LETTER BOX
Agnostic Dangers
Editor, The Jewish News:
Allow me to make some observa-
tions on your Commentator's reac-
tion to the Gallup Poll's survey
that shows an alarming decline
among Jews in the belief in God.
It is one thing to cling to Jewish
folkways within a strong, vibrant,
united, Jewish milieu that is sat-
urated with ethical and religious
norms and standards; it is another,
when the agnostic course is clear-
ly assimilatory and is outwardly
and centrifugally directed, which
can end only in complete alienation
from the Jewish community.
A further disturbing thought
crosses one's mind. How does one
account for the appalling dispro-
portionate lack of belief among
Akiva Day School
to Install Officers
at Donor Dinner
The second annual Donor Dinner
and the installation of officers for
Akiva Hebrew Day School, will be
held 6:30 p.m. Monday, at Imperial
Kosher Caterers.
Rabbi Max Kapustin, director of
Hillel House at Wayne State Uni-
versity, will conduct the installa-
tion rites.
The following officers and board
members to be installed for the
1966-67 season are: Harold Lax,
president; Mrs. Jerome Kelman,
Mrs. Charles Snow and David Tanz-
man, vice president; Mesdames
Ithamar Koenigsberg, David Dom-
bey, Marvin Engel, Edward Weiss
and David Greenbaum, secretaries;
and Benno Levi, treasurer.
New board members are: Mes-
dames Bernard Blase, Charles
Levi, Sherman Schooler, Sanford
Eisenberg, Martin Ryba and Solo-
mon Rothenberg.
Board members at large are:
Mesdames Frank Liederman, Sey-
mour Ribiat, Leon Herschfus, Jack
Goldman, Irving Hershman, Stan-
ley Sherman, Simon Ruzumna and
Bernard Blase.
* * *
Professor Deplores
Lack of Education
Among U.S. Jews
American Jewry has allowed it-
self, in a "casually apathetic way,"
to become a "secular community
and an uneducated one," Dr. Mar-
vin Fox, professor of philosophy at
Ohio State University, told the
"Friends of Akiva" at its forma-
tion meeting recently.
The meeting, held at Somerset
Apartments, Troy, had as its theme
"Faith and Learning."
Dr. Fox called this country's
People of the Book "a people with-
out books, the People of God . .
a people who have' lost all contact
with the Almighty. In the process,
we have lost the understanding of
who we are as a people, why we
are here, what it is that constitutes,
the center of our lives as Jews."
He stressed the necessity for
a reversal of this trend through
the education of "the Jewish gen-
eration which can live meaning-
fully and significantly within
the framework of Torah and the
Jewish faith."
Dr. Fox added that the day-
school is necessary to the spiritual,
moral and religious welfare of the
child. "The simple fact," he said,
"is that we shall not have a future
with dignity, with regard to the
non-Jewish community, if we con-
tinue to allow our Jewish re-
sources to be dissipated and de-
stroyed."
Dr. David I. Berris, chairman of
the evening, said the new Friends
of Akiva group would focus on
educational programing, rather
than on fund-raising. Other partici-
pants were Rabbi James I. Gor-
don, chairman of Akiva Day School
education committee, and Mrs.
Max Stollman.
Jews compared to other religious
groups? Are we satisfied to say
that we are by nature more skep-.
tical and probing (while Gentiles
by implication are more naive)?
This conclusion would contradict
the very tradition and insight of
Israel, always known as Maam-
inim Uvnay Maaminim, believers
and children of believers.
The shocking rate of agnosticism
is clearly a warning and an indict-
ment. By ignoring it, our status as
a religious community is in jeop-
ardy. Primarily, it bespeaks of the
irresponsibility and shallowness to
which our schools and synagogues
have sunk. Much of Jewish educa-
tion we leave in charge of the non-
committed and irreligious, while
the synagogue emphasizes form
instead of substance, and ceremon-
ies instead of fundamentals. The
result is a stifling vagueness about
the things that Judaism truly
teaches, and an atmosphere where
even God may be dispensed with.
RABBI JOEL. J. LITKE
_R osen baum-Schoenfeld
Iredding Set for Oct. 30
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Declares Yearly Dividend
Friday, June 17, 1966-25
NEW YORK (JTA)—Isras, the
Israel-Rassco Investment Company,
Respect for other people's prop-
Ltd., announced a dividend of $1.33 erty is an American tradition
per share, payable on July 29 to which must be preserved by every-
stockholders of record as of June one. Keep Detroit BeautifuL
2. The latest dividend, together
with an interim payment six
months ago, brings the total divi-
dend for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1966 to $2.66.
In 1965, more than 100 million
E Bonds were sold.
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MISS JUDITH ROSENBAUM
Mr. and Mrs. Morris Rosenbaum,
17566 Northlawn, announce the en-
gagement of their daughter Judith
to Ernest Schoenfeld, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Alex Schoenfeld, 18461
Ilene.
Miss Rosenbaum is a graduate
•
of Wayne State University and also
Nonagenarian Favors
attended Universidad Nacional de
Mexico. Her fiance attended the
Retaining Bar Mitzvah
Electronics
Institute of Technol-
Editor, The Jewish News.
ogy and the University of Texas.
I was surprised to read about
The couple plans an Oct. 30 wed-
two outstanding Rabbis suggesting ding.
to make an end to orthodox Bar
Mitzvah ceremony in American
Judaism.
Those Orthodox Rabbis claim
that nothing has stifled and
strangled J e wish education in
Abe A. Schmier, well known De-
America more than the Bar Mitz-
vah program, and they urge to troit attorney, an active participant
abolish it for the good of the He- in many local, civic and Jewish
movements, this week filed' as a
brew school.
The writer is not living now un- candidate for the Recorder's Court
der the influence of Jewish learn- at the Aug. 2 primaries.
Schmier, 62, a member of the
ing. However, my Bar Mitzvah is
77 years old, and I must confess law firm of Schmier and Schmier,
that I still remember the date and has resided in Detroit since he was
the ceremony which my parents a year old. He is the fifth of 10
made it posible for me to read the children of Max and Sarah
chapter of Prophets Isaiah, Amos,
Jeremaiah and Ezekel.
The writer still remembers the
program of my Bar Mitzvah, and
I dare say that I live now with
the inspiration which I received
from the teaching of the address I
gave before 70 oldsters congre-
gated at my Bar Mitzvah.
I sincerely hope that parents
will agree with me that a Bar Mitz-
vah for a Jewish youngster is an
inspiration to hang on to the faith
of his parents, and such memories
of that ceremony will inspire the
Jewish young men to have faith
not in the dogmas or rituals of
Judaism, but to value the Jewish
way of life and that will lessen
young Jews from assimilation.
WOLF LEVITAN
* *
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Jewish
ABE A. SCHMIER
News welcomes communications
from its readers, but can not hon-
or anonymously written letters. A Schmier, is a graduate of Wash-
number of such letters have ar- ington Normal School, C e n t r al
rived in recent weeks. There is High School, and University of De-
one, for example, from a reader troit Law School.
He was a member of the varsity
who is furious about "Sallah" —
a film that was reviewed in The basketball team of the University
of Detroit through the years 1921
Jewish News on May 20, with high to
and is presently active in
commendations for the Israel the 1924,
affairs
of the athletic depart-
movie. This and other communica- ment of the
university. He has
tions would have been acknowl- served as a member of the board
edged if the readers had given their of the Gus Dorais Memorial Fund
names and addresses. Even when of the university.
letters are published without the
He is associated in the law prac-
writers' names, their identity must tice
with his oldest brother, Her-
be known to us.
man, a member of the board of
zoning appeals of Detroit and a
NCRAC to Probe Current
former president of the Old News-
Community Relations Issues
boys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit,
Civil rights, church-state and with his nephew, Allan B. Schmier,
interreligious relations, the pov- and George P. Dakmak.
Schmier has been actively en-
erty war and Viet Nam are topics
that will dominate the plenary gaged in the practice of law for 42
meeting of the National Commu- years. He is a member of the
nity Relations Advisory _ Council American, Michigan, and Detroit
that convenes next week in Wash- Bar Associations.
He is a member of Highland
ington.
More than 250 delegates, repre- Park Lodge F& AM, Detroit
senting the eight national organi- Consistory, Moslem Temple, Cres-
zations and 78 local councils that cent Shrine Temple, Harry B.
are the present constituents of Keidan Lodge Bnai Brith, Hannah
NCRAC, will open four days of Schloss Old Timers, of which he
policy deliberations next Thurs- is a past president, and the Old
day on more than a score of criti- Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of
cal issues affecting Jewish commu- Detroit. He has also been an active
nity relations in the United States. YMCA fund drive participant.
Schmier Enters
Judgeship Race
THE LIGHT TOUCH
by
JULES PASSERMAN
. Your Neighborhood Pharmacist
Winning isn't everything, but it does beat
co mi ng
in second •
I wonder - if the Middle Ages were called the Dark.
Ages because there were so many knights?
*
Drop outs can see the handwriting on the wall, all
right. Trouble is, they just can't read it . . .
*
The nicest thing about money is — it never
with what you're wearing . .
*
clashes
*
The brain is the apparatus with which we think
we think . . .
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