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. 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