The Reader’s Forum

The editors reserve the right to excerpt all letters exceeding 250 words in length. All letters must bear the name and address of the writer, although not necessarily for publication.

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

The recent letter of Ben Frommer is worthy of commendation. Critics will not forbear in saying that it is easy to counsel courage to the Jews of Germany from the safe distance of three thousand miles from the focus of danger.

Yet it cannot be denied that the imagination is fired by deeds of valor to which the Jew has not been stranger. Mr. Frommer’s letter was most timely, coming as it did so close to the celebration of the Maccabeean victories. Here was a band that did more than “take it” from the Hitler of its days.

Mr. Frommer’s sentiment is expressed in an old Nordic dictum: Treu leben, todtrotzend kaempfen, lachend sterben (to live faithfully, to fight death-defyingly, to die smilingly).

Then again, how modern are the lines of Patrick Henry: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course ### may take, but as for me, ###.

COMMENDS CHURCH FIGHT

To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:

In your edition of Dec. 26 there appeared an article by Eugene Lyons in which occurred the expression, “The audacity of the Catholic Church is staggering.” The object of the article was to criticize what was termed an arbitrary condemnation of certain motion pictures.

I think the expression was extremely ill-advised.

In my opinion the Catholic Church deserves commendation for its initiative in an endeavor to clean the screen. It is true that other faiths have fallen in line with this endeavor, but to the credit of the Catholic Church be it said that it seized boldly upon the proposition and made a forthright endeavor to solve it. I would have wished that the Jewish pulpit initiated the movement rather than be a follower. However, it has fallen in line with the proper spirit and energy and I hope with a determination to see the fight through.

I doubt whether there has been ### upon the While I would be loathe to commend an arbitrary selection by any one faith of pictures to be commended or condemned, yet I would much prefer such a way of handling the matter than to permit the freedom and license heretofore indulged in by the motion picture producers.

The fact that any church or group condemns or commends pictures does not take away from the public at large its own freedom of choice as to what it wishes or does not wish to see.

The Catholic Church should be praised for its feeling of responsibility as the guardian and, if possible, preserver of decent thinking and acting at least among the youth of its group.

There is much besides the motion picture in the daily lives of our young that the various religious groups should make their earnest endeavor to adjust and bring into a more healthy moral attitude. I need not enumerate what they are, as anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear is sufficiently qualified to ######ulars.