THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle

commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member Amer'can Association of EnglIsh-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Associa-
tion. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co.. 17515 W. Nine Mlle, Suite 865, Southfield. Mich. 40075
SecondA2lain Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription SS a year. Foreign Si

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and ;Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

businolis Monagar

CHARLOTTE DUBIN

City Editor

DREW LIEBERWITZ

Advortising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the 19th day of Tamuz, 5732, the following scriptural selections
well he read in our synagogues'
Pentateuchal portion, Num. 25'10-30.1. Prophetical portion, Jeremiah 1-1.2-3.

Candle lighting, Friday, Jane 30, 7:54 p.m

VOL. LXI. No. 16

Page Four

--- —
June 30, 1972

Cleansing World Arena of Impotence

Reactions to the air pilots' one-day strike
represented a study in human emotions, in
the thinking of people, in the attitudes toward
emerging crises as well as to the prejudices
that blind people to realities while dulling
their minds in judging the values of man-
kind's aspirations for security, decency and
justice.
The New York Times editorial of June 22.
published three days after the strike and
therefore viewable as being the result of
considerable study of the entire matter as it
affected world public opinion, merits special
attention. Headed "Impotence on Hijacking,"
the editorial stated:

The toothless condemnation of aerial
hijacking that finally emerged from the
Security Council this week after ten days
of backstage maneuvering exemplifies the
International impotence that drove many
of the world's frustrated airline pilots to
walk off their jobs Monday.
Although the "consensus" agreement
expresses "grave concern" over the contin-
uing threat to passengers and crews by
worldwide acts of aerial piracy, it offers no
concrete proposals for dealing with this
problem effectively at an international lev-
el. Specifically the Council was too timid,
because some of its members are still too
preoccupied with narrow national interests,
to initiate the system of sanctions that is
needed to insure that international conven-
tions to control hijacking are universally
observed.
The pilots and their endangered pas-
sengers may find some consolation in a
vote by the International Civil Aviation
Organization in Montreal to begin drawing
up plans for enforcement machinery. It is
unlikely, however, that such machinery will
become effective so long as the attitudes
reflected in the Security Council prevail.
Meanwhile, the pilots and some affili-
ated unions are planning further direct ac-
tion in the form of selective boycotts against
individual countries that fail to extradite
or punish hijackers. Such arbitrary action
by a private group or groups is never de-
sirable and could have serious unintended
diplomatic repercussions. But the pilots—
who have a special responsibility for the
safety of their passengers—can hardly be
blamed if they take the law into their own
hands as long as the nations of the world
fail to provide a viable alternative through
enforceable international law.

We quote it here not only in order to in-
dicate the justified position that was taken
by the pilots, or the seriousness of a situation
that demands greater emphasis on action by
the nations of the world, but especially in
view of the Times' use of the term "impo-
tence" in reference to the United Nations
Security Council.
There was great hope that from the world
organization there would emerge guidance for
mankind toward a goal for peace among the
peoples of the world and emphasis on fair
play. But the political rifts in diplomtic nego-
tiations keep standing in the way of directness
in dealing with threatening world situations.
It is proven now in relation to hijacking, with
the Arab states and Russia standing aloof
from world public opinion in offering ob-
stacles to punishment from crimes against
humanity by bandits who threaten the safety
of travelers via our airways.
This impotence of the world organization
is applicable to many other issues which come
to the attention of the UN Security Council.
Consistently, whenever the Afro-Asian and
Soviet bloc ganged up to injure Israel, it
was assured unanimity. with the U. S. dele-

gate and those agreeing with him never dar-
ing to veto injustice. Whenever Israel was
attacked, there was silence. This is typical
also of the "toothless condemnation" of hi-
jacking described in• the above quoted edi-
torial. There is impotence in the ranks of the
world organization, and its role as a peace-
maker has not only become denuded, but it
has turned into a farce.
Let -it be said that the American role has
not been a glorious one. Abstention often re-
sorted to by our delegate to the UN, no doubt
on orders from the State Department and
perhaps also the White House, was like an
acquiescence to the shocking actions of the
world's diplomats. There have been very few
courageous assertions against the gang-up of
the bloc that seeks Israel's destruction. There
Few personal involvements in Israel's emergence as a modern
has been help for Israel from this country,
but very little if any intellectual approaches state are as dramatic a , the story of Eliezer Ben-Yehudah. His deter-
to the problem to indicate the need for fair- mination spurred devoi.•n to Hebrew and led more speedily to its
ness in dealing with Israel's role in the world. becoming the revived language of the Jewish people. He was the
pioneer who insisted upon modernizing and making Hebrew the living
This is as true of Democrats as it is of tongue of a people aspiring to redemption.
Republicans. Both parties have been guilty
"The story of Eliezer Ben-Yehudah and the modern Hebrew Ian-
of tongue-in-cheek diplomacy at the UN. The guage" is told in "Rebirth" by Dvorah Omer, the newest Covenant
latest condemnation of the present adminis- Book of the Jewish Publication Society of America.
Translated from the Hebrew by Ruth Rasnic, this story for young
tration by Senator George McGovern, who
charged that "the danger to Israel has in- people will be cherished by the elder readers as well, because it
relates
so thoroughly the experience both of the man who stubbornly
creased" since Richard Nixon took office.
upon making Hebrew his language and soon won support
marks a regrettable continuation of political insisted
for its becoming the revived tongue of the redeemed nation: as well
capitalization of a foreign issue which should as the story of his family who followed in his footsteps as Zionist
command bipartisan approaches and the elim- pioneers.
ination of all efforts to introduce divisiveness
"Rebirth" is primarily biographical. It is the story of an entire
in American ranks.
family. In the process, the author reconstructs early Palestinian
Jewish experiences, relating the role of halutzim—and Ben-Yehudah
Both parties are agreed upon the Amer-
ican obligation to friendship for Israel and certainly was a halutz in establishing a language based on ancient
traditions for his people—and the family of the dedicated man de-
the U. S. role is not enhanced if there is snip-
scribed by Dvorah Omer.
ing from either corner as a way of getting
There is special interest in the fact that the story revolves around
votes. We would attribute similar responsi-
bility to the President, because our hopes are not only Ben-Yehudah but also his son Ben-Zion. Because he became
known as "the first Hebrew child"—the term of honor relates to his
that there will be agreement not to inject the father's
pioneering in Hebrew as a language—he, too, occupies an
Middle East problem as a presidential cam- important role in Zionist and Israeli-Jewish history.
paign issue.
Ben-Zion was mocked by the family's neighbors because he was
The two matters—that of impotence in raised in Hebrew. He was the target of stone-throwers. It was when
the UN and failure of our representatives to he learned to appreciate what his father had accomplished for his
speak firmly on issues that have been used people that he became the ardent advocate of defensive means for the
to perpetuate injustice in the Middle East, Jewish settlers. He urged Baron Rothschild to help form a Jewish
and the necessity to keep the major issues army for defense.
Indeed, Ben-Yehudah's son was a symbol as well as a testing
out of politics for the sake of an honorable
instrument for the introduction of Hebrew. His father as much as
U. S. foreign policy—are interrelated. It is confided
it to him and told him he had to prove to the world that his
to be hoped that the American position will aspiration was correct. Ben-Zion learned the lesson and
himself became
be on a high level of diplomatic dignity and the great advocate of Hebrew as Jewry's language, of Zionism, of pio-
that our representatives will strive to end neering in Israel. It was as Ramer Ben-Avi that he too became known
impotence in the world organization. Hijack- to the world as a great Jewish figure.
ing has brought the issue to the fore. The
"Rebirth" is biography and history. It is the story of a great
entire arena must be cleansed so that human family—Ben-Yehudah and also Ben-Avi—and it is like a great romance.
It is reality in historic perspective that reads like fiction. It is a very
needs will not be trampled in the dust.
work especially well translated into English from its Ile-
How such miracles can be attained is a excellent
brew text.
matter for conjecture. How can we cleanse
the atmosphere and inject an aura of decency
into our society when the international or-
ganization is so definitely attuned to hatred
of Israel?
It has been said for centuries that a na-
tion can be judged by the manner in which
Holt, Rinehart and Winston's 1969 hardcover "A Treasury cf
it treats its Jews.
Yiddish Poetry" has been issued by the publishers in a paperback.
Edited
by two noted scholars, Irving Howe and Eliezer Greenberg,
The United Nations can be judged by the
both authorities on Yiddish literature, this volume contains the works
manner in which it treats Israel.
All the Afro-Asian and Soviet bloc needs of many of the best known Jewish writers.
Abraham Reisen, Jacob Glatstein, Yehoash, H. Leivick, Morris
to do is frame a resolution condemning Israel,
and even the so-called civilized Western rep- Rosenfeld, I. J. Schwartz, Chaim Grade, Aleph Katz, A. Y. Tabachnick
and Itzig Manger are among those who were selected for inclusion in
resentatives cry amen.
this important collection.
Is it any wonder that Israel's representa-
There is a special section devoted to Yiddish poets in the
tive at the UN found it necessary to call the
Soviet Union and among them are Itzik Feffer and Peretz Markish,
last resolution of censure an immoral act?
who were murdered in the Stalin anti-Semitic purges.
Yiddish poets now in Israel, including Abraham Sutzkever, have
We live amidst immorality,. and the inter-
their works in this volume.
national arena often invites revulsion.
European poets, members of the younger group of Yiddish writers,
Yet we must have faith in the human
factor—that one day it will rise above inde- "Die Yunge" and others are in the collection.
Able translators of the poems in this volume include Maurice
cency. The emphasis on it by Israel Defense
Minister Moshe Dayan at the convocation of Samuel. Marie Syrkin and the editors of this volume.
Howe and Greenberg also edited "A Treasury of Yiddish Stories,"
the Hebrew University provides a sense of authored an important 68-page introductory essay in which they dealt
confidence that the immorality even of the with Yiddish literature and the eras whence stemmed the poems they
United Nations will not last forever.
selected fur inclusion in this important work.

Newest JPS Covenant Book Tells
Romantic Story of Ben-Yehudah

'Treasury of Yiddish Poetry
Reprinted as a Paperback

