Purely Commeri tary a
Hanukah's Challenge in
pate
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The Late Dr: Henry Hurwitz
There was no lack of mutual respect between this commentator
and the late Dr. Henry Hurwitz, the fOunder of the now defunct
Menorah Intercollegiate. Society movement and of the Menorah
Journal, which for half a century was among the literary high-
lights in American Jewish life. On the contrary, we were good
friends. It was an amicable friendship
was president of the Univers.]: , of Michigan Menorah Society
(predecessor of the Hillei Found tion).
, There were ideological differences of opinion among us, but
there was never a cause for animosity.. Nevertheless, in the past
decade we were compelled to reject this able man's views com-
pletely. He saw fit in recent years to associate himself With the
viewpoint of the Council for Judaism, and he thereby became a
threat to constructive activities in American Jewish life.
Henry, Hurwitz could have been a power for good. Instead,
he turned into a tool of the reactionaries and the blind forces that
have set out to undermine anything that is akin either to Zionism
or to kinship with the Israelis.
I say this with regret and out of a sense of sorrow over the
passing of a friend and co-worker in what was at one time a great
movement. Dr. Hurwitz could have been among the great leaders
in American Jewry: he became instead an embittered man who
turned his great. journal into a partial organ for reactionaries who
harmed not only Israel but also the United Jewish Appeal.
He acted out a conviction, but he was misled. He had made
great contributions to Jewish life until he had entered upon
negative paths. For his constructive efforts, we pay him due respect
and give him the recognition he had earned as a leader of a Jewish
student movement as as editor of a thought-provoking periodical.
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'Biblical Film' Arouses Mixed Feelings
Revival of the "King of Kings"' Om, which has been hailed
as a 'Biblical' movie also has resulted in the revival of con-
troversial and conflicting feelings over some of the elements
in the film. There are differences of opinion on the film among
Christians, and in Jewish ranks there are the inevitable ques-
tions whether the Jesus theme fits into proper settings to
eliminate bias and the raising of religious animogities.
A Jewish reviewer of the film, in Philadelphia, called the
film "a step in the right direction." Harvey Snyder, writing in
the Philadelphia Exponent, admitted that it is "unlikely that
Hollywood will ever film the dramatic story of Jesus to the
satisfaction of all religious sects, historians, archaeologists and
plain, ordinary moviegoers." Yet he calls it a right step. It is
kit SIOMOVH
difficult to grasp the logic of such an approach, when the film,
with all the efforts .made , to eliminate the sordid and the hate-
inviting elements of . the crucifixion, nevertheless is ultra-
christological.
Hebrew University scholars. in Jerusalem.lervedIs advisers
and experts in the preparatiOn of the film. They acted in fullest
sincerity, yet it is doubtful whether their participation in this
task will have wide approval.
Christians are themselves at wide variance on the subject,
and there isn't the ready endorsement of the film that one would
imagine the Jesus story could encourage. The Rev. Dan M.
Potter, executive director of the Protestant Council of the City
of New York, had endorsed the "King of Kings" film, and he
was severely criticized for it by the Rev. R. DeWitt Mallary Jr.,
vicar of St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal Chapel, of 230 E. 60th
St., New York. The latter called the film "artistically awful,"
Biblically inaccurate and a source of embarrassment to him.
He commended the Catholic magazine Atherica for describing
the film as being "theologically, historically and Scripturally
inaccurate."
Dr. Mallary said Salome is "dragged in" in the King of
Kings film for "the necessary modicum of sex" but is kept
"modest enough to prevent any moral outcry from the prudes."
In his attack on the film and criticism of the pastor who en-
dorsed it he stated:
"It is bad art and bad religion, and . we can only hope that a
bad box office will bring to an end this type of Biblical corn
which poses pretentiously as inspirational and religious movie-
making," he said.
"Then there is the complete white-washing of the Jews.
Naturally, it would not do to be anti-Semitic, and it is true
that Jewish responsibility for the Crucifixion can be overdone
unfairly. But the movie omits Jesus' cleansing of the temple,
it omits all his judgments against the Scribes and Pharisees, it
omits His hearing before the high priests, it omits the cries
of the crowd to 'crucify Him, crucify Him.' This seems to be
leaning over backward, in the attempt not to offend modern
audiences."
Here we come to the crux of the problem: while Jewish
scholars labored to assure the elimination of bias or the possible
injection of ill feelings over an "historical" event, a noted
Christian minister of his faith objects to "the white-washing
of the Jews."
Hollywood would do well, under such circumstances, to
steer clear of controversially Biblical themes. But the trend
seems nevertheless to be in that direction. That may lead to
bitter feelings, rather than to approaches that require the nul-
lification of the hate-inviting elements in the spreading of the
crucifixion libels against the Jews of old and their descendants
today. The fact that "white-washing of the Jews" emerges as a
source of bitterness and contention in a religious household
is cause for renewed concern in modern times, when so much
effort is being exerted to eliminate inter-faith strife - and kills.-
understandings.
Hope for Maccabaea* Courage iin Era of Great Challenge
We live in an era of storm and stress,. of anxieties that often
border on despair.
For many Jewish communities, the Hanukah festival in the
year 5722 represents a series of new challenges—and of -many
threats.
Jews behind the Iron Curtain live in dreaded fear of:the
morrow, and the new arrests do not augur well for the immediate
future.
In Moslem countries, the dangers to the Jewish communities
are multiplying.
Therefore the appeals to action by the Maccabees of old
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becomes real again.
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The call to action by Mattathias is applicable to all ages and
Z especially to our time.
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In the Book of Maccabees, 1:41-50, 2:1-28, we read:
4"King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom . . . unto
Jerlsalem and the cities of Judah . .. . that every one should
forSake his laws ._ . . that they should profane the Sabbath and
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the Festival - D ms;: and pollute the sanctuary, and . : . set up
altars and grdv.es 'Ind shrines for idols; .--,' . and whosoever
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would not do so according to the commandment of the king he
1:4
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should die . .. In those days rose up Mattathias ." . . a priest
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from Jerusalem; and he dwelt in Modin. And he had five sons,
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John
Sinion — Judah (who was called Maccabeus) — Eliezer
-- Jonathan. And he saw the blasuhemies that were committed
E-1
in Judah and in Jerusalem . . . Then Mattathias and his sons
rent their clothes and put on sack cloth, and mourned exceed-
ingly ... And Mattathias said with a loud voice, "Though all the
nations that are under the king's dominion obey him, and fall
away, everyone from the religion of their fathers . .. yet will
I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our
fathers." And Mattathias cried out in the city . . ., saying,.
"Whosoever is zealous for the Law, and maintaineth the cove-
nant, let him follow me."
• Indeed, the call is to everyone who is zealous for the Law, who.
seeks freedom—religions and civil—and who is ready to battle
for the rights of human beings.
The message of Hanukah, 'the victory of the spirit," was
evaluated with vision and wisdom by the late Supreme Court
Justice Louis D. Brandeis, when he wrote:
"Hanukah, the Feast of the Maccabees, celebrates a victory
not a military victory only, but a victory also of the spirit—
over things material. Not a victory only over external enemies;
the Greeks; but a victory also over more dangerous internal
enemies. A victory of the many over the ease-loving, safe-playing,
. privileged, powerful few, who in their pliancy would have be-
trayed the best interests of the people, a victory of democracy
over aristocracy.
"As part of the eternal world-wide struggle for democracy,
the struggle of the Maccabees is of eternal world-wide interest.
It. is a struggle of the Jews of today as well as of those of two ,
thousand years ago. It is a struggle in which all Americans,
non-Jews as well as Jews, should be vitally interested because
they are vitally affected. .
"The Maccabees' victory proved that the Jews—then already
an old people—possessed the secret of eternal youth; the ability
to, rejuvenate itself through courage, hope, enthusiasm, devotion,
and self-saeee of the plain people."
These are the lessons we must take to heart—the call of
Mattathias and his heroic sons and the admonitions of the late Mr.
Justice Brandeis.
May their words reach into the hearts of all men, for the sake
, of the freedoms for which all mankind battles today.
May they find a courageous Jewry, so that the. Hanukah of
today should emerge as another festival of triumph for our people
and for the rights of men.
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By Philip Einstein Portrait
Comedian's Jokes
Branded Obscene
Presented to NYU
A portrait of Albert .Einstein
painted from life by artist Max
Wtstfield was presented Mon-
day by Prof. Edmond Cahn to
New York University's Jewish
Culture Foundation.
The Einstein portrait was
placed in the University's
Library of Judaica and
Hebraica at 2 Washington
< Square North, New York, .by
Dr. Cahn, who is professor of
law at NYU.
The portrait, which Einstein
described as "well-done," was
painted at. Princeton Univer-
sity during World War II. It
shows the famous scholar
seated and in characteristic
attire--a sweater and an open-
collared shirt. He holds a pen-
cil in his right hand and pa-
pers on his lap.
Bulgaria. Gets Query
on Chief Rabbi's Fate
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—An ap-
peal to the Bulgarian government
to confirm or deny reports that
Bulgarian Chief Rabbi Asher
Hannanel had been • jailed on
charges of "maintaining contact
with foreigners," was made by
Dr. Zvi Harkavy, a former direc-
tor of a Jewish school in Sofia
before World War II, and a close
associate of Dr. Hannanel.
The Bulgarian Chief Rabbi dis-
appeared in Sofia last Septem-
ber. Apprehension over his fate
has been increasing among for-
mer Bulgarians in Israel.
Dr. Hannanel failed to attend
High Holy Day services in his
synagogue in Sofia last, Rosh
Hashanah and there is no infor-
mation about his whereabouts to
this day. Harkavy also urged pub-
lic- bodies here and abroad to
inquire'intd his fate.
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Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. and Me'
WINNIPEG, (JTA) The Israel-
ite Press denounced as "obscene_
and insulting" two items of al-
leged Jewish humor presented by
Myron Cohen on the Ed Sullivan
(Copyright, 1961,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
transcontinental television pro-
gram of November 12.
Commu nal Affairs:
One of the jokes, the Jewish
The issues which the Jewish Federations aid Welfare Funds
weekly reported, relating to a will face in 1962 received biggest attention at the CJFWF Assem-
personal exchange of the private bly in Dallas, Texas . .. The major issue revolves around fund-
common ehnic tokens shaded by raising
With independent appeals advancing more rapidly
him and Mayor Robert Briscoe of than federated fund-raising over the past decade, Jewish corn-
Dublin "was 'merely sexually sug-
facing re-examination of their fund-raising structure,
gestive and obscene." The other raunities
portrayed a rabbi whose car had procedures, and. basic rationale . . . They are seeking to strengthen
collided with that of a priest. the foundation of community organization, in which consistently
The weekly said the rabbi was successful fund-raising is rooted . . . In all of these respects,
P.o.r• tray ed "as a conniving, they are looking to the Council of Jewish Federations and 'Welfare
shrewd,. immoral, heavily ac- Funds for assistance . . . They are interested in the Council's
cented alien who clovely foists views and activity on the most appropriate and effective use of
the responsibility for the incident funds raised by them for needs in Israel . . . Some Federations
on the Gentile by offering enough have demonstrated striking success in building endowment and
liquor to incriminate the priest trust funds while at the same time recording marked gains in
with the police. All the ugly annual campaigns .. . Success in this field is anticipated in 1962
I also by other Federations under the guidance of the Council
stereotypes are presented."
The weekly asserted that "for which provides expert information on related tax provisions and
the mirth derived" from Cohen's benefits . . . . There are wide disparities among communities and
jokes„ "the Jews of this- cau- states in the tax income available to Federation hospitals, child
1 tinent are paying dearly How welfare agencies and aged persons. _
Jewish public relations and de- Portrait of a Contributor:
tense organizations can, in clear
The Jewish contributor to philanthropic campaigns in this
conscience, take hundreds of ! country—what kind of a person is he?". . . What does he know
dollars: from communal funds, for about the causes to which he is making his donations? . . • What
their so-called public relations motivates his giving? . . . An interesting paper on this subject
effects, and out of sheer timid- was. presented at the General Assembly of the Council of Jewish
! ity ignore the corrosive impact Federations and Welfare Funds by Herman M. Pekarsky, execu-
■ of Myron Cohen,. shocks me.'
tive, director of the Jewish Community Council of Essex County
The editorial concluded with (Newark, N. J.) . . . Pekarsky, one of the outstanding Jewish
the suggestion that "it is time social workers in this country, a former Detroiter, revealed that
our public relations expects ac- the Council of which he is -the executive head, commissioned
quired the courage to examine the National Opinion Research Center of the University of Chicago
not merely the lunatic fringe but to make a study of givers and giving to campaigns in Essex
the .heroes of the entertainment County . . . Because of the small number of donors providing the
world, too."
largest share of money, the sample study consisted of 100 per
cent givers of $2,500 and over and only one per cent of givers
'$100, with varying percentages for the contributor groups
Israel Picks U.S. Firm under
in-between . . : The study established. that the biggest givers are
to Supervise Port Work more Jewishly motivated than the lesser givers . . . The con-
NEW YORK, (JTA) — The tributor groups 'under $100, who in total represent 87 per cent
Israel government has chosen the of all contributors, appear to be less oriented to traditional Jew-
New York engineering firm, ish values and reflect r a desire to be more like their Gentile
Frederic R. Harris, Inc., to su- neighbors . . . It revealed that in general, donors are poorly
pervise the first phase of the con- informed about the United Jewish Appeal, Jewish Community
struction of the deep-seat port Council and beneficiary agencies . . . The smallest donors are the
of Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv. least knowledgeable
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