after
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
.—
11111111111111111111.111
Friday, July 6, 1951
Page 3
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
MacIver Report Based on Assimilationist Thinking
By NATHAN ZIPRIN
AM NO SLEUTH. But I must confess that if I had
not done much sleuthing I would hot have laid my
hands on the much-talked-about and little-seen Mac-
Iver report. However, I must also con-
fess that after successfully conjuring
up the means of laying eyes on a docu-
ment that is so secret that only a
privileged few have been permitted to
see — as if the affairs of the Jewish
community in America were only the
concern of a handful of people—I dis-
covered with some dismay that outside
New York the survey has been avail-
able to almost anyone caring to see it.
From what I have been told by
Ziprin
highly informed a n d trustworthy
sources, there is grave doubt that the MacIver report,
a survey by a Christian scholar of Jewish communal
affairs, will ever come in its entirety to the attention
of the great masses of Jews who make up the American
Jewish community.
By this it is not to infer of course that the fate of
the MacIver survey will be the communal basket hold-
ing perhaps scores of similar studies,
On the contrary, there is a distinct possibility that
American Jewry may wake up one fine morning and
find itself within the framework of a communal thesis
derived from an ideology that is repugnant to the over-
whelming majority of American Jews—assimilationism
in its most virile form and centralization of Jewish
communal power in the hand of a selected few who,
as the report states, would have "no obligation except
to their own' sense of responsibility."
Thus the democratic process is cast to the winds
and the principle of wide participation in the formula-
tion of communal policy is abandoned with dictatorial
zest.
First reactions to the MacIver report in the com-
munities are said to show widespread opposition. In
fact, I have it on excellent authority that there is "talk
of secession and defection" from the welfare funds in
the event the plan is foisted on the communities. One
prominent Jewish leader close to the welfare funds told
this writer that the plan is "an attempt to crucify the
I
national defense agencies" and a step in the direction by Jews to civilization.
MacIver suggests instead a socio-psychological
of forcing national budgeting on an unsuspecting com-
study of the problem. In the very next paragraph he
munity.
The report purports to eliminate duplication of asserts that "appeals or other activities intended to
functions. But what it actually does is to draw away influence the behavior of another group carry more
functions from competent ,agencies, within the peri- weight if they do not emanate exclusively from the
phery of their ideologies, to less competent bodies, group that is particularly involved and thus are likely
to be regarded as more disinterested or impartial."
with the NCRAC at the top.
The implications of this statement only confirm
While there is no gainsaying the fact that there
is duplication of functions in the operation of the vari- our earlier assertion that the logic of Prof. MacIver's
ous defense agencies, the undeniable fact remains that report calls for the ultimate liquidation of Jewish de-
the approach to given problems must necessarily vary, fense agencies.
MacIver is concerned with what he calls education
depending upon the variance' in the ideologies of the
for "minority living" in Jewish schools and homes. lie
organizations.
The advocataes of merger have a good argument, relates, on the basis of information he received from
but when the price of unity is the loss of identity— Jewish friends, "that in some circles there is an inculca-
and that is my prognosis of the deeper meaning of the tion of the young in habits and thoughts that in effect,
and no doubt unwittingly, create the sense of a deep
report—there is only the unity of extinction.
I am reluctant to say this, but it must be said: If cleavage between the Jew and the Gentile, an inculca-
the author of the report carried the principles upon tion that tends to ignore the common ground and is
which he predicates his thesis to their logical conclu- apt to instill counter-prejudices."
Well, if teaching Judaism to children creates preju-
sion, he would have recommended the creation of a
single body with supreme authority in every field of dices in the Gentiie world, the author's inference evi-
dently is to stop such teaching. He remarks that where
Jewish endeavor, social, religious and communal.
The author suggests that since "the bulk of anti- "the barriers have been removed the Jewish people
are ready to give themselves gnerously to the whole
Jewish prejudice does not discriminatae between as-
similationists and integrationists and cultural pluralists community." • —
The truth of the matter is, and history bears it out,
and Yiddishists and Yeshivists" therefore "a major
that Jews have given themselves to the community even
part of the problem is independent of the diversity of
amidst the highest of barriers set up at the other side
Jewish life and elimination of this diversity cannot
possibly form the common ground either for unity of of the fence.
In line with his assimilationist point of view,
approach or unity of action in the field of community
Maclver would establish a Jewish educational system
relations.
Prof. MacIver takes the assimilationist point of under which Jewish children would be taught not only
Judaism but the values of Christianity as well. One can
view. He is an opponent of separatism and to him. "the
consequences of insulation are profoundly detrimental." just imagine what a Jewish generation brought up under
such a system of education would look like. It would
However, he cannot possibly blame the survivalists who
argue with even greater merit that the consequences only save labor and money for the missionaries and
of assimilation are even more profoundly detrimental. gladden their hearts.
The report is based on a dangerous thesis—assimi-
Elsewhere the report states that anti-Semitism is
an endemic disease of our civilization, that it is fed by lation. Its implementation can only lead to chaos and
a whole series of ever-revived misunderstandings, that the disintegration of Jewish life. Its effect would be the
those infected with Jew-hate "are not all likely to yield establishment of a "brain-trust" that would run the
ul oligar, ' that would
to exhortations to brotherhood or unity or our com- Jewish community and a pi,.
the Jewish
mon humanity" and that "they are scarcely affected by control the Jewish soul through cont•ol
purse.
demonstration i of the distinguished contributions" made
'
•
Fram to Head Festival Unit;
Cantors to Give Public Concert
'Rabbi Leon Fram of Temple
Israel and member of the execu-
tive committee of the Jewish I
NO ADVANCE IN PRICES
wit717.4 .
Powerful ! 'Human Unforgettable!
Curion asked the parliament
to delay action pending the
decision by the cabinet.
A ,
co
;01,:. 01 •
Clime
ji Tiv - Vi
G.AfficzNA)
"Carries
RABBI LEON FRAM
• • •
ings. Bob Leslie of WWJ will
narrate the program, and ,Ole
Foerch will accompany the choir.
Following the appearance of
the Cantors' Choir, the Catholic ,
groups will present their pro-
gram on July 22. The series of
religious programs will be con-
cluded on July 29 when the Prot-
estants will present their pro-
gram commemorating the anni-
versary of Detroit.
The augmented Cantors' Choir
includes Cantors Hyman Adler,
H. J. Blank, Reuben Boyarsky,
Nicholas Fenakel, David Katz-
man, A. A. Rosenfeld, Jacob Sil-
verman, Jacob Skolhick, Chaim
Schulsinger and Jacob Sonnenk-
lar, president of the Cantors' As-
sociation.
UNVEILING
OF A MONUMENT, FOR
DAVID CITRIN
12 Noon, Sunday, July 8th.
Chesed Shel Ernes Cemetery.
WATCH FACTORY
TEL AVIV — (ISI) — Orlogin
Ltd., a watch factory, was re-
cently established in Ramat Gan.
It is the first enterprise of its
kind in the Middle East.
INSURED
CURRION!
RATS
"TOUR Nt1014110R14000
SAVINGS INSTITUTION"
American Savings
• • • MAIN OFFICE • • •
JERUSALEM — (WNS) —
The Israeli cabinet is consid-
ering a measure Intended to
STARTS SUNDAY, JULY 8 !
grant retroactive citizenship
to the 6,000,000 Jews exterm-
inated by the Nazis.
A similar measure Is being
considered by the Israeli par-
liament. Prime Minister Ben
Community Council, has accept-
ed the chairmanship of the Coun-
cil's committee on Jewish
gtous participation in Detroit's
250th anniversary festival, it was
announced by Dr. Shmarya Klein-
man, president.
Rabbi Fram is former chair-
man of the Community Relations
Committee of the Jewish Com-
munity Council as well as its
former vice-president.
•A special sub-committee was
appointed by Rabbi Fram to pre-
pare a brief history of the reli-
gious Jewish community in De-
troit. Irving I. Katz, executive
secretary of Temple Beth El,
heads this project. Katz, an au-
thority on the history of the Jews
in Detroit and Michigan, is com-
piling a special work bearing on
the 250th anniversary of Detrot.
Serving on the committee are
Joseph Bernstein, Mrs. Phillip
Brown, Julius Chajes, Dan Froh-
man, Karl Haas,-Rabbi Max Kap-
ustin, Irving Katz, Rabbi Moses
Lehrman, Gerhardt Neumann,
Mrs. Jacob Sauls, Samuel Sigal
and Mrs. Sidney Winer.
The Cantors' Choir, under the
direction of Don Frohman, will
present a program of liturg'zal
and Jewish folk music at 4 p.m.,
Sunday, July 15 in Grand Circus
Park.
Rabbi Fram stated that the
Cantors have been invited to pre-
sent this program for the Jewish
community.
Rabbi Fram will offer greet-
Israel to Honor
Jewish Martyrs
DEXTER BLVD. AT CORTLAND
TO. 9-6611
ASSOCIATION
• • • !RANCH OF. CI • • •
W. FORT AT MILITARY
VL 3-7600
a
punch ...
The acting
of the
children
Is superbl"
Iv
WHITE meat!
FANCY quality!
SOLID pack!
— N. Y. MAUI
TRIBUt ■ ii
.
DEXTER THEATRE
TO. 8-0155
DEXTER at BURLINGAME
FORD Truck
For
I +` EVERY Purpose
There's
a
and One To Fit YOUR Purse!
See Us Today for Positively
the Best Deal in Town
JERRY BIELFIELD, Inc.
Authorized Ford Sales and Service
6845 Michigan Ave.
4
VI. 1-4400
Blocks West of Livernois
•
A
1111
1
•
JERRY BIELFIELD