THUJEWISH NEWS

In•orporoting The Detroit Jewish Chronicle cwn mencing with the issue

1

of Jnly 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 \V. Nine Mile, Suite -A15, Southfield, Mich. - 1S075.
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CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Business Manager

Editor and Publisher

klan

V$S S

DREW LIEBERWITZ

Advertising Manager

Editor . . . Heidi Press. kssistant Ne% ∎ s Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the sixth day of Heshvan, 5737, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:

Pentateuchal portion, Genesis 6:9-11:32. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 54:1-55:5.

Candle lighting, Friday, Oct. 29, 6:12 p.m.

VOL. LXX, No. 8 .

Friday, October 29, 1976

Page Four

Public Opinion Rejects Hate Appeals

An ignominy on Israel, broadcast in the
name of the highest ranking military officer
at the Pentagon last week, was immediately
apparent that the spread of prejudicial
views does not acquire the support aimed
for. On the contrary, Gen. George Brown's
ill-advised comment about Israel aroused
anger and condemnation in many ranks.
As in the instance of the former Secret-
ary of Agriculture Earl Butz there was
criticism of President Ford for not having
fired rather than merely disagreed with or
reprimanded Gen. Brown. But even the
President's closest associates were quick to
disassociate themselves from views like
those of the Chief of Staff.
The heartening factor about the entire
incident is that public opinion repudiated
the questionable reference to Israel.
As in the matter of the boycott of Israel
there is a moral aspect to the Brown inci-
dent, if this matter can be labeled an inci-

dent, since Gen. Brown has been guilty
more than once in his references to Jews
and to Israel. It is true that tanks and other
military hardware that the U. S. provided
for Israel during the tragic Yom Kippur
War was out of the vitally needed American
arsenal. But the provisions were sent to Is-
rael during a very critical period, when it
was urgent that defensive weapons be pro-
vided to save the state of Israel. It was an
act of high morality, one of life-saving for a
seriously threatened nation. Therefore the
Brown theory was wrong at the outset.
The public opinion reaction and the
immediate condemnations of any effort to
reduce Israel's status as an American ally is
an encouraging factor in the friendship of
the two nations. The effect of this reaction is
a positive result of a sad act on the part of a
noted military authority who has been
given notable status by our government
and who has abused that privilege.

‘trA

'Contemporary Hebrew'

Mansoor's Volume on Hebrew
Marked by Historical Analyses

"Contemporary Hebrew" ("Ivrit Hadisha") by Prof.
Menahem Mansoor (Behrman House) of the University of Wis-
consin includes so many valuable addenda on Jewish dialects
and the Hebraic language developments that the popularly
priced paperback emerges as a classic in textbooks.
An informative foreword by Prof. Chaim Rabin of the Heb-
rew University explains the communicative system of the Heb-
vitally needed evidence by Israel now
rew language - s various stages as they developed and were in
serves an important purpose in the two na-
use through the ages, from earliest times.
tions' cooperative task in exposing the Nazi
Thus, the student gets a thorough introduction both to the
crimes.
classical Hebrew, as referred to as the language of the Bible, as
The hunt for Nazis continues, as the
well as the subsequent language techniques in the Midrash and
the Talmud.
illuminating . report by Simon Wiesenthal,
featured in this issue of The Jewish News
These lead up to the modern Hebrew as it developed with
the revival of Hebrew as the spoken tongue of the people of
indicates, it has not ended. Many criminals
Israel — the result of the labors of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
remain at large and the search for them,
Grammar, as a basis for study of contemporary Hebrew, is
and the obligation to prosecute and punish
basic to the textual teachings in this impressive work. Dr. Man-
them, remain a duty for all nations. The
soor provides these in fullest detail and the basic lessons with
American pursuit of justice adheres to this
accompanying exercises are of immense value to students.
basic obligation.
Supplemented by an extensive vocabulary, there are oppor-
In private circles there surely also exist
tunities for advanced studies, and with the aid 'of a teacher the
evidential data as well as memories of what
had occurred in the period of horror under aspirant for a knowledge of Hebrew can master contemporary
usage of the language as it has developed into the spoken tongue
the Nazis. In this and other communities
there may be many survivors who possess of the state of Israel.
The introductory chapter on the Hebrew alphabet also
evidence of the sufferings they and their
teaches the written script and there are explanations for
families endured in the World War II years phonology, for pronunciation of the Hebrew letters.
under Hitler's domination. Whatever assis-
Links between the traditional, the Bible and Mishna ex-
tance can be given to the prosecutors of the cerpts,
the modern, like the selections from Bialik and
Nazis should be provided promptly in order others, with
add merit to the studies.
to assist in bringing to justice as many as
Noteworthy also is the description of the historical de-
possible of those who have so far escaped velopment
of the Hebrew alphabet which includes illustrated
punishment for unspeakable crimes.
data on the early scripts and their developments.
Dr. Mansoor renders a special service in his important book
with his survey of Semitic languages. Explaining linguistic
elements, Dr. Mansoor defines Yiddish, Ladino, Ar.P.J)ie,
ns
By honoring such principles national Aramaic and Ethiopic. Then he devotes scholarly annot ,-
of
to
descriptions
of
Yiddish,
Ladino
and
Judeo-Arabic.
elections can be elevated to a high degree of these sections explains the origins of the dialects and the extent
dignity. This is the sort of election aspired to of their usage.
in this crucual year.
Dr. Mansoor's explanation of Aramaic is exemplary. He
The serious duty of participating in the states in part: "In a phenomenal wave of expansion, probably
national decision of naming the next Presi- beginning in the Sixth Century BCE, Aramaic spread through-
dent also is linked with other obligations. out Palestine, Syria and large tracts of Asia and Egypt, replac-
On the ballots will be the nominees for the ing many languages, including Hebrew and Akkadian. It also
members of the U. S. House of Representa- influenced the writing systems of several languages; Hebrew, in
tives and the U. S. Senate, candidates for fact, adopted the Aramaic script (see Lesson 4). For about 1,000
the judiciary and other important state, years Aramaic served as the official and written language of the
Near East.
county and city officials.
"At the time of Jesus, the daily language .of .Palestine was
These successful candidates will be generally Aramaic; Hebrew had become the property of the
guiding the destinies of the citizens, some learned. The actual words of Jesus quoted in Mark 5:41 and 7:34
for even more than the four years of the U. are in Aramaic, Syriac, an Eastern Aramaic dialect, has a very
S. Presidency. There is still time, therefore, rich theological literature left by the early Christian Fathers."
to become acquainted with the candidates
Thus, a textbook on contemporary Hebrew also serves as a
and with the serious proposals to be voted study of the various language developments related to the Heb-
on and there is an obligation upon all citi- rew alphabet.
This textbook, also splendidly illustrated with related ar-
zens to cast their ballots at Tuesday's elec-
chaeological symbols, has historical merit.

Tracing the Nazi Criminals.

A bit of belatedly but nevertheless as an
urgency in the obligation to punish the
criminals who were responsible for mass
murders of Jews and Christians during the
Nazi era in Europe, the U.S. Department of
Justice is probing guilt of scores of those
who had followed the Hitler genocidal
policies.
Many like Bishop Valerian Trifa, who is
now in a high religious post in Michigan,
and Andrij a Artukovic, who has secured
shelter in California, are under accusation
of having shared in mass murders of Jews.
Bishop Trifa has even gained a respect-
able role in national church circles and his
protectors have become defenders of barba-
rians who, because of the role given them in
high ranking ecclesiastical circles, are gain-
ing protection instead of being fully exposed
for the terrorism they inspired in their na-
tive lands.
Naturally, the facts are needed, and the
evidence in exposing the criminals is vital to
the issue pursued by the Department of
Justice. That is why the assistance given
the American authorities in the search for

Challenge at the Polls

Sensations surrounding the political
campaign for President of the United States
should not be assumed to be the major obli-
gation of the voters at next Tuesday's elec-
tion.
Especially on the eve of the climax of a
bitter political campaign, when the nation's
leadership is involved, there is need for
avoidance of bigotry. Both political parties
agree to and support the basic principle of
avoiding and preventing any submission to
prejudice.
While an agreement reached applied
basically to respect for all religious faiths,
the idea applies to other prejudices which
may be injected in an anxiety to gain votes.
These are abuses to be fought and ideas to
be repudiated in the best interests of free
elections. On this basis there is a mutual
agreement among all candidates for fair
practices to be adhered to.

tion.

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