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Science Needs U.S. Support

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers. Michigan Press Association. National
Editorial Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35,
Mich., VE. 8-9364 Subscription $5 a year. Foreign M.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1952 at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Circulation Manager

4,4

-
"2111.7E,i7.

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the fourteenth day of Kislev, 5718, the following Scriptural selec-
tions will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Vayishlah, Gen. 32:4-36:43. Prophetical portion, Hosea
11:7-12:12.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Dec. 6, 4:21 p.m.

VOL. XXXII. No. 14

Page Four

December 6, 1957 '

Religious Question in U. S. Census

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When the U. S. Bureau of the Census sented to the Census Bureau, declared
announced the inclusion of the question that the federal government, under the
"What Is Your Religion?" in the question- Constitution, may not aid religious groups
naire to be used in 1960, the American or "take cognizance of the religious affili-
Jewish Congress initiated a movement of ations of its citizens;" that when "religion
protest against it on the ground that it in- seeks and comes to rely on aid from gov-
terferes with the religious liberty of the ernment, it becomes weaker."
The Baptist Joint Committee on Public
American people and that it interferes
with the principle of separation of church Affairs stated that the "inclusion of the
question would be a violation of religious
and state.
National Jewish religious bodies, the liberty and separation of church and Two Essays About Israel and Zionism
Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith and state." The Minneapolis Star, opposing
the American Jewish Committee have the question, said it would violate the con-
since then also joined in the protest stitutional principle of separation of
against such a question, and a number of church and state as well as the constitu-
Christian denominations similarly have tional guarantee of freedom of religion,
expressed themselves against the posing "especially if a citizen could be arrested
Two important literary_ essays have just been issued by the
of the religious question. for refusal to answer the question."
Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
One is a thought-provoking brochure, entitled "Israel and
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It is against the latter point that the
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the Diaspora," the text of an address by Meyer W. Weisgal, de-
Commonweal Magazine, one of the major objection was first raised by the livered before an Oxford University student group, at Oxford,
leading Catholic periodicals, one of the American Jewish Congress and other England. In it he makes the point that "Jewry is indivisible and
few organs of Catholic public opinion, de- groups have since then concurred in indi- cannot be split asunder, any more than any living organism." He
dared itself in opposition of the question, eating the danger that would arise from adds:
and stated this viewpoint: possible arrests of those who claim the
"The artificial separation of Israel and the Diaspora may
"Despite the useful data such a ques- moral right not to divulge their religious seriously endanger the Jewish people, both within and outside
Israel. It may tend to lead to an estrangement, leaving nothing
tion would supply, we would oppose its affiliations.
more than a sterile marriage of convenience and, eventually,
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inclusion ... principally on the grounds
One of the strongest arguments against of divorce."
If Israel is to endure, Weisgal declares, "it must return
that it would constitute invasion of per-
the religious question was uttered by the
to the concepts of classical Zionism—the unity, the indivisi-
sonal privacy."
Indianapolis News whose editorial opinion bility of the Jewish people."
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The other essay is incorporated in a beautifully printed book
Meanwhile, the U. S. Census Bureau, on the issue was expressed under the
the address delivered by Louis Lipsky, at Rehovot, as
pending a final decision on the issue—a heading "None of Your Business," the Containing
part of the Chaim Weizmann Memorial Lectures, on the subject
decision which may cause the entire ques- newspaper's blunt declaration being:
"Herzl, Weizmann and the Jewish State." It contains, in addition
"We agree that accurate figures in the to the English text, a Hebrew translation by Emikam Gurvitz.
tion to be taken to the Federal Courts,
has reported that it has taken a test sur- _ religious census would have worthwhile
Lipsky evaluated historical developments from the time of
vey of questions to be asked in 1960 in a uses. But this merit would be heavily out- Theodor Herzl to those of Chaim Weizmann and pays tribute to
the genius and creative leadership of both Zionist leaders. He
Wisconsin area and reports that of 431 weighed by the dangerous precedent."
spoke in poetic terms of the emergence of Israel, of the rebirth
Thus,
while
the
census
enumerator
is
persons polled only three refused to an
of the Hebrew language, "the fusing in a natural way" of the
swer the religious question and that pro- bound by the law to keep all answers to common interests of Jewry and Israel.
questions in confidence, the fact remains
The common interests of world Jewry and the Israelis are
tests were heard from "only a few."
This survey hardly proves any point that a person who is asked to reply to a emphasized in this lecture in which the eminent American Zionist
at all, since it is the right of even a single religious question is compelled to make leader declared:
aspiring Jews march side by side, not wearing the
American to protest against what he may known a personal affiliation and by an- same "All
uniforms or displaying the same badges, responding to
consider interference with his rights of swering such a question he becomes a different names but sharing in the common sacrifices, seek-
religious freedom, and since it takes only party to breaking down the basic ideal of
ing the same way of life, rejoicing together and mourning
together, all concerned in the survival of the Jewish people
one person to be right on an issue for the separation of church and state.
and the fulfillment of their destiny."
Therefore, the "none of your business"
establishment of a basic principle involv-
attitude is logical and should be consid-
ing Constitutional rights.
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eyed seriously by the Census Bureau. It 'Rabbi in America'
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An interesting study of the issue has would be safest to eliminate it from the
been made for the Anti - -Defamation questionnaire before the matter becomes
League by Sol Rabkin, who points out in one that will create a religious dispute in
Those who are interested in the life story of the founder of
his analysis that defenders of the question this country.
American Reform Judaism and in the background of the Reform
believe that since it is considered proper
synagogues in this country, will find interesting facts in "Rabbi
to gather, in a census questionnaire, data
in America," by Israel Knox,
about a person's employment, industry
published by Little, Brown
& Co. (34 Beacon St., Boston
-and housing there is no reason why a
World Jewry has suffered a great loss 6).
religious question also should not be
Isaac Wise advocated a
asked, in the interest of accumulating in the death of Dr. Pinkhos Churgin, "minhag
America" in syna-
president
of
Bar-Ilan
University
in
Israel.
vital statistics. Proponents of the question,
gogue observance. He prop-
An eminent scholar, a distinguished agated drastic changes in
according to the ADL researcher, believe:
There is specific authorization in federal Talmudist, Dr. Churgin occupied an im- synagogue rituals, and as
law for the Secretary of Commerce to collect
portant place in Jewish educational circles the man who first inspired
statistics every ten years relating to religious
in this country, especially in the Yeshiva the abandonment of old cus-
bodies. The provision was originally adopted University where he served as professor toms, his life story is of spe-
in 1902 and there have been censuses of reli-
of Jewish history and literature before cial significance.
gious bodies in 1916, 1926 and 1936.
Naturally, he was a
to Israel to become the head of the stormy
petrel, his views
The 1902 federal law concerns a cen- going
Dr. Wise
proving too drastic for too
sus of religious bodies, not of an indi- Mizrachi-sponsored Bar-Ilan University.
many. He was an anti-Zionist and he inspired the adoption of an
It
was
in
the
latter
post
that
he
espe-
vidual's religious belief. In the past, the
anti-Zionist resolution at the convention of Reform rabbis and
Bureau of the Census circulated a ques- cially gained memorable fame. Under his leaders, in Montreal, in 1897. His views have since been repudi-
tionnaire to religious bodies which took leadership, an impressive campus has ated by his own movement, but the views he held will interest
their own census and then filled in the come into being at Ramat Gan in Israel. all even at this time, as an indication of the internal Jewish
form. Even this was unacceptable to Important faculties have been established prejudices that existed at that time.
Prof. Knox's biographical sketch aims at indicating how
many, including several Protestant groups there and a university of merit has been
this anti-Zionist founder of Reform Judaism sought to find a
which refused to fill out their forms in created.
home for Judaism in America. His account is commended by
Bar-Ilan will be Dr. Churgin's chief Prof.
1936 on the grounds that this violated the
Oscar Handlin, who has edited this book and has written
doctrine of separation of church and state. memorial in Israel, and his memory will a commendatory preface.
Congress refused to appropriate funds for be recalled with affection by all lovers of
Even the opponents of the Isaac Wise ideas will be enlight-
this kind of census in 1946 and it was Zion and by Zionists generally, not Miz- ened by the revelations of the man's approaches to his theories,
rachi alone, who know how to value genu- his philosophy of Judaism—which was pursued by many for
abandoned.
decades but has since been greatly modified—and his
The joint memorandum of the ADL ine scholarship and lasting contributions several
daring
in
promulgating his • views.
and the American Jewish Committee, pre- to Jewish life in this country and in Israel.

Meyer Weisgal, Louis Lip sky
/
Evaluate Jewry s, Israel ' s Aims

The Story of Isaac M. Wise'

Dr. Pinkhos Churgin

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