THE JEWISH NEWS
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue
20, 1951
Member American Association of English-Jewi§h Newspapers, Michigan PresS Association, National Editorial Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Smithfield, Mich. 48075.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription :MO a year.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
DREW LIEBERWITZ
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
.A N HITSKY, News Editor . . IEEIDI PRESS, Assistant News Editor
Sabbath Script ural Selections
This Sabbath, the fourth day of Sivan, 5737, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Numbers 1:1-4:20. Prophetical portion, 1 Samuel 20:18-42.
Shavuot Scrituura I Selections
Monday, Pentateuchal pf3rtion, Exodus 19:1-2:23; Numbers 28:26-31. Prophetical portion, Ezekiel 1:1-28;3:12.
Tuesday, Pentateuchal portion, Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17; Numbers 28:26-31. Prophetical portion, Habbakuk 3:1-19. Yizkor
service.
Candle light ing. Friday. May 20, 8:32 p.m.
VOL. LXXI, No. 11
Page Four
Friday, May 20, 1977
Shavout : The Law and the People
Shavuot, the Festival of the Giving of the
Law, therefore also life occasion of the Receiv-
ing of the Law, inevitably emphasizes the sanc-
tity of moral and ethical codes fulfilling human-
ity's needs and obligations.
The Law is the supreme factor in the obser-
vance of the festival, the significance of which
dominates all eras, not only the entire year but
all mankind, all of the time. It is more than a
perennial festival on the calendar. The Ten
Words, the Decaloglle, the Ten Command-
ments, keep dominating mankind. Even those
who deny sanctity Muse reply on the basic prin-
ciples which are guided by the principles inher-
ent in Decalogue teachings.
ternational battles . for power, the corruptions
that often frustrate the citizens of the
world—many experiences point to so many de-
fiances of the laws of the nations of the world
that the need to give new emphasis to the De-
calogue becomes an obligation for all peoples
of the earth.
There is a special obligation incumbent upon
the Jewish inheritors of the Ten Words to keep
reiterating the importance of the message con-
tained in the Law that was handed down from
Sinai. The need to educate mankind, the impor-
tance of reiterating the sanctity of the great
ethical codes, the urgency of repeating the mes-
sage for the sake of continuity is apparent.
Does mankind correspond to these ideas?
Are they ideals that Inspire the generations
faultlessly? Do people merit the holiness that
stems from rules which make The Law the
dominant factor in human relations?
Shavuot is a time for rejoicing in the Law. It
also is the time to continue teaching it, never
to abandon it, to make it apparent as the root
of all human decency.
The changes that have taken place in the
world in the past decades, the violence that has
caused the injection of the question whether
humans properly respect fellow beings, the in-
Thus Shavuot retains the priority in ethical
code-making, in guiding the peoples of the
world towards -the highest moral ideals never
to be broken.
Neighborhoods in Turmoil
Predictions of impending neighborhood
changes in the Southfield and Oak Park areas
were accompanied in recent weeks -by expres-
sions of concern over the panics that relate to
such experiences. The inevitable effects of ra-
cial issues involved in such transformations
and the Jewish aspects that are interlinked
with the problem make the auguries notably
vital for Jewish consideration.
When such a problem first became noticeable
in the Detroit area, there was advice for re-
strictions in possible panic-starting by real es-
. tate agencies, the recommendation for educa-
tional tasks to assure proper integration and
the stalling of flights from then extensive resi-
dential districts, as well as proposals for the
formation of community councils. There is
such similarity in the approach to the predict-
ed problem at this time that one must wonder
whether communal leadership continues to be
buried ostrich-like in the sands and if there is
hope for a rapprochement to avert another resi-
dential crisis.
The traditional Jewish warning is that where
there is a lack of vision a people must perish,
and there is similarity in the admonition that
with a lack of vision neighborhoods will be
blighted.
Is it because whites and blacks have not
muted together properly and that whatever con-
ferring has taken place to resolve the issue has
been tinged with too many suspicions and a
lack of interracial confidence?
Whatever the fault, the fact is that prophe-
cies rooted in fears are receiving notorious at-
tention from the media while the problem-sol-
ving seems to be lacking due attention from au-
thoritative and government sources and from
the residents of the areas involved. The latter
are most important to the issue; government is
vital because the housing problem is so impor-
tant for those seeking new residential areas,
and professionally-trained authorities on demo-
graphy and social services must draw upon all
that has been experienced through the years in
assuring an abandonment of fears and a stabili-
zation of neighborhoods as acceptable and pro-
tected areas for community living.
This is not a Jewish or a black or a mere ra-
cial issue. It is an American problem which
has already affected the largest cities and now
is threatening many states. While it points a
dagger at suburbia it also creates enmities in
the American social sphere and that is a mat-
ter for more serious consideration than the
challenging situation has been accorded until
now.
Ezer Weizmann's Dramatic
Story of Military Leadership
Ezer Weizmann's name currently figures in Israel's political chal-
lenges. He has been in the Likud but his beginnings were strictly in the
military. and his rise to the high command of Israel's air force gave
him an irrasable role in_ his country's history.
An account as rich as his merits consideration in his own words. His
autobiographical account, "On Eagle's Wings" (Macmillan) is properly
titled. As the subtitle states, "A personal.story of the leading command-
er of the Israeli Air Force," his book traces the experiences of one of
the outstanding of Israel's heroes in the defense f6rces and the regular
military.
Naturally, because of his heritage and family lineage, the Ezer Weiz-
mann story refers to his famous uncle, the
late Dr. Chaim Wiezmann, the first Presi-
dent of Israel and the Zionist leader who
engineered the activities that led to the is-
suance of the Balfour Declaration. It also
relates to an eminent father, Chilik Weiz-
mann, and other notables in his family
and in the state of Israel.
Weizmahn relates how he joined the Brit-
ish Air Force during World War II and be-
came a pilot. He joined the Israel Defense
Forces "Palmach"—he "loved their corn-
radship, their frankness, their frugality,
their profound Zionist faith—a part of
their lives rarely verbalized, but applied
day by day, hour by hour, naturally and
EZER WEIZMANN
faithfully".
He relates the greatness of Aharon Remez, first air force command-
er, who had the vision to forsee the future of the air force in Israel and
was eventually proved correct.
He writes of the tremendous respect he and all the military of Jsrael
have for Moshe Dayan, his brother-in-law.
He tells tales of the Israeli Air Force from its beginning (as a small
and not very important part of the military) to its rise to fame and
glory. How it was limited in its duties in the 1956 campaign and how
they wanted to do to the enemy then what it eventually did in 1967 (de-
stroy the enemy on the ground before it had a chance to attack Israel).
He tells of the growth of the Israeli air force with all its troubles and
doubts on the part of many of the great leaders, who felt it was a core
plete waste of hard-to-come-by dollars, but it eventually was proven
be a wise investment.
He relates how the air force grew to today's status of flying the most
sophisticated equipment. He relates his experiences with the many lead-
ers of Israel such as: Allon, Bar-Lev, Begin, Ben-Gurion, Eban, Elazar,
Eshkol, Gur, Hod, Laskov, Mickey Marcus, Golda Meir, Peres, Rabin,
Dan Tolkovski, Yadin, Yariv, and many, many others.
Ezer Weizman's basic Israeli idealism and Zionist dedication serves
as an impressive finale to his interesting life's story when he de-
clares:
"Even now, over two years after the fighting ended, once again, pub-
lic opinion is asking 'Where will it all end?' There is only one answer.
Whoever doesn't understand the beginning, won't comprehend the end.
The beginning' is Zionism. The beginning is faith. The beginning is an
unprecedented attempt by a people to return to its homeland, after
2,000 years of exile. And this is only the beginning. After 100 years of
settlement and 28 years of political independence, ours is the only
state in the world whose enemies, denying its very right to exist, plot
to wipe, it off the face of the earth.'