THE JEWISH NEWS
(USPS 275 520)
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20, 1951
Member of American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers and National Editorial Association and
Affiliate Member of National Newspaper Association and Capital Club.
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
ALAN HITSKY'
News Editor
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
HEIDI PRESS
Associate News Editor
DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 29th day of Heshvan, 5741, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Genesis 25:19-28:9. Prophetical portion, I Samuel 20:18-42.
Sunday, Rosh Hodesh Kislev, Numbers 28:1-15.
Candle lighting, Friday, Nov. 7, 5:01 p.m.
VOL. LXXVIII, No. 10
Page Four
•
Friday, Nov. 7, 1980
CJF 9 S PROGRAM OF ACTION
The representative character of an assembly
attended by spokesmen for practically every
Jewish community in the land, whether it is one
composed of a minyan or with a citizenry run-
ning into New York's millions, gains added sig-
nificance in the obligations and programming
planned in behalf of American and world Jew-
ries.
It is not an exaggeration to
state that every aspect of
Jewish life, the domestic inter-
ests of the Jews of America and
the concerns over the needs of
CIIIIIICIL If JEWISH frasunaus
fellow Jews throughout the
world, are included in the objec-
tives of the 49th General As-
sembly of the Council of Jewish Federations to
be held here for an entire week's deliberations.
agn Genets Asser,.,
Oeuat k•cmgan • wt.
∎ 2• ■ 6
An official summary of this General Assem-
bly to be hosted by Metropolitan Detroit Jewry
introduces the objectives which will dominate
the program as follows:
• The possibilities for peace in the Mid-
dle East in the post-Afghanistan era.
• Struggle for Soviet Jewry in a radi-
cally changed world situation.
• Responsibilities of Israel and North
American Jewry for the resettlement of
Soviet Jews.
• The new national-local collaboration
in planning for the 1981 Campaigns.
• Strengthening the Jewish family: de-
veloping a community si_pport system.
• Energy conservation and dollar sav-
ings.
• Federation endowment fund de-
velopment.
• Federation I isessional personnel.
• BudgE ting: a practical seminar for
chairmen or allocations committees.
• Continuing partnership between
government and voluntary sectors in
meeting human needs.
• Jewish culture and Jewish commu-
nity services.
• Jewish education.
• Federation-synagogue relations.
The many hundreds of knowledgeable par-
ticipants in discussions relating to communal
needs and to Israel's security will be heartened
by such an extensive outline presented to the
delegates for their consideration and analysis.
The fact is that General Assembly programs
give priority to education on the over-all
schedule of responsibilities and to Israel's
status as a basis for global overviews relating to
the Jewish position in the world.
Israel's representatives, those who direct the
philanthropic appeals in support of Israel's so-
cial and educational agencies and the lay people
charged with the duties of assisting in such pro-
gramming are the discussants whose views are
vital to the planning which then is conducted by
federations throughout the land to put into ac-
tion the attitudes expressed in General Assem-
bly symposia.
The presence of Israel Prime Minister
Menahem Begin at the oncoming sessions lends
added significance to the conferences which will
gain special status in the participation of noted
personalities.
CJF General Assembly sessions are always
attended by delegations from European and
Latin American countries. This will again be a
policy this year and the General Assembly dele-
gates will have opportunities to share experi-
ences with the Jewries of Israel and throughout
the world.
The duties developing from the approaching
sessions are not to be minimized. They carry
with them the devotion that comes from well-
organized communities and the needs which
call for action in their f Lfillment.
The host Jewish cor—inunity has cause to be
complimented by the presence of responsible
American Jewish leadership, representing the
federations of the United States and Cana( a.
Tliere is cause for deep appreciation for the r( e
Metropolitan Detroit plays on the extensh
front of services in behalf of world Jewry. At the
same time there are duties to be adhered to
when the General Assembly will have finalized
its actions. The record for services carries with
it a pledge that these responsibilities will be
fulfilled.
HOSTING THE GA
Hospitality in the best sense of the term has
marked the manner in which Jewish com-
munities, in the United States and in Canada,
have been welcoming the thousands of dele-
grates who assemble in their cities for the Coun-
oil of Jewish Federations General Assembly
sessions.
This will be repeated next week when the
General Assembly convenes here in planning
sessions on major Jewish issues.
The hundreds of Detroit women serving on
the welcoming and hospitality committees,
under the general chairmanship of Dulcie
Rosenfeld have many precedents to adhere to.
The planned sessions, as the programmatic
agenda appearing in this issue indicates, will
keep the delegates occupied through long days
and evenings, and the reception rooms will pro-
vide the temporary relief needed between ses-
sions.
The Metropolitan Detroit planning commit-
tee is guided by established practices. Emulat-
ing the hospitality with which the thousands of
delegates had been welcomed to communities
that previously hosted General Assembly ses-
sions, the Detroit programs will include the so-
cial functions as well as the religious services.
The dignity with which such events have been
accorded again will surely be in evidence here
as a result of commendable planning. The
Warukh Haba, the welcome to each delegate,
will surely add to the importance of the most
important conference on American Jewry's
agenda.
It is the entire community of Metropolitan
Detroit Jewry that will serve as the host, pro-
viding hospitality for the guests. The sociability
spells Welcome to all who will come here for the
important event.
Dr. Baron's History, Religion
Series Reaches New Heights
The major Jewish literary achievement of this century retains
the significance of continuity with another important volume just
issued by Columbia University Press jointly with the Jewish Publica-
tion Society of America.
Dr. Salo Wittmayer Baron, the eminent academician who for 33
years headed the Columbia University department of Jewish studies
whence emerged many of the most distinguished Jewish scholars,
continues his "A Social and Religious History of the Jews" with the
17th volume just issued under the joint publishing auspices.
This immensely valuable library shelf remains the guide for
scholars, for teachers and students.
The current work deals with the "Late Middle Ages and Era of
European Expansion, 1200 to 1615."
Reviewing the history of Jewry in the Byzantine period, leading
up to modern times, Dr. Baron goes into detail, analyzing events that
affected conditions in Spain and North Africa that governed immigra-
tion to the Middle East.
The interest that was aroused in the
tragic Jewish experiences of this cen-
tury become more understandable in
these analyses of Jewish settlements
in Eastern Europe and the initial
growth and eventual deterioration of
the communities whose history_ ,,ig-
nificance is described in the Baron
studies.
Commencing with the 13th Cen-
tury, tracing the events under the
roles of the various regimes, the curb-
ing of the earlier Byzantine empire,
inroads by the Crusaders, give cre-
dence to a most thorough research of
events that effected the life of the Jews
under these rulers.
Dr. Baron points out that "the two
DR. SALO W. BARON
and a half centuries of Mamaluk rule
were a sad chapter in the history of Middle Eastern Jewry. Although
vicissitudes during that period compared rather favorably with the
tragic destinies of the West European Jews, they presented a sorry
interlude between the flourishing Jewish life under the great
Fatimide Caliphates on the one hand, and that under the Ottomfa
Empire on the other."
He points to sporadic anti-Jewish riots. The study indicates the
socio-political life of the rulers in that era.
The roles of Jews under the Mamaluks enrich the available his-
torical material made available in the Baron studies. While Jews had
attained high roles ic these regimes, there were the constant dangers
attributable to the conditions of the times and the fact that Jews were
more often subject to selection for prejudicial treatment.
Dr. Baron also points to the spiritual isolation of Islam and "the
obverse of this condition was growing spiritual isolation of the reli-
gious minorities. No longer did Jewish intellectuals make significant
contributions to Arabic letters and sciences, nor were they for that
matter very creative in fields of Jewish learning."
The massive accumulation of facts and historic experiences be-
come apparent in the 135 pages of notes appended to this volume of
434 pages.
The latest volume in Dr. Baron's "A Social and Religious History
of the Jews" is among the most notable contributions to Jewish
studies and the researched facts in this work add to the memorable
status of the entire continuing series.