
large numbers of new supporters for the
UJA in cities from coast to coast. and no city
was too small for him to visit. and no effort
too taxing—as long as the less fortunate who
are aided by the movement he heads could
he helped—in Israel. in lands whence op-
pressed .Jews must be removed for settle-
ment in free environments. in France where
hundreds of thousands of Jews have settled
after escaping indignities in lands of their
birth. and elsewhere.
The magnetism of Fisher's personal-
ity has served the .Jewish cause very well.
One more year of his services as head of the
ILIA activities assures for the important
cause the inspiration and the guidance of a
leader the likes of whom are not easily
matched.
*
*
On the distaff side. Detroit this year has
the added distinction that one of our distin-
guished women, Mrs. Harry L. Jones, has ,
been selected for the national chairmanship
of • the UJA Women's Division. This is an
honor that goes only to the ablest personal-
ities. Mrs. Jones' splendid record of com-
munal services assures for the Jewish women
of this country inspired direction for a great
effort which assists in boosting the morale
of the over-all UJA activities.
The leadership of two of our distin-
guished fellow Detroiters in the major Jewish
philanthropic activity attests also to the de-
voted interest of the community in which the
two national UJA chairmen experienced their
apprenticeship in Jewish leadership. It will
undoubtedly also re-echo in continued gen-
erosity by Detroit Jewry.
*
*
"Varieties of Jewish Belief." edited by Dr_ Ira Eisenstein, pub-
lished by the Reconstructionist Press. has the merit of collective think-
ing on major Jewish concepts by the most noteworthy thinkers of
our time.
By grouping together, in the collection of brief essays, the ideas
of men like Rabbis Louis Jacobs, Steven S. Schwarzschild, Jacob J.
Weinstein. Jacob B. Agus, Jack J. Cohen, Harold M. Schulweis, Zalman
M. Schachter, Richard M. Rubenstein, Levi A. Olan, .Mordecai M.
Kaplan, Roland B. Gittlesohn; of such scholars as Dr. Meir Ben-Horin,
Arthur A. Cohen. Prof. Abraham Kaplan and Nathan Rotenstreich,
Dr. Eisenstein has grouped together views that cover the vast scenes
of Jewish life. All of the current challenges to Jewry are incorporated
in these essays. -
Freedom of choice from different aspects of Jewish tradition
is emphasized in Dr. Agus' "My Basic Beliefs." He views Judaism
*
In more than one sense, the guiding line
for the forthcoming drive was drawn at the
UJA conference last week-end. Considerable
increases were made in contributions by the
large contributors and the initial sum of
$6,900,000 that was subscribed at the dinner
that preceded the UJA sessions indicated a
10-to-15 per cent raise in giving. This applied
also to the 12 large Detroit gifts which
totaled more than 10 per cent of the entire
amount of contributions at the initial sub-
scription evening.
Actually, the continuing trend in giving
was inspired by the national chairman who
has himself set an example for generosity
and whose interpretation of the current needs
has guided leadership and the working force
of volunteers.
Transferring this inspiration .to the com-
munities during the campaign period. pro-
viding the constituencies with the basic in-
formation necessary for a proper reaching
out to the masses. there is an excellent chance
that the 1967 drive will be most successful.
It is urgent that large numbers of additional
donors should be enrolled. and a well-in-
formed leadership should go in that direction.
The Sincerity of Good Will Among Nations
One of the late President Kennedy's most
significant statements admonished the entire
world: "Mankind must put an end to war, or
war will put an end to mankind."
No one disagrees. There is common con-
•urren•e with this warning. Yet. very few do
anything at all about the war threats. Every
nation is engaged in its own aspirations. In
spite of the existence of an international or-
ganization containing nearly all of the world's
peoples. we are as far from peace today as
we have ever been. The United Nations has
failed to halt aggression. Pacifists are de-
rided. Expedience is the order of the day !
We dare not overlook these truths. There
will be much talk in the coming weeks. on
the eve of and during the most sacred Chris-
tian period of the year. about brotherhood
and good will. In January the swords will be
taken out of their sheaths again and neigh-
bors will forget their religious scruples.
The emerging situations in the Middle
East provide added proof of the uncertainty
that accompanies temporary truce declara-
tions. The threats to Israel indicate how na-
tions speak and act inconsistently in matters
involving the peace that mankind craves for.
There is a lot of talk at the UN about the
world organization's role as a defender of the
peace. but no one does anything about it.
It is no wonder that the UN could not be
'Varieties of Jewish Belief' Offers
Thinkers' Views on Concepts
as "a texture of spiritual unity, with the lines of consistency and
compatibility being those of the intellect, of morality and of
esthetics."
Dr. Ben-Ilorin offers a credo for the modern Jew. He describes
. Judaism's uniqueness. the affirmations, the view that "Tora is alive
as long as the Jewish people lives."
Cohen's "Reflections on the Natural and Supernatural," as supple-
ments to his book by that name; Rabbi Cohen's "The Free Man's
Quest for Unity:•' Dr. Eisenstein's "What It Means to Be a Jew;"
Rabbi Gittelsohn's "God, Nature and Jews" add evaluatively to
Jewish thinking.
Dr. Gordis' The Faith I Live By" is among the thought-provoking
essays. - Because of the controversial position he 'occupied in British
Jewry. Dr. Jacobs' "Liberal Supernaturalism" has special meaning.
Prof. Kaplan's "Beyond Humanism" views Jews as the "yea-sayers to
history. when it most impels to a denial."
Rabbi Kaplan's Reconstructionist views are inherent in his essay
**Between Two Worlds." Dr. Olan's "An Unrepentant Liberal Jew"
echoes the Reform view. There is much to inspire discussion in Prof.
Rotenstreich's ''Some Current Problems of Judaism." Then there are:
Rabbi Rubenstein's "The Making of a Rabbi," Rabbi Schachter's "A
Modern Hasid's Credo," lending to this volume an added tone by the
inclusion of an Orthodox idea; Dr. Schulweis' "A Religion Like All
Other Religions," Rabbi Schwarzschild's "Tora for Our Time" and
Dr. Weinstein's - Varieties of Religious Confession."
By including in this volume the views of Conservative, Orthodox,
drawn into the Vietnam controversy as a
peace-maker ! It just doesn't possess the Reform and Reconstructionist spokesmen, Dr. Eisenstein has provided
strength necessary to induce the conflicting a voluMe that could well serve as a textbook for the study of all
v iews relating to Jews and to Judaism.
nations to accept it as a peacemaker ! It is no
wonder that U Thant finds himself helpless
in the Vietnam situation. Perhaps he feels
equally handicapped by the events in the
Middle East.
'Man From M.A.L.I.C.E.' Portrays
But if the major powers had demanded
that the conflicting forces in the Middle East
should sit down. together. at a peace table.
to iron out their differences, is there any rea-
son for believing that such an effort would
be doomed in advance of testing it? Regard-
less of the existing bitterness. one dares not-
claim defeat for such a task before it is un-
dertaken.
The entire world is in trouble, but each
sector of the globe is as important as the
whole.. If peace can be bought, piecemeal,
from one section to another, we can hope for
amity among the nations of the world. Start-
ing with Vietnam and with the Middle East,
then proceeding to other areas, perhaps-
perhaps—peace is attainable. But this is all
sheer speculative talk as long as the member
nations of the United Nations are indifferent.
or feel incompetent, to deal with the situa-
tion. How sincere, therefore, is all our talk
about brotherhood and good will among na-
tions?
Levine as Greatest Caricaturist
. David Levine is reputed to he the outstanding literary, political
and social caricaturist of our time.
This view is confirmed in -"The Man From M.A.L.I.C.E.," the
collection of more than 200 of his drawings published by E. P.
Dutton & Co. (201 Park, S., NY3). •
M.A.L.I.C.E. stands for Movies, Art. Literature, and International
Conmen's Establishment. Covering such a wide area of interests,
such is the vast significance of this collection.
The wide ranges of Levine's pencil are described in an illuminat-
ing introduction by Malcolm Muggeridge, who, 'as editor of Punch,
became intimately acquainted with Levine's works.
'
"Levine, as a caricaturist, makes the fullest use of all the
tricks of his trade," Muggeridge writes. Describing some of
Levine's illustrations to indicate that he provides "an accom-
plished, dazzling performance, full of subtlety, intelligence and
imaginative perception—caricature at its best," Muggeridge de-
dares that Levine "certainly labors under no sort of inhibition."
The world's most noted figures are among the caricatured.
History is recaptured with skill and in a light vein. American Presi-
dents, British leaders, those from the Communist ranks, are among
the people portrayed.
Great art is incorporated in this collection. Caricature emerges
out of this collection as a remarkable attainment by a genius. That's
how Levine must he judged in thumbing through this most impressive
gallery of caricatured world personalities.