'Between You

... and Me'

Boris Smolar's

t ('opyright, 1961, Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

U. S. Jewry's Future

What will be the principal problems of the Jewish federations and
other Jewish agencies a few years hence in the light of the increasing
changes in Ameritan Jewish life? . . . This question dominated the
Central Assembly of the Council of Jewish .Federations and Welfare
Funds which was held last week-end in St. Louis . . . A picture was
presented to the 1.000 Jewish community leaders from all parts of
the country. indicating hat a few years hence no external force will
tie the typical Am ican Jew to his Jewish heritage . . . His attach-
ment to (id and to the Jewish community will depend only on his
own feelii gs and attitudes . . . He will be highly educated. with a
middle to upper income. able to range freely in the world in which
he lives. both with respect to geographic and social mobility . . . In
a situation like this. the Jewish federations will have it as their major
task to find a method of strengthening the Ameri ,2an Jew's feeling of
attachment to and identification with the Jewish community . .
Especially since the coming social changes in American Jewry are
expected to be very far-reaching and to occur. with great rapidity . . .
Alerting the General Assembly to this situation was especially Dr.
Albert J. Mayer. of Wayne State University ... He outlined the major
social and economic changes which are now transforming the Ameri-
can .Jewish community. and pointed out that the federations. as they
are now constituted: represented the most logical instrument for
sustaining and enhancing Jewish community life in this country . . .
On the other hand. he speculated that it is entirely possible that. in the
shuffle brought about by the coming social changes. federations may
lose their present meaningful place in community, in which case the
organized Jewish community as such in the United States may wither.

Changing Trends

Dr. Mayer put his finger on several specific and highly interrelated
changing trends in American Jewish ilfe . . ..The first is the rapid
disappearance of the foreign-born Jew in this country . . . The im-
migrant Jews are becoming older in years and fewer in numbers . . .
With the exception of relatively small numbers. the forej.gn-born Jew
will almost completely disappear as a force within American Jewish
life within a few years . . . Inasmuch as the foreign-born Jews were
a link between centuries of European Jewish tradition and the evolv-
ing American-Jewish culture. this change is already having an impact
on American .Jewish life .. . . The second change now taking place in
American .Jewry is the change in occupational structure . . . While
self-employment among Jews still remains high. the smaller retail
businesses are becoming fewer in number. and the lower level white
collar worker is almost disappearing . . . With great rapidity. the
younger Jews are flocking into the professional and quasi-professional
pursuits. and this means a fundamental change in the relationship
between the Jewish family and the Jewish community . . Jewish
professionals are as a rule more interested in their occupation and less
in Jewish communal affairs . . . Then there is the acceptance of
Jews in the larger society of business. industry and social life which
is already taking place and which will be speeded up as a result of
the present intense struggle over civil rights . . . The great mass of
Jews are consolidating their position and are becoming emotionally
secure in American life . . . As their emotional security increases.
their self-image of themselves as Americans takes increasing prece-
dence over their image of themselves as Jews . . . Another factor is
the geographic dispersion of the large extended family which is now
taking place in response to economic opportunity . . . Jewish families
are thus broken up by dispersion which tends to reduce the cohesive
nature of the Jewish in-group . . The declining numbers of Orthodox
Jews in this country and their emergence as a minority within a
minority is seen by Dr. Mayer as another factor affecting the American
Jewish community .. . He foresees the possibility that Orthodox Jewry
could become a minority group outside of the mainstream of Ameri-
can Jewish life. although it will consist almost entirely of American-
born Jews, since the older persons will die out.

Nineteen D et r o it community elation for his contributions to "the
leaders have assumed key roles in survival of the Jewish people and
a nationwide program in behalf of the continuity of Jewish civiliza-
the Hebrew University of Jerusa- tion.• Dr. Schwartz, who previously dew.
lem. They are initiators of the Na- served as director general of the
tional Scopus Award Committee of Joint Distribution Committee and
the American Friends of the He- executive vice-chairman of the
brew University, it was announced United Jewish Appeal, headed the
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Joseph J. Schwartz. executive vice-
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FRANK'S

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FRANK'S

I

BERNARD R. COHEN

There were other interesting views advanced by the C.JFWF As-'
sembly . They included the views of Arnold Gurin, associate profes-
sor at Brandeis University and one of the most outstanding experts on
Jewish community problems . . . He. too, peered into the future of
organized .Jewish communal life in the United States . . . And he came
to the conclusion that there is no reason to anticipate any sudden and
radical changes in the functions of Jewish federations . • . In his opinion,
the federation will change. not quickly or drastically. but in small
measure. as they interact with the leaders whom they recruit for their
activities and for the agencies claiming their support . . . He foresees
that the question of strengthening of Jewish identity will become more
pressing as time goes on, and with it also the demand among many
segments of leadership that all Jewish institutions have an obligation
to contribute to the strengthening of Jewish identity . . . The federa-
tions have already affirmed that :Jewish education is a federation
responsibility. but are sorely tried to find effective ways of translat-
ing that affirmative intent into effective action . . . Gurin attributes
this situation to the lack of creativity and status in the field of Jew-
ish education . . . His argument is that: in the field of Jewish educa-
tion, mere support is not enough: he believes that the funds should
be used as leverage to achieve innovation . . . He wants the federa-
tions to think of groups not served and needs not met. and to stimulate
efforts to fill these gaps through creative experimentation . . . He
draws attention to the need of raising the intellectual. emotional
and aesthetic level of cultural activities which take place under Jew-
ish auspices. whether congregational or secular . . —"If it is identifica-
tion we seek, then the object has to be worthy of identifying with,"
he argues . . . And in this argument he has with him quite a few
serious-minded Jewish leaders who are• concerned over the present
level of Jewish cultural activities.

II
_.ak L11—

Cow t re 666

In the place where there is al-
ready a leader, do not seek to be-
come a leader. But in the place

where there is no leader, strive
thou to become a leader.—Berakot.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
26—Friday, November - 20, 1964

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The 4'°Identity" Issue

7ot

"
Competent Teaching
Competent
on "My doctrine
shall drop as the rain, my speech
shall distill as the clew" (Deut.
32:2). the Rabbis said: "If a teach-
en is incompetent, his words seem
the pupils as harsh as falling
if he is competent, his
ra i n. B
teacing is distilled gently like
- Ta'anit.

•
Committee
19 Detroiters Join
Comm
Schwartz
11(Ditorizt.$ Dr .
,
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„ it Ii Hebrew I. tutl -ersity Award

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