• ▪

NVJ Congress Groping

• Continued from Page 1 •
in survival and threatened by assi-
milation. The WJ Congress admini-
stration has found it necessary to
place primary emphasis on the de-
sirability among Jews to overcome
the threats that come from indiffer-
ence, from assimilationist tenden-
cies, from lack of knowledge
among the young and the failure
of their elders to communicate
with them. On this score, an
American attending these sessions
could well imagine himself at a
rabbinic conference in Toronto, at
a dialogue in Rehovoth, at a Young
Judaea meeting at a Zionist camp
—and everywhere the same ques-
tions are raised, the comparable
problems are discussed—and there
is the same failure to come up with
proper and practical answers.
There is a handful of young
people here. As at a Zionist meet-
ing in Detroit, or a major cultural
gathering in New York, or a vari-
ety of community planning sessions
anywhere on the globe. The Jewish
youth are invisible. At the World
Jewish Congress fifth plenary here,
this correspondent speculates that
95 per cent of the delegates are
sexagenarians. Just a few repre-
sent the World Union of Jewish
Students. A pleasant group of
young people, also students serve
as ushers. But even if the elders
wished to communicate with the
youth, there are no youth to ex-
change views with.
So—when Dr. Joachim Prinz,
president of the Conference of
Presidents of Jewish Organiza-
tions of the United States, spoke
of old men speaking to old men,
and "soon many of us will die,"
the applause, which was not meant
for the impending passing out of a
generation but for the utterance of
an irrefutable truth, spelled out a
tragic comedy that is being played
universally among 'Jews.

Christians Lash
Dirksen Proposal
on School Prayers

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Impor-
tant testimony by Catholics and
Protestant witnesses registered
strong opposition to a proposed
Constitutional amendment to per-
mit prayers in public schools at
Senate hearings which held an ini-
tial session on a resolution offered
by Senate Republican Leader Ev-
erett M. Dirksen of Illinois and
backed by 47 other Senators.
Hearings are being conducted by
the Senate Judiciary Committee's
Constitutional Amendment Sub-
committee headed by Sen. Birch
Bayh, Indiana Democrat. Sen.
Bayh asked that the hearings be
kept free of "emotionalism." He
said his subcommittee would seek
to find what, if anything, could be
gained from amending the Con-
stitution.
The Rev. Robert Drinan, Dean
of the Boston College Law School,
said he wished to testify on behalf
of Catholic, Protestant and Jew-
ish leaders and organizations in
opposition to the Dirksen amend-
ment. Rev. Drinan termed Sen.
Dirksen's legislation , "almost • in-
comprehensible.",
He described the measure as
"an almost irrational refusal to
surrender one of the most persist- -
ent myths in American life—the
illusion that the public school can
train future citizens in morality
and piety."
The Rev. Dr. David R. Hunter,
deputy general secretary of the
National Council of Churches of
Christ, said leaders of national
Protestant bodies were not re-
questing this or any 'other amend-
ment to reinstate prayer in public
education. Prof. Paul Freund, Har-
vard Law School, registered "com-
pelling objections" from a legal
viewpoint.
Sen. Dirksen, however, sought
to debunk the "sophisticated ar-
guments" and warned that the
issue will be resolved by the will
of the "common man" whom he
depicted as demanding prayers in
public school. The hearings will
continue for eight days.

It is inconceivable that the geni-
us of the WJ Congress, Dr. Nahum
Goldmann, could be displaced
from the presidency of the world
movement. He is the great organi-
zer, the genius who directs world
Jewish affairs. Yet, his message
was a disappointment—just as all
the dialogues here are so dis-
appointing because they turn into
monologues and end in talk, talk,
talk, without pragmatism.

Dr. Goldmann's emphasis was
on the internal threats: he is more
worried about the emptiness of
Jewish life, about the danger of
losing the young Jewish generation,
than he is about anti-Semitism and
his approach suggests a change in
WJ Congress policies.

"The menace -to our survival,"
he said, "no longer comes • from
without, as was the case for
thousands of years. It comes from
within, and this means a radical
and fundamental change in the
structure and situation of our
people. . . ."
This has been said so often! But
as often as it has been said in re-
cent years, so frequently have
Jewish leaders failed to provide a
cure for the most serious problem
in world Jewry. Therefore, even
Dr. Goldmann's keynote address
failed to provide the nessary hope-
ful note.
Dr. Goldmann's emphasis on the
internal issues — a natural ap-
proach to facts that stare at us
bluntly — in a sense suggests the
emergence of a complacency in
matters involving world Jewry's
position. It assumes too much as
in its emphasis on the acquisition
of freedom.. While there is nothing
but truth in the repetitive question-
ing of whether — and how — Jews
can survive under freedom, it is
an ostrich-like -attitude to assume
that all dangers are gone, that
anti-Semtism has declined to such
a degree that there is much less
to fear now then ever before.
There IS a bit less to fear, but
there is much to be on guard
against, and by the end of 10 days
of these plenary sessions there no
doubt that there will accumulate
to much evidence of anti-Semitism
that Dr. Goldmann himself may
find himself in a new state of con-
cern.
Dr. Prinz resorted to sensational-
ism: his contention that American
Jewry, through the Conference of
Presidents of 21 major American
Jewish organizations, is approach-
ing a state of unity—is an expres-
sion of a great hope. Experience
teaches, however, that one must
not be over confident. And Dr.
Prinz DID act overconfidently. He
traced steps that led towards the
formation of an American Jewish
Kehillah and in his historical an-
alysis forgot that such planning
commenced with the efforts for a
New York Kehillah that was
started about 55 years ago by the
late Dr. Judah L. Magnes. But
this is besides the point. The fact
is that in emergencies it is possible
for American Jewry to unite. But
in principle American Jewry has
been unable to organize in the
sense that the Canadian Jewish
Congress is organized, or that the
Board of Deputies of British Jewry
speaks for the Jews of England or
the DATA for Argentinian Jewry.
But it is good to be hopeful!
Major in significance here is
the assembling within one con-
sultative body of the Jews of nearly
the entire world. Dr. Goldmann ex-
pressed regret that Russian Jewry
is not here, but he was heartened
by the approach to it and retains
confidence that some day soon
Russian Jewry will meet with
other Jewries. Hungarian and Ro-
manian Jewries are represented
here and the Yugoslavians are
sharing in a common interest ex-
pressed at these plenary sessions.
The Congo is presented. There is
an Ethiopian delegation. Jews of
all shades of opinion are here. All
issues of Jewish concern will be
reviewed here. That's what makes
the WJ Congress sessions so signi-
ficant.

Hoskin's 'Morality in America' Poses Challenge
Involving New Moral Codes Causing Confusions

Dating back to 1957, when he
first suggested to the editors of
Look magazine that an analysis be
made of "the moral confusions of
the American people" and until
1363, when the series of articles
were concluded, J. Robert Moskin
had made a deep study of many
issues. They concluded reports on
money worship, the need for new
moral codes, the crisis of immoral-
ity, sex problems, the failure to
cope with many problems by reli-
gious leaders.
The studies are incorporated in
an important volume, "Morality in
America," published by Random
House. It is a most challenging
work and it calls for serious con-
sideration of the various issues
reviewed by Look's able senior
editor.
Firm in his belief, in answer
to those who say "we have lost
our traditional' moral guidelines,"
Moskin reaches the conclusion that
change is not to be feared, that the
great moral principles enunciated
in major teachings "are just as
solid as ever," that while "we are
moving away from moral ritual-
ism" and "we live our lives in a
time of transition and confusion,"
we are "groping for a new moral
code that will enable us to live
morally and decently."
He places emphasis on the new
responsibilities and declares: "If
we refuse to accept this respon-
sibility, we only echo the former
SS master sergeant at Auschwitz
who admitted killing 250 inmates
by injecting them with carbonic
acid solution, but explained to
a court, 'I was just a little sol-
dier carrying out my orders. I
only did what was ordered, no-
thing more, and I didn't look to
the right or left to see what
else was going on.' His rejection
of moral responsibility helped
make murder possible."
Thus, we are admonished that
"our moral code is being tried on
many levels," that "freedom al-
ways involves risks," that the cur-
rent "agonizing conflicts" result
from "the speed of change," that:
"If we lack any freedom, it is
that we cannot put down the
burden of moral concern. We can-
not be apathetic. We are no longer
free to .ignore each other, to hate
each other, to destroy or exploit
each other or to fail to hammer
out a morality that will give man-
kind a chance to go on living. We
must shape a moral code that will
fit the needs of the society and
age we live in. We have a large
measure of freedom to carve out
lives we regard as moral_— if we
will take the risks and pay the
price. We need not wait for
miracles. We now have the power.
We need only find the courage."
These conclusions are based
on a study that embraces every
aspect of morality, many factors
in our freedoms.
Historian Herbert Agar's com-
ment citing Hitler's "totalitarian
solution of the Jewish problem"
as a symptom of "the final disease
of nationalism," is pointed to as
the decline of the 19th century
nationalism.
Moskin takes a firm stand on
civil liberties. He condemns dis-
crimination against Jews, Negroes,
Puerto Ricans. He admonishes:
"The principle of exclusivity and
superiority is an old idea and has
led to death and destruction. In
the West, it caused the Crucifixion,
the Crusades, the Inquisition, the
murder of uncounted pagan un-
believers and the extermination of
six million Jews . — in our own
time alone. In our country, it has
opened the door to violence, pre-
judice and segregation."
Then he points out that "today
anti-Semitism is our quiet pre-
judice," and he quotes at length
Anti-Defamation League figures to
show the extent of anti-Semitic
practices, also indicating: "A study
of the automobile industry dis-
closed that of 51,000 white-collar,
professional and executive em-

ployees of the 'Big Three' manu- Everything is a matter of man's
facturers in Detroit, only 328 were will. Oh, not on the sun, but here
Jewish."
among people. This is my lesson
Dealing with problem or racial from our history here. It depends
bigotry, Moskin charges that on the strength of the will."
"perhaps the most immoral price
This study of moral issues is
that the Negro has had to pay
powerful in every respect. It is the
has been the crippling injury to result of deep study, of able
the Negro family." He declares
analysis and is a firm challenge
emphatically: "A n y o n e who about the freedoms to be concerned
would not accept a Negro or a with and to be fully protected.
Jew or a Catholic or a Puerto
Rican living next door is a bigot, Hebrew Corner
because he is judging people not
on their individual worth and
merit but because they belong to
a group. There is no rational
reason to reject a human being
Our story begins in one of the beau-
because his skin is dark or he tiful
hotels of Switzerland. The auto-
mobile
industrialist of Israel, Ephraim
thinks differently about God."
fin, met the American airplane indus-
Suburbia is described as "a self- trialist Lear and his wife Moya. At that
time, Mr. Lear and his wife Moya had
satisfied society." "To a great ex- just
read the book 'Exodus" and ad-
tent," he states, "there is a Five mired it very much. Mr. IIin invited
them
to visit Israel, and since then the
O'Clock Barrier; Christians and Lear family
visit Israel every year.
Jews who work together in the
A year ago, Mrs. Moya Lear was in
Jordan
and
crossed
over from there to
city go their separate ways in Israel via the Mandlebaum
Gate. She
suburbia."
visited the family 'friend, Mr. Ilin, and
brought a briefcase with her containing
Dealing with America's new im- strange scrolls. "What is the nature of
perial morality, Moskin at one these scrolls?" she asked.
Mr. Ilin opened the briefcase and
point quotes David Ben-Gurion who found pieces of a Sefer Torah (scrolls
told him: "I see a day when Rus- of the Old Testament) in it. Moya told
him that her Arab guide in Jordan had
sia and America will live together. suggested that she buy the pieces, as
they
were part of the "Hidden Scrolls."
I'm sure they will. Then we will She was
asked to pay $10,000. She did
live together with the Arabs. not want to buy them.
That was on Moya's birthday.
When Russia doesn't send arms That
night her father came to her in
to the Arabs, they will know Is- a dream and told her to buy the
scrolls.
In the morning Moya - Lear went
rael is here to stay and they can- to the man
who had offered her the
not destroy it. Then there will be scrolls. She paid him $10,000, and
the scrolls from him.
peace, and there will be peace. bought
Mr. Ilin explained to Moya that these

Law Scrolls From'
Jordan to Israel

Find Oil Near Sdom

JERUSALEM, Aug. 1. (JTA)
— Oil has been discovered in
the hills near Sdom in southern
Israel. The strike was made at a
depth of 4,777 feet by the Nafta
Company. It has still not been
determined whether the quan-
tity or the quality of the petro-
leum deposit warrants commer-
cial exploitation.

were torn Sifrei Torah which the Arabs
had pillaged from the synagogues in
the Old. City of Jerusalem during the
War of Liberation. He sugested that
she have the scrolls repaired and
present them to TZAHAL (Israel De-
fense Force) as a gift.
Moya accepted the suggestion, paid
56,000. more for the repair of the
scrolls, and donated them in accord-
ance with Mr. Ilin's advice.
One thing is interesting. Mrs. Moya
Lear and her husband are not Jewish.
(Published by the Brit Ivrit Olamit
with the assistance of the Memorial
Foundation for Jewish Culture).
Material in vowelized, easy Hebrew,
can be obtained by writing to Brit
Ivrit Olamit, P. 0. Box 7111, Jerusalem,
Israel.

,rnwIn7r-1
. •

T

T •

AM

771,11'

trp,:r ri
.17.1 :nn Irrq3n Lrrjr)n
"rt.P.11 nvv,i jaP4 ,r'n5
nilin 7?;1 rtP1711
rrrin incrMill,'? 7n .rc,in
mji
wpitv?
717.4
-orriopty ippri
lwipT
rinntp? n -Irr?
r 1rt5
nOt.t

ITT
r:3V?1
rrrin i;P nr,r)7
Mr.rit 7Pn 17. n ;1 117.4 wr.i .L7rITtr.L? -tIvrri.4n - 1:117.73-
,rrktnn
.r)147?
74:19
—
7V t3., 717 in z.t47?.i
rq.:; ri rt?'k in
,ri -
ri;'r
11.1.n - ritn
77.1!;1 nt,P.V
Lptg n, 7 271 t3;7 ,n,snpri
tomoo nt.?t7iL?
71711 gt?
.rrTin
nr1:77
,niLmn ;Tnx ;-Tr'm t.
t4 ir)ix4
n'?
,nk3
.nitp,pprt
tairkzl?
rryin rRt?iril
laran nrqp)
trpt7i nItp. i 17 rp?'?t
.niLp,rpri nK
nri
rrkt in
,trrr-r7
n'; 'l li rit
n P4"1:.):;??
,rrz .t .t/11. ' '2V
r!
,11nritn nt-1 L2 7?
, trlYP 71 ra.;
.L7-j L? riF1. 74
• nr3
prtlt? i tTli 6,000 "OS/
rrTin
errkt
LPV im474;1,
tra.)ix
strlY.cri
roFx n'47n1 -1,L? rr.in
"nor 141

1

n ,73‘7i17 rins? ro'nriNs.irr)
.
.
77)
(Inivr rnznni7

32—August 5, 1966

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

