Heller's 'Dawn and Dusk' Urges
German Re-Education, Recognizes
Elements of Post-Nazi Contrition
tY3
C.C3
473
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Dr. Bernard Heller, one-time
director of the Bnai Brith Hillel
Foundation at the University of
Michigan, has authored a num-
ber of books. His most contro-
versial, however, may prove to
be his latest, "Dawn and Dusk,"
which has been published by
Bookman Press.
The statement on the cover
—"The objective of this book
is not to expose the criminal
plotting and misdeeds of the
Nazi regime. It attempts rather
to reveal the overt and covert
factors that impelled and con-
ditioned Germans to fiendish
behavior or to its toleration"—
may at once become the cause
for suspicion and for possible
objection.
Nevertheless, Dr. Heller's
work is worth studying, even
when and where the author's
opinions may draw objections.
Indeed, Dr. Heller draws upon
all available' sources to reveal
the terrorism of the 12 years
of German rule, the appeals to
hatred, the mass murders. A
deeply religious man, he is
nevertheless tolerant in his
selection of those who, like
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer,
Theodore Heuss, and a number
of other associates as well as
some clergymen, have shown a
sincere desire to atone for the
crimes and to enter upon a pro-
gram for penance, compensation
and repudiation of Nazism.
This book is based in large
measure upon his personal ex-
periences. Evaluating the moral
codes that enter into considera-
tion in viewing the crimes and
the criminals, as well as those
who are selected for exonera-
tion, Dr. Heller quotes Scrip-
tures, draws upon rabbinic lore
and virtually turns portions of
his book into a religious tract.
He welcomes contribution• and
extols it.
Evaluating the seeds and
the roots of anti-Semitism,
"the malt in the devil's
brew," Dr. Heller shows that
"the German's sense of right
and wrong was blunted by
theories and affirmations of
Teutonic thinkers decades be-
fore Hitler and Nazism," and
he especially refers to Fichte
as a source of this germ of
bigotry. He says, however,
that the Nazis went even
further than Fichte.
At the same time, while re-
viewing the appeals to hatred
by Goebbels and other Nazis,
Dr. Heller offers evidence of
contrition.
Indeed, he also refers to con-
cessions that have been made
by the U.S. State Department
which overlooked some of the
circumstances of the Nazi
crimes and seemed to view the
developing situations in Ger-
many with a measure of alac-
rity, but his own proposal is
that "the best prophylactic
against relapses and disillusion-
ment of naive wishful thinking
is the continuous and widest
dissemination of undistorted
truth and the unflagging ad-
vocacy of a program of human-
ist education. Only then may
one concur with Dr. Theodore
Heuss' conclusion of the ad-
dress he delivered June 5, 1958,
before the joint session of U. S.
Congress that, 'All that is re-
quired is to set in motion some
of the all-pervasive forces in-
herent in human nature reason,
a sense of proportion and per-
haps a little love.'
Supplementing this state-
ment, Dr. Heller writes: "The
supreme import that is at-
tached to the unhampered
pursuit and acquisition of
knowledge is presupposed in
the dictum: 'Eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty.' ". Yet
it may be asked whether the
ti emphasis on contrition, some
of-it highly questionable, and
Bobby Fischer Wins U.S. Chess Title 5th Time
By HAROLD U. RIBALOW
(Copyright, 1963,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Bobby Fischer ,who is now 21
years of age, has won the
United States chess champion-
ship for the fifth time. He first
captured this coveted crown
when he was only 14, and then
held the title for four consecu-
tive years, before he decided
not to defend it.
He faced some tough opposi-
tion this year, because, among
Detroit Poet's
Songs a Human
Relations Lesson
DR. BERNARD HELLER
blind reliance on love, may
not dissipate vigilance.
Preceding the above state-
ments, Dr. Heller writes in his
book, in a capitalized para-
graph: "This book has been
written with the hope that it
will aid the people of Germany
and the Western nations to per-
ceive the task which is before
them and to realize the possible
frightful consequences of the
continued neglect of an abiding
reorientation of the thinking of
the German people. Without the
re-education of the average Ger-
man, the policies initiated by
Adenauer are like foundations
set in shifting dunes."
Re-education is vital, but
there have been too many re-
quests, especially by Adenauer,
for forgetfulness. Such an ap-
proach is, of course, inconceiv-
able.
Dr. Heller writes: "Germany
faces a dilemma and a chal-
lenge. Will she continue the
role she selected for herself in
days gone by? If so, another
misstep by her may spell her
extinction and the devastation
of the continent of which she
is a part. If she decides to cast
away the idols she formerly
worshipped, if she resolves and
strives to reorient herself and
set her sites on moral • and
spiritual goals, she will not only
then make amends for her past
national sins, but she may be an
impetus toward mankind saving
itself. For she may be the ful-
crum and balance between the
nations of the East and West."
This is a very saintly thought,
but, is it realistic? Is it conceiv-
able that Germans will ever
truly atone unless they are re-
minded, daily, of the crimes
and of the mass murders? It is
being too easy to speak of con-
trition and of re-education,
while Germans again are
haughty; while the mass of the
German people acts as if they
knew nothing about the Nazi
crimes. When they admit and
truly do penance, then we shall
have contrition; then the highly
idealistic Heller-approach may
become workable.
-
$9,000,000 Loaned
for Israel Tourism
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Loans
totaling 27,000,000 pounds ($9,-
000,000) have been approved for
various tourist projects, with
emphasis on the more popular
non-luxurious types of accom-
modations and services.
During 1962, increases in
popular tours were reported in
Israel, mostly by groups origin-
ating in Europe.
The foreign currency spent
by the 184,000 tourists visiting
Israel last year totaled $33,000,-
000, some $3,000,000 more than
the amount spent by the 160,000
tourists visiting the country in
the previous year. The figures
do not include fares earned by
El Al and Zim, the national air-
line and shipping services.
Dr. • Jean Rosenbaum is a
practicing Detroit psychiatrist.
But before he had set out to
complete his medical course, at
Wayne State University, he had
written poetry and fiction for
a number of years. •
In addition, he gained ac-
claim for his work as a sculptor
in bronze and stone.
As a physician, before turn-
ing to psychoanalytical psychi-
atry, he devoted himself to
medical research. He won the
Angus McLean Award from
WSU College of Medicine for
neurophysiologic research in
the electrical properties of
heart tissues, and he developed
an artificial respiration tech-
nique, the artificial electrical
heart and electros for surgical
cardiac stimulation.
Now he is again in the lime-
light as a poet, and his "Love
in a Dying World," published
by Dorrance & Co. (1715 Wal-
nut, Philadelphia 3), reverts
back to his earliest love for the
poetic in life.
It is a small book—of only 32
pages—but its impressiveness is
evident in the Seven Songs of
Love and three other titles—
The Dream, the Nightmare and
The Hunter.
There is comfort, secret
pride and "dizzy sweetness of
the universe" in the love songs,
in which, inter alia, the poet
sings:
Feel for me the incandescent
feel.
Turn the vapor much around
And spin the wheel.
Cast your yearning there before
me,
Drown my craving in your
kiss,
Teach my heart this ancient
lesson
-
In a language rich in bliss.
The very delicate smallness of
Your clover sweet tongue
Caresses the skin of my soul
In a warm, moist blanket of
love.
There is realism in the songs
and there is an aim to the poet's
style. In an introduction, Dr.
Rosenbaum explains that since
he is a professional student of
psychoanalysis he assures his
readers that his poems are not
intended as "a clinical study,"
that: "It is neither patients' case
material nor a personal preoc-
cupation with my special sta-
tion in life. These poems are,
rather, a poet's perception of
what sensitive people will easily
see around them, mankind's
progressive inability to love,
work and enjoy in a chaotic
reality."
Much of the material in these
few pages attests to this ad-
monition. His poems therefore
emerge as a basic lesson in
human relations, in addition to
revealing noteworthy literary
skill.
others, Sammy Reshevsky par-
ticipated in the competition. But
Reshevsky was in disappointing
form, and came in sixth in a
field of 12.
The surprise of the tourna-
ment was Arthur Bisguier, a
former titleholder, who held the
lead until the last round.
Fischer and Bisguier went into
the final day all tied up, but
they faced one another in the
last round and Fischer won,
thus clinching the champion-
ship. On the way to the title,
Fischer won from Reshevsky.
Both Fischer and Bisguier had
won seven of the 10 games they
had played when they met head-
on. The final score was 8-3 for
Fischer and 7-4 for Bisguier.
More than 125 persons jammed
the hall in the Henry Hudson
Hotel to see the big game.
It is now apparent that Sam-
my Reshevsky is past his prime
and that Bobby Fischer, who
boasts he is the best player in
the world, is clearly the best of
the American chess masters. It
remains to be seen whether
Fischer will some day win the
world championship. Surely, he
is America's best (and at the
moment the only) hope for the
world title.
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CHILDREN in NEED of
JEWISH Foster HOMES
Two brothers, 4 and 2 years of age, bright,
responsive and lonely for a warm, accepting
foster home (or 2) that will provide them
with the care and affection which they crave.
Can you help these children for about
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Miami Starts Payroll
Deduction for UJA
MIAMI, (JTA)- — Executives
and staff members of Temple
Israel and the Jewish Family
and Children's Service have
signed up- 100 per cent for a
payroll deduction plan on behalf
of the Miami Combined Jewish
Appeal.
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