'Jewish Aspects'
of Major Appointment
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
WASHINGTON—The appointment of Abe Fortas to the so-called "Jew
ish seat" on the U.S. Supreme Court has brought to light information
that the late president, John F. Kennedy, privately voiced displeasure over what he considered the "ghetto concept" involved.
At the time of his appointment of Arthur J. Goldberg, Kennedy became aware that his selection was being depicted as a "Jewish"
replacement for the ailing Justice Felix Frankfurter. Kennedy told his closest aides that he found the idea of a special quota designating a
Jewish member to the Supreme Court, as distinct from other members, to be objectionable.
In the Kennedy philosophy, the perpetuation of a special Supreme Court seat reserved for Jews, Negroes, Catholics or any other minority
was an unhealthy precedent to establish in the evolving American democracy.
Abe Fortas
An Era
Without Panic
Obstacles on
Road to Peace
in Middle East
Editorials
Page 4
VOLUME XLVI I—NO. 24
The New York Times, describing President Johnson's appointment of Fortas, reported that it "keeps alive the tradition of a Jewish seat on
the court." The Washington Post commented: "Fortas will assume what is crudely called the 'Jewish seat on the Court but more significently is
the historic seat occupied by Joseph Story, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Benjamin N. Cardozo, Frankfurter and other distinguished jurists."
The first Jew named to the Supreme Court, Louis D. Brandeis, was appointed in 1916 in the face of strong anti-Semitic opposition.
Another Jew, .Cardozo, was appointed in 1932. Cardozo was succeeded by Frankfurter. The ugly Brandeis controversy no doubt motivated a
subsequent desire to assure other Jews the right to serve on the highest court. This generated the practice of successive appointment of Jews.
The expanding American philosophy of participation in government without regard to race or religion caused both Justices Frankfurter and
Goldberg to be troubled by designation as "the court Jew."
(Continued on Page 5)
Civil Rights
Issues and
Communities'
Deterioration
HE JEWISH NE
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Commentary
Page 2
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Israel Plans don Against Jordan,
Lebanon on Sabota e, Diversions
2 More London Synagogues
Damaged; Fire Set, Slogans
Scrawled on One of Walls
LONDON (JTA)—Two more synagogues were set afire
and badly damaged in different parts of greater London Satur-
day. The attacks were the 21st and 22nd of this type in London
since last fall, despite the special precautions taken to guard
Jewish communal property.
The first of the fires broke out shortly after midnight at
the Ilford synagogue. Firemen found that inflammable liquid
had been poured on the edifice. The blaze blew out most of
the synagogue's windows, and damaged the floor and much
of the woodwork. Scrawled on one of the walls were the
slogans "Heil, Hitler!," and "We shall free Britain from
Jewish control."
About two hours later, fire blazed in an entirely different
section of the city, in a synagogue on Lea Bridge Road,
Clapton. The damage here was about the same as in the
Jewish house of worship at Ilford.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel government indicated it will take diplomatic steps to
make clear it would hold Jordan responsible for further acts of sabotage originating from Jor-
danian territory. At the same time it wasreported that Israel had started a similar effort to
warn Lebanon of the dangers that could arise from Lebanese resumption of its share of the
Arab project to divert tributaries of the Jordan River to deny its waters to Israel.
Plans for the diplomatic actions emerged after a Cabinet meeting Sunday at which the
sabotage raids and the resumption of the Lebanese diversion project were discussed. Two sa-
botage attacks took place last week.
In a related development, Chief of Staff Gen. Izhak Rabin declared that Israel might
have to resort to force to convince the neighboring Arab countries that there would be no
peace on their side of the Arab-Israel border as long as the Arabs barred peace on Israel's
side.
Premier Eshkol, in his review to the Cabinet, reportedly stressed the position that Jordan
must assume responsibility for the raids by members of the new terrorist group, El Fatah,
which has headquarters in Syria but is currently operating from Jordanian territory. The Ca-
binet was told that previously, Jordanianauthorities had taken measures to curb Fatah activi-
ties but that it now appeared that such measures had been slackened.
The Premier reported that diplomatic efforts were being made in Western capitals con-
cerning Lebanon's resumption of diversion efforts. He said the Western sources had been urg-
ing moderation in Israel's response, a course which Israel has been following. It was indicated,
however, that Israel could not remain passive if the diversion work was continued, a view the
Premier conveyed last week to United States Ambassador Walworth Barbour.
Gen. Rabin issued his warning at a dinner meeting in Tel Aviv with members of a
(Continued on Page 6)
World Jewish Religious Leaders Join
Church Council. Ecumenical Institute
Arab Boycott, Food Shipments to UAU
Continue as Major Issues in Congress
NEW YORK—Representatives of the Synagogue Council of America will par-
ticipate in a consultation called by the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical
Institute at the Chateau de Bossey, Switzerland, Aug. 12-20, according to Rabbi Seymour
J. Cohen, president of the Synagogue Council of America, and Dr. Eugene L. Smith
executive secretary of the World Council of Churches in the United States.
A group of 14 Jewish religious leaders from the United States, Europe and
Israel will meet with a group of Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox Christian
leaders to discuss "The Situation of Man in the World Today" as seen from the
\ vantage
. point of a Christian and Jewish observer. There will be an analysis of man's
psition in a rapidly changing society. The consultation will examine what the
,treats are to the dignity of man which may lead to his complete depersonalization.
rapers will be presented on man's appropriate response to his situation in light
the religious and moral heritage of Judaism and Christianity.
The consultation at Bossey represents the first time that such a broadly-
representative group of Jewish leaders will meet face to face with the Protestant,
Anglican and Orthodox communities in evaluating common concerns for the world
today.
The Synagogue Council of America coordinated the participation of Jewish
leaders from Europe and Israel.
Jewish participants in the consultation include:
Rabbi Seymour J. Cohen, president, Synagogue Council of America, chairman
of the Jewish delegation, Chicago; Dr. Imre Benoschofsky, chief rabbi, Budapest,
Hungary; Rabbi Balfour Brickner, director, Commission on Interfaith Activities,
Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York; Dr. Leslie I. Edgar, senior
minister, Liberal Jewish Synagogue, London; Rabbi Leon I. Feuer, past president,
Central Conference of American Rabbis, Toledo; Rabbi Joel S. Geffen, director,
department of field activities and community education, Jewish Theological Seminary
of America, New York; Victor Loeb, president, Swiss Liberal Jewish Community,
Postfach, Switzerland; Rabbi Israel Miller, president, Rabbinical Council of America,
Bronx; Prof. Yochanan Muffs, associate professor, Jewish Theological Seminary
of America, Jerusalem; Rabbi Alexander Safron, chief rabbi, Geneva, Switzerland;
Rabbi Moshe N. Jena Schuck, president, Orthodox Rabbinical Council, Budapest;
Rabbi Seymour Siegel, associate professor, Jewish Theological Seminary of
America,. New York; Dr. J. Soetendorp, rabbi, Amsterdam, Holland; and Dr. W. Van
der Zyl, senior minister, West London Synagogue, London.
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Sen. Clifford P. Case, New Jersey Republican,
asked Secretary of Commerce John T. Connor for an early report on action taken
to deal with the Arab boycott under the anti-boycott clause of the newly adopted
Export Control Act.
In a letter to the secretary, Sen. Case said that restrictive trade practices
like the Arab boycott of firms dealing with Israel "should not be permitted to
influence American commercial policy one day longer than necessary."
Sen. Case pointed out that he favored a measure stronger than the one
adopted. He would have flatly prohibited . American firms from supporting the
Arab boycott in any way. He said, however, that he hoped the weaker measure
would prove effective against boycott. "If • experience shows it to be ineffective,
however, I shall be among the first to urge amendment of the law," Sen. Case
informed the Commerce Department.
Lawrence F. O'Brien, special assistant to President Johnson, informed Rep.
Seymour Halpern, New York Republican, that reconsideration of the decision to
complete shipment of $37,500,000 worth of food to --,Egypt is being "carefully
considered" in view of Egyptian frauds exposed recently by the U.S. General
Accounting Office.
In a letter to Rep. Halpern, O'Brien commented on the Congressman's
request that the President suspend "any portion of the shipment" to Egypt of
commodities authorized for Egypt last month as a food grant. The GAO revealed
that almost half of the 186,000 tons of corn given Egypt for free distribution to
the poor was sold for profit by Egyptian officials. The total aid was valued at
$23,700,000. According to the GAO, the food was sent because of allegations of
a crop failure and impending famine, when actually, Egypt that year enjoyed a
bumper .crop.
Senator Ernest Greening of Alaska again condemned violations of aid
agreements committed by the United Arab Republic, in an address in the U. S.
Senate and his presentation of the complete details of the expose of Egyptian
resale for profit of U. S. food that was intended for distribution among its poor.
Senator Gruelling charged that Egypt shipped rice to Communist nations
at the same time the Nasser regime illegally sold food provided by America for
free distribution. He urged the Senate-House conferees now considering the foreign
aid authorization bill to approve a provision to deny any further aid to Egypt.