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 Assods- Lion. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 480711. Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription $8 a year. Foreign $9 PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Sditor and Publisher CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ Business Manager CHARLOTTE DUBIN City Editor DREW LIEBERWITZ Advertising Manager Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the 17th day of lyar, 5733, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Levit. 25:1-26:2. Prophetical portion, Jeremiah 32:6-27. Lag b'Omer will be observed Sun( Candle lighting, Friday, May 18, 8:30 p.m. VOL. LXIII. No. 10 Page Four May 18, 1973 Jewish Historical Society's Convention Our community is privileged to be host this week-end to a number of American Jew- ry's most distinguished scholars. Gathering here for the annual convention of the American Jewish Historical Society, the sessions which commence today, will deal with many important aspects of American Jewish history, with emphasis on two out- standing anniversaries—the 150th of the Jew- ish press and the 100th of Reform Judaism in this country. These, however, will be merely symbolic of the tasks of an important movement. The urgency of gathering and preserving historic data about our people in America, the en- couragement that must be given to students and researchers, the need to assist in publish- ing relevant material regarding the Jews not only in the United States but in the entire Western Hemisphere—these are the functions of an historical society into whose ranks all American Jews must enroll in order that the objectives should be fully maintained. The AJHS convention here serves to pro- vide a new link for Detroit Jewry in its dedi- cation to the cultural needs that must retain priority in communal planning. There is need for the establishment of local archives which should supplement the national documenta- tions. There is frequent need for data which must be provided to history students, and the communal responsibilities are to assure their existence and availability. Preservation of our treasured historical material can go a long way toward encour- againg even the elementary school children to take a deeper interest in Jewish historical pursuits, not to speak of the high school and college students. It is through archival func- tions that such concerns can be inspired. There is great significance in the objec- tives of the American Jewish Historical So- ciety, and by gathering scholars to review the movement's needs it adds invaluably to the aims of an important movement. Its delegated forces meeting here have Greater Detroit's hearty welcome. Our Young in a Responsive Mood A highly successful Allied Jewish Cam- paign can claim not only a financial triumph in a year of great need but more significantly the achievement of solidarity in Jewish ranks, with youth as vital a factor as their elders. A $100,000 sum raised by the young peo- ple could well be judged as minor, in a campaign that is reaching a $14,000,000 total: But it is not the amount of money that has been raised that matters so much, compared with the fact that more than 1,600 in the younger group have become involved in the Allied Jewish Campaign's junior diyision. That's the factor of importance. Many of the youth enrolled in the Allied Jewish Campaign's ranks—so it was report- ed—had never heard of the campaign or were never directly involved in its objec- tives. Which goes to prove that expansion of the educational processes is of major im- portance; that a knowledgeable community will also be a dedicated and loyal citizenry. Perhaps the best way of judging the re- suits of the campaign, which was chaired so ably by Samuel Frankel and Paul Zucker- man, is to review the responses from the several functioning divisions. From all ranks came responses that registered concern over the status of Israel, the security of the em- battled Jewish state and the course of events as they affect Jewish life everywhere. Those responding as well as our citizens did to the 1973 appeals for rescue and relief funds undoubtedly took into account the help that must be provided the tragically afflict- ed remnant of Jews in Iraq, those who are enduring miseries in Syria, the needs of Rus- sian Jews who are clamoring to settle in Israel. When nearly 9,000 women add their loyalties to those of the men in the com- munity, they register the concern that marks the life of a dedicated community like ours. Once again, Detroit Jewry has set the pace for the entire country in a highly suc- cessful campaign. There is cause for pride in the achivements we have built over the years. They point to continuity in services that justify our pride in a great community's generosity that approaches nobility in a role of humanitarianism. Road Ahead in Communal Planning There is cause for satisfaction over com- munal triumphs. We are concluding a great philanthropic effort. Youth has joined the ranks of the elders in fulfilling serious re- sponsibilities toward; functioning agencies and the tasks of assuring security for the state of Israel. What now? Do we remain complacent in areas other than fund-raising? There is a road ahead for all of us. It is not enough to be generous with material means. There is the duty to assure under- standing of the goals we have attained. A community that is not steeped in knowledge about its functioning organs, about the agen- cies that comprise the totality of a people's efforts, is not wholesome. If our aims—cul- turally, socially, in the fields of welfare and recreation—are not based on fullest under- standing rooted in a knowledge of our agen- cies' objectives, then we fail to rise above the mere material standards. It is in the areas of youth involvements that the duty to extend knowledgeability be- comes apparent. A youth division has risen to great heights philanthropically. What about the young people's road ahead? Will they implement their efforts in fund-raising with the needs of sharing in communal build- ing, in contributing toward the cultural ad- vancement of Jewry, in laboring for the high- est standards in social services? The test, especially for the younger gen- eration, is not on the extent of their being able to match the generosity of their elders in the material spheres but on how they can overcome the shortcomings that have caused their parents and grandparents to have been subjected to microscopic scrutiny over the charge that they have failed in implanting Jewish loyalties in children and grandchil- dren. Perhaps a dedicated youth can provide the refutation of the frequently repeated accusation that Jewry has been led to a de- cline and is in danger of vanishing for lack of loyalty to a sacred heritage. A new road ahead must be paved in com- munal solidarity by our youth. Our youth has the ability: it must display a willingness to uplift Jewry to its traditional spiritual- cultural heights. There is good reason to be lieve that youth is able to attain this goal and that there is much willingness to do it. OFrfrioNISIt u ` j.=rif?GEtiTt - .`".•■•■■•,, - - swan -NITA 100th Anniversary of Reform Judaism Marked in Blau Book On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Reform Judaism, being observed this year, numerous important works are being prepared for publication, and an early 'compilation has just been issued under the editorship of Prof. Joseph L. Blau of Columbia University. "Reform Judaism," described as "a historical perspective," contain- ing essays from the Central Conference of American Rabbis Yearbook, has been published by Ktay. It contains the works of a number of eminent rabbis, leaders in the Reform movement and noted personal- ities whose names figure in the history of the movement. It is noteworthy that one of the earliest rabbis of Detroit's Temple Beth El, Dr. Kaufmann Kohler, is represented in the collected works with his essay on "The Origin and Function of Ceremonies in Judaism." A pioneer in the movement, Dr. Emil G. Hirsch, was selected for the first essay in the book, sharing the first section with Rabbis Julian Morgenstein and Bernard J. Bamberger. The 22-page introduction by the editor of the volume, Dr. Blau, offers the historical perspective, defines the movement, analyzes the changes and, significantly, concludes: "Reform rabbis would agree with Solomon Schechter that it is not Judaism that determines what the Jewish people is, but rather the Jewish people that determines what Judaism is — though it is only fair to say that they would not agree with him in their defini- tion of what follows from this principle. Since some part of the Jewish people, that part which constitutes the public served by the Reform movement, is convinced that Judaism can be relevant in the world of the twentieth century only by a radical modernization of its practices and at least its peripheral beliefs, the thrust of most of the essays here reprinted is toward the definition of a moderni- zation that is not alien to the spirit of the Jewish tradition. Thus, from another point of view, each of these essays attempts to come to grips with some prior aspect of the Jewish tradition and to learn from it how to reform. — or at least reformulate — it. "In the end, perhaps, we may generalize the statement with which Samuel Atlas concludes his profound study of the contem- porary relevance of Moses Maimonides: 'The most significant lesson which the understanding of Maimonides' philosophy teaches is that with Maimonides we can supersede Maimonides.' In the early years of the Reform movement in America, it was the aim of the rabbis to supersede the ancient Jewish tradition by creating a new tradition based upon alien philosophies and wholly rational grounds. The newer Reform leaders speak otherwise, for they say that the most significant lesson which the understanding of the ancient tra- dition teaches is that it is only with the ancient tradition that we can supersede the ancient tradition." Of added interest in Dr. Blau's collection of essays of major interest are discussions on Reform views on Zionism. Henry Berkowitz is rep- resented with an article on why he is not a Zionist, and the refutatior on "The Justification of Zionism" is by Caspar Levias. Other essay in this section are by Abba Hillel Silver and Samuel Schulman. The Hasidic view is touched upon by Emil Fackenheim and Hal- akha by Solomon B. Freehof. Other noted rabbis represented in this work include: William G. Braude, Levi A. Olan, Lou H. Silberman, Eugene B. Borowitz, Roland B. Gittelsohn, W. Gunther Plaut, Samuel S. Cohon, Israel Bettan, Ellis Rivkin, Alexander Guttmann, Jacob Z. Lauterbach, Joshua Loth Liebman and Samuel Atlas. UAHC Paperback 'About God' Young readers will find the answers they seek to the questions "About God" in a paperback, "Hear, 0 Israel," by Molly Cone, pub- lished by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. It is an allegorical work—and the explanations of the need for belief and faith are offered in the form of parables and quotations from the prayer book. There are explanations why God is not like a person, why He can't be seen, how all elements are under that great unseen power, indi- cating, from a Jewish prayer, that "the whole world is full of God's glory." This is attained by dealing with all God s creations, the uni- verse, fish, plants, other factors. Miss Cone attains her aim effectively.