THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of Jody 20, 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan PressAmine/at:ion, National Ild'torte]. ihmeoela•
elan. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17615 W. MAO Mlle, Suits a6S, Southfield. Mich. MOTO.
Second-Claw Postage Paid at Southfield. Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription N • seer. Foreign N
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
■ dlter and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
CHARLOTTE DUBIN
City Editor
DREW LIESERWITZ
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Shnva Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, Sabbath Shuva, the eighth day of Tishre, 5733, the following scrip-
tural selections will be read in our svnacwoues:
Pentateuchal portion, Deut. 32:1-52. Prophetical portions, Hosea 14:2-10, Micah
7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27.
Candle lighting, Friday, Sept. 15, 622
. Yam Kippur Scriptural Selections, Monday,
Pentateuchali portions: Morning, Levit. 16:1-34, Num. 29:7-11; afternoon, Levit.
18:1-10.
Prophetical portions: Morning, Isaiah 57:14-53:14; afternoon, Jonah 1:1-4:11,
Micah 7:18-20.
VOL. LXII. No. 1
September 15, 1972
Page Four
Atonement — Jewish Commitment
On Yom Kippur we reach new heights in
attaining our people's solidarity. True: it is
the most religious day on our calendar. It
is a time for prayer and atonement. But it is
also the day on which all Jews—certainly
the maximum attainable in numbers—are
gathered for the purpose both of prayer and
of seeking a common destiny ,as a Jewish
community.
Loyalty to 'faith becomes commitment to
the mutual aspirations as well as the needs
and aspirations communally unified. While
we read the prayers of atonement, we also
are merged as a people in a common bond
of inseparable commitments.
We often forget our duties. Fortunately
we are kept alerted to our needs by the de-
mands for' support of causes that are vital
to Jewish existence. When the need arises,
we are responsive. We are a generous peo-
ple. Yet, we are not the spiritual folk as tradi-
tion would describe us. That is why the
Yom Kippur mass turnout for services be-
comes sort of an ingathering of the indif-
ferent.
Because it is so urgent that we have a
year-round response, it has become habitual
to deplore the reduction in synagogue attend-
ance and the emergence of a two- or three-
day-a-year Judaism. But even such a re-
sponse should inspire gratitude because on
these limited days of spiritual loyalties the
atoning simultaneously become the commit-
ted, and the unity we envision becomes
reality.
As-we atone, we also unite, and in unity
History is enriched with the collection of essays on American
we gain new encouragement that the faith Jewish institutions and a variety of other matters relating to book
in and to Israel and our traditions remains publishing and authorship, in the veritable treasure of folklore,
"Essays on Jewish Booklore," published by Ktav for the Jewish
an indestructible force in our lives.
Jacobs, Grayzel and Madison
Essays Included in 'Booklore
Book Council.
Edited by Rabbi Philip Goodman, executive secretary of the Book
Council, with preface by Rabbi Judah Nadich, this volume contains
a wealth of material and an introduction by Rabbi A. Alan Stein-
bach. This volume is replete with essays on Judaica Americana,
over the entire area?
notable Jewish books, their makers, books on historical occurrences
"In a recent speech Sadat said that Egypt and the Holocaust, and many other classifications.
Notable among the essays is an important historical analysis
had destroyed the Bar-Lev line. How can
of the background of the Jewish Publication Society by its former
an Arab leader stand up in front of his
executive secretary and noted publisher, Maurice Jacobs. Supple-
people and lie like that? Sadat talks of
menting his analysis is an essay on "The First American Jewish
sacrificing one, two, three million men to
Publication Society" by the JPS's former editor, Dr. Solomon
defeat Israel. The consolation prize is the
Grayzel.
death of one million Jews. And I'm told
Of interest also is an essay by former Detroiter Charles Madison,
that Sadat comes out of these performances "Rise of Jewish Books in American Publishing." Illustrations accom-
as relaxed and fresh as a daisy. Nice, mod- pany many of the articles.
erate Mr. Sadat. That is the kind of people
Special interest attaches to the JPS story as told by Jacobs.
we have to deal with. There's an abyss be-
For more than 30 years an authoritative figii8e in American
tween us and the Arabs."
publishing, he was close to the JPS scene, and as a leader in the
American Jewish Historical Society he has become especially
Is it any wonder that many Arabs have
knowledgeable
in all aspects of Jewish publishing media and
begun to look upon their news sources as
relationships with authors. His essay, "Generations of Jewish
being undependable, that they have begun to
Literary Labor: Sixty Years of the Jewish Publication Society
admire Israel's ill
s lls, that they are commenc-
of America," is a valuable historical addendum on high ranking
ing to entertain open that they might enjoy
Jewish publishing.
the blessings t t are Israel's and might learn
There is such an extensive variety of features in the reprints from
from Israel?
the Jewish Book Annual, and the selections by Rabbi Goodman are
Rationalizing on the events in Munich and so commendable, that this volume emerges as an especially valuable
those that preceded them, many commenta- addition to Jewish booklore.
The Big be...Exposed in Munich
-Adolf Hitler utilized the Big Lie for his
purpose. The more he repeated it the more
he himself believed it and the more it im-
pressed the gullible everywhere.
Arab propagandists tried it, and they suc-
ceeded in many areas. But the game was
overplayed in an international setting. In
Munich, during the Olympic Games, a gang
of murderers, who could not have functioned
if they had not received aid from their gov-
ernments, polluted the air that had been
cleansed. They resorted to kidnaping. Their
act ended in the death of 17 men. They ex-
posed themselves and their backers. The Big
Lie was exposed during the bestialities that
were perpetrated by them.
But while the Big Lie is exposed for all
it is worth, there still are the backers of the
liars. There are the Arab governments, and
there is the Soviet Union. The terrorists
were protected by their governments. They
operated from Cairo — whence came their
boast that they were the perpetrators of the
Lydda crime on May 30 and the outrage in
Munich on Sept. 5—and from Beirut. And
while there is an Arab rift with the Russians,
it is from Russia that terrorists received en-
couragement when they visited the Kremlin
seeking financial aid and arms for their pur-
pose:. Those were Russian-made guns they
were using in Munich.
There are many indications that the road
to peace in the Middle East is less strewn
with obstacles. King Hussein of Jordan is
amenable to a reasonable agreement. Even
Egypt's President Sadat is believed to be
less war-minded. Yet, there are many mis-
representations and there is much traditional
Arab fantasy that overshadows truth.
Both Sadat and Israel Prime Minister
Golda Meir were interviewed by New York
Times writer Edward )1. F. Sheehan. Mrs. k
Meir was quoted as follows:
"Tell me, Mr. Sheehan, why do the
Arab leaders lie so much? The presi-
dent of Lebanon lied about the Lod mas-
sacre. He breaks my heart. We have pho-
tographs of the terrorists training in Leb-
anon. We haven't taken an inch of Leban-
ese territory and look what they do to us.
We have to take care of ourselves, see that
Lebanon and Jordan remain intact, and if
we make no concessions, Sadat, poor man,
will fall! What do yet expect, that we take
tr
tors and editorial writers, as well as diplo-
mats, reasoned that peace in the Middle East
would end the terror that has been marked
by inhuman and insane acts. Should not the
approach to peace be by first demolishing the
Big Lie? It took the end of Nazism to destroy
the Hitler Lie. There must be an end to terror
even if peace remains remote—and the end
to terror undoubtedly will lead to greater
possibilities for peace.
Peace is not only an urgent need: it can
be a blessing for Arabs as much, if not more,
than for Israel. But the politicians stand in
the way of such an attainment. There are
trends in favor of amity. Many Arab leaders
have begun to admit that "Israel is here to
stay." Will they be compelled to act soon on
the basis that Arabs, too, must have a peaceful
life?
While we pray for the peace, we need
realism in the negotiations. And reality calls
for . an end to terror through Arab actions.
There must be recognition of the fat that
the Arabs themselves are totally responsible
for what has occurred. Only Hussein had the
courage to fight the terror in his midst. It is
false comfort to say that the result was the
emergence of the more violent terrorist move-
ment. Guilt for their existence remains on
Arab doorsteps, and from there they must be
removed. Then the hope for peace .can be
revived.
The Era of the 'Bintel Brief'—
Popular Work in Paperback
,
Less than a year ago, a notable institution — the column called
bintel brief that became one of the most popular features of the Jewish
Daily Forward—was called to the attention of the wider English
reading public.
A volume containing excerpts from these columns was published by
Doubleday under the title "A Bintel Brief." Now it is available in a
Ballantine Books paperback, and the Yiddish column will be enjoyed
by an even wider audience.
In commendable translations by Isaac Metzker, who also wrote
the introduction, this volume contains the letters that posed many
problems, and the replies that were given editorially by the Forward.
The notes and the foreword by Harry Golden provide authoritative
commentaries on the featured columns which became among the most
popular features in the Yiddish press.
The popularity was obvious. Immigrants needed advice. New-
comers to this country, confronted by many problems involving fam-
ily life and their children had nowhere else to turn to, and they wrote
to the Forward for guidance.
It could be a matter involving religious observance, or a squabble
in a synagogue. or a personal financial difficulty—the Forward was -
the depository of the struggles encountered and the need for assistance.
Harry Golden's elaboration, his definitive and explanatory notes
appended to many -of the letters and the advice offered serve the
reader who does not know the background and assist him to under-
stand the problems confronted.
"A Bintel Brief" is informative--and delightful—and it defines
the eras of the limn:grants and the Yiddish reading public which
needed to be guided in times of need.