Purely Commentary

There is an old Talmudic saying that sadno d'arho had hu—that
the ways of the world are alike everywhere. On the strength of such
a guide in testing human attitudes, it is reasonable to believe that if
certain views exist among people in one area, they may be applicable
to others. even if they are in environments strange to the basis for
judgment. -
That is why a study made of views held by Jewish students in
Paris may have some relevance to similar research among students in
this country.
The attitudes of Parisian students were made known in Commu-
nity Service, published jointly by the American Jewish Committee,
Anglo-Jewish Association and Alliance Israelite. It is one of 11 psycho-
logical studies conducted among the Jews of Europe. The present
one, dealing with a questionnaire that was distributed among students
in the University. of Paris, was conducted by Georges Bengugui. It
asked freshmen in the law, science, literature and medicine depart-
ments to express their views on Judaism and Jewish interests. The
result included the following:
The 942 Jewish freshmen in the departments surveyed constitute
6.25 per cent of the total freshman class, a proportion six times as
great as the ratio of Jews to the total population of France. These
students are divided almost equally between Ashkenazim and Sephar-
dim The proportion of men to women is almost two to one. Three-
quarters of the Ashkenazim students were born in metropolitan France; !
almost all of the Sephardim were born outside (mainly in North
Africa).
-
Religious Attitude
The 942 Jewish students were asked about the observance of what
are usually considered the most important requirements of Jewish
religious law. The following are some of their answers:
Circumcision
48%
Will have their sons circumcised because they are Jews
25
Will have their sons circumcised because it is hygienic
10
. .
Do not know
17
Will not have their sons circumcised

100%
Thirty-six per cent of the Ashkenazim and 18 per cent of the
Sephardim answered "no" or "do not know."
Yom Kippur
Total Group
Ashkenazim
Sephardim
57%
49% , _
65%
Fast
43
51
35
Do not fast

100';
Passover
Do not eat harnetz
Eat hametz

100%

100%

.51%
49

Assimilatory Processes
Revealed in Students'
Views on Jewish Issues

By Philip
Slomovitz

Apparently — and paradoxically — Maimonides is less well known
to Sephardic students than to Ashkenazic.
Fifty - seven per cent of the Ashkenazim can name a Yiddish writer;
understandably, a much smaller proportion of Sephardim (2u per cent)
are able to do so.
It is interesting that of the Ashkenazim. 57 per cent of whom
could name a Yiddish writer, only 45 per cent were able to name
Maimonides or Rashi.
Attitude Toward Israel
The students were asked whether they have even considered
settling in Israel. Here are their answers:
54%
Yes
....18%
Yes, still considering
28%
No

Goodyear Yields
to Israel Pressuro
to Shun Boycott

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Corp.
made known that it will appoint
an agent in Israel and conduct nor-
mal relations with that country in
view of a recent Israel Govern-
ment decision to discontinue Good-
year imports because of Goodyear's
concessions to the Arab blockade.
Maurice O'Reilly, public relations
director of Goodyear International
Corp. said in a letter to the Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai Brith
100% that a Goodyear agent in Israel will
operate like other Goodyear diet.
Thus, 18 per cent still think about settling in Israel.'
tributors elsewhere in the world
Knowledge of Hebrew
4% and that the company will indicate
Speak the language fluently
recognition of Israel in letterheads
11
Have some knowledge of the language
and signs. •
19
Have little knowledge of the language
The letter was generated by Te.
.. 66
No knowledge of the language
ports from Israel that Goodyear,
100% among other companies. had yield-
Interest in Israel is perhaps the most impressive, 87 per cent of ed to Arab efforts to impose eco-
the students having indicated that when they hear about happenings nomic boycott restrictions against
in the Middle East they become concerned over possible effects on Israel. In 1962, Goodyear made con-
cessions to the Arab pressures.
Israel.
The company's distributor in Is-
But interest in Israel alone is not sufficient to assure loyalties
rael no longer was able to repre-
that are essential for the strengthening of Jewish values.
If our assumption that the world's ways are alike is true, then, sent the company directly. Israeli
on the basis of the facts just quoted. we may be confronted with an customers were serviced through
even more serious problem than we had imagined in striving to gain subsidiaries abroad. It is now ex-
pected that Israel will consider
the devotion of Jewish students.
lifting the recently imposed ban on
Yet it is possible that the assimilatory processes have been more
Goodyear imports.
extensive in . France than they are in this country. Nevertheless, we
must not be guided by wishful thinking. Out of Detroit. where thete
is great Jewish activity, it is easy to be misled into believing that all Negroes Join Protests
is sacred everywhere. But when we are told that Jewish students in Against Anti-Semitism
all our universities become almost totally indifferent to their back-
NEW YORK (JTA , —Growing
ground and heritage the moment they pursue higher studies, it is Negro participation in Jewish-
time to take the matter even more seriously than we had hitherto.
sponsored demonstrations against
Actually. we have greater confidence in American Jewry's ability anti-Semitism was reported by the
to survive. We are certain to lose many, through intermarriage and Jewish Labor Committee. Instances
various assimilatory tendencies. But there remains a great measure I where Negro groups and indivi,
of devotion that keeps us strong. We take the figures compiled in duals have taken part in protest
Paris seriously and we are applying them to our own experiences. actions organized by the Jewisis
This is part of knowledge that should fortify us in the basic aims to community were cited by Emanuel
Muravehik. JLC national director.
assure dignified Jewish survival.

100%

Sabbath
Do not attend the University on the Sabbath
Sometimes attend the University on the Sabbath
Regularly attend the University on the Sabbath

Synagogue Attendance
Attend services on the Sabbath , ......... ...... .
Attend services a few times a year
Attend either on family occasions or never .. • •

•

21%

71

11%
43
46

100%
Religious Instruction and Family Background
The information on religious instruction is quite revealing:
Total
Ashkenazim
Sephardim
Men Women Men Women Group
No religious
education
Education until
26
22
33
5
39
bar-mitzvah age
Education after
29
24
15
11
19
bar-mitzvah age

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
We find thus that the majority of the students have had no reli-
gious education at. all. Those most neglected in this respect were the
Sephardic girls.
There is a connection, of course, between the students' level of
religious education and their degree of religious observance: 62 per
cent of those who observe the religious laws had a religious education;
67 per cent of the non-observant did not. -
As to religious observation by the students' families: the survey
found that 82 per cent of the Sephardim and only 53 per cent of the
Ashkenazim come from more or less observant families.
Four-fifths of the observant students come from observant fam-
ilies; the remaining 20 per cent—quite an interesting development—
are observant sons and daughters of non-observant parents.
Jewish Consciousness
ti The students were asked whether they consider themselves Jews.
88%
Definitely "yes"
6
"Yes!" with qualifications
..
No
• •—.. .....

100%
Three-quarters of the students strongly condemn Jews who conceal
their Jewishness; reaction of the others is milder: they m e r e 1 y
"disapprove."
1'he question. "What is your attitude toward Jews who have con-
verted to Christianity? was answered as follows:
...... Al%
Condemn
- •
23
Disapprove
36
Feels that this concerns only those involved

Gen. Franco Receives Spanish Jewish Leaders;
romises to Study Request for Legal Rights
Promises

NEW YORK (JTA)—Leaders of
the Jewish communities in Madrid
and Barcelona were received by
Generalissimo Francisco Franco
and asked him to grant legal recog-
nition to Jewish communities in
Spain, the New York Times re-
ported from Madrid.
The audience, which was not
publicized, took place last week
at the Prado Palace, General Fran-
co's residence. The Jewish com-
munity of Madrid was represented
by its president. Max :!.azin. The
Barcelona Jewish community was
represented by Alberto Levi.
There are today about 5.000
Jews in Spain, most of whom live
in Barcelona. Less than 2.000 live
in Madrid. They worship under a
"statement of tolerance" enacted
in 1945, but their places of wor-

ship are not marked as synagogues.
Legal recognition by the state
would enable the Jewish com-
munities to own property. to be
parties in legal proceedings and
to enjoy broader rights.
General Franco. the report from
Madrid said. promised to examine
the request of the two Jewish
community leaders. It was the
first time in 473 years that a head
of Spain had officially received
representatives of Spanish Jewry.
In 1492 Rabbi Isaac Abravanel, the
Jewish scholar who had served
King Ferdinand as an aide. plead-
ed with the king unsuccessfully
for the revocation of the decree
expelling the Jews from Spain.
Mazin told the Times corre-
spondent that the audience was
cordial and that the Jewish com-
munity leaders who presented

their request to General Franco
are now waiting for a reply.
Under the present law, Jews
can act only as individuals in re-
gard to communal property and
legal affairs. In this respect the
situation of the Jews is not much
different than the status of other
non-Catholic religions in the couh-
try. However. some steps have al-
ready been taken to recognize the
Protestant religion officially.
A high Spanish government off-
ficial was quoted as saying: "There
is no anti-Semitism and no Jew-
ish problem in Spain. We respect
and like the Jews," He also re-
vealed that negotiations are now
being conducted with the West
German government for payment
of reparations to Sephardic Jews
who lost their property in Salonika,
during the Nazi regime.

Midwest Leaders Back UJA. Call for Increased Funds
Respond to Pleas by Max Fisher and Governor Romney

CHICAGO — An action program
to "help save, sustain and rebuild
the lives of 750,000 Jewish men,
women and children who need our
help the world over," was adopted
Sunday by the Midwest Leadership
Institute of the United Jewish Ap-
peal.

Key Jewish leaders from com-
munities in a 13-state area ap-
proved the objectives and goals
presented by Max M. Fisher, gen-
eral chairman of the UJA, at the
concluding session rt the three-day
Institute held at the Edgewater
Beach Hotel.

The delegates pledged to mobil-
ize "increased support in the Mid-
100% west — through both higher levels
Jewish Knowledge
of personal giving and higher
Asked whether they can name a classic religious commentator or standards of community campaign
writer of the past, the students answered:
proceeds — to help meet the UJA-
Sephardim Ashkenazim Total group supported agencies' 1965 budetary
35%
requirements totaling $109,400,000."
25'
45%
Yes
65
55
75
No
Other major speeches at the
conference were Governor
100%
100%
100%.
George Romney of Michigan and
Ambassador Michael Coma y,
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
2 — Friday, January 29, 1965

head of Israel's delegation to
the United Nations.
Fisher pointed out that
UJA's two major beneficiary agen-
cies, the Joint Distribution Com-
mittee and the Jewish Agency for
Israel. face a critical loss of out-
side income because of the term-
ination of German reparation
funds.
Fisher said "the UJA was — and
continues to be — the most impor-
tant Jewish secular activity in
which an American Jew can be en-
gaged."
Gov. Romney told the UJA lead-
ers that their humanitarian pro-
grams of overseas aid have made
"a major contribution to maintain-
ing our national concern with in-
ternational affairs. This contribu-
tion is particularly crucial today,
as the forces of neo-isolationism
gain in strength, and as prosperity
and preoccupation with our home
concerns threaten to dull us to the
external challenges which face us."
Praising the UJA for saving
and sustaining more than 3,000,-

000 lives since it was founded 27
years ago, Gov. Romney said
that achievement provides "a
lesson and example . . . for our
own United States and for the
people of the world." lie warned:
"No nation, and no people, can
survive as islands of prosperity
and plenty in a world that hungers
and is filled with envy. The nations
and the peoples that want. will rise
up and take from the nations and
people that have, unless we who
have been favored can learn hi
time to share our plenty and our
skills and our ideals with our less
favored brothers."
Only by rededicating ourselves
to such principles, Gov. Romney
•added, can the United States sur-
vive "as the historic carrier of
Western civilization and the Judeo-
Christian tradition."
Ambassador Comay said Israel
was proud to be considered the
"success story among the new no-
tions and the pilot plant of eco-
nomic development for many of the
emerging countries."

