THE JEWISH NEWS (USPS 275-52W Incorporating. The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20, 1951 Copyright © The Jewish News Publishing Co. Member of American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, National Editorial Association and National Newspaper Association and its Capital Club. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publi -shing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Jewish News, 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription $15 a year. 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 second day of Elul, 5742, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9. Prophetical portion, Isaiah 51:12-52:12. Candlelighting, Friday, Aug. 20, 8:07 p.m. VOL. LXXXI, No. 25 Page Four Friday, Aug. 20, 1982:- . A PLEA FOR FAIR PLAY Cleansing of the air, and of people's minds, is now in demand and must be placed on the inter- national agenda. Ten weeks of spreading prejudices, a long period of pinpointing a scapegoat in the image of a prime minister, revival of medieval bigotries that accompanied these developments, all the experiences of a bloody conflict combine to call for a halt to venom and the consideration of the values that have always been defined as fair play in the American experience. Just as there is more than one side to any controversy, so also has there been two sides to the manner in which the Lebanese crisis was reported. Often, however, it was the Israeli who was portrayed as "a villain," and the leader of the element responsible for the terror that had spread as a cancer was pictured fondling a child. While mosques, schools, libraries and even hospitals were used for storage of massive arms, mostly supplied by the Soviet Union, Israel, the target for attack with these armaments, was expected to sit by meekly. Out of it emerged the horror labeled Beirut and the destruction and loss of life which is so deplorable that there aren't sufficient words to describe it. In the process of these developments there was and is a growth bf hatred, and escalation of terrorism, an extension of anti-Semitism. What is occurring in France is not new. It is a continuity that began long before L'Affaire Dreyfus and the elements that were marked by the Vichy France regime. There is no longer a disputing of the reality of an anti-Israelism that has become anti- Semitism. It creates new challenges and will, in the course of history, redound to the discredit of those who embrace the anti-Semites. Many names can be appended to those who become darlings of the spreaders of prejudice. Some are simply misled because they have not studied all the facts and are not relating to truth which is the root of justice. A John Chancellor and a Carl Rowan could and should know better than to give comfort to the enemies of fair play. Jews like Noam Chomsky, I.F. Stone, Philip Klutznick and their associates are expected to give a better opportunity to the quest for fair play. This is the present objective: to appeal for fair play, to ask that deviations in whatever form should not serve as means to undermine the good-will that must predominate in American ranks. It is unfortunate that the Congressman from Mount Clemens should have changed course from friendship for Israel into animosity after a week's stay in Israel and in Lebanon, appar- ently being influenced by the leader of the PLO, failing to exercise patience to see for himself what the atmosphere is actually like. Hope- fully, he will see the light of day. Time could be a healer. There is an even more serious concern. It is in the ranks of the Michigan community, it is in the apparent divisiveness in the Metropolitan Detroit area, where bias has become a guideline for some elements. It is the friendship of the black and Jewish communities that is of urgent concern at this time. Zionist leadership in this community exer- cised respectability and proper approach to dif- fering views by demonstrating them to Islamic delegations meeting here. There were differing views and they were presented peacefully. The interpreters uttered them with dignity. There were the opposite views at the sessions of Islamic dignitaries from many lands. Injected, however, was a note marked- by threats, by warnings based on a divisive ap- proach. There was an effort on the part of spokesmen for the black community to advocate a fusion of blacks and Muslims into a war on Israel. Such efforts spell trouble and they com- pel this appeal for fair play based on common sense, so that a good neighborliness should not be spoiled, so that the hatreds that develop into racist animosities should never be permitted to gain root in a great community of fellow Ameri- cans. What is viewed here as a menace could be rejected as an exaggeration, as an unjustified fear, had it not been for the fact that what has become an anti-Israel prejudice is accompanied by a diplomacy of support by members of Con- gress. Michigan boasts of two able black mem- bers of the U.S. House of Representatives. Both have assumed leadership in efforts for what has been described as an aim to unite blacks and Arabs into a comradeship attached to the war on Israel and Zionism. This is an unfortunate, regrettable, deeply- deplorable situation which will hopefully be corrected. Hopefully, there will be a change of attitude. Hopefully, the members of the Detroit City Council who have given comfort to such a condition, in a community that beckons and st- rives for cooperation and unity, will not receive accommodation. Hopefully, responsible leader- ship will strive for prevention of a spread of such hatreds. One need not point to the terrorist acts in France or anywhere else to emphasize that anti-Israelism and anti-Zionism have become the counterparts of anti-Semitism. Pope Pius XII described such hatreds as "the sin of anti- Semitism." Surely, the American spirit has never condoned it. The record of black-Jewish unity demands that the spreading of such hat- reds should never be countenanced. In the interest of fair play, in the spirit of the great American ideal of fair play, this appeal is directed to all concerned: do not divide the community, do not make partnerships with the seekers of destruction, give Israel a chance to live, Israel supporters to make friends with the partners in the important battle for civil rights. This is not a time for divisiveness. The black-Jewish communities are friends and this neighborliness and fellow Americanism must be strengthened. This is an appeal for the fair play that makes all Americans akin in their dignity for an honor that is human and respect- ful, leading to justice for all. Goldberg's 'Essays' Evaluate Literary Wealth in Yiddish Yiddish literary gems, the giants in Yiddish literature, are im- pressively evaluated in "Essays" by Itche Goldberg. Notably, this 430-page book was published by the Yiddisher Kultur Farband. The combination of author and publisher is a contri- bution to the enormous tasks of elevating the activities now in pro- gress to retain the interest shown in Yiddish as a language, in the literature that has enriched Jewish cultural attainments, and the historic values inherent in such efforts. Goldberg is among the acknowledged leaders in the movement to advance the values of the Yiddish language. He lends forcefulness in these efforts and his authoritative role makes his essays major guidelines in assuring retention of the accumulative contributing factors to the cultural records produced in_Yiddish. In addition to the historic developments marked by the Yiddish productive literary creativity, the authors who figure prominently in such achievements are prominently accounted for in these collected essays. • In a sense, the Goldberg "Essays" provide a veritable Who's Who in Yiddish literature. Then there is the prime motif of the essays — to evaluate the creativity of the Yiddish language on the 100th anniversary of mod- ern Yiddish literature. It is in this respect, in the evaluation of the progress that had been made by the Yiddish press during nearly a century of service to millions of readers, that a volume reaching a declining Yiddish readership serves a notable purpose. It is because of the declining status of the Yiddish press, which has such a rich record of journalistic creativity, that an authoritative opinion has a place in historic records. The power of Yiddish as a unifying force among the masses of Jews who were served by Yiddish to inspire and enrich their senti- ments is given emphasis in the Goldberg essays and his explanatory introductory preface. He defines Yiddish as the "folkishe neshomo," the "people's soul." His essays are the collective lectures and special articles Goldberg delivered in many cities and had written in Yiddish periodi- cals during the past 15 years. Incorporating in his analyses the religious tenets, such as "Tze'eno u-Re'enp," the commentaries on prayers and the Bible com- posed for women while praying in homes and synagogues, Goldberg includes in his commentaries references to Yiddish prose and poetry by Russian Jewish writers, as well as the creative efforts of American Jewish authors whose themes were the labor movements, the trend toward the social-economic movements. He deplores the ignoring of many in these ranks in the hitherto published Yiddish antholog works. Thus, criticism of the American anthologists is directed at those who failed to give the attention advocated by Goldberg to the Soviet Yiddish writers, whose works receive his high commendations. Noteworthy in the Goldberg essays is the selection of Yiddish writers who receive special attention as factors in the enriching contributions to world literature by Yiddish authors. He commences with Yitzhak Leibush Peretz and Avraham Reisin. He proceeds with tributes and acknowledgement of the literary gifts of Chaim Zhit- lovsky, Nachman Meisel, Kalman Marmer, Itzig Manger, Zisha Weinper, Ber Green, El Moller, Martin Birnbaum, Chaim Slovis, Moshe Shifris, Yisroel Beilin, Moshe Strugatsh, Sore Barkan, Shin Beiksel, Nahum Weisman, Aaron Meisel, Yitzhak Bashevis Singer. For the remaining element of Yiddish readers, the Goldberg essays will prove enlightening.