2 Friday, Time 9, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
Anniversaries That Provide Major Causes for Rejoicing
by This Community . . . Role of Two Detroiters: Holocaust
Archivist and Yiddish Editor . . . Correcting Media Errors
By Philip
Slomovitz
Anniversaries of Communal Interest: JFS, JNF, JWF Junior Division, the Cantors
This is a season for many celebrations. The anniversaries being observed by a number
of important movements and major causes is of concern to the entire community.
The Junior Division of the Jewish Welfare Federation merits special attention because
it draws into leadership ranks the youth of our people, and this resolves a major anxiety
in search for continuity by activists in major causes.
Deserving attention has been given to the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Family
Service. Benefiting from the guidance of the JFS is the Resettlement Service which has to
its credit innumerable accomplishments in behalf of refugees. First came the aid that was
given to the refugees from Nazi Germany and now the Resettlement Service assists in
solving the pressing needs of the Russian Jews who come here in sizable numbers.
JFS serves in many ways, in aid to the elderly, assistance where there are children's
problems, relief economically and socially where it is required in cases of need. There is
more poverty and depression in the ranks than people realize, and JFS comes to the aid of
the needy in numberless incidents.
For the cantors in the community this is occasion for satisfaction that 50 years of
services to the Detroit congregations have marked continuity in exchanges of knowledge
about the cantorial art, in the perpetuation of the dedicated aims to assure spirituality in
religious services. The Detroit Cantors' Association was organized by men who had
gained wide recognition for their knowledge of music, their compositions, their share in
sanctifying communal life. Many of the cantors never hesitated, as those of this genera-
tion do not hesitate, to join in communal functions and to make their contributions on a
wide scale, outside as well as sbithin the synagogue.
An international involvement is linked with the 60th anniversary of the Jewish
National Fund — Keren Kayemet l'Yisrael. They were interesting years. It commenced
The Tragedy of Mlawa Jewry:
An Elegy by Allen Warsen
To the expanding library of documentations devoted to
the Holocaust has just been added a deeply moving
memorandum. It deals with the tragic fate of the Jews of
Mlawa.
Allen Warsen, educator, historian, whose book reviews
are featured frequently in these columns, is the author of a
brochure of historic merit in its expose of the horrors under
Nazism and its tribute to the memory of one of the de-
stroyed Jewish communities in Poland.
"The Destruction of the Mlawa Jewish Community" ex-
presses the agony of the author. Warsen was born in War-
saw, was brought by his parents to Mlawa when he was a
year old and had lived there until his departure for the
United States in his early manhood. The agonized author
expresses his sorrow and his devotion to the people with
whom he shared his youth in the subtitle to his brochure:
"Magnified and Sanctified Be Their Names." It is with this
salutation to the martyrs of his community that Warsen
has moved to tears the hundreds who have already read his
tribute to the memory of the Mlawa victims who perished in
the Nazi Holocaust. He has made a contribution to
Holocaust literature and has thereby helped to perpetuate
the memory of the Mlawa community he hails from.
Warsen's tribute to the martyrs of Mlawa is an excerpt
from the Yiddish book by M. Tsanin, "Desolation: A Jour-
ney Through A Hundred Desolated Communities," and
thus assumes added significance in its wider circulation.
The Yiddish Loyalists:
Wolf Snyder as Editor
Thanks to some loyalists interest in Yiddish, the lan-
guage and its literature, the efforts to retain a readership in
Yiddish publications is being retained with some success.
Wolf Snyder belongs to this groups of impassioned Yid-
dishists who continue to write in the language and publish;
who translate from and into Yiddish; who lecture in the
language and give encouragement to its supporters.
Unser Eigen Wort (Our Own Word) is among the func-
tioning Yiddish periodicals that maintains the highest
standards of literary qualities and enlists the leading Yid-
dish writers as contributors. Snyder has accepted the as-
sociate editorship of this quarterly magazine and its last
three issues contain a number of important articles by him.
He has described his experiences on his recent travels, his
research on Jewish historical developments in Spain and in
Holland and has developed themes on Spinoza.
With greater endorsements and assistance to tasks like
Snyder's there could be attained much in the struggle for
the revival and survival of Yiddish. In their way, loyalists
like Wolf Snyder do much to assure retention of interest in
the very great Yiddish literature and in the language itself.
Matters to Deplore in Media;
Settling Facts in-One Instance
With few, very few, exceptions, the media treats Israel
and her defenders harshly. "Hard line" has been used like
an echoing battle cry in the treatment accorded Menahem
Begin. Commentators have judged opposition to the pac-
kaged jet sale to Saudi Arabia as well as Israel as if the
opponents were committing a national crime, refusing to
take into account the possible consequences of providing
massive arms to another Arab country that treats
neighborliness to Israel as an invitation to war. The Saudis
have never ceased advocating Israel's destruction, and now
that vast desert land with few people but with lots of oil and
with many young people as participants in the variety of activities — Blue and White
Boxes for the collection of coins at candle lighting and to mark all happy occasions; tree
planting; inscriptions in the Golden Book which every visitor in Israel can see at the
Herzl Room of the JNF in Jerusalem; Flag and Flower Days and other functions.
The JNF was the first to bring movies about Eretz Yisrael to Detroit. It solidified the
community and its JNF Council here was representative of the entire Jewish commun-
ity. It is to this day a unifying force for Israel, regardless of political parties or local
affiliations that may be marked by differences in social Views. JNF does unify the Zionist
and the general community.
To all these celebrants go the good wishes of a community that is vitally interested in
the success of Jewish undertakings and in progress in all efforts in behalf of Jewry,
pl2ilanthropic as well as social.
Sinai Hospital Guild
Volunteers play a very vital role at Sinai Hospital. The Sinai Hospital Guild, observing
its 25th anniversary, has to its credit many accomplishments. The gift shop, the services
to the sick by visiting volunteers, the Service With Love and other means of giving cheer
to the ill and distressed, as well as to the aged and shut-ins, marks a notable record of
commendable programming.
The Guild celebration coincides, of course, with the observance of Sinai Hospital's 25
years of service during which great strides were made in advancing the science of
medicine. A nationwide record of progress is recorded in Sinai Hospital's record of
achievements attained during the quarter-century since its establishment.
A native Georgian, a former president of the American
billions of dollars in reserve will have the weapons that are
so menacing for Israel. In spite of the known facts, it is the Jewish Committee, a man of great dignity, a devoted Jew
menaced Israel and not those who threaten her who are and a great American patriot, Abram made a deep impres-
sion when he was in Detroit to campaign for his fellow
called "hard liners" and subjected to harsh criticism.
The Middle East remains the most inviting territory for Georgian. Carter lost Michigan to Gerald Ford. That's be-
roving correspondents and in recent months it is Israel that side the point. Abram had come here as a friend and suppor-
came out badly, with her antagonists being treated with ter of Carter.
On the big issue involving the packaged jet sales to Arabs
great kindness. Why the Israeli position should be mis-
judged is difficult to explain. But top ranking correspon- as well as Israel, Abram expessed his views in a letter to the
New
York Times. He offered some advice to his friend
dents have treated Israel unkindly. It is when facts are
Jimmy Carter when he stated:
disrupted that the matter becomes one of great concern.
Typical among those who have gone far afield in their
It is an American tendency to paper over hard
criticism, seeing nothing but glory in Anwar Sadat and
international problems by wishful thinking, to
gloom in Menahem Begin is New York Times columnist
which The Times has succumbed on the issue of
Anthony Lewis who toured the Arab capitals and cabled
jets for the Middle East.
messages of doom and gloom, with rebukes for Israel. His
The following reasons support this assertion:
was like a series of drummed-up charges. His cables be-
First: The 1975 Ford committment of planes to
came a sort of accusatory court. Some of his reactions desp-
Israel was in exchange for a quid pro quo Israeli
erately call for refutation. Arnold Forster, general counsel'
agreement to withdraw from vital strategic ter-
of the Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith, called him to
ritory in the Sinai. Israel promptly complied. This
task on one issue in which he challenged the Times corres-
Administration, nevertheless, thereafter tied this
pondent. Forster wrote:
independent commitment to a deal with the
Anthony Lewis has finally succeeded in turn-
Arabs. This dilutes the value of an American
ing the world on its head with respect to the
pledge.
Mideast.
Second: Anyone conversant with the Middle
In recent weeks he has written columns critical
East controversy knows that the Saudis are de-
of Israel and now follows with a favorable piece
termined that Jerusalem shall be returned to
on Syria, "The View From Damascus" (May 8).
Arab hands, hands which desecrated that Holy
Mr. Lewis argues that the Begin government is
City for 19 years and made it into an exclusive
standing in the way of peace, while the Assad
Moslem-controlled city from which Israelis were
regime is moderate, and playing a responsible
illegally barred. At the very least the President
role in bringing peace and stability to the Middle
should have extracted from the Saudis a pledge
East.
that they would modify their intractible attitude
Truly remarkable. Which nation — Israel or
on this question, one which will be another obsta-
Syria — refuses to sit down with the other to
cle on the road to peace. Long after the questions
negotiate, negotiations being the prime pre-
about the Sinai and the West Bank are settled (and
requisite for the making of peace? Syria, of
these will be when Sadat accepts that part of UN
course. Which nation's defense minister said
Resolution 242 which guarantees Israel secure
within the last seven months that the creation of
boundaries), the President and the Arabs can
the other constituted an act of aggression and that
then demand that an "intransigent" Israel yield
"we will never extend our hand to shake the
on Jerusalem.
treacherous and criminal hand stained with the
Third: The deal was sold to the American people
blood of our martyrs?" Syria, of course. Which
for what it is not, namely, a means of providing the
government declared within the past year that it
Saudis protection against the Russians, the Iraqis
will not recognize the other because there is "no
and the South Yemenites. Anyone with an ounce
international law, international charter or inter-
of intelligence knows that 60 Arab planes in the
national norm that forces a state to recognize
hands of the Saudis cannot hold off the Russian
another state?" Syria, of course.
air
force. The Saudis must rely upon the United
Yet Mr. Lewis speaks of a new Syrian "willing-
States to protect them from Russia and any other
ness to forget the past and live with Israel."
enemies
they may have in the Middle East except
To describe Syria's role in Lebanon as "neut-
the PLO which, as far as I know, has no air fields,
ral" and to assert that Israelis "would now like to
to say nothing of planes.
see the Syrians move farther south in Lebanon" is
The only sure result of the Administration's
to place a strange interpretation on events there.
Mideast plane deal is the likelihood of producing
Mr. Lewis and other Arab-appeasing elements
exactly that confrontation between the United
have been trying to sell us that the PLO are
States and Israel which Dr. Brzezinski has been
friendly moderates, that the Saudis are friendly
predicting since late1976 in a number of signific-
moderates, and now that Syria is a friendly mod-
ant interviews. That is not in the interest of either
erate. With all these friendly moderates, who
of these two vital democracies.
needs enemies?
It is doubtful whether it would have helped if Abram had
It is good that such voices are heard. Silence would
written
earlier. At least his convincing arguments are
be criminal in the instance of Israel, standing alone in an
atmosphere of hate in the United Nations and of an- now on the record.
The debate is still on. Now Abe Ribicoff suddenly
tagonism elsewhere.
emerges as a hero because he had the courage to criticize
Morris B. Abram Offers Some
Israel and her Prime Minister Menahem Begin. There are
other Jewish views on the subject— views either ignored or
Advice to President Carter
Few campaigners were as effective here in their support regrettably overlooked by Senator Ribicoff. Since news
of Presidential Candidate Jimmy Carter, in 1976, as Morris analysts and commentators are vying for opportunities to
glorify Ribicoff, let the Abram views be credited to rebuttal.
B. Abram.