Purely Commentary

We Are Not That Bad, Rabbi . . . .
From London come reports of a lecture by an American rabbi
who spoke as chairman of the governing council of the World Jewish
Congress. The man referred to Is Dr. Joachim Prinz of Newark. He
was quoted by the Jewish Observer and Middle East Review of Lon-
don as stating:
"We now have 6,000,000 Jews in the United States: the same
number as were done to death in the Nazi era. But only the numbers
are the same. American Jews. and indeed Jews of other Western coun-
tries, are of a different Jewish quality. It is a fantastically ignorant
Jewry we have in the Diaspora. The great sources of Jewish learning
and Jewish lore have not been replaced."
The London Jewish Chronicle, apparently quoting from the same
speech, credits Rabbi Prinz as having said:
"In terms of a meaningful Jewish life and Jewish rantieulty,
most if not al Jewish communities outside Israel sued be re-
garded as a disaster area."
To those who bad heard that speech or read the reports -quoting
from it we would like to offer disapproval. We disagree. We are not
disaster areas. American and other Jewries are not that ignorant. We
are like our neighbors and perhaps also like preceding generations:
we have our handful of scholars and we have many uninformed. Who
doesn't?
Our disagreement is on other scores. We believe that we often
produce great and good scholars. We are convinced that our semin-
aries and universities often produce dedicated men and women who
are interested in our position as a people that has a great heritage,
and we do not abandon that legacy.
How can any one write off a generation with generalizations? It is
true that many, too many. books about Jews are sheer garbage. But to
iAevput
---
and
offset them we have scholars who create because they ar L
earnest and dedicated, and are lovers of Torah as well as Commen-
tary on Torah.
That is why we are impelled to say to Rabbi Prinz, who has our
great respect: "We are not that bad, Rabbi .. .1"
•
•
•

For the Standard Anti-Israel Lie an Editor Need Not Travel
Too Far . . . Some Diminishing Caribbean Jewish Com-
munities . . Lighter Vein Stories on Variety of Subjects

The Lie is Always
Too Near at Hand

By Philip
Slomovitz

Credit for Israel: That's the Truth About the $500,000,000

Among the deplorable distortions of facts in news and some edi-
torial columns is the assumption that Israel is being offered $500,000,-
The editor of Detroit's morning
000 in military and economic aid as a gift. Nothing could be farther
paper didn't have to search for
from the truth.
Middle East facts in the manner he
The fact was clearly stated in President Nixon's message to the
did in his reports from Arab coun- Congress of the United States, a portion of which follows:
tries. The "data" he offered his
1. Middle East
readers was available right here at
Nowhere is our support more necessary or more closely linked
home. He could have gotten the
with our efforts to achieve peaceful solutions than in the Middle
same opinions, the same preju-
East. Peace will come to the Middle East when all parties feel
dices, on the university campuses
secure from the threat of military dominance and recognize that
nearby from Arab students who
the only permanent way to resolve deep-seated differences is by
are engaged In dispensing anti-
negotiation and never by war.
Israel propaganda. He could have
We must now act to preserve the delicate military balance is
gotten the story of alleged Jordan-
this area, which will encourage those negotiations leading to peace.
ian enmity toward Israel from the
a. Israel
El Fatah propaganda mills in his
Israel has demonstrated a strong will to survive in freedom.
own community.
We had hoped that recent agreements and arrangements in the
Middle East would lead toward peace and make it unnecessary
He must have learned a bit from
to provide binge amounts of military assist/awe to- any of the bel-
the Lebanese who resent the guer-
ligerents in the area. This hope has not yet been realized.
rilla warfare that splits what was
Continued large-scale shipments of military equipment by the
for many years a peaceful country
Soviet Union are a fact that cannot be denied. The buildup of the
bordering on Israel.
surface-to-air missile complex in the cease-fire zone west of the
Suez Canal, in disregard el the cease fire-standstill agreement,
How can a fair-minded person
requires us to redress the imbalance it has caused.
swallow hook, line and sinker the
As authorized by the Defense Procurement Act, I request that
stories be brought back about a
the Congress appropriate Me million to gawk& farad with the
former mayor who claims to have
credits that will assist her in the 'blearing dl praises ef equip-
been evicted and robbed of his
-meat that have been necessery M maistain bar defense capability,
property? If there had been the
and tis ease the erases& strata caused by her expanded military
type of plunder of which Israel
reside/pests.
was accused in the reports we read
Tbe portion in bred face type was underlined by the President
anew in the local PaPer, it would
have been exposed long ago. But himself. The request is for appropriations to assure CREDITS for
all exposures point to the lie that Israel. Why were the facts distorted? Why did arawspapers permit
keeps creeping up. And an innocent scores dieters to appear in their volumes introducing untruths? All
Always Time fee a Laugh - - .
editor gulps down the fables and that is nry is ability to read the English language to detect the
Regardless of the seriousness of given situations, Jews always sends back to his readers the very unfairness perpetrated in some newspaper columns—and the fable-
find time for a laugh, for a good story.
tripe that is constantly 'being prov- spreading referred to in the center piece on this page is part of the
Even in the concentration camps . Jews knew-bow to poke fun. en to be ridiculous untruth.
injustice . peepetrated against Israel and =gentled by all Jewsy.,
So . . . to a few stories.
Of course, there were Arab chief-
Erie Lind, .a linguist and a philatelist, who reeds every available
tains who were ousted from Israel The reporter who gave credeace an Arab editor saying: 'Israel is
item in German newspapers and has become as authority on anti-
when they conducted . campaigns to these falls had read about them ad just occupying some land. It is
Semitic trends, writes to remind us that indB the emergence of
propagating Israel's extermination before, be gave them notoriety in occupying all it the Arab world
Israel, Jews were taunted and were called cowards who fail to defend
and encouraging acts like the plant- his colonies when he selected for from Morocco to Kennet."
-themselves. He makes the comment:
SlaadesofCosigblid Gerald Smith.
ing of bombs in supermarloets and publication same it the most atro-
"The German Kaiser when be visited Jerusalem in 111119
university cafeteria. Nearly all of cious fabricatiPs. He really di le% the Dearborn belependera of the
- made some andlattering remarlui about the Jews at that time
Amman
to
repeat
the
have
to
go
to
raftlai
The aid story about Jews
them have. been permitted to re-
fan did his wife). Today be would think twice before wig
turn to Israel-held territory. Bait— nanseinse lot to give it the be- eentrellig everylbiNg! If it were
that . . Israelis are different than the Jews at that time."
primator
at
bb
name
and
kin
news-
*0 KIWIS/ wealth
sly
tree—lhet
what better way at harming Israel
To Astra= his pant, Eric Lind sends us this "Wits der Woche"
would be is brad! So the Detrol
than by giving be inaprembia of Peen'.
frees the German magazine Der Stem:
The Metraitec, writing from Am- conespasded has -discovered the
crimes committed wholesale. to
Prasideot Mame =wide midi raw AWeat serener Ambnelt cruelties as a mass scale, of the man, seethed a new low In owe it Jewish villain is Amazed Whet
cies Meg in Vietnam erseingao. ler rasa oath lured and -bast new Israel as a villainous teeny? his latest imports for be minded glory be adds to his paper?
ligsache Raj a= Women She war midst mei Meer Dieisionen
amileareer. "Ilsaf• fragt glebe enema, 'gbh* sal Bbisissen?
Varilsbeasa Jewish Cesenastahles Ara Dinailling bat Ave Not lb Se Spars 01 as Variala: g
Wailes tide gams Asko ashes!"
It asunds especially good in German.
GUADELOUPE. Pables-Pilre- swearing arla.bemils er beerblisra is England waged war with
(Simply translated it is a story about President Jahasoa's having From Ibis French waterfront. -as on their Mists that mod Mom Mallawd in Mb, Jews were seem=
requested lbsabe 'Myna to lend bun two divisions to be win the war the seeker ef farts abed Jewish
We shaft deist swift a asinhar sit of Mica trading with the thatek,
in Vietnam, to which Day= replied: "AR of two of our dislikes? Do coosameities leaves the Air France the Caribbeem essummilien seri- and their niorehandine was ordered.
mined Vends from Amsterdam
hoary jetlimer in proceed threngla atim. Lire dint with
you wish to cooper ail of ASO")
canyag menbandine far Jewish
Yaw conamesstator views with special mere as a sorablog den red Caribbean territories on a missies
BIUWADOS
traders
some mined ma alarm-
fendleg
his
coreligioniste.
-
be
Samuel
bag
when
be
was
in
Padesiline
dining
the
the stray SLavriee
barbells - sailed bedePrisiblehr gated in -
OM Arab rids. Be was ea a hies traveling fain Tel Asir to Mali& soon leans that they end. that
from
zee*
Belida
am
M.
►
is
glee
limn awe seported to
-assn
gerpebrate
their
laadelinns
oboe the driver suddenly gave the order: 'We me being diet =-
This ire areselP
Ilse -balm awed magarsisabs
Everybody em the .thesr, please.", Stretched ent ea the lbw next to and that a Jewish ilieship as ha
dilime-
Caribbean
isfriads
bib
Ude&
•
hiss was an elderly saaa with a hog pay beard. After a slide 4he
ties it be dire 'ening maim
Iffild Jaw were restrieted to
savant said in him: alb is nit 4rakeleen, deer an is idamomet."
'Indeed, be saes /sem Ad he en ear& The Miegnanealle W-
Mid only ens dare Pella, bit a
"ft isn't comfortable bet it is isten3lieg-7. • v.
Jewish communities are ibeibisla-
ine 221,1111 bbahltalls sand plaids be io removal it gastric- -
big. But they are net disappearing.
Indeed, stint we are experienciiiiiiirt-:
is the mast dowdy hashabia as She
Experience teaches us that they Western Memiapiere — with 1,011 lbws an Jews was raredated
what as 'interesting age we live in!
_ on there-
WM and wan granted am
• are not vanishing. Wilsey has a people to the square mile.
Mere% a tale from os reedleetiens that mod be told:
after.
It happens often--oh, so oftent—that the best of speakers talks way of dealing with peoples and
In
Me
there
were
Mt
Jews in
It
is
use
it
a
manther
of
British
and talks . .. and talks . and is unable to stop. Which reminds us of countries, just as nations and their
colonial posaessions to have gained Barbadso-56 of them adults who
an incident in New York where, at a pubic rally, Pierre Van Paassen ruling governments have a way of
were
recorded
as
having
possessed
independence
recently
—the
others
was the scheduled speaker. As he was about to be introduced, the making history. While Jewish life
being Jamaica, Trinidad and Toba- 163 Negro slaves — slavery having
chairman noticed that the famous Yiddish orator, Abraham Goldberg, often ebbs, Jewish communities
been legal for Caucasians.
go in 1962 and Guyana in 1964.
who was a close friend of Van Paassen, had walked into the halL How can prosper and then suffer de-
Records also am that there
Presently, this former British
could one ignore the presence of Abele Goldberg, the famed lecturer cline, and they carry on somehow. West Indies island has approxi-
there
were nee Sews in Joe
At the moment there is a serious
and scholar?
were
147 synagogue BlIeshaer• in
mately
100
Jewish
residents.
There
(It should be recorded, not to be forgotten in history, that Abraham decline. Guadeloupe itself is a typi- is a synagogue but no school. There
1792, and the members began to
cal
example.
Goldberg. whose home was in the heart of New York City, was one of
are about 40 Jewish children of decline in 1848, when it was re-
perhaps hundreds of Abraham Goldbergs listed in the telephone book
During the past three centuries, school age, and about a dozen of
ported that Barbados had 71
and he could not afford being missed. So: his name for accommodation when Jews fled persecutions from them attend Christian schools.
Jews. 38 of them synagogue
and easy location was listed in the New York phone book as: ABRA- their long-established European
members.
The Barbados Jewish Center is
homes, they established new com- located at 256 Bridgetown. There
HAM ZIONIST GOLDBERG).
It was the decline in the commu-
To return to the text: the chairman of that meeting called upon munities in the Caribbean coun- is a WIZO chapter with 35 mem- nity's numbers that caused the
Goldberg "for a few words" and Goldberg spoke—and spoke—and tries. Thousands passed through bers.
filing of a petition for relief from
spoke—and it got to be long past midnight when Van Paassen was in- Guadeloupe and some had settled
Nevertheless Barbados has a long taxation in 1873, and the request
troduced. He spoke for five minutes, charmed his many friends and there. At present, while some Jews history of Jewish settlement. The was granted in 1874.
joined the crowd for the socializing. He then turned to his friend and remain there, this port city is with- island was first colonized in 1625,
In 1899 the number of Barbados
out a Jewish community.
said: "Abele, you spoke so well, but hadn't made your point yet, why
and the Jews are believed to have Jews declined to 17 or 18, includ-
This is true, also, of Martinique been among the earliest settlers ing women and children.
did you sit down?"
And our dear friend Abe Goldberg replied: "My feet gave way." which has fewer than 100 Jewish dating back to 1628. There is on
Congregation Kahal Ka do s h
There is the story also about the rabbi who, for 30 years, never residents today. Services are held record a letter that was written by Nidhe Israel of Barbados had a
delivered a sermon that lasted more than 15 minutes. But one Sabbath occasionally in the military com- Abraham Jacob, Sept. 22, 1628, to number of religious ministers which
he spoke for more than an hour and a congregant asked what had pound. But Jewish life there is the then owner of the island, Earl had been selected by the Spanish
happened to him. He explained: It had been his practice when he practically nonexistent. There are of Carlisle, and there is a Barbados Porttiguese Synagogue of London.
started preaching always to take a life saver which lasted for 15 min- many Syrians here and it is not Jewish tombstone dated 1658.
In spite of the few remaining
utes. When it melted he quit. That Sabbath morning he erred: he put uncommon, upon entering some of
Records show that Jews gained Jews there, for a number of years
a button in his mouth.
their stores, to see the salesmen equal rights on Aug_ 12, 1656. But the venerable E. S. Daniels kept
•
•
•
the house of worship open on Sab-
A Delightful Sermon in a Great Dictionary
he found under the quotation from the Psalms, Al tivtehn bindivbs, a baths and holidays, even when he
While basking in a spirit of lighter vein, your commentator wishes translation: "Put not your trust in princes." It was marked in paren- often was the only person in at-
tendance.
to share with you an interesting discovery. He had gone to the very thesis Current. Then, under it, appears the following:
"Do not trust philanthropists, (Better contribute to the cause
important two-volume Hebrew-English English-Hebrew dictionary of
There are the Netherlands
yourselves)."
Reuben Alcalay that was published by the Hartmore Press in Hartford,
tMes, the British • West Miss,
This is the first and only time that your commentator comes across
Conn., and under Nadiv (prince, noble, generous man, philanthropist)
the French Island, Vesemisla
a sermon in a dictionary, and he wishes you to enjoy the delight of it
to be cosionented spin — these
2—Frldsy, Deasier 11,.1 4/711
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS with him. . • . • - • • .
will fallow in Imam ta assns.
i÷d ►

mu.

nit,