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 Associa-
tion Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co, 17315 W Nine Mile. Suite 863, Southfield, Mich, 48075.
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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher
_

CHARLOTTE DUBIN

/liminess Manager

DREW LIEBERWITZ

City Editor

Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sahhath—Shabat . Hazon—the fourth day of At'. 5732. the following
scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues..
Pentateuchal portion, Deut, 1 - 1-3:22. Prophetical portion. Isaiah 1:122.
Scriptural Selections for Tisha b'Av, Thursday
Pentateuehal portions . Morning, Deut. 4:2540; afternoon. Erod. 32:1-14. 34:1-10.
Prophetical portions: Morning, Jeremiah 8:13-9 . 23: afternoon, Isaiah 55:6-56:S.

Candle lighting, Friday, July 14, 7 , 49 pin-

VOL. LXI. No. 111

Page Four

-

- ---
July 14, 1972

Vigilance Without Yielding to Fright

How seriously should reports of increas-
ing anti-Semitism he taken, regardless of the
countries the w armrics come from'

There are differences of opinion regard-
ing growth of prejudice in this country . . and
national ori2anizationS in the main reject the
panic sti 'king fears expressed by extremist.
usually minority groups. Similar difference:
Ill' opinion are expressed m other countries.
There is little debate over the hatreds in evi-
dcnne in Moslem lands. where the prejudices
are taken for granted because of the situa-
tions that arose after the emergence of the
state of Israel. But when the issue affects
Western European and American communi-
ties there are doubts as to the dangers.
Yet, as in the Instance of some European
countries -- France, Germany, Italy -- there
are situations that call for caution in stating
the reactions of contending elements. Italy
emerges as an example of an emerging condi-
tion to be noted with a measure of earnest-
ness. The Rome correspondent of the London
Times has just presented a report published
in his newspaper in which he contends that
the rise of anti-Semitism "worries Italy " It
n is true that the government of that natnm
is concerned about developing prejudices.
then the matter must be studied seriously
The London Tnt:es correspondent. re .
; ogior of
:15 tioo

anti-`,i•

;

on

which agitators can play. The Roman Catholic
Chun h's attitude to them has officially- changed
since the Vatican Ecumenical Council, Rut the old
teachings are by no means discarded by part of a

hierarchy that is basically conservative.
— IL is worth
recalling that the great protest at
the toontil in November 196i, against papal eftorts
to diminish radii ails the effect of the declaration
en the Jews war led by U, cardinals of whom none
was Italian,
'The Communists are, of course, strongly. anti
fascist and bring to attention any examples of anti-
Semitism. Hut politically they are supporters of the
Arabs against the state of Israel. which they regu-
larly condemn as an aggressor, Some Italian uni-
versities have numerous students from Arab coun-
tries among their members.
- It is almost certain, how-ever. that there would
be little or no friction if the organizations of the
extreme right had not become so active. And not
only active: they behave at times as if they can

Humor can he found in most unexpected places, documents, his-
tonic letters and records—also in the Bible.

exercised on all fronts, among all elements,
never to he caught off guard in fighting
against prejudice and bigotry that affects
not only world Jewry but the democratic idea
itself_ Jews may be first to suffer from bigots,
but
democratic ideals stiffer in the end
from thy- destroyers of justice and those who
would undermine fair play.

Louis Untermeyer, who has edited "Treasury of Great Humor-
Including Wit, Whimsy, and Satire from the Remote Past to the
I'resent." published by McGraw-Hill, has incorporated into this volume
the choicest from the world'; greatest writers and thinkers. He com-
mences with the Itible and he quotes "Eliphaz Taunts Job" and Ged
Questions Job."

r!

• ul

d•::

i

(Ian

publii•a!ion of anti-Semitic books and
have increased 111:irkedly.
It is indicated !I; the report to the Lon-
don Tunes from Borne that the new Giulio
‘ndreotti government, because it is inure con-
servative than its predecessor's, is now open
to attacks from the left with the charge that
it is likely to yield to influence from the ex-
treme right headed by Giorgio Almirante, who
seeks to revive the Fascist Party. On this
score. it is additionally noted that .Jewish lead-
ers arc convinced that no government mem-
ber would countenance anti-Semitism, but
are not , 0 convinced - of the outlook of au-
thorities at lower levels with regard to the
increasing activities of the extreme right,
where anti-Semitism in practice has its
origins "
Because the lessons of the Italian extreme
right and its anti-Semitic aims also have
their counterparts in other lands, the London
Times analyst's view are worth taking into
account He stated in the course of his report:

ine

"Anti•semilism has taken the form of sporadic
attacks by youths on Jewish schoolchildren, which

is part of the atmosphere of ideologically inspired
violence to be found in many Italian schools and
organised in particular by the extreme right.

"The Jewish community is to some extent
nuzzled as well ns disturbed. Clearly, anti-Semitism

is part of the ideological arsenal of the extreme
right in Italy and in itself an indication that the
democratic processes are passing through an un-
healthy period. It is pointed out, however, that anti-

Semitism is so little a part of the Italian character
that one of the chief reasons for fascism having
lost all popular support was Mussolini', anti-Jewish

"Italian Jews, despite the deportations during
the last war, are apt to look on themselves as deep
I. settled here and not at all interlopers in a more
anehmt Italian society,
,jib a
have to contend, n

om ?heated u.•tern of

the battle against anti-Seri'-
th,Itt ■ ve should nil co eff
di.itig•r,
Np/i tei . r•r
in gu,cd, vet it .i.riW

iiistance

r unt ter:12, and In synAgiLliies and
i!,iiihing
welt

motile ‘eelings

Untermeyer, in editii• a, eilitinit the volume, also has written the
running commentary. and no Bible selections he states:

tam

of

haired We

anii-tietiiitir threats and
the:, were tivereotrie by

the haters.
Tau
warnings of an impending
:'ust in this country' is a typical exampl,
of ',hat tie ire faced with in countera c ting
extremism 7.1 our own ranks. Rabbi William
Berkewiii, president of the New York Board
of Rabbis, found it necessary, last month, to
insert this paid advertisement in the New
Fork Times:

.o*!-I eXittisir:

In recent days several statements have been
issued cencerning American Jews and the State of
Israel. Some like those of Mr. Norman F. Oacey,
an Arab propagandist, are blatantly anti-Semitic.
However, when the leader of the Jewish Defense
League endeavors to instill fear in the Jewish com-
munity with his statement that an "American Holo-
caust" is in the making, one that calls for mass
emigration to Israel, we cannot remain silent . . .
The thesis that disaster can he averted with
the flight of United States Jewry and that six mil-
lion American Jews will be safe in the State of
Israel is "pressing the panic button" and in an
appeal to unreason. If we cannot live safely as Jews

in Anterica then we cannot live safely as Jews
has taught
us that the Jewish people can no longer run
away. . .
Rather than issue a call for flight, let the
word go forth to American Jewry that there are
challenges to be confronted here. There are wrongs

anywhere. The history of this century

to be righted and situations to be corrected here.
Our task is to stay and resolve them . . .

As American Jews the demands of the hour
should not cause us to give up on America. This
country, rooted in democracy and freedom, is too
great, whatever its problem, for us to abandon in
despair. Vie categorically reject the cry of this
new defeatism . . .

The challenge tc our defensive position
is great, yet the approaches are perhaps
mach simpler than can be imagined. Condi-
tions are not all glorious, yet they are not all
so bad that we should lead ourselves into
- believing that another holocaust is in the
offing. 1S'e have experienced enough calami-
ties never again to yield to situations that
a - 11 tolerate destruction anu ttr -

The Bible would

he the last place where one
to find huitair re an!: kind Nmertheless the Old Testa•ler,:
Not %Niihau• 'mom!, - 1 1
'I he parables caner their thrust with
h ern and sy
!,
are sharply pointed Jathant's ParaJo-
:
ere, - - and :
Il•ok cif .pidgei - i> a satirical
a s
of job is !art fsiik tale is
a
y
liiiio..ta•s moan/ t o •osmic •::!:.-,
ii,i! lc-,
:71r
s
mit-apins viith 5-

-

\

!!

th:s

Untermeyer-Edited Treasury
of Humor Begins With Job

rely on the sympathy of the forces of law and order,"
It is vital for Jewish vigilance to be

•

-

—.Jr&

i speed

It's worth not.:bi,

And

fit! ,.

ho?1

. ob

74'

hr'.-erasr,.

irsih

east

band:'

unprofitable

talk.

Or with s-p•erhe , ?ci,cm ■ dit be can do good

Art thou the first

that teas born?

(Jr ?cast thou brovc.p.: forth before the hills"

Hast tho , heard , ae secret counsel of God^

Aral dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself'

On this score Unter..,,, - er has another comment to the effect
that: "No human irony can contend with God's Out of the whirlwind

the voice of the Almighty issues in a blast of scaring interrogation.
After Job's comforters have failed. God succeeds, not t:e. comforting
Job, nor even by answering his accusations and appeals, but by ,
withering humor .

Untermeyer, in his foreword, is comforting: "Nations are torn
apart by wars," he states: ideologies rise and empires fall. Man hay
his private as well as public tragedies. Laughter, his frail but una , -

sailable refuge. survives them all. Hell had its terrors, but men
learned to face them with a grin ..."

So, he has turned to

Mark Twain, Boccaccio, Ambrose Bierce

Chaucer, Anatole France and Oscar Wilde: to Isaac Bashes-is Singer.
S. J Perelman, Dorothy Parker, Aesop, scores of others, for prc , :t
and for textual confirmation of his views.

Commentaries are as fascinating as the texts, am! the tioeti ,
genius of the editor senses him well in basing gone ti the finest
sources for a wealth cf material.

There are two appendixes to the anthology containing puns
and anecdotes with the additional delightful commeniarios, and
the humor, imbedded i ■ • literary skills, forms a volume so total
in delight and in ent, 'wrung narratives that the Untermeyel
collection is immense1.7 encyclopedic.

The essay on Mark Twain 'iamuel Langhorne Clemens) is ir.-
dicative of the extent to v.• -Ach untermeyer, himself the auth.or of

more than 100 books
ha, gore to pool into one volume the
of the world's greatest litc;ary figures_

For

an undersLIndim7 or "the pun. - Untertreyer's•
be read as a lesson in litc* , .; -

- Treasury or
great

reat ?la! asst-

abat t,

humor

s h ould