Our Letter Box
Dr. Agus' Criticism
and Editor's Comment
N
Editor, The Jewish News:
I wish to thank you and rebuke
you at one and the same time.
On the one hand, I am grateful to
you for your extensive and compli-
mentary review of my last book.
On the other hand, I feel that you
departed from the canons of honest
journalism when you wrote of my
"equating" Zionism with Antisemi-
tism, and for good measure, you
added "a la Toynbee."
I present a critique of the Zion-
ist philosophy, analyzing its dif-
ferent components and examiring
each idea separately. I wrE':. of
"five points" which it shares the
ideology of ethnic Antisemitism
(p. 414). These ideas are care-
fully pinpointed and documented.
But, the "humanist" and spiritual
components of Zionism are also
presented and described as a mod-
ern embodiment of prophetic Jud-
siam. If Zionism, both as a phil-
osophy of Jewish life and as a
program of action, is to be fund-
amentally revised, then the erro-
reous and dangerous ideas, which
were swept into the movement in
the past two generations, must be
separated from the enduring and
worthy elements in it. There can
be no talk of "equating" Zionism
with Antisemitism. By the same
token, a critique of Zionism must
not be spurned out of hand as
"negative," or "prejudiced"; after
all, as Galileo said to the Inquis-
litors, "the earth does move."
You refer to Professor Toynbee
three times, without mentioning
that I served as his consultant in
the revision of his views on Jud-
aism—a "reconsideration" which
led to his inclusion of the- Jewish
religion among the greatest in
the world. (See his volume XII of
"A Study of History," entitled,
"Reconsideration"). The areas
where we agree and disagree are
on record.
In this book, I stated the rea-
sons why his analysis of the Jew-
ish situation is wrong.
On page 481, I contrast Kauf-
man's philosophy of Zionism,
which negates the worth and via-
bility of Diaspora Jewry with
Toynbee's admonition that Jews
in the western countries should
give up their "ethnic sentiments."
I conclude as follows:
"For all their vast erduition
and brilliance, both Toynbee and
Kaufman are certainly mistaken
—and for the same reason. The
Jewish community is constitut-
ed by forces which pull it in op-
posite directions. Hence, no rad-
ical solution can be accepted.
Some Diaspora communities will
be liquidated by a massive, or-
ganized exodus; some communi-
ties will shrink and wither
through the siphoning away of
their leadership; other communi-
ties will seek and find ever
larger areas of integration with
the general society."
I trust that you will publish
this letter and thank you for your
courtesy.
Sincerely yours,
DR. JACOB B. AGUS,
Rabbi, Beth El Congregation,
Baltimore, Md.
* * *
The Editor's Reply
N-
Edit or 's Note: While Rabbi
Agus' two-volume work is entitled
"The Meaning of Jewish History,"
and indeed provides scholarly em-
phasis in his approach, it is in the
interpretation of the meaning of
Zionism that he emerges biased
and therefore has earned rebuke.
When he assumes to condemn a
reviewer for criticism by resorting
to "canons of honest journalism"
phrase, he reveals an anger that
adds to the poor taste in his choice
of reply.
The fact is that Dr. Agus' mis-
interpretation of Zionism leaves
the reader of his two-volume work
with the impression that it was
not the eminent scholar who wrote
"The Meaning of Jewish History,"
but a Council for Judaism adhe-
rent — or, indeed, perhaps Prof.
Toynbee.
It is far from the total truth
that Zionism came into being with
the rise of anti-Semitism in mod-
ern times. Zionism, which teaches
that Eretz Israel occupies a cen-
tral and vital position in Jewish
history and in Jewish religion,
goes back to the earliest times. It
stems from the prayerbook (v'se-
hezena einenu b'shuvha le-Tzion,"
etc., and other avowals of Zionist
faith). If the world were rid of
all hatred of the Jew there still
would be a Jewish love for Zion.
This is taught in the Bible, in the
Talmud, in all of Jewish litera-
ture. The ancient d r ea m was
transformed into a living reality,
because anti-Semitism brought
forth a Herzl, a Nordau, a Weiz-
man, a Ben-Gurion, a Sharett, but
is that a reason for downgrading
and denigrating Zionism?
Dr. Agus compels us to point out
to him that it simply is not true
that because the anti-Semitic myth
exploits and misuses some basic
Jewish doctrines for its wicked
purposes that it need be a reflec-
tion on Zionism. It was not anti-
Semitism that created the doc-
trines concerning Jewish unique-
ness, Jewish difference, Jewish
chosenness. It is not for us to
point out to Dr. Agus that in Jew-
ish thought ethnicism and prophet-
ism are bound together and as an
indivisible unit in the makeup of
the Jewish people, that Folk and
Faith are indivisible in Jewish tra-
dition. Zionism at its best endeav-
ors to make of the Jewish people
what Hebrew Prophecy has des-
tined them to be on the stage of
history.
On page 442 of his new works
Dr. Agus raises the question: "Did
the Zionist program and philoso-
phy contribute decisively to the
enormous catastrophe of the ex-
termination of six million Jews by
the Nazis?" On page 447 he
charges that the State of Israel
with selfish reasons goes about
"liquidating entire communities of
the Diaspora." How can an emin-
ent Jewish scholar resort to such
calumnies about his own people?
This is Council for Judaism stuff,
not rabbinic lore.
For all his learning, Rabbi Agus
has ranged himself with the Ger-
man "Protest-Rabiner" who played
an inglorious role in the early
years of Zionism. But the Ameri-
can Reform Jewish movement,
whose Pittsburgh Platform of 60
years ago has been abandoned for
a pro-Zionist position, has repu-
diated that early stand.
What a pity that Dr. Agus de-
ludes himself about Prof. Toyn-
bee! In spite of his claim of hav-
ing s e r v e d as "consultant" in
Toynbee's "reconsideration," Toyn-
bee, some months after the ap-
pearance of Dr. Agus' "Meaning
of Jewish History," launched one
of his most vicious attacks on
Zionism—of all places, in Cairo.
We remain unhappy over his asso-
ciation with a man who not only
is an anti-Israel and an anti-Zion-
ist, but who has a lot of explaining
to do to prove that he is not an
anti-Semite.
—P. S.
•
Says U.S Jewish Youth Will
Not Migrate to Israel
Editor: The Jewish News:
The writer was surprised to
learn that Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel's
Foreign Minister, failed to under-
stand American Jewish youth have
no desire to emigrate and to settle
in Israel.
I do not know the way of life of
Jewish youth in Israel, but, I do
know the habits and the way of
life of Jewish youth in the United
States.
The writer of this letter had the
opportunity to be present at sev-
eral Bar Mitzvahs.
From my observation for more
than 60 years here in America,
I regret to say that most of those
Jewish youth did not know the
meaning of Bar Mitzvah, and much
Six Detroit Area Youths Named as Pages
at Democratic Convention, in Atlantic City
Alan Ackerman, Marshall Cons-
ens, Harvey Dzodin, Doris Gold-
man, Mark Levin and Philip Sla-
bosky have been assigned the
most interesting and sought-after
jobs at the Democratic National
Convention in Atlantic City next
week. And they aren't even old
enough to vote.
These northwest Detroiters have
been chosen to be pages at the
convention. Many young persons
from Michigan applied to the Dem-
ocratic State Central Committee.
The committee then picked 21 of
these junior citizens to go to At-
lantic City and serve as pages.
Former Governor John Swainson
and Mildred Jeffrey, Democratic
National Committeeman and Corn-
Mosk Named by
Gov. Brown to
Calif. High Court
mitteewoman, announced the se-
lections last week.
The pages' job will be as varied
is it will be exciting. They will be
stationed right on the Convention
floor, and their main task will be
delivering urgent messages among
the delegates located at various
points in the convention arena,
including the speaker's platform.
The Michigan pages will also
be aiding the members of the
Michigan delegation in such
matters as sending information
back to local persons, twit°
stations and newspapers.
All of the pages are in high
school, and all have long been
active in Democratic Party poli-
tics.
Alan Ackerman, who lives at
20073 Shrewsbury, has helped with
the campaigns of Senators Mc-
Namara and Hart and of Govern-
ors Williams and Swainson.
Marshall Cousens, 16110 Sus-
sex, is chair an of the Wayne
County Teen Drems.
Harvey Dzodin, 21901 Beverly,
Oak Park, is helping with the
campaign of the Democratic can-
didate for governor, Neil Staebler.
Doris Naomi Goldman, 18277
Lesure, served as a hostess at the
FRANK PAUL
and his ORCHESTRA
EL 7-1799
For Top Professional Instruction
in Piano-Classical Popular, Begin-
ners, Advanced.
Lubavitcher Bookmobile
Is Touring Catskill Area
The Lubavitcher bookmobile with
its complete stock of Jewish litera-
ture and religious articles is cur-
rently touring the Catskill Moun-
tains, the favorite New York State
summer resort area for tens of
thousands of Jews.
For most of the summer the
bookmobile has been visiting hotels,
summer camps and bungalow col-
onies, and will continue to do so
until the end of the summer vaca-
tion period.
The bookmobile w a s launched
about a year ago by the Merkos
L'Inyonei Chinuch, the educational
arm of the Lubavitcher movement,
pioneers in the field of Jewish
education.
less continued to be interested in
the whole subject of Judaism.
Very few of American Jewish
youth can write or read Hebrew
or understand the meaning of the
Hebrew sentences.
May I ask what kind of Jewish
education the young man of the
age of 13 receives after his Bar
Mitzvah celebration. To my knowl-
edge, neither do they receive
nor have they a desire to continue
Jewish education.
When American Jewish youth
enters a house of worship on the
Holy days with or without parents,
he hardly knows the meaning of
Rosh Hashanah, and to my ob-
servation, the American Jewish
youth has no desire to learn about
the meaning of Judaism.
I fail to see why Mrs. Meir,
being an American educator,
should fail to understand the ac-
tion of Jewish American leaders,
who do not encourage American
Jewish youth to emigrate to settle
in Israel.
WOLF LEVITAN.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 21, 1964 31
*
Call
*
Announce Delegates to
Democratic Convention
A number of well known De-
troiters who are active in public
life and in the Democratic Party
will be delegates to the Atlantic
City convention next week.
Prominent among them are
David Lebenbom, Sander Levin,
• t u a r t E. Hertzberg and Sam
Panzer.
Alternates include Avern Cohn,
Irving Ackerman, Paul Silver and
Charles Moskowitz.
goo••••••••••••••••• ■ ••4
•
o
11
•
•
•• •
• • •
• •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
"Music At Its Best
For Your Guests"
California's Attorney G e n e r al
STANLEY MOSK last week was
named by Governor Edmund G.
Brown to the State Supreme Court.
Last April, Judge Mosk addressed
Detroit judges and lawyers at a
reception that was arranged for
him by the Foundation of the Jew-
ish National Fund.
recent Democratic dinner for Pres-
ident Johnson in Detroit.
Mark Levin, 18273 Santa Bar-
bara, also is working hard for Neil
Staebler and in 1960 was a mem-
ber of the Young Citizens for
Kennedy and Johnson.
Philip Slabosky, 18000 Ohio, has
done precinct work and is co-
ordinator for the Northwest Teen
Dems.
•
4 • 9
•
•
GRINNELL'S
•:
•
•
•
NEW PIANO • •
IN YOUR HOME PLAN
• i
LIVERNOIS STORE
$200
PER WEEK
GRINNELL'S
19400 LIVERNOIS
•
•
• UN 3-6997—Ask for Mr. Rayner•
•
s
Seemomesto•••••e
EDITH GOULD
538-6498
For Your Fine Diamonds and Jewelry
"Buy With Confidence"
Norman Allan -Co.
Gemolog ists
17540 WYOMING
• •
• •
\\Ivr i
OPEN THURS., FRI.
Diomontolog ists
DI 1-1330
'TIL 9 P.M.
"As usual, the
food served at
the shower
was excellent."
Mrs. Martin Kopitz
An unsolicited compliment? Not quite. After each party
or meeting held in the new Cranbrook Room, we invite
you to send us your comments . . . either critical or
complimentary. Your suggestions for improvements keep
us working hard for the future. Your compliments give
us pride in past achievements. If you have a party or
meeting in the future we would be proud to serve you.
Up to 175 of your guests can enjoy them-
selves in the Cranbrook Room . . . or you
can sub-divide into smaller areas. The food
is Greenfield's quality. The service is courte-
ous. The atmosphere is elegant. Phone
MI 6-8282 for details ... or come in person
for a "grand tour".
RESTAURANT'
725 South
Hunter Blvd.
Birmingham
SELF-SERVICE • TABLE SERVICE • CARRY OUT
AND THE CRANBROOK PARTY ROOM