\xc Wy, Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper — Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle Challenging Crises and Mounting Problems E JEWISH NE – r R 01 T A Weekly Review Vol. XLVI II, No. 19 Printed in a 100% Union Shop I IN/1 I C t—i i f Jewish Events 17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.—VE 8-9364-----Detroit 48235—Dec. 31, 1965 Liberalism at Stake, Emergence of Vandalism, and Addictions .. . Sensationalized 'Hanukah Hangup' Commentary Page 2 $6.00 Per Year; This Issue 20c United Front Defending Shehita Formed by U.S. Jewish Groups Levi Eshkol Ill Again; Must Select Cabinet Before Jan. 9 (Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News) JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, who had spent two weeks in a hospital suffering from what his physicians called "exhaustion," was ill again at his home here Tuesday, the diagnosis being "a severe cold and influenza." Eshkol's doctors ordered him to halt immediately all personal participation in his efforts to form a new cabinet. Thus, the possibility of his presentation of the new cabinet to the Knesset this week seemed most unlikely. • Meanwhile, however, negotiations were continuing among the various political parties in the effort to set up .a new government, necessitated by the general elections held Nov. 2. Eshkol, who had been given by President Shazar the mandate to form the cabinet as a successor to the present caretaker government has, officially, until Jan. 9 to complete that task. Under Israeli law, no further extension of that period is possible. The principal stumbling block in the negotiations still re- volves around the insistence of the National Religious Party for more stringent implementation of religious laws affecting Israeli life. NRP is a member of the caretaker government but refuses - to join the new cabinet unless Eshkol _agrees to its demands. The main obstacle to Eshkol's efforts to form a broad coalition continues to be the NRP insistence that Israel's newly built port at Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv, shut down all operations on Satur- days. Eshkol insists that permits to operate the Ashdod facilities on the Sabbath be_ ruled on by the ministerial committee, as is the case with Israel's other ports. Without the National Religious Party and the Poalei Agudat Israel, which were part of the outgoing coalition, Eshkol could form only a very narrow coalition comprising, in addition to the ■i alignment, the Independent Liberals, Mapam and the Mapai- / affiliated Arab lists. This coalition would have only a slim majority. The Mapai secretariat authorized Eshkol to go ahead with a new coalition without the religious parties if the latter continue to insist on conditions unacceptable to the Premier. (Related Story on Page 5) NEW YORK (JTA)—Prominent Jewish lay and rabbinical leaders Tuesday criticized sharply a paid advertisement that appeared in the New York Times, dealing with so-called humane slaughter. The advertisement, placed by an organization called Friends of Animals, Inc., was called by the Jewish leaders "misleading," "intemperate," "destructive" and "divisive." The advertisement urged all readers to call on their representatives in the New York State Legislature to support a bill prefiled by Assemblyman Albert J. Hausbeck, of Buffalo, which, it was stated, "sets a humane standard for non-kosher slaughterers." The advertisement stated: "The. Hausbeck bill eliminates shackling and hoisting in kosher slaughter without placing Jewish Orthodox statutes under civil law" and claimed: "This inspiration comes from Israel's ban on the import of 'U.S. kosher meat processed by the shackling and hoisting method.' " Among the signers of the advertisement, in addition to Mrs. Alice Herrington Schmid, president of the Friends of Animals, Inc., were the honorary chairman of the organization, the famous French actress, Brigitte Bardot; a number of other artists prominent in various areas of show business; and two rabbis — Rabbi Max Hausen, of Temple Beth El, Great Neck, L.I.: and Rabbi Edward Shapiro, of the Norwich Jewish Center at Norwich, N.Y. The statements opposing the advertisement were issued, among others, by Mortimer Brenner and Rabbi Max D. Davidson, co-chairmen of the Joint Advisory Committee of the Synagogue Council of America and the National Community Relations Advisory Council. Included among the members on the committee are representatives of the principal national associations of rabbis and congregational bodies of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform Jewry in the United States, as well as major national Jewish civic organizations and Jewish community councils throughout the United States. Among the opponents of the Friends of Animals was also Agudath Israel of America, an ultra-Orthodox organization. Agudath Israel charged that Friends of Animals "besmirched Jewish religious practice by widely circulating its portrayal of Jewish ritual slaughter in such a derogatory manner that it reflects on the humaneness of the laws of Judaism, which are deeply rooted in mercy and kindness." The Jewish organizations attacking the Friends of Animals for their advertisement against shehita charged that the advertisement could only mislead readers by creating the impression that its proposals for legislation to control slaughtering methods are the only ones currently being put forward. They pointed out that, in fact, the New York State Humane Association has agreed to sponsor in the next session of the New York Legislature State Dept. Fails to Overcome Bonn's Insistence Budget Needs Force Delay WASHINGTON (JTA)—United States Ambassador George McGhee discussed several times in Bonn with high officials of the German government the legislation deferring payment of compensations in 1966 and 1967 to the Nazi victims who sub- mitted their claims after 1953, the State Department announced. The discussions took place prior to the passage of the new legislation in bath houses of the West German Parliament. the State Department emphasized. "However, German budget considerations precluded any change" in the legislation, a department communication stated. - The communication was addressed to Senator Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, by Douglas MacArthur II, assistant secretary of state for Congres- sional relations. The State Department official stressed that "a last-minute amend- ment to the legislation will permit the federal government to adjust percentages at which claims will be satisfied during the next two years in accordance with circum- stances of the case. This clause may particularly benefit older claimants and those in serious need." MacArthur noted that "West German Finance Minister Rolf Dahlgruen has said that he will consult with persecutee groups before issuing directives fixing percentages at which claims may be paid if the appropriations do not suffice for payments in full." Sen. Javits said he considered the State Department response to his request for intercession with Bonn to have been inadequate and ineffectual. He made known that he intends to continue pursuit of justice for the Nazi - victims who have been "arbitrarily denied indemnification solemnly promised by the West German govern- ment." (The Jewish Labor Committee sent cables to West Germany's Chancellor Ludwig Erhard and Foreign Minister Gerhard Schroeder, requesting reversal of the Bonn Parliament's decision to defer 1966 and 1967 payments to certain victims of Nazism. (The South African Jewish Board of Deputies lodged a protest with the West German ambassador in Pretoria for transmission to his government against the de- ferment of payment of indemnification claims during 1966 and 1967.) (Continued on Page 5) The 'Pagan Cult' in 1966 Wherefore Is a New Year Eve Sabbath Different From All Other Friday Nights? Wherefore is this night different from all other Friday nights? Jewish organi- zations throughout the country were spending much time and effort this week to explain the difference, appealing for the preservation of the sanctity of the Sabbath which falls on New Year's Eve tonight. The coincidence of New Year's Eve and Sabbath Eve prompted spokesmen for rabbinical organizations to appeal to Jews to refrain from participation in the usual New Year's Eve revelry out of respect for the Sabbath. But at least one Jewish Center felt compelled to supervise a New Year's Eve dance. In Houston, Bernard Weingarten, president of the Jewish Center, explained that the center was presented with an "ultimatum" by a number of high school youth groups, who "pointed out that a dance would be held with or without the Center." The only issue," he said, "was whether or not it would be adequately super- vised." Since the Center has been supervising New Year's Eve dances, Weingarten said, much irresponsible conduct has been eliminated. If the Center were to withdraw its supervision of the teen-agers when it was most needed, the youngsters, who would have their party anyway, might be endangered. The Center agreed to supervise and chaperone the affair, preparing food before the Sabbath and urging the teens to attend Sabbath services before the dance, whose starting hour would be after services were over. In addition, the dance will be held away from the Center, thus avoiding the use of Jewish communal facilities on the Sabbath. Houston's Rabbinical Association published a statement that it "does not approve of any Jewish organization sponsoring a New Year's Eve dance on a Friday evening." But the editor of the Houston Jewish Herald-Voice pointed out editorially, "The rabbis have had six years to think this problem through. Why have we waited (Continued on Page 5)