Purely Commentary
The Situation Behind the Iron. Curtain
It takes only one person to be right. The entire world might shout
accusations, condemnations, indictments. but if even one individual
should arise and defy such. shouts, even if he should be branded as
a heretic, he could emerge the truthful one if he could prove his
contentions.
Such would be the case in the issues revolving around the world-
.ride charges that the ,Soyiet Union is condoning anti-Semitism. There
are individuals who resent the accusations. There are some who main-
tain that the hatred of communism blinds the views • of those who
demand solace for the Jews of RusSia.
Yet. in the instance of the Jewish protests, the fact to be taken
into consideration is that all of the reputable American Jewish organ-
izations have joined in demands .for an end to the discriminations
against Russian Jews. Socialists in European countries have exposed
the spreading bias and have condemned it and even some Commu-
nists in this country and in .France have joined in expressing shock
over the occurrences in- the USSR.
More than that — the eminent philosopher. Sir Bertrand Russell,
was among those who have joined in appeals to the Soviet officials
to end the bigoted policies.
" It is. hardly to be doubted that the-charges against the Soviet
union are true and that the demands for an end to discrimination
are justified.
What about those few, who have) been behind the Iron Curtain
and who.have returned as authorities contending that the position of
Jews in satellite countries is good? We are not doubting the ability
of these:speople to obserVe the status of our kinsmen abroad. We
would, nevertheless. like to be assured that when.a tourist visits six
countries in a period of 20 or less days that•he actually had an oppor-
tunity to observe the true conditions and that he Was not led by a
briefed guide.
When a tourist, as iii the'instance of Chicago Sentinel Editor Jack
Fishbein, assumes to assert that conditions behind the Iron Curtain
are "good." he will be expected to qualify his statement: he must
show wherein the economic conditions really are satisfactory in
the cases.of Jews who assert their Jewishness. In Poland, for example,
there is such rabid anti-Semitism, Jews who are "accepted" fully 'in
the econthny are under such pressure to accept: the communist
ideOlogy. that it is understandable why some of us question the
relevance of the term "good" which, in communist' countries, is, at
best, "relatiVe."
The fact is that Judaism is either dead or dying in Iron Curtain
countries: that Jews are vanishing there: that of the 12.000 Jews in
Warsaw there are only two dozen- or less Jewish children attending
the Jewish schools; that of the 80,000 surviving Jews in Hungary
there are less than 90 pupils 7 in the Jewish schools.
-
Is this good?
- It is common .knowledge that•. there Is anti-Semitism in Poland
there it is common to hear a non-Jew refer to a fellow-passenger
on a Warsaw street car or bus with the comment: "It's too bad some
Jews have trn permitted to survive the Nazis." This is the attitude
,,hout, the less than 25.000 Jews who have survived in Poland out of
a p•e-wax Jewish population of more than 3,000,000:
:Is this good?
There are Jews who have embraced the communist ideology, Who
have submitted so completely to theyolicies 9f annihilation of every-
thing culturally Jewish, that they may be happy. But Jewry and
Judaism are dying rapidly in communist countries.. What's good
about it?
ti
■••
Russian Anti-Semitism and
the Issue Involving Fight
Against Bigotry in the U.S.
By Philip
SlomOvitz
worthwhile, in my opinion, to apply some caltn sociological con-
sideration to this issue.
Why is the American Jewish community so agitated about
fi
`1,13J Plan' Meets
With Success in
Nuclear Desalting
BY MILTON FRIEDMAN
(copyright, 1964, 4TA, Inc.)
purported anti-Semitism thousands of miles away? . Could the , answer repWoA
inTOIsNr-ae
rtsSI4fIrNoG
perhaps lie in America itself rather than in the distant land of
—
I toPrgml
esindar
ej
the Soviet? What is the position of the American Jewish cam- Johnson, on a survey conducted to
;for the
munity today? Is there no anti-Semitism left in America
determine the feasibility of the
American Jewish community to concern itself with? Is America President's,plan for nuclear desalt-
a perfect and bias-free community that has nothing left to do but ing of sea water, are optimistic.
mind the business of other nations?
The project, called the "LBJ
American Jewry, having arrived on this continent in large plan" by desalting experts here, is
numbers about three quarters of a century agp, has been attempt- a topic of personal interest to the
ing to consolidate its position economically, socially and 'politically President. He is vitally interested
ever since. At first it was met with overt and blatant anti-Semitism,
in desalting technology as a means
and it fought back openly and vocally. Jews worked hard and banded to meet national and worldwide
together in the economic sphere to carve out and secure for them- needs for fresh water. •
The President is encouraged by
selves a place in America. Much wealth was amassed, solid business
organizations were foundsd, and the taunt of "kike" was heard Israel's enthusiasm and the scien-
tific genius of the Jewish people
less often.
But anti-Semitism in America was not wiped out. It became more demonstrated by previous achieve-
he
had
ments. The development miracles
subtle. The Jew knew where he was not wanted, and since
carved out large areas of the economic and social domain for him- in Israel deepl y impressed Mr-
if his preoccupation with asserting his democratic and human Johnson. He has made this known
rights as a free and supposedly equal American citizen was gradually to Israel PrimeMinister Es hk ol
reduced. He became reasonably comfortable if he stayed within his and others.
The joint American - Israeli stir-
own circle, and consequently his fighting spirit as a soldier in the
conceived by the President is
army of decmocracy was sapped. When he had to function in institu - vey
tions where he was not very welcome, he did not push. 'Indeed, consistent with Mr. Johnson's
in the language of the popular cliche, the "pushy Jew" is largely ' orders to agencies in Washington.
He asked the Department of In-
a thing of the past.
in close collaboration with
The American Jew vacations in Miami Beach. not in Boothbay, terior.
Energy
Commission
the Atomic
Maine. If you ask him why, he will say it is because he likes Miami
and in consultation with the Office
Beach better. He will not mention that many of the hotels in Booth-
some of Science and Technology, to
bay and similar communities advertise "Churches nearby" or
a detailed plan for an
other such formula to keep Jews out. If the corporation, bank or develop
aggressive. imaginative program
insurance company rejects his application for employment on
family business, or start for large-scale water desalting, in-
"objective grounds," he will go into the
go into a Jewish firm. eluding use of 'nuclear heat
a new business with the family money, or
By some "odd 'coincidence" he is sparse if not completely absent sources.
This program goes beyond de-
in many a residential community. But then he has his own coin-
be a working-class salting technology, for which the
he
happens
to
fortable-gbetto suburbs. (Unless
of Department of Interior has prim-
Jew, in which case he is over - awed into silence by the power
responsibility, and inclUdes
mighty
middle-class
American
Jewish
organization
that
totally
any
the '
which the
the
community
life
of
American
Jewry.)
.
nuclear
technology
for
dominates
Besides "enjoying" a decreased motivation to fight the. newer,
more subtle manifestations of anti - Semitism, the American Jew is
not clear on how to fight them. When a man calls you a "kike," he
has provided you with something concrete to fight against. When a
man rejects your application for employment on "objective grounds,"
appearance
or gets rid of you or discourages you from making an
Atomic Energy Commission Is re-
sponsible. The agencies are now
engaged in cooperative efforts to
develop an over - all program for
the early demonstration of eco-
nomic, large - scale water desalting.
They expect to meet the Sept. 11
-because you, are made • to feel uncomfortable in his company, he target date for the plan's com-
provides you with no such concrete injury to fight against. And the
pletion.
Jew
The Israelis are seriously con-
plain truth of the matter is that the present-day American
that it - •
of
his
mind,
pretend
forget
about
it,
put
it
out
sidering a dual purpose nuclear
would rather
does not exist, and retreat into his own community.
installation for the next illere.
How does the Jew's feeling of 'insecurity manifest itself in ment of power generating
eapae
-
modern America? The answer is that it makes him wait to conform. ity to its National Electric Grid.
United States participation in
And how does one conform in present-day Ameitica? By being anti-
Communist. And many middle-class American! Jews want to be the analysis of such an Israeli sys-
"more Catholic than the Pope"—more anti-Communist than their tern was established in June by
P r e s i d e n t Johnson during the
gentile neighbors.
an opportunity this situation presents to ambitious Eshkol visit: A joint U.S. - Israeli.
Now
what
*
*
community! Here is a chance ' technicar team was created and has
*
in h
u ithin
t J
e wish
e
leaders - on - the - make with
of all Jews, and of ; just returned from Israel. Further
European Socialists Expose USSR Anti-Semitism,
to pose as champions of the Jewish tradition.
all at ' meetings. - are planned for Septem-
- Communism)
America and the American tradition (of anti
Added proof that the expose of discrimination in?the Soviet Union
the same time' How much simpler than fighting the subtle but '. leer in Washington.
comes from non-Jews as well as from Jews was prOvided in a study
Semitism that corrupt and saro•-! The White House has been ad-
destructive manifestations of anti -
. made of conditions in the USSR .by European socialists.
vised that preliminary surveys
the
vitality
of
American
society
today.
the
Over the signatures' of Prof. Mogens Pihl of • Venmark, Alvar
indicate that a plant or plants pro- -
Ilstercial of Sweden. Dr. John •Sannes of Norway, Dr. P. J. Koetz of
Is this criticism justified?
• vi ding 150 to 200 megawatts of
til Netfierlands arld John F. Clark of Great Britain, charges are
In • the first place. let it be understod that if Jews utter protests , electricit y and 80 to 160 mMIo n
or. -
wade of an "unprecedented campaign against Judaism—far exceeding against anti-Semitism in Russia it is because we are anxious to protect . ,a vv
ded
Ilohnisteof Hwoautseer psecriednatyi'fiics naeevi
that The
against
other
religious
groups"
in the leaders
Soviet Union.
study
aeleased
by these
socialist
shows ,that nearly our kinsmen. There are three million of them in the Soviet Union. Many
, !
in authority say that a majority of them would migrate to Israel if they
I s
Israeli
could 'get exit visas. Should we forget them? Shouldn't we help them?' ' developments,
,ities are following
the as Myer
as well
three - fourths of all USSR synagogues have been closed. While the
,
Soviet government officially informed the United Nations in 1956
the issue at hand is that of d omestic anti-Semitism. We are told Feldman, counsel to the President.
The President's dedication to The
450 Jewish places of worship in the that t Jews have lost their courage, that American Jewry has become a
that ther e v. ere at- that time 4
.
concept was -revealed
in the an ti - desalting
USSR, Radio Moscow disclosed last December that only 96 still were conformist element that wishes to be holier than all others
.
recently when JameS T. Ramey, a
open, the study by these European leaders stated.
crusade. It this true?
' They proceeded to show that no Hebrew Bible or prayer book• communist
It is possible that we are unaware of a spreading anti - Semitism and member of the Atomic Energy
Commission, testified before the
has been published
in Russia
since
1917; that
the
only theological
§cow—has
only four
students:
that
although
472,000 that we are too complacent. How often this has been said! We have Joint . Congressional Committee on
school—in Mo.
warned Jews against complacency in the eras of Ford. and Coughlin as
everywhere.
iddish
to be. their
tongue,
the number
h hart
co
Russian Jews
declared
Y mother
well as
Hitler
and is
published Yiddish boOks or publications is negligible 'compared
with
This study. released in Copenhagen. cited numerous examples
,•,t active anti-Semitism among Soviet writers.
Evidence of the mounting anti-Semitism in Russia is pouring in
from all quarters, providing due cause for• concern, justifying the
pi- (tests that have been lodged against the prejudices in many lands.
In the process of evo 1 ut on, J ews are
surround them. The rightists' movements are primary threats to us:
Are We Overlooking Spread of Anti-Semitism in U. S....
that is why the anti-Semite has invented a new opprobrium: Zionist-
Communism. And Jews, instead of putting up battle in defense of the
and Have We Lost Our Courage to Fight Discrimination?
There is another aspect to this sad problem. We do not blame great Zionist idea, have 'panicked at the mere mention of the term.
the obserVers if they fail to realize that "good" is "relative" and
Many Jews believe that by defending democracy they will thereby
that when we jump the Kaddosh and sing hallelujah by accepting oppose anti-Semitism.
In his novel on presidential politics, "'68," published by Norton,
conditions in Russia as "good" we overlook the. Spiritual decline in
Peter Scaevola, predicting troubles four years hence, especially ,points
communities where millions lived before the last war.
Ameri-
to a growing anti-Semitic movement.
In The Minority of One — the Independent Monthly for an
Does this mean that Bernard Edward Galitz is right in what he says
can Alternative Dedicated to the Eradication of All Restrictions on
Thought, appears an interesting letter written by Bernard Edward in his letter to The Minority of One? We believe that he exaggerates a
Galitz of Wellesley, Mass., under the heading "Anti-Semitism in the bit, but that his admonitions are in order: he is right in his warnings
time:
U.S.S.R and in the U.S.A."
against complacency. That has been our major weakness all the
0. • The Minority of One is a most interesting journal, edited by M. S. complacency. Let us beware lest it lead us to a state of being unable to
Arnoni and functioning under the motto "there was truth and there defend our position in the event a real menace arises, as it may well
was untruth. and if you clung to the truth even against the whole emerge. Let us be prepared—and preparation means courage and fear-
world. you were not mad" (a quotation from George Orwell). In lessness to speak up whenever and wherever there is evidence of in-
justice.
this spirit we qtiote in full the Galitz letter which reads:
The issue of "Soviet anti-Semitism" Is currently being cOn-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
It would be 2 Friday, August • 28, 1964
in
America
in
a
general
mood
of
hysteria.
sidercd
Palsied Israeli Children
Aided by U.S. Invention
Patients at the On School for
Cerebral Palsied Children In Tel
Aviv are being aided by a deifne
invented by an American Western
Electric Co. employe to allow his
own daughter to crawl.: -
U.S. Embassy attache James
MacFarland read of the attempt
to help the Indianapolis girl, Lisa
Clyngenpeel, and persuaded the
physical therapists at the school to
try it.
The device allows the child to
propel himself by strapping •him
under a table top to relieve the
weight of the body, leaving the
arms and legs free.