Scores of Challenging Issues on Jewish Agenda

(Continued from Page 1)
to a citizen's arrest. The 15-year-
old Negro was sentenced to 18
months in jail by a Negro judge.
Berkman, who was himself in-
jured and had his glasses broken,
meanwhile has received a number
of threatening telephone calls, and
police guarded his home for a
few days.
There was a human callous-
ness in the atmosphere. More
than 50 people watched as the
youngsters and teachers at the
Lubavitcher Yeshiva were beaten
up, but it took the courage of
only one man—Leo Berkman—to
risk his own life to put an end
to the shocking incident.
Berkman, a city building inspec-
tor, branded the spectacle of
people standing by and watching
the incident as "disgraceful," and
national Jewish organizations —
American Jewish Congress and
Anti-Defamation League — ex-
pressing "sadness," called it an
isolated incident and expressed
hope that there will be serious
concern in efforts to avert the
repetition of such "unprovoked
attacks." The National Associa-
tion for the Advancement of
Colored People called the attack
"a tragic and shocking revelation
of the corroding effect of racial
and religious bias."
The analyses of the incident by
the press are of special signifi-
cance. A lengthy article in the
New York Times on "2 Ghetto
Worlds" in conflict in Brooklyn
portrays the panic that accom-
panie changing neighborhoods, the
failure of differing people to un-
derstand each other, the hatreds
that creep in.
The Lubavitch Hassidim are de-
scribed as different because of
their peyoth (earlocks) and silk
coats. Why that should be a prob-
lem in a metropolis where it is
so common to see people in native
dress from India, others from
lands in their special attire, is
beyond understanding.
What matters is that the Negro-
Jewish issue seems to have arisen
out of a prejudice that developed
in Harlem, that epithets were
shouted at the Jewish children in
the Brooklyn yeshiva, that it also
was part of a shakedown cam-
paign which also is in evidence
as an affliction in many communi-
ties. But in Brooklyn, it was "give
me a dime, Jew, or else," and the
organized gang effort to molest
youngsters has created concern
that may add to the panic that
ends in flight from a neighbor-
hood.
The Brooklyn incident has re-
vived an interest in an old theme:
in the idea proposed many years
ago by Dr. Max Nordau that Jews
should know how to defend them-
selves when attacked, that there
should be a recognition of the
need to add courses in physical
Judaism to spiritual teachings.
There is a revival of interest in
the question whether there should
be added a course in judOism to
that of Judaism. This is applied
to other quarters: in some cities
where Jews reside in more ex-
clusive neighborhoods, children
coming from school on buses with
non-Jewish youths are reported to
have been molested with taunts:
"Jew Street . . . Get off, Jew."
In Baltimore, for example, an in-
tercultural course is planned to
teach the offenders manners.
These are white children, not the
Negroes of Harlem and Brooklyn,
for whom a course in ethics is
planned. There is the posed ques-
tion: is education alone the answer,
or do we also need physical Juda-
ism when it becomes necessary to
offer defense for one's well-being
and honor?
* * *
"You can't fight City Hall," is
a common New York expression.
It is difficult to battle against
bigots and gangsters. There is also
political hoodlumism, as is being

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 1, 1964

40

experienced at the World's Fair.
The Jordan pavilion levotes a
mural, prominently displayed, to
spread propaganda against Israel,
and it carries a message that im-
pugns the integrity of all Jews.
It was protested by officials of the
American-Israel Pavilion at the
fair—Nathan Strauss III, Maxwell
Rabb, H. S. Caplin and Z. Sitchin.
It was useless. Robert Moses,
president of the fair, replied that
"the fair cannot censor the mural,
even though it is political in
nature and subject to misinterpre-
tation . . ." He warned against
exaggerations—and the mural re-
mains, with the charge that Jews
had bought up land and had dis-
placed people whom it turned into
homeless refugees.
(A protest against the Jordanian
government's "manufacture of
propaganda against the State of
Israel and deliberate attempt to
foment anti-Israel feeling in the
United States," at its World's
Fair pavillion was telegraphed to
the World's Fair Corp. by Nathan-
iel S. Rothenberg, chairman of the
administrative committee of the
American Zionist Council).
(The American-Israel Pavilion at
the New York -World's Fair de-
manded a "full hearing" from
Robert Moses, president of the
Fair. on their request for the re-
moval of an anti-Israel mural in
the Jordanian Pavilion at the Fair.
Last weekend. Moses had rejected
the request by the American-Israel
Pavilion although he conceded that
the mural was "political in nature
and subject to misinterpretation."
In a telegrah to Moses, Harold S.
Caplin, chairman of the board of
the American-Israel World's Fair
Corporation, and Zechariahu Sit-
chin, president, said: "We respect-
fully insist that you grant us a
full hearing on the matter and see
that the regulation is enforced
and the affensive mural elimi-
nated."
* * *
The proper reply to this out-
rageous charge is missing at the
fair, but at the American-Israel
pavilion there is only one symbol
of the war for Israel's independ-
ence: a noise-making Davidka that
was used during the battle for
Jerusalem. This pavilion is de-
voted entirely to displays of 4,000
years of Jewish history and of
Israel's accomplishments.
The Israel pavilion had an im-
pressive opening, with Israel and
American officials in attendance
and a group of invited guests
represented all elements in Jewish
life.
A "Tower of Technology" de-
picting Israel's extraordinary prog-
ress in the engineering sciences in
the past decade highlights the ex-
hibit of the Technion.
The "Tower" draws attention to
the wide range of engineering
courses offered at the Technion
and to the large variety of indus-
trial and scientific research pro-
jects carried on at the campus,
most of which are linked directly
to Israel's burgeoning industrial
development.
A Torah scroll owned by Rus-
sia's Czars is among the outstand-
ing exhibits at the American-Israel
World's Fair Pavilion.
The Torah was part of the col-
lection in the Czars' Asiatic Mu-
seum and had been presented by
a Jewish community in Russia. It
is now part of the private collec-
tion of Prof. Abraham I. Katsh of
New York University. Prof. Katsh
received the Czars' Torah as a
present from the Soviet Academy
of Sciences in Leningrad as a re-
sult of a cultural exchange of
Hebrew books in 1956.
At the forml opening of the
Israel pavilion, a mezubah was
affixed and there was a cere-
mony of the cutting of a blue
and white ribbon.
An educational exhibit and a
kosher refreshment center were
installed at the pavilion by the
Union of Orthodox Jewish Con-
gregations.
An exhibit illustrating the rapid

economic development of Israel
made possible with the aid of
State of Israel Bonds is another
feature of the American-Israel
Pavilion.
Through the use of an electronic
map of the country, the Israel
Bond exhibit depicts the growth
of Israel's economy. It portrays
the establishment of new indus-
tries, the development of agricul-
ture, the exploitation of minerals
and other natural resources and
construction of its irrigation sys-
tem.
The ancient, the old and the
new pass before the visitor's eyes
at the $2-million American-
Israel World's Fair Pavilion, dedi-
cated to the theme "A Journey
through 4,000 years of Jewish his-
tory."
Exhibits covering biblical times,
life in the diaspora (dispersal)
and modern Israel, conjure up a
"you-are-there" feeling, as life-
like scenes created in dioramas
and other three-dimensional dis-
plays face the viewer on a walk
through the eliptical building
which rises spiral-like to a height
of 42 feet.
Appropriately located at the
crossroads of the Avenue of Asia
and Avenue of Africa in the inter-
national area of the fair grounds,
the imposing structure, sheathed
in African redwood mahogany, is
topped by a huge bronze Menorah,
designed as a burning bush.
Rocks and boulders from Jeru-
salem, King Solomon's mines and
other regions of Israel, and a wall
with the symbols of the Twelve
Tribes of Israel flank the entrance
hall.
* * *
The Becker Amendment, which
aims to negate the recent Supreme
Court decision by legalizing the
reading of prayers in public
schools, has aroused renewed in-
terest in the issue. Rep. Frank J.
Becker's constitutional amend-
ment, hearings on which are being
conducted in Washington by Rep.
Emanuel Celler, chairman of a
House Judiciary subcommittee, is
being backed in an overwhelming
flood of mail that has poured into
Washington. The opponents, al-
though they are being heard, at
the hearings, have not expressed
themselves by writing to their
congressman. But "vigorous op-
position" has been heard from
the United Parents Association of
New York which has declared that
the introduction of religious teach-
ings in public schools would vio-
late the conscience and religious
freedom. "of some or all of the
children, their parents and their
teachers."
Rep. Celler said. he hoped that
the American public would "think
twice" about amendments to per-
mit prayer and Bible reading in
public schools. Commenting on
Rep. Becker's statement that his
amendment was "designed to
guarantee permanently the right
to pray and read Holy Scripture
in the public schools," Rep. Celler
said "this is like an iceberg. There
are a few simple words on top but
a lot of repercussions under-
neath." Rep. John Linday, New
York Republican, said, "I hope
members who seriously question
the issue raised here are not going
to be charged with being anti-
God." Rep. Jacob H. Gilbert, New
York Democrat, warned against
making the hearing seem to be "a
battle between the godly and the
godless."
Supporters of the change told
the committee that the U.S. con-
stitution must be so amended. Rep.
Louis C. Wyman, New Hampshire
Republican, admitted under ques-
tioning that such a change might
result in a "slight erosion" of the
First Amendment. Rep. Howard
V. Smith, Virginia Democrat,
warned the committee that if it
did not approve the Becker am-
endment, the committee would be
bypassed and the issue taken di-
rectly to the floor of the House.
Rep. Becker has 167 signatures
for a discharge petition for that

purpose and needs 218 signatures
to take the issue from the Judi-
ciary Committee.
A campaign against the Becker
Amendment has been launched by
the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations, whose Commission
on Social Action of Reform Juda-
ism called attention to the fact
that "there has been a continuing
campaign by those who oppose the
Supreme Court decisions which
held unconstitutional prayer and
Bible reading in public educa-
tion."
The Commission felt that if
"many Americans of all faiths
who do not wish to see the Bill
of Rights impaired will express
their views promptly and vigor-
ously, there is every reason to
hope that this immediate chal-
lenge can be turned back."
* * *
There is uninterrupted interest
here in Hochhuth's "The Deputy."
The performances at the Atkin-
son Theater continue to draw
record crowds and there are mixed
feelings about the play.
Occasionally, there are loud ex-
pressions against the theme from
members of the audience, just as
there often are heard sobs from
many in attendance who are
moved by recollections of the
Nazi horrors.
This reviewer feels that the
drastic cutting of the origin: al
length of the play—seven honrs
—to that of less than three hcrirs
in New York harms the text.
The conclusion in the Ameri-
can production is faulty. The
emphasis on Catholic persecu-
tions is uncalled-for in a produc-
tion that so powerfully exposes
those who failed to speak up
against the outrages — especially
Pope Pius XII and the Cardinal in
the play. It is this reviewer's
opinion that the actual text of
the conclusion in the published
play is more effective. Those view-
• ing the New York production may
be left in a quandary over the
references to Weizsaecker. The
following, from this reviewer's
comments on the book "The
Deputy" is factual and should
have been used in preference to
the evil doctor's exhortations:

Hochhuth's "Sidelights on History"
are especially convincing. Here the
reader finds basic facts relating to the
theme and vindication of the author's
views. Here is the record of the activi-
ties of many of the characters, includ-
ing Herr von Weizsaecker, Hitler's
ambassador to the Holy See, with
whose statement to the Berlin Foreign
Office, written Oct. 28, 1943, the play
closes, as an announcer on tape reads
it as follows:
"Athough the Pope is said to have
been importuned from various quarters,
he has not allowed himself to be car-
ried away into making any demonstra-
tive statements against the deportation
of the Jews. Although he must expect
our enemies to resent this attitude on
his part, he has nevertheless done all
he could, in this delicate question as
other matters not to prejudice relation-
ships with the German government.
Since further action on the Jewish
problem is probably not to be expected
here in Rome, it may be assumed that
this question, so troublesome to Ger-
man-Vatican relations, has been dis-
posed of. . . ."
And then the announcer closes the
play with these words: "And so the
gas chambers continued to work for a
full year or more. In the summer of
1944 the so-called daily quota of ex-
termination reached its maximum. On
Nov. 26, 1944, Himmler ordered the
crematories to be blown up. Two
months later the last prisoners in
Auschwitz were freed by Russian sold-
iers."

Herman Shumlin, producer of

"The Deputy," spoke at the War -

saw Ghetto commemoration in
Chicago last week and charged
that Poles and Ukrainians collab-
orated with the Nazis, that they
resorted to blackmail, that they
turned Jews over to the Hitlerites
for extermination. These are
proven facts. Yet, when he heard
the charge, Polish Ambassador Ed-
ward Drozniak, who was a speaker
at the gathering in Chicago,
walked out of the performance
in protest against Shumlin's re-
marks.
The Chicago Sentinel reported
that the incident occurred when
Shumlin read Cardinal Hlond's
statement that "it is an actual fact
that Jews fight against the Cath-
olic Church—they are usurers, im-
moral, live by trickery and de-
ceit . . ."

"At this point," Sentinel editor
J. I. Fishbein reported, "the
Polish ambassador to the United
States, Edward Drozniak, who had
spoken previously, began to pro-
test. Mr. Shumlin turned to the
audience and asked whether he
should stop speaking or continue.
Shouts of 'go on' and applause
resounded through the hall. He
went on to tell how on the final
day of the Warsaw Ghetto upris-
ing, the Germans mounted their
cannons in preparation for their
annihilation of the few houses still
standing. Poles by the thousands,
in festive attire, stood outside the
ghetto walls awaiting the end. At
this point, the Polish ambassador,
his wife and their attache rose
from their seats on the platform
and marched out of the hall."
It is evident that the contro-
versy over "The Deputy" is far
from ended, and that if it goes on
the road there will be further
repercussions — especially when
the guilty are fully exposed and
their kinsmen still insist on re-
maining blind to historical facts.
*
*
Among the issues that face
Jewish leaders is one that is
often called "Toynbeeism." There
is an awareness that Prof. Arnold
Toynbee, who is hailed as one of
the world's leading historians, is
much more than pro-Arab: that he
is violently anti-Zionist and anti-
Israel, that he is determined to
raise the refugee question when-
ever and wherever he can and will
not stop at anything to harm the
Jewish State.
His most recent outbursts
served to draw attention anew to
him. On a visit in Cairo, Toynbee
gave evidence that he is pursuing
a line of action by Arab propa-
gandists to pose as if they were
friends of Jews but were merely
condemning Zionists, and in the
interim they ask for an end to
aid to Israel, for the return of all
Arab refugees to Israel.
All of these issues have been
thoroughly aired before, but the
deadliest poison in the Toynbee
pro gram is his implied threat to
Jews that they should stop assist-
ing Israel, thereby weakening the
state. The most serious challenge
to Zionists and to all American
Jews at this time is to prevent
the Arab-Toynbee poison of divid-
ing Jewry from seeping into the
ranks of our people.
Another Toynbee poison dart
is his implication that a majority
of Orientals in Israel will oust the
Zionists and will give control of
the country to the non-Occidentals.
One wonders how an historian can
resort to imaginary views Toyn-
bee has expressed in Cairo. There
is an Oriental-Occidental problem
in Israel, but none do more to
fuse the two elements in the coun-
try than Israel's government offi-
cials; and none are more patriotic
to Israel than the Oriental Jewish
community. Q.E.D.: Toynbee's at-
tempts to scare Jewry and to
abandon Israel are the hopes of
an enemy who fails to see the
true conditions of a time he is
expected to evaluate with an his-
torian's objectivity and not with a
hater's poison pen.
* * *

His Intention Is for a
'Non-Denominational'
Prayer, Becker Says

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Rep.
Frank Becker, New York Republi-
can, testifying on his proposed
amendment to permit prayers in
public schools., told the House
Judiciary Committee that the in-
tent of his amendment Was for a
return to "non-denominational"
prayers.
He made the statement under
committee questioning. One ques-
tion was who, under his proposed
amendment, would be responsible
for determining the type of
prayer. He replied: "My intent is
to permit the offering of a prayer
in the public schools. The handling
of the matter" of the wording "can
be left to local authorities."