Sabbath Programming at Center Stirs Protests
(Continued from Page 1)
Hebrew schools and will not
allow the difference to the ex-
tent of the amount of the after-
noon schools, and actually al-
lowed the school to be closed
for lack of funds. But . . . there
are millions of dollars to be
spent for centers and hundreds
of thousands of dollars to be al-
located to the Center for its
deficit. I don't think that this is
democracy; it is actually appres-
sion for certain groups.
"My concern is:
"Should the Center actually
open on Saturday, one or two
things are going to happen
in our good community of. De-
troit. Members of congregations
and temples will lose faith in
their rabbis and probably with-
draw their support from congre-
gations and temples; or, mem-
bers of congregations and tem-
ples will arise in numbers and
support the rabbis and possibly
cool .their interest in the total
support, of the community Fed-
eration.
"It is not easy for me to write
this letter; neither is it easy for
me to put some blame on the
officers, leaders and members
of the congregations and tem-
ples that took a passive in-
terest in protesting to the
Federation or to the Jewish
Community Center last fall
when the announcement was
first made of opening the Cen-
ter on Saturday. A certain
amount of blame naturally must
go to all the rabbis for not
arousing each member from the
lethargic, disinterested feeling
toward opening of the Center
on Saturday.
"It .is my feeling now that it
is up to all the rabbis and all
the officers, leaders and mem-
bers of congregations and tem-
ples once and for all to .make
up their minds whether or not
they are part of the community,
whether or not they want to pre-
serve the Sabbath from being
desecrated, and keep their con-
gregations and temples intact
as they should be and abide by
the decision of their rabbis
Otherwise, there is no need for
rabbis or congregations and
temples. -
"From my observations, at-
tending many meetings at Jew-
ish Welfare Federati o,n s
throughout the country, many of
Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
The Regettable Jewish Center - Issue
The issue revolving around the decision to open the Jewish
Community-Center for some of its services on Sabbath afternoons
Could have been avoided—and should have been prevented.
When, in an • organized community, there is an element—
even if it does not constitute a majority—that is deeply concerned
over certain traditional practices, its sentiments should be re-
spected.
The views that already have been expressed by prominent
local leaders, and by nearly all of our rabbis, against the intro-
duction of the type of programs that are scheduled to commence
tomorrow, should have been anticipated and - must now_, even at
this late hour, again be taken into consideration.
The Jewish Center is a vital institution in our midst. It serves
an important purpose for our youth and their parents. Regret-
tably, the Center, having assumed very large proportions, has
suffered from a mounting deficit.
_ The charge that was leveled at the management of the
Center that its introduction of Sabbath programs was motivated
by a desire to increase income has been denied, and we believe
the denial, having the deepest respect for the communally-minded
men and women who- direct the Center's activities.
- Now there is a danger that the move towards Sabbath pro-
gramming may react negatively—that instead of helping the
Center, it may hurt it very much.
The entire issue is a regrettable one. In the best interests
of a unified community, rifts should be avoided. At the moment,
a serious rift has been created. It is not too late to mend the
errors.
When Tourists Become Authorities . . .
On the eve of the opening of the Eichmann trial in Jeru-
salem, the Israel government found it necessary to warn against
advertising schedules by travel agencies throughout the world
which had offered tourists unobtainable opportunities to observe
the courtroom proceedings.
The Israel government might have rendered an additional
service if it had cautioned against the emergence of as new type
of authority—the tourist who visits Israel for a .few days and
becomes an authority about the land and its people, and those
who, attending a single session, or two sessions, of the trial,
consider themselves competent to discuss the issues involved.
During the first month's proceedings in the Jerusalem court-
room, only 25 tourists, who were carefully screened, were ad-
mitted as guests at each session. When most of the foreign
correspondents found it necessary to return to their homes, this
number of privileged guests was doubled. But it still was a small
group, and the guests were limited to attending a single session.
Yet, many returned with opinions that often grate on the
nerves of those who know the situation and who have studied the
trial over a period of weeks. For example, the national Jewish
War Veterans commander came here with such a gruesome
description of the security measures taken at the court house that
he definitely exaggerated the situation.
The fact is that Israel had set up a 'special Eichmann Police
Corps of 700 North African Jews. The reason North Africans
were selected was the desire that those who guard the prisoner
and the courtroom environment should not include people who
had suffered at the hands of the Nazi in Western and Eastern
Europe. Thus, temptations to assassinate the prisoner were par-
tially avoided.
In this and in other procedures, the Eichmann trial has been,
and continues to be, conducted with a sense of justice, in total
fairness to the prisoner and to those who defend him.
The trial's objectives have been outlined and analyzed so
often that it is unnecessary to repeat them. It is unfortunate that
there have been some misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
Some of them are due to the assumption of attitudes of authority
by people who have had a glance at Jerusalem and the courtroom
and now feel they know it all. When such authorities arise in
our midst, they should be asked: how many minutes did they
spend in the courtroom?
the leading professionals of but I personally cannot keep si- Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. -
Federations always stressed lent when a hitherto unified com- and Canada and the Rabbini-
strong community centers, try- munity is being torn to pieces by cal Council of America.
ing to inject Jewish education those who are more concerned
The statement issued by the
in the Centers. I have always with budgets than they are with
suspected, and I have not the continued existence of Jew- Agudath Harrabanim, Union of
Orthodox Rabbis, Feb. 9, 1961,
changed my mind, that this ish observance.
was as follows:
will lead to the creation of a
"The Jewish Community Cen-
new cult of Centerism and to ter must not be permitted to
"We hereby wish to inform
get away from Conservatism,
open on the Sabbath. If it does, and admonish American
Orthodoxism and Reformism. In
it should be compelled to remove Jewry that the opening of a
other words, instead of having
Jewish Community Center on
three cults in the American the word "Jewish" from its name the Sabbath is definitely for-
and
be
opened
to
the
entire
De-
Jewish Life, there will be a
bidden according to Jewish
fourth, or perhaps a fifth later troit community, Jews and non- law. It constitutes a public
Jews.
on.
desecration of the Sabbath
"I write this letter more in which must not be permitted
"If that is what the people
want, naturally it may cost less sorrow than in anger. I had to happen. Any community or
than operation of synagogues thought that there had been group which permits a Jew-
and temples, but what will you enough destruction of Jews and ish Community Center to be
have left of Jewish religious Jewish observance, that here, open on the Sabbath is there-
life, Jewish education and ev- where we are permitted to enjoy by publicly desecrating the
erything that goes with it? One religious freedom, we would not Sabbath and making a breach
almost feels uneasy to live in a have to continue to fight for the in the fortress of Jewish reli-
community where rabbis have observance of a HOly Command- gion. It is the sacred duty of
every Jew to avert this seri-
nothing to say in the conduct ment."
David J. Cohen, president of ous transgreSsion. Rabbis are
of Jewish life, Jewish religion,
Jewish ethics and morals. When Merkaz, the "Central Organiza- requested to publicize this
the authority of rabbis and tion for Religious Observance warning in order to prevent
teachers is overthrown, it is the in Detroit," stressed that while the desecration of the Sab-
same as when you eliminate the Rabbi Eliezer Silver of Cincin- bath. Ubis' chuth Sabbat
Fifth Commandment, 'Honor nati gave his approval to pro- Kodesh will we be privileged
thy father and thy mother.' It grams in the Jewish Center in to receive all the blessings of
is an old established 'rule that his city, this was not the over- the Torah."
rabbis and teachers in Jewish whelming opinion prevailing
(See statements by local
life are considered next, or among the national rabbinical
Rabbis, Page 7)
equal, to parents, and when this bodies such as the Union of
commandment is broken and
outlawed, what respect can the
teenagers have for their par- 1
Boris Smolar's
ents, rabbis and teachers? With- I
out that, in time, it leads to
further disintegration of family
and orderly community life.
"If history means anything—
that is what happened in the
two cities of Sodom and Go-
In c . )
Jewish Zeorarpigict 1961,
/
morrah."
, Another leader in the move- Behind the Scenes
ment against the opening of
The United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission is
the Center on Saturday s, now flirting with the idea of proceeding to Israel and to the
Charles E. Feinberg, also issued Arab countries to discuss with the governments there various
a statement, declaring:
possible solutions of Arab-Israel issues . . . The talks on the
"I have resigned from the Jew- spot are intended prior to the Commission's starting to draft
ish Community Center as a per- recommendations on the Arab-Israel conflict for submission to
sonal protest against its sched- the next UN General Assembly session . . . The Commission—
uled opening of its facilities on backed by the U.S. Government—will have its proposals ready
the Sabbath despite the fact that early in October . . . Despite reports that President Kennedy
in all the conferences of the has certain plans with regard to the Arab refugee problem,
Citizens' Committee it was con- it is now indicated in American diplomatic circles that the
tinually stressed that the pro- U.S. will not push any proposals, and will leave this to the
posed operiing would only be for Palestine Conciliation Commission . . . High U.S. officials
cultural activities for children. even go as far as stating privately that the Kennedy Administra-
This is now being disregarded tion has already decided on a policy of not taking any spectacular
and the facilities of the swim- initiative in the Arab-Israel situation . . . This, they say, is also
ming pool, the athletic courts and wanted by Israel and the Arab rulers who are anxious not to
the health club are being disturb the present relative quiet on the Arab-Israeli borders
. . . In the opinion of some U.S. officials, Nasser is still afraid
opened.
to attack Israel, so that there is no dramatic urgency which
"I am resigning as a protest would _justify immediate changes in the American policy . . .
of the action of a group of men On the other hand, it is no secret that President Kennedy
and women, elected or appointed would like to see some move which could bring about settle-
by a small number of people, ment of the Arab refugee problem . . . The Arab press reported
who arbitrarily assume unto- that in his recent talk with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
themselves the right to impose in New York, President Kennedy offered a plan under which
their personal attitudes and opin- Israel would re-admit 25 percent of the refugees, with the
ions to destroy a Biblical Com- remainder to be settled in Arab and other countries . . In
mandment. I protest against an Washington, however, it is reported that President Kennedy's
assumed authority to open up an plan given to Ben-Gurion suggested that Israel should offer
institution bearing the name token repatriation to about 10 percent of the refugees, plus
"Jewish" to violate the Sabbath. contributions—along with the United States and through the
I protest the defiance shown by United Nations—to resettle the others in Arab lands as well
this group against the teachings as in other countries.
*
and leadership of rabbis of Re-
form and Conservative and Or- Inside Washington
thodox congregations. I protest
The State Department is following very closely the feud
the action of a Board of an insti- which has developed between Khrushchev and Nasser over the
tution that will teach our already future of communism . .. However, no exaggerated importance
religiously confused Jewish chil- is attached in Washington to this "ideological cleavage" . . .
dren to disregard their Jewish This, I learn, is also. the view of United Nations Secretary Gen-
religious teachings.
eral Dag Hammarskjold . . . Competent officials do not consider
"I again state that I believe the sharp exchange of opinions between Moscow and Cairo as
that no Jewish institution sup- an indication of a real break . . . They point out that there had
ported by the entire Jewish com- been many ups and downs between the two countries which
munity has a right to violate the ended with Nasser's making up to Moscow . . . However, while
religious convictions of even a not considering the current Khrushchev-Nasser quarrel as a
matter that may lead to eventual disruption of relations be-
small minority.
"How can a board of directors tween the two dictators,. the t State Department is nevertheless
of a Jewish-sponsored institution inclined to give Nasser all possible encouragement . . . One
explain to the younger genera. high State Department official said that the U.S. Government
tion to whom we teach the Com- will now try to help the Egyptians in their most pressing prob-
mandment to observe the Sab- lems . There is a school of thought in Washington that dispute
bath, how can they explain why between Cairo and Moscow, even if patched up, is of significance
they want to encourage them to because it may prevent the underdeveloped countries from fall-
ing under Moscow's influence . . . The Nasser-Khrushchev rift,
desecrate it?
it is argued, may also prove to . leaders of Asian and African
"I personally am not an ob- countries that what Moscow actually wants is to dominate them
servant Jew, but I cannot defy and place them under Communist control . . . Washington
the teachings of my rabbi and officials do not rule out the possibility that the U.S'. may now
ignore everything that I have give greater economic assistance to Nasser . . . Favorable at-
been taught of my heritage and tention is already being given to a request from Cairo fsr
of my religion and of my duty to American grains, in addition to transports of wheat already sent
the generations that follow mine. to Egypt ., . High Washington officials emphasize that this
"I was taught to respect the request was received from Cairo before the dispute with Mos-
religious convictions of others, cow started.
Between You
... and Nye