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 37.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Advertising Manager
CHARLOTTE DUBIN
City Editor
Sabbath Hanuka Scriptural Selections
Hanuka Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 28th day of Kislev, 5728, the following scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Sunday, Num. 7:36-47; Monday, Rosh Hodesh Tebet, Num. 28:1-15, 7:42-47; Tuesday,
second day Rosh Hodesh Tebet, Num. 28:1-15, 7:48-54; Wednesday, last day of Hanuka,
Num. 7:54-8:4.
Lighting of candles, Friday, Dec. 29, 4:49 p.m.
VOL. LH. No. 15
Page Four
December 29, 1967
A New Year: Its Tribulations and Hopes
characteristic of the basic American prin-
Another civic new year confronts us with
ciples.
problems, tribulations and anxieties that are
mixed anew with hopes that we shall be
It is basic to the major ideals of a people
blessed with wisdom to act and sufficient striving for security that there should be
strength to overcome fears that have invaded peace for itself, its neighbors and the world
our cities and our homes.
at large. Isolation is no longer practical or
It can be said assuredly that the old year possible. Therefore the chief aspiration in
passes out of our existence with a sense of the year we are about to welcome is that
relief. It was too trying, filled with too many there should be a speedy end to the war in
emergencies, and was marked by so much vio- Vietnam.
lence and by such tragedies entailed by war- We are confident that the necessary solu-
fare that it will not be considered among the tions for the problems created by the race is-
blessed periods in history. sue are being probed and applied. There are
Nationally, locally as well as on the world sincere plans to alleviate want, to provide
front, there were tensions that created fears. proper housing and education for those who
The war in Vietnam does not contribute to have suffered discriminations. The needs
a sense of calm. It is a tragedy involving our are receiving due attention, solutions are
youth and affecting the morality of our polit- being applied, there is an earnest wish to
end prejudices that divided our population
ical experiences. We pray for an end to hos-
into the dominant white and oppressed black.
tilities and for guidance and wisdom for the Such conditions are intolerable. But so also
executive
of our
that are riots and looting and arson intolerable.
should
lead branch
to a speedy
end government
to needless blood-
shed.
The coming year carries with it anxieties
The race riots, the threats of impending for the Jewish people—the fears that go with
troubles for the year ahead, the uncertainties repeated threats from Cairo and Baghdad and
that go with the approaching Presidential Amman and Beirut of an impending new con-
election—all add to the anxious feelings. flict for which the Arab states are preparing
Nevertheless, there is need to recognize and against which Israel must mobilize its
that fear inspires fear, that panic engenders defensive forces. On this score, too, our
more panic, and that a free environment can prayers are that the contending forces will
not and must not tolerate suspicions among come to terms.
neighbors and fright amidst citizenry.
On all fronts there are fears. There are
We approach the new year with hope that fears in this country. There are fears on
the errors of the past year will be corrected many world fronts. Our hopes are fpr a world
and that the human relations among our fel- without fear. Then we shall be assured of
low citizens will revert to the highest levels tranquilty and security.
Genocide: Basic Principle Abandoned by Senate
An aggravated issue, often forgotten, too thor of important legal documents, who
readily ignored in American legislative guar- since 1947 has served as chairman of the
ters, is brought into the limelight again human rights committee of the National
with President Johnson's telegraphic mes- Conference of Christians and Jews. As far
sage to the Conference of Major American' back as 1949, Mr. Rosenberg, writing in
Jewish Organizations, on the occasion of United Nations World, made a strong plea
the 25th anniversary of the U.S.-Soviet-British for the U.S. Senate's ratification of the
declaration deploring Nazi persecutions of Genocide Convention. He then described "the
Jews, in which he gave assurance that "this most exasperating experience" — the stand
administration feels no less strongly about taken by the American Bar Association. In his
the crime of genocide than did President important essay, as timely today as when it
Roosevelt when the declaration was issued in was written 18 years ago, Mr. Rosenberg, who
1942." at 93 has just compiled his memoirs in an
This brings to light again the fact that important volume, entitled "Unfinished Busi-
our government has yet to ratify the United ness," — in which he has reproduced his
Nations Genocide Convention, that while 1949 article on the Genocide Convention —
more than 70 nations have approved it, this made these accusations which are accom-
country has failed to act; that while Presi- panied by his appeal for action by the Senate:
dent Johnson, undoubtedly in all sincerity,
I am not immune to exasperation. I have been
affirms his own position and likens it to
aroused to indignation by the leadership of the
American Bar Association which opposes not only
President Roosevelt, but we must view past
the Genocide Convention but the entire Universal
performances as indications that from FDR
Declaration of Human Rights of which it is a part.
down the line all condemnations of genocide
I take particular issue with Mr. Frank E. Holman
have been lip service that have not led to ac-
who,
as President of the Association and as ex
tion by the U.S. Senate -- and the Senate
officio President of the Association's Committee
has yielded to pressures from the American
for Peace and Law Through United Nations, has
Bar Association that have resulted in com-
consistently advocated the antediluvian concept that
plete abandonment by the United States of a
human rights are completely domestic matters with
basic principle entailing the outlawing of
which the UN has no concern. Mr. Holman insists
that the protection of human rights "basically . . .
mass murder of peoples.
relates to internal affairs and not to international
The entire issue related to genocide has
matters."
been -so completely ignored, its handling has
been marked by so much indifference by
This,position I hold to be utterly untenable. If
nothing else, the establishment of the United Na-
the U.S. Senate, that our humanitarian ap-
tions rendered the thesis obsolete.
proaches to the issue create doubts about the
wisdom or understanding of world events
Evidently Mr. Holman agrees with the Soviet
by our chief legislative body. Genocide re
Union and its bloc in holding that persecution of
religious groups is none of the business of the UN
mains a grave world danger.
or the world at large.
From all indications, the position taken
by the American Bar Association in opposi-
In "Unfinished Business," Mr. Rosenberg
tion to the Genocide Convention is primarily emphasizes the need to contact Senators
responsible for the Senate's failure to act urging them to press for ratification of the
upon it.
UN Genocide Convention. His appeal is as
The strongest condemnation of the Bar urgent today and calls for action by all con-
Association's attitude was expressed by James cerned in this serious but ignored piece of
N. Rosenberg, eminent attorney, painter, au- legislation.
-
■ ••sirrA
Dr. Cecil Roth's 'Gleanings':
Essays on History and Letters
From 1925, when he published his first book, "The Last Florentine
Republic," to date, Dr. Cecil Roth has published many scores of essays
and a large number of books. Now, in "Gleanings — Essays in Jewish
History, Letters and Art," published by Bloch, we have a collection
of a large number of his outstanding articles on a variety of subjects.
Commencing with "European Jewry in the Dark Ages," Dr. Roth's
essays in this volume include discussions of the religion of the
Marranos, Jews in medieval Sicily, Spanish Jewish art, proselytization
of Marranos, an elegy to the martyrs of Toledo, Jews in the Middle
Ages, personality and other sketches.
An extraordinary collection of
plates illustrating some of the con-
tents supplements these essays.
The essay on the martyrs of Toledo,
explaining tragic events of the summer
of 1391, includes the complete revised
text of the elegy, the vowels being used
only for proper names.
In his essay on European Jewry's
sufferings during the Dark Ages, Dr.
Roth made an interesting comment on
historiography. Outlining the abuses from
which Jews suffered miserably, Dr. Roth
states that "evidence from the Dark
Ages is absent," and he explains:
"On the one hand, precisely because
these abuses were universal, they were
Dr. Roth
considered a common-place, and for that
reason not worth recording. On the other, historiography was in its
infancy, and chronicles both of general, and (to a far greater extent)
of Jewish history extremely sparse, dealing only with events of major
importance. We receive an enhanced impression of the sufferings of
the Jews from the period of the First Crusade onwards partly because
by that time historiography had begun to flourish and the Jewish
communities had become articulate . . ."
The matter of disputations in the Middle Ages between Jews
and Christians receives special attention in an essay about the
1263 Barcelona dispute in which Nahmanides (Rabbi Moses ben
Nabman) was the Jewish opponent of Fray Pablo. That famous
disputation, Nahmanides' arrest, his release, his courageous
arguments, once again provide splendid material for study of a
vital series of challenges that confronted Jews in the Middle Ages.
Dr. Roth states that it is impossible to think of the Barcelona
controversy in terms of success or failure because: "The two
adversaries were setting out from entirely different premises, and
in the shadow-battle which resulted both tilted as It were at
phantoms, without really getting to blows. For discussions on the
application of biblical verses and the significance of talmudic
legends affected the validity of neither faith."
Asserting that "few episodes in all history, Jewish or universal,
are more fascinating than the story of the Marranos," Dr. Roth
describes the Marranos' religion, points to their practices in adhering
to Jewish traditions, practiced charity, handed down from father to
son the secret of the family name.
Viewing Marrano history as Incomplete, Dr. Roth records notable
incidents, lists names of famous Marranos, describes the labors of the
Marrano historian Immanual Aboab and the experienced martyrdoms.
There is "a note" on the astronomers of the the Joseph Vecinho
family of the 15th Century, in Portugal.
Selections from the Hebrew works of Rabbi Menahem Navarra
of Verona (17th Century) are incorporated in the personality sketch
about the author and historian.
The description of the forced conversions in Italy, the explanation
of the "Messina Synagogue Inscription," an article on the Kennocott
Bible and reproduction of pages from that Bible provide added
historical data of great interest. –
Dr. Roth's essay are subjects of study and of enjoyable reading.
Teachers and students will find great merit in the contents of his
"Gleanings."