THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Association. Member American Association of English,Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial VE 8-9364. Published every *7 Friday by The Jewish Subscription a year. Foreign $8. News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Mich. 48235, Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan PHILIP SLOMOVI'TZ Editor and Publisher CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ Business Manager SIDNEY SHMARAK Advertising Manager CHARLOTTE DUBIN City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the 10th day of Tamuz, 5728, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Num. 19:1-22:1. Prophetical portion, Judges 11:1-33. Candle lighting Friday, July 5, 8:53 p.m. VOL. LIH. NO. 16 Page Four July 5, 1968 Grave Errors in Supreme Court Issue All fair-minded Americans must adhe re Jewish citizen in the land to rise to the to the hope that the sad issue which dev el- highest post attainable by an American next oped when President Woodrow Wils on to the Presidency. When, therefore, in rela- appointed the first Jew to the United Stat es tion to that appointment there are being used Supreme Court, Louis D. Brandeis, will n of such terms as "sharpy," "smooth operator," escalate into an anti-Abe Fortas campaig n. as well as a beneficiary of "cronyism," the When Michigan's U.S. Senator Robert Griff in matter assumes a tragic note. first announced that he would conduct a It is on this score that our hopes are that campaign against the confirmation of t he Senator Griffin and those associated with appointment of Mr. Justice Abe Fortas as him in his campaign against the confirmation Chief Justice of the United States and Willia m of the President's latest appointments will be Homer Thornberry to succeed Mr. Fort as cautious and will refrain from permitting the as a member of the highest court in the lan d, situation to develop into what some already because of his expressed convicition that a call — unjustly, we admit — anti-Semitic. "lame duck" President should not ma ke Senator Griffin certainly is not a bigot. He appointments to the high court, his positi on has shown high regard for human values in was understandable. He holds certain vie ws many of his political activities. Therefore and he is entitled to them. while the Supreme Court issue most unfor But in the course of the campaign against tunately has become a political football, there President Johnson's appointments several is an obligation that men in high office vital issues developed. In the first place, it should not permit religious issues to affect "An Annual on Jewish Themes" has just been introduced by is now generally emphasized that a President a matter so vital to our nation and that the Quadrangle Books (12 E. Delaware Pl., Chicago., Ill.) The first volume who voluntarily chose not to run for re- Supreme Court indeed should not become a in the series, titled "Explorations, edited by Chaim Bermant and road to "ward politics." election is not a "lame duck." Secondly, when the charge developed into a campaign based A basic fact to be taken into account is Murray Mindlin, contains such a wealth of material, essays on such on accusations of "cronyism" as well of a the following culled from a news story about a wide variety of subjects of Jewish interest, that "Explorations" President's lack of right to make appoint- Mr. Fortas's appointment in the New York immediately earns recognition as a remarkably fine contribution to merits which will affect the nation after he Times of June 27: Jewish anthological efforts. will have left his high office, there are these Albert E. Jenner of Chicago, chairman Commencing with studies of the arts and the sciences, leading off factors to be taken into consideration: the of the American Bar Association Committee President selected for the Chief Judgeship on the Federal Judiciary, said that the with an article on "Boy-man, Schlemiel: the Jewish Element in 12-member panel had conferred on a con- American Humor," by Albert Goldman; proceeding with essays on a man who is not being chosen at 'random Holocaust, Jewish experiences in this country, in Europe, Israel; but is being elevated while already a member ference telephone call early this morning the concluding with poetry—we have in "Explorations" what the editors of the high court; and on the question of and unanimously found both men qualified. describe as "a search for identity" and out of the search emerges President Johnson's favoring a "crony" the The Government traditionally asks the an excellent collective guide to Jewish thinking. New York Times demolished the argument bar committee to rate prospective judicial nominees for the lower Federal judiciary, It is interesting to note that while these articles deal with the by stating editorially on the morning after Mr. Fortas' appointment: community of Jews and its personalities, they do not ignore the and avoids appointing persons who are deemed unqualified. non-Jewish friend, the philo-Semite and the Christian neighbor's "Mr. Fortas' record in three years on Chief Justice Warren was in San Fran- relationship. For instance, there is the recollection about an eminent the bench has shown qualities that tran- cisco today. In a statement issued through scend political shrewdness and Presiden- Christian Zionist, a noteworthy essay by a distinguished author: itl gratitude." his office here, he praised Justice Fortas Christopher Sykes writing in "Memories of My Father" about Sir as a scholar, an administrator and "a great Mark Sykes who throughout his parliamentary career was among This is both a compliment to the appointee lawyer, and I know he will be a great Chief and an exoneration of the President, although the most consistent supporters of Zionism. Justice." it is to the credit of our President that he There are essays on Jewish authors and artists and one by Murray does not forget his friends. He also commended Judge Thornberry Roston which interestingly evaluates "The Agnon Paradox." Another, for his record in Congress and on the But there are other disturbing factors in by Gabriel Pearson, is devoted to "Bellow, Malamud and Jewish the situation that have unfortunately devel- bench. "I feel confident he will serve well Arrival" and offers material for interesting group discussions on the oped in the matter involving both Mr. Justice in the Justiceship vacated by Mr. Justice status of the most popular Jewish writers. Fortas and Judge Thornberry. In the instance Fortas," he said. Revealing, also, is the essay "The Orthodox Jewish Scientist" by of the appointee to the Chief Justiceship Surely, these facts attest to the wisdom of there already is appended the assertion that President Johnson's selections for the high Cyril Domb who points out that "the path of the young Jewish student he would be the first Jew to be named the positions on the Supreme Court. Now we must who wishes to remain loyal to tradition is far from smooth, and one U.S. Chief Justice. The fact is that if Mr. hope that a sacred matter affecting all Ameri- of the important practical duties of the Association of Orthodox Jewish is to provide an advisory service in regard to any problems Justice Fortas is confirmed by the Senate cans will not become a basis for "ward Scientists which may arise." The status of this association emerges in as the President's nominee he will be the first politics." interesting light in this article. 'Explorations' Introduces New Literary Annual of Jewish Themes U. S. Pl anes: F or All But Israel? Perhaps this is a time for showdown regarding the morality of arming nation against nation. Because of the threats to Israel's very existence, a pledge was believed to have been made to the Jewish State that a limited number of Phantoms would be made avail- able to assure the nation's security. In the interim Russia stepped into the picture, replaced all if not many more of the Arab planes that were destroyed by Israel in the crucial six-day period of June 1967 and the neighbors that continue the threat to wipe Israel off the face of the earth again are believed to be building up immense mili- tary machines that can again become a threat to the peace of the entire world. Adding to the complexity of an intolerable situation is the position taken by the U.S. State Depart- ment that Israel has enough planes to defend itself and on that basis is giving weapons to the Arabs. On that basis, men like Congressman 'Wil- liam Broomfield of Michigan feel very strongly that Israel can not be eliminated from a program of adequate defense pro- visions in an area in which the other states are receiving U.S. planes. Therefore he has called for fullfilment of the pledge to Israel that this country will provide the embattled nation with Phantoms. This issue is beginning to assume a test to political and international morality. If pledges were made to Israel they should be adhered to. Our State Department has not freed itself of the charge of prejudice against Israel. It has pursued a policy approaching antagonism to the Jewish State and apparently it advises the President in the matter of providing Israel with arms for defense. Rep. Broom- field consistently urges that such a policy should be abandoned and that Israel should not be treated differently from the Arab states. That our government should be a party to a negation of such a principle is a matter for deep concern to this nation Marie Syrkin's "Diaries of the Holocaust" is a splendid review of Holocaust literature available in diaries. It is a definite contribution to the study of the published material dealing with the tragedies of the last war. The section devoted to community studies has three valuable essays. Bermant reviews "Anatomy of Glasgow." J. W. Carrier comments on "A Jewish Proletariat." In "A Jewish 'Mayhew' " June Rose treats the subjects of Mikva, Shadhan, Tahara, Beadle, Wacher- the watcher over dead bodies. These are definitions that will be welcomed by Jewish readers who seek information about Jewish mores... One of the sections of this significant anthology of Jewish themes deals with "The Past Recaptured." It, too, is a remarkable collection of essays, containing Richard Barnett's "Samuel Montefiore' Diaries," "Dreamers: a Memoir" by Isaac Bashevis Singer a articles on two survivors—"Mother and Child" by liselotte Then and "Escape to Sweden" by Kurt Lindenberg. The latter (translated from the German by Andrea Mindlin) is especially valuable as an historical document at this time, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the rescue of Danish Jewry. It is an important chapter to be added to the story of experiences in Scandinavian countries during the Nazi reign of terror. The fiction and poetry section—the story "The Pagan Rabbi" by Cynthia Ozick and the poem:. by Walter Kaufmann, T. :. ithaniel Tarn, Dennis Silk and Dannie Abse add color to a most cc,1:rful volume.