THE JEWISH NEWS .75520,

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
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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Business Manager

_

ALAN HITSKY

HEIDI PRESS

News Editor

Associate News Editor

DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the 25th day of Av, 5739, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 54:11-55:5.

Thursday and Aug. 24, Rosh Hodesh Elul, Numbers 28:1-15

Candlelighting, Friday, Aug. 17, 8:12 p.m.

VOL. LXXV, No. 24

Page Four

Friday, August 17, 1979

SHAME AND GUILT OF EVIAN

-

Vice President Walter F. Mondale performed clared intellectuals and merchants to be unde-
a confessional for the nation and for many other sirable new citizens.
One nation feared that the influx of Jews
peoples in his address at the United Nations
Conference on Indochinese refugees in Geneva. would arouse anti-Semitic feelings. And one
The Vice President turned back the pages of delegate said this: As we have no real racial
history to recall a similar conference, also in problem, we are not desirous of importing one.'
"As the delegates left Evian, Hitler again
Geneva, the notorious Evian Conference on ref-
ugees, when the Fuhrer defied the world, in his goaded the other world' for 'oozing sympathy
verdict of death for Jewry, and the world failed for the poor, tormented people, but remaining
to come to the rescue of the victims of Nazism._ hard and obdurate when it comes to helping
Mr. Mondale pointed out, while contrasting them.' Days later, the 'final solution to the
the situation then with the one today for which Jewish problem' was conceived, and soon the
he demanded an avoidance of the inhumanities night closed in." '
Therefore, the Vice President appealed that
that were decided upon at Evian:
At stake at Evian were both human lives— this generation, having before it the lesson of
and the decency and self-respect of the civilized the Holocaust, should not be "heirs to the
world. If each nation at Evian had agreed on shame" of Evian.
that day to take in 17,000 Jews at once, every „ It is heartening to know that the Carter Ad-
Jew in the Reich could have been saved. As one ministration is spearheading the major tasks of
American observer wrote, It is heartbreaking rescuing the refugees from Vietnam, Laos and
to think of the .. desperate human beings .. . Kampuchea. The lesson of Evian stands the
waiting in suspense for what happens at Evian. world in good stead and every person with a
But the question they underline is not simply human conscience will applaud the Vice
President's declaration and hope:
humanitarian . . . it is a test of civilization.'
"History will not forgive us if we fail. History
At Evian, they began with high hopes. But
will not forget us if we succeed."
they failed the test of civilization.
Mr. Mondale excoriated the scorn of Evian"
"The civilized world hid in a cloak _of
legalisms. Two nations said they had reached and condemned the legacy of shame."
While the scorn of Evian" is being erased its
the saturation point for Jewish refugees. Four
memory
lingers on. A calloused generation was
nations said they would accept experienced ag-
ricultural workers only. One would only accept responsible for the Holocaust. Its guilt is in-
immigrants who had been baptized. Three de- erasable.

CREDIBILITY TESTED

A revived spate of rumors and speculations
- about a rift in Israel's relations with the United
States has engulfed the media. Sparking the
mounting interpretation of the American atti-
tudes relating to the role of the PLO, the credij
bility accorded to Arafat, the dignifying of the
terrorist leader in Vienna and numerous re-
lated incidents involving the negotiations con-
ducted by spokesmen for Israel, are factors
stemming from Arab-Communist-Third World
projections for measures unquestionably aimed
at Israel's position in the Middle East.
Long-range experiences of oft-repeated plots
to denigrate Israel's role in the Middle East
emanate in what must be anticipated as an his-
torical lesson of assurance that the deep-rooted
U.S:-Israel friendship cannot be undermined as
easily as the emphasis now even on rifts might
indicate. The nation that is overwhelmed by
forces aiming at its destruction refuses to con-
sider itself abandoned to the destroyers.
Israel has a right to hold fast to the view that
the American tradition of fair play will not be
forfeited.
There is too much at stake for this country in
the Middle East to be undercut even under pres-
sure from the oil-soaked areas whence stem the
antagonisms to the very existence of the Jewish
state.
Nevertheless, the issues raised must be
vie-wed with the utmost seriousness. Too much
has already been said questioning American
credibility, in view of the gestures in many
quarters to provide substance for claims that
the terrorist factions are gaining recognition

among Americans and that such legitimizing of
the PLO has become an international trend.
Much — too much! — is at stake for silence in
matters involving not only the security of Israel
but also the tranquility of the Israel-Egyptian
accord and perhaps the peace of the world. The
anxieties over oil have affected the actions of
the world powers, not least among them the
U.S. Therefore, defense of Israel's rights and the
justice of a people's right to exist and to act in its
own defense must be emphasized to the
President and to all surrounding him in the
foreign affairs policies of this government.
A factor not to be ignored is the role of the UN
in an era when passions are aroused by the
anti-Israel elements, the polluting of the high-
est principles that were the aims of the world
organization continues, and discussions are
packed in advance with pre-arranged decisions
intended to destroy Israel. Israel's refusal to be
guided by this type of organization where every
planned resolution must concur with aims to
destroy Israel is understandable and should be
upheld. Every effort for peace must be made
outside the poisoned atmosphere of the UN.
This is one of the most unfortunate develop-
ments in the world crises.
President Carter and Secretary of State
Vance have emerged firm in assurances that
the U.S. policy negating the PLO pressures will
be adhered to. The test will come at the UN
Security Council when the Kuwait proposal to
amend Resolution 242 is considered. Yet the
blackmail threats remain major as aspects to be
contended with and are not to be ignored.

.

Behrman House Volume

Definitive Book Explaining
All the Aspects of Judaism

"The Many Faces of Judaism" by Gilbert S. Rosenthal (Behrman
House) is a definitive book. It succeeds in an effort of impartiality in
dealing with Orthodoxy, Reform and Conservative branches of
Judaism.
Edited by Seymour Rossell, this collection of essays on Jewish
observances has the added advantage of the double-checking by two
men knowledgeable on the subjects dealt with to assure accuracy in'
approaches to what could otherwise be viewed as being biased toward
the facets of American Judaism.
In addition to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstruc-
tionist Judaism as topics for this book, there is also a section "Jewish
Mysticism and Hasidism."
Thus, there is a totality of interest in this evaluative account. The
differences are evident, but they are treated with respect.
The author gives an account of Jewish life in America, the growth
of synagogue activities, the large number of rabbis, the student bodies
in universities. It proceeds to indicate that it is not difficult to live the
Jewish life, that more are observing kashrut, that the impossible of 20
years ago, for example the wearing of a yarmulke on a college campus,
is acceptable and normal now.
Therefore, the concluding admonition:
The Torah has been compared to a tree of life for those who cling
to it. No matter what choice you make, no matter which Jewish option
you select, it can be your tree of life — if only you will cling to it."
Extensively illustrated, "The Many Faces of Judaism" gains in
value in the scores of illustrations accompanying the essays. Included
are historic documents and the photos of the most noted leaders in all
the facts of American Judaism.

,

New Viking Book

`Adventures of Yemima'
Translated from the Hebrew

More than 40 years ago, Abraham Soyer published a series
stories, in Hebrew, about Yemima, who now becomes the heroine
book in translation by Rebecca Soyer and Rebecca Beagle. The ne
Viking book containing these six stories is beautifully illustrated by
Raphael Soyer.
It is in "The Adventures of Yemima" (Viking Junior Books) that
the young readers will find cheerful narrations of a young girl's
exciting experiences well-told in a commendable translation from an
original that was popular four decades ago.
It is like a family involvement, drawing upon the eminence of a
Hebrew story-teller, reproducing his tales into English and portray-
ing them in expressive illustrations.
The translators are daughter and daughter-in-law of the author
who, until his death in 1940, was a Hebrew teacher in New York
schools and at Yeshiva University, and had written in Yiddish for the
now defunct Morning Journal and Tag.
Yemima's adventures are a little girl's experiences, making the
imaginary appear as real. The dreamer girl relates to nature. The
stories are about foxes, describing the outwitting of a wolf, out-foxing
a fox. Fishes and rabbits have their roles in a story about a girl whose
imagination excites the interest of young readers who will delight in
reading the Soyer stories.