Purely Commentary

CO5
CO

Inhumanity of Man
Indeci-
to Man .
sion in the Mjd-East

SiOMOVitZ

$750,000 of U.S
Equipment Aids
ORT Instruction

A Rabbi's Defection Into a Novelist's Role
Lack of Decision on Middle East Issues
Rabbi Herbert Tarr, who served as a chaplain in the U. S.
There is a total lack of decision on the issues involved in
The U. S. Government has
Air Force, has written a novel, "The Conversion of Chaplain
the recurring Middle East crises.
agreed to make available sur-
While the impending "unity" of the Arab states, under Cohen," which, he claims, has sold 17,500 copies since it was plus equipment for use in ORT
Nasser's leadership and with the threat to Israel as the chief published last month by Geis Associates. That "success" may vocational training schools over-
not have been .responsible for his decision to leave his
unifying. element, is far from conclusive, the encouragement the or may
seas. An understanding author-
Egyptian dictator has received from many quarters has caused . Long Island congregation and the rabbinate, but what emerges izing such acquisition was form-
as a matter for concern is his statement that he can be more
the ,present situation to be viewed as a real crisis.
alized at the State Department
The flow of arms that has strengthened the Arab states and effective in his preaching as a novelist because "religion is
in Washington.
the new vigor that has been given to the UAR's nuclear develop- basically out of touch with people."
A statement issued by the
Rabbi
Tarr
already
resorts
to
sensationalism.
Declaring
that
ments are responsible for the general recognition of the new
"people appreciate what they have to pay for," he declared: Agency for. International De-
dangers to peace in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, the declaration made by President Kennedy "Sermons are free, and half of what you say from the pulpit velopment, official agency con-
at his conference last week was both weak and • ineffective and is discounted as pious sentiments that just go with the robe." cerned with foreign aid, noted
Religious leaders undoubtedly will be irked by Rabbi Tarr's that the agreement with ORT
his conclusion that he did not think that "the balance of military
power has been changed in the Middle East in recent days" is assertion that' to most people religion is "a kind of controlled. Was the first of its kind with a
schizophrenia." He took occasion to criticize the failure of preach- voluntary agency under terms of
rather unconvincing.
The - disappointment is in the fact that the President did not ers of all faiths to go on TV "and label what is going on in the Foreign Assistance Act.
The A.I.D. statement de-
make any reference whatever to the Tripartite agreement of 1950 Birmingham—as well as in the rest of the nation, including New
clared: "ORT has been granted
:which was reaffirmed a few days earlier by Great Britain. The York—as , a sin against God."
So far, the validity of Rabbi Tarr's criticisms is a matter for acquisition rights for $750,000
1950 pledge,: which -was 'Made jointly by the United States, Great
-Britain and France, gave the assurance that the three powers, serious consideration by the gentlemen of the cloth. But he also worth of equipment declared
if they found any states in the area "preparing to violate frontiers poses a challenge to parishioners in his assertion that he had surplus by the U. S. Govern-
of armistice lines, would, consistent with their obligations as hoped to be "the only rabbi on Long Island without a kitchen in ment and available for use un-
members of the United Nations, immediately take action both my synagogue," but his congregation went the way of other houses der the Foreign Assistance Act
within and outside the United Nations, to prevent such violations." of worship because "in churches today they're always cooking of 1961. The agreement with
Many members of both Houses of Congress, while seriously and eating, giving lunches, dances and parties."
ORT is the first to be nego-
It has been argued that it is better to keep young folks in a tiated with a U. S. voluntary
searching for means of protecting Israel's threatened position, are
divided on methods to be pursued. Thus, while Senators Hart, religious atmosphere instead of forcing them to go to pool rooms agency."
Humphrey, Gruening, 'Scott and Morse co-sponsored a resolution and to corner delicatessens.
A.I.D. noted that the ma-
Who is right?
aimed at preventing a nuclear war in the Middle East, another
chinery and equipment would
On
the
question
of
food
and
Judaism:
at
one
of
the
early
resolution, co-sponsored by Senators Javits, Keating, Kuchel,
be used to help in the technical
Pastore, Prouty, Saltonstall, Scott, Case and Douglas, asked for World Zionist Congresses, Dr. Max Nordau, in a challenge to instruction of "about 30,000
a tripartite mutual defense agreement with Israel and any other Jews who devotedly and devoutly observed the Jewish holidays underprivileged 'boys and girls
Near Eastern state "willing to join and carry out its obligations and placed priority in their observances upon the delicious holiday in Iran, Israel, Morocco and
foods, declared: "Sie sind auch Juden? Sie sind bauch Juden!" Tunisia—S tude n t s :attending
under such an agreement"
• There seems to be general agreement, however, that a tri- ("Are these also Jews? They are stomach Jews.") Now Rabbi about 450 special trade and edu-
Tarr seems to have picked up that slogan.
partite pledge for Israel's defense is a necessity.
actional institutions of ORT."
The Jewish position was stated at the National Policy Confer- - . The retiring Long Island rabbi is going to Hollywood to
Dr. William Haber, American
ence convened last week in Washington by the American Israel supervise the filming of his book "The Conversion of Chaplain ORT president, in expressing
Public Affairs. Committee. Calling upon our Government "to Cohen." In that novel Cohen is described as "Norman Vincent his organization's gratitude,
counteract incitement to hate and preparation for war," to press Peale with a yarmulke" and- his character is delineated to expose hailed the agreement as "a •land-
for an Arab-Israel peace arrangement, and not "to acquiesce in pomposity and prejudice in civilian, military and ecclesiastical mark in relations between the
a continuous state of belligerence," a statement of policy adopted life. The author has hurled a bomb into the complacent ranks of government and voluntary ef-
by the conference appeals to the President and to Congress for religious preachers and his charges may well be the subject of forts to assist disadvantaged
the following measures: • interesting debates. As usual under such circumstances, the results
people in other lands."
1. A firm se curity guarantee by the United States commit- should -be of a creative and- curative nature.
ting our Government to move swiftly to deter and prevent any t
aggression.
2. The grant of arms to Israel to ensure an arms balance.
and to enable Israel to defend herself and deter attack. This
• is imperative until such time as the Arab states halt their arms
acquisitions. -
3. Continued economic' assistance to help raise the living
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
grant aid accounted for the rael was terminated in 1962.
standards of the. peoples of the area.
to The Jewish News)
Israel is now supplying tech-
balance.
ensure
that
to
4. Careful administration of our aid program
WASHINGTON — Israel's
nicians of its own to develop-
Grant
aid
to
Israel
from
the
none of our assistance is diverted to finance preparations for rate of sustained economic
United States has been ended ing countries in Asia and Africa,
aggression. Our aid program must not assist belligerent coun-
growth now exceeds even that and technical assistance to Is- the report said.
tries 'which threaten the peace of their neighbors.
of West Germany and Japan,
Resistance
to
the
Arab
boycott
and
Arab
belligerence
5.
the U.S. Agency for Internation-
and insistence that Arab leaders meet their United, Nations al Development reported Tues- I
Charter obligations to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel. day to Congress.
Boris Smolar's
I
6. Action to hasten the rehabilitation and training of the
A
report
submitted
by
Ad-
Arab refugees and their resettlement in lands where there is
ministrator David E. Bell said
room and opportunity for them.
Israel has had "one of the high-
been
Fear that Nasser may turn entirely to the East has
I
a es' , est rates of sustained economic
a motivating factor in the West's, especially the United
appeasement of Nasser policies. While we vascillate, he continues growth on record, averaging 10 I
to get arms from the Soviet Union, and all the caution taken by per cent yearly and exceeding
(Copyright, 1963,
'ith the even Japan's nine per cent and
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
our Government could well prove useless in d ealing
West Germany's 7.5 per cent.
Cairo dictator. We have assurances that Israel will not become
A New Movement
the scapegoat in the struggle between the powers for the -retention -- The aid report said the major
A movement for a "fourth dimension" in American Jewry
of the good will of the Middle Eastern powers. It remains to be economic problem •noW facing
is now being advocated by non-religious Jews. who do not want to
seen whether or not israel will be sacrificed -on the altar of Israel is how to finance a high see American-born Jewish intellectuals 'become lost to the Jewish
rate of growth from its own
power politics.
resources. It was pointed out community . . . They claim that the three religious denomina-
Conservative and Reform—have failed to at-
- that the "relatively high level tions—Orthodox,
The Birmingham Outrage
of per capita income and the tract non-religious Jews to their fold, and they urge them, there-
A spokesman for COnservative Judaism echoed the sentiments rapid growth of income in the fore, to support the "fourth dimension" movement, if they are
of his colleagues when, expressing abhorrence over the occurrences future should make- it possible sincerely interested in keeping American non-religious Jews
in Birmingham, Ala., he admonished delegates at the annual to increase the rate of domestic Jewish . . They point out that of the approximately 5,500,000
convention of the Rabbinical Assembly not to be concerned "only saving rapidly. At the same Jews in the United States—men, women and children—the re-
with Nazi cruelty when of injustice to fellow human beings time, a continued flow of - pri- ligious ,organizations claim only 3,500,000 as members of syna_
were taking place in our own country." -
vate contributions and growing gogues and temples . . . Hence, it can be assumed that about
It was as a result of a spontaneous outburst of resentment . access to world capital markets 2,000,000 Jews in this country are not affiliated with any' re-
over what is occurring in Alabama that 20- Conservative rabbis= as Israel develops should help ligious institution . . . Figuring that the average family consists
left for Birmingham to join, Negroes in demonstrations of protest eliminate the need for further of four persons, there are today about half a million heads of
against the • discriminations which have aroused countrywide aid loans in the next few years." Jewish families who are not religious, although they consider
themselves good Jews . . . Together with their wives they con-
indignations.
The report noted that stitute a million people . . . Most of the Jewish students in
in
no
sense
surprising
or
sudden.
It
is
rabbis'
action
is
The
Israel imported both large
a routine part of the policieS pursued by national Jewish organiza- amounts of capital and much colleges and universities similarly belong to the non-religious
element in American Jewry . . . Can this section of American
tions of defending the rights- of the oppressed, of sharing a common
of its population. "Many of
goal with those who seek justice, of adhering to a prophetic the immigrants to Israel were Jewry be attracted to Jewish life on the basis of a secular phil-
osophy? . .. It is clear that the three religious alternatives which
command "justice shalt thou pursue. . . ."
well educated and highly exist in the American Jewish community contain no meaning to
It is regrettable that in the midst of a national tragedy, skilled," said the report. The these Jews . . But what about a meaningful secular Jewishness
at a time when there is such an urgent need for unified action total inflow of foreign capital
based on the intellectual and moral heritage which kept non-
against persecutions of and discriminations against Negroes, there
and donations ($23.8 billion)
religious Jews Jewish in Europe — especially in Eastern Europe
should also be in evidence a spreading Negro anti-Semitism.
exceeded gross investment —during the last 100 years? . . . Is it not possible that secular
Equally regrettable is the bitterness evident in some Negro ranks
($23.5 billion) for the decade. Jewishness could have a chance of success where religious Juda-
which has caused some of their leaders to speak resentfully of
United States aid to Israel ism has failed? . • . Could not secular Jewishness give the answer
policies pursued by their friends as smacking of "paternalism."
This is hardly the time to inject negativism in a struggle for totaled near $700 million be- to those who do not seek secession but who are not religious? . .
Could it serve to recall to Jewish life those intellectuals who
justice. That is why we emphasize that what the Conservative tween 1950 and: 1961. During have turned their backs upon it because of their lack of knowl-
the first five years American
rabbis did, in joining the protesting - groupS in Birmingham, was assistance' was chiefly directed edge of the creativeness of the Ashkenazi past which was marked
an act adopted by a national convention and as one consonant
to- maintaining finaneial stabili- by a rich and distinctive Jewish identity even among Jews who
with the policies of all of American Jewry. • ; • - • • ty and protecting the balance of were far from being religious? . . . These questions are now
While speculating over minute involvements in the Birming-
posed persistently by some Jewish groups whose members be-
ham tragedy, the major issue to be kept in view is that of the payments position.
long to the non-religious section of American Jewry, notably by
About
a
third
of
U.S.
'as-
inhumanity of man to man, of the stains that Must be removed
American-born members of the Workkmen's Circle . . . The
sistance
to
Israel
was
in
the
from America's conscience as a result of the hOrrors that began
form of agricultural commodi- Workmen's Circle, which has a membership of 70,000—including
with the introduction of slavery on this continent.
ties made available on a loan a growing number of young English-speaking members—feels
Let there be an end to indecency in this free land. President
basis. Other loans accounted that it can take the initiative in laying the groundwork for the
having
taken
the
drastic
step
of
Kennedy is to be commended for
for another third. Technical kind of secular Jewishness that might attract non-religious
sending federal troops into Alabama to help prevent further
assistance and other forms of elements in American Jewry to Jewish values.
atrocities.

•

1,

Israel's Sustained Economic Growth
xcee s hat of est lTermany, Japan

'Between You
... and Me'