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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., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription $8 a year. Foreign $9
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
CHARLOTTE DUBIN
City Editor
Business Manager
DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 11th day of Elul, 5733, the following scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Isaiah 54:1-10.
Pentateuchal portion, Deut. 21:10-25:19. Prophetical portion,
Candle lighting, Friday, Sept. 7, 7:38 p.m.
VOL. LXIII. No. 26
Page Four
September 7, 1973
Infiltrating Middle East Fears Deflated
In the present quest for a proper defen- as a menace in current world affairs already
sive position for Israel, it has become neces- is being indicated as unjustified, particularly
sary to prove, and to emphasize,
that Israel in relation to Israel. In a study of "The Gaso-
e
is not overwhelmingly assured of the support line Shortage—Its Impact on Americans' At-
she needs to overcome the threats of so many titudes Toward Israel," prepared in behalf
of the American Jewish Committee trends
of her neighbors aimed at her destruction.
Israel Defense Minister Moshe Dayan has analysis division, Milton Ellerin states:
Undoubtedly the Arab-inspired campaign
made it clear that while Israel is qualitatively
has had some, unmeasurable as yet, impact.
in an advantageous position over its num-
However, it would appear that the vast majority
erous Arab enemies, the latter have, quantita-
of Americans still do not attribute the gasoline
tively, gained an increasing gap in their favor
shortage to our Middle East policy. Rather,
with each passing year.
there is a widespread belief that the gasoline
Dayan has indicated that in 1967, for ex-
shortages are artificial—a result of monopoly
ample, the ratio of planes and tanks between
practices by oil companies. Other accepted the-
Israel and her Arab enemies was 2:1 in the
ories are: that Arab oil producers are withhold-
Arabs' favor. Today it is 3:1. The Arabs'
ing supplies in anticipation of price rises; that
Arab governments are using oil to blackmail
planes have increased since the Six-Day War
the U.S.; and that environmentalists and and
from 500 to 1,400 while their tank strength
ecologistss have prevented exploration for new
has grown from 1,500 to 6,000. Arab gov-
sources of oil and full utilization of known
ernments have built up enormous purchasing
sources of supply, with the Clean Air Act of
power by up-pricing their oil. Russia arms
1970 forcing American auto manufacturers to
Egypt, Syria and Iraq, while the Western
produce "a breed of gas consuming monsters,"
powers arm Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and
For the moment the gasoline shortage is far
even Jordan.
less acute than predicted. It may be anticipated
that the Arab-inspired campaign to change U.S.
"We can call this era "Oil and Sympathy,"
governmental policy will continue without let-
Dayan quipped.
up. Should Americans find heating oil in short
The inflated efforts to use the energy
supply during the winter months, and should
crisis as a weapon against Israel takes the
the gasoline shortage become more acute in the
form especially of discouraging American as-
ensuing months, the campaign may be far more
sistance to Israel. It is therefore necessary
successful than it has been to date. Public cla-
to show that while this year, of Israel's
mor, as distinguished from that of special plead-
IL 5,250,000 in military equipment, less than
ers, for a change in our Middle East policy will,
half is manufactured locally, the projected
in large measure, be conditioned by the degree-
to which Americans are inconvenienced by the
1977 arms supply budget of IL 6,250,000 will
oil shortage.
be 75 per cent Israel-made. The self-suffi-
ciency results from recognition of the need to
These are facts that call for serious con-
be properly equipped with defensive mech- sideration and they should deflate the fears
anisms.
that seem to be infiltrating into our ranks.
It is no wonder that Moshe Dayan should
New cold war tactics are in evidence. Pres-
have resorted to a realism when he said:
"As long as we have Israelis as our soldiers, sures to interfere with American friendship
Americans as our suppliers, the Suez Canal with Israel seem to have gained momentum.
as our military border and the Arabs as our The propaganda war from the oil interests
enemy, we should be all right." Inclusion of and from anti-Israel quarters are mounting.
an emphasis on Israelis as our soldiers should All of which place heavy burdens upon the
pacify those who erroneously fear the Israel Jewish communities never to falter in solidar-
may seek American manpower for its defense. ity with the Israeli community that is in con-
Another issue related to Israel's concerns stant danger, and to be fortified with defen-
about the need to assure the nation's defense sive means to protect the Jewish role in the
is the Arab oil wealth. struggle. We often appear weak on the latter
Uninterrupted resort to the "energy crisis" score. Let us not weaken in time of crisis.
Seeds of TensLon in Israel's Politics
A basic principle in the return to the soil
that marked Zionist endeavors during the
early years of Jewish resettlement of Eretz
Israel, as part of the revolt against the non-
productivity that was forced upon Jews in
the ghettos, was the ideal of avoda atzmit,
of self-labor in the creation of Jewish col-
onies. It was the dedication to the idea that
Jews who are out to establish a new society
were to labor for that society and not depend
upon the labors of others.
Israel faces a similar challenge today,
with the decision reached by the Labor
Party, with the blessings of Golda Meir and
Moshe Dayan, to proceed with purchases of
land in administered territories for the forma-
tion of new Jewish settlements, and for in-
creased employment of Jews in the labor
force that has been opened to many thou-
sands of Arabs since the Six-Day War.
Both approaches by the Labor Party, al-
ready under challenge from Mapam—the
leftist element in the Israel labor force—
and the minority of liberals who are favoring
concessions to Arabs in the quest for peace,
are certain to result in internal Israel con-
flicts. They have already inspired condemna-
tion in the American press, and they will not
lead to encomia from those who have been
advocating more effective Arab-Israel collabo-
ration.
Large-scale settlement in administered ter-
ritories will surely add to existing tensions.
Its desirability is debatable. But the question
involving self-labor, avoda atzmit, relates to
an unchallenged Zionist principle. If the ideal
of creating Jewish industries, cultural cen-
ters, farming settlement, schools and mu-
seums with Jewish labor is to be abandoned,
and if Jews in Israel ever are to become ex-
ploiters of foreign-imported labor, as has
been predicted for the era of great prosperity,
the glory of libertarian achievements will be
lost.
There is a more serious aspect to the en-
tire issue. If Arab presence is to predominate,
then the Jewish autonomy, the right to ma-
jority rule, will be lost.
The Dayan-Meir proposals have much
merit; they also contain the seeds of discord
and conflict. Both dangers must be averted.
Periods of great tension are in evidence in
Israel, and they may spread into bitterness
among Jews who are partners in Israel's up-
building and security.
JPS Issues English Translation
of Feierberg's Hebrew Stories
Classics in Hebrew literature, stories written at the close of the
last century by M. Z. Feierberg, are now made available for English
readers in the Jewish Publication Society volume, translated from the
Hebrew by Hillel Halkin.
M. Z. Feierberg's "Whither? and Other Stories" first was published
in Hebrew in Warsaw, in 1904. In an enlightening 35-page introduction,
Halkin tells of Feierberg's tubercular illness, his death in 1899.
Halkin describes the influence of Ahad Ha'Am on the young writer
in the period of Theodor Herzl's appearance on the Jewish scene, and
the adherence of Feierberg to the Ahad Ha'Am anti-Herzlian stand.
The young writer also was influenced by the "society of heretics," by
the Haskala ideology, and Halkin writes:
"Now that he no longer merited support as a talmudic scholar, he
was put to work by his father in the family Store to pay for his bed
and board, an occupation that proved tortuous for his restless spirit.
Yet the blow proved a blessing in disguise, for it was during the long
hours spent sitting by himself in the empty shop that he first began
to write."
At his funeral there was an outpouring of mourners, yet, Halkin
writes, "religious passions pursued him even now." Halkin adds: "His
father, his' legal executor, refused permission for his stories to be re-
published in a volume of their own, claiming that the offense given to
God in his son's lifetime should at least be consigned to a charitable
oblivion in his death. The deceased's friends and admirers sought to
prevail upon him, but in vain; and it was not until 1904 that he finally
relented and a thick edition of Feierberg's work was allowed to appear."
The JPS volume contains these writings — the novella "Whither?,"
and six short stories.
Three of the stories are about "Hofni Ba'al Dimyon," "Hofni the
Fantast." Feierberg showed them to Nahum Sokolov, to Ahad Ha'A
and the young writer's skill was a matter of record with the k
writers of his day.
Feierberg's stories are under analysis in Halkim's essay. There is
tribute here to "the resulted growth of artistic and psychological mas-
tery . . . There is no wavering here, no treading the same ground
twice. Each of the handful of stories that he wrote was both a conscious
advance on 'what came before and a step toward something still higher.
Herein lies the drama — and triumph of his brief career."
Hillel Halkin, who was born in New York in 1939 and earned his
MA at Columbia, settled in Israel in 1970.
'Joseph Narrative in Genesis'
One of the most exciting stories in the Bible is interpreted by Dr.
Eric C. Lowenthal in "The Joseph Narrative in Genesis," published
by Ktay.
Dr. Lowenthal, who studied at the Berlin Rabbinerseminar and
received his doctorate at the University of Berlin, goes into great
detail in his interpretation. He draws upon the classics and the views
of authorities from all faiths in evaluating his theme.
In an interesting comment on the nobility and Jewish devotions
of Joseph, the author of this interpretive work states that "the Torah
regrets to part from this noble and great man who in spite of all his
honors and the splendor of the court remained the truest 'son of Israel,'
faithful to his people and its legacy."