Friday, Nov. 29, 1963 — THE DETROIT JEWISH NEW S — 2
Purely Commentary
Two Men of Historic
Destiny and the Genius
of the American Nation
By Philip
Siomovitz
A despicable act in Dallas placed our entire nation in mourn-
ing for 30 days.
A prince and a great man—sar v'gadol—has been taken from
us by an assassin's bullet.
The name of John Fitzgerald Kennedy will live indelibly in
the history of this great land.
He was a man who was destined for greatness by his intellect,
his sense of loyalty and responsibility to his people and his fellow
men.
He had naved the way for just civil rights legislation and
for the expiation by our people for a great wrong that had been
committed by the imposition of slavery upon an innocent race.
John F. Kennedy also had set into motion a great effort to
assure peace for us and for all mankind by means of proper
negotiations with the spokesmen for another ideology that runs
counter to ours.
He was a man of destiny when he became the first Catholic
to be elected our President.
Tragically, it was destined that he should have been an
assassin's victim deprived of the right that was given him to
complete the great tasks for peace and social justice.
As we mourn his passing, we mark with gratitude the provident
role of the American people in hours of tragedy.
Sharing the role of historic destiny is our new President,
Lyndon Baines Johnson, who was privileged to be named for the
important office that made him the successor to John F. Kennedy
and who at once became our Chief Executive.
It is to the everlasting glory of our great republic that the
rule of order was not interrupted, that our democratic processes
provided for orderly continuation of decent government.
The evil act that resulted in the death of President Kennedy
undoubtedly grew out of a hatred that has affected the minds of
the hateful. May the abominable deed awaken all of our people
towards an abandonment of bigotry and lead us in the path of an
assured national unity.
As we pay tribute to the memory of a great President, as we
acclaim the new Chief Executive and share in prayers for his
welfare, we utter a prayer of thanks for the orderly functions of
democratic ideals which distinguish this great land. May this
noble ideal continue to bless our existence, in the interest of the
security of the American people and as a blessing to mankind
whose welfare depends so much upon the security of America.
JTA Correspondent Evaluates Kennedy's
•
Deep Interest in Israel and Civil Rights
(Continued from Page 1)
of Newspaper Editors, he asked:
"Are we going to admit to the
world that a Jew can be elected
Mayor of Dublin, a Protestant
can be chosen Foreign Minister
of France, a Moslem can serve
in the Israeli Parliament—but
a Catholic cannot be President
of the United States?"
In line with his desire to ap-
point officials on a basis of
merit, without regard to their re-
ligion, Mr. Kennedy name a con-
siderable number of Jews to high
office. Among the best known
are Arthur Goldberg, first nam-
ed as Secretary of Labor and
now serving as a Supreme Court
Justice, and Senator Abraham
Ribicoff, of Connecticut, who
served as Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare.
at the 18th annual dinner of
the American Committee for
the Weizmann Institute of
Science in New York on Dec. 5.
t o ma i n- ter's visit to Washington in
Israel and the question of peace Counsel Myer Fe ld man, o
in the Middle East. Although tam a daily watch on Israeli the spring of 1962. The Presi-
dent told the King that the
their points of view sometimes developments.
The Kennedy administration anti-Jewish ban imposed by
differed from those of the Presi-
dent on specific policies, Israelis found itself frequently in the Saudi Arabia was an Ameri-
and their supporters here uni- situation described by Maimon- can domestic matter in that it
versally acclaimed Mr. Ken- ides, dispensing a higher degree discriminated unfairly against
nedy's desire to find an equit- of charity—the anonymous var- a section of American citi-
able solution in the Middle East iety. The White House could not zenry. It was not just a for-
and to preserve peace with jus- take public credit for many pro- eign policy issue linked with
Israel or pro-Jewish actions dis- Israel when American citizens
tice.
closure of which might have pro- were banned from a "friendly"
Is-
in
Mr. Kennedy's interest
yoked
Arab attacks and compli- nation merely because of their
rael went back many years to his
cated
American diplomacy in religion, in Mr. Kennedy's
younger days when he visited
view.
the land, then mandated Pales- Arab capitals.
This led to a firm policy this
President Kennedy preferred
tine. By his actions as a Senator
year resulting in the stationing
to
keep
the
reins
on
Middle
East
and a Presidential candidate,
in Saudi Arabia of new Ameri-
even before his election, Mr. policy-making as close as he can armed force units which in-
could
to
the
White
House.
He
Kennedy made clear his support
cluded Americans of the Jewish
of Israel. He said: "We will overrode State Department ob- faith.
never turn our back on our jections and ordered the sale of
Pressures were also brought
steadf as t friends in Israel, "hawk" anti-aircraft missiles, on to bear to get certain Arab
liberal
credit
terms,
to
Israel.
whose adherence to the demo-
states to lift restrictions against
cratic way must be admired by He took note of the Egyptian visa applicants of the Jewish
build-up with Soviet weapons
all friends of freedom."
and publicly deplored the role faith.
Revealing his thinking in of ex-Nazi rocket scientists in
Under Mr. Kennedy's direc-
1960, Mr. Kennedy said "the Egypt.
tion, loans to Israel were provid-
United States has helped Is-
Following a memorable meet- ed by the United States Govern-
rael—but we have also been
help
ing
in New York on May 30, ment at low interest to
the beneficiary ... the strong-
Israel's economic consolidation.
1961,
with
former
Israeli
Prem-
est army in the Middle East ier David Ben-Gurion, Mr. Ken-
Although some American dip-
is not a pawn to be lightly nedy told his personal confi- lomats urged the President to
cast aside."
dantes how deeply impressed he invite President Nasser of the
In the view he expressed then, was by Ben-Gurion and the United Arab Republic to Wash-
it "twists reality" to suggest Israeli cause. Ben-Gurion on that ington when the latter attended
that Israel is to blame for Near occasion had stressed the danger the United Nations sessions in
Eastern tensions. He said that of President Nasser's ambitions, New York, the White House
"even by the coldest calcula- the rocket menace and the prob- view was that such honor to
tions, the removal of Israel lem of continued Arab intransig- Nasser was inappropriate. He
would not alter the basic crisis ance.
was never invited.
in that area . .. although Arab
Reports of Worldwide
Mr. Kennedy personally in-
states are generally united in
Jewish
Tributes to Kennedy
tervened
with
King
Saud
of
opposition to Israel, their poli-
on Pages 3 and 13
tical unities have not risen above Saudi Arabia during the la-
this essentially negative posi-
tion."
Mr. Kennedy contrasted Is-
rael's progress with Arab decad-
ence, stating that the United
States "can itself profitably
study what has been done in
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute an-
Israel—particularly in the fields
nounced Thursday that the annual dinner, which was scheduled
of education and science."
with
Mr. Kennedy viewed Ameri- for next Thursday at the Americana Hotel, New York,
can-Israel relations as a subject President Kennedy as speaker, has been cancelled as a mark
of such close personal interest of tribute to the martyred Chief Executive. The committee
that he did not rely exclusively officers voted unanimously to establish a permanent Kennedy
on the Department of State. He Memorial at the Institute in Rehovoth, Israel, symbolizing and
Only a day before his assassi-
nation, the President displayed
pleasure with Jewish efforts on
behalf of civil rights and racial
integration. In his last known
message on this subject, Mr.
Kennedy told Rabbi Oscar Gro-
ner, assistant national director
of the Bnai Brith Hillel Founda-
tions, that he felt a national con-
ference of college youth to im
plement civil rights ideals was
"inspiring and useful." He ex-
pressed hope that the -Rabbi's
experiences would advance the
"goals of equal treatment and
equal opportunity for all Ameri-
cans." Rabbi Groner had helped
organize the interfaith student
leadership conference on reli-
Consistent with his longtime gion and race held in Washing-
interest in a fair immigration ton.
policy, Mr. Kennedy sought
It was for the positions he
revision of the McCarran-Wal- had held and the measures he
ter immigration act and ter- had taken on international ques-
mination of the discriminatory tions of concern to Jewry, in-
national origins quota system. cluding matters affecting Israel,
Mr. Kennedy received many that President Kennedy was best
awards and honors from Jewish known to most Jews.
organizations. Perhaps the best
Mr. Kennedy favored Ameri-
publicized occasion occurred can ratification of the United
when the Anti-Defamation Lea- Nations Convention on Geno-
gue of Bnai Brith presented him
cide and was seeking action
with "America's Democratic Leg- by the Senate.
acy Award" on a nationally-tele-
In one of his last meetings
vised program. He then asserted
the role of immigrants of all with Jewish leaders, Mr. Ken-
faiths and origins in building nedy told a delegation repre-
senting the Jewish War Veterans
America.
More recently, he sent a warm of the U.S.A. that he was troubl-
greeting to Philip M. Klutznick, ed about the rise of Soviet anti-
who had served him as an Am- Semitism. Shortly thereafter, he
bassador to the United Nations. inserted a condemnation of the
This was on the occasion of a Soviet enforced closure of syna-
Chicago dinner honoring Mr. gogues into a speech before the
Klutznick, former national Bnai United Nations.
The President was also res-
Brith president, on the 120th
anniversary of Bnai Brith. The ponsive earlier in his adminis-
President wanted to attend the tration to reports of anti-Semi-
affair personally but could not tism abroad. He authorized the
and asked his brother, Attorney- Alliance for Progress and Agen-
General Robert Kennedy, to rep- cy for International Develop-
resent him in Chicago. Mr. Klutz- ment to make known his dis-
nick was one of the President's pleasure of anti-Jewish terror-
ism in Argentina and Uruguay.
close friends.
President Kennedy • was •deep- designated a trusted White
President Kennedy was , to
have been the guest of honor ly concerned over the future of House aide, Deputy Special
.
Weizmann Event Cancelled in
Tribute to President Kennedy
expressing the late President's profound interest in scientific
and technological research for peaceful purposes.