.,311115 6 Friday, June 1, 1919 Major American oil com- panies threw their support to the Arab cause during the AsO NW• K o li o THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 1973 war. This resulted in a weakening of U.S. support for Israel. Only the very best in hand-painted originals • Original Oriental Designs • Original Contemporary Designs • Copies of the Old Masters • 25% Off all Canvases (Yarns Included) Located under one roof at T. H. Grant Wiesel's 'Trial of God' Parable of Theology By ALLEN A. WARSEN Eli Wiesel's latest book, "The Trial of God" (Random House), a play in three acts, was translated by Marion Wiesel. Highest dollars paid for your diamonds, gold, or antique -- jewelry!!! CALL FOR APPOINTMENT 851-7333 851-7333 Lisc. by State of Mich. Northwestern Farmington Hills 31313 • trAElea Piaget • Manufacturers of Original & Unusual Creations Authorized Appraisers • Estate Liquidators _ • Jewelry Designers 851-7333 31313 Northwestern ' Farmington Hills °CITIZEN • Manufacturers of Original & Unusual Creations Authorized Appraisers • Estate Liquidators • Jewelry Designers 851-7333 31313 Northwestern Farmington Hills -kccor_yom X•■■ ■ • XIDD I -AFL ,11111•1111! As the title page notes, the trial "was held on Feb. 25, 1649 in Shamgorod." The characters include Be- rish, Mendel, Avremel, Yankel, Maria and Sam. The performance takes place in the inn owned by Berish on the outskirts of Shamgorod, the City of Sham, where the entire Jewish population perished in a pogrom. The name Shamgorod is reminiscent of Hayim Nahman Bialik's_ "Beir Haharegah," "In the City of Slaughter." The play presents a "Din Toire" (trial) of God who is accused of being merciless, causing suffer- ing, and held responsible for the raped Jewish women and the murder of innocent children. Berish, the innkeeper, is the prosecutor ("someone nice who has the right to be nasty"); the Purimspieler (minstrels) are the judges; ROLEX • Manufacturers of Original & Unusual Creations Authorized Appraisers • Estate Liquidators • Jewelry Designers 851-7333 31313 Northwestern Farmington Hills PATEK-PHILIPPE • Manufacturers of Original & Unusual Creations Authorized Appraisers • Estate Liquidators • Jewelry Designers 851-7333 31313 Northwestern Farmington Hills and the waitress Maria re- presents the people. The trial takes place on Purim and replaces the tra- ditional "Purimspiels." (Purim plays) "Esther Hamalka" (Queen Esther), "Mkhirat Yosef" (the Sale of Joseph) and "Akedat Yits hok" (the Sacrifice of Isaac). The innkeeper deliber- ately chose the role of pro- secutor to be able "to shout, yell, blame, insult, de- n-ounce, frighten whomever ELI WIESEL I please." The court (the judges), Father in Heaven?" unable to find a defense Similarly profound and attorney ("someone who insightful are these ex- has the right to lie and changes: flatter the liars"), is in a state of great perplexity. Defender: "You are using It maintains, "You may images, let me add mine. judge someone in his ab- When human beings kill sence but not in the ab- one another, where is God to sence of his attorney." be found? You see him The prosecutor blames among the killers. I find God for the court's inability Him among the victims." to find a defender because Prosecutor: "He — a He killed His defenders, "massacred His friends and victim? A victim is power- allies!" . . . and "could have less; is He powerless? He taken care of those who is almighty, isn't He? He loved Him with all their could use His might to hearts and believed in Him save the victims, but He alone! Whose fault is it if the doesn't! So — on whose earth has become inhabited side is He? Could the kil- by assassins — by assassins ler kill without His bless- ing — without His com- alone?" Fortunately, the court's plicity?" dilemma has been solved by Toward the end of the the sudden appearance of trial, the presiding judge, Sam, God's emissary, who anticipating another pog- asserts, "I visit His creation rom, announces, ". . . if I had and bring stories back to to pronounce a verdict right Him. I see all things. I now, it would be, I think, watch all men. I cannot do influenced by Berish, the all I want, but I can undo all innkeeper . . . The verdict things." will be announced by some- The presiding judge one else, at a later stage. For promises, "Justice will be the trial will continue — done." without us." The views expressed by the prosecutor and the at- Menten Is Told torney mirror the concerns of the Jewish people and are to Stand Trial illustrated by these drama- AMSTERDAM (JTA) — tic passages: The Dutch Supreme Court "I — Berish, Jewish in- has ordered a re-trial for nkeeper of Shamgorod — Pieter Menten, a rich art accuse Him of hostility, collector who had earlier cruelty, and indifference. been released from charges Either. He dislikes His of war crimes and the mur- chosen people or He der of 30 Polish Jewish de- doesn't care about them portees. The court decided — period! But then, why after hearing a prosecution has He chosen us — why. appeal that Menten had not not someone else, for a produced conclusive evi- change? Either He knows dence to show that he had what's happening to us, been promised an amnesty or He doesn't wish to in the early 1950s as he had know! In both cases He is claimed. ... He is ... guilty! Yes, Hundreds of spectators guilty!" including many former, con- The defender: "Oh, I do centration camp inmates not dispute the events, but I applauded and cheered consider them to be highly when the decision was read irrelevent to the case before this week. Menten himself us, Your Honor. I do not said he is ready to stand a deny that blood was shed new trial "and am sure I and that life was extin- shall be acquitted again." guished, but I am asking the Menten will be 80 on Satur- question: Who is to blame day. for all that? After all, the After the decision was situation seems to me sim- ple indeed: men and women read many of the spectators and children were mas- marched to a Jewish war sacred by other men. Why memorial where they laid a involve, why implicate their wreath. JEWISH