Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 16, 1950 Page: 4 of 16
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Page 4
TEXAS JEWISH POST
Thursday, February 16, 1950
EDITORIAL
TIMES THAT TRY MEN’S SOULS
(ED. NOTE: In cooperation with the National Conference of Christ-
ians and Jews, the Texas Jewish Post is dedicating this issue to
Brotherhood Week to be celebrated February 19-26. It is our privilege
to publish the following editorial written by Mr. Ross Clinchy, local
Director of the National Conference of Christians and Jews for the
West Texas Region.).
When Thomas Paine wrote during our American Revo-
lution, “These are times that try men’s souls,” he was per-
haps speaking for all time and all the ages. It could well
be written iri this second half of the twentieth century,
with just as much meaning for the nation and for the
world. We are not yet out of the wilderness of troubled
human relations; it becomes a never-ending struggle in
which man constantly seeks to find a better, happier rela-
tionship with his fellow-man.
We in America at this particular time are faced with
several major issues which will trouble us in the coming
years. One of these is the economic problem of maintaining
full employment in a free society. Closely related to this
issue is the current threat of communism, a challenge which
democracy must face with all the intelligence, faith, and
strength that lies at its command. We may shout about the
dangers of communism, and we may point with ominous
fingers toward our superior weapons, but unless we re-
sort to the terrors of atomic warfare, the challenge must
in the end be met with a way of life that will present a
greater appeal than communism to the world’s oppressed.
Our one great hope lies in proving that the democratic way
of life holds more happiness, more security, more well-being
than the communist state can ever bring to war-impover-
ished millions.
Democracy therefore must be made to work and to ful-
fill its aspirations. It will not reach its high expectations
as long as internal dissentions exist to prevent the process
of finding common agreement in a nation as diverse as is
America. Such dissentions may rise from many factors_
economic, social, and racial animosities all contribute. But
one fundamental cause for friction which has led to bitter-
ness, to hatreds, to injustice, and often to violence has been
the prejudice held by one group against the religion of
another.
Twenty-two years ago, when religious frictions were
strong enough to defeat a presidential candidate, several
well-known Americans, among them former Secretary of
War Newton D. Baker and Justice Charles Evans Hughes
of the Supreme Court, decided that the time had come when
an organized and directed effort had to be made to stop the
growing wave of ignorance and intolerance that was be
coming more apparent every year. In this way the Na-
tional Conference of Christians and Jews was founded to
combat religious prejudice in America. The idea of the
Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God caught
the imaginations and support of all Americans who wished
to see such prejudice exposed and attacked as a vicious
threat to the democratic way of life. The National Confer-
ence grew from a. single director and his secretary to a na-
tion-wide organization with offices in all the major cities and
with new centers in post-war Europe.
Stamping out prejudice is in the main an educational
pi oblem, and the work of the Conference goes out through
schools and colleges, community organizations, churches and
church schools, industrial concerns—in nearly every facet
of American life. Today the trend is toward thorough study
in a new field that of human relations, in which educators
and social scientists are beginning to apply their techniques
and experience to the study of how groups with different
cultural backgrounds can be helped toward better under-
standing and good-will.
Brotherhood Week, observed in February of each year,
has become an annual national re-dedication to the principles
of our American way of life. Under the leadership of the
National Conference, communities stress the importance of
the dignity of the individual and the right to think, be-
lieve, and worship according to the dictates of one’s’own
conscience. Here lies the life-blood of democracy, and the
strength which will enable it to face the great issues of our
time, for in the end the struggle will be won by those whose
strength is that of mutual understanding and whose endur-
ance lies in strong spiritual faith.
Texas Jewish Post
Dedicated to Truth, Liberty and Justice.
“Entered as second-class matter October
5, 1948 at the post office at Fort Worth,
Texas, under the act of March 8, 1879.”
Published Every Other Thursday
Office of Publication is 3620 South
Adams, Fort Worth 4, Texas. All mail
manuscripts and subscriptions should be
sent to P. O. Box 742, Fort Worth 1,
Texas.
Dallas Mail, manuscripts and subscrip-
tions should be sent to 107 N. Field St.
Dallas. Texas. Dallas phone Prospect
7-3710—Prospect 7-3719.
Dallas Office Manager: Mr. Chester
Wisch.
Editorial and Circulation Office, P. O.
Box 742, Fort Worth 1, Texas, Telephones
4-7950 and 9-5332.
Subscription Price $2.00 per year
Single Copy 15c.
Advertising Rates Upon Request.
Editor and Publisher: J. A. (Jimmy)
Wisch.
Any erroneous reflection upon the
character, standing or reputation of any
person, firm or corporation which may
appear in the columns of the Texas
Jewish Poet will gladly be corrected upon
its being brought to the attention of the
publishers.
Fort Worth Staff Photographers: Karl-
%
'& \
asm.
■ ^ V'Y#
•f I. N
.• T - - .Vffi
- v -,a>: I i'..
Mr. Dave Greines (left) who in-
troduced the Hon. Frank P. Cul-
ver (right) guest speaker at the
Jan. 26 Installation Dinner of the
L. F. Shanblum Lodge
(Karl-Wayne Studio)
• REPORT
(Continued from page 1)
San Antonio, Chairman; Maurice
Giller, Dallas, Summarizer; Dis-
cussion Leaders, Saul Horowitz,
Houston; L. R. Cohen, Corpus
Christi; Mrs. Maurice Giller, Harry
Popkin, Harold Miller, Elconam
Saulson, and Rabbi Israel Weis-
feld.
Mrs. Jean Laufman, Chicago, in
charge of activities for the Wo
men’s Supreme Chapter gave a
stirring address at the Sunday
Luncheon. She was introduced by
Miriam Weiss, President of Dis-
trict 7’s Womens’ Grand Chapter,
of Memphis, Tennessee. D. H.
White former District President
addressed the Assembly on the
Hillel Building Activities at the
University of Texas pointing out
that the building would be com-
pleted in April and that it was
necessary for the Lodges of Texas
to raise the necessary funds to
furnish the structure.
A gratifying response was made
by those present in donations and
pledges to return to their com-
munities to see that the necessary
funds be raised in order that this
building be furnished as early as
possible in order that it may be
made of immediate use after the
completion.
A picture of the District was
painted by District Vice-President,
Milton Mehl, who rose out of a
sickbed to make the luncheon and
partake in the conference activi-
ties. It appeared that much prog-
ress had been made throughout
the District this past year.
Dallas B’nai B’rith Youth Groups
entertained the conference with a
playlet of B’nai B’rith, assisted by
and under the direction of Harry
Popkin of New Orleans and Mar-
tin Feldman, President of Dallas
A. Z. A.
Concluding the luncheon was a
panel discussion on “How B’nai
B’rith Can Best Serve Jewry”
lead by D. Aaron Topek and in-
cluding the Chairmen of the re-
spective seminars.
In charge of arrangements for
the Conference were the following:
Convention Arrangements Com-
mittee: George A. Levy, Honorary
Chairman and Stanley M. Kauf-
man, Chairman. Co-chairmen were
Mrs. Alfred Sallinger, 3rd Vice-
President of Women’s State Con-
ference; Mrs. S. P. Solomonson,
President, Dallas Women’s Chap-
ter; Dr. Harry Susman, Former
President of Dallas Lodge 197;
Mr. Donald Blotky, President,
George A. Levy Lodge 1811 and
Mr. Harold M. Oster, Chairman,
Dalas B’nai B’rith Council. Re-
gistration Committee: Mrs. O. E.
Rachofsky and Mr. A. Lagman.
Page Service: Mr. Maurice Giller,
Mrs. Sara Giller and Mr. Max
Singer. Hotel Facilities: Mr. Joe
Berger, Mr. Arthur Goldberg and
Mrs. Robert Ross. Mimeographing
Mr. James Alexander. Signs anc
Films: Mr. J. M. Gutstadt and Mr.
Ed Tankus. Publicity: Mr. Harry
Kaplan, Dr. Raymond Abrams,
Mrs. Syd Siegel and Mr. Chester
Wisch.
UNDERTONES
RECREATION ROOMS I
ISRAEL, NAMED FOR
MARTHA TRUMAN AND
EDDIE JACOBSON
Tel Aviv, Israel— In the pres-
ence of U. S. Ambassador James
G. McDonald, Israel Army Chief
of Staff Yigael Yadin, and other
well-known personalities, Mrs.
Chaim Weizmann today officially
opened two receration rooms dona-
ted to the Tel Hashomer Military
Hospital here by Kansas City
friends of Eddie Jacobson and
B’nai B’rith of America.
The rooms are named in honor
of the late Mrs. Martha Truman,
mother of President Truman, and
of Eddie Jacobson, of Kansas City,
close personal friend of the Presi-
dent and ont of his World War I
buddies. Plaques bearing the
names of Martha Truman and Ed-
die Jacobson hold a place of honor
in each of the rooms.
Wayne.
Dallas Photographer: Bill Shell.
By Abraham J. Brachman
The prayers of Israel are not merely prayers but the
historical and literary reflection of the history of the peo-
ple as well as their personal lives. Prayers have not always
been a fixed ritual. In Talmudic times the discussion took
place whether a man should first recite the official fixed
prayer and then his own petition of prayer, or whether
the reverse should be done. Nor was the official prayer
yet definitely fixed.
When Nehemiah prayed at a public gathering on a
memorable occasion it is interesting that he combined a
petition relative to the circumstances together with a re-
view of what God had done for the people from time to time.
Even the Psalms do this occasionally. When Hannah prayed
for the birth of a son Samuel it seems she was engaging in
unusual procedure by doing so officially in the Tabernacle
at Shiloh whereas her prayer is a fervent personal peti-
tion.
Already fixed in the Pentateuch is the prayer or con-
fession that an individual should make when he brings to
the Temple the First-fruits. Likewise are instructions giv-
en to the Priests to make certain type of confessions for
themselves and for the people on certain occasions and in con-
junction with the sacrifices on the altar. The Priestly bless-
ing is specifically given. The prophets in the Bible occasion-
ally state their prayers. The prayer of the King Hezekiah is
noteworthy.
In the Talmud and Mishna it isy reported how there
were recited in the Temple the Ten Commandments and the
Shema, and how the early Chosidim or Saints arranged
their prayers. This no doubt refers to the Second Temple
without indicating whether or not such was the case in the
First Temple. Further it is stated that the Men of the
Great Assembly of Simon the Just fixed the ritual prayer.
This is the same Assembly mentioned in the Pirke Aboth
or Ethics of the Fathers as having been the official recipi-
ents of the Torah from the preceding group of Prophets.
During the days of the Second Temple it was customary
that throughout the land of Judaea the populace was organ-
ized into watches, Maamadoth, groups who served officially
at the place of worship of the community. They were ar-
ranged to correspond to the twenty-four groups of Priests
who served in the Temple, each group a week at a time and
called Mashmaroth. It is really this term that means watch-
es while the other term used for the populace means stand-
by.
It is supposed that these standby groups in the commun-
ities throughout the land took prayers and reading of the
Scriptures as their pursuits during the time the sacrifices
were being performed at the Temple. Since these groups
were the official co-relative of similar groups of Priests who
were at the time actually performing the sacrifices, the
prayers in the communities and the official sacrifices in the
Temple were thus connected.
The Ten Commandments and the Shema or Hear O
Israel have been mentioned as early fixed form of service
in the Temple. The Assistant High Priest would perform
this service as leader. Likewise it is certain the Psalms
were sung in the Temple Service. The whole was arranged
into a public service of worship in which priests and Le-
vites partook. Possibly the public stood in the courtyard
to participate, as the Levites sang on the Temple steps.
Some blessings on the part of the High Priest or his as-
sistant, with songs by the Levites and responses by the
assembly, were no doubt part of the procedure. And these
services were imitated by the watches or groups in the com-
munities, where on some days Scripture readings were
added. The basis is thus laid for the Prayer Service as we
know it, the Ten Commandments and the Shema, the Psalms
the responsive Blessings, the Scripture Readings.
—post brotherhood feature
Catholic Bus Transports Public
School Students
MERCED, WISCONSIN—Public
high school students here receive
transportation to the Hurley, Wis.
school they attend, 20 miles a-
way, in a bus owned by a Mercer
Roman Catholic Church.
The spirit of cooperation dis-
played is a timely expression of
the aims of Brotherhood Week,
sponsored by the National Confer-
ence of Christians and Jews from
February 19 to 26.
Father Joseph Higgins, pastor
of St. Isaac Jogues and Compan-
ions parish, decided to carry the
public school youngsters on the
Catholic bus when it became ap-
parent they could not otherwise
get to class.
Carrying public school students
along with the Catholic passengers
has proved so popular that the
bus is now too small to accomo-
date all the pupils seeking trans-
portation, he said. “Here is a con-
crete example of true democracy,”
the priest commented.
Demands next year, he added,
will make the bus totally inade-
quate. He is therefore seeking a
new and larger bus. Father Hig-
gins purchased the present ve-
hicle with funds made available
by the Most Reverand Albert G.
Meyer, Bishop of Superior.
~--o—--
Equal rights and brotherhood
are the very fabric of our life,
therefore, brotherhood is a per-
sonal thing. It begins with you
and me. Before we make demands
on other people or criticize them
we had better test ourselves.
—Nelson A Rockefeller
Subscribe now to the Texas
Jewish Post, only $2.00 per year.
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Wisch, J. A. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 16, 1950, newspaper, February 16, 1950; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth754536/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .