Unwed Mothers--Growing Community Problem
as Family Ties Loosen in 'Integrated Society'
nothing of the older generation.
It's not only in the United
States; you'll find it in Israel,
too."
(The London Jewish community
worried parents seeking "friendly has made no secret of its concern.
by CHARLOTTE HYAMS
"Thank goodness, OUR girls advice." He counsels one to two In 1963, the number of unmarried
aren't like that!" such cases a week.
mothers assisted by the Norwood
This once was the almost-
As Judge Kaufman notes, the Joint Committee for the Welfare
exclusive claim of an almost-
increase in Jewish illegitimate of Jewish Children reached an all-
exclusive community. Jewish girls
births has come largely from the time high: 109 new cases. Last
middle and upper classes—one year, stated Harold Altman, chief
were rarely "bad girls," and
illegitimate births were virtually reason why few Jewish unwed
officer of the committee, "the
unknown. mothers come to the Jewish
number was a little lower. But our
But the community is no longer Family and Children's Service.
welfare officers believe that more
exclusive; it has become "in- Their parents are more likely
girls are having abortions and not
to send them to a private doctor,
tegrated." And as American
that morality is stronger.")
morals have admittedly loosened,
out of town—or out of the
Lerner suggests a greater
country—to have the baby.
so have those of a new generation
"sophistication" exists among Jew-
Some can afford an abortion. ish girls today than their mothers
of American Jews.
Actual figures on illegitimacy Others may "hasten" their mar- ever knew. As parents have grad-
among Jewish girls are non- riage plans.
ually sacrificed their influence, the
*
youthful peer group has taken
existent. It is still a well-kept
secret which the Michigan Depart-
Few have witnessed the trend over. There is more drinking,
ment of Health can shed no light at as close a range as Mrs. Robert more cars, more unchaperoned
on; birth certificates in this state Drews, adviser to unwed mothers parties. What is "socially. aware"
carry no reference to religion.
at Crittenton Home. becomes not the feeling of re-
The number of Jewish infants
The average patient is at the sponsibility toward family and
born out of wedlock is admit-
maternity home four months. On "keeping a good name." or even
tedly small, compared to the
her weekly visits, Mrs. Drews sees toward society, but what is popu-
rate among the general popula-
at least one Jewish girl; often lar with the crowd.
Yet, to blame college and teen-
tion. But it is growing—and
there are more.
alarmingly so—despite the fact
"I've • been going there for six age rebellion for the upward
that the Jewish population has
years but I've never seen so many trend in illegitimacy is placing
of our girls as in the past few blame where it does not entirely
remained relatively stable.
America's largest Jewish com- years." There is little mention of belong.
munities are expanding services to religion at Crittenton, Mrs. Drews
The theories are legion.
Reuben Pannor, district direc-
unmarried mothers, and in one said. However, "Some come to me
for of the Los Angeles Vista Del
year more than 425 - children were when they find out I'm Jewish."
In 1964, there were four Jewish Mar Child-Care Service, said the
placed in adoptive. homes in the
girls who had Negro babies. "They young unmarried parents corn-
larger of these coinmunities.
Samuel Lerner, director of De- were lovely, intelligent girls—col- ing to his agency "almost seem
troit's Jewish Family and - Chil- lege girls." The fathers 'were .to turn to sex for lack of other
dren's Service, points out a de- equally bright, Negro young men occupation. We don't see many
cided increase in adoptions of il- who didn't want "interracial mar- youngsters from homes where
legitimate Jewish children over the riages." The, children were adopted parents are bringing in stimulat-
by Negro couples. ing ideas and activities. And we
past four years.
The number handled through his
Judge Kaufman calls the college don't see many teen-agers from
agency is minimal (nine in 1963), years the "hump"—the period of • homes where religious beliefs
but, once again, figures can lie. rebellion, "when they want to be are strong and religious training
Lerner knows well that most un- super-duper liberals. The majority is important."
A growing number of distress
married expectant mothers take of girls I see are involved with
their problems outside the Jewish non-Jews. Yet, after college, they calls have come to Judge Kaufman
community where they feel there seem to return to the community." from rabbis faced with the same
* •
problem in "good homes."
is less chance of discovery.
*
*
The rising illegitimate birth
These youngsters may be affil-
rates in this country are only a iated with a synagogue, the judge
Circuit Court Judge Nathan
reflection of a "general rebellion said, yet what they lack is moral
Kaufman is no longer with the
throughout the world," accord- training in the home. "Orthodox
juvenile court, nor is he under
Oakland County jurisdiction. But ing to Mrs. Drews. "It's an children rebel, too; they may even
epidemic of revolution among leave home—but not morally."
more and more teen-agers in that
One Mumford teen-ager con-
area are being brought to him by the younger generation to accept
Agencies See the Number Mounting
•
Despite Relatively Stable Population
`Jeremiah' Translation Issued in Doubleday
Anchor Bible Series; Prof. John Bright's
Translation Compared With •IPS !Version
A third in the series of 38
scheduled Anchor Bible volumes
has just been issued by Double-
day. It is "Jeremiah" and its trans-
lator and commentator is Dr. John
Bright.
The first two volumes in the
series, "Genesis" and "The Epis-
tles of James, Peter and Jude,"
already have been reviewed in
the columns.
In his preface to "Jeremiah,"
Dr. Bright states at the outset that
it is not intended as a commen-
tary but as "a fresh translation
in such a way that it can be read
with understanding and apprecia-
tion — even, it is hoped, by those
who may have had no prior ac-
quaintanceship with it, or with
the Bible generally."
The newest Anchor Bible, its
translator adds, "is focused
throughout upon Jeremiah's
own words. It has . . . the single
aim of allowing the prophet to
speak (if that is not too patron-
izing a way of putting it) over
the gap of years and the bar-
rier of language with as much
charity as possible. The pro-
phetic word is an ancient word
but one, I am persuaded, that
retains its relevance."
In a 130-page introduction, Dr.
Bright deals with several aspects
in the life and the works of Jere-
miah. He has preliminary words
about Israel's prophets who to
this day still "nurtan.- e the faith of
those thousands who hear in them,
no less than did ancient Israel,
the word of their God."
He reviews the background of
Jeremiah's career in relation to
the last days of the Kingdom of
J u d a h; analyzes the structure,
composition and major critical
problems in the Book of Jere-
miah; describes Jeremiah's life
and message and has comments on
the book's text and its transla-
tion.
It is interesting to note that
his translation aims "to imitate
the structure and rhythm of the
original . . . as far as possible
to produce lines of approxi-
mately the same length as those
of the original, and with the
same number of accented sylla-
bles."
Although this work, by the au-
thor's assertion and the publish-
ers' intention, is not a commen-
tary as such, each chapter is
followed by an appropriate com-
ment to explain the text. The
extensive notes add greatly to the
merits of this Anchor Bible.
For an understanding of the
comments, it is well to turn to
one of them. After Chapter II,
for example, described as "The
Indictment of the Nation's Sin,"
Dr. Bright has this explanatory
note:
"This chapter provides us with
what is perhaps the classic exam-
ple of Jeremiah's attack upon the
sins of his people. Moreover, since
the bulk of its material apparently
stems from the earliest period of
the prophet's ministry, it affords
us a splendid impression of his
preaching prior to the completion
of Josiah's reform (in 622). There
is a striking unity of theme. The
entire chapter is dominated by
the charge of flagrant and inex-
cusable apostasy, delivered with
stinging eloquence and with the
use of a series of vivid and rap-
idly changing figures, while
through the whole of it there runs
a note of solemn warning . . . as
Yahweh .states his c omplaint
against his people."
A comparison. in translations
will add to an understanding of
the new approach. Taking as an
example a portion of Chapter
XXXI, here is the Jewish Publi-
cation Society's translation of
verses 7-9:
For thus saith the Lord
Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout at the head of the
nations;
Announce ye, praise ye, and say:
`0 Lord, save Thy people,
The remnant of Israel.'
Behold, I will bring them from
the north country,
And gather them from the utter-
most parts of the earth,
And with them the blind and
the lame,
The woman with child and her
that travaileth with child
together;
A great company shall they re-
turn hither.
They shall come with weeping,
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
40—Friday, February 26, 1965
demned parents for a "general lack been a corresponding increase in
of standards and moral laxity. As family counseling at the agency.
they become more and more afflu- "The girl may be rejected at first,
ent, they try to attain the social but her' family usually comes
status of the Christian world. We around," Lerner said.
There are exceptions: he is legal
often see much drinking in the
home, social climbing and general guardian to a teen-ager whose
worship of money among our eld- parents turned her out.
Sometimes, the JFCS is ap-
ers."
He said he knew of two Jewish proached before it is too late. The
girls at the school who became adolescent girl with emotional
pregnant, "but most teen-agers problems may be placed in the
agency's Sheruth House, where shr;,----7
have more sense."
'David Goldberg, supervisor of will be, in a sense,. nursed bas h
the child placement department to mental health.
But, when it is "too late," the
of the Jewish Family and Chil-
dren's Service, said the cases re- unwed mother-to-be will be pro-
ferred to the agency are indicative vided for by the Jewish communal
of a new awareness among Jewish agency. She can choose her own
families: illegitimate pregnancy obstetrician; she can be placed in
may be only a part of a total fain- a boarding house or maternity
home. Where necessary, she is
ily problem.
"In practically every case we sent to a home out of the state.
During the entire confinement
handle, there is family disturb-
period, she continues to see the
ance," he explained. "Now, this
agency case worker. And, if he
could mean an increase in family
accepts the responsibility that
disturbances, or an increase in
is his, the father of the illegit-
awareness that it exists."
imate child will similarly receive
The Jewish Family and Chil-
counseling.
dren's Service is an agency of
("One of the saddest things
the Jewish Welfare Federation
about my work," said Mrs. Drews,
and a recipient of Torch Drive
"is seeing these girls endure their
funds as well. Its professional
shame while their boy friends go
services are wide, and gladly
off scot free. It's time the fathers
given to any Jewish family seek-
ing them. Expenses for girls realized it's their responsibility
who cannot pay will be assumed too.")
Although the Jewish Family and
out of a special fund established
by the late Mrs. Theodore Barg- Children's Service encourages
adoption through its channels,
man.
From the monient the unwed "We don't jump into discussion of
expectant mother discovers she adoption," Lerner said. "We first
needs aid, JFCS is available. try to make the unwed mother
"We're not moralists," Lerner in- understand her own emotional
sists. "It's a recognized social problems."
With an agency adoption, he
problem, and we're here to help."
If the family situation is too added, "the child is given up in a
much for her to cope with, the dignified way." The JFCS goes into
agency will see that the girl is court to provide legal protection
Placed in a foster home and, as for the infant and adoptive par-
Goldberg put it, "We become her ents, and the child is never told
family—father, mother and kindly who or where its real parents are.
And the girl—left with neither
uncle."
husband nor child? Chances are
As a greater number of families she's learned her bitter lesson.
comes to understand the unwed "She goes back to school," Lerner
mother as a symptom of other ill- said. "They rarely come back to
nesses in the home, there has us."
And with supplications will I
lead them;
I will cause them to walk by
rivers of water,
In a straight way wherein they
shall not stumble;
For I am become a father to
Israel,
And Ephraim is My first born.
Dr. Bright gives Chapter XXXI
the title "The Glad Restoration of
Northern Israel." The three stanzas
chosen for compariscin he labels
"Israel's Homecoming" and he
presents them in the following
words:
Yes, this is what Yahweh has
said:
"Sing with joy for Jacob!
Shout for the first of the na-
tions!
Sound forth! Give praise, and
say,
`Yahweh has rescued his people,
The remnant of Israel,
Ah watch! I am going ,to bring
them from the northern land,
From the farthest horizons will
gather them,
The blind and the lame among
them
Those pregnant, in labor, as
well;
They'll return a mighty throng.
Ah see! With weeping they'll
come,
But with solace I'll lead them.
By flowing brooks I'll guide
them,
On a path too smooth for stum-
bling;
For I'm Israel's father,
and Ephraim — my first - born
is he."
While a single comparison is
hardly a criterion for judgement,
these examples offer the Bible
student a fairly good idea of the
difference in approach by the Jew-
ish translators and the Doubleday-
Anchor Bible scholar.
Dr. Bright's is a work of vast
scholarship. It is the approach to
Jeremiah by a most distinguished
Christian student of the Bible.
Dr. Bright, placing Jeremiah
in his historical setting in the
years 62'7-580, views the prophet
as a "man of driving eloquence
possessed of unusual at tistic
gifts." The "jeremiads" — lam-
entations — which still influ-
ence the generations, are de-
picted as stemming from the
literary style and the exhorta-
tions of the great prophet.
John Bright was born in Chatta-
nooga, Tenn. in 1908. He teaches
at Union Theological Seminary in
Virginia where he is Cyrus
McCormick Professor of
and the Interpretation of the
Testament.
He received his education from
Presbyterian College, Clinton, S.C.,
(B.A. 1928), Union Theological
Seminary in Virginia (B.D. 1931,
Th.M. 1933), and Johns Hopkins
University (Ph.D. 1940). He was
ordained to the ministry of the
Presbyterian Church in 1935, and
holds an honorary doctor of di-
vinity degree from Presbyterian
College.
During the war he served as
chaplain, U..S. Army, 1943-1946,
in the European theater.
He is a member of the Society
of Biblical Literature and Exege- .
sis, the American Oriental So-
ciety, and Hanover Presbytery; is
the author of "A History of Israel,'
"Early Israel in Recent History
Writing," and "The Kingdom of
God," and is a contributor to the
"Interpreter's Bible," "In t erpre-
ter's Dictionary of the Bible," and
"P e a k e's Commentary on the
Bible," and Anchor Bible.