Prof. Hermann Cohen's Thesis Devalued
Passover Marked by Celebrations in
Dr. Kaplan Pleads for 'Torah of the Educated All Israel; Eshkol at Air Force Seder
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Israel
tourists but also Israelis
Heart' to Make People in the Image of God' celebrated PasSover joyously, only
visiting friends and relatives
the observance being marred away form their homes. The
movement have not included thought has been given to the
only by the knowledge that Rus- markets were well stocked with
him among their number, de- forging of the spear itself."
sian Jewry is suffering a lack
spite the fact that his rationale
The faults in Cohen are de- of matzoth, engineered by the everything needed for the Pass-
over observance.
for Judaism has much in corn- valuated in the course of the
The security forces, alert as
mon with theirs. On the other analyses of the Kaplan view- Soviet authorities. The situation
of Soviet Jewry was reflected ever in spite of the holiday, kill-
hand, Kaufmann Kohler, the point.
in
hundreds
of
Isra0.i
homes
most authoritative spokesman
ed four Arab infiltrators who
The subtitle of his book, "A
of the Reform movement, has People in the Image of God," is where a vacant chair was plac- had crossed Israel's frontiers
written as follows: a phrase taken from the writ- ed at each seder table, symbol- last night. One would-be infil-
ically reminding Israelis of the trator was shot near Mishmar
" `Yet, just ► ecause of this ings of the labor Zionist pio-
sad fate of the Jews in Russia. Ayalon, in the Latrun area,
universalistic Messianic hope neer, A. D. Gordon.
Undeterred by the constantly close to the Jordanian border.
of Judaism, it is still impera-
Kaplan's book contains anno-
tive, as it has been through- Cations to the excerpted writ- lurking Arab dangers, Israeli Three others were killed when
out the past, that the Jewish ings of Cohen. There are lengthy army kitchens had prepared an Israeli border patrol inter-
people must continue its sepa- presentations of Martin Buber's festive Passover meals, while cepted another group of infiltra-
•ateness as "a kingdom of arguments against the views of chaplains conducted services in tors in the southern Negev.
priests and a holy nation" and Cohen. There is a strong de- every Israeli army camp and
DR. MORDECAI M. KAPLAN
for the sake of its world mis- fense of Zionism and a refuta- frontier post. At one Israeli Air
In his newest book, "The sion avoid intermarrying with tion of Cohen's anti-Zionism. Force hangar, 1,200 soldiers
Purpose and Meaning of Jewish members of other sects, un-
There is this serious warn- gathered for one of the biggest
Existence — 'A People in the less they espouse the Jewish
ing in Kaplan's view of a mass sedorim. Attending that
Image of God,' " just issued by faith . . .' (Jewish Theology).
modern Jewish functional ra- feast were Prime Minister Levi
the Jewish Publication Society "It is, indeed, difficult to tionale: "A most ominous sign Eshkol and his family; Gen. Yit-
The Academy was established in
of America, t h e e in in en t say which of the two rationales for the future of Diaspora Ju- zhak Rabin, chief of all of
accordance with the "Law of the
founder of the Reconstruction- for Judaism is less objection-
daism is the stampede of Jew Israel's defense forces; and Gen. Israeli National Academy of Sciences
- Ezer
Weizmann,
commander
of and Humanities" that was passed in
ist movement, Prof. Mordecai able—Cohen's with a workable ish intellectuals away from the
Israelis
Air Force.
There, the
the Knesset in the year 5721 (14.6.61).
M. Kaplan primarily exposes conception of Messianism and Jewish People. There is hardly
It is situated in Jerusalem and its
s
the fallacies of the philosophic acceptance of intermarriage, or any need to document that services
were conducted by president is appointed by the Presi-
dent of the State.
teachings of Hermann Cohen Kohler's prohibition of inter-
fact. Can anyone think of Brig. Shlomo Goren, chief chap-
The aims of the Israel Academy of
(1842-1918), who was professor marriage, with the reduction many Nobel Prize winners of lain of Israel's army.
Sciences and Humanities are: to
of philosophy at Marburg Uni- of Messianism to pulpit ora-
Foreign
guests
were
enter-
gather
together the best of the men
Jewish parentage who identi-
of science, resident in Israel; to
versity in Germany. But he also tory."
fied themselves with Jewish tained at sedorim in scores of develop and to advance scientific
Poses some questions relating
The anti-Zionism of Cohen, life, to say nothing of Jewish kibbutzim and other settle- activity; to advise the Government in
concerning research and
to the current Jewish position, his deviations from traditions, religion? Einstein, who was ments. In many of the kibbut- actions
scientific planning of national im-
and in its double role this vol- his extreme patriotism, is eval- driven back to the Jewish izm, the traditional "omer" cel- portance;
to represent Israeli science
international institutions and con-
ume has much significance.
uated by Kaplan in his interpre- People as much by anti-Semit- ebration—marking the ingath- in
gresses and to publish works that
Dr. Kaplan shows that Prof. tation of the assimilationist- ism as by his ethical sense, ering of the spring's first har- may possibly advance science.
Cohen's views, which still are professor's views, which are was an exception who proved vest—was observed with songs
Every year lectures are held in the
Academy on the Humanities and
generally prevalent, are based summed up thus:
the rule. Yet even Einstein's and dances. The second seder Natural sciences which are given by
on misunderstandings that are
"We love Germany as our fa- return was counterbalanced by was conducted in Tel Aviv main- the personel of the Academy and by
"fatal to the spiritual adjust- therland and our mother coun- Berg-,son's, Freud's and Beren- ly for tourists from abroad in various scientists. These lectures are
published, in Hebrew and foreign
ment which Judaism must un- try even when it does not live son's self alienation. Their many of the large hotels. Near- languages, in "The Proceedings of
National I s r a e Academy of
dergo, if it is to survive."
up to what it should be. In time contribution to human culture ly 1,000 tourists gathered at one the
Sciences and Humanities".
While, as Dr. Kaplan shows, we shall merge with the German
does not have to be measured mass seder at the Sheraton
The researches in the Humanities
Cohen's treatise expressed • a race. That, however, need in no by Nobel prizes." Hotel, where the services were made under the auspices of the Aca-
demy include scientific publications
love for Judaism and an way compromise the Israelite
Describing the inadequacy of conducted by cantor Moshe Ko- of documents and certificates in the
eagerness to prove that it is religion."
area
of Jewish Religion and Thought,
Cohen's thesis, Kaplan asserts: ussevitsky.
Literature and Poetry, re-
compatible with absolute rea-
Tourists began flocking into Hebrew
Here is one of the roots of "In terms of contemporary
search into the languages of the
son, it would never by it- the German assimilationist view philosophy, Judaism as an evolv- Israel late last week. Ships Jews, historic documents and re-
self, "without his reinterpre- of being "Germans of the Mosa- ing religious civilization is ex- brought thousands to Haifa search monographs on specific sub-
jects and the like. The research work
tation, yield the high moral is faith."
istentially Jewish peoplehood, from the United States and in the Natural sciences is mainly of
national and inter •professional
and spiritual values which he
Dr. Kaplan is especially crit- essentially Jewish religion, and Europe. At Lydda Airport near- a character.
reads into them."
ical of this view by Cohen:
functionally the
the Jewish way of 137 3,000 foreigners arrived
The Academy has ties with national
Dr. Kaplan poses a question "Our modern Israelite re-
aboard 25 planes in one day academies of sciences and Human-
ities the world over and with inter-
and states: "Why go to all the ligion is, indeed, an adaptation
Turning to the present, Kap- just prior to Passover.
national scientific institutions. Its
trouble of reinterpreting the to modern ProtestantiSm. Both Ian, reviewing conditions that
Every road in Israel was members participate in international
source material of Judaism, have already given up much have led many Jews "to sidle crowded with buses, jitneys, tax- scientific meetings abroad. The Aca-
demy also established Israeli scien-
when reason by itself can gen- of their old ways of thinking: out of JeWish life," tells of icabs and private cars. The Eg- tific committees that work under its
auspices, such as: The Israeli Com-
erate the moral and religious we the Talmud, and they their pressures by children upon their ged Bus Company here announc- mittee
for the Exploration of Space,
ideas that are essential to hu- Church tradition. Even for our parents "for some kind of re- ed just before Passover that it and holds
international gatherings in
man life? Actually, Cohen's po- modern idea of Messianism we ligious identification," particu- expected to handle about 1,500,- Israel under its auspices.
Translation of Hebrew Column.
sition with regard to Jewish are indebted to Luther, of larly in suburban areas, and 000 passengers, including not
Published by the
intermarriage with the majority blessed (sic!) memory."
Brith Ivrith Olamith Jerusalem
then makes . this comment:
population would hardly help to
And it is here that Dr. Kap-
"Some Jewish parents, to be
roin7n
T •
perpetuate Judaism, although in Ian appends this footnote to sure, gratify those wishes of
•`•
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his last years he did recommend his quotations from Cohen re- their children. They first or-
that Jews should retain their ferring to Luther:
ganize a- religious school and
communal separateness. On the
"It is difficult to understand hire teachers for the Sunday
nITY? tr'?kflVD n' 5n 71:7?7.1.s;1,
face of it, his treatise seems to the behavior of most German school. Those teachers, likely
voice an ideology of Judaism, Protestants in the first Nazi as not, form study groups of
which the Reform movement years," writes William L. Shir- adults. Before long ground is
should have adopted as its er, "unless one is aware of two bought and a costly synagogue - 117P7177:??7Pzi
vade mecum. Yet his treatise things: their history and the is put up. That kind of relig-
nix*in
has not had any impact on the influence of Martin Luther. ions activity, being 'other di-
Reform movement. Even the The great founder of Protest- rected' from the start, does not
few Jewish intellectuals who be- antism was both a passionate strike deep roots. The members trnnz trzv717p1 niTlyn 1 7tI P
came his ardent disciples are anti-Semite and a ferocious be- of the building committee, who - pt;)n ,nvirrrn
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said to have been influenced liever in absolute obedience to have never missed a fund-rais-
more by his ardor and spiritual- political authority. He wanted ing meeting, seldom step into trIrm invIzpti 7111;ii
ity as a Jew than by the plausi- Germany rid of the Jews, and the synagogue after the dedica-
bility and relevance of his ex- when they would be sent away tion ceremonies are over. Jews
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position of Judaism." he advised that they be de- have come to be known as `Sev-
Irrnitotpl
Dr. Kaplan, reviewing Co- prived of `all their cash and enth Day Abstentists." . . .
hen's faith in ethical socialism, jewels and silver and gold' and Perhaps that process would
trplpc) clttriltnt niv
shows how the German-Jewish furthermore 'that their syna- be stopped altogether, if the
philosopher "by virtue of the gogues and schools be set on Jews would realize that they
nItrpo
unconscious pull which Judaism fire, that their houses be have the opportunity to experi-
exercised on him, read into the broken up and destroyed . . • ence through Judaism the thrill
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socialist critique of the social and they be put under a roof of human self-fulfillment which
order the main burden of the or stable, like the gypsies .. • transcends all world success."
prophetic message to the Jew- in misery and captivity as they
Kaplan pleads for "educa-
ish People and into Messianism incessantly lament and corn-
allvt.?? =lop l'2y: 1 Isl*
tion of the conscience" to be- cP
the fulfillment of the socialist plain to God against us,' ad-
ideal . . . By thus seeing a ra- vice that was literally followed come the preoccupation of all - 1 ; rill e? ni'Vt?? ni'7?IrM
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tional connection between Jew- four centuries later by Hitler, Jews, the indispensable task of
tapi
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ish monotheism and Messianism, Goering and Himmler." (The rabbis and educators as well as - rz
and by equating Messianism Rise and Fall of the German laymen to strive for Jewish
7 rPt1 •°'4! 5 1? On
content to be integrated in the 1 :1 'PrlrIVO
with socialism, Cohen returned Reich.)
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to Judaism."
Dr. Kaplan explains that the Jewish religious tradition, the
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A major aspect of Cohen's most significant title of his evolving of the Allard Ha Am-
thesis as it is devalued by Kap- book, "Jewish Existence," suggested "Torah of the Edu-
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lan, relating to intermarriage, means "functioning as Jews" cated Heart"—to "supply pur- ni,??77si1
states: and the purpose of revived pose and meaning to Jewish - ion ni*rttp
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"How little attention Cohen function is thus evaluated here. existence and impel the Jew-
ish People to make of itself a nIrn
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paid to the problem of Jewish His emphasis is that "The Jews
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existence is evident from his have to achieve existence as a People in the Image of God."
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open avowal, during his years Torah people, with Torah under- Whether or not this will in- - ??1
7r,1 ?'7 fr"M1V 71
at Marburg University, of as- stood as coming forth from a spire a solution to the chal-
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similationist hopes. He went as modern Zion. The establishment lenges facing Jewry, Kaplan's "AFI tr!?Pk!'?P4 c'P 1 4
far as to advocate interwar- of the State of Israel is only a book certainly is thought-pro-
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riage of Jews with non-Jews. spearhead of a movement to yoking and encourages a search
This probably explains why create that new kind of social for a solution to the problem of (i10iy rowl;v
liprt;)
the spokesmen for the Reform structure or polity. So far, no Jewish existence. —P. S.
Israel Academy
of Sciences
and Humanities
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