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 %Vest Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Mich. 48235. VE 8-9364. Subscription $7 a year. Foreign $8. Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ SIDNEY SHMARAK Business Manager Advertising Manager CHARLOTTE DUBIN City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the eleventh day of Adar, 5729, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portions, Ex. 27:20-30:10, Dent. 25:17-19. Prophetical portion, I Samuel 15:2-34. Fast of Esther Scriptural Selections, Monday Pentateuchal portion, Ex. 32:11-14, 34:1-10. Prophetical portion. Isaiah 55:6-56:8. Book of Esther will be read Monday night and Tuesday morning. Tora reading Purim, Tuesday morning: Ex. 17:8-16. Candle lighting, Friday, Feb. VOL. LIV. No. 24 Page Four 28, 5:56 p.m. February 28, 1969 Purim: More Hamans: 'Remember Amalek' This week's Pentateuchal reading at Sab- bath services is Z'khor. It contains the ad- monition of "Remember Amalek"—do not forget the first anti-Semite who sought the destruction of the People Israel, and it carries over to our time cautioning us: do not forget Amalek and Haman and Pobenonostzev and Torquemada and Hitler. . Accompanying the admonition, however, is the imperishable reality that Israel's in- destructibility is not for one generation alone but for eternity: how else is one to read history? While the Hamanic threats never end, in spite of the dangers that always confront us, all-too-often in democratic countries as well as the backward lands that have not yet learned the lessons of humanitarianism. Purim is nevertheless observed in a spirit of jollity. The festival reconstructs an ancient story of the threat to destroy Israel. But it is marked by fun for children, a spirit of exchanging gifts and of much joy among the adults. It is the festival that reaffirms faith and strengthens the courage of those who are determined that neither the Hamans of old nor the Hitlers of modern times shall ever succeed, or that there ever is chance for them to triumph. It is more than the emotional release that distinguishes Purim: it is the factor that spells a people's will to live regardless of the menacing situations it may face. Linked with the will to live is the respect for a heri- tage that is never abandoned. These two aspects create the People Israel's strength to survive and to defy dangers. And in the process of defiance of threats to our very existence there develops a joyful atmosphere of Purim, perhaps the most joyous minor festival on our calendar. There is sanctity in every Jewish fast and feast day, and Purim, while the Book of Esther does not contain a reference to God even once, is not devoid of holiness and the sacred element. Yet Purim is different. There are only one Passover and Shavuot and the series of Holy Days: there are many Purims. The reason is obvious. It is because of the many enemies of the People Israel who emerge in nearly every generation to plague us. Our Sages have underlined the vastnes of the Purim theme in which is evidence d the hand of Providence that delivers ou r people from our enemies. In his reveiw o f the Purim precepts, explaining the code o f Purim laws, Maimonides observed: "All the prophetic books and the Hagiographa are destined to become obso- lete in the days of the Messiah except the Book of Esther. Behold it is as lasting as the Five Books of the Tora and the laws of our Oral Tradition which will never be- come obsolete. Though the entire memory of the misfortunes will be erased . . . the days of Purim will not be, as it is stated: `And these days of Purim shall not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.' " Such is the significance of a festival label- ed as minor but which has risen to great significance on our calendar. In its joys as well as historic lessons lies the admonition not to forget the Amaleks and also not to despair. Because it assures us that our inde- structibility is real, not imagined. Such is the reality that will guide us in our exchange of Purim gifts and greetings, with an as- surance of an eternity that is Israel's. Israel Indestructible—in Defiance of Terrorism If the El Fatah terrorists and their de- fenders at the United Nations believe, for a single moment, that Israelis will be fright- ened by what had happened in Athens in December and in Zurich this month, they are mistaken. If the enemies of Israel who have ganged up to destroy the redeemed Jewish state be- lieve that the Jewish people will be ter- rorized by false cries about a new Zionist bogey, they are mistaken. If U Thant, who is among the guiltiest persons on the international scene for hav- ing failed to act previously against barbarism through the world organization and there- by had condoned genocide, believes for even a single moment that his appeal for no re- prisals places him on a new sanctimonious plane, he is mistaken: he bears guilt for past performances of silently watching the emerg- ence of an international crime against a member nation of the UN. If the defenders of the criminals are under the impression that a sovereign state can be destroyed by imperiling civilian air traffic, they are mistaken. Israel has been threatened before and has survived the dangers from Cairo, Am- man, Beirut and Baghdad—and from the Kremlin whence came the terrorists' major supporters. The Jewish people has been maligned be- fore, but will not be browbeaten by misuse of a sacred term: Zionism! This is one of the great humanitarian movements in the history of mankind. Any attempt to mislead people, to use the term as a scapegoat, to attempt to hide behind it when what is actually in- tended is the expansion of anti-Semitism, will not deter solidarity in their dedication Rabbi Kirshenbaum's Volume Explains 'Feast Days, Fast Days' Jewish holiday observances and explanations of important days on the Jewish calendar are splendidly defined in a new book by Rabbi David Kirshenbaum of London, Ontario, published by Bloch. His "Feast Days and Fast Days—Judaism Seen Through Its Fes- tivals" deals with all the important dates in Jewish observances and takes into account ceremonials, traditions, moral values, drawing upon fact and legend. Aiming at encouraging adherence to Jewish customs, encouraging their observance by the youth, the author draws upon Midrashic lore. He expresses the view that "no nation can live without religious national festivals" and he declares that Jewish festivals especially "possess an extraordinary power, a deep-rooted folk ideal embracing all of IsraeL" Rabbi Kirshenbaum declares at the outset: "In the war for sur- vival as a separate people, the festivals stand like armed fortresses which protect the Jews in the most crucial moments from despair and resignation. They are heavenly beacons of Joy occurring at certain fixed periods of the Jewish calendar — separate from the frantic daily quest for fleeting materialistic success which is totally devoid of meaning and satisfaction ..." Commencing with an explanation of the Selihot, he proceeds to define the distinctive Jewish observances and places emphasis on prayer as a Jewish weapon for spiritual sustenance. He devotes considerable attention to faith and reason, fear and repentance, and in describing the ceremonials he also gives splendid descriptions of the ways of observance, the Menora, the Megila and the folklore as well as traditional teachings inherent in Judaism and the history of the Jewish people. Denying that the Chosen People concept is a chauvinistic idea or an attempt at idle self-commendation, Rabbi Kirshenbaum de- clares that the "atta vohartanu" feeling of pride is "the conviction that we have been chosen by divinity to spread the ideals of Tora among the nations, that we are a 'goy kodosh,' a holy nation," that it is "the strongest weapon, the most impenetrable armor against the feeling of inferiority suffered by all minorities." He expresses the interesting view that Jews are shunned for their Tom, that the world shrinks from the Tora of Sinai "because of what it contains," that "the world cannot reconcile itself to the ideals it teaches and to the demands it makes of man." Outlining the power of the Tora, he also emphasizes the obligation to teach the children an understanding of the Jewish teachings and ethical values. Auschwitz, that anti-Semites will not be able to hide behind the false mask of anti-Zionism. We entertain the hope that the Christian world, and the honorable among the Moslems, will join with the Jewish people in a reaffirm- ation of support for the great ideal of a Zion redeemed, as assured in prophecy and as has been adhered to as a great principle of faith by Jews through the ages who have never severed their spiritual links with Eretz Israel. And we hold fast to the faith that just as the People Israll could not be destroyed, Thus "Feast Days and Fast Days — Judaism Seen Through Its so, also, shall Med.nat Israel remain, hence- Festivals" is far more extensive than mere evaluation of the holidays: forth, forever indestructible! it contains a presentation of traditional views that will be found most instructive. Incredible UN Role Saddest of all the elements in the danger- beset Middle East situation is the role of the United Nations. Dealing with the "Climate of Forgiveness" — quoting a statement to that effect by Israel Foreign Minister Abba Eban. indicating that while the Egyptian semi-of- ficial newspaper Al Ahram and Jordan's am- bassador to the U.S. were justifying the crim- inal attacks on planes and on civilians in Israel, the New York Times pointed out that the UN Security Council and the Arab states are the ones who must speak up in dis- approval of terrorism. "Unless the United Nations forthrightly demonstrates an even-handed concern for the security and rights of both sides in the Arab- Israeli dispute, it cannot hope to play an ef- fective role in promoting peace," the Times stated. Indeed, the UN's role remains altogether i ncredible, and it emerges among the guiltiest parties in having encouraged terrorism by its tttl, assur.e4lchat 'Mesa ashall,neven.ag,ain, le. an. • • -_ a eta. .sn Scharfstein's 'Pirke Avot' Well Illustrated by Kleinman "Pirke Avot—Sayings of the Fathers" provided material for scores of scholarly works, by non-Jews as well as Jews. The ethical teachings of our people have inspired students of the Talmud and Mishna, and "Pirke Avot" lends itself especially well to evaluative studies of our traditional principles that serve as- guides for human relations. Ktav Publishing House has just issued a pocket edition of "Pirke Avot" and it stands out as a splendid presentation of both the Hebrew text and a commendable English translation by Bernard Scharfstein. At the same time, it is enhanced by photographs by Zalman Klein- man. ' The late Saul Raskin produced a fine illustrated work of "Pirke Avot." Now we have another interesting artistic delineation of the iin- portant text. The drawings are very descriptive, and the ideas are well interpreted artistically. Because the "Pirke Avot" are read on Sabbath afternoons during the summer months, this small volume has added importance because it m l-lo after the Sabbath aftern0031 meal, Sabbath zemirot t at (hymns). Additionally, the author enlightens the reader with explanatory notes about the sages who are quoted in the "Pirke Avot," giving added significance. to. si-valuable.•work.