Mission Over the Suez

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 $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6. 1942 at Post ()Met., Detroit. Mich. under act of Congress of March
6. 187:

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editc.r and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Circulation Manager

Advertising Manager

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the nineteenth day of Tammuz, 5719, the following Scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Pinhas. Num. 25:10-30:1. Prophetical portion, Jer. 1:1-2:3.

Licht Benshen, Friday, July 24, 7:41 p.m.

VOL. XXXV. No. 21

Page Four

July 24, 1959

'A Catholic for President in the White House?'

A subject of major interest, certain
to be discussed more widely than any
other during the coming 15 months, prior
to the next Presidential election, will be
the one involving the chances of a Cath-
olic to be elected President of the United
States.
The candidacy of Senator John F.
Kennedy for the Democratic nomination
in 1960 has stirred great interest since the
1956 Democratic national convention,
when he came close to being nominated
for the Vice Presidency. Now the issue
is being debated in the open.
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, rabbi of The
Temple in Cleveland, one of world Jewry's
most distinguished leaders and scholars,
has devoted a major sermon to the dis-
cussion of the question: "A Catholic
President in the White House?" In it, he
reviewed the background of anti-Catholic
campaigns in this country and the sad
experiences during the campaign of Al
Smith in 1928; as well as the interpreta-
tions of the First Amendment and the
intentions of the Founding Fathers when
they framed the Constitution.
Dr. Silver recalled that "in 1947 the
Supreme Court of the United States pro-
ceeded to define more fully the intent of
the First Amendment. It declared:
`Neither a State nor the Federal Govern-
ment can set up a church. Neither can
pass laws which aid one religion, aid all
religions or prefer one religion over
another . . . No tax in any amount, large
or small, can be levied to support any
religious activities or institutions, what-
ever they may be called or whatever form
they may adopt to teach or practice
religion. Neither a State nor the Federal
Government can, openly or secretly, par-
ticipate in the affairs of any religious
organization or groups and vice versa. In
the words of Jefferson, the clause against
establishment of religion by law was in-
tended to erect a wall between church
and state."

Dr. Silver expressed the belief that
"many Catholics in the United States
fully accept this position." He pointed out
that Senator Kennedy, a Catholic "who is
talked of as a possible Presidential candi-
date," declared a short time ago: "The
First Amendment to the Constitution is
an infinitely wise one. There can be no
question of Federal funds being used for
support of parochial or private
schools . . . "
There were criticisms of Senator
Kennedy in the Catholic press and the
issue is not as sharply defined as it may
appear on the surface. Nevertheless, Sen-
ator Kennedy has gone on record on a
major issue, and the feeling generally is
that it would be un-American to raise the
religious issue in the forthcoming Presi-
dential campaign and that a candidate's
religious background should not be a
campaign issue. Rabbi Silver summed up
his position by quoting from the late AI
Smith's rebuke to the anti-Catholics dur-
ing his campaign for the Presidency. He
especially endorsed Smith's summary of
his creed as an American Catholic in
which he stated more than 30 years ago:
"I believe in the worship of God
according to the faith and practice of the
Roman Catholic Church. I recognize no
power in the institution of my church
to interfere with the operations of the
Constitution of the United States or the
enforcement of the law of the land. I
believe in absolute freedom of conscience
for all men and in equality of all churches,

all sects and all beliefs before the law as
a matter of right and not as a matter of
favor. I believe in absolute separation of
church and state and in strict enforcement
of the provisions of the Constitution that
Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibit-
ing the free exercise thereof. . . . I believe
in the support of the public school as one
of the cornerstones of American liberty.
I believe in the right of every parent to
choose whether his child shall be educated
in public school or in a religious school
supported by those of his own faith. . . ."
*
*
*
This was a remarkable statement,
and about it Dr. Silver said that Al Smith's
prayer that "never again in this land will
any public servant be challenged because
of the faith in which he has tried to walk
humbly with his God" has "not been
realized" and that "bigotry and intoler-
Many of the poems by Amy K. Blank have appeared in
ance have not completely disappeared nationally recognized magazines. Possessing great spiritual fervor
either from the ranks of the Protestants and literary power, Mrs. Blank has won recognition for her
or from the ranks of the Catholics, the truly beautiful interpretations of Biblical themes.
Her new book of poems, published by Hebrew Union
Ku Klux Klan, Gerald L. K. Smith or
Father Coughlin." Rabbi Silver added that College Press and distributed by University Publishers, of under
great
the title "The Spoken Choice," reveals lyric power
"intolerance dies hard."
The eminent rabbi then summed up magnitude.
Some of the poems are masterful conversation pieces. For
his views on the question "A Catholic instance,
in "And Jacob Blessed Pharaoh," the two conduct
President in the White House?" with the
dialogue.
They speak of God, and the poet's concluding
a
declaration:
thoughts. analyzing the two contrasting personalities, are:
"A man should be elected to office
The moonlight almost spent
because of his character, his ability, and
Upon the river,
the issues which he represents — not
The stars spread far apart —
because of his religion — and no man
Jacob, the father, thought into the future:
should be defeated for office because of
"My hope is far removed."
The lissome Pharaoh thought:
his religion.
"My hope is long fulfilled."
"We have a long way to go. In this
gracious land we have been given
Deep silence fell
the opportunity to live our own lives and
Upon the two old men who understood
to worship God as we wish — Catholic,
Each other's separate earth and separate heaven.
Protestant, Jew—each according to his
The first poetic expression in the book, "Kedushah," deals
own conviction. Let us not endanger that with the Shechinah, with the "Addir Addirenu" of our prayers,
blessed right and freedom which we all and pays tribute to the Almighty:
enjoy by seeking monopolistic privileges,
Thou bast created as a sword
Man's vertical, responsive soul.
majority domination or arrogating to our-
Mrs. Blank, who is the wife of Prof. Sheldon H. Blank
selves what the law of the land has
has
granted to all. We have a long way to go. of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Gods"
written
several
conversational
poems.
"Her
Father's
Little
But if we follow the clear light of our
famous
Constitution and the Declaration of Inde- is a discussion between Jacob and Rachel on the that her
Biblical
episode
on
Laban's
gods.
Rachel
can't
forget
pendence and the example of the fine men sister Leah was first to give birth to a son to Jacob. Consoling
of all faiths who have faithfully and loy- Rachel for having stolen her father's god, Jacob says to Rachel:
ally lived up to the principles embodied
My child, stand back a little from me—could it be—
in them, all of us—whatever our religion
You merely liked to play with them?
or race—will be able to move into an even
"Moses Speaks," "Moses Speaks Again," "Jeremiah Speaks"
more spacious and beautiful day when and "Isaiah VI—A Reflection in Old Age" are among the strong
as brothers we shall eagerly cooperate poems in this fine book.
"Joshua Speaks to Rahab," "Elijah's Mantle," "Salaam
for the common good of all."
*
*
*
and the Ass" and a number of the other poems reveal the poet's
These are timely declarations. The knowledge of Scriptures and her having caught the spirit of the
injection of religious issues in political important Biblical incidents.
A second section in the book, under the title "The Deeper
campaigns implies a threat of "majority
domination," of a group "arrogating unto Earth," is general in nature, but equally powerful.
itself what the law of the land has granted
to all."
Indeed, it takes time to educate the
There are seven dimensions of reality, according to Frank
majority. Now is the time to do it. Senator E. Lazowick,
in his new book, "The Science of Philosophy,"
Kennedy's chances of being nominated published by Philosophical
Library (15 E. 40th, N. Y. 16). They
for the Presidency on the Democratic are: Faith—the church; wisdom—universities; might—military
ticket may be grossly exaggerated. It may establishments; justice—courts; freedom—civil liberties organi-
be too early to judge any candidate's zations, the press, etc.; love—family, charities, social-fraternal
chances. But whoever is nominated, what- groups; beauty—the arts.
His "framework of dimensions," the author contends, "pro-
ever anyone's chances, it should be clearly
understood that the candidate's religion vides a conceptual structure in which can be housed harmoni-
the
will not be dragged in; that it will be ously, gracefully and economically more, many more, of than
basic, important and ultimate human cultural concepts
treated as a private matter.
in any other alleged 'system' of philosophy heretofore pro-
We go along fully with Dr. Silver in pounded."
his conclusions on the grave issue which
He concludes with the interesting observation that:
he has discussed so dispassionately and
"Wisdom IS a standard by which each deed and all action
so wisely. We join in the prayer for the of the organism must be tested—but so are Faith, Beauty, Love,
coming of the day when it will be totally Justice, Might and Freedom standards by which Wisdom itself
unnecessary to discuss the racial and re- is tested. These seven are equal coordinate standards—with the
.
ligious issues in matters of public concern. super-ordinate final controlling standard being the Moral stand-
That's when men will treat each other as Self-compromising actions-performances is the sovereign
brothers working for the common good. ard that rules conclusively."

'The Spoken Choice'--Strong
Poetry by Amy K. Blank

Lazowick 's Philosophy Concept

