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 $10 a year.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

Business Manager

CHARLOTTE DUBIN

City Editor

DREW LIEBERWITZ

Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the third day of Shevat, 5734, the following scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Exodus 10:1-13:16. Prophetical portion, Jeremiah 46:13-28.

Candle lighting, Friday. Jan. 25, 6:20 p.m.

VOL. LXIV. No. 20

Page Four

January 25, 1974

Why Not Also Disengage Animosities?

Confidence displayed by Golda Meir,
Moshe Dayan and Abba Eban in the attitude
of Henry A. Kissinger pointed at the outset
to an approach of some sort of accord on the
Middle East war front.
Secretary of State Kissinger's diplomatic
skill accomplished a geat deal. The disen-
gagement of forces on both sides of the Suez
Canal should go a long way in encouraging
further deliberations.
The Kissinger missions accomplished
something else of great significance. Jews
would not risk visiting Jordan, Syria, Saudi
Arabia. Dr. Kissinger is welcomed and hon-
ored in all of them: because he is the repre-
sentative of the great power of the United
States government. While Jewish members
of U.S. armed personnel had been barred
from Saudi Arabia in former years, the U.S.
secretary of state role erased practiced bigo-
tries. Jewish newsmen who accompanied him
also have been free to travel to hitherto for-
bidden areas. In the process of military disen-
gagements, can human animosities also be
erased?.

The major approach to peace would be
an effort to establish diplomatic relations be-
tween the more amenable Arab states—Leb-
anon, Egypt and Jordan—in order also to
assure economic activities between the neigh-
boring states. That would surely assure friend-
ship and understanding.
The Yom Kippur War interfered serious-
ly with Israel's economic progress. It also
affected Egypt and undoubtedly did harm
to Syria. It was not too helpful to Lebanon
and to Jordan. Israel's tourist trade, one of
the most impressive in world traveling ex-
perience, was seriously affected. It is re-
ported that Egypt's hotels have also emptied.
Only pragmatism in statesmanship, friendly
approaches to neighborliness, can restore se-
curity for all and higher standards for the
peoples in the Middle East.
That's the need: diplomatic exchanges!
The moment that is attained and Arabs do
business with Israelis, the wars will end,
world Jewry and our Moslem cousins will
breathe easier, and the _entire world will
benefit from the accord.

Gromyko: 1947 Compassion, 1974 Animosity

Why has the Soviet Union become anta-
gonistic to Zionism and to Israel? Second lo
the United States to have recognized Jewish
statehood in Israel, May 14, 1948, the Rus-
sian representatives at the United Nations
had taken a positive stand in support of
Jewish historic aspirations. The Soviet rep-
resentatives supported the Jewish position,
they opposed efforts by antagonists to Zion-
ism to create a trusteeship for Palestine as
means of creating obstacles to Jewish state-
hood.
In the course of the debates in the United
Nations General Assembly, May 14, 1947, one
of the most powerful speeches for Jewish
statehood was delivered by the Soviet dele-
gate, Andrei Gromyko. In this unforgettable
address, Gromyko declared:
"During the last war Jewish people under-
went exceptional sorrow and suffering. With-
out any exaggerations this sorrow and suffer-
ing the indescribable. It is difficult to express
them in dry statistics on the Jewish victims
of the fascist aggressors. The Jews in ter-
ritories where the Hitlerites held sway were
subject to almost complete physical annihila-
tion. The total number of members of the Jew-
ish population who perished at the hands of
the Nazi executioners is estimated at approxi-
mately six million. Only about a million and
a half Jews in Western Europe survived the
war.
- "But these figures, although they give an
idea of the number of victims of the fascist
aggressors among the Jewish people, give no
idea of the difficulties in which large num-
bers of Jewish people found themselves after
the war. Large numbers of the surviving JeWs
in Europe were deprived of their countries,
their homes, and their means of existence.
Hundreds of thousands of Jews are wander-
ing about in various countries of Europe in
search of means of existence and in search
of shelter.
"It may well be asked if the United Na-
tions, in view of the difficult situation of hun-
dreds of thousands of the surviving Jewish
population, can fail to show an interest in the
situation of these people, torn away from
their countries and their homes. The United
Nations cannot and must not regard this situa-
tion with indifference, since this would be
incompatible with the high principles pro-
claimed in its charter, which provide for the

defense of human rights irrespective of race,
religion or sex. The time has come to help
these people, not by words, but by deeds. -it is
essential to show concern for the urgent
needs of a people which has undergone such
great suffering as a result of the war brought
about by Hitlerite Germany. This is the duty
of the United Nations.
"The fact that no Western European state
has been able to ensure the defense of the
elementary rights of the Jewish people, and
to safe-guard it against the violence of the
Fascist executioners, explains the aspirations
of the Jews to establish their own state. It
would be unjust not to take this into con-
sideration and to deny the right of the Jewish
people to realize this aspiration .. .
"In analyzing the various plans for the
future of Palestine, it is essential . . . to bear
in mind the indisputable fact that the popula-
tion of Palestine consists of two peoples, the
Arabs and the Jews. Both have historical
roots in Palestine .. .
"All this leads the Soviet delegation to the
conclusion that legitimate interests of both
the Jewish and Arab populations can be duly
safe-guarded only through the establishment
of an independent dual, democratic, homo-
geneous Arab-Jewish State . . .
"`If this plan proved impossible to imple-
ment, in view of the deterioration in the re-
lations between Jews and Arabs . . . it would
be necessary to consider the second plan
which, like the first, has its supporters in
Palestine, and which provides for the parti-
tion of Palestine into two independent autono-
mous states, one Jewish and one Arab."
Why the change of heart? Why the pres-
ent animosity and the constant threat to Is-
rael by this very same Andrei Gromyko? Why
his warnings to Israel at the opening meeting
of the Geneva conference, Dec. 21, emphasiz-
ing his country's pro-Arab role?
Perhaps this will stay on for a while as
one of the mysteries of the diplomatic war
affecting Israel's status and endangering the
Jewish state's future. Perhaps Gromyko can
explain his attitude. More urgent is the hope
that he, on behalf of his anti-Israel govern-
ment, will revert to a policy of humanism
vis-a-vis Israel. If the USSR is to be a party
to peace negotiations, what other role can
his government play if there is to be real-
ism and international justice in dealing with
the Middle East, the Arabs and Israel?

New Translated Kabala Book
Defines Mysticism of the Zohar

Rabbi Roy A. Rosenberg provides valuable background material for
students of Jewish mysticism in his "The Anatomy of God," published
by Ktay. His volume is a translation, with an introduction and annota-
tions, of three of the oldest portions of the Zohar, "The Book of Conceal-
ment," "The Great Holy Assembly" and "The Lesser Holy Assembly."
While the first of the three is very brief, consisting of only six
pages in the original text, the comment is much longer, and 30 pages
are devoted in Dr. Rosenberg's book to the entire theme. The other
books are much longer.
Faithful to the original texts, the translator-annotator especially
devoted himself to his "explanatory glosses." He calls attention to an
earlier version of these texts published in London in 1887 by S. L.
MacGregor Mathers and he states that while the Mathers translation
was consulted "the present version is a completely new one, done
from the Margolioth edition of the Hebrew-Aramaic text of the Zohar,
Jerusalem, 1964."
Dr. Rosenberg explains that "the Zohar very often understands the
biblical verses that it cites in profusion in an individualistic way" and
that his translation "seeks to render these citations in terms of the
Zohar's understanding."
He also notes that "the translation and interpretations presented
(in his volume) deliberately ignore the complex formulations of the
Lurianic Kabala, the system developed by Rabbi Isaac Luria and his
circle in 16th Century Galilee. This Kabala, while based upon the Zohar
and without doubt an impressive achievement of the mystic genius,
nonetheless in many respects does not express what were the original
intentions of the Zohar itself." '

'Judaism Meets the Challenge'
Answers Disturbing Questions

"God Is Not Dead" is the emphatic assertion of Rabbi Hillel E.
Silverman in one of his "answers to disturbing questions" in his book
"Judaism Meets the Challenge," a Jonathan David publication.
On the question "Is God Dead?" Dr. Silverman provides the fol-
lowing conclusion:
"The Kotzker Rabbi asked his disciples: 'Where is God?' 1
no one could answer satisfactorily. Finally, the rabbi replied: `God-ad
where you let Him in.' If you let Him in, God is in your heart, in
your home, in your business, in your community, in your Congress,
in your day4o-day life. Is God dead? To this Judaism categorically
replies: Melekh El Hai v'Kayam (`God, our King, lives forever.')"
Rabbi Silverman, currently chancellor of the American College in
Jerusalem, tackles many questions in his new book. He is the author
of other works and with his father, Rabbi Morris Silverman, has co-
authored several prayerbooks.
Should the second day of a holiday, Yom Tov Sheni, be aban-
doned? Rabbi Silverman believes there is greater devotion by the
smaller congregation attending the second day's services than by the
larger on the first day because they make the effort to worship, the
extra day. In principle, he sees no Halakhic objection to abolishing
the second day, but he asks whether it is good for the Jewish com-
munity.
He advocates resort to the "basics" in Hebrew- studies, with em-
phasis on language, Bible, history.
The many other subjects with which Rabbi Silverman concerns
himself deal with religion in the school, and on that score he poin4
to the need for vigilance; the approaches to prayer, the lesson ofi'
Israel's firmness in establishing refuge for the homeless, "the sin of
silence" when confronted by injustice, and many more items—all com-
bining to provide interesting guidance for Jews facing Jewish issues
that call for solutions.

