•
.,
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 Associ-
ation Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48073.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices.
Subscription $8 a year. Foreign $9
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
CHARLOTTE DUBIN
DREW LIEBERWITZ
Editor and Publisher
Business Manager
City Editor
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 20th day of Iyar, the following scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Levit. 21:1-24:3. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 44:15-31.
Candle lighting, Friday, May 14, 7.26 p.m.
Page Four
VOL. MX. No. 9
May 14, 1971
Reconstituted Agency Affirms Jewry's Unity
At an inaugural assembly to be held in
Jerusalem toward the end of June, the Re-
constituted Jewish Agency will come into
being, a major aim being to give fund-raising
bodies a participating role in the over-all
body that supervises Israel's social welfare
and immigrant-integrating services.. Since
half of the reconstituted 296-man body hence-
forth will be composed of the representatives
of fund-raising forces, a new era will begin
for the philanthropic as well as policy-making
leaders who are acting in Israel's behalf in
the Diaspora.
It has been indicated that the new pro-
gram culminates plans originally begun at
the sessions in Switzerland 42 years ago,
when the late Dr: Chaim Weizmann and
Louis Marshall engineered the idea of a
Jewish Agency to act in behalf of all Jewries
in support of the Zionist program and for a
redeemed Eretz Yisrael. While the new pro-
gram will not revolutionize efforts for Israel
—the Reconstituted Jewish Agency's duties
will be in the fields of immigration and
absorption, social welfare, health and educa-
tion services, youth care and training, hous-
ing—it is expected that through unification
and enlarged representation there will be
better opportunities for many communities
to render the services that are so vital for
Israel and for the hordes of repatriates who
are yet to be settled there.
Since the American representation on the
new Jewish Agency General Assembly is to
number 13U 89 to be designated by the
United Israel Appeal and 41 to be World
Zionist Organization- representatives — the
role of American Jewry is emphasized anew
in the reconstruction program.
At the same time, it is important to note
that the World Zionist Organization will re-
tain its traditional role and will continue
efforts in behalf of aliya, youth and hehalutz
work, education in the Diaspora, publications
and handling of the Jewish National Fund
affairs. Through the newly formed federated
bodies like the Detroit Zionist Federation
and similar community functioning groups,
this work will continue and may be expanded
under the new regulations.
It is clear from the new arrangements
that a partnership that has been in the
making for many years will be solidified in
the new program. It re-emphasizes the Zionist
role and it serves as a reminder to Jewish
communities everywhere that they have a
responsibility to Israel and to Jewry for
expanded labors in the fields of redemption
and retention of Jewish cultural values.
Even Philanthropy Needs Knowledge
While the plea for the doubling of contri- a lack of appreciation of the many other areas
butions and investments in Israel so that the in which the funds we contribute play a vital
assistance for the embattled state may reach role. Perhaps there is too little appreciation
a sum of $900,000,000 in 1971 is falling far of the necessity for a greater interest in our
short of expectations, that response, philan- educational. media: if there were a measurable
thropically, can not be considered disappoint- concern we might have prevented some of the
ing. If Detroit is an example of what is to be conflicts as well as shortcomings from which
expected, then at least a 10 to 15 per cent we suffer all too frequently.
There is need for a more extensive edu-
increase over previous giving—which had
already set new standards for aid to Israel- cational process to assure knowledge abOut
what we do in our communal tasks. They
is practically assured.
Detroit will have raised at least $2,000,000 must necessarily be self-taught if leadership
more than in the record-setting year of 1970. is worthy of its name.
It would be unjust not to say about those
That's good! Yet the figure, the result, the
who
directed this year's Allied Jewish Cam-
number of contributors, all need to be studied
paign that they performed significantly. To
carefully.
As in previous experiences, there is a siz- the co-chairmen, Meyer Fishman and Max
able group that gives generously, that works Shaye, deservedly goes high credit for a great
hard, that shows a deep interest in Israel and achievement. A grateful community will not
the other causes included in the drive. But forget their devotion and the ability they dis-
there is a much larger segment of our com- played in securing a vast sum, more than
munity that does not give as well, and there $9,000,000 of which will be used for the
is a hidden element that either can not be needs of immigrants and new settlers in
reached, or does not desire to be reached, or Israel. What they accomplished serves as a
lesson to study the status of a good commu-
is indifferent.
making it even better.
Fortunately, the more dedicated element nity, in order to keep
*
*
*
responds and puts the latter to shame. But
Knowledgeability
often
calls for under-
it does not absolve anyone, nor does it serve
to condone the "hiding" non-givers or to ex- standing and for compassion. These are needs
plain the volunteer workers' inability to reach among all faiths, and the humanitarian needs
we fulfill in our Allied Jewish Campaigns
them.
If all potential contributors could be must be appreciated from the viewpoint of a
reached, our community would certainly great service being rendered by Americans
emerge with doubled giving. But indifference for fellow humans.
No one questions the right of religious
has always been the curse that has plagued
us. Only when there is a tragedy, a pogrom, groups to assist those in other lands, either
an outburst of vile anti-Semitism, is there of their own faith or others who can be as-
an awakening in the ranks of the sleeping and • sisted, when it becomes imperative to relieve
hidden members of our community.
want, to provide succor for impoverished or
How do you reach the maximum number? oppressed.
We always return to the elementary reason:
In our case we perform a duty through .
if we could educate them we would overcome the Allied Jewish Campaign for our kinsmen
their apathy and unconcern.
wherever they may be. If we were to forget
Now we must hope that the Israel Bond them, we would be justifying the Holocaust.
drive will be at least as successful as the If we were to ignore them we would no longer
Allied Jewish Campaign and that investments be the rahamanim bnai rahamanim the com-
in Israel will be on a larger scale than ever.
passionate sons of compassionate people. Per-
Perhaps the indifference is ascribable also haps it takes a compassionate person to un-
to the fact that except for Israel there is often -derstand it.
—
akik
4,444rabialigibetWAIL
Winer's Biographies of Zionist
Leaders Enrich Israel History
Major causes often find their chief attractions in the personalities
that inspired them. This is true also of Israel, and an interesting vol-
ume, "The Founding Fathers of Israel," proves it.
Gershon Winer, who was dean of Jewish Teachers Seminary and
Herzliah in New York and now, on sabbatical leave, is visiting
professor at American College in Jerusalem, provides an analysis of
Zionism and its achievements in this volume's collection of biographi-
cal sketches on a number of the most eminent leaders in Israel and
Jewry as they related to Zionist activities and aspirations.
The selection of men he describes in this book is interesting.
He not only includes Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann and Moses
Hess but also Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kuk, as well as eminent
labor leaders whose influence left indelible marks on the Jew-
ish national cause.
Perhaps it was natural that he should begin with Moses Hess,
the Socialist who became one of the pioneers in modern Zionist pre-
Herzlian activities. Hess' "Rome and Jerusalem" remains one of the
landmarks in Zionist literature and it is treated as such in the Winer
book. The author's emphasis is that Hess still points to "the bank-
ruptcy of assimilation, the messianic aspects of Zionism, the social
reconstructionist ideals of the Jewish national movement . . ."
It is a must, of course, in a volume like Winer's to emphasize
the roles of Theodor Herzl, the founder of the political Zionist move-
ment and to describe how he drew "blueprints of a State," and Ahad
who
ho advocated a spiritual center for Jewry. The additional
heroes in Zionist ideology are important as adjuncts to this book.
Thus, preceding Herzl, Winer described the lives of Peretz Smolen-
skin, Leon Pinsker and Eliezer Ben Yehuda. Thus we have a linking
of the Haskala with Zionism.
Smolenskin is viewed as the father of spiritual nationalism. Winer
pays great tribute to his name when he states:
"The late Professor Klausner of the Hebrew University may have
been correct in nominating Smolenskin as the father of the national
ideal, and the first among the builders who laid the foundation for-
the state of Israel."
Smolenskin is described as having been at first spiritual-diaspora-
centered. Later he became a founder of Zionism.
Dr. Leon Pinsker is among the best known precursors of
Herzlian Zionism and his "Auto-Emancipation" and his leadership
in Hibat Zion is emphasized in Winer's book.
"We shall not be able to revive the Hebrew language except in
the land where a majority of the inhabitants are Hebrews," Eliezer
Ben Yehuda said, and he became a precursor of Herzl and the man
who led the movement for the revival of Hebrew as the spoken lan-
guage of the Jewish people.
This story is one of the fascinating biographical sketches by
Winer.
It stands to reason that the Herzl and Ahad Ha'Am essays deline-
ate the two giants in their proper form and add invaluably to the
informative contents of this book.
:Micha Joseph Berdichevsky is described as the dissenter. He
rebelled against classical Judaism and normative Zionism, yet he was
a builder, a Zionist. He was an individual who "spelled out Zionism
in personal terms." He rejected Jewish historical experience and was
striving for rebirth of "Canaanite paganism." Yet his views "became
a major element in the ideology of the pioneer youth movements—
the Halutzim—who dedicated themselves to the upbuilding of , the
land of Israel and the birth of a new society."
Joseph Chaim Brenner, Nahman Syrkin, Ber Borochov and A. D.
Gordon are the great leaders who are depicted as eminent pioneers
in Zionism. Their biographies are in themselves superb contributions
to Zionist literature.
So is the story of Chief Rabbi Kuk whose teachings "provided
an antidote for an abrasive secularism, surpassing the latter in its
humanistic thirst."
With the supplementary essays on Zionism, Winer forms a work
of value for Zionist and Israel history.
Gershon Winer's meritorious work (published by Bloch), although
it is biographical, has valuable annotations and a good index and its
bibliographical section adds value for its use not only for information-
seeking Jews who would be better informed about Zionist leaders, but
also as a textbook in our schools.