Friday, March 13, 1964—THE DETRO IT JEWISH NE WS-2

Purely Commentar y

An End to 'Hate' Letters
For the benefit of those who may have questioned the
validity of our complaint against publications that dignify com-
munications with appeals to hatred, we quote the following item
from memoranda issued by the Michigan Press Association under
the heading "Refuses to print 'hate' letters":
"The Dallas Times Herald advised readers it would print
letters which are critical of conditions, but it will no longer
print letters which are "out and out hate letters." The news-
paper continued: "We have been guilty before of running
letters that tried to smear everything and everybody." One
of the things which was decided in November, the newspaper
continued, was not to use letters with wild and unsupported

charges.

This principle applies to all periodicals and certainly
to college newspapers, some of which have carried vile anti-
Jewish propaganda from Arabs and misled students. This does
not mean control of public opinion or censorship. It represents
a demand for facts not fiction.

Jewish Welfare Federation's New President
Seldom has the factor of our community's maturity been
as evident as in the selection of Hyman Safran for the presi-
dency of the Jewish Welfare Federation.
Here is a comparatively young man who is a product of our
United Hebrew Schools: who has played an important role in
congregational activities; who is concerned over the fate of our
people throughout the world, as indicated in his devotion to the
objectives of the United Jewish Appeal; who believes deeply
in investments in Israel. as proven by his participation in Israel
Bond drives and the encouragement he has given to industrial
projects in Israel.
The Safran name represents a family background that is
rooted in our community's noblest work. His brother David is
president of the United Hebrew Schools and is a former chair-
man of the Detroit Israel Bond Organization. The parents
are devoutly linked with the most sacred aspects of Jewish
life.
The vast Safran printing plant traces its beginning to a
very modest one-press printing shop that was operated by their
father. But it is the high ethical principles of the elder Safran
that have especially left their indelible marks on the Safran
brothers, that have made them so generous and such devoted
sons of Israel.
The Federation is to be congratulated on having secured
for top leadership so able a man as Hyman Safran.
*

Religion and Politics
Patricia Smothers Konstam, formerly as assistant Presby-
terian university pastor at Pennsylvania State University, who
is now living in Haifa during her husband's temporary assign-
ment in Israel, is the author of an articles "Israel and the Pil-
grimage," in the Christian Century (Protestant). The sub-title
to the article declares it be be "an eyewitness account of Pope
Paul's visit to the Jewish state, and an evaluation of the people's
response to it."
Even at this late date, but especially because of the contro-
-versy created by the staging of "The Deputy," this article con-
tains many valuable comments on Catholic-Jewish relations.
There is special significance in the apparent conflict between
religion and politics and the incongruity with which attempts
were made either to decry or to dismiss as irrelevant any
possibility of political intrusions in a religious pilgrimage. Mrs.
Konstam wrote:
An important gesture of papal sympathy with Jewish
suffering was the unscheduled visit by Eugene Cardinal
Tisserant, dean of the College of Cardinals, to the Chamber
of the Martyrs on Mt. Zion where, in the pope's name, he
lit six memorial candles for the 6 million Jewish victims of
nazism. However. Pope Paul's zurprising choice of Jerusalem
as the place to make his first public defense of Pope Pius XII
against suspicions aroused by Hochhuth's play "The Deputy"
is not so easily understood. Waiting to judge Pius XII by
something more conclusive than the personal testimony of
an associate, Israelis are not sure whether the pope's re-
mark's showed insensitivity or courage.
Unlike many foreign observers, Israelis are not quick
to conclude that Pope Paul's visit hnplies Vatican de facto
recognition of Israel. They point out that during his visit
the Pope scrupulously refrained from using the term "Israel"
and from addressing Mr. Shazar as "President." His cable
of thanks was addressed to Tel Aviv, not to Jerusalem, and
it omitted the name of the country. These actions were
deeply painful to Israelis. Although the Vatican resisted
Arab pressure to omit Israel from the pilgrimage, many
Israelis doubt that it is yet willing to incur the Arab wrath
that would follow any kind of recognition of Israel. Israel
sees its clearest political gain at Vatican de facto acceptance
of the status quo regarding the Christian holy places —
that is, their situation under the jurisdiction of two sovereign
non-Christian states which have demonstrated their ability
to protect them and to guarantee free access to them.
Any hopes that the visit might lead to a lessening of
Middle Eastern tensions appear' unfounded. Pope Paul gave
no evidence of willingness to become embroiled in local
politics, and while both countries sought to influence his
opinion on the Arab-Israel dispute — Jordan by direct
appeals, Israel more subtly — neither requested his media-
tion. Temporarily, at least, tensions probably increased as a
result of Jordan's intensification of its anti-Israel propaganda
campaign during the visit.
Israelis are inclined to see as the most important gains
the nonpolitical ones: the cordial personal relations estab-
lished and the good impression made by the smooth progress
of the visit in Israel, factors which are bound to improve
relations between Israel and the entire Catholic world.
The strengthening of the forces of liberalism in the
church, which the pilgrimage is expected to help bring about,
and the warmer atmosphere between Jews and Catholics
are seen as virtually assuring the passage of the decree on
the Jews at the next session of the Ecumenical Council,
absolving them of collective guilt for the crucifixion and
depriving anti-Semitism of one of its traditional sources of

Shalom and Salaam:
Pope's Failure to
Call Israel by Name

By Philip

SIOMOVitZ

nourishment. The fact that opposition was strong enough
to delay a vote on this decree in the last session is regarded
in Israel as evidence that redefinition of the church's attitude
toward Jews is still a timely and necessary act. Whether
Pope Paul's visit to Israel was deliberate or, as some Israelis
suspect, only incidental to his visit to the holy places, he has
sown significant seeds of a new relationship between his
church and Jewry. However, if these seeds are to take root,
the next step is in the cultivation must be the passage and
implementation of the decree.
It is still too early to know the effect the visit may
have on relations between Jews and Christians inside Israel.
All that was written and said before the visit was remarkably
free from the distortion and anti-Christian prejudice which
characterizes most discussions of "proselyization," the central
and most problematic issue in local Jewish-Christian rela-
tions. In the long run, by having created an atmosphere of
friendliness between Jews and Christians and by giving
impetus to Christian ecumenism, the pilgrimage may also
contribute to much-needed clarification of the Christian
church's proper task in Israel and of the role to be played
in Israeli society by the tiny Christian minority.
While there isn't much that is new to students of world
affairs in this evaluative article, there are several observations
that are of more than passing interest — especially those relating
to the charges of proselytization and the reference to what may
be called an expose — the fact that Pope Paul never mentioned
Israel by name.
Naturally, we are concerned about the relligious-political
struggles. They cause us harm. But the mere fact that the Pope
avoided mentioning Israel, that he sent his message to President
Shazar to Tel Aviv and not to Jerusalem, is in its self politically
motivated. How else is one to judge the actions of the Pontiff
who made certain that he would not offend the Arabs (whose
reception of him was so riotous!) and he therefore turned his
Israeli visit into a function that ignores the political reality of
Israel. He said Shalom! And he was hailed for it! It could well
have been salaam — and we would still be linked with our Arab
kinsmen in prayer for peace!
There is no denying the historic significance of the Pope's
visit, but there also can be no overlooking of the facts relating
to the political factor in a religious pilgrimage.

Archbishop Says
Ecumenism on
Jews Will Pass

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

PHILADELPHIA — The head
of the Philadelphia Catholic
Archdiocese told a meeting of
Jewish organizations Tuesday
night that the original chapters
on Jewish-Catholic relations
and religious freedom in the
Ecumenical Council ecumen-
ism scheme would definitely
be included when the council
reconvenes September 14 in
Rome.
Archbishop John J. Krol
made the statement in a speech
to a meeting sponsored by the
Philadelphia chapter of the
anti-Defamation League of
Bnai Brith and the Federation
of Jewish Agencies. The spon-
sors said that the prelates ap-
pearance was his first at a
meeting of Jewish organiza-
tions.
He said the scheme had been
rewritten a n d strengthened
and added that while the re-
written text was not available
the original draft had stated
that if was false and injurious
to brand the Jewish people as
deicides — killer of God. and
that it was false and injurious
vided "no valid basis and
should not be distorted to pro-
vide a screen for hatred and
anti-Jewish feeling or perse-
cution."

Eshkol Advocates Zionism as Link Jo World Jewry

JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A
greater emphasis on cultural
and educational relations be-
tween Israel and the Jewish
people throughout the world,
through the instrumentalities
of the organized Zionist move-
ment, was urged by Prime Min-
ister Levi Eshkol in an address
before the Central Committee
of the Mapai party. He spoke
of the great stake Israel has in
the future of diaspora Jewry.
"In the 16 years of the exist-
ence of the State of Israel," he
said, "we have had to .occupy
ourselves primarily with the
problems of the immigration
and absorption of hundreds of
thousands of the masses of per-
secuted Jews from the countries
of distress, a poor downtrodden
Jewry needing a home. In our
preoccupation with this impor-
tant effort, we seem to have
forgotten the Jews in the free
countries of the world. We must
turn to them as the only source
of power for Israel that is great
both spiritually as well as mate-
rially.
"There is only one address to
which we can turn. We must
turn to the World Zionist move-
ment, the vital link for Israel
and Zionism. Within this frame-
work, we have the opportunity
of developing new efforts and
activities. This work of further-
ance of cultural and fraternal
interest in the countries of the
Diaspora should be the central
interest of our Nation.
"If we sit idly by today, the
day will come when we will ask
ourselves the question: Why
didn't we do something when
we could have? Why didn't we

Egyptian Gets
18 Years as Spy
Against Israel

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

JERUSALEM — An Egyptian
agent who was planted in Israel
as a Jew was sentenced to 18
years imprisonment after plead-
ing guilty to eight of nine
counts of an espionage charge.
Kaborak Jacobian was ar-
rested last December after hav-
ing been under surveillance for
several months by Israeli secur-
ity agents.

worry about tomorrow? We igreat opportunity, we must give
must give the Jewry of the it the emotional and intellectual
diaspora a chance to fulfill its stimulus to achieve its destiny."

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Boris Smolar's

B

. and You
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(Copyright, 1964, Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

-Jewish Standards
- Who says Yiddish is no longer a creative language in the
United States? . . . I have in front of me a half dozen Yiddish
books published in this country within the last few weeks — three
of them this week alone . . They testify that there are still
good Jewish novelists and poets in this country writing in Yiddish
. . . Any Jewish reader who reads both Yiddish and English
often finds that Jewish novelists now writing in English are —
with some exceptions — far behind in talent compared with
those writing in Yiddish, because the reader of Yiddish literature,
though small in number now, is critical and selective . . . Some
of the novels on Jewish themes published in this country during
the last years in English could never pass the test in Yiddish
. . . There is a tradition of respect to the printed word among
Jews and this tradition has been fostered strongly by the high
standards of Yiddish novelists and poets during the last two
generations . . . No such high standards are noticed in most
of the so-called "Jewish" novels appearing in English . . Thus,
while the number of Jewish authors in English is growing and
the number of authors in Yiddish is decreasing, the latter are
still superior in their creations from the point of view of literary
quality ... The few exceptions on both sides are only exceptions.
Jewish Talents
Take, for instance, Aleph Katz who's new volume "Di Emesse
Khassene" ("Quite A Wedding") appeared this week .. . He is a
poetic story teller who is quite original in his style . . . In fact, it
can be said of him, that he created a new style of writing . . . He
uses the popular form of poetry to convey philosophical thinking
. . . He is allegoric; his poetry appeals not only to the heart but
also the mind . . . What Marc Chagall is in painting, Aleph Katz
is in Yiddish poetry . . . He is modern, yet you visualize every
scene he presents even if he does take you into a world of
fantasy . . . You are also fascinated by the play of words which
he uses . . . While extremely serious in most of his long scenes
and ballads, he is light-mannered in some of his other poems .
His "First Page," the monologue of a news editor — incidentally,
Aleph Katz is the Yiddish editor of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency — is a delightful "lesson" in the art of making up the
first page of a newspaper . . . It is to be regretted that Aleph
Katz's style does not lend itself to translation into English . .
The loser, however, is the Jewish book-lover who cannot read
Yiddish . . . The same can be said about another Yiddish book
published this week in New York . . . It is "Khurban Poiln" —
a book lamenting the destruction of Polish Jewry by Joseph
Rubinstein, a fine and powerful poet . . The book is a 250-page
autobiographical poem. masterfully written and one that can
be compared with classic poetry of the Russian school of writing
.. The same can be said of "America Un Ich" — "America and
I" — an aui:obiography in verse by A. Leyeless, one of the highly
recognized Yiddish poets . .. This can also be stated about the
56'0-page novel "Wint-Milin" (Wind Mills) by Moshe Dluznowsky,
published this week . . Dluznowsky is one of the best Yiddish
novelists of today .. .

