Pressures on School Prayers
Amendment Are Receding
Goldmann Praises Poles' 'Efforts to Aid Jewish Life'
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
possibility that Congress might be
stampeded into approving the pro-
posed Becker constitutional amend-
ment, which would void the Su-
preme Court .ban on prayers in
public schools, is diminishing, in-
formed sources on Capitol Hill
said.
Rep. Emanuel Celler, New York
Democrat who is chairman of the
House Judiciary Committee which
is hearing testimony on the issue,
expressed the belief that the tide
had turned in the debate. He said
"sober judgement is beginning to
make itself felt." In addition, a
number of Congressmen who ini-
tially supported and testified in
favor of the amendment sponsored
by Rep. Frank Becker, New York
Republican, have changed their
minds.
In continuing testimony, a num-
ber of Jewish spokesmen expressed
opposition to all proposals to void
the Supreme Court ruling. They
included Rabbi Edward E. Klein
of New York, testifying for the
Central Conference of American
Rabbis; and Dr: Joachim Prinz,
president of the American Jewish
Congress.
Congressmen reported a no-
ticeable change in the tone of
their mail on the prayer issue.
When the hearings began five
weeks ago, mail was heavily in
favor of such proposed amend-
ments. Foes of the amendment
contended that an organized,
well - financed pro - amendment
mail campaign was underway.
But the testimony of the major-
ity of witnesses for religious
organizations—Jewish and Chris-
tian—as well as of legal experts
has been strongly anti-amend-
ment.
Dr. Prinz, now a rabbi in
Newark, who had served as a rabbi
in Berlin prior to World War
told the committee that religious
instruction in German schools had
failed to prevent the rise of Hitler
and the excesses of Nazism. He dis-
puted the position that public
school prayer recitation and Bible-
reading encouraged national or
NEW YORK — The government
of Poland was praised Wednesday
by Dr. Nahum Goldmann for its
"efforts in helping the small Jew-
ish communities in Poland to main-
tain Jewish life" as compared with
the suppression of Jewish religi-
ous and cultural life in the Soviet
Union. Speaking at a press con-
ference. Dr. Goldmann said:
"At an invitation of the Polish
governmental committee in charge
or erecting monuments in the Nazi
annihilation camps in Poland, I at-
tended the dedication of a memor-
ial to the martyred Jews who died
at Treblinka.
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
personal morality, a position he
termed "false both in theory and
practice."
Rabbi Klein stated: "The pro-
posed amendment would not make
children or their schools more re-
ligious or moral. Religion must be
both taught and caught by precept
and example in the home, in the
synagogues and churches. Religion
and the home must not look to the
school to do their work. Prayer
needs an atmosphere of solemnity
and reverence. To make it a class-
room exercise is to demean prayer
and render it meaningless."
Prof. Willard Heckel, dean of
"It is, of cotirse, tragic to ob-
the law school of Rutgers Univer-
serve the small Jewish commun-
sity, told the committee that the
proposed amendments "should be ity of some 30,000 souls in Po-
resisted by all who are concerned land, the survivors of the more
about the preservation of freedom than 31/2 million Jews who lived
in Poland before the advent of
and individual rights." He warned
World War II and the Nazi
that human freedom "will not last
long if unpopular decisions of the holocaust. I was most impressed
Supreme Court can be overruled by the efforts that the Polish
government is making in help-
by constitutional amendments."
ing the small Jewish communi-
Theodor Carcich, president of
ties in Poland to maintain Jew-
the North American division of the
ish life.
Seventh Day Adventists, warned
that the proposed amendments
`This policy of the Polish govern-
"would tend to magnify religious ment is more extraordinary and
differences" and carried the threat highly significant when compared
of religious strife.
with the situation in Russia where
not only no help is given to such
Warns Zionists to Devote
Jewish cultural activities, but no
Attention to Survival
facilities are even offered in Russia
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Dr. Ezra to the Jews to maintain Jewish
Spicehandler, professor at Hebrew life by their own efforts.
Union College-Jewish Institute of
"I have also recently been in
Religion in Cincinnati, warned the
Germany,
during which time I con-
Zionist movement that it must now
ferred with top German govern-
devote equal attention to the cul-
tural survival of the American ment officials on the matter of two
supplementary laws on restitution
Jewish community as it does to and indemnification which are now
the support of Israel.
before parliament. These negotia-
Speaking on the now currently tion's are proceeding slowly and
discussed problem of the "vanish- with great difficulties. This new
ing American Jew" and the threat
of assimilation, he told more than policy of austerity, pursued by the
German government, is an obstacle
300 delegates attending the 60th
in obtaining a satisfactory mini-
anniversary convention of the
mum for those groups of victims
Labor Zionist Organization of of Nazi persecution who are either
America-Poale Zion that "Ameri- not covered by the actual legisla-
can Jewry is moving into a new tion enacted in the past, or to
age which could best be described whom payments have to be in-
as neo-assimilationist."
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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Friday, May 29, 1964
9
creased.
Dr. Goldmann expects to be in
"I am still hopeful that satis- Germany in June to confer with
factory agreements between the Chancellor Erhard and other Ger-
Conference of Jewish Material man government officials.
Claims Against Germany and the
G e r in a n government will be
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A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
A TRIBUTE TO
SENATOR PATRICK V. McNAMARA
Sponsored by the American Trade Union Council for Histadrut
will take place
SATURDAY, June 6, 6:30p .m.
Fountain Ballroom, Masonic Temple
*
•
*
•
*
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Distinguished Participants:
The. Hon. G. Mennen Williams—Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
The Hon. Philip A. Hart— U.S. Senator from the State of Michigan
The Hon. Jerome P. Cavanagh
Mayor of the City of Detroit
Yaacov Morris— Special Representative of the State of Israel to the United States
Emil Maley- Secretary-Treasurer, UAW
Morris Lieberman—National Vice-Chairman of Histadrut
Al Barbour
George Ames
Chairman
Edw. C. Levy
Bernard J. Youngblood
Co-Chairman
Co-Chairman
Co-Chairman
FOR RESERVATIONS C LL UN 4-70'6