Purely Commenter Dean Acheson—Bearer of III Tidings, Spreader of III Will vis-a-vis Israel: Result of 'Gross Misinformation A new Daniel came to judgment on the University of Michigan campus last week, bearing ill tidings, spreading new messages of hate, revealing anew how opposition to the libertarian movement to end Jewish homelessness has for years met with opposition in our State Department and how a lack of proper information and ignorance of history itself has caused men in public life who should know better to become the enemies of Israel. Dean, Acheson, former Secretary of State under President Tru- man, will undoubtedly be shocked to hear himself described in such harsh terms. But that's what he has earned for the "off the record" views that have been publicized. They are undoubt- edly views that motivated certain attitudes that stood in the way of common decency in the Middle East and postponed peace. They are attitudes which to this very day prolong amity among the people in the Mediterranean area. If it were not for ob- structions resulting from a lack of knowledge about history in that area as well as from unquestioned prejudices against Jewish aspirations, there would have been no need to retain large armies, existing boundaries would have been assured and the low standards of the peoples in states neighboring on Israel would have been uplifted. It is the obstacles Acheson placed in the path of seekers of peace that is responsible for the lowering of the standards among Arabs, the perpetuation of their poverty and illiteracy, the injection among them of hatreds that could be wiped out of the Achesons of the past 20 or more years had labored for proper understanding instead of, encouraging obstructions. It was to have been an off the record, as the report about Ache- son having been grilled for two hours by a group of about half a dozen students in Ann Arbor. Acheson told the group that he didn't feel "the idea of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East is a very wise idea in the 20th Century." When—Mr. Acheson—would it have been wise? During the Middle Ages and the Crusades when Jews were burned in their synagogues, or during the pogroms in Russia, or through the centuries when there was not a foothold for Jews anywhere? And, since Acheson spoke of the 20th Century, he could not have meant the Hitler era during which Six Million were murdered. It is certain: neither he nor his associates did much of anything to save that remnant and they cer- tainly would not have provided a homeland for those who could have been rescued! Acheson must have done a lot of talking off the record—since it is now on the record in the Detroit News report which stated: "I can understand very well the great feeling of injustice the Arabs have," he told about 2,500 students and faculty members. Though the state of Israel has become established, Acheson said the Arabs who lived in what is now Israel for 2,000 years should not have been displaced on grounds that Jews lived there 2,025 years ago. The main problem facing Israel now is deciding what to do with land occupied during the war and how to handle the people in this territory. This is where both the ignorance and the prejudice enters. If Acheson had studied history properly he would have known that Jews never left the Holy Land, that they retained their residence there even if in small groups in Jerusalem and in Tiberias and in Safed. And their foothold has been firm in their prayers and in prophecy. The former Secretary of State should read his Bible again and should turn to historic facts. He'll find the roots of People Israel in Israel and he will find that mostly there were nomads among Arabs who came to destroy what had been built. And as an important figure in U. S. affairs he may have learned that Jews came to what was Palestine, before Israel, to rebuild against great odds what Arabs had ruined! And a high price was paid for every inch of land Jews acquired. The absentee Arab landlords who gained materially from the Jewish settlement in the Holy Land are the ones who oppressed the masses of their kinsmen: they were the effendis among the Arabs who created sufferings among the fellaheen! Yet Acheson spoke of injustice to Arabs! He who did nothing to help end Jewish suffering and to pro- vide havens for Jews who escaped the crematoria now talks about territorial rights! What about the sacred right of a piece of sacred land for the people of the Bible as a territorial adjustment and as atonement by mankind for the centuries of sufferings imposed upon the Jewish people? We wonder if it isn't useless to pose this question now to a man who dares, at this time, after international rights have been granted for sovereignty by Israel, through the United Nations and with the approval of our government, to talk about injustice to Arabs while ignoring basic rights to Jewry! • • • y Acheson as Bearer of III Tid- ings . . . Need for Facts to Offset Many Prejudices By Philip *** al omovitz Respect for Faith ... Revolt of Ignorant At the request of House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan, Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives, John W. McCormack arranged a legislative schedule to avoid any important Congressional business on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In advance of his request, Rep. Ford said: Out of respect for Judaism, one of our great religions and a cherished aspect of the American heritage, Congress should rearrange its business to assure that all Congressmen of Jewish faith are freed from any need to choose between legislative business or attendance at devotional services with their families?' On the eve of Rosh Hashana, last Wednesday, the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Very Rev. Edward G. Latch, commenced his prayer with the "Hear 0 Israel . . ." Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5. In a brief speech of New Year greetings, Congressman Muller of New York stated: "I cannot let this moment pass without extend- ing a special word of thanks to you, Mr. Speaker, and to the leader- ship on both sides of the aisle for cooperating with our colleagues of the Jewish faith in so arranging the Legislative Calendar that we can spend these High Holy Days with our families in performing our religious duties." Several addresses were delivered in both Houses of Congress as greetings to the Jewish people, taking into account the legacy handed down by Judaism to mankind. One speech (by Rep. Anunzio) even listed all Jewish festivals as a mark of recognition of Jewish reli- gions observances. These were expressions of the type of respect that inspires self- respect and attests to the American way of elevating the standards of faith while adhering to a policy of Separation. We separate Church from State but we respect the religious feelings of all citizens, regard- less of differences in observances. But in Southfield and Berkley, our neighboring communities, there was disrespect. For the first time on record, Christian students protested because Jewish fellow students were celebrating holy days. There have been occasions when Jewish students encouraged dif- ficulties with prejudiced and bigoted teachers who made it difficult for the Jewish boys and girls to take time out for holidays. Then authorities had to step in to prevent discrimination. Now it is "a revolt"—young people marched with signs that read "Christian Power" and "Christian Soul Brothers." They learned the worst—out of ignor- ance! They even evidenced shrewdness to deny anti-Semitism—as if the signs they carried could be anything other than the vilest type of indecency and hatred. It was a sheer lack of self-respect that caused a display of arrogrance. If this was not an inherited anti-Semitism —as hatred usually is—the community's responsibility being to assure the elimination of hatred from the home—we wonder how many of the parents of the ignorant .rebels welcomed their children with a sense of shame for what had transpired in Christian youth ranks on Rosh Hashana. We are told that the complaints are not one-sided, that Jewish By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX (Copyright 1967, JTA Inc.) i of d many ting practice praaspecia the c u st om candle before Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) which is left burning throughout the day? This practice seems to be a very old custom whose exact origin is not precisely known. A candle has symbolized the life or the soul of man for centuries. The Bible tells us that "the soul of man is the candle of God" (Proverbs 20:27). Since Yom Kippur was des- ignated as the Day of Judgment, custom arranged for each and every living soul to light a candle before the 24-hour Day of Atone- ment began. On the one hand, this would indicate the frailty of the individual in the hands of the winds of fate which could extinguish the candle so easily. On the other hand, it impressed the individual that he had a soul and that, in spite of the forces of nature, It per- sisted in maintaining its position in his life. Orginally, people brought these candles to the syna- gogue. It seems that each could recognize his own candle and I would feel encouraged with an outlook towards another year of life upon seeing his own candle still burning by the end of the day. Yet, other circumstances cause many synagogue to mix up the candles because it came to be sus- pected that, if one's candle hap- pened to be extinguished before the day was over, that person would not complete his year of life during the ensuing year. This caused great fright and confusion in the hearts of those whose can- dles may have accidently been ex- tinguished. Mixing up the candles so that they could not be distin- guished alley i at e d this fright. Somehow, among many, this prac- tice was eased out of existence. In its place we have the practice, youngsters who stay out of school for holy days are abusing which is now widespread, of light- their privileges by heckling the non-Jews who are in their ing a candle before the eve of classes and that holy days have become occasions for shopping, Yom Kippur, to represent the soul playing, self-entertaining. Such abuses are subject to as much condemnation as the display of "Christian Power" placards. There are abuses and self-abuses. Both are contemptible. If Jews desecrate their festivals by resorting to unethical tactics they are a disgrace to themselves and their people. This is where Jewish parents are as guilty as the non-Jewish. Jewish parents of rowdy youngsters who abuse privileges had better look into the matter and do the judging whenever there is evidence of disrespect. • • • of a loved one who had passed away. There are many, even today, who light two candles — one for the living and one for the de- ceased. • • • Why Is it customary to affix the letters "Nun" "Yod" after writing a person's name when referring to him? Most scholars feel that this is an abbreviation of the two words Clement Attlee and Sir Norman Angell — Zionist Foes Two names of world prominent figures were in the obituary col- umns this week. Both were eminent in political spheres. Both came in contact with Jews and had backed the Zionist cause early in their "Nero Yair" which mean "May his candle keep burning." They trace careers. Both became bitter foes of Zionism. Clement Attlee—Lord Attlee at the time fo his death—Great Bri- this to the old practice of kindling tain's Prime Minister during the crucial years of Israel's emergence a light before Yom Kippur and having it burn throughout the day, into statehood, from 1945 to 1951, may have been indicating that the individual him- counted among the friends of the Zionist ideal dur- self will enjoy We throughout the ing his leadership of the Labor Party. But like many coming year. Others feel that the other members of his party he joined the anti-Israel original appendage consisted of forces. The most venomous opponent of the Jewish three yetters "Nun" "Resh" "Vov" State was Attlee's Secretary for Foreign Affairs which was an abbreviation of the Ernest Bevin, who not only souhgt to liquidate the Aramaic expression, "May the Al- Jewish National Home, who was responsible for a mighty watch over him and save drive against Haganah, the Jewish self-defense force him" (Harahaman, Yishmereyhu in Palestine, who approved of the arrest of Jewish Attlee leaders in Palestine on the Sabbath and ordered attacks on boats carry- ing escapees from Nazism into the Holy Land, but who also delivered Veyifdehu). Generally speaking, this kind of appendage is an indi- cation that one should always have in mind blessing and good will to- wards a person when one refers vile anti-Semitic speeches in which he attacked not only the Zionists but also the Jews of New York. His name will be recorded among the bitterest enemies of Jewry. Sir Norman Angell, the 1933 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in the to him. early 1930s, was socially minded. He was a friend of Jewry and ap- peared numerous times on Zionist platforms. He was considered among West Germany to Loan the leading Christian Zionists in the world. - In October of 1938 Sir Norman was a speaker, together with Dr. $40 Million to Israel Chaim Weizmann, the Labor leader Herbert Morrison, Prof. S. Brodet- BONN (JTA) — The West Ger- sky, Chief Rabbi Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, Lord Rothschild, R. D. Denman man government has agreed to and Commander 0. Locker-Lampson, at a public meeting at Friends' lend $40,000,000 to Israel, it was House in London, in protest against restrictions by the British govern- announced here by the foreign ment on immigration of Jews in Palestine. In that ministry. The Bonn government speech Sir Norman called restrictions on Jewish immi- stipulated that Israel was not to gration "morally unjustified" and said in part: "For use the proceeds of the loan for Obligation to Let Facts Be Fully Available It is becoming clearer as time progresses that the prejudicial propaganda against Israel is spreading rapidly, that basic facts are not generally known, that the lie, as defined by Hitler, is being cir- culated, and the Nazi idea to keep telling the lie until it emerges as truth must create new vigilance so that untruths should not dominate. In spite of the great humanitarian efforts that are being exerted by Israelis as "conquerors" to provide the best treatment for Arabs residing in the territory acquired by Israel in the Six Day War, in- credible stories are being spread to give the impression that Jews are brutal, that they seek to dominate over all Arab lands, that they something over a thousand years we Christians, includ- are molesting children, that the holy places are being desecrated. ing we English, persecuted, tortured, kicked and in- All lies, lies, lies . . . circulated in the Hitler fashion! sulted an unarmed and defenseless people, for the Which proves anew how urgent it is that the basic facts should single crime of belonging to the race that gave us Jesus be made common knowledge, that we should once again compile data, Christ, His Mother, His Apostles and about the only present the facts, undertake a new campaign of pamphleteering. religious literature that has given to the West its re- In the interest of truth, it is urgent that Christians—and Moslems ligion and its moral law. Today, that people suffer, among the fair-minded—should join with Jews in spreading enlighten- perhaps worse than ever before. Over much of Christen- ment. We need new vigor among the youth in this task, in an era in dom they are robbed, tortured, imprisoned, starved, which the elders are among the tired liberals. diven out. Yet everywhere the doors close against them, It is in the interest of world peace that lies should be exposed, Angell one after another, inexorably. And now we, too, propose that truth should be spread, that no one should be permitted to flaunt ignorance as knowledge and thereby mislead people—as some in Ann to close doors that we had solemenly promised should be kept open as Arbor may have been misled by a former high American official. a shelter and a sancturay for persecuted people whom Christendom has And what we plead for—the truth!—must not be off the record! so deely injured; close them at the time that shelter is most needed." In 1939 this Commentator interviewed this interesting and brilliant The truth is ON the record! 2 — Friday, October 13, 1967 Yom Kippur Quiz military purposes. Jewish liberation movement, that he was counted among the truly great friends. Then something hap- pened and soon he became an enemy. He began to propagate against Zionist. He joined ranks akin to the Council for Judaism. From friend he turned to foe. It was an as unexplainable as the about face of Dorothy Thompson and a few others like her. Let's remember Sir Norman Angell for the good years during which his man who was as great in spirit as he was short in stature. He gave hope for a better world did not THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS views that were as thoroughly pro-Zionist, he was so dedicated to the exclude Jews.