;
Purely Commentary
Anti-Nazi German
A
Scnhtoi lar Excoriates
-Semitic Lunacy
By Philip
SIOMOVitI
Swedish-Israeli
Exchange Group
Established
of Judaism normative over the ethnic dimension, even while he
Prof. Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster's The Jews'
recognizes that neither can survive without the other."
STOCKHOLM, (JTA) — A
Prof. Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster, whose libel suit against
Dr. Brown then turned to the problems of conversion, posing
Victor F. Ridder, publisher of the New 7.'nrker Staats-Zeitung and the question of whether the relationship of Christianity to Judaism Swedish-Israel Foundation has
Herold, during the era of Nazism, is described in the best-seller should be one of evangelization, indifference of coexistence. Here been established here for fi-
and
by- Louis Nizer, "My Life in Court" (Doubleday), has written a he quotes the views of those who believe that all non-Christians nancial support of Israel
provocative book on "The Jews — A Christian View," published should be converted because to them Christianity is "the truth," to foster scientific and cultural
by Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (19 Union Sq., W., NY 3), in which as well as that of Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr who believes that there exchanges between the two
he repudiates anti-Semitism and offers a most thorough analysis should not be a mission to the Jews because of the "stubborn will countries.
of a Christian's view of the problems of Christian-Jewish relations. to live of the Jews as a peculiar people, both religiously and
The founding meeting elected
In his review of "My Life in Court" (Purely Commentary, Jan. ethnically," and he further quotes Niebuhr: "The two faiths despite a 30-man board made up of
12), this reviewer mentioned Nizer's reference to the fact that differences are sufficiently alike for the Jews to find God more Sweden's leading personalities
Prof. Foerster, who will he 93 in June, who is active in spite of easily in terms of his own religious heritage than by subjecting in science and culture.
his total blindness, had just completed a book and was working himself to the hazards of guilt feeling involved in a conversion
Prof. Hugo Theorell, Nobel
on another. The hook he was referring to was "Die Juedisch Frage," to a faith, which, whatever its excellencies, must appear to him as
Prize winner and honorary mem-
published in a German edition of 30,000 copies by Verlag Herder, a symbol of an oppressive majority culture."
ber
of the Weizmann Institute,
FreiburgiBresigau, and now out in the English translation by
He then turns to Prof. Martin Buber as one who "sets forth was elected president of the
Brian Battershaw under the title "The Jews."
quite realistically the present gulf between the two faiths," and foundation.
It is a challenging work not only because of the text itself
he quotes Buber: "To the Christians the Jew is the incomprehen-
Theorell told the gathering
but also due to the interesting introduction by Dr. Robert
sibly obdurate man, who declines to see what has happened; and
that "small countries must co-
MacAfee Brown, Auburn Professor of Systematic Theology at
to the Jew, the Christian is the incomprehensibly daring man,
in filling the gaps" in
\ Union Theological Seminary who will soon become Professor
who affirms in an unredeemed world that its redemption has been operate
their scientific programs. He
accomplished. This is a gulf which no human power can bridge." added that "Israeli scientists
\of Religion at Stanford University.
Until the gulf is bridged, "what then?" Dr. Brown asks. He
'Prof. Foerster is so devout a Christian — he is a leader in
have visited Sweden but fewer
Lutheranism—that the Christc,logical elements in his book are warns that "no one knows where anti-Semitism will next make Swedes have visited Israel, since
an
ugly
appearance"
and
he
quotes
Pope
John
XXIII's
friendly
thoroughly understandable in the utter sincerity with which he
not everyone is aware of the
writes. The noted German scholar, who long before the rise of greeting to Jewish visitors recently with the affirmation: "I am explosive development of Is-
Joseph,
your
brother,"
and
calls
this
the
approach
to
the
"total
Ilitlerism had warned against the spread of Pan-Germanism, has
rael's science."
often been referred to ns "The Conscience ,of Germany," and his act of indentification."
Israel Ambassador Arie Aroch
Prof. Foerster's "The Jews — A Christian View" is, therefore,
fearless battles against anti-Semites and anti-Semitism have dis-
expressed the thanks of his
tinguished him for many years. Had these facts not been known, both a complete repudiation of anti-Semitism and a very scholarly
government for the foundation.
the Foerster views might have been interpreted as being aimed at analysis of Christian-Jewish relations.
proselytization.
Regardless of existing religious differences, however, Dr.
Foerster's aim in this Look is for "a thorough understanding be-
tween Christian and Je.v." He emphasizes that such an understand
ing "is the indispensable preliminary to all other understandings
and to the resolution of any other conflict, for only thus can the
conditions for a lasting peace for the world be ensured."
Accepting all the Christian dogma, stating as fact the cruci-
NEW YORK (JTA) — An end have been recently established community to meet informally,
fixion theories, Dr. Foerster nevertheless alludes to "the great to the "chaotic, conflicting and between some of the Christian and without fanfare, "to discuss
misunderstanding," stating: "People are continually speaking — competitive efforts" on the part churches in Russia and the on a regular basis all develop-
ments and incidents affecting the
and they are right to do so — of the essential unity of the Old of American Jewish organizations World Council of Churches.
The statement of the Rabbini- Russian Jewish community, and
Testament and the New. Yet the underlying ground of that unity concerning the Jews in the So-
What would be best to do, or re-
i -s surely none other than the fact that the lofty but strict and viet Union, and an attempt to cal Assembly urged that the
unequivocal monotheistic principle of the Old Testament is never make contact with them strictly American Jewish religious com- frain from doing, under the cir-
for a moment in danger of violation in the New." It is his conten- on a religious basis, is asked in munity request the Russian gov- cumstances."
He said he was not ready to
tion that "both the Testaments serve to bring home the truth, a statement issued by the Rab- ernment to invite an official del-
though each does so in a different way. The Old Testament shows binical Assembly, central body egation "representing the Syna- enter into the controversy wheth-x
us the simple and unconditional obedience to the law of God, the of Conservative rabbis.
gogue Council of America to er public protests are helpful to \
"It is shocking how every na- meet with the religious leaders the Russian Jewish community; \
New brings us the Gospel of God made flesh — and that is but
the necessary and inescapable culmination of all that has gone tional Jewish organization acts of the Russian Jewish commu- his own opinion is that they are
before, and this is true even though God's incarnation upon earth on its own, issuing pronounce- nity, paralleling the several visits not. But this has nothing to do
appeared at first sight to be in violent contradiction with that ments sometimes contradicting by leaders of the National Coun- with his thesis, he said — that
original faith in a one and only God."
one another, confusing everyone cil of Churches and the World "we ought to make a concerted
This is how the distinguished scholar remains the Christian and helping no one," Rabbi Ed- Council of Churches with their effort to establish more com-
while recognizing the Old Testament . inheritance.
ward Sandrow, president of the Christian counterparts in the munication between world Jewry
Dr. Foerster has delved into history and tradition, into the Assembly, said.
Soviet Union." The Synagogue at_d the Russian Jews on the
religious aspects of Christian-Jewish relations as well as into the
He drew attention to a call he Council is the rabbinical and con- basis of our common religious
background of the Dispersion. After reviewing the events that made during last year's conven- gregational organization of the traditions. The public outcries
resulted in the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, he makes tion of the Rabbinical Assembly Orthodox, Conservative and Re- have not done this so far; per-
haps this other way might turn
this interesting comment, as a compliment to Jewry:
requesting the Soviet government form movements in America.
Rabbi Sandrow suggested that the trick. There is precedent for
"An inscription on the triumphal arch, erected by the
to permit the establishment of
Roman empire to the victorious Titus, runs as follows: 'From
formal fraternal relationships be- the Synagogue Council of Amer- it in the recent contacts between
the Senate and people of Rome, in gratitude to the Emperor
tween Jewish religious communi- ica take the initiative; that it in- the Christian communities. Per-
ties in Russia and similar com- vite representatives of all major haps there also can be between
Titus, for having subjected the Jewish people and destroyed
the city of Jerusalem, a feat which all previous generals, kings
munities in other countries, sim- Jewish organizations who are con- us and our brothers in the Soviet
and peoples had attempted in vain.' It is a towering monument
ilar to the relationships. which cerned with the Russian Jewish Union."
to the heroism of Lsrael."
The dangers to which Jews were exposed, the "reprehensible"
acts of anti-Semites are condemned throughout this work. Discredit-
ing the abuse hurled at Jews "in the material sphere," he asserts
the observant onlooker that ex-
The National Commander of "well-known Communist tactic
that in a competitive world Jews have thereby earned genuine
establishing front organiza- tremists on the far right are in
respect — for "having invented the business of exchanging money the Jewish War Veterans of the of
which pretend to know this thing together.
of one country for that of another," thereby having invented rail- USA has condemned national tions
"Robert Welch of the Birch-
little of each other's activi-
ways and the electric telegraph and in other ways having built manufacturers, especially those
ers and Dr. Fred Schwarz of the
of publicly owned companies, in ties."
up Europe.
Christian
Anti-Communism Cru-
"Groups such as the Christian
Reviewing the martyrology of Israel, Prof. Foerster condemns financing radical right opera- Anti-Communism Crusade," Barr sade may seem to be selling dif-
tions,
which
do
nothing
more
the cruelties that were resorted to during the Crusades. He lists
said, "act as though they are ferent brands of reaction, but
kings and Popes who both helped and harmed the Jews. He does than "spread hate and distrust operating on an entirely differ- their remarks when quoted in
among
American
citizens."
not overlook the horrors of the Inquisition. He places special
the press and on television are
According to Theodore Brooks ent level than the John Birch s u r p r is i ngly interchangeable.
emphasis on the statement made in 1938 by Pope Pius XI to a
Society. Both, in turn, smile
of
New
York,
JWV
national
Belgian Catholic society: "How can it ever be possible for a
tolerantly at the Minutemen, Despite our earnest desires to
Christian to be an enemy of the Jews? No Christian can have commander, groups such as who go around practicing ma- be fair and not to indulge in
Richfield
Oil,
Eversharp
and
anything to do with anti-Semitism, for we are all spiritually
guilt by association, we can't
Technicolor, which are reputed neuvers on the prairies in afford to overlook similarities.
Semites."
anticipation of a Communist in-
to
have
financed
"educational"
He quotes Jewish codes to indicate the high motives of
vasion. Groups such as the Con- While each speaks glibly of the
Jewish teachings, and especially resorts to Samuel Hacjassid's forums for radical right propa- servative Society of American Judeo-Christian way of life and
gandists,
"are
doing
a
great
l.e
he
culls
admonitions
to
Jews
to
be
deny harboring anti-Jewish or
"Book of the Pious" when ,
disservice to the American peo- in New Orleans and the Manion anti - Negro , sentiments, their
fair in all their dealings with Christians.
:Forum in South Bend, Ind., may
ple,
let
alone
those
among
their
New Orleans associates don't
Thus, his demolition of anti-Semitic teachings is devastating
stockholders who do not agree claim total ignorance of each even bother with such distinc-
and is fortified with data to prove the injustice of hatred of
other's operations, but it is be-
with
these
actions."
the Jew and the just;ce of the Jewish nosition in the world.
comingly increasingly clear to tions."
Brooks said: "JWV's National
Prof. Brown's 30-page introduction lends emphasis to Dr.
Foerster's views and, at the same time, discusses the problem of Headquarters in Washington
Christian-Jewish relations from another viewpoint. While Dr. Brown has received numerous com-
sees in Dr. Foerster's views a "German slant," he declares that plaints on the activities of those
anti-Semitism is an American problem as well, that this country has companies which asked JWV to
seek an explanation as to what
i Ls share of overt and covert anti-Semitism, that there are more is behind this sponsorship.
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—A re- is understood that if the Israeli
anti-Jewish attitudes "than most Americans would care to acknowl-
These so - called educational quest to the Supreme Court that police and prison authorities
edge."
meetings
generate
hate,
motiv-
Turning to the question of ethnic content in Judaism, Prof.
it accept in evidence the manu- refuse to produce Eichmann's
Brown maintains: "If Judaism ceases to have religious distinctive- ate acts of violence, and sow script of a book written in manuscript before the Supreme
seeds
of
distrust
which
cannot
ness, this will not mean, to non-Jews, that the religious distinctive-
prison by Adolf Eichmann, al- Court, Dr. Servatius will ask
ness has really disappeared; it will simply mean that the religious help but create disunity and legedly showing his "true feel- the court to order those au-
divide Americans in these times
distinctiveness has merged with the ethnic distinctiveness, and when unity is so necessary to ings" about the Nazi atrocities thorities to make it available.
that they have become one and the same thing."
for which he was convicted and
Justice Itzhak Olshan, presi-
our strength and existence."
This comment was apropos to the reference to Zionism and the
sentenced to death, was filed dent of the Supreme. Court, will
The
JWV
national
execu-
emergence of Israel and the danger of Jews losing their religious
with the court here by Dr. Rob- preside at the hearings. The
tive director, Joseph F. Barr, ert Servatius, defense counsel. proceedings, expected to last
heritage. The merger of the ethnic and the religious, he states,
political
accused
ultra-right
"would be a tragedy, for ethnocentricity is not only no true religion,
A five-judge panel of the high five days, will be held in Jeru-
factions of "conspiring to un-
it is as perverse a religion as it is possible to contemplate. We
tribunal, will begin hearing salem's Community Center
dermine
confidence
in
our
of
it
—
have seen enough of it in our century to want no more
government and the Ameri- Eichmann!s appeal. from the where the Eichmann trial took
from any source. The way to avoid even the first step in this can way of life" by using the death sentence on March 22. It place.
religious
dimension
the
direction will be for the Jews to try to keep
`Chaotic, Competitive Efforts' in Defense of
USSR Jews Deplored by Rabbis' Assembly
JWV Attacks Spo nsors of Rightist Movements
Eichmann Asks Supreme Court
to Accept Manuscript in Appeal