THE JEWISH NEWS Among the Valuable Books 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 Business Manager SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager CHARLOTTE HYAMS City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the tenth clay of Shevat, 5727, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogueS: Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 13:17-17:16. Prophetical. portion, Judges 4:4-5:31. Hamisha Asar b'Shevat will be celebrated next Thursday Candle lighting, Friday, Jan. 20, 5:14 p.m. VOL. L. No. 22 Page Four January 20, 196'7 Growing Neo-Nazi Danger in Germany In a series of articles on the neo-Nazi Neo-Nazi activities in Germany generally are not viewed with too much alarm. Con- peril in Bonn, Werner Guttman stated: "The sidered a small minority, we have had assur- shadow of the swastika has reappeared. ances that they cannot spread more widely Without vigilance the shadow may become than they already have and that they may substance." even lose the status of a recognized party in This admonition must not be ignored. The West Germany. danger exists. If the big powers — especially Nevertheless, the apologists have much our own government — will be blind to the more to prove than the speculation that is realities of what is happening in Germany, based on wishful thinking, and the gains that danger will grow rather than diminish. made by the "National-Demokratische Partei There are indications that the new admin Deutschlands," generally referred to as the istration of Chancellor Kiesinger is deter- NPD, remain serious cause for concern. mined to prevent the rise of the elements on A NAN..A. report by Winston S. Churchill, the radical right and to assure democratic who has interviewed NPD leaders, shows that rule in West Germany. But even he and his the neo-Nazi party's membership of 23,000 associates are challenged by the re-emerging is subdivided into 45 per cent under age 35 bigotries. That is why the combined efforts of and 72 per cent under 45. This means that a all democratic elements must be put into large number of young people who were too play to avoid the recurrence of the horrors young to be members of Hitler's military that had turned the years of Hitler rule into forces now are backing the reactionary move- a nightmare. ment. While Churchill indicates that some young Germans are ashamed of their na- tionality because of the shame that is attached to the Nazi beasts who made A non-Jewish world traveler, having cov- slaughterhouses of concentration camps, ered the Israeli scene and having produced and that 80,000 Germans have emigrated an outstanding film which has won the award since the war, he states that "as far as they of the National Council on Jewish Audio- (NPD) are concerned Germany's 'Jewish Visual Material, during his visit here offered Problem' was solved by Hitler and there are today no more than 25,000 Jews living a valuable suggestion for practical extension in the Federal Republic. Instead they vent of Jewish studies: . Julien Bryan made the comment that the their racial prejudice on the 1,400,000 foreigners working in Germany today." enthusiasm with which children reacted to What does this mean, if not an endorse- his "Israel" film caused him to hope that they ment of the policies that retain the "Nazi would dig further and "do some homework" beast" appellation for a German who does based on the lessons they learned from wit- not strive to wipe out the shame of the past, nessing the emergence of the State of Israel who does not accept blame that is ascribed and the young nation's achievements. It is the lack of homework, the reticence to the entire people that condoned the Nazi with which our students do additional home- crimes? Last week another apparent neo-Nazi 'work—in other words, conduct some research organ, the Deutsche National and Soldaten and do some supplementary reading to the Zeitung, launched an attack on the new lessons they learn—that creates the shortcom- chancellor, Kurt Kiesinger, for what it termed ing to the progress we have made in giving his pro-Jewish and pro-Israel attitudes as priority to Jewish education in our communal they were uttered by the new of the planning. If something could be done to get our West German government in the the interview he gave the JTA. The pro-Nazi paper also youth to dig in further, to read more, thereby criticized Kiesinger for having conferred with adding diligence to their studies, we could Dr. Nahum Goldmann and for a pledge on approach a measure of the maximum in Jew- renewed indemnifications. What does this ish learning. Perhaps such a step in the direction of show if not a continuing anti-Jewish and pro- new achievements is dependent upon the ex- Nazi attitude? A recent report from Bonn revealed: amples set by their parents. It has been said "Among the long hair and guitars on the that he who does not read is likened to one jackets of long-playing records in West Ger- who can't read. Let the elders set the exam- many's music shops, a new phenomenon has ple and the youth will follow. Then we will appeared — a larger-than-life Nazi iron cross. have learned something from the lesson The contents within the jackets are equally taught us by the good Christian friend Julien startling. The record is under attack as Bryan. * * * `blatant pro-Nazi propaganda.' " Perhaps the urge to do homework is being All of which adds up to a renewed warning that the Nazi spirit is not dead, that many inspired in many quarters. At Wayne State young people are influenced by it, that the University a group of young Jews formed danger from the right in Germany is very real. what they call the New Haskalah. Reversion to the principles of the era of enlightenment is in itself an indication of a growing aware- ness of the need to link the Jewish ideals with the obligations inherent in the advance- Supplementing the Nobel Prizes in Litera- ment of the highest American principles. ture that were awarded to Nelly Sachs and S. Some of the new groups, like the Haskalah Y. Agnon, a number of awards were made in of the last century, may be motivated by recent weeks to Yiddish and Hebrew writers, secularism. But in their very secular ap- including such eminent personalities as I. B. proaches these groups are spiritual, they are Singer, Jacob Glatstein and a number of faithful to a great legacy. Therefore their others. aims and aspirations point to a new hope Of special interest is the recognition that that the craving for learning is far from dead has gone on an international scale to Hebrew and that out of the wilderness we have wit- writers, and to the fact that Yiddish still is .a nessed in the recent past there may surely language that is filled with vigor. emerge a new enlightenment that will mark The creative efforts of the awarclees mark the continuation of the Jewish idealism that a most heartening trend in Jewish experi- is vital to the cultural interests of all man- ences. kind. Need for Homework Literary Awards Hausdorff's 'Golden Heritage': Collection of Basic Jewish Facts David H. Hausdorff has distinguished himself in research. His "Book of Jewish Curiosities," his "Handbook of Jewish Information," "The Biblical Picture Gallery" and his several other works are filled with information about Jewish customs, historical facts and details of general Jewish interest. His latest work, "The Golden Heritage," published by Philipp Feldheim (96 E. B'way, NY 2), is a continuation of his earlier efforts. Primarily, however, it could be viewed as a religious textbook, as a definite work dealing with Jewish traditions, with customs and cere- I monies, with the Tora and the Talmud. All the books of Sacred Scripture, the various Mishnaic, Talmudic and Midrashic texts, are explained and briefly defined. In single paragraPhs Hausdorff often explains an entire Scriptural work. His book is much more than that. It contains chapters dealing with all the festivals, with the Shulhan Arukh, with established Jewish traditions. There are explanatory sections devoted to the Mezuza, Tallis, Tefillin and Tzitzit. He details the texts of Judah Halevi's "Sefer HaKuzari" and he reviews Maimonides' "Mishne Tora" and "More Nevuhim." More than that: since this is the golden heritage, the author quotes from famous "Ethical .Wills"; he offers gems from "Parables of the Dubner Maggid"; he explains the Jewish calendar, tells about famous Jewish scholars and presents as a guide a well compiled chronology of Jewish history. Because of their special merit, he has included in his book, as a concluding section, excerpts from his "Book of Jewish Curiosi- ties" which appears here as "Unusual Nuggets of Jewish Knowl- edge." The entire work is steeped in devotional dedication to the basic Jewish regulations, and his book may well be called a glorification of Orthodoxy. - The facts incorporated in Hausdorff's book will serve Jewish stu- dents well in their search for basic information about Jewish customs, traditions and historical occurrences. H. Golden's 'Forgotten Pioneer' When Harry Golden's "Forgotten Pioneer" first appeared as a hard- cover book, published by World, The Jewish News reviewer rated it as Golden's best work. It is his opinion that it retains that rating now, even after two other of Golden's books had appeared. Now "Forgotten Pioneer" has been issued as a paperback by Fawcett World Library (67 W. 44th, NY36). It is a splendid work of research. Unlike Golden's other books, which are filled with brief items of general interest, "Forgotten Pioneer" deals with the peddler in American history. Golden has gone to earliest records to describe the peddler's role in general and the Jewish peddler's activities in particular. Reaching out to the farmer, serving an important need as a provider of necessities in the eras when traveling was difficult, facing many obstacles, the American peddler emerges in Golden's book in an inter- esting and most sympathetic light. "Forgotten Pioneer" is the story of a craft that became part of early American history. Golden's is a splendid account of it. Teacher's Guide to 'Israel Today' "Israel Today" by Rabbi Harry Essrig and Abraham Segal, published by Union of American Hebrew Congregations, was widely acclaimed when it first appeared two years ago. Supplementing this illustrated volume, UAHC has just issued a teacher's guide to the immense work which has fascinated those seeking information about Israel, the Zionist movement that pre- ceded it, the historical facts relating to state-building. The guide was prepared by Abraham Segal. While it was prepared for teachers, it will :serve an excellent purpose for home use by those who have acquired this valuable work.