Purely Commentary American Nativists' Denigrations
By ROBERT SEGAL
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
A Seven Arts Feature
rights bill. A part of that $50,000
represents taxes collected from
Mississippi's disenfranchised Ne-
groes. (Forty-five per cent of all
Mississippians are Negroes.)
The Mississippi legislature's
other summer proposals included:
Disciples of Buckley and other
intellectual pacesetters of the new
American right did not live in the
depression years of the 1930s.
Indeed, they have come into the
world too late to know 'the
agonies of the global wars in
which their country participated.
Many of them find safe perches
in the John Birch Society or in
other ultra-conservative move-
1
ments. The literature they relish
curses the United Nations and —
denigrates those who strive to
achieve enduring peace and to
make secure the rights of all men
everywhere.
The drama of Mississippi passes
them by; but long after Mississippi
has rejoined the union, we shall
have on our hands the problem
of salvaging the boys and girls
who harken to the pipes of the
new American nativism, conceived
in an uniformed piety and struc-
tured for an assault upon tradi-
tional American liberty.
William F. Buckley Jr., eloquent
and articulate spokesman for the
New GOP tacticians in San Francisco did one intolerable thing: older youth division of the Ameri-
while pleading for the retention of the two-party system in our can Right, is critical of young
democratic way of life, they may have created such a sharp division people risking their lives in Missis-
a bill to outlaw passive resistance
among AMericans, on the basis of the appeal that "extremism is not a sippi this summer to help Negroes H-777,
in civil rights demonstrations.
vice," that "moderation is no virtue," that many may be driven to the there in their fight for education S-2136, making Freedom Schools and
Community Centers planned by the
overwhelming support of a single party in the interest of preventing and the ballot.
Council of Federated Organizations il-
The boys and girls who have legal this summer;
the spread of hatred by one section in our land against the other.
a bill to prohibit entry into the
When a candidate for the Presidency is quoted as saying that he given up a summer's chance to H-870,
state of volunteers for the Mississippi
loaf
or
earn
some
money
to
fur-
would just as soon cut off the eastern states and let their populations
Summer project;
a bill to reduce the number of
float into the ocean, there sets in a feeling of horror far worse than the ther their own careers and instead H-937,
Negroes on Mississippi jury lists;
have
chosen
to
face
violence,
even
one about which we were cautioned in the acceptance speech of the
H-180, a bill to provide prison terms or
sterilization for parents of illegitimate
GOP nominee who deplored the violence on the streets of large death, in the South are too quixotic children.
for Buckley's liking. Long ago, he
American cities.
Other Mississippi legislative pro-
We are not politically partisan. Editorially, we never have nor do says, he learned that unless a posals include a project to inves-
warring
party
has
reasonable
hope
we intend to take sides. The memberships of both political parties are
tigate Prof. James W. Silver, who
composed of Americans, and as Americans we share in the duties of for success, the fight should not has dared to write a book in the
be made.
best American tradition, critical of
citizenship, while adhering to the right to differ.
Not satisfied with pooh-poohing the sovereign state in which he
But when reaction sets in, when there are appeals to hatred, when
the
heroic
efforts
of
a
thousand
those who seek condemnation for hate-mongers are shouted down, it
has long taught.
There is a bill to arrange for
becomes necessary to take heed and to be on guard against the dangers idealists creating a new chapter
in the American profile of cour- state funds to be used in support
facing the principles on which this nation was founded.
When a responsible man in public life tells us that "the stench of age, Buckley has written that he of privaet schools if public schools
fascism is in the air" (Governor Brown of California, on the aftermath is happy with the number of peo- are closed to avoid integration.
ple who do not exercise their tech-
of the Republican convention), we must sit up and take notice.
nical right to vote. Efforts should
When the country's leading newspaper saw fit, only one day before be made to bring to the polls
the name of the new GOP standard bearer was placed in nomina- only those politically mature,
Boris Smolar's
tion, to say that Barry Goldwater "is a man totally unfit, on the basis Buckley says, adding: "And here
of his views and his votes, to be President of the United States" (The is the dilemma of the anti-
New York Times,..July 16), we are compelled to give serious thought to Mississippians who find themselves
the seriousness of the November election. (The New York Times bemoaning the ignorance of the
editorial stated: "Fortunately, Senator Goldwater's chances of election Negro population in Mississippi
appear minimal at the present time, and we trust they will remain so. and yet saying that these ignorant
But the very fact of his impending nomination is bad enough.")
people must be made to vote. But
(Copyright, 1964, Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
Having watched the spectacle of Governor Rockefeller being what would they vote for, if they
shouted down when he appealed, during one of the most dramatic are not yet trained to vote de- Communal Moods
sessions of the convention, against extremism—a plea that also was liberately?"
It is no secret that there is not much love lost between rabbis
sounded by President Eisenhower who later deplored that the GOP
Beyond the point that Buckley and Jewish social workers . . . Some rabbis are of the opinion that
platform as presented to the convention was not amended on that ignores the fact. that Mississippi's
a good many of the Jewish professionals have little or no Jewish
score—the shudder it occasioned provided cause for concern. ("This separate schools have been far knowledge . . . Ori the other hand, practioners in the field of social
is still a free country," Governor Rockefeller was compelled to interject from equal and beyond the point work — case workers, psychiatric case workers, marital counselors,
during the commotion.)
that those whom Buckley cavalierly child guidance counselors — often blame religion for the neuroses
It may be too early to lament, and one should not become panicky. brands as "anti-Mississippians" of their clients . . . Quite a number of them were reported to have
America is greater than Goldwater and those who are associated with have gone South to conduct Free- told a parent that if his children's Jewish education was de-emphasized,
him as the new rulers over Republicanism. But even at this early state dom Schools lies a question Buck- his neurotic symptoms would disappear . . . With some rabbis the
in the political battle we cannot forgive those in the GOP who ley might do well to ask himself: mistrust of Jewish social workers goes so far that they refer members
seem temporarily to be driving Americans into supporting a ,single "What are those who are trained of their congregations to non-Jewish agencies in the belief that the
party, thereby delimiting our two-party system; and we cannot forgive to vote now deliberately voting non-conflicted Gentile social worker could be more helpful than the
them for having created a condition which could compel us to take a for in Mississippi?"
conflicted Jewish social worker . . . This has especially been the
partisan position in an hour of crisis for America.
Buckley's beloved trained ones case in New York, where there are more than 1,000 rabbis holding
are voting for Governor Paul John- pulpits . . . The New York Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, in
The Threat to Our Nation
For a number of days in succession, the New York Times has been son who has advised white Missis- cooperation with the Jewish Education Committee of New York, has
lamenting the Republican nominations, and on Sunday it stated editori- sippians not to comply with the made several experiments aimed at bringing about a better under-
public accommodations section of standing between the rabbis and the Jewish professional . . . The
ally that the Goldwater-Miller ticket "is a threat to the country."
If we really are facing threats, we should look into the existing the new federal civil rights bill Federation's Commission on Synagogue Relations, directed by Rabbi
situation very seriously and hope and pray that through proper examin- but to appeal to the federal courts Isaac N. Trainin, has been conducting seminars with a view toward
to declar it unconstitutional. This helping those social workers who have a paucity of Jewish cultural
ation we will achieve unity that will avoid tragedy.
We are thinking especially of the advance notice that was given is the same Governor - Johnson, background to appreciate Jewish history and tradition . . . Similar
by Senator Goldwater, in his acceptance speech, that he will campaign who, when the University of Mis- seminars have been conducted for rabbis with a view to giving them
on a platform that will seek to capitalize on the crime waves that are sissippi was blocking the enroll- a workable knowledge of social work agencies . . . Now the Federation
in evidence in some parts of the land. He stated specifically in his ment of James Meredith, was him- proposes to sponsor an annual national conference on the relationship
speech that "tonight there is violence in our streets, corruption in self openly defying that federal between the rabbi and the social worker ... to establish the necessary
frame of reference and the right climate for bringing togither these
our highest offices, aimlessness in our youth, anxiety among our court.
What else are the enlightened two professions and for ushering in a new era of cooperation and
elderly . . ."
What exactly does the reference to the crimes mean in the tone it voters of Mississippi voting for? mutual respect . . . In the opinion of Federation officers, the picture
was uttered? Does it imply what has happened and. is happening in Let's look at some of the Missis- that many rabbis have of Jewish social workers is one that is no longer
Mississippi and does the candidate aim at a solution to the sad racial sippi state legislation. The law- valid but one that is difficult to eradicate . Today a goodly number of
problem, or did it anticipate what had happened in Harlem on the makers, supposedly qualifying as social workers assume an affirmative attitude toward Jewishness and
night on which he delivered. his acceptance speech? Does it mean- that intelligent voters themselves ac- toward the Jewish component in social work . . However, there is
in
whenever there is an outburst of violence • anywhere Republican prop- cording to Buckley's Law, have still a distance between many rabbis and Jewish professionals, and,
agandists will say it is President Johnson's or Senator Humphrey's or this summer passed Mississippi the opinion of such an expert as Rabbi Trainin, this distance between
S-1896, appropriating an emer- them would remain because they look upon each other as competitors.
Chief Justice Warren's fault?
From London it was reported last week that the crimes in England gency $50,000 to the White Citi-
in 1963 were the highest on record. Did that mean that the Queen or the zens Council-inspired State Sover- Progress Report
Prime Minister was to be blamed rather than that rational people eignty Commission, the official
The Jewish Education Committee of New York, now on the eve'.e I lik
watchdog of segregation in Missis-
__
should get together and seek means of ending lawlessness?
of
its
25th anniversary, has quite a record . . . It can boast of the':
The Harlem tragedy is a Point at issue. It will be easy to capitalize sippi, to fight the federal civil fact that Jewish education has definitely grown in quantity and in
on it, just as it was understandable that many among the rioting Negroes
quality since it has become the central coordinating agency for Jewish
in New York should have shouted for Malcolm X. But those who seek Israel Allowed to Join
education, serving the largest Jewish community in the world . .
peace, all who would end rioting and pillaging that can only lead to
There are today more than 700 Jewish schools in New York with
sell-destruction, must seek amity.
UN Committee Talks
approximately 155,000 pupils—as compared with 62,490 Jewish pupils
If the racial issue should become a means of disrupting the
in 1935 . . . During the last 10 years, the number of all-day schools
Despite
Arab
Opposition
American people, we will have much to concern us. There will then,
—which provide the most intensive form of Jewish education—has
indeed, he the danger of a rising fascism, the treat of an internal
GENEVA (JTA)—Although an jumped from 85 to 144 . . . There was an increase in the number of
conflict worse than the civil war.
Algerian, whose government is a afternoon schools and one-day schools . . . The weakest category in a
retention of pupils is the week-day congregational school, but
What we need in Harlem, as elsewhere, is bi-racial, bi-partisan,
unprejudiced approaches to an issue that will flare up into mass murders member of the Arab League, was healthy indication of Jewish education as a whole can be seen
unless there is mutual understanding and mutual respect. The Negroes presiding over the session, Israel in the area of the Hebrew high school . . . Hebrew secondary educa-
and the Whites who fan the flames of hatred must be gotten together won the right of participating in tion holds the key to the future of Jewish life in this country; and,
under a common roof to examine the issue and to seek an end to the deliberations of the Social in enrollment terms, the picture is encouraging . • . There are now
injustice and to indignity. We must seek honorable solutions to a Committee of the United Nations about 17,000 pupils in Hebrew high school in New York, as compared
problem which has been resolved legislatively, which now calls for Economic and Social Council. with 6,400 a dozen years ago . . . Preschool education has gone up,
implementation of The Law, which demands handling in the American There was open Arab opposition marking a 50 per cent increase since 1957. . . The last few years
have also seen a startling enrollment rise in Jewish summer camps
way of fair play.
when the committee convened
But it must never be judged on the basis of property values which here for its first meeting of the which utilize the summer months to give the Jewish child a Jewish
education in a completely Jewish atmosphere . . . The Jewish
influence many Americans in our large cities.. It must not be per- current ECOSOC session.
Education Committee of New York, of which Azriel Eisenberg is
mitted to turn into another Reichstag Fire that had led to Hitler's rise
Israel is not a member of the executive vice-president, has to its credit the licensing of 3,160
to power. It must never become a political issue for the sake of gaining
Social Commission, but had ap- teachers engaged in the New York Jewish schools . . . its publishes
power and winning elections.
The houses of prayer and the religious leaders have a major respon- plied for the status of official World Over, an attractive two-color magazine for children which has
sibility in the new crisis. The political leaders of both parties, who know observer, so that its representa- more than 100,000 subscribers, and it issues Hebrew juvenile books
the responsibility of avoiding partisan issues when we are faced with tive could participate in the dis- designed for the American Jewish child . . . On the other hand, the
foreign threats, must recognize also that there are menacing domestic cussions on human rights affairs Committee faces a number of problems which it considers "on the
situations that demand elimination of partisanship. All of us, all re- on the body's agenda. The repre- debit side of the ledger" . . . One of these problems is the fact that,
sponsible American citizens, owe it as a duty to themselves and to sentatives of Egypt and Iraq op- in a half century of organized Jewish schooling in New York, the
posed recognition of Israel as an 1-to-2 ratio of girls compared with boys has hardly changed in the
our country, to prevent capitalizing on issues that border on tragedies observer and were supported by afternoon
school . . . Other problems include: the need for greater
and to demand of the leaders of our political parties to strive against
the Soviet Union delegation.
subventions of all-day schools, the need for recruitment and prepara-
the rise of hatreds out of their aspirational appeals.
tion of teachers and principals, the need for a magazine for parents,
Mississippi and Harlem both carry with them admonitions to seek
peace in re-establishing morality in our land. Let it be viewed as a THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS a correspondence course on Jewish education, records for the home
teaching of Hebrew, and the revival of an adult education department.
Friday, July 24, 1964
2
duty by all rather than as a means for gaining power.
The New Role of the Grand Old Party
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'Between You
... and Me'
.
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