ADL Charges John Birch Society Contributes to Anti-Semitism
NEW YORK (JTA)—The John Birch Society, which denies it is anti-Jewish, was
charged here Monday with "contributing to anti-Semitism" by officials of the Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai Brith at the annual meeting of the organization held in
the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Benjamin R. Epstein, ADL national director, and Arnold Forster, general counsel,
reported that anti-Semitism is "an inherent problem" of the Birch Society which "it
has made excuses for but failed to exercise over the whole of the society's seven
years." The Birch Society's involvements in anti-Semitism, the report declared, are
revealed by the following:
1. Birch Society American Opinion bookstores in states across the nation stock and
sell the writings of known anti-Semitic propagandists.
2. The Birch magazine, American Opinion, has as a regular correspondent Eric D.
Butler, recognized for more than 25 years "as one of Australia's leading anti-Semites."
3. Birch leader Robert Welch, on one of 12 record albums being sold by the Society,
dismisses what he calls "the whole anti-Semitic thing" as being created by the Com-
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The Center
Festival
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Interfaith
Dialogues
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Germany, Middle
East, Peace,
Atonement
Editorials
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Vol. XLVI I I, No. 24
munists, who also "created Hitler and drugged him and the Nazi Party into persecu-
tion of the Jews." Revilo P. Oliver, associate editor of American Opinion, says it is a
lie that Hitler killed 6,000,000 Jews.
4. The Birch Society has been infiltrated by anti-Semites. It has a "blind spot"
about anti-Semitic activities "even when they are a matter of public knowledge."
Although the Society keeps its membership secret, the ADL report estimated it
at between 80,000 and 100,000, with the largest Birch membership in the following
states: California, about 14,000; Texas, about 6,000; Alabama, Arizona and New Jersey,
about 2,000 each; Washington, about 1,500; and Indiana, about 1,400.
A spokesman for the John Birch Society Wednesday denied the charges claiming
that "many of our members are Jewish."
U.S. Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming, addressing the ADL meeting, said the
$12,000,000 fund the Birch Society is planning to spend in the Congressional election
is more than either the Democrats or Republicans will spend. (Related ADL meeting
story, Page 8.)
Depraved Minds
Wave the Swastika
HE JEWISH NE
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Commentary
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Bans on Liberal Religious Services
Threaten Israel Government Crisis
Republicans Set to Purge
Anti-Semitic 'Rat Finks'
National and New Jersey state Republican leaders this week
ordered that the New Jersey Young Republicans be purged of
the elements who joined in racist and anti-Semitic songfests
under the leadership of the group known as "Rat Finks."
A feud continues between the liberal Republican and the
right-wing elements responsible for the songfests.
New Jersey state investigators opened a formal investiga-
tion Wednesday into the charges.
The probe was launched by State Attorney General Arthur
J. Sills and was accompanied by fresh charges against the
"Rat Finks" by State Sen. Nelson F. Stamler, an independent
Republican.
Sen. Stamler, who had earlier aired the charge that the
faction had sung an anti-Semitic song at state and national
Young Republican conventions last summer, accused the faction
of systematically discouraging Jews and Negroes from joining
the Young Republicans.
Continued on Page 7
Albert Einstein Third Jew
Honored With a U.S. Stamp
In March, American Jewish Archives in Cincinnatipoints
out, Albert Einstein will become the third American Jew to be
memorialized on an American stamp. At that time, the United
States will pay tribute to the memory of this outstanding
"adopted son" with the issue of a com-
memorative stamp honoring the late
world-renowned Jewish physicist and
humanist. Part of a series saluting the
memory of 18 prominent Americans, the
Einstein stamp will go on sale March 14,
1966, at Princeton, N. J., scene of Dr.
Einstein's later years with the Institute
for Advanced Scientific Study at Prince-
ton University.
With the issue of this stamp, Einstein
joins Labor Leader Samuel Gompers and Dr. Einstein
World War II Army Chaplain Alexander D. Goode, the other
two American Jews whose lives have been so commemorated.
The new stamp will, however, not be the first to salute
Einstein, for Ghana and Israel have previously issued stamps
in his honor.
Dr. Einstein, most renowned for his Theory of Relativity,
maintained a constant interest in the world around
him and in his fellow man. An early victim of Nazi persecution,
he fled Germany in 1933 to come to the United States, where
he continuously spoke out against any attempts to curtail
freedom of thought.
A Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Einstein's interest in and
identification with Jewish life were abiding and very deep-
rooted. . As he himself said, "my relation to the Jewish
people has been my strongest human attachment." In 1921,
he lent his active support to the founding of the Hebrew
University and traveled to America that year to raise money
for a new Jerusalem institution and for the Jewish pioneers
in Palestine. A life-long Zionist, who envisioned Palestine
becoming a cultural center for the world, he visited there
in 1923 and was deeply impressed by the achievements of
the halutzim (pioneers). In 1952, upon the death of Dr.
Chaim Weizmann, Israel's first President, he was offered that
position. Responding to Ambassador Abba Eban's representa-
tion with deep emotion and typical modesty, Einstein declined
what he considered to be the greatest honor of his life.
TEL AVIV (JTA)—A cabinet crisis may develop in Israel if the ban by the Bnai Brith here,
by the ZOA House and by WIZO, on non-Orthodox religious services on their premises will be
brought for debate in the Knesset, Israel'sparliament, the National Religious Party warned.
The religious party threatened to withdraw from the two-week-old coalition government
if members of other parties in the Cabinet are allowed to introduce into the Knesset agenda
a motion requesting a discussion on the ban. Shulamit Aloni, an alignment member of the
Knesset, indicated that she intends to request such a debate. Emma Tabni, a Mapam deputy in
the Knesset, simultaneously stated that she will request a Knesset debate on the Israel rab-
binate's stand on a recent marriage of a Karaite to a Jewish girl.
Religious Affairs Minister Zorah Warhaftig, a leader of the National Religious Party, said
these issues should be held inside the coalition and should not be introduced in the Knesset. The
coalition presidium is expected to meet shortly on these sensitive issues.
Bnai Brith lodges in other cities in Israel, outside Tel Aviv, demanded discussion of the
refusal by the Tel Aviv administration of the local Bnai Brith building to permit Reform serv-
ices in the building. At the same time, Ben-Zion Kanders, president of the Bnai Brith here,
issued a statement reiterating that the organization decided not to permit Reform services in
its building. (In Washington, the world headquarters of Bnai Brith said it has so far received
no reply from Israel to a cable inquiring for details on the issue.)
A spokesman for ZOA House here confirmed that the management of the building, estab-
lished by the Zionist Organization of America, had turned down a request for the holding of
Reform services on its premises. He said that the ZOA House had been created as a cultural
center and had not been intended to serve as a synagogue.
Noting that the ZOA had members from all three branches of Judaism, the ZOA spokes-
man said that the organization would not take any position favoring any one branch. He stressed
that the ban on services was not directed specifically against the Reform religious move-
ment.
. A leader of the Reform movement said that the reason ZOA House had banned Reform
services is because the management of ZOA House fears it may lose its kashruth certificate
from the Israel Chief Rabbinat e . Such loss, it was alleged, would deprive the ZOA House of
income from weddings and banquets.
Sources in the Religious Affairs Ministry controlled by the Orthodox movement were quoted as saying that
Reform and other Jewish congregations needing financial help to build or acquire their own places of worship
could get such aid from the Ministry of the Interior, in the same way that Orthodox congregations get such
aid. However, Reform leaders replied that none of the Reform congregations in Israel ever got "a single
thing from the Ministry for Religious Affairs."
At Ashkelon, where the new Conservative congregation was denied room for services at the WIZO
headquarters there, it was said that Conservative worshipers plan to hold outdoor Sabbath services this
weekend.
The actions barring the liberal services incensed non-Orthodox opinion in Israel. A typical reaction was
a cartoon in Haaretz, showing a medieval knight labeled "Bnai Brith" and a medieval "Lady WIZO," both on
a horse, charging with a fixed lance at a couple praying in a Reform pew.
Prof. Efraim Urbach, a noted talmudic scholar on the faculty of the Hebrew University, announced the
establishment of a non-political "Torah Jewry Movement," aimed at separation of religious affairs from party
politics in this country. Prof. Urbach recently resigned from Hapoel Hamizrachi.
Cleric Calls Ecumenical Statement
'Guilt Confession,' Not 'Absolution'
CHICAGO (JTA)—The recent Ecumenical Coun-
cil declaration concerning the Jews, later promul-
gated by Pope Paul VI as official Catholic church
doctrine is not a Catholic "absolution" of the Jews
but a Catholic confession of guilt, a leading Catholic
clergyman declared here.
The statement was made by the Rev. Benedict
M. Ashley, president of Aquinas Institute, at a sym-
posium at Rosary College, near Chicago. He dis-
cussed the new Catholic doctrine which repudiates
the charge of collective guilt of the Jewish people
for the death of Jesus, and "deplores" anti-Semi-
tism.
Declaring that people who think the Declaration
on Relations With Non-Christian Religions, includ-
ing a chapter on relations with the Jewish religion,
(Continued on Page 7)
2 Michigan CongreSsmen
Join Plea to Rusk to Aid
Israel With Defense Arms
Two Michigan Congressmen—William S. Brom-
field and Elford A. Cederberg—joined with 73 other
members of the U. S. House of Representatives in
an appeal to Secretary of State Dean Rusk request-
ing that effective measures be taken to strengthen
Israel's defenses and thus maintain an arms balance
in the Middle East. The appeal, which was spear-
headed by New York Congressman Emanuel Celler,
indicated that the pleaders wanted the United States
to provide arms to Israel directly, as it is doing
for Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Noting that the Soviet Union was shipping arms
to Egypt, Syria and Iraq while the United States was
(Continued on Page 5)