Czechoslovakian
Jewry's
Millenium
The Revolt
Against
Ignorance
Editorials
Page 4
VOL.
H, No. 14
CD
ELVISH EWS
C)I
A Weekly Review
Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper
(6 - -
2 7
of Jewish Events
The Legend
of the Refugees:
Misrepresentations
by UNRWA
Exposed
Commentary
Page 2
Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
June 21, 1968-17100 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit 48235—VE 8-9364
$7.00 Per Year; This Issue 20c
Structure of World Zionism
Altere at Hist ric 27th Congress
Image,
litoscow s- Rabbi:
The spiritual leader
of Moscow's Grand Choral Synagogue, Rabbi Yehuda Leib
Levin (left), 72, talks to his wife (center) before he and
Cantor David Stiskin (right) of the Leningrad Choral Syna-
gogue flew from Moscow airport for a two-,week tour of the
United States. The two religious leaders, the first to make
such a trip outside the Soviet Union, arrived in New York
Monday night as guests of the American Council for Judaism.
(Story Page '7)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The 27th World Zionist Congress has greatly altered the
structure and image of the World Zionist Organization,- which is moving away from the
party principle toward a nonpolitical alignment of groups and individuals whose primary
aims are to foster immigration and support Israel.
The accent was definitely on youth at the 27th congress. As a result of their campaign-
ing body, 15 Zionist youth organizations were voted representation in the Zionist Actions
Committee, governing body of the WZO between congresses, and four seats were granted to
the World Union of Jewish Students.
The latter had demanded more, but they were told they could gain additional represen-
tatives on the actions committee by joining the national Zionist federations in their respective
countries. The representatives of independent aliya movements also were voted seats on
the actions committee.
The congress adopted resolutions asking every Jewish family in the diaspora to
send at least one of its children to settle in Israel and to purchase at least one dollar's worth
of Israel-made goods per week, per head.
The future composition of the Zionist executive and the general council was the subject
of feverish bargaining Tuesday afternoon as the congress moved into its final hours. The
behind-the-scenes haggling was complicated by the congress' decision to reduce the number
of agency departments and consequently the number of executives.
There was also the fact that many Zionist parties are mirror images of Israeli political
parties and deals made here will have ramifications outside of the Zionist movement.
The congress closed shortly before 4 a.m. local time Wednesday without electing a
new president, that task being deferred to the actions committee which is expected to hold
elections next year.
Dr. Nahum Goldmann, the incumbent and in the opinion of many delegates the only
suitable candidate, declined to stand fOr another term. But in a closing address to the
congress, he made it clear that he would be at the disposal of the Zionist movement and its
executive at all times. "I don't say goodby, I say adieu." Dr. Goldmann said. "There is nothing
that can separate me from the Zionist movement."
(Continued on Page 8)
Problems of Youth and Aliya Stir WZC Delegates
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
JERUSALEM — Impressions recorded of necessity. two days before the closing
sessions of the 27th World Zionist Congress can not contain all of the conclusive
factors of a world gathering in which 31 countries and a dozen parties with differinl,
ideologies in Jewish life are represented. But it is safe to point out several pre-
dominant developments.
There was — and there remains—the conflict between the Israel government and
Zionist leadership and the role of the overwhelming number of representatives of
labor parties in both. It was inevitable that they should play decisive roles in negotia-
tions, that the attitude of Mapai under the leadership of Golda Meir should have
led to the determination to eliminate Dr. Nahum Goldmann from the leadership
of the Zionist movement. At the same time, the high esteem in which Dr. Emanuel
Neumann is held in General Zionist ranks elevated him to the position of a candidate
for the World Zionist Organization presidency. Coupled with these developments was
the strong feeling that it would be a calamity for the WZO to emerge from the
WZ- Congress with a mere presidium and executive and without a president.
These accumulated factors are marked by skepticisms, by cynicism in the Israelis'
view of Zionism, by a negation — so soon after the Six-Day War—of the status of vital
significance that had again been accorded the Zionist movement. The recognition due
to Zionism and the need to strengthen the movement as means of assuring Aliya
have not been fully utilized.
While there are personality problems, they are not necessarily the ruling factors
here. The move towards establishing Territorial Zionist Organizations to consolidate
all party activities has gained ground over previous hesitancies. The emphasis on
Aliya is more serious than ever. The involvement of non-Zionist groups within the
WZO has become an established fact. The welcome mat has been spread out for the
youth.
Nevertheless, the WZCongress delegates are not altogether elated over conditions.
They speak of Aliya knowing full well that mass migration is impossible and only
crises usually encourage large - scale movements by olim (immigrants) towards Israel.
The talk about an increased migration of young Jews from France, Great Britain and
the United States is invariably intermingled with reports about the spread of anti-
Semitism in the two European countries and the distressing racist issue in the U.S.
That's not positive Zionism: it is a perpetuation of the negativism that has forced the
vacuation of Jews from several European and nearly all Moslem countries.
Therefore the WZCongress delegates will be returning to their respective homes
with a sense of frustration. Indeed, how can parents inspire Aliya when they them-
selves rejected it?
*
Realism compels pragmatic Zionists to take into account the age factor. This
correspondent has failed in his effort to get an exact figure on the average age of
the delegates to the 27th world meeting. But it is conceded that it is in excess of
60—and some say it could be close to 65.
Jacques, Torczyner, president of the Zionist Organization of America, one of the
dynamic leaders at the Congress who served as chairman of the very important
-committee on organization, is 53. He is one of the youngest of the delegates. But
there are many who have had reunions after meeting at Congrss sessions for more
than 30 years. Therein lies the weakness in the Zionist movement: the fact that
there are so few of the youth in the movement. (Isn't this the weakness of all Jewish
movements today, except the fund-raising?)
The age factors placed added significance on the revolt of the youth, on the
presence at the Congress of some 100 young people who were invited as observers,
who emerged as participants with full power of committee memberships and the right
to vote.
Yet, the youth demonstrated. It had to be heard. They spoke of "fighting for"
certain principles and not of "aspiring to" and "striving for" fulfillment of Zionist
ideals. The emphasis was on "demands" instead of negotiations—and so many of
the delegates felt it would have been wiser and so much more proper if cooperation
had been attained with concessions through congenial approaches of youth and their
elders one to the other. It was disturbing that Aryeh Pincus, chairman of the Jewish
Agency, should have had to tell the spokesman for youth that he was guilty of
"improper public behavior.''
The Jewish youth who came here did not need a lesson in methods of conducting
the revolt. Young Jews had shown the way at the Sorbonne, at Columbia University,
in Bonn. The pattern may not have been the same; it was not necessary to occupy
buildings here. But youth demonstrated, demanded, had the support of all Israeli
university students, and they won practically every point in their program. The
fact is that the elders, anxious to have them in their midst, readily conceded to
everything.
(Continued on Page 10)
Chrysler Added to Arab Blacklist
Chrysler Motors Corp. has been added to the infamous blacklist of the Arab
Boycott Office, it was reported this week. The Detroit-based firm was one of 50
described by the Jordanian government as conducting trade with Israel in violation.
of the Arab boycott.
Another "company" named was the United Hias Service, the American Jewish
migration agency.
Most of the companies named by the Jordanians are real-estate holding or develop-
ment companies in many parts of the United States which are not engaged in com-
merce and have no trade relatiOns with Israel or any other country. There was no
explanation where the Jordanians found the names of these concerns.
The Jordanians also blacklisted the French aeronautics firm of Marcel Dassault,
builders of the famous French Mirage fighter-bombers, despite the fact that Dassault
has just received a substantial order for its aircraft from Iraq. The Mirage IV
fighter-bombers are the backbone of the Israeli Air Force.
The Studebaker Corporation was removed from the Jordanian blacklist, Amman
said, because it had ceased doing business with Israel. Studebaker Lark passenger
cars had been assembled in Israel for a number of years after Studebaker went out
of the automotive industry, but the model was dropped by the Israelis some years
back.
A spokesman for Chrysler told The Jewish News that the addition of the
corporation's name to the blacklist came as a complete surprise, that Chrysler
trades with Arab countries as well as Israel and that it has no facilities in Israel.
"We don't know what we did wrong," he said, "but when we find out, we'll let
you know."
Asked what Chrysler plans to do about the boycott, he said "Nothing."