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THE JEWISH NEWS

Day

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

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National
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Editorial Association
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100
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Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
his 'Sabbath, the twenty-second day of Iyar, 5719, the following Scriptural selections
T-
will be read in our synagogues:
Prophetical portion, Jer. 16:19-17:14.
Pentateuchal portion, Behukotai, Lev. 26:3-27:34.

Licht Benshen, Friday, May 29, 7:40 p.m.

VOL. XXXV, No. 13

Page

Four

May 29, 1959

Is 'Jewish Society' Dead to Our Youth.

era of liberation. In Germany, a wave
A forum sponsored by the British an tyranny
and genocide showed that lib-
Section of the World Jewish Congress, of
eration
from
economic and cultural op-
in London, on the subject "Is Jewish pressions could
not be completed either
Society Bankrupt" revealed some very through disassociation
from the Jewish
tragic aspects of an issue that was stated group or by way of apostasy.
so negatively in the very topic of the
Zionism succeeded in rescuing many
discussion.
young Jews from the baptismal font or
Four prominent young writers partici- from total assimilation. The emergence of
pated in the forum. They were referred the State of Israel contributed toward
to as the "angry young men" of Anglo- the revival of a sense of kinship between
Jewry and their comments indicate atti- Jews. But neither Zionism nor Israel,
tudes of a most disturbing nature.
'nor both together, have succeeded en-
Thus, Bernard Kops, who has made tirely in establishing firm footholds for •
his mark as a playwright, spoke of the Judaism among many young Jews.
Prof. Morris R. Cohen was one of America's most distin-
Anglo-Jewish community as "neurotic
* * *
guished philosophers. The immigrant lad who rose to high
and closed." He said that once a Jewish
What is the cause of such a separa- academic posts was the guide of the present generation
writer had written out of his system tion? Is there a remedy for the disillu- of philosophers. He was the great logician whose works inspired
all that was Jewish in him, he had little sionment, indifference and anger?
educators in this and in other countries.
to fall back on, and could not endlessly
The last collection of his essays has just been published
Apparently,
it
is
difficult
to
arrive
at
Y. 10)
go back to the great Jewish tragedies.
by Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. (105 E. 24th, N.
a
solution.
Perhaps
the
over-balancing
the title "Studies in Philosophy and Science." It is a
Another playwright, Peter Shaffer, au-
in fund-raising for relief move- under
great intellectual treat and the variety of the subjects covered
thor of the successful play "Five Finger elements
ments
and
for
Israel's
upbuilding,
having
in it should be an inspiration to all students of human values.
Exercise," which has been staged in Eng-
the cultural aspects of Jew-
Interestingly enough, the essays begin with "The Faith
land and in Israel, said he was "one of overshadowed
life, are in some measure responsible of a Logician." There is an autobiographical comment in which
the few writers to whom being a Jew is ish
not important." He added: "One must ar- for the extremely un-Jewish views of he states:
"If philosophy is viewed broadly as the love of wisdom
Was
ive at a religious belief, not be born into Jewish writers.
knowledge, I may say that such a love
There
is
no
doubt
that
the
external
or
general
it. For this reason I believe the only truly
awakened
in
me
between
my
seventh
and
tenth
year
by
my
temptations, the assimilationist tenden-
religious people are converts."
grandfather, a poor tailor in the Russian town of Nesviesh.
Jon Silkin, a poet, described the Jew- cies that are inspired by the total free- Though he never learned to write and had only a moderate
ish religion as "even more rotten and ing of Jews from the ghettos, are the reading knowledge of Hebrew, he had become the master
more ossified than Christianity, if this major causes for a situation that has of an extraordinary amount of knowledge and wisdom. Walks
were possible." He said that he believed caused Jewish writers to speak with de- and talks with him first stimulated my imagination about
that Anglo-Jewish society was dead, that tachment about their Jewish heritage. It the world at large and its history. From him, also, I ac-
it was living in a primarily Teutonic so- would be folly to believe that only the quired a certain ineradicable admiration for the ascetic
ciety which tolerated the Jews, but "tol- young Jewish writers feel the way the virtues and a scorn f or the life of wealth, ease, creature
elated with contempt." He added that it spokesmen at the World Jewish Congress comforts, and all that goes under the old name of world-
was necessary for the Jewish writer to forum expressed themselves in London. liness. "For the rest I had a rather varied education. I began,
feel a sense of identification with Jewish If writers feel that way, there must be like other orthodox Hebrew boys, with the Bible, and then
victims of persecution and to attempt to others who share such views.
on to the Talmud. The first nonreligious book which I
Many solutions undoubtedly will be went
read was a Hebrew copy of Josephus. When, in 1890, I was
"interpret the burden of history."
The fourth speaker on that program, offered. The religious spokesmen, who sent back to live with my mother in the larger city of Minsk,
the well known author of the biography have cause to be shocked by the coni- I began to read Hebrew books on Hebrew history and soon
of Ben-Gurion, Emanuel Litvinoff, did ment that our faith is "rotten" and "ossi- drifted into very secular romances. In 1892. I was brought
not view Jewish society as being bank- fied"—we doubt whether even Toynbee, to New York, and in 1895 I entered the scientific course
has stigmatized Judaism as being of its City College, where, in addition to matheatics, phys-
rupt in the same sense of having ceased who
"ossified"
would repeat it again—will ics, chemistry, and biology, I learned to appreciate French
to function, but said that it is functioning surely say that
complete return to Jew- - literature . . ."
in a grossly inefficient way. He said the ish observances a would
Such was the beginning of the career of the man whose
correct the faults.
real question was whether it had any But we dare not overlook
later professorial and literary activities made him the darling
that
there
is
a
survival value. He called Anglo-Jewish secularist element in Jewish life and that of major cultural spheres in the land.
society a "rather pathetic entity" that the secularists have been vital in Jewish
There is a wealth of ideas in his posthumously published
consists of "people with totally outmoded existence—as spreaders of Jewish cul- essays. Discussing the philosophy of religion, he stated:
"Having been brought up as an orthodox Hebrew, re-
ideas and obstinate defensive prejudices," tural values, as defenders of Jewish
with
ligion was first associated in my mind with cults,
that it constituted a sterile climate for a rights, as supporters of Jewish causes.
of
prayers and ritual observances. Study of the history
writer. But at the same time he deplored
The
day
school
idea
may
be
suggested,
Buddhism,
Christianity,
and
Islam
confirmed
the
view
that
the disregard by some writers that they but even its proponents agree that such ritual, what men do on certain occasions, is the primary
were Jews and thereby rejected a rich schools will serve a valued purpose in fact, and that the beliefs and emotions associated with
source of inspiration. 5' *
training a select group of better-informed ritual are more variable."
*
A seminar discussion with former Vice-President Henry
and that they can not be expected
_While the references of the four fo- Jews
Wallace, included as part of one of the essays, reveals the genius
to
constitute
the
entire
system
of
Jewish
rum participants were to Anglo-Jewry, education in free lands like ours.
of the late philosopher as a logician.
their views should be taken into consider-
A score of subjects covered in "Studies in Philosophy and
* *
ation seriously by Jewish communities in
Religion," including an essay on "Roads to Einstein," repre-
Many approaches, in a variety of direc- sent a great variety of ideas, with Prof. Cohen the master. in
all Diaspora countries in which freedom tions,
will have to be made to solve this the field of analysis and discussion.
of expression has motivated such frank serious
problem. The synagogue must
s last essays, incorporated in the book under review, form
declarations by young Jews regarding
its part, our schools are vital to the a rich collection of ideas that will be treasured by all who
their Jewish heritage. These writers play
adult education programs are of read the splendid volume.
were referred to in the reports from issue,
major
and the influence that
London as "the angry young men." Yet comes importance,
from
parents
in a child's daily life Brandeis Evaluated by Fraenkel
it is vital that the people to. whom they must be considered as
primary factors in
referred in what may sound like tones of
"Louis D. Brandeis-1856-1941—Patriot, Judge and Zionist,"
an appreciation
of a per-
.
bitterness should not adopt anger in the strengthening
a new pamphlet by Josef Fraenkel, in the series, "Makers of
son's background and heritage.
consideration of their attitudes.
Modern Jewish History," published by the education committee
The views we have quoted are not The problem has been posed in bru- of the Hillel Foundation of London, has just come off the press.
new. They have been heard in several tally frank fashion. Perhaps we should be
It is a splendid evaluation of the great American Jewish
eras during which Jewry has experienced grateful to the "angry young men" for leader. It gives an interesting account of Brandeis' assistance
liberation from persecutions. They are having spoken so bluntly. They have to Zionist leaders in the trying years when Nazism threatened
the result of the freeing of our young placed the issue at our doorposts and we the existence of the entire Jewish people. Fraenkel tells of the
people from obligations to their people must utilize all the means at our dis- encouragement that was given to the Jewish National Fund by
during processes of emancipation. posal to provide solutions necessary for Brandeis during the visit in this country of Menahem Ussishkin.
states that Brandeis, "as adviser to Woodrow Wilson, as
History has proven that not all eman- Jewish survival in the Diaspora. Such sur- He
friend of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover,
cipations have been complete. that they vival must be attained in dignity and in
D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, initiated the pro-
have not totally freed a people from its the spirit which, contrary to the allusions Franklin
Zionist attitude towards Zionism in America."
burdens or from duties to kinsmen. The made by one of the angered young men,
Fraenkel also is the author • of another pamphlet, in German—
emancipation movements in France and still keeps the world indebted to Jewry "Mathias
Achers Kampf urn die 'Zionkrone' "—which has been
in Germany have hardly been complete. for the ideals which have been carried ubli hed by Maccabi Verlag in Basel.
other_ro ni_or r eligions
A f_tnir. f ro fvuPd nv_pr
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Dr. Morris R. Cohen's 'Studies
in Philosophy and Science '

T..