Ha-Lapid הלפיד

N.° 139                  PORTO - Luas de Setembro, Outubro e Novembro - 5708 (1947 e. v.)            ANO XXII
=============================================================================================================

Tudo se ilumina                     _______  ___  _______ |=|____  _______                      ...alumia-vos
para aquele que                    |____   ||_  ||  ___  ||____  ||_____  |                   e aponta-vos  o 
busca a luz.                            | |   |_| \_\  | |    / /   _   | |                   caminho.
                                        | |       _____| |   / /   | |  | |
       BEN-ROSH                         |_|      |_______|  /_/    |_|  |_|                          BEN-ROSH

                                                  (HA-LAPID)
                                                   O  FACHO

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DIRECT. E EDITOR: -A. C. DE BARROS BASTO (BEN-ROSH)   ||   COMPOSTO E IMPRESSO NA IMPRENSA MODERNA, L.DA
      Redacção na Sinagoga Kadoorie Mekor Haim        ||                 Rua da Fábrica, 80
           Rua Guerra Junqueiro, 340 - Porto          || ------------------- P O R T O -------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


THE HAJESTY OF JUDAISM

      "The special Committee shall give most careful consi- 
      deration to the religious interests in Palestine of Islam,
      Judaism and Christianity."

   Por PAUL GOODMAN

The terms of reference given to the
inquiry Committee on Palestine appointed
by the General Assembly of the United
Nations contain the above instruction that
goes far beyond the other proposed inves-
tigations into the political problem of
Palestine. The universal interest in the
political future of Palestine has thereby
been extended to the religious sphere
co-extensive with three world Faiths that
have a recognised status in the Holy
Land.

It is of the utmost importance that the
examination of the religious rights and
privileges of Judaism in the Holy Land
shall not suffer by the specific political
and economic problems in which the
Jewish position in Palestine is so closely
involved. We cannot, of course, overlook
the fact that, while in those fields of human 
endeavour that must necessarily affect the 
life of every individual Jewish resident in
Palestine, those problems must be regula-
ted and protected by the persons directly
concerned, our common interest in the
Faith that unites Jews all over the world
demands that we shall speak on the sacred
subject at issue with one voice. For the
Majesty of Judaism in the eyes of the non-
jewish world is now in jeopardy.

We, therefore, purposely refrain from
a11 polemical allusions which might raise
controversies on political grounds. The
intervention of organisations intent to stake



out a claim to be heard cannot be justified
in the present case under consideration.
At best, any Jewish religious conflict-if
there be one that can now conceivably be
suggested-is bound to have a deplorable
effect on a non-Jewish, alien tribunal. We,
therefore, believe that the highest interests
of Judaism in the Holy Land-which all
its adherents have to bear in mind-will
be best served if the Jewish representation
be left entirely in the competent hands of
the two Chief Rabbis of Palestine.

The Jewish people is very fortunat in
having its religious interests in Palestine
safeguarded by two spiritual leaders of re-
nown-R. Isaac Herzog and R. Benzion
Uziel-whose eminent qualifícations as
the spokesmen of Judaism in the Holy Land
are unchallengeable. In R. Benzion Uziel
the Sephardi elements have an enlightened
religions leader whose numerous publica-
tions on halachic problms in modern Jew-
ish life in Palestine give him an exceptional
claim as a Jurist to be respected, while
Dr. Herzog is, by virtue of his important
English publication, a universally recogni-
sed authority on Jewish law and life.

These highest Jewish ecclesiastical dig-
nitaries, who, by their official as well as
by their personal qualifícations, enjoy the
unquestioned confidence of the Yishub, are,
therefore, most fitted to represent the case of
Judaism in the Holy Land before the Inquiry
Committee of the United Nations.