THE JEWISH NEWS
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath. the 26th day of Tishri. 5742. the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion. Genesis 1:1-6:8. Prophetical portion. Isaiah 42:5-43!10.
Wednesday and Thursday, Rosh Hodesh Heshvan
Numbers 28:1-15.
Candle lighting, Friday, October 23, &19 p.m.
VOL. WOOL No. 8
Page Four
Friday, October 23, 1981
COMFORT IN JUDGMENT
Many a Daniel has come to judgment in these
turbulent times for the world, for the United
States as a major factor drawn into the Middle
East disputes, for Israel as a target and for Jew-
ry's cousins in the Islamic world who make the
target the scapegoat.
Any wonder, therefore, that former Presi-
dents of the United States should Inive provided
comfort for Israel's enemies in an issue which is
only partially Jewish-affected but which could
be a major concern for the peace of an area
whence often have developed world conflicts?
The Wall Street Journal had a definition for
the manner in which three ex-Presidents
utilized a tragic moment in history during
which to encourage credibility, even if it is done
without intent of malice, for Israel's mortal
enemies. In its issue of Oct. 13, the Wall Street
Journal stated under the title "Funeral Post-
script":
"Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were riding
back from Cairo on the same plane Saturday,
when they loosened their shirt collars and cal-
led in the reporters. Before you knew it, they
came out in favor of the U.S. talking with the
Palestine Liberation Organization, one of the
outfits that cheered the assassination of the
man whose funeral the two had just attended.
Being out of office must be more dulling to polit-
ical instincts, and the sense of appropriateness,
than we had imagined."
In a matter of such vast seriousness, under
conditions when the nation is told that a Presi-
dent's pledge cannot be broken, the administra-
tive judgment therefore being that a President
can't be wrong, it is most distressing that those
adhering to the right to differ must keep on
drawing for supporting opinions. It is under
such compulsions, therefore, that the New York
Times, surely not a propagandist for Israel,
must be quoted again.
The Times said on Oct. 11:
"The Reagan Administration demeans its
tribute by making the contest over AWACS a
posthumous referendum on Mr. Sadat — a fran-
tic effort to court the Saudis, who disown e d him
and denounced his noblest act. Other Ameri-
cans have run past the bier with equal haste to
exploit the murder for their denunciations of
Israeli intransigence or Soviet-sponsored ter-
rorism.
"The death of large men should have mean-
ing. But it will not be found in the familiar -
political preocupations of the day. This slain
Egyptian leader defied the conventions of his
time. He merits a higher place in memory."
Such assertions are not as comforting as the
composition of the Congressional opposition to
the AWACS proposals. Congress did not sub-
scribe to the theory that a President and his
Administration can do no wrong. They over-
whelmed such a viewpoint.
And since those who lack either vision or good
feelings introduced the Jewish issue into a seri-
ous matter affecting the peace of a vital area,
the factor to be called comforting is the mem-
bership of Congress and its actions. Taking into
account the fact that perhaps 85 percent of those
who voted on the issue in the U.S. House of
Representatives come from states with practi-
cally no Jewish population to speak of, some
with Jews numbering less than two percent of
the citizens, there is comfort in the judgment
being pronounced.
The vote in the House was indicative of a
conviction of the injustice of the AWACS prop-
osal. A majority of Republicans disagreed with
President Reagan with 108 against and 78 sup-
porting the President. In the Democratic ranks,
the vote was 193 to 33 on the question.
Therefore the declaration, once again, that
the AWACS conflagration was not entirely in-
flamed by and for Jews and Israel, that it is a
matter involving the security of an entire area
and the role of the United States; that the dan-
gers implicit in the situation cannot be glossed
over by declaring that an administration in
power can do no wrong.
There is the right to differ and also the com-
pulsion to judge properly. Hopefully, the faith in
the good judgment of the Congress of the United
States will be sustained. Therein lies genuine
comfort.
UNSULLIED HUMANITY
A survivor from Nazism, whose family justice. Hopefully, his labors for decency will
perished in the Holocaust, struck a victory over not be curtailed by the bigots.
The occurence in Los Angeles, which necessi-
the inhuman acts which could be perpetuated if
tated court action in rejection of the lowest form
the Hitler terror were not fully exposed.
of
bigotry, serves to retain concern over the gen-
The tragic horror of the denial of the bar-
erally recurring evidence of remaining symp-
barities by people residing in this free land
toms of hatred that was generated by Hitlerism.
compelled Mel Mermelstein to seek justice in
Even the few who keep clamoring for the
the American courts. He found it. The ruling in
right
to demonstrate, to organize parades of
Los Angeles may not end the trends in bigoted
the
brown-shirted and the Nazi-uniformed,
minds, but it will encourage those seeking truth
must be viewed as menacing because they stem
not to yield to the unfortunate pressures which
were exerted in an effort to prevent Mermels- from the supporters of the bestialties that
counted some 12 million victims, including six
tein from acting against the Nazi spirit en-
million Jews.
dorsed by misled, hard-hearted Americans.
It is the rejection of anything aligned with
It was not enough that mankind should have
been submitted to the brutalities of Nazism. An such a resurgence of inhumanities that must'be
taken into account in the applause for the cour-
American group seeks support for the in-
humanities. Mermelstein sought and secured age of Mel Mermelstein.
4 "6
.-IrAl
f: 111 •111■
"ir „
Doubleday Volume
`Jewish People's Almanac'
Fulfills Encyclopedic Needs
David C. Gross has to his credit many informative books which
have merited acclaim as historical compendiums. His "The Jewish
People's Almanac" (Doubleday) covers so much ground that its 600
pages, packed with facts, merits being described as encyclopedic.
Gross will speak here during the annual Book Fair Nov. 16.
Many of the most fascinating per-
sonalities in Jewish ranks, heroes who
have rescued Jews, those who have Made
great discoveries that have benefited
mankind, are in the ranks of the notables
selected for accounting here.
Robert Leydenfrost illustrated this
unusual book, catching the spirit of the
entertaining as well as the informative.
Most of the items in this interesting
collection are initialed by the contribut-
ing writers.
Many -important authors are credited
with being contributors to this volume. In
that list appear the names of Rabbi Mor-
ris Adler, David Ben-Gurion, Isaac
Bashevis Singer, Robert St. John, Ab-
raham Katsh, Jacob R. Marcus, Albert
DAVID GROSS
Einstein, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain,
Harry S. Truman, Philip Slomovitz, Allen Worsen and more than 100
others.
Israel and America, Jewish laws and traditions, the Holocaust
and its horrors and related Jewish tragedies, covering the world-
scenes with unique accounts of historical experiences — this is just a
brief glance at contents that are certain to enchant readers in all
strata of life. That includes the non-Jew as well as the Jew. Although
it is a Jewish almanac, it has an appeal of such fascination that every
enlightened person seeking information and desiring to enjoy his
reading will find this a very great collection of unusual facts and
stories.
The late Rabbi Morris Adler is rep-
resented in this volume in his article
"The Second Only to the Bible: The
Story of the Mishna and Its Compiler."
It is from Rabbi Adler's "The
World of the Talmud." It is one of the
lengthier articles in the impressive
collection of essays.
Allen Warsen's article in this vol-
ume is entitled "Are the American In-
dians a Lost Tribe of Israel?" excerpted
from Michigan Jewish History.
"The Man Behind Hatikva" by
Philip Slomovitz is excerpted from The
Jewish News.
Thus, legend and history, facts
and unusual items that read like fic-
tion, heroism and martyrdom, corn-
RABBI ADLER
bine to make "The-Ye-wish People's
Almanac- a work that will enchant and inform.