Youth Council for Israel Formed
Here by Jewish Yo uth Assembly

Approximately 125 young
people, representing Detroit's
Jewish youth movements, after
participating in several panel
discussions Sunday at the Jew-
ish Youth Assembly for Israel,
arranged by the Jewish National
Fund Council, resolved to or-
ganize a Youth Council for Is-
rael to advance educational ef-
forts in the Zionist field.
Participants in the discussions
included members of Habonim,
Bnai Akiba, Hashomer Hatzair,
Shaarey Zedek Leaders Training
Fellowship, Adas Shalom, Wayne
University Hillel, Bnai Brith
Youth Organization, Young Is-
rael, Junior Ha_dassah, United
Hebrew Schools' Midrasha stu-
dents.
Principal speakers at the con-
ference were Israel's Consul at
Chicago, Simcha Pratt; Philip
Slomovitz and Rabbi Max Ka-
pustin, director of Hillel at
Wayne.
Morris Lachover, chairman of
the JNF committee on youth,
in a welcoming address, outlin-
ed the objectives of the assem-
bly and urged expansion of in-

Dr. Bunche to Head
Jordan River Study

terest in Israel's needs among
Jewish youth.
Panels were conducted on
three subjects of interest to
American Jewish youth : "Stim-
ulating Appreciation of Israel
Through Education and Reli-
gion," "Stimulating Appreciation
of Israel Through Community
Participation and Aliyah" and
"The American Jewish Com-
munity as a Center of Jewish i
Life."
Discussion leaders at these
panels included Avram Selesny,
Abbe Friedman, Rochelle Nach-
man, Jack Weiner, Edith Berko-
witz, Herschel Schlussel, Frank
Zweig, Avi Blackman, Richard
Lazar, Moshe Dworkin. William
Hordes, chairman of the board of
the JNF Council, introduced
Mr. Pratt.
At a reception given in his
honor by Mr. and Mrs. Hordes
at their home Sunday evening,
Mr. Pratt told of the important
role the JNF continues to play
in Israel's upbuilding. Movies
taken by Mr. and Mrs. Hordes
on their recent trip to Israel
were shown to the gathering.

DR. RALPH J. BUNCI1E

United Nations Secretary Gen-
eral D a g Hammarskj old has
named an inter-departmental
committee, under the chairman-
ship of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, to
study plans for use of the Jor-
dan River waters and to take
into consideration the political
aspects of preferred plans — the
Yarmuk plan, the Israel and
TVA plans.

2 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

—

Friday, March 5, 1954

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The rael had a long conference this
effectiveness of a United States week with Under-Secretary of
policy for the Middle East based State Walter Bedell Smith at
on winning the friendship of which it became clear that. the
the Arab states and arming U.S. Government agrees in prin-
them to aid in defense of the ciple with the views advanced
non-Communist world was chal- by Israel on the illegality of
lenged when military uprisings Egypt's blockade denying Israel-
unseated two of the Arab dicta- `bound ships passage through
tors whose friendship the State the Suez Canal and access to
Department had been attempt- the port of Eilat.
Other matters concerning Is-
ing to win, and the stability of -
the entire Middle East was ; rael-Ara,b relations were also
discussed at the conference, in
rocked.
which Israel Minister Reuven
Veteran authorities on the Shiloah also participated. Mr.
Middle East warned that a, new Eban stressed Israel's apprehen-
and more intense period of crisis sion over proposals for Amer--
may be approaching . for the ; can military aid to any power
Middle East.
belonging to the Arab League,
Joseph C. Harrison, overseas as long as such nations con-
news editor of the Christian tinue their hostile policies to-
Science Monitor, who spent, sev- ward Israel.
Mr. Eban reiterated the con-
eral years as a correspondent in
the Middle East, reviewing the cern felt by the Israel govern-
situation there, warned of pend- , went over the continued deten-
ing trouble also in Saudi Arabia. I ton of three Israeli citizens in
The country, he said, despite its l a Bagdad jail as "enemy aliens*
oil royalties, "is on the verge I after a British civil plane in
of bankruptcy and is living on 1 which they were flying from
international borrowing."
Cyprus to Iran was forced down
Ambassador Abba Eban of Is- early last month.

Proposal to Add 'Under God' Phrase to
Pledge to the Flag Raises Question of Con-
flict with First Amendment—Issue Traced
to Early Days of Michigan History.

Purely Commentary:

Three Michigan members of Congress,
Senator Homer Ferguson and Represen-
tatives Charles G. Oakman and Louis C.
Rabaut, are sponsoring identical resolu-
tions to amend the pledge of allegiance
to our Flag to include the words "under
God."
The proposed legislation would modify
the Pledge to read as follows:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of
the United States of America and to
the Republic for which - it stands., one
nation indivisible UNDER GOD, with
liberty and justice for all."
Senator Ferguson has expressed the
view that such legislation would give
meaning and action to the spiritual de-
fense of our nation. Pointing out that
the words "In God We Trust" are in-
scribed over the door of the Senate
Chamber in Washington, Michigan's
Senior Senator stated that "those words
must have a real meaning in the heart
of every • American," and added:
"Our nation was founded on a funda-
mental belief in God and the first and
most important reason for the existence
of our Government is to protect the God-
given rights of our citizens. Communism,
on the contrary, rejects the very exist-
ence of God.
"Spiritual values are every bit as im-
portant to the defense and safety of
our nation as military and economic
values. America must be defended by
spiritual values which exist in the hearts
and souls of the American people."
Congressman Rabaut, who first intro-
duced his bill to add the words "under
God" on April 20, 1953, recalled that
Abraham Lincoln used the words "under
God" in his Gettysburg address. He
told the U. S. House of Representatives:
"You may argue from dawn to dusk
about different political, economic and
social systems, but the fundamental is-
sue which is the unbridgeable gap be-
tween America and Communist Russia
is belief in Almighty God.
"From the root of atheism stems the
evil weed of C o m rn n i sm and its
branches of materialism and political
dictatorship. Unless we are willing to
affirm our belief in the existence of
God and His Creator-creature relation to
man, we drop man himself to the sig-
nificance of a grain of sand and open
the flood gates to tyranny and op=
pression.
"This country was founded on theis-
tic beliefs, on belief in the worthwhile-
ness of the individual human being
which in turn depends solely and com-
pletely on the identity of man as the
creature and son of God. The fraudu-
lent claims of the Communists to the
role of champions of social, economic
and political reform is given the lie by
their very own atheist materialist con-
cept of life and their denunciation of
religion, the bond between God and man,
as the opium of the people.
"It is, therefore, most proper that in
our salute to the flag, the patriotic
standard around which we rally as
Americans, we state the real meaning
of that flag. From their earliest child-
hood our children must know the real
meaning of America. Children and
Americans of all ages must know that
this is one Nation which 'under God'
means 'liberty and justice for all'."
Congressman Oakrnan, in a message
to his constituents, asserts: "We profess

U.S. Middle East Policy Believed
Weakened by Revolts Among Arabs

This study outlines in detail the various
debates on the question of secularism in
the schools and enlightens us on the
battles that marked the framing of
Michigan's Constitution. Religious liber-
ty guarantees were incorporated in the
state document in 1835.
Dr. Drachler relates that a delegate
to the State Constitutional Convention
proposed an invitation to clergymen,
"alternately one from each denomina-
tion," to open convention sessions. But
an opponent of the proposal insisted that
the mere presence of clergymen would
exert sectarian influence upon the dele-
gates. The resolution calling for prayers
at the convention was defeated. But
of far greater importance was the pro-
posal to include in the Constitution rec-
ognition of a Supreme Being and a
belief in a future state of rewards and
punishments. The resolution was re-
jected. Dr. Drachler, in his thorough
review and study, quotes the following
striking "denunciation of the move to
give the state a theistic nature by a
delegate, Willard":
Sir, I protest against the adoption
of such an article into our constitu-
tion. I protest against it because it
Mr. Justice Jackson's View
is ANTI-republican, ANTI-democratic,
A strong opinion exists that it is
ANTI-liberal, ANTI-do-as-you-would-
contrary to our Constitutional guaran-
be-done-by, A N T I-the-w ill-of-the-
tees for Congress to legislate on religious
people. I do verily believe that nine
questions.
tenths of the people of Michigan do
In his famous opinion on the question
not wish to prescribe a fellow being
of release time for Bible studies in our
on account of his RELIGIOUS or IR-
schools, in the McCollum Case, U. S.
RELIGIOUS belief; and I do know
Supreme . Court Justice Robert Jackson
that a very large majority of my con-
expressed this view:
stituents do not wish it . . .
"The day that this country ceases
I go the whole hog for having every
to be free for irreligion it will cease
free white male citizen of the age of
to be free for religion—except for the
twenty-one years, who shall have re-
sect that can win political power. The
sided in the state a certain stipulated
same epithetical jurisprudence used
length of time, a VOTER, and every
by the Court today to beat down those
voter eligible to any office the people
who oppose pressuring children into
may think proper to bestow upon him,
some religion can devise as good
whether he believe in one God or
epithets tomorrow against those who
twenty Gods, or no God . . .
object to pressuring them into a
Suppose a man's head is so thick
favored religion."
and
brainless (if you choose to call .
The Michigan Tradition:
it so) that no evidence can be beaten
Dr. Norman Drachler's Study
into it which is sufficiently strong to
In view of the fact that all the spon-
convince him of the existence of an
sors of the bills to effect changes in the
UNCAUSED FIRST Cause—of an un-
Pledge to the Flag are from Michigan,
organised, yet intelligent, immaterial
our legislators undoubtedly will be inter-
Being, who existed from all eternity,
ested in the background of our own
in nothing, on nothing, and who did
state's traditional policies favoring Sep-
nothing it ntil about six thousand
aration of Church and State and the
years ago, at which time He created
original aim of the framers of our State
not only this vast globe and all that
Constitution to eliminate from it all
it inhabits, but also myriads of worlds
references to the Deity.
and living creatures. —Suppose, I say,
A comprehensive study, entitled "The
a man's head is so thick and brain-
Influence of Sectarianism, Non-Sectar-
less that he cannot comprehend nor
ianism, and Secularism Upon the Public
believe in such an existence, and has
Schools of Detroit and the University of
the moral courage and honesty to
Michigan, 1837-1900," formed the disser-
acknowledge it when interrogated,
tation for his degree of Doctor of Phil-
shall he be debarred from testifying
osophy, earned from the U. of M. by Dr.
Norman Drachler of Detroit, in 1951.
in courts of justice., and from holding

our faith in a Supreme Being on our
coins marked, 'In God We Trust.' It
seems more appropriate to me to recog-
nize the Deity in our spiritual dedica-
tion to the flag, the symbol of our God-
given freedom. Our belief in God high-
lights one of the fundamental differences
between us and the Communists."
The Tradition on Coins
There is an interesting tradition back-
ing up these beliefs. On May 18, 1908,
Congress approved this Statute:
"Be it enacted . . . That the motto
'In. God we trust,' heretofore inscribed
on certain denominations of the gold
and silver coins of the United States
of America, shall hereafter be in-
scribed upon all such gold and silver
coins of said denominations as here-
to fore."
Nevertheless, t h e r e may be valid
arguments against the proposed meas-
ures on the ground that it may con-
flict with the First Amendment which
provides the guarantee that—
"Congress shall make no law re-
specting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise there-
of ..."

.

Dr. Drachler

Rep. Oakman

Rep. Rabaut

Sen . Fergusoit

By PHILIP
SLOMOUITZ

an office of profit and trust, which Ms
equally thick headed and skeptical
neighbors may wish to bestow upon
him? Forbid it justice! Forbid it ye
free-born sons of Michigan! Palsied
be the tongue of him who shall ad-
vocate such doctrine, and perish the
hand that shall put a vote in the bal-
lot box in favor of him who shall do
so! Mistake me not. I would equally
imprecate him who should attempt to
deprive the most credulous fanatic
that ever disgraced human nature, of
the least of his inalienable rights and
privileges. No sir, let us have no pro-
scriptive laws, either in FAVOR or
AGAINST religion, unless we mean to
make liars and hypocrites of our pos-
terity. Let religion stand or fall with-
out the proscriptive intolerance of law.
If it be of God, ye cannot overthrow
it; but if it be of man, it will surely
come to naught . . . In. the name of
mental liberty — in the name of un-
born millions of our posterity — in
the name of all that is near and dear
to us, the liberty of conscience, — I .
protest against the resolution.
At the convention of 1850, we learn.
from Dr. Drachler, ministers of religion
were invited to open daily sessions with
prayers, but the delegates personally paid
for these services.
At the convention of 1867, an at-
tempt was made to have the Convention
Preamble embody recognition of the Al-
mighty and acknowledge "the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is author of • Christi-
anity and has revealed God to man.*
The objection was raised that this was
sectarian. Delegate Nind called it a
concept contrary to other faiths and
that "this would not be the case with the
Hebrews, the Unitarlans, not saying any-
thing about the atheists whom some
gentlemen may consider as outlaws."
While the terms Almighty God and
Sovereign Ruler were accepted, the
words "C Kristian government" and
"Lord Jesus Christ" were omitted from
the state document.
Commenting on the changing atti-
tudes between conventions and at sub-
sequent sessions, Dr. Drachler makes this
interesting point:
"A glance back at the conventions
of 1835 and 1850 reveals that separa-
tion of church and state was more
clear cut in those days . . ."
But this is true of the country at
large. The Founding Fathers of this
Republic, especially Jefferson and Madi-
son, were deeply concerned that there
should be no legislation respecting the
establishment of religion. But there have
been changes in our own time. The
study of the Bible is being introduced
in many states, with a similar move,
on foot in Michigan. There are
new. mores and new trends,—all in a
direction that may be interpreted as
leading away from the First Amend-
ment.
It will be interesting to watch devel-
opments in Washington. Are there tra-
ditionalists who will share the view of
the framers of Michigan's first consti-
tution and the opinions of Jefferson and
Madison who will object to the proposals
of Michigan's Senior Senator and his
two associates in the House of Repre-
sentatives? Their bills raise a most in-

teresting issue.