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 28th day of Tevet, 5735, the following scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Exod. 6:2-9:35. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 28:25-29:21.
Candle lighting, Friday, Jan. 10, 5:02 p.m.
VOL. LXVI, No. 18
Page Four
Friday, January 10, 1975
Allon's Visit and 'Six Lousy Kilometers'
Israel Foreign Minister Yigal Allon's return
visit to Washington, which starts Wednesday,
draws attention to the U. S. State Department
and the White House. All Israeli eyes and the
concerns of world Jewry will be focused upon
the Israeli visitor, President Gerald Ford and
Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.
The questions that will puzzle and irritate
many are: Is Israel really unresponsive to the
needs for concessions to attain peace? Are the
pressures so great that Israel may soon be
denied American military aid? Are Ford and
Kissinger laying down the law in demands on
Israel to withdraw farther than has so far
been conceded by her leaders?
Jack Anderson's revelations about the
pressures upon Israel, his quote about Kis-
singer's anger over Israel's alleged failure to
yield "six lousy kilometers" in a move that
might have solved to a degree the Syrian prob-
lem and the added reference to President
Ford's caustic comment about reduction of
aid to Israel—all add up to trouble. They also
suggest that the American Jewish spokesmen
who have had conferences with Kissinger and
Ford may not have alerted their constituents
properly to what is happening behind the
scenes. There is justification for the demand
for more realism and better public relations
on all fronts affecting Israel.
Lex Talionis: Imposition on Jewry
Jews are continually taunted with the
charge that they have been the formulators
of an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth ideol-
ogy. Fruitlessly, efforts have been made and
continue to be made to prove that the Bible
injunction was accompanied by commentaries
which explained that the actual repayment for
injuries to be expected was to be judged by
the material values of the injuries. Only the
rational who were not aspiring to harm Jews
as Jews, out of anti-Semitic vengeance—men
like the noted scholar and authority on the
Talmud, Prof. George Foote Moore—con-
curred. Nevertheless, the charge remained as
a means to blaspheme Jews.
Now the Lex Talionis (Law of Retaliation)
is being forced on Jews as a reality and an
unavoidable necessity. Brutalities committed
by an army of bandits that poses under the
name of liberators knows no other way of
conducting a war against Israel than by mur-
dering innocent civilians, by brutalizing chil-
dren, massacring athletes and throwing gre-
nades into a theater.
If it were a declared war between nations
with little Israel confronted by overwhelming
JPS Issues Jehudah Halevi,
Solomon Ibn Gabirol Paperback
'Tired Liberalism' a Danger for Mankind
In an era of crisis for the democracies,
prior to this country's becoming an active
fighter of Nazism and Fascism in World War
II, the liberal elements were concerned lest
Hitlerite propaganda, which was rampant
at the time, should destroy the vitality of
liberals. The serious concern was over the
danger of an emerging "tired liberalism."
An analogous situation arises now. Nobel
Laureates, the leading world scientists, fear-
less diplomats and clergymen, have spoken
firmly in condemnation of the outrage that
was enacted in the ranks of the United Na-
tions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Or-
ganization, as a result of the barbarism that
was enacted by the Arab-Soviet bloc. Other
similar uncivilized actions— such as the ban-
ning of Israeli athletes from the Asian Foot-
ball Confederation—had been ignored. In the
latter act, many of the voting nations do not
even have participating teams in the football
contests. The silence of sports lovers to that
display of medievalism was in itself shocking.
There were prejudicial acts against Israelis
in Russia, and many displays of hatred in
other lands were ignored. Only the Munich
tragedy of the inhumanities against Jewish
Olympic participants rated international pro-
tests. Now even the Munich massacre is nearly
Two Bilingual Classics
numbers of enemies, it would be deplorable
but understandable. But when settlements of
farmers are invaded by assassins, schoolrooms
attacked and children thrown to their deaths
from the windows of their classrooms; when
the Olympic Games are polluted by beasts and
scores mowed down in airports; and when
Two outstanding classics about famous Jewish personalities, were
there is boasting that the group is functioning published in paperbacks this week.
under the PLO label, is it any wonder that
The Jewish Publication Society of America has reissued, paper-
there is retaliation by attacks on the camps
backed, "Jehudah Halevi," edited by Heinrich Brody, and "Solomon
of the murderers?
Lex Talionis assumes a new aspect. It is Ibn Gabirol," edited from a critical text by Israel Davidson.
an imposition upon Jews in their homeland
The JPS Library of Jewish Classics is thus additionally enriched,
who are compelled to punish barbarians be- making the two classics 'available anew. After a
lapse of more than 50
cause there are no other forces to punish the
years,
students
of
Jewish
literature
and
history
are again provided
guilty.
Israelis at war with Arabs who deny them with noteworthy books edited by eminent scholars.
the basic human rights of mere existence
"Jehudah Halevi," first published by JPS in 1924, enhanced Brody's
could be forgiving, but they cannot forget the essay on the life and times of the great poet of the 12th Century. All
major hurt caused them in the compulsion of of the Halevi poems are in this volume, in the original Hebrew and in
exacting vengeance. Even less forgiving under English translations on opposite pages. They commence with the famous
circumstances of reactions to crimes like those
committed in schoolrooms and in theaters is poetic expressions on "The Journey to Zion." It commences appropri-
that Lex Talionis has become a reality and a ately with "Libi b'Mizrah—My Heart Is in the East." The other sections
necessity. For this there can hardly be for- include, Love and Bridal Songs, Poems of Friendship and Devotional
giveness for Arab crimes committed against Poems. Many of the latter have become part of Jewish liturgy.
Jews.
MY HEART IS IN THE EAST
My heart is in the east, and I
in the uttermost west—
How can I find savour in
food? How shall it be sweet
to me?
How shall I render my vows
and my bonds, while yet
Zion lieth beneath the fetter
of Edom, and I in. Arab
chains?
A light thing would it seem
to me to leave all the good
things of Spain—
Seeing how precious in mine
eyes to behold the dust of
the desolate sanctuary.
nntnn 1th
— — — — —
— I — —
forgotten.
Will liberalism prove to be a tired
=117.n 910; '?t*$1 MP: ';I?
philosophy? Is the UNESCO experience to
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be forgotten once the humanists have spoken
their minds?
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Dipteti rip,,kt
The United Nations itself has already been
dragged into the gutter, and its agencies have
=-11) 12 ; . ? ; 5 4 ti Di-rt$ 17;174 —
been polluted. While Israel is the victim on
the record, it is all of mankind that is abused
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,.
when one of its members is discriminated
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against. The occurrence at the UNESCO in
Paris was an affront to all civilized peoples.
Its disgrace would justify the scrapping of
The 200-page 'Halevi volume contains many annotations that assist
the entire agency, just as the UN, its parent
the
scholar.
The bilingual text also aids the Hebrew scholar. For ad-
organization, has already lost a right to per-
petuation as long as it is dominated by ter- vanced Hebrew students this volume is a veritable treasure.
rorized and panicked membership.
Among the famous Halevi poems in this volume is his "Ode to
Is it any wonder that UNICEF, too, should Zion."
become concerned that it may suffer the fate
Notable in the devotional selections are the annotations in the trans-
of UNESCO? Perhaps the outrage in Paris
(14
will serve as a warning to UNICEF not to lations indicating the scriptural sources emphasized by the great poet.
permit the intrusion of beasts who have
Similarly, the Gabirol volume is enhanced by the biographical
gained power over all of mankind.
sketch about the 11th Century poet. This volume, too, was first pub-
The lesson is a clear one today. The lovers lished by JPS in 1924.
of justice, liberty and fair play will become
partners to the crimes from the UN and its
Gabirol, wit, satirist as well as writer of devotional hymns, was
agencies if they become tired. There is no one of the great literary stylists of the Middle Ages. As in the Halevi
excuse for an abandonment of vigilance. The volume, the Gabirol poems appear in Hebrew with their English trans-
cultural community must keep speaking out. lations. Here, too, the annotations are of immense value.
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