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., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices.
Subscription $8 a year. Foreign $s.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Business Manager

CHARLOTTE DUBIN

City Editor

DREW LIEBERWITZ

Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 23rd day of Adar, 5731, the following scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portions, Exod. 31:1-40:38; Num. 19:1-22, Prophetical portion, Ezekiel
36:16-38.

Candle lighting, Friday, March 19, 6:24 p.m.

VOL. LIX. No. 1.

Page Four

March 19, 1971

Success Stories Galore From Many Areas

A glance at our news columns will show,
These progressive educational and ex-
weekly, almost without, interruption, that ploratory experiences need to be indicated in
there is progress in many areas in our re- a time of turmoil and tension. Not all that is
search departments of the schools of higher transpiring is tragic. There are better ways
of applying man's mind. In a peaceful en-
learning and wherever there are opportuni- vironment there is hope for an application of
ties to explore human needs.
man's exploratory mind toward the improve-
At the Weizmann Institute, at the Tech- ment of mankind's status on all scores.
nion and at the Hebrew University; at Bran-
This is now especially true in the Middle
deis University and at Einstein Medical East. In a peaceful sphere the standard of
School of Yeshiva University in New York, living of all peoples can be improved. People
in hospitals under Jewish auspices, so many can be brought together in a state of amity.
advances have been made in finding cures The new economic upsurge in Egypt, where
for ills and in advancing science that the tourism has been revived with the cessation
trend toward advanced studies and research of warfare, is the best indication of what can
is most heartening.
be attained when men stop battling without
At the same time there are explorations concern for the peaceful needs of the people
into literary sources for backgrounds to involved. When the war threats either dimin-
learning, and archeology has added consid- ish or end entirely, the progressive steps
erably to an understanding of man's search toward mankind's advancement will be more
for higher goals.
completely enhanced.

Reconstructing American Jewish Agencies

Dr. Leon A. Jick of the faculty of Brandeis
University, one of the very articulate of the
younger set of academicians in this country,
proposes a restructuring of American Jewish
agencies and institutions.
Coming at a time when so much effort is
being made to increase interest in Jewish life
among the youth, and taking into considera-
tion the revolt against the Establishment, his
views merit serious consideration.
He may be exaggerating when he states
that many of the functioning agencies were
established at a time when they were to serve
an immigrant population, whereas now most
of the Jews in this country are native born.
When he states that "Jewish ideology, under-
mined by the virtual disappearance of Jewish
knowledge and lack of familiarity with Jewish
culture, repeats old cliches which do not begin
to engage the tough-minded and the search-
ing," thereby causing the existing alienation,
he may be going a bit afield.
Nevertheless, it should be admitted that
his approach does not vary from concern that
has been expressed in Jewish communities
for a number of years. There should be a
recognition of the fact that an issue long rec-
ognized was ignored and that his warnings not
only merit consideration but must secure im-
mediate action in correcting whatever short-
comings exist in our communities.
A term often used about Jewish education,
that.it is "a disaster area," was used again by
Dr. Jick and he makes the important point
that "no existing institution is so sacred that
it can claim exemption from ongoing critical
re-evaluation."
We have had many surveys. Jewish cen-
ters, hospitals, homes for the aged and other
institutions have been evaluated and their
status reviewed. We have yet to hear of a
revolutionary step towards changes that
would assure understanding by the youth or
the involvement of vaster numbers, including
those who are dissatisfied with Establishment,
in order to draw into our functioning ranks
the rebels.
Thus far we have had criticism, com-
plaints from the younger elements in our

midst but hardly a desired result to assure
the involvement that would either reduce
alienation or eliminate it.
Dr. Jick is not alone in his probing of ex-
isting conditions. Many university people,
some community activists and certainly many
scholars have said what he did. There has
been little action to effect "critical re-evalua-
tion." If his challenges will bring results, all
to the good. If they do not, then he and others
who feel as he does must pursue the issue
until we have revamped and strengthened
our communities to such a degree that we
will have an assurance of cooperation from all
ranks in our midst.
Dr. Jick dealt with existing agencies in
this country. There is ground also for a study
of youth reactions towards Israel. We now
hear on occasion the claim that youth is be-
coming disinterested• in rsrael, that there is
an alienation on that score, also, in the ranks
of the youth. Is it possible that an impending
"pogrom" or discrimination against Russian
Jews are the only means of drawing youth
interest to Jewish needs? We cannot agree
with this viewpoint, yet we recognize the
necessity to examine it. If alienation is as
widespread as charged, then our responsibili-
ties grow Ito strive for changes in conditions
marked, as claimed, by "disappearance of
Jewish knowledge and lack of familiarity with
Jewish culture."
It is so much easier to criticize and to
attack responsible leadership than it is to
step in and correct errors in communal func-
tioning. While fault-finding often in itself
based on grievances, a concerned community
must take into account views that challenge
the existing order. To ignore the young acad-
emicians' views would be harmful to the ef-
fort to strengthen Jewish ranks in seeking
deeper commitments.
If new studies are vital to the needs of
our schools and centers, let us initiate them
at once. The shortcomings—unless we are so
blind that we do not recognize them—are too
vital to permit postponement of action in the
direction of making our youth, and their in-
different elders, involved with and committed
to rather than alienated from Jewish life.

President Shazar's Significant U. S. Visit

President Shazar's U. S. visit emphasized
several interesting qualities of the distin-
guished world Jewish leader. His interest in
Chabad, his devotion to learning, his dedica-
tion to Israel's needs on the political and
the philanthropic fronts—all attested to a
lifetime of devotion to his people's needs.
During his brief American stay he left
his mark upon President Nixon with his sin-
g ,..

,

cerity and scholarship. He retained the com-
radeship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He
gave courage to those who, at Yeshiva Uni-
versity and elsewhere, are laboring for high-
er cultural values. He aided the Israel Bond
drive and the United Jewish Appeal. It was a
visit of great merit for which he will be long
remembered by American Jewry.

Theodor Herzl's 'Jewish State'
Re-Issued in New Translation

The name Theodor Herzl is inerasable from the ranks of modern
prophets, and his "Jewish State" will remain in the annals of the most
important documents that related to the most impressive history-mak-
ing events of all times. To review "The Jewish State." therefore, is
like reviewing the Bible. Nevertheless, a
new edition, in a new translation, with add-
ed interpretive material relating to the
man and the events he sparked, carries with
it great significance.
Herzl Press has issued its edition of
"The Jewish State" in a new translation
from the original German by Henry Zohn.
The new volume gains in value from
the introductory essay by Joseph Adler
and the commentary upon the historic
essay in relation to our time.
It should be noted that the essay by
Joseph Adler is from the two-volume "En-
cyclopedia of Zionism and Israel" just pub-
lished by Herzl Press. The two-volume
Dr. Herzl
Zionist-Israel history was edited by Dr. Raphael Patai.
Dr. Herzl's thesis is presented in this volume, and it is in his
conclusion that he predicted that, once the Jews "are settled on their
own soil, they can never again be scattered all over the• world."
Herzl could not have predicted the Holocaust. He did predict the
economic crises. He forewarned that rich and poor would turn to revolu-
tionary movements. With reference to anti-Semitism he wrote:
"Persecutions are no longer as vicious as they were in the
Middle Ages? True, but our sensitivity has increased, so that we
feel no diminution in our suffering. Prolonged persecution has
overstrained our nerves.
"And will some people say that the venture is hopeless, be-
cause even if we obtain the land and the sovereignty only the
poor people will go along? They are the very ones we need first!
Only desperate men make good conquerors.
"Will anybody say, Oh yes, if it were possible it would have
been done by now?
"It was not possible before. It is possible now. As recently as
a hundred, even fifty years ago, it would have been a dream.
Today it is all real. The rich, who have an epicurean acquaint-
ance with all technical advances, know very well what can be
done with money. And this is how it will be: Precisely the poor
and plain people, who have no idea of the power that man
already exercises over the forces of Nature, will have the greatest
faith in the new message. For they have never lost their hope of
the Promised Land.
"Here it is, Jews! No fairy tale, no deception! Everyone may
convince himself of it, for every man will carry over with him
a little piece of the Promised Land: one in his brain, another in
his brawn, a third in the possessions he has acquired."
In relation to the Jewish Company proposed by Herzl:
"Herzl felt that the Jewish Company should be set up as a
joint-stock company, incorporated in England under British laws
and protection. Its principal center would be in London, and the
Company's capital would be about one billion marks. Herzl offered
three approaches to the task of creating the capital stock of the
Jewish Company, leaving the selection of the best method to the
Society of Jews, which would use its prestige to establish the
credit of the Company among the Jewish people. It was Herzl's
hope that wealthy Jewish financiers would subscribe the neces-
sary funds. He favored this method because it seemed the simplest
and swiftest means of obtaining the requisite financial resources
while providing investment opportunities with the possibility of a
fair return. His second approach, to be used in the event that
the financiers were reluctant to help, was an appeal to small banks.
If this, too, proved unsuccessful, Herzl proposed to capitalize the
Jewish Company through the direct subscription of funds by the
Jewish masses:
"How would the Society of Jews, the forerunner of the state,
come into being? Could it legally act on behalf of the Jewish
communities of the world? To answer these questions, Herzl drew
upon his knowledge of Roman law, particularly the ancient juridic
institution of the negotiorum gestio. Under this concept, any person
or group could protect the property of an incapacitated or absent
party without receiving a warrant from the owner to do so. A
person acting in this manner derived his mandate from what the
law deemed to be a 'higher necessity' and was designated a
gestor, the manager or caretaker of affairs not strictly his own."

