THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association.
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
Editor and Publisher
- CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
DREW LIEBERWITZ
•
Advertising Manager
Alan Hitsky, News Editor . • . Heidi Press, Assistant News Editor
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the seventh day of Tevet, ,5735, the following scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Gen. 44:18-47:27. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 37:15-28.
Selections for the fast of the 10th of Tevet, Tuesday;
Pentateuchal portion, Exod. 32:11-14; 34:1-10. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 55:6-
8 (afternoon only ) .
Candle lighting, Friday, Dec. 20, 4:45 p.m.
VOL. LXVI, NO. 15
Page -Four
December 20, 1974
Duty to UJA: More Serious Than Ever
A call to action that has just emanated
from another crucial United Jewish Appeal
conference may well be considered more
serious than any of the preceding during the _
last 35 years.
An apparent drop in income resulting
from the inflationary developments, from a
recession that borders on a depression, is
proving as menacing as the threat to Israel
from enemy Countries that surround her.
In its beginning, UJA was confronted by
the needs stemming from the Nazi terror,
from the _camps of the survivors. To have
spoken then of depressing economic condi-
tions would have been viewed as near-crimi-
nal. Today the needs are more vast, the -re-
deemed homeland is endangered by people
with a kinship to the Jews who begrudge them
breathing space. Under these horrifying con-
ditions there must not be talk of an economic
decline: there is need for human uplifting.
In a sense, the money asked by UJA is
a mere pittance compared with the wealth
that has accumulated in Arab hands to assist
demoniacal intentions. Yet even the pittance
is vital, and failure to the call to action would
be inhuman.
The current UJA call to action represents
a demand for self-respect in time of crisis.
Whatever the sum asked, it is minimal, it
is a mere gesture towards kinsmen who
spend tenfold in regard to a UJA goal for
their defense. The least that can be done is
to provide for that embattled people support
for continuation of an open door for escapees
from persecutions who seek haven in Israel;
assistance to the social service agencies, help
for the aged. It is the least that can and must
be provided. _
Israel s Faith: Life and Indestructibility
'
In some Israeli quarters it has become a
standing joke that the nation's diplomats
are spending more time in Washington than
in Jerusalem. The leading figures in that
government have made periodic visits to con-
fer with U.S. government officials, with
President Gerald Ford, Secretary of State
Henry A. Kissinger, the military and the treas-
ury officials. Israel Foreign Minister Yigal
Allon had already been here before; he came
to Washington last week and has returned
home;- and will be back again in our nation's
capital to hear the results of negotiations yet
to be conducted by this government with the
Arab heads of states.
Meanwhile, all talk in and out of govern-
ment circles, in the press, on radio and TV,
has •been of an impending war. While the
Israeli leaders have been compelled to shuttle
back and forth, learning as Allon did from
"My Teacher Henry," dangers apparently
have not abated and the isolated state of Israel
is constantly threatened at the outset with
demands from withdrawals to the 1967 bor-
ders and ultimately—undeniably—toward a
1947 mythical existence.
A world already in the throes of great
danger from- a Third World that is taunting
the United States and all Western powers
with oil menace and with wealth that
seeks to gain control of many nations' indus-
tries and natural possessions, Israel may be
a- Mere pawn in a game for power. Tragically,
only the United States takes a firm stand
against the impending terrors. Whatever may
occur to imperil Israel's existence could well
prove menacing to all mankind.
•
. "Whence cometh help?" is a natural ques-
tion posed by Israelis and Jews everywhere.
In the long run, it is always the endangered
people itself—often tragically alone—that
conducts her own battle for existence and sur-
vival.
Once (again it is the age-old obligation: the
PeOple Israel must stand firmly in Support
and defense of the Nation Israel. Because of
this continuing truth, Israelis are more con-
fident than the dangers would imply. The
destruction of the people, no liquidation of
the people, that has faith in its own existence.
There is no other way, therefore, there can
be no other future than that chosen by the
people itself: life and indestructibility.
Murder of Civilians: Worse Than Hot War
Delusions are ending. The occurrences af-
fecting_ Israel are no longer a cold war. The
hot war goes on in the form of murders of
children in their classrooms, attendees in a
theater and innocent farm workers. The mas-
sacres at Lod Airport and during the Olympic'
Games in Munich were mere beginnings Of
an aggravated situation that will be difficult
to stave as long as the international society
recognizes murderers as diplomats and the
lame duck Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkan-
sas glorifies the forces of destruction in the
Middle East.
Israel's defensive role becomes lament-
able because she is fighting for survival not
on the battle front but with beasts whose tar-
gets are innocent civilians, -Thismakes every
Israeli a warrior defending his :family in his
own home. It' is a condition that certainly
does not lend honor to the world powers who
have failed to make the United Nations a
workable instrument for peace.
The eminent Christian writer, Robert St.
John, evaluated the situation properly with
his indictment, in our last week's issue, of
those who have bankrupted human decencies.
Although it is a mere remnant the group
of Christians who have condemned the anti-
Israel propagandists is redeeming faith in the
religious and academic community in a grow-
ing measure of confidence that the protests
against injustice will grow. The condemna-
tion of UNESCO's criminal decisions added
to such hopes. Perhaps some human sparks
will help resolve a shocking international
crime threatening - ISfael.. ''''' •
New JPS Definitive History
of Spanish Jewry's Golden Age
The flowering of Jewish life during the so-called "Golden Age" is
strikingly presented in "The Jews of Modern Spain" by Eliyahu Ashtor
(Volume I), recently issued by the Jewish Publication Society of
America. Volume II is scheduled to appear next year.
The work covers three remarkable centuries of Jewish history
as played out on Spanish soil, from the Moslem conquest of the Iberian
Peninsula in 711 to the fall of Toledo in 1085. What occurred over the
course of these centuries was an unprecedented burgeoning of Jewish
life. Freed from the yoke of Visigoth persecution, the Jewish communi-
ties of Spain aided the new Moslem rulers to establish themselves and
then went on to enjoy a long and fruitful period of cultural, spiritual,
• political and economic groWth.
The author of this monumental study is professor of Arabic studies
and Moslem history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has
based his research on a variety of Hebrew documentary sources as
well as Arab chronicles and has made creative use of the new scholarly
discoveries in the field. He has also made a thorough study of the
Jewish quarters in the old Spanish-Moslem towns. The result is a
definitive work.
The personalities encountered in this volume—Jew and Moslem—
form a colorful lot: Abdarrahman, the wandering Omayyad prince who
established his dynasty in Moslem Spain; Ziryab, a musician who set
the Moslem-Spanish fashion styles; and Bodo, the German noble-
clergyman who became a convert to the Jewish faith.
Among the Jews are Hasdai ibn Shaprut, 'Andalusian courtier,
diplomatic genius, physician, and director of customs, who arranged
treaties for the caliph, sponsored cultural events, and made himself
not only an advocate for the Jewish people, but a major force in the
Omayyad government.
For those who may have an opportunity to visit present-day Spain
and to walk the ancient streets of the fabled towns, Professor Ashtor
has, provided an added dividend. His work, in addition to - offering
authoritative background information of value to the interested tourist,
also contains maps of the old Jewish quarters of Saragossa, Toledo,
Seville, Granada and Calatyud.
.
"Remember The Days" Covers
History of American Jewry
A bird's-eye view of American Jewish history is contained in a
compact •and interesting 110-page book by Milton Meltzer. In "Re-
member The Days" (Doubleday),, the author traces the story of the
American Jews from 1654 to date.
With impressive illustrations by Harvey Dinnerstein, the Meltzer
book nostagically describes how. an immigrant population struggled
into a life of creativity linked with the highest principles of Amer-
icanism.
With Prof. Melvin I. Urofsky and Dr. John Hope Franklin as
consultants, Meltzer covered every aspect of American Jewish life.
In the process of tracing this history, Meltzer dealt with the social,
economic, educational and political involvements. The emergence of
anti-Semitism, the battle against Coughlinism, the resistance to Nazism
—these and other aspects are taken into view. American Jewry's aid
to Israel and to Zionism are recorded. The brevity of this volume
does not reduce its value:
- approa-ches a - commendable totality.
,
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