Purely Commentary
Aspects for Liberalism in the New Year
Liberalism in 1966 .. Hanu-
kah Farce in Ramparts . . .
Delinquency Problems.
By Philip
Slomovitz
The Agony of the 'Agony'
A motion picture entrepreneur was upset by our brief comment
on the botched-up film job of Irving Stone's "The Agony and the
Ecstasy." The complaint was that a single Jewish angle was selected
as having been omitted.
The critic missed the point. During nearly 80 of Michelangelo's
nearly 90 years of his life, he created immensely. But a picturesque,
well-acted film is based on only one episode — on four years of the
great sculptor's life. It is true that what he had created during those
four years, when he was compelled by Pope Julius II to turn painter
instead of sculpting, has become imperishable. But that does not
justify denuding a great book into a single episode.
If this critic were a Catholic, he might have resented the exces-
sive emphasis on the life and work, depicted in that film, of a Pope
who was more soldier than spiritual leader.
Indeed, among Michelangelo's greatest works was Moses — and
he had gone to the ghetto and to Scriptures to get an idea for his
work; and even greater than his Moses was his David — and for that
he had gone to Rabbi Melzi. What a remarkable angle for a movie
would have been the incorporation of that portion of Stone's book!
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" remains a great book. Its counterpart,
the movie, is a bore, an agony: perhaps we have now explained it
better for the benefit of the entrepreneur.
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Common Efforts
to Educate Urged
by Rabbis' Groups
r
C,
WAqIINGTON (JTA) — T h e
presidents of the three major
American rabbinical groups ex-
pressed common concern about' the (
need to strengthen Jewish educa-
tion, speaking in a symposium -_Y
held here at the annual confer-
ence of Bnai Brith Hillel Founda-
tion directors.
Rabbi Israel Miller of the Rab-
binical Council of America (Or-
thodox), Rabbi Jacob Weinstein of
the Central Conference of Ameri-
can Rabbis (Reform) and Rabbi
Max Routtenberg of the Rabbinical
Assembly (Conservative) agreed
that pluralistic Judasim "is here
to stay" and that theological dif-
ferences separating branches of
Judasim should not deter common
efforts to promote Jewish identifi-
cation.
Each rabbi endorsed the "ecu-
menicity"
of the setting as a wel-
Ramparts' Sensational, Farcical Hanukah 'Expose'
come first step toward closer
Ramparts Magazine, undoubtedly one of the most independent
relationships among Jewish ele-
publications in our land, tends to be sensational. It does not hesitate
ments. Rabbi Weinstein com-
to criticize the church, although the magazine is edited by a Catholic mented that such joint discus-
layman. It goes out of its way to deal with Jewish issues, and a recent
sion of mutual problems "has
short story by Leslie Fiedler is puzzling rather than informative.
been a long time coming."
Now comes its Hanukah expose. In its current issue, a novelist,
The 85 Hillel rabbis at the con-
Earl Shorris, authored an essay entitled "The Hanukah Hangup," and ference vigorously applauded when
the reader will surmise at once that the hangup relates to the Christ Rabbi Routtenberg deplored ef-
as theme, and once again a Jewish writer resorts to vulgarity in treat- forts toward "fragmentizing Jew-
ing a Jewish holiday.
ish youth on the college campus."
It may well be that Shorris describes the sentiments of a large The Hillel directors have been
segment of our people who are imitating, who are influenced by the critical of "institutional competi-
Christmas spirit to glorify the bush when speaking of the setting tion" among the three bodies, and
purportedly created for the Menorah.
have warned that "divisiveness
But the spirit of his interpretative essay is not wholesome. A threatens to spill over into the
"chosen people" story is told in poor taste. The presentation of the campus community."
"clannish" idea—"as the Gentile was not fond of the Jew, the Jew
Rabbi Routtenberg said that
had little use for the Gentile," his revelation states—is unrealistic Jewish students, in their intel-
lectual quests for modern relev-
in our time.
Then there is his rejection of the use of the name Judas for ancy in Judaism, "couldn't care
Judah, in the story of the Maccabees, as if the Judas myth in the story less about the theological hair-
of Christ must frighten us!
splitting and ritual differences."
There is no doubt that the Hanukah decorations in Jewish homes— He said that "enclaves" that might
the insides and the outsides of them—are the result of an influence isolate Jewish students from the
upon Jews from their Christian environment. But the historic fact rest of the college community
is that JeWs traditionally were encouraged to light their Menorahs at were neither possible nor desirable
an open window—for all to see it. And just because the quotation in America.
from an apologist, "It's to show that I'm proud to be a Jew", is a true
Rabbi Miller said "the mood of
delineation of a sentiment, does not pin such a boast on all Jews. Orthodoxy is changing from the
Because there is a spiritual merit to the minor festival, Christians as belligerent negativism" of an older
well as Jews have asserted that a defeat for the Maccabees in that era generation under the impact of
in human history might well have meant a death blow to conditions modern life to a "cautious opti-
which would have led to the emergence of Christianity, let alone the de- mism" about Jewish survival.
The Delinquents in Our Midst
Rabbi Weinstein stressed that
fense of the Jewish position.
There are some delinquents also among us. The demented Jewish
Even his assertion that "Judasim and Hellenism were irre- the remedy to ineffectual Jewish
young man who played a big role in the KKK and the Rockwell ranks concilable" is not totally true, since Judasim borrowed fram Hellenism, education among teen-agers would
and who committed suicide after he was exposed proved that the lack without abandoning faith and existence.
not be found in "crash programs"
of loyalty, the failure to understand Jewish values, can, as they have,
Then there is his concluding paragraph in which Shorris be- of extensive day schools or mis-
lead to dementia.
soinizing non-Jews to replace as-
comes a theologian, stating:
Rather stupid comments have been made regarding this KKK lad,
' "The Jew has always returned to the God of Abraham when he similating youth, but in mobilizing
and Jewish leadership has been blamed for the role that a delinquent was in trouble, as when the persecutions by Antiochus united the Jews "the community's resources for a
and an irrational man played in the ranks of the bigots. The truth is in the time of the Maccabees. Today, the Christian and the Jew are long, upward and expensive bat-
that family and community must work together to create a climate aware of a common danger from the East. Perhaps that's why they are tle."
for rational thinking and acting. But there is always the environment both more willing to unite under a banner of Judeo-Christian tradition.
Rabbi Jay Kaufman, Bnai Brith
that steps in to destroy someone's happiness, a community's tranquility, After all, how different are they really? In December both Christians executive vice-president, urged
a nation's honor and dignity.
and Jews exchange gifts and decorate their houses. In December the the three leaders continue the 7-----\__7
In the case of the Jewish community, as we pointed out when Jews talk of thrusting the shedder of biood into the shadows of dark- momentum developed at the meet- (
the Jewish Kluxer first was revealed in the New York Times expose, ness while seven shepherds are raised over them, and the Christians ing. He stressed the need for con- \------..n
there have been instances of meshumadim—apostates—who have lied talk of peace on earth, goodwill toward men. For the Christians it is gregational bodies to recognize, "a 1
in testimony about us.
just that—talk. Whether the Jews take the idea any more seriously continuing obligation to college
We have another typical, continuing example in the actions of a is hard to tell, since the Jews do not have enough power to demon- students" by accepting Hillel as
Benjamin Freedman, a New York Jew who is writing lies about Jews strate their corruption. If we can assume a common deceitfulness, their representatives on campus.
and Zionism for the most notorious anti-Semitic sheet, Common Sense only one thing keeps the Jew and the Christian from complete union
A consensus of views expressed
of Union, N.J., and is distributing the hate circulars in his personal under the banner of the golden calf each December: the Jew, for the by the rabbis at the annual con-
envelopes throughout the country. This Freedman testified against life of him (at times) cannot understand why the Christians persist in ference indicated that social pro-
Israel at the United Nations on the eve of the emergence of the Jewish calling that Hasid from Nazareth the Son of God."
test by college students today, is
State. He is continuing this type of propaganda.
Partially true—especially the fact that anti-Semitism has united somewhat less than publicized
Such haters can't harm us very much, but they exist nevertheless many Jews—people like Shorris led a return under Nazism—since demonstrations suggest, but more
and we know about them. The only ones who can possibly respect when have Jews made a major issue of whether or not Christ is called volatile than any other student
them are men like Conde McGinley, Common Sense publisher. Mc- the Son of God? That's the Christian's business, and when vulgarities generation since the depression
Ginley and Freedman: they are akin.
became part of irresponsible talk they do not represent Jewish folklore. years.
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The rabbis felt that, basically,
Earl Shorris must be bothered by a conscience—else he would not
have undertaken to expose his and our Hanukah as he did. He told it is a healthy rebellion against
Another Problem: Addictions Among Jews
the failures in modern society.
Another problem has come up on our agenda with a shocking a good story, but he undertook to reach conclusons based on partial
In a keynote address, Rabbi
truthfulness. What he wrote won't hurt us or Hanukah. But it is
realization that there is a degeneration in our ranks.
Benjamin M. Kahn, Hillel na-
saddening
to
know
that
intellectuals
have
nothing
else
to
do
but
to
A recent arrest of one of our young teen-agers on the charge of
tional director, said that student
selling dope to youngsters, and the attacks upon another youngster degenerate the faith of their fathers.
protests "demonstrate a rejec-
who assisted in the arrest of the dope seller, should cause concern.
tion of religious and moral
Several years ago, when he was on the Juvenile Court bench,
Mandelbaum Visits Namesake Gate
cloches and express a student
Judge Nathan Kaufman warned that there is an increase in the Mathew
conviction that, if religion is to
huge structure that was built by
JERUSALEM
—
The
famous
gambling spirit among Jewish high school students. He blamed parents
mean
anything in their lives, it
Mandelbaum's
father,
Simcha,
a
for too-generous handouts of money to their children. He charged that Mandelbaum Gate, and the house wealthy Orthodox Jew in Pales-
must relate itself concretely to
hundreds of dollars often passed gambling hands of teen-agers. He for which it was named, were vis- tine. During the war, the Arabs
poverty, war, and other social
also warned of a degeneracy that caused an emergency of homo- ited by the man whose name- they tried to get past the house to get
concerns that surround their
gate,
bear.
But
after
viewing
the
sexuality among our boys.
ge-neration."
into
the
Jewish-held
part
of
Jeru-
We seldom listen to warnings—often until it is too late to act. It Mathew Mandelbaum wasn't sure salem, but the house was built
Rabbi Jehudah M. Cohen, of Los
isn't too late now to place emphasis on the lawlessness, on the sin, of which house had been his.
The famous crossing point be- like a fortress and withstood the Angeles, West Coast Hillel region-
addictions. Dope addicts should not be permitted in our midst, and
al director, said political turbu-
their fellow-students certainly should not encourage them by perse- tween Arab Jordan and Israel is attacks.
lance will continue to emanate
named
for
Mandelbaum
House,
a
cuting others who assist in law enforcement. This is not a matter of
It took an Israeli police officer from campus because students are
squealing or of condoning informers: it is a question of protecting 34-room structure that stood at the and a tourist guide to assure Man- dissatisfied with "the glacial pace
site and was a stronghold for Is- delbaum which structure had be-
our youth against dope addictions.
of social progress." He predicted
There is a glorious record of law-observarice, of refusal to yield raelis during the War of Independ- longed to his family. "It's been so that "an even larger number of
to the unhealthy temptations in life, in Jewish ranks. There is a record ence.
long," he admitted.
college students will move from
Only a shell remains of the
for priority given by our youth to study, to devotion to learning. Let
Mandelbaum lived in the United commitment to controversy and
us once again strive to reinforce these ideals — and let there be a
States for a number of years be- from social criticism to political
united effort to prevent the re-emergence of elements who would THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
action."
fore returning to Israel in 1962.
2—Friday,
December
31,
1965
corrupt our youth.
When the insane period of swastika daubings commenced with
the desecration of the Cologne synagogue in December of 1959, and
incidents of such anti-Semitic demonstrations were reported from 15
countries, the former editor of Punch magazine, of London, Malcolm
Muggeridge, stirred considerable controversy with his charge that "in
practice" the United States is "the most anti-Semitic country in the
world."
The swastika smearing craze has not ended. There is more of it
today than this country experienced during the insane years of Nazi-
ism. There were more evidences of destruction of property and the
smearing of anti-Semitic slogans in our own community in the past
12 months than in any other year since the Nazi era.
Does this indicate that this country is among the most anti-Semitic
in the world? It was an exaggeration, and fear today would be an
exaggeration. It is true that we must be vigilant, but that is applicable
to the cost we pay for liberty at all times.
A recapitulation of historic trends in this country would indicate
that we have had many periods during which we suffered from bigotry,
from witch hunts, from the Know Nothing Party and the Ku Klux
Klan, from haters of immigrants and anti-Semites, from persecutors
of Negroes and from anti-Catholicism.
Yet, even in Livonia the case is not that serious. It is still an
concern, and there also is the danger that some may become panicky
over it. It is an avoidance of panic that is especially essential — at all
times. If we were to list all reports of swastika-smearings during the
past year we would be creating fright. Most of the acts are, indeed,
by minors, most of them by the demented. But when a Livonia news-
paper flashed on its front page, in an eight-column headline, the
query: "Anti-Semitism . . . Is It Becoming a New Problem for
Livonians?" the issue ceases to be speculative: it emerges as a reality,
as a tendency by bigots to be seriously dealt with.
Yet, even in Livonia the case is not that serious. It is still an
act by deluded bigots who are a minority.
But the issue assumes greater seriousness only because, in the
case of the exposed Livonia experience, children of 3 and 4 have come
to their parents with the query: "What is a dirty Jew?"
Livonians who allegedly have moved out of their neighborhoods
because of resentment over the painting of anti-Semitic signs on their
homes would be interested to know that similar experiences are on
record in the story of the early Jewish settlement in Detroit's north-
west section. And while that storm was weathered, as many others have
been defied, even now there is an occasional sprinkling of swastikas.
They were smeared on synagogues, on offices, on private homes.
They are passing phases. They may or may not be a part of the
turbulence of our time. But they certainly often indicate, contrary to
the bravado whistling of some civic-protective groups, that sinat olam
Pam olam—the eternal hatred for the eternal people—has not vanished.
Flight from any neighborhood is never a solution to such prob-
lems. The basic goal of a community in such matters is to prepare
youth so well to face the issues that they will be able to overcome
them with the power that is inherent in knowledge about oneself and
in pride of one's heritage. And at the same time, on the large scale,
the battle against any manifestation of bigotry must go on — whether
it is against us or the Negroes or any other oppressed group. Indeed,
vigilance is the chief weapon in defense of freedom.
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