THE JEWISH NEWS
Lending a Helping Hand
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951
Member American Ass sciation of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial
Association.
Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Mich. 48235.
VE 8-9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
SIDNEY SHMARAK
Business Manager
Advertising Manager
CHARLOTTE HYAMS
City Editor
Sabbath • Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 18th day of Elul, 5726, tile following scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuch ii. portion, Deut. 26:1-29:8; Prophetical portion, Isaiah 60:1-22.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Sept. 2, 6:47 p.m.
VOL. L — NO. 2
Page 4
September 2, 1966
New Puzzle: 1970 Census Questionnaire
Is it true, as charged, in a protest against
the inclusion of a query about American
citizens' religious preference, that a similar
identification of people in Germany led to the
apprehension of Jews by Nazis and their mass
murder?
In that case, why are such questions re-
ceiving replies from citizens in Canada's
population enumerations without repercus-
sions? Why are there similar questions asked
from students at the University of Michigan
and in other universities and replies submit-
ted without rancor?
There are strong protests against the pro-
posed inclusion of an item about religious
preference in the 1970 Decennial Census
questionnaire, and there are valid arguments
against it. From present indications, the que-
ry may be omitted entirely because of the ob-
jection from many quarters.
Yet, there is ample reason to recognize
the values of such a query. At the University
of Michigan, it was possible to establish that
more than 2,000 students adhere to the Jewish
faith. There is reason to believe that another
thousand or more have failed to answer the
question on religion upon their registration.
That's where we have both sides of direct
reaction: those who accept the query -normally,
and those who refuse to be identified.
The Canadian experience is much more
valid. Because of the religious question we
have a better idea of the Jewish population
in Canada, of its distribution, its activities,
etc., than of any other Jewish group on this
continent.
That the basis for securing information
about various segments of the American popu-
lation is not entirely repugnant is evidenced
in the protest of the president of the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee, who has endorsed the
Census Bureau sample study of 1957 when
"valuable information" was acquired by a
poll of 35,000 households. But the plan pro-
posed by the AJC head as a substitute can
hardly be considered adequate, and it is puz-
zling that it should even be suggested since
such a study on a minor scale can be con-
ducted by private agencies with perhaps
better results.
There is a measure of inconsistency in
the controversy over the census. It is difficult
to understand why anyone should object to
affirming his Jewishness, since it is never a
secret and should not be treated as a secret.
Is there any reason for suggesting that a
question relating to a person's religion should
involve resort to the Fifth Amendment?
The separation idea enters into the ques-
tion. If that is the issue — the demand for
total avoidance of reference to religion in any
search for facts whatever — then it is another
matter. But the securing of information about
the religious affiliations of all Americans
could suggest valuable demographic benefits.
At best, the census questionnaire contro-
versy creates a puzzle. It certainly need not
be viewed as threatening a calamity for
Americans, whether they are Jews, Moslems,
Catholics, Protestants, Seventh Day Adven-
tists or those of any of the other dozens of
denominations in accordance with whose pre-
cepts we and our fellow citizens are worship-.
ing.
It is strange that the fear should have
been introduced that a religious question in
the census queStionnaire may introduce totali-
tarianism into the American way of life. We
fail to see even a semblance of such a danger.
The issue that has arisen must be considered
rationally, without panic. The American way
of life is too sound to be imperiled by any-
one's revealing where and how he prays.
Senator Gruening's Expose of Nasserism
Acclaiming his belief that "at long last
the administration has taken a cold realistic
approach to the United Arab Republic and
will, in the future, discontinue the practice
of giving economic aid to President Nasser
to aid him in carrying on activities around the
world inimical to the U. S. interests and
ruptive of world peace," U. S. Senator Gruen-
ing of Alaska expressed the hope that the ad-
ministration will continue "its adamant stand"
until:
Egypt sits clown at the peace table with
Israel; the UAR brings an end to its pro-
hibition of the use of the Suez Canal by
UN Put to the Test
International authority is being tested in
the Middle East.
If Syria means it — that she will no longer
respect the role of the United Nations and
will resort to force against Israel, in an effort
to inspire other Arab states to wage war on
the Jewish neighbor, then the world organi-
zation's status is being probed in the crudest
way: by means . of arrogance and a refusal
to accept peaceful means to settle a dispute.
Israel yielded to the UN when it withdrew
its workers from the Lake Tiberias area until
the present controversy could be resolved.
Until there was an agreement with Gen. Odd
Bull, chief of staff of the UN Truce Super-
viSion Organization, to regain possession of
it, Israel refrained from salvaging a coast
guard vessel on Lake Tiberias. Israel with-
drew its forces during the Sinai Campaign
at the UN's request. But Syria is adamant,
belligerent, war-mongering. Its acts, indeed,
are a challenge to the UN. Tht, world organ-
ization is being tested by the actions of belli-
gerent Syrians:
gam
Horrified German Woman
Protests in 'Nightmare Diary'
Ursula von Kardorff worked for DAZ—Deutsche Ailgemeine
Zeitung—during the Nazi era. She was horrified by Nazism. She
claims that many Germans resented the Nazi crimes and their humilia-
tions of Jews. If that was so, why wasn't there greater resistance to
Nazism?
Her views and this posed question attach significance to her
book, "Diary of a Nightmare—Berlin 1942-1945," published by John
Day Co. (62 W. 45th, NY36).
There are many items in her diary that indicate that there were
Germans like herself who resented the tyranny, objected to anti-
Semitism, were horrified by the prejudices. Why did Nazism succeed?
Under date of Dec. 31, 1942, Ursula von Kardorff wrote in her diary:
"Our 'account' for the past year is an unhappy sight. It started with the
retreats in Russia and the completely chaotic 'Wool Week,' which was supposed
to raise warm clothing for troops on the Eastern front. Then came Rommel's
evacuation of Cyrenaica, the American landings in Africa and the siege of
Stalingrad, and then the bombing of the Rhineland and the destruction of
Luebeck. Rationing has been rather better managed than before, mostly
because of ingenious dodges like the `Fuehrer's Parcels' for troops going on
leave, special ration cards for Christmas and issues of wine. Apart from that,
many people are depressed about the deportation of the Jews, although the
bulk of the population is quite indifferent to the whole business."
Could there be "many" depressed people? The answer is in "the
bulk" of the indifferent. An uprising even among a fraction of the
Germans might have prevented the calamity for which Germans will
be castigated unto the end of days.
Nevertheless, Ursula von Kardorff's diary is historically im-
portant. She tells, under date of March 3, 1943. that
"around the Rosenthalerplatz, working-class women had gathered and protested
noisily against the deportation of the Jews. Armed SS men with fixed bayonets
and steel helmets were dragging miserable figures out of the houses. Old
women, children and terrified men were loaded into trucks and driven away.
The crowd shouted, 'Why don't you leave the old women alone? Why don't
you go out to the front, where you belong?' In the end a fresh detachment
of SS appeared and dispersed the crowd.
"One never sees that kind of thing in our neighborhood. There the Jews
are fetched away at night. If it were not for Baerchen (a fellow-worker on
DAZ), who works tirelessly for the Jewish families in her apartment house,
I should not even know what was happening. How quickly we have all got
used to seeing the Jewish Star.
"Most people's attitude is one of complete indifference—like that of T.,
who said to me the other day, 'Why should I care about the Jews? The only
thing I think about is my brother. at Rshev, and I couldn't care less about
anything else.' I think that the ordinary people are behaving much better than
the so-called educated classes or the half-educated. There is a typical story of
a workman who got up and gave his seat in a tram to a Jewess, wearing the
Star. 'Come on, have a sit-down, my old doll!' he said. When a Party member
protested, the workman simply said, "I'll do what I like with my own ass,
if you don't mind!'"
Israeli ships; Egyptian troops are with-
drawn from Yemen.
In the course of the past five or six years,
primarily as a result of his personal obser-
vations in E gyp t, Senator Gruening has
found cause to be concerned about the situa-
tion in the Middle East, and he has warned
against the rising menace of Nasserism.
He went farther: he demanded steps be
taken by the United States to end the arms
Here is proof both of the indifference and of -the protest—and in
race in the Middle East.
Accompanying his important declarations deference to the decent Germans we must make a record also of the
element, since so much attention is constantly given to the
in the Senate was the renewed charge that humane
criminal, to the barbarian majority of Germans.
Nasser diverts "the food for peace from his
On another occasion, writing about the deportation of Jews, tic
people for the sale in the open market" and author of this Berlin diary commented: "I wonder if some people cz. -
that such food has been resold to Cuba, the still manage to pray? I cannot any longer."
Soviet Union, East Germany and Bulgaria.
Ursula von Kardorff was an eminent artist. When Jews wearing
Senator Gruening, for a number of years the Star of David came to her in their distress, she refunded them
the most consistent opponent of aid to Nasser for the paintings they purchased from her. That was on Nov. 20,
as long as he wages war and abuses the U.S., 1942, and the comment in the diary is: "I am glad that all our own
thus renews a campaign he had begun, joint- Jewish friends emigrated years ago and are now safe, because Papa
not have stood this sort of thing for very long."
ly with other Senators, to reject bthe UAR could
There is this note to her diary under date of May 5, 1943:
"Whenever one hears someone singing in the street, it is always a foreigner.
threats to peace and to condemn Nasser's It strikes
as quite out of place.
anti-American policies. II i s condemnation "Aunt Ada me
(Mies van der Rohe) came around and told us that the Jews whom
she has been hiding for months and whom she taied to get td Salem, across
of Nasserism, he declared, "is not based on the
Swiss frontier, with the help of her youngest daughter, are back on her
any anti-Arab feeling. I would be first to hands again. The police would not allow them to cross the frontier. Aunt Ada
is in despair. When the alert sounds, they cannot go into the shelter and if it
propose and support the giving of economic ever comes out that she has been hiding them she will be arrested, and that
mean a concentration camp. We gave her some money and food for them.
aid to the United Arab Republic if it would will "We
have heard no more of our own 'divers' ("a slang for Jews who had
be sincerely and properly applied to that submerged,
so to speak, to evade deportation.") They used just to turn up
every now and then. The last time we saw them they were not wearing the
country's own economic development."
Star. They told us that because they inquired about the whereabouts of some
Jews they were arrested by a policeman, who finally let them go, saying,
We share this view with the distinguished other don't
let me see you again, that's all.' What can have become of them?"
Senator. No one in a responsible position `Just Account
is taken of Jews who were shot down in front of mass
would at any time oppose aid to any Arab graves, as well as of some Germans who spoke out against
the
country as long as that means of support atrocities. The "Heil Hitler" era is depicted with horror. There are
would be utilized to raise the standards of stories about Jews, especially about one elderly Jewish woman, whose
living of the impoverished Arabs. But as long plight created resentment. And there are accounts of Germans who
as aid is diverted to secure arms in a war followed Hitler to the bitterest end.
The diary, published in a translation from the German by Ewan
against Israel a sense of justice demands
Butler, gives an account of the brutalities by the invading Russians
that Nasserism should be condemned. For when
they came to Berlin to exact vengeance.
making the facts known, Senator Gruening
"Diary of a Nightmare" importantly depicts the tragedy of an
has earned the acclaim of all justice-loving era related by a horrified German woman who could not tolerate her
Americans.
kinsmen's crimes. —P. S.