Purely Commentary
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, June 7,
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Klutznick Urges Communal Service
Leaders Form Unifying 'UN' of Jewry
tivate, as a people, the art of
CLEVELAND.—The creation Jewish community in the United
of a new unifying national Jew- States was discussed by Dr. being Jews. This means a re-
ish cooperative group that would John Slawson, executive vice- turn to Jewish literacy, to a
"preserve the spirit of volun- president of the American Jew- commitment to the values and
tarism" but which would allow ish Committee, who said that ideals which characterizes
the American - Jewish commu- "the greatest opportunity for Judaism at its best."
Philip Soskis, president of the
nity "to function generally in the development of Jewish self-
a more orderly and non-corn- regard exists today" in this Conference, told the delegates
petitive fashion" was urged by country. "Never in American that about 200,000 Jews were
Philip M. Klutznick of Chicago history," he stated, "has the on the move to countries of new
in a major address at the 65th prevailing social framework af- opportunity in the year 1962.
annual meeting of the National forded as great an opportunity Soskis, who is executive direc-
Conference of Jewish Corninu- for this development as today." tor of the New York Associa-
nal Service. He cited the election of Presi- tion for New Americans, point-
Using the United Nations as dent Kennedy as consistent ed out that the big migrations
in 1962 were from Algeria and
an example, he said that if the with the current trend in Amer- Cuba. "Of the 200,000 migrants,"
United States and Russia could jean civilization toward a multi- he stated, "the largest number
belong to the UN, then all Jew faceted cultural milieu.
found haven in Israel."
ish groups should be able to
Dr. Samuel Dinin, dean of
The conference award for
the University of Judaism, Los 1962 was presented to Arnulf
get together.
Klutznick told the Ameri- Angeles, challenged the social M. Pins, of New York City, and
can Jewish communal work- and communal workers to re- Bertram IL Gold, of Los An-
ers that it should be some- evaluate their thinking and re- geles, "for the outstanding
thing less than "a kehillah assess their programs.
paper presented at the 64th an-
type community" but some-
Saying that "our generation nual meeting as an important
thing more than the present has made Jewish giving a sub- contribution to professional lit-
loosely organized President's stitute for Jewish living," Dr. erature in the field of Jewish
conference, of which he was Dinin warned the communal communal services." An honor-
at one time chairman.
workers that "we do not exist able mention was awarded to
He proposed that a task force as a Jewish community in order Irving Canter, of Washington,
of 15 to 25 experts of varying to support Jewish hospitals or D.C. and Harold Silver, of De-
viewpoints "selected for their homes for the orphans and aged troit, for their paper..
knowledge of the problems of or even synagogues. Philanthro-
Jacob T. Zukerman, of New
Jewish organizational life in py and defense and resettle- York, exe cu-
America" should be chosen by ment are necessary for our tive director,
the presidents of Hebrew Union physical security and survival. and chief
College-Jewish Institute of Re- They can not provide content counsel of the
ligion, Yeshiva University, Jew- and meaning for a creative Family Loca-
ish Theological Seminary of Jewish life.
tion Service,
America and Brandeis Univer-
"The time has come for a was elected .
sity "to try and find a basis for reassessment of our position president of
Whence Stems Prejudice?
Curtis Dall, the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt's son-in- a live and modern discussion of as a people, for a new look the NCJCS.
law, testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, as a repre- the problem of community or- at the structure of the Jewish William Av-
sentative of the right-wing Liberty Lobby, while arguing against ganization rather than the ster- community, for a new evalu- runin, of De-;'
President Kennedy's trade policies, made the charge that these ile debate of unity versus vol- ation of what it is that we troit, was re-
policies were dreamed up by Kennedy's "political mentors and untarism."
are expending our monies elected secre-
Klutznick said his philoso-
Zukerman
bosses," and he identified them as "the Political Zionist Planners
and energies. We have to cul- tary.
phy accepts the right of an
for Absolute Rule, via One World .Government." •
organization to "refuse to en-
How does such nonsense enter into our vocabulary? Whence
ter into any program" and
comes the prejudice that has developed against Zionism? Why
Boris Smolar's
said "perhaps only one major
should Zionism be linked with evil?
A movement steeped in libertarian principles, an idea that American Jewish organization
goes that far" but that simi-
developed politically less than 70 years ago but which was a
larly the American Jewish
dream for " two thousand years. Zionism should continue to be
viewed as one of the most humanitarian aspirations among the community is "likewise en-
titled to assess its value and
peoples of the world.
But bigotry chose to pin upon Zionism every slur that suits its philosophy in the light of
today's world" and that the
(Copyright, 1963,
the purpose of prejudiced minds.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
I
When the story of modern efforts to end the homelessness greatest discipline the com-
(Copyright, 1963, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
of oppressed peoples will be written, Zionism will rate a place munity has is to "provide or
withhold community support Louis Lipsky
of first merit in mankind's story.
When Israel's Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion stated last
Yet, the term is being misused and there is in evidence a based upon such assessment.
It is high time," he declared, year that, in his opinion, "there is only one Zionist in the United
•
movement to harm it.
Why, for example, should Senator Fulbright have an antago- that "such movements be ex- States," he meant Louis Lipsky, who died last week at the age
nism against Zionism? Why does he yield to those who would amined by the community as of 86 . . . Ben-Gurion considered Lipsky the perfect example of
brand it as a foreign movement? Why did he call to Washington to whether they do good or how love for Zionism can be implanted in the hearts of American-
harm. to the total needS of born Jewish youth of today . . .Born in Rochester, N.Y., he
for inquiry and investigation officials of the Jewish Agency?
helped build the American Zionist movement to a weighty force
It is difficult to explain how such prejudices develop. The American Jewish life."
The question of Jewish iden- in American Jewish life . . . There were not many American-born
confusion grows when one reads Dall's statement, when Ful-
bright's unfortunate antagonism becomes evident. What - a pity tity and of the future of the Jews who have made the idea of establishing a Jewish National
Home in Palestine their principal passion to which all their other
that the good intentions of those who seek freedom for their
activities were subordinated . . . The Zionist movement in Amer-
fellow men are distorted in ,various fashions. In a sense, ball's
and Fulbright's approaches are alike. Both are sources for deep
ica was, in the days when Lipsky joined it, considered primarily
a movement of East European Jews, with American-born Jews
regret by all who strive for humanitarian principles.
4,
having little understanding of it . . . Lipsky, a gifted American
writer who had already established for himself a reputation as a
Emma Schaver's Generous Gift
theater critic in the American press, felt that, as a Jew, his place
The Schaver name has stood for the most honorable. deeds
was with the Jewish idealists who sought to bring American
in our community for many years. Both the late Morris Schaver
Jewry closer to Dr. Herzl's ideas . . . He embraced Zionism and
and his wife, Emma, were generous with their gifts and were
as a young man, and made it a fundamental part of his life ... A
especially ready to give time and devote energy to the causes
convincing speaker and an excellent organizer, he succeeded in
in which they believed.
developing the Zionist movement in the United States to a popular
They were primarily interested in the upbuilding of Israel,
movement reaching the masses . . . In the history of American
and Emma Schaver's latest manifestation of love and affection
Zionism •his name, as well as that of Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, will
for Israel provides added proof that she. is determined to carry
be the two most important names.
on the work she had been performing jointly with her husband.
No Second Lipsky
By giving the equivalent of the third of a million of Israel
The American Zionist movement needs today a Louis Lipsky
pounds — $111,000 in American money — towards the erection
no less than it needed him in the years when he was alive and in
of a trade school in Israel, in Morris' memory, Emma does honor
the forefront of the movement; . This is because the American
not only to her husband and to Israel, but also to herself.
Zionist movement must seek its strength now primarily among
As the new chairman of the Women's Division of the Detroit
American-born Jews whom Lipsky understood so well because
Israel Bond Organization, as one deeply interested in the Chabad
he himself came from their ranks . . . But will there be a second
movement, in the Jewish National Fund, in our community's
Louis Lipsky? . . . That is the big question which was on the
religious life and in other movements, Emma continues in the
mind of Premier Ben-Gurion a year ago when he intimated that
role of a splendidly dedicated woman. She is a great credit to
he considered Lipsky as the only Zionist today in America.
Detroit Jewry, and her generosity continues to lend honor to
Lipsky at Work
the Schaver name.
I had the privilege to watch Lipsky "at work" before and
DR. IRVING CANTER, national
director of program and re- after he became president of the Zionist Organization of America,
Harry Cohen at Eighty
Harry Cohen truly is a remarkable man. He will be 80 in search of Bnai Brith Youth Or- as well as at numerous Zionist Congresses and sessions of the
September, but he is as active today as he has ever been. He ganization, Washington, was Zionist Actions Committee in Jerusalem, Basle, Zurich, Geneva,
plays a leading role in the United Hebrew Schools, he is active chosen president-elect of the, and other world centers . . . His Zionist achievements in this
in behalf of the Jewish National Fund (he is one of the prime National Association of Jewish country are well known to the two generations of American
movers of the effort to honor Abe Kasle at a testimonial dinner Center Workers at its annual .Jews who followed his work closely, not only in the Zionist
conference in Cleveland, June movement, but also in the American Jewish Congress and later
on June 12) and he is a leader in the Israel Bond activities.
It is no wonder that he is active also in the Hillel Day 2. Dr. Canter, now a vice-presi- in the American Jewish Conference .. . His great ambition was,
School plans, at its dinner on June 26, it recognizes the splendor dent, will assume the presidency in addition to implanting a strong feeling for Zionism in Ameri-
of the association of 1,606 pro- can Jewry, also to bring about an American Jewry united as a
of one of our leading citizens.
By the time he is 80, Harry Cohen no doubt will be given fessional social workers em- central representative body . At international Zionist confer-
many more honors, but it is a joy to join in acclaiming his fine ployed in Jewish Community ences, especially at each of the Zionist Congresses which he
qualities even a few months in advance of his important birth- Centers, YM-YWHAs and simi- attended, he was the central figure of the American delegation
day. May he be granted strength and the best of health to lar agencies at the 1964 confer- ... His was the voice of the American Zionist movement which
ence in Los Angeles. went from strength to strength under his leadership.
carry ,on his fine work for so many good causes.
Pope John XXIII — Pontiff Extraordinary
When Pope John XXIII was the Apostolic Delegate to Turkey,
as the then Msgr. Angelo Giueseppe Roncalli, he was among the
most helpful men in the effort to rescue Jews who were then
doomed to become victims of Hit-
ler's insanity.
During the few years of his
reign as the head of his church,
Pope John evidenced a deep inter-
est in peace, in the need to reduce
poverty, in the plight of down-
trodden, in the rights of the Work-
ing class.
From the very beginning of
his reign, he evinced a desire to
remove from Catholic teachings
any implication of antagonism to
Jews and to Judaism. He sought
to create a good spirit of fellow-
ship among all faiths, and his
Pacem in Terris ("Peace on
Earth") encyclical won acclaim
from rabbinic sources throughout
Pope John
the world. , • •
Much will be said about Pope John XXIII for decades to
come. He was a man of action and he is said to have favored as
his successor a Cardinal of similar strength of will—one who will
pursue his aspirations through a perpetuated effort to eliminate
prejudices, to strive for peace, to labor in behalf of the less for-
tunate on earth.
The history of the Vatican revolves around many notable per-
sonalities. Some were violently - anti-Jewish. There were some
who were kind to our people and who emphasized a kinship with
us through the faith they inherited from us. Pope John XXIII
belongs to the latter group. Nay, he was among the outspoken
philo-Semites. His memory will, indeed, serve as a blessing to
his own church, to those who followed his teachings and to man-
kind whose desire for a genuine peace on earth he upheld as a
major aspiration in life.
'Between You
l
and Me
Dr. Canter Heads
Center Workers