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THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
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Member American Association of Enlish—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial j
Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Mich. 48235.
VIC 8- 1E1364, Subscription VI a year. Foreign $8.
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 Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 13th day of lyar, 5728, the - following scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuehal portion, Levit. 16:1-20:27. Prophetical portion, Amos 6:7-15.
Candle lighting, Friday, May 10, 7:22 p.m.
VOL. LIII. No. 8
Page Four
May 10, 1968
momisoset
Significant JPS 80th Anniversary
Eighty years is not a long time in the
history of a community or of a cultural
group. It is an especially short span for a
Jewish undertaking when it is measured as
part of the milennia of creative cultural en-
lightenment. Nevertheless, in the' instance
of the Jewish Publication - Society of America,
its 80th anniversary is a most significant oc-
casion for celebration by American Jewry.
It must be remembered that 80 years
ago American Jewry was very small in num-
bers—less than 500,000. The U. S. Jewish
community did not possess the unity that was
needed to assure the continuity of our spiri-
tual-cultural aims through the publication
of books written by members of the young
community of American Jews. We may not
have unity even in our own time, but to-
day we have an amalgamated American
Jewry with very few among us who are not
∎ ative-born or sons of native-born Jews. The
oreign-born element was more predominant
years ago, and there were more languages
in use by Jews to contend with—German,
Spanish, Ladino, Yiddish, Polish, Russian,
as well as English.
Nevertheless, even with a Babel of langu-
ages, the beginning of a publicly-sponsored
publication society that emerged into great
success, having started with small beginnings
in 1888, attested to a commendable interest.
There were efforts twice before that year—
in 1845 and 1873—to create such a publi-
cation society among the Jews of America.
Those efforts failed completely. But on June
3, 1888, a great undertaking was marked by
a success that is so impressive that the Jew-
ish Publication Society of our day is an out-
standing element of progress in American
Jewish history.
The 80th JPS anniversary is an occasion
for celebration by all American Jews. The
anniversary denotes advancement culturally
and an earnest desire on the part of a
dedicate.d element in our midst to encourage
creative literary efforts and to perpetuate
the legacies of the past through the classics
JPS produces. Many obstacles were over-
come in the emergence of JPS and its 80-
'ear history. It will be in the best interests
of our people in this country, and of Jews
in other English-speaking countries who are
benefiting from JPS's. labors, to assure an
increased interest in the publication society.
to increase, its membership and in all ways
to establish the type of cooperation that is
vital to the existence of so important a
communal agency. By giving JPS the un-
interrupted support it needs. all of us will
be partners in a significant 80th anniversary.
Lessons of the Human Rights - Year
Major significance attaches to the observ-
ance of 1968 as International Human Rights
Year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary
of the United Nations Declaration of Human
Rights. It marks the transforming of the
worldwide human society into a universal,
unit interested in advancing the needs of
all peoples, of erasing injustices, of reducing
poverty to a degree of eventually removing
it entirely frOin the international sphere,
thereby giving the underprivileged the rights
which have hitherto limited their role as
wholesome members of society.
The challenging occurrences that stern
from the struggles for civil rights, the hatreds
inat had emerged and which must be elimi-
nated as speedily as possible, the assassina-
tion of Negro leader Dr. Martin. Luther King
Jr. which served to draw ever widening atten-
tion to the social problems that affect bAmeri-
can society—these factors have caused the
International Human Rights Year to gain
greater significance in our own midst.
The problems that motivated the UN
Declaration of Human Rights are the prob-
lems of all mankind. They are our prob-
lems. On the occasion of International
Human Rights Year, the director general of
UNESCO, Rene Maheu, issued a statement
in Paris, asserting in part:
"Vast numbers of peoples, differing
greatly in their origins, traditions, religion,
philosophy, culture, historical development
and economic systems have attained inde-
pendence, entered on the political scene and
are now sharing in the elaboration of the
moral code and law of our time. The 1948
Declaration is in accord with this fundamental
transformation which it foreshadowed .. .
"In a world where vast areas are still in
the grip of hunger, and where more than
seven hundred million illiterates are totally
unable to make contact with the world of
ideas through the written word, there are
many people for whom the provisions of the
Universal Declaration are still nothing more
than promises. But the tremendous resources
of science and technology now make it possi-
ble for those promises to be fulfilled. Pbverty,
hunger and ignorance are no longer in-
evitable. It is our duty to overcome them
by making education, science and culture
available to all, as the essential prerequisite
for the progress of society and the full
development of the human personality.
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145
Dramatic Lodz Ghetto Poem
Depicts Hope Amidst Tragedy
.A.,dramatic poem, which was recited in the Litzsmannstadt Lodz
Ghetto in 1943, at a banquet of Jews who we'e in the concentration
camp readied for extermination by the Nazis, has been published by
Bloch in its Yiddish text, with its English trnslation.
It is the now historic "Ghetto Factory 76" by Rachmil Bryks. This
discovered manuscript is now in the Warsaw Jewish Historical Institute
Archives.
Litzmannstadt is the name that was given to Lodz after its occu-
pation by the Germans in World War II, in memory of the German
General Litzmann who died in World War I. The Factory 76 is a clesig,-
nation for one of the ghetto plants, each of which was numbered. .
The poem is descriptive, dealing with all aspects of ghetto life,
recounting the hunger, the quest for food: enumerating rumors that
spell hope of survival and the desire for vengeance, as in this stanza:
Shovel comes out,
Shovel goes in,
Buckets' mouths swallow up.
Buckets pass from hand to hand.
Cauldron swallows,
Cauldron digests—
Sack after sack,
Cooking, seething,--steaming
Eyes glower with envy and hatred
And hearts thirst for revenge.
The entire poem is an expression of despair, a definition of ap-
proaching death, because—
If one faints there is nothing to revive him.
The pharmacies are out of medicine,
For they 11;::ve no alcohol,
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No medicine, no bread,
No exit—dead.
Yet there is a view to the future. with an outlook for retribution.
Pointing to the manner in which the Nazis "swallow liquor, gulp down
alcohol," the poet cries out:
Fancy dishes—gorging them-selves
And carrying on harlotry.
His hands, stretching out,
Curl into fists:
"Our blood Our sweat
0, will they pay . . . nay it back yet !"
Illustrations by Raphael Soyer add to the dramatic impressions of
"Ghetto Factory 76" and depict pictorially the horrors, the martyrdom,
the agonies of the Holocaust.
This poem has been set to music by William Gunther, as a cantata.
It is, thus, a dramatic narrative, a _poetic outcry against tyranny, a
play that can enacted and emphasized by song as an indication that
amidst tragedy there was hope.
."It is here that UNESCO is making its
contribution • to the work being done by the
UnitedNations. .
"Even those of UNESCO's activities.which
are not explicitly -concerned with promoting
respect for human rights in general or putting
particular rights into effect, do nevertheless
help to create the material, intellectual, moral
and cultural conditions that are needed if
rights, once accepted as principles, are to
become living realities for all mankind."
How well and how effectively these ob-
Servations apply to us! And what a lesson
these admonitions bring to us, as a reminder
as well as a .rebuke, that if the principles
thus enunciated had been applied and en-
forced in our society the tragedies of April
1968 could have been averted, the riotous
humiliations of 1966 and 1967 in Watts.
Newark, Detroit and other cities might have
been prevented.
A declaration in itself is. not sufficient.
There must be realization of the needs. ap-
preciation of the - basic human principles.
dedication to the nation's lawful principles,
by all elements. There must be honest and
and honorable dialogue to bring peoples to-
gether, and there must be admission of
wrong's that existed and must be erased from
the statute books and from the minds of men.
A Community Forum currently being
introduced by 'an interfaith council with
the cooperation of the Jewish Commu-
of Detroit provides a project
"Israel and American Jewry" is a valuable study guid
in our own city for efforts to emphasize program and . action" issued by the Union of American Hebrew
the human values in American life and to .-Congregations.
Commencing with a background analysis by Dr. Max Nussbaum on
assure the perpetuation of the most sacred
ideals in. man's aspirations. It is one of the "Israel and the Jewish People—Origins in Palestine," this brochure
ways of giving substance to the interna- of 117 pages has the merit of being timely. containing basic data ,
regarding the June war. incorporating valuable essays that analyze \
tional code introduced by the U.N.
the situation in the Middle East covering the entire 20-year period of
The basic principles of this land are not Israel's history.
bankrupt. They can be preserved. They
The position of the United States as analyzed by President Johnson
must be guaranteed for. all. The Interna- on July 19 is included in the significant declarations.
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tional Human Rights Year is merely another
Relating to "contrasts," the editors included an important'\
brief statement by Prof. Henry Steele Commager who refers to
occasion to serve as a reminder of sacred
Israel's nationalism as "humane, civilized, benign."
obligations to men of all faiths, all races,
Participants in this study guide include Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch,
to strengthen America's role in the context
of the initial principle of the Declaration Albert Vorspan, Marvin Braiterman, Roy and Alice Eckart and Rabbi
Brickner.
of Independence that all men are created Balfour
Dealing with issues related to the Russian involvement, the refugee (
equal. The idea is accepted in truth by all. question,
the newly acquired Israeli territory and the Arab-Israel)
It must be observed by all. Honest adher- conflictS at the UN, this compilation is especially valuable as a'=\
ence to this ideal. elimination of hypocritical discussion of the debate that has been rampant over indifference
subversion of it, will make us partners in among Christians over Israel's fate. In its totality, it is most valuable,
the fulfillment of the glorious principles grouping of ideas aimed at clarifying the problems that affect the'\
of the Declaration of Human Rights. . Middle East.
ActiOn
Action
buide
for Israel and U,