THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing. with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Associaton of Englab-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Pine Association, National Editorial Association
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. time Mlle, Suite 865, SouthEleld, Mich. 48075.
Phone 356-8400
Subscription $7 a year. Foreign 58.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
CHARLOTTE DUBIN
.
City Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath. the 21st day of Tanizi:-., 5730, the following scriptural selections
uill be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Num. 25:10-30:1. Prophetical portion, Jeremiah 1:1-2:3.
Candle lighting, Friday. July 24, 7:41 p.m.
VOL. LVII.
,No. 19
Page Four
July 24, 1970
World Despair and Hope Imbedded in Time
Israel is in great difficulties. The threats
from amphibious, air and ground forces are
forcing nearly all Israelis—certainly those
up to the age of 62—to sacrifice more than
a third of their yearly time to active duty
in the country's defense. This may affect
Israel's economy, and the responsibilities that
mount upon Jewish communities everywhere
to rise up to the occasion and to provide the
needed support for Israel are immense.
It is becoming more clearly apparent from
day to day that the Israel Emergency Fund
that was linked to the Allied Jewish Cam-
paigns of the past three years are mere
trifles, that much more will have to be done
to assure security for Israel's economic status,
since the Israelis themselves must carry the
burden of financing the military operations.
That is why the activities for the Israel
Bond sales will have to be stepped up, and
every opportunity to share in Israel's indus-
trial and investment tasks is to be adhered
to. It will be necessary also to spur the efforts
in behalf of the expanding "Buy Israel Prod-
ucts" campaign that must become a duty for
every person who wishes to assure Israel's
ability to survive the dangers that confront
her now.
In the face of the new developments, the
amphibious as well as the ground-to-air and
aerial threats to Israel, it is especially sad-
dening to watch the activities at the United
Nations where the prejudices against Israel
have become so rampant that they have
spread to the ranks of the youth. At the youth
assembly the basis was so deep-rooted, the So-
viet-Arab indignities leveled at the young
people from Israel who sought their friend-
ship so marked and so crude, that it is far
from heartening to those who hope for amity
among nations and peace in the ranks of
humankind.
What had happened at the UN in the past
10 days is as discouraging as the experiences
among the elders at the world organization.
For a number of years the bias and the
hatred that was injected into the UN by the
Arab-Soviet bloc had been so cruel that one
began to lose hope in the genuineness of the
great ideal inherent in the hopes for a strong
force for human decency on an international
arena. Now the youth of the nations whence
that bigotry stems are emulating their elders,
and this is a cause for grave concern.
None of the elders in the UN seem to
dare to attempt an approach to kindly
thoughts and to human response to the plead-
ings for friendship from young Israelis to
young Communists and Moslems. There is a
lethargy that speaks ill for the present status
of a world movement for cooperative effort
toward common decency, for just rights and
the recognition of the equalities of peoples.
The politics that divide nations have become
more vital to the rulers of the world's popu-
lation than the basic elements for justice and
the rights of all men to freedom, to homes
where they can be masters of their own
destinies while striving for similar rights for
all others.
What is being recorded on the world
scene is symptomatic of the pessimism that
engulfs mankind. Yet, one dare not submit
to a lack of faith, to panic, to loss of confi-
dence in Man, as long as there is a single
group that continues to strive for the higher
goals in life.
George Eliot once said something to the
effect that "No man need despair as long as
there is a single person left in whom he can
feel trust and confidence." This applies
equally to nations. We must not despair as
long as there are some who speak out for
righteous actions by man toward man. The
Israeli youth have shown idealism at the
UN youth assembly. There are individuals
in other delegations that support them. The
world is not all bad. Its functioning central
organization—the UN—needs a new lease on
life, and we must hope that it will come. And
if it comes to the UN, where blocs and
cliques will end their strife against Israel
and will be on guard not to permit bias
against any other group or groups, then we
will be able to look for justice in the Middle
East and for an end to an unnecessary war
there as everywhere.
This is where prayer gets sanction and
hope becomes imbedded in it. This is where
the optimistic defy the tragedies of life in
the prayerful hope that a better day must
come if all of mankind is to survive—because
Israel's survival is part of mankind's fate—
and for such good days we can afford to wait
a bit longer.
Russian Jewry's Battle for Justice
Libertarians everywhere have an impres-
sive lesson to learn from Russian Jewry.
Defying the Kremlin's anti-Israel policies,
affirming their right to emigrate, they do not
hesitate to say that they protest against the
indignities imposed upon them as Jews. They
demand the right to emigrate to Israel and
they say it by rejecting the abominable role
of the Communists in their pro-Arab position
of seeking power in the Middle East.
Scores of Russian Jews signed petitions
for visas to leave Russia.
They do not hesitate to give their names
and addresses. In one instance last week 80
Soviet Jews, openly condemning the Soviet
policies, went so far as to state that they
either are to receive emigration permits or
be arrested for anti-Soviet actions.
There was another interesting demonstra-
tion for such rights in Riga, the Russian-
dominated Latvian capital, where, at an in-
ternational chemical conference, 28 Russian
Jews appealed to their foreign confreres to
assist them in their efforts to leave Russia
for Israel.
Many deeply moving demonstrations have
been recorded from Russia to indicate that
Jews are not falling prey to anti-Israel propa-
ganda and that non-Jews also look with sus-
picion upon the prejudice-inciting campaign
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MR PIES/DENT !
of Communists against Jews, Israelis and
Israel. The demand for a visa to Israel that
was made last week by Klara I. Vinoburova,
widow of the Yiddish poet Leon Lerman, and
her daughter, Rima, added proof of the de-
termination of many Russian Jews to strug-
gle for just rights against great odds created
for them. "As long as we exist we will de-
mand the freedom of emigration—louder and
louder every day—and our voice will become
intolerable for you," Klara Vinoburova and
her daughter, together with eight other Mos-
cow Jews, stated in their petition for visas
to Israel.
Two Noteworthy Books Contain
Vast Mishnaic Compilations
Oral Jewish laws have been compiled into what is known as the
Mishna. The compilation was made in the second century of the
present era.
From time to time, Mishnaic tractates and definitive writings on
the Talmud—which includes both the Mishna and the Gemara—are
published as a result of translators' and
7,t1M
analysts' efforts.
Two such works have just appeared.
As part of the Bnai Brith Jewish Heritage
Classics Series, W. W. Norton Co. has
issued "The Mishna—Oral Teachings of
Judaism," by Rabbi Eugene J. Lipman.
The second volume, published by
Prayer Book Press of Hartmore, Conn., is
"Gateway to the Mishna," by the British-
Jewish educator, Dr. Isidore Fishman.
Rabbi Lipman's selected material
appears entirely in his English translations.
Dr. Fishman's are in their Hebrew
texts with his English translations on
parallel pages, with numerous annotations
explaining the texts. The foreword to Dr.
Fishman's book is by Philip Arian, educa-
tional director of Temple Israel, Albany
New York.
Rabbi Lipman
Dr. Fishman gathered 169 items for his interesting book—on
a variety of subjects that relate to human behavior, liturgy, busi-
ness ethics, punishments, idolatry, death penalty, etc.
A most welcome feature for those who know Hebrew or prefer
to apply the Hebrew in their studies is the vocabulary—a miniature
25-page dictionary with all the relevant words in the Hebrew texts.
The index, too, will prove most helpful.
Rabbi Lipman's "The 3lishna," also richly annotated, goes into
greater detail in touching upon many of the subjects under discussion.
Dealing, for instance, with "the rarity of the death penalty," Dr.
Fishman quotes from Makkot 1:10.
"A Sanhedrin which has put a man to death once in
a seven-
year period is designated as destructive. R. Elie-Ler ben Azaryah
says 'Even once in 70 years.' R. Tarphon and R. Akiba say, 'Were
we members of the Sanhedrin, no person would ever have been
put to death.' Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel retorted, 'It seems that
they would rather increase the shedders of blood in Israel'."
His explanatory note to this is: "The two rabbis meant that they
would have plied each of the witnesses with continual questions until
their evidence no longer corresponded. The accused could then not
be proven guilty." Regarding the third he explains: "Murderers would
increase if there was no fear of execution."
Rabbi Lipman has much longer references to punishments, and in
both works the subject is valuably defined.
Serving, indeed, as a "gateway" to the Mishna, Dr. Fishman's
collected excerpts, the ease with which he has translated them for' use
History undoubtedly will deal with the by English readers, the expressive notes, make this volume a notable
Russian attitude toward Israel and Jewry as work superbly useful as a textbook as well as an informative work for
enigmatic. Why should a great nation which all who are interested in Mishnaic studies.
could have befriended world Jewry, as it
Similarly, Rabbi Lipman's thorough compilation has great
also could befriend the entire world, pursue
merit as an instructive work, and adult study groups will find it
policies of hatred? Is it all rooted in power
a suitable guide toward knowledgeability of the Mishnaic teach-
sought by a vast empire that always possesses
ings and their application to our time.
so much domination over great world areas?
Especially meritorious are the classifications in Rabbi Lipman's
Will the Kremlin ever be impressed by work. He indicates a hope in his preface that the Mishnaic material
such actions? Don't they realize that by pur - he had compiled will illustrate the role of the Mishna in the evolution
suing a policy established when Russia fought of Jewish law—Halakha—as well as of Judaism itself.
for statehood for Israel, a valuable friend -
There are the added indications in the study he has made that
ship with the Jewish people can be resumed the 11lishnayot are important historical material, that they are basic to
by the Soviet Union? It is for this that we Jewish law and that they have great philosophic and psychological
worth.
hope and pray.