Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

London Debate: Would Hillel Create Students' Ghetto?

A rather remarkable debate is in progress in England where
the Inter-University Jewish Federation has gone on record in
favor of emulating an American idea by establishing Hillel
Foundations in British universities. A discussion has ensued, pro

and con arguments having been written in the London Jewish
Chronicle by Dr. George Webber and Prof. Norman Bentwich.
Dr. Webber's argument in support of Hillel Foundations calls

attention to a series of important facts that have been gathered
about Jewish students in England. We learn that "of the 90.000
students in England, 3,000---it is thought—are Jewish, and of

these, one-half take no part in Jewish activities." Almost a third
of the university students canvassed are agnostic or atheist and

almost half have little or no interest in religious observance.
The propagator of the Hillel idea urges a Hillel center "where
members can eat kaSher, enjoy all the amenities of a club, find

meet fellow students and graduates from the provinces. from
Israel, from the countries of the Commonwealth, from the United
States. and other countries."
Prof. Bentwich has an entirely different idea. Reviewing his

own experiences as a student, 50 years ago. when he and his
colleagues were inspired by men like the late Dr. Solomon Schech-
ter and Dr. Israel Abrahams, this venerable leader, who was At-

torney General of Palestine under the British administration,
maintains that the existing organizations already are fulfilling
present needs. He offers this dissenting opinion:

Rabbis Participate G-Day Fashions to Get Boost from Top
In JWB Convention Figure in. Near East Miss Israel

Jewish religious leaders will
have an active part in the bi-
ennial national convention of
the National Jewish Welfare
Board, to be held here at Hotel
Statler, May 2 to 4.
At the opening luncheon ses-
sion on May 2, Rabbi B. Bene-
dict Glazer will deliver the in-
vocation and Rabbi Benjamin
H. Gorrelick will recite the bene-
diction. The Havdalah service
(closing of the Sabbath), which
will precede the dinner session
on Saturday evening, May 3,
will be conducted by Cantor
Robert S. Tulman of Temple Is-
rael.
Rabbi Leon Fram will deliver
the invocation at the dinner
session and Rabbi Ephraim F.
Einhorn will give the benedic-
tion. The invocation at the Sun-
day luncheon session will be by

Rabbi Moses Lehrman and
Rabbi Joshua Sperka will give
the benediction.

Completing arrangements for their big day, "Fashion in Fig-
ures," April 22, the opening meeting of the Women's Division, are
special gifts and pre-campaign. "Top brass" in the
"It seems to the writer doubtful whether such a develop-
A Sabbath religious service in workers in
ment is desirable, and likely to strengthen the Jewish life of honor of the National Jewish Women's Division includes such hard workers as, left to right,
the students. There is some danger that the Jewish life may Welfare Board will be held at front row: Mrs JULIAN H. KROLIK, chairmaft of pre-campaign,
be over-organized and a tendency fostered which would bring Congregation Shaarey Z e d e k, Mrs. ABRAHAM COOPER, campaign chairman; rear, Mrs. MAX
about a Jewish students' ghetto. Already in each university, Rabbi Morris Adler officiating. FRANK, executive vice-chairman of pre-campaign, and Mrs.
chairman.
there is a Jewish Society which arranges lectures. study circles,
Chaplain Joshua L. Goldberg, LEONARD H. WEINER, campaign
•
•
•
debates. and other forms of collective activity. At Oxford and chief chaplain of the 3rd Naval
Att:sdames aSamuel S. Aaron. Stanley R.
Israel's most beautiful woman
Cambridge there is a separate students' branch of the Anglo- District, will speak on "The Role
slar.17 LrA lt
ett,
Jewish Association. Inter-University Jewish Students' Federa- of the Jewish Chaplaincy in of the year, Miss Michal Harrel, tine, Harry Bar n AlS.tlas.uit
Hyman C. Broder, 1PtirrY '
when the Harry Becker.
tion organizes meetings for the students of the different univer-
pr.: 3h
p Ralplt
s
ea,Abr.
Diamond.
n.
Strengthening Jewish Life in will be guest of honor
Women's Division of the Jewish riaytatt s on.
sities. and arranges seminars on aspects of Hebrew and Jewish Our American Democracy."
Fred
ur
culture. Moreover. those students who are enthusiastic to see
Welfare Federation opens its Igli=h. Seymo
D id Goldberg,
j i Frank. J.
A.
At the convention Oneg Shah-
ed
of the 1952 Allied Jewish Hauser. g.and Miss Edith S. Heavenrich.
the life of Israel have an opportunity through the help of the
cone inningth e li st
bat Saturday afternoon. May 3, Cam paign at a
"Fashion
in n Fig-
World Union of Jewish Students, of spending a month or two
Fashon
g
d
f 15"el
Holl
re em an,
ose ph li
3 to 5 p.m., Rabbi Richard ures" truncheon, 11:45 a.m.. linnigman.. J John
B.
C. Hopp. William IC
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem."
ipitSidney J.
This is not all: Prof. Bentwich apparently is concerned about C. Hertz of Chicago, and Jerome Tuesday, at the Sheraton-Cadil- IKsear ibeirg,B Harry L. KJacksr,
ihili a
pu tipseet.
., Theodore Levin. Philip
inroads made in Jewish life by professional outside help. He pre- Goodman, president of the Jew- lac Hotel. (Brief sketch of Miss Landau
Herman Marks. Morris Mendelson. Alfred
fers the volunteer worker. as indicated by this concluding state- ish Community Centers of Chi- Israel on Page one).
Meyers, Ben Mosaman, Herbert D. /labia.
Shapero. Ben L. Silberstein.
ment in his article in opposition to the Hillel idea in Great cago, will introduce the discus-
Mrs. Lewis B. Daniels is chair- son. Nate S. re.
HenryAWa4,neet3rin Leonard
r
sion with a statement on "A man of special gifts, with Mrs. /li brarerLSre
. an and
Britain:
The effort. again. does not call for any outside help or Case History of Successful Rela- William B. Isenberg as executive Henry Win; man.
Mrs. Harry Barnett is sec.re-.
professional work. It is in accordance with the English tradi- tionship Between a Synagogue vice-chairman. The special gifts
and a Center."
vice-chairmen include Mesdames terry in special gifts, while sec-
tion that we should depend on voluntary organizations of the
Milton M. Alexander, Daniel retaries to vice-chairmen are
persons who are directly concerned to help. and on the sense of
Krouse. Milton K. Mahler, Lewis Mesdames Victor Klein, Leo S.
solidarity between Jewish students in England and the Jewish
Physicians to Hear
H. Manning and Nathan Simons. Mellen, Bernard A. Rosenthal,
students of Israel."
Famed Neurosurgeon
Nathan H. Schermer and Carl
Secretaries in pre-campaign ns.
Recalling Similar Issue at U. of M.
for
the
Women's
Division
:
Prof. Bentwich intrigues us. We have long inclined to the
Dr. Leo M. Davidoff will be
view that emphasis should be placed in Jewish life on the volun- the speaker at a joint meeting of
teer worker. that there should be a lessening of the tendency to the Maimondies Medical Society
create "professionalism" in communal functions. This is a sub- and Auxiliary Wednesday. April
ject that. in itself, calls for study. for evaluation of interest by 23,• 7 p.m., at the Lee Plaza Hotel.
Jews in Jewish causes, for the readiness of our constituents to Dr. Davidoff will come to Detroit
By BORIS SMOLAR
direct the affairs of our community. Having capitulated on this in behalf of the American Jewish
tCopyright, 1952. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Inc.)
score for a number of years, it won't be easy to turn'control back Physicians' Committee of which
U. S. and Israel
to the volunteer.
Dr. Leo Orecklin is local chair-
The Israel government is studying a proposal by the American
At the moment, we are specifically concerned with Prof, man. The physicians' committee authorities
which may stimulate Americans to make large-scale
Bent•ich's warning that the establishment of Hillel Founda- is the medical section of the investments in the Jewish state ... Under this proposal, the U. S.
tions in England "would bring about a Jewish students' ghetto." American Friends of the Hebrew government would guarantee American investors in Israel against
Is this a justified fear?
University.
confiscation or loss of dollar currency . . . Such a guarantee h as
We recall an experience in our own student days at. Ann Arbor.
Having earned a world wide been provided for American investors in countries benefiting from
It was during the semester that preceded your Commentator's at-
order to encourage Ameri-
tainment of the honor of being elected president of the U. of M. reputation in the field of Neuro- the Marshall Plan . . . It was done in
surgery, Dr. Davidoff is at pres- can private investment in these countries ... Thus, American in-
Menorah Society Hi 11 el's predecessor). We invited the late Prof. ent
of neurological sur- vectors were practically insured by the U. S. Government against
Louis Strauss. then head of the English department at the uni- gery director
at Beth Israel Hospital, Socialist nationalization in England, France or any other European
versity, to address us. In our group were a number of men now New York; professor of neuro- country enjoying Marshall Plan aid . . They were also guaran-
prominent in their fields (including, as we now recall, Prof. Her-
surgery at N. Y. University Col- teed dollar conversion of both principle and profits . Now the
man Judge Jacob Braude of Chicago, Charles Madison. now one
guarantees
of the editors of the publishing house of Henry Holt Sz Co., and lege of Medicine and neurosur- American authorities are inclined to extend the same
to
American
private
investors
in
Israel
under
the
Mutual
Security
others). Dr. Strauss was brutal in his advice to us youngsters. As geon for Mt. Sinai Hospital, New
arrangement from which Israel is benefiting . . . However, the
York.
we recall, his argument ran something like this:
since
A graduate of Harvard Medi- Israel government must sign an agreement to this effect,
"Why are you here? Why do you meet as Jews. in a ghetto?
the U. S. Treasury would claim from Israel any loss that American
cal
School
in
1922,
Dr.
Davidoff
These are the years when you should fraternize only with non-
investors may suffer as a result of possible changes in Israel's
Jews. building 1113 friendships with non-Jews. You have plenty took his post graduate training
laws or through other circumstances.
of time to be isolated within a Jewish group socially after you in surgery, nueropathology, and investment
"Affaire Indianapolis" is still being widely discussed through-
leave the university. But now is the time to acquire friendships in neurosurgery in America and
One
in Europe. He is the author of out the country ... All kinds of rumors are being spread . .. the
the general community. etc.. etc..."
of them indicates that we may soon hear a suggestion that
over
125
papers
and
four
books
We were furious. The idea of a Jewish professor coming to
Israel bond drive, the United Jewish Appeal and the Jewish Wel-
us with advice that we should not fraternize with Jews. that we on medical subjects. In 1926 he
fare Funds throughout the country should emerge next year . .
went
as
surgeon
on
the
Byrd
should try to make non-Jewish contacts, and charging us with
How this can be achieved is a different question ...But it can be
MacMillan
Arctic
Expedition.
He
ghettoizing! Yet, now. more than 30 years later. a very distin-
predicted safely that while in some smaller communities the idea '
served
as
chairman
of
the
Uni-
guished Jewish leader appears on the scene of another English-
may be welcomed it would be rejected in larger cities such as New -
speaking Jewish community with the warning of a ghetto danger tarian Service Committee and York. Chicago and Los Angeles • . . In the meantime, there is.ak
World
Health
Organization
Med-
wrong
in
our
we
if Jews should organize a Jewish center. Were
wealthy Jews.
anger in 1918, and can Prof. Bentwich possibly be correct in his ical Mission to Czechoslovakia in drive to secure loans for Israel from
1946,
to
Poland
and
Finland
in
Jews
in
the
U.
S.
analysis today?
Jewish History Week, which starts Sunday, will be of special
We disagree with Prof. Bentwich's advocacy of stronger Hillel 1948, and Israel and Iran in the
interest this year to American Jewry in view of the preparations .
set-Ups in Israel. We are inclined to the view that in a strictly fall of 1951.
Dr. Davidoff's subject will be that are being made to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Jewish
Jewish environment Hillel is superfluous. All of Israel is like a
settlement in this country ... In this connection, the old question .
Hillel center, and we adhere to our opposition to Hillel in Eretz "My Impressions of Israel."
as to whether Columbus was a Jew is again under discussion ...
Israel, as we expressed it when first it was proposed. But we fair
Dr. Yehuda Matoth of the The non-Jewish Oxford Univeriity professor Salvador de Mada-
to see logic in his warning of a ghetto danger at universities in Hadassah Medical School in
Genoese of Spanish-Jewish
the Diaspora. It is natural for Jews to fraternize, whether or not Jerusalem, who also will appear riaga claims that Columbus was "a
they meet under Hillel auspices or as members of fraternal on the program that evening, origin" and produces a great array of evidence to support his
a
groups. The natural urge is for Jews to socialize in order to ward is in Detroit taking post-graduate statement . . . However, there is no question whatsovere that
number of Jews were members of Columbus' expedition.
off intermarriage. There also is the natural desire to encourage training in pediatrics.
Did you notice on your dollar bill that the 13 stars on the
religious services, and the advocate of the affirmative idea in
Dr. Simon S. Farbman is pres-
a Mogen
Hillel's support even speaks of kasher food—an attraction hardly ident of the Maimonides Medical seal of the United States are placed in the form of
David? . . . And do you know that Thomas Jefferson first recom-
ever mentioned in Hillel appeals in this country.
Society and Mrs. Hyman S. Mel- mended for the design of the seal of the United States a picture
Somehow, our feeling is that Prof. Bentwich is as wrong today len, president of the Auxiliary.
of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, and of Pharaoh and his
as Prof. Strauss was a generation ago. Fraternization of Jews
legions perishing when they attempted to follow? . . . Another
with Jews need not mean ghetto-making. And if we are to fear Israel Ratifies UNESCO
little known fact is that Hyman Levy, one of the early Jewish
this, there is just as much to fear when Jews unconsciously form
settlers in New York, employed John Jacob Astor, the ancestor
Free
Trade
Resolution
residential ghettos when they move into new neighborhoods, when
of the millionaire family of today, to beat furs at $1. a day.
they form new temples, when they isolate themselves into Masonic
Among other little known facts is the one that Judah Touro,
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., (JTA)
and Oddfellow and veterans' groups with all-Jewish member-
who died about 100 years ago, purchased a Universalist Church
ships. If there is a danger of ghetto-building it exists wherever —Israel has become the ninth in New Orleans, which its congegration had been forced to sell
we turn—not alone in schools, where Jewish students need a cer- nation to ratify or accept the
agfeement to wipe out trade bar= because of heavy debts, and later returned it to the congregation
tain amount of Jewish guidance and association.
first
Prof. Bentwich is right in this respect: that Jews should riers on imports of educational, free and clear . . . Few are also aware of the fact that the
was held at the home of
cement friendships with non-Jews, that in general community life scientific and cultural materials, meeting of the American Red Cross
Adolphus Solomon, a Washington Jew . . . Many know that the
we should avoid divisive associations based on religious back- sponsored by UNESCO.
The agreement is designed to Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald was interested in promot-
grounds. But we haven't been able to find solution on this score
that he
in housing, in after-business-hours socializing, in fraternalism. assist the free flow of informa- ing education among the Negro population, but few know
for Negroes
Therefore we can not level the charge of ghettoism only in the tion by obliterating customs bar- actually established as many as 4,000 rural schools
Few American Jews know that a "Jewish unit" existed in the
students' field. The evil is universal and the solution can come riers on books, newspapers and
only from a universal approach. But by raising the issue. the emi- other materials. Twenty other Revolutionary Army when only 3,000 Jews lived in the U. S.
nent Jewish scholar has made a welcome contribution to the countries have signed the agree
Friday, April 18, 195Z
2 THE JEW I SH NEWS
ment.
discussion of existing Jewish problems.

Between You and Me

,

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