THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
22 Friday, May 21; 1982
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`Forward' Celebrates 85 Years
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By BORIS SMOLAR
(Editor-in-chief emeritus, JTA)
(Copyright 1982, JTA, Inc.)
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The celebration this
weekend of the 85th an-
niversary of the Jewish
Daily Forward — the only
Yiddish daily newspaper in
the U.S. — marks a mile-
stone in American Jewish
history.
There was a time — about
50 years ago — when more
than a dozen Yiddish daily
newspapers were published
in this country. Seven of
them were in New York, in-
cluding a tabloid-size eve-
ning paper; three were pub-
lished simultaneously in
Chicago, which had at that
time the largest Jewish
community in the U.S. next
to New York. Yiddish daily
newspapers were published
also in Philadelphia and in
Cleveland. The Forward
survived all of them.
The Forward is still the
bible today of the genera-
tion of immigrant Jews
whom the paper helped to
find their way in this coun-
try. The paper is highly re-
spected also by young
American Jews of the sec-
ond and third generations,
even if they cannot read
Yiddish. The role which this
paper — and its editor Ab-
raham Cahan — played in
assisting the generation of
immigrants to fight the
"sweat shops" in which
many of them worked, in
strengthening the fledgling
trade labor unions, in serv-
ing as their adviser in var-
ious family problems, and in
adjusting themselves to
American life, is reflected in
numerous English books
and social work in this
country.
Way back in the 1930s,
when the New York Federa-
tion of Jewish Philan-
thropies established its
School for Social Work to
train students for profes-
sionals in Jewish institu-
tions, it produced a
mimeographed volume of
letters originally written in
Yiddish by readers of the
Forward asking the paper
for advice on family and so-
cial problems they were fac-
ing.
The letters, translated by
the school into English, be-
came a part of the cur-
riculum of the school. -
These bittersweet letters
— and the responses they
drew from the legendary
advice column in paper
— were popular as a daily
feature in the Forward, ap-
pearing under the title "A
Bintel Brief' (A Bundle of
Letters").
Today, the Forward is
compelled to appeal to the
readers for financial assis-
tance. Individual readers
from all parts of the country
and Canada are-responding
with contributions.
The quality of the paper,
now ably edited by F --
Weber, a member of ti
editorial staff for many
years, is still journalisti-
cally very high, but the job
of editing it becomes more
and more difficult with
every year because of a de-
cline in qualified Yiddish
journalists. Older writers
are retiring and there are no
young journalists with suf-
ficient Jewish background
and knowledge of Yiddish to
replace them.
The Sunday edition of the
Forward now has an
English supplement, seek-
ing, as a family paper, to
gain the interest of the
young readers.
Bonn Committee to Launch
Drive Against Neo-Nazis
BONN (JTA) — A special
committee of the ruling So-
cial Democratic Party
(SPD) has recommended a
series of activities to
counter rightwing ex-
tremists in West Germany.
The group, established by
the SPD's central commit-
tee, intends to launch a
major public campaign
against neo-Nazism begin-
ning Jan. 1, the 50th an-
niversary of Hitler's ascen-
sion to power.
According to the recom-
mendations, SPD • members
throughout the country will
be mobilized to participate
in the campaign which will
include a thorough study of
Jewish Community Center Day Camp is fun. It's
sports; it's art; it's nature; it's friendship. More than
just a day camp, it's the chance to expose your
child to the fullness and richness of life. And it's
worth every penny you spend. (The camp brochure
has more details, including information about daily
neighborhood to camp busing and the 2 different
4-week sessions.)
Full-Day Camp—Kindergarten through Sixth
Grade. Young children will get so much out of a
day...swimming, outdoor games, nature, arts and
crafts, dramatics, a special appreciation of their
Jewish heritage, and much more.
Half-Day Camp—Pre-School and Kindergarten.
Half-day camp activities will be long remembered.
Sessions are planned around weekly Jewish themes,
and also include stories. field trips, games, crafts,
swimming and more.
....
Five different special camps—Fifth through
Tenth Grades. Here, daily swimming activities are
only part of the fun!
Tennis and Sports. Tennis, soccer, racquetball,
softball, and a whole range of fun, fitness sports.
Gymnastics and Dance. Modem and jazz dancing,
aerobic dancing, gymnastic floor work, tumbling,
vaulting, balance beam, and uneven parallel bars.
Sailing. Children learn seamanship, racing
techniques, boat maintenance, all with kids their age.
A unique program for seventh through tenth grades.
Safari. Learning about Metropolitan Detroit is
interesting, and fun! Adventures include the Wave
Pool, the FBI, an automobile factory, a newspaper
and more.
Teen Caravan. Here's a way for teens to enjoy the
high points of interest and excitement around
Detroit, too.
If all this looks like a lot of fun to you, come into the
Jewish Community Center for further information, or call
661-1000 ". 251
or 252.
U.S. May Renew
Strategic Talks
With Israel
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Political circles confirmed
reports that the United
States is about to renew the
Memorandum of Under-
standing on strategic coop-
eration between Israel and
the U.S. which was sus-
pended last year following
Israel's extension of civilian
law to the Golan Heights.
According to government
sources, Secretary of State
Alexander Haig sent Pre-
mier Menahem Begin a let-
ter in which he mentioned
the need to discuss the re-
newal of the memorandum.
Haig said this should be
one of the topics to be dis-
cussed during the forthcom-
ing visit of Defense Minister
Ariel Sharon to Washing-
ton. Sharon is to address the
annual meeting of the
United Jewish Appeal na-
tional leadership confer-
ence next week and is ex-
pected to meet with Ad-
ministration officials then.
German organizations
which resisted the Nazis
during the Third Reich; a
score of anti-Nazi demon-
strations with thousands of
SPD members visiting
former concentration camps
and other sites that are re-
minders of Nazi barbarism;
and the publication of books
dealing with anti-
Semitism, hatred against
foreigners and other aspects
of neo-Nazism.
U.S. Warns UN
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Congress last week adopted
a resolution warning the
United Nations of U.S.
sanctions if the General As-
sembly or any UN agency
expelled Israel.
The Senate approved the
measure in April. The
House vote last week was
401-3.
The three Representa-
tives who voted against the
House resolution were John
Conyers (D-Mich.), Robert
Kastenmeier (D-Wisc.) and
Gus Savage (D-Ill.).
Forest Is Tribute
to Mountbatten
JERUSALEM (JTA)
More than 1,000 people, 1
cluding Countes.,
Mountbatten, took part in a
ceremony near Migdal
Haemek last week inau-
gurating a JNF forest in
memory of Lord Mountbat-
ten of Burma.
JNF chairman Moshe
Rivlin said the forest would
be one of several in Israel
commemorating front-line
British statesmen who
played a key role in Israel's
history.
Every delay is hateful,
but it gives wisdom.