Challenging Emanations from Jerusalem
Confront World Jewry on Many Problems
(Continued from Page 1)
sible educator and an authority taste and/or knowledge of Jewish proferred classes, lends courage in its composition said: "Over
Semitism, by wars, crisis, trage on social studies. As part of his affairs and historic principles than to the efforts to establish proper my dead body will you change
dies and the Holocaust. Those who report was attached 6--reprint of
classes at universities. But the it . . ." He lives—and the changes
settled in Israel because they were a special article that appeared in all the racists who are condemned enrollment of less than 30 students were made.
in
his
outburst
of
self-hatred.
moved by the ancient hope, by the University of Michigan Daily
in such an earnest effort sponsored
* *
Prophecy, enthused by the posi- on May 1, 1967, signed by a Jewish
The sociologist who introduced by. the United Hebrew Schools of
Comedy
can
be parodied, humor
student,
Stephen
Wildstrom.
It
tive aims of the movement for
us to this shocking piece of bigotry Detroit in cooperation with the
the realization of the historic was entitled "Every One of Them accompanied it with the text of the Jewish Theological Seminary is in often turns to satire—and there
dream of Zion's redemption, were is a Racist." This article, which atrocious article we have just itself a distressing factor; and the abuse can assume a form of arro-
the minority.
came to us belatedly, reads:
quoted and with comments that revelation that there are 5,000 gance. One of the impressive
It was the second night of Passover. won't be to the liking of some Jewish students in Ann Arbor—we addresses at the Congress was the
Now youth is demonstrating. The
company had just completed the
There was rejoicing at the WZCon- ritual feast—the Seder—when I discov- people, especially the rabbi and believe many less than 3,000 in- one by Shimon Peres who reviewed
ered
how deep lie the roots of the sick- the Hillel director referred to; dicated their Jewish heritage—adds Jewish achievements and com-
gress that young people from ness of
contemporary American society.
mented on the literary accomplish-
Argentina, France, England and
Passover is the Jewish festival of but they are facts that are neces- to the distress over this issue.
ments of men like Bernard Mala-
freedom,
a vicarious observance of the sary for an understanding of vital
Injection
of
this
issue
in
the
other countries assumed to set up flight of Israel
from slavery in Egypt
mud, Isaac Bashevis Singer and
barricades and to defend them in to freedom in the Promised Land. The issues that are being beclouded discussion of the events at the others. The following day one of
of the traditional home service by dreams that emanate from WZCongress is not irrelevant to
Zion rather than in Paris or Brus body
begins "We were slaves unto Pharoah
the young orators selected Peres
sels or New York or Ann Arbor. in Egypt." Yet a 4,000 year- struggle to planning sessions like those in the entire problem. It is part of for attack and advised him to go
that freedom had lost its mean- Jerusalem but which may not be the distress because it involves
Now those who were at the Con- retain
ing to the well-fed company at that
to his study and read the
students, because it relates to the back
gress and were distressed by the table just as American history has lost pragmatic. -
books he referred to.
its significance to this nation's pros-
* * *
leanings
of
students
to
the
neo-
youths' tactics are entertaining the perous
white citizens.
Perhaps the attitudes of the
left that has become anti-Zionist.
hopes that they represented more
AFTER DINNER — the guests soggy
his comments on conditions It has something to do with our young, who are themselves in a
than themselves but mass move- with abundant food and sacramental at In
the U-M Bet Midrash, the head
conversation turned from the
quandary, are best explained by
ment which may truly lead to the wine—the
condition of the world to the state of of that Midrasha in Ann Arbor, hopes and prayers that out of
larger scale settlement of West- the nation to the "schwarze problem." Joseph D. Ben-Dak, the coordi- what had taken place in Jerusalem comments by the - youths made in
Schwarze is a Yiddi,sh word meaning
interviews after the Congress. Her
ern Jews in Israel. But if youths' black,
but in Amerida, it has acquired nator and instructor in Jewish —the revolt of the youth against are two of them:
those they charged with incompe-
new meaning. Jews have never needed
demonstrations should prove
to resort to the word "nigger"; history (his associate instructors tence — will come to good tidings,
"Linda Derber: I don't think we
fiasco, failing to bring results, schwarze
has sufficed.
in Hebrew and Talmud are
gained anything new.. It was the
indicating that the "rebellion"
While celebrating their own hard-won Samuel Raz and Lawrence Davis), genuine Aliyah, greater resort to
.the esteemed guests spouted
the positive in the Zionist program same old story, over and over
was merely another quest for freedom.
the enslaved cant of racism. Jewish wrote as follows:
again . .
0 * *
power, then the privileges that tradition stresses the vicarious experi-
"There are about 5,000 Jewish stu-
"Rafi Caplan: The trouble is that
ence of history "lest we forget" a his-
were accorded them will have tory
Linked with this effort is the
of millenia of persecution and re- dents at the University of Michigan.
been wasted.
pression. Yet that tradition had made The atmosphere on the university hope for an end to party political we got everything we wanted. We
campus has been in recent years any-
only had to ask for something to
little impression on the Seder guests.
* *
THE SEDER was held in a neighbor- thing but conducive to Jewish educa- maneuvers. The manner in which get it, except for a room. of . our
tion of any sort. The rising protest Mapai delegates together with the
The role played by youth at the hood euphemistically called "racially movements
like Voice-SDS, and the like,
own, and translators of our own.
Predominantly white five years
Congress here must be considered mixed."
ago. it has rapidly become predomi- tremendously affected the Jewish stu- Confederation that is overwhelm- But, otherwise, we had no com-
It would not be an exaggeration ingly Hadassah leaned towards
with great seriousness because of nantly black as the white fled to the dents.
Yet the people at the Seder to state that from the active Jewish party interests was appalling. plaints to warrant our mounting
its many implications. They were suburbs.
were the very people who had stayed students ("active" defined very broadly)
fine young men and women who, as the complexion of their neighbor- at the Ann Arbor campus, that most Youth revolted against it. Many the barricades."
Is youth in conflict or confusion?
changed, a fact which made their belong to these organizations, normally delegates were furious about it.
as they themselves stated, did not hood
deep-rooted racism all the more dis- make their leadership, demonstrate lit-
* * *
tle
or
interest
in
Judaism
and
bear
resort to the methods of those who couraging
Now
there
is
the
aspiration
to
end
and frightening.
anti-Zionist, anti-Israel attitudes. In
shut themselves into a building in
At one point of the discussion about fact, a salient number in this leader- the party system that dominates
The death of Dr. Morton Rob-
"What is it that the schwarzes want ship demonstrate hatred for anything a great movement. Will Rosius
Ann Arbor to attain their goals, and
bins of Boston, two days after the
what do they hope to gain by loot- connected directly with Jewish contents
or who rioted at the Sorbonne in ing and burning?" someone noted that and symbols (see attached article, writ- Pincus do something about that? Congress, was a sad aftermath
the window was open and suggested ten by a Jewish junior in the local
Paris and in New York at Colum- that
Pincus tried to explain -failure to the world sessions. He was a
it be closed for fear that the black campus newspaper). This hatred is
bia.
neighbors might overhear. The guests usually rapped with an "ideology" of to find a successor to Nahum distinguished physician, a noted
realized
that
their
comments
were
infra-nationalism,
"revolutionism"
and
They were a more peaceful lot. highly offensive but would themselves
Goldmann because there was no figure in his day in American
But they did say at the outset, as have been gravely offended had they many other extraneous overtones.
time "at the last minute" and military affairs (he was a Colonel)
been
"Certainly,
openly
accused
of
racism.
the
important
factors
I
don't
they were quoted again and again: know whether the concern over the that bring upon this picture are not selection of a head of the World and at one time was viewed as one
"If you don't grant our demands open window was motivated more by relevant to the University of Michigan Zionist Organization was handed of the outstanding candidates for
of the surrounding blacks—a fear alone. We know too little about the
we'll demonstrate. If you do, of fear
that now permeates the white commu- significant factors that we can manip- over to the Actions Committee. the presidency of the Zionist Or-
of course we'll demonstrate." On nity—or by sensitivity for the neigh- ulate to some extent over all campuses That's a lot of buncombe! Gold- ganization of America. He was a
inghso.
least the former mo- in the USA. However, at Michigan,
occasions they actually took over tovrast'i ofne els
Hillel became over the last 3-4 years mann was being pushed out by pleasant companion" at many con-
hon e st .
control of sessions. Pincus grant-
A WHILE LATER, someone con- the most declining students' center on Mapai, at the direction of Golda ventions . and several WZCon-
this campus; thus the first-order task
demned
the
police
forces
of
American
ed them a great deal, including cities for allowing looting to continue should
be to reorient it adequately and Meir, and that settled it. Other gresses. Blessed be this memory.
19 of the 100 memberships on the unchecked and suggested that looters make it- more attractive for those of parties sought a successor: their
0
*
the
Jewish
students that are poten-
be
shot
on
sight.
No
one
flinched
when
World Zionist Actions Committee. it was mentioned that the religion tially in need
of identity, that we be- role was hopeless.
There
were
many
syrriposia re-
This was a revolutionary act and which they so energetically professed lieve is positive. While the underlying
Perhaps the territorial roof lated to the Congress. In one
a supreme value on respect for fact is the same for almost all Hillel
one would hope that Pincus' readi- placed
centers, it is important to note that organizations in Zionism will pro-
human life. Under the Law of Moses,
ness to grant the boys and girls crime against property requires only a some of the other religious centers, vide a solution to such a state of article on "Zionism Needs Faith,"
a member of the Jewish Agency
that the offender make restitution for again not only at Michigan, have dem-
-everything even though on one any
loss incurred while a crime against onstrated a change in their methods, affairs. It is doubtful: first there information department, Zvi . Zin-
occasion he accused them of "im- a person calls for penalties ranging the goal being the attraction of a must emerge a popular dethand
ger, posing the question whether
ostracism to death. Prosperity has greater number of participants. Thus;
proper public behavior." If they from
rendered a professed tradition empty dances and folk-singing, movies, etc., for an end to partisanship.
"Zionism can exist without ideol-
produce results, if they can inte- and meaningless.
are part and parcel of all religious
ogy," tells of having met a
* * *
person at that table is proud centers. Clergymen do their best to be
grate in their so-called "World to Every
call himself a liberal. Every one of identifed as "progressive" in the pro-
journalist frorri Newark and he told
Union of Jewish Students" the tens them_
Nahum Goldmann is not very of the question he put to him and
supported the civil rights while test movement and induce activities
the
like
the
Anti-Vietnam
Campaign
in
civil
rights
movement
concerned
(hundreds) of thousands of Ameri-
with voting, desegregation and their respective institutions, minimizing popular in Israel. He has been an the answer he received:
can Jewish Students (they admitted itself
even open housing. Everyone of them the religious contents • to a negligible
I met a journalist from Newark.
of their program, or to literally object for severe attacks for a
they had no affiliation with Jewish strongly opposes the Vietnam war. part
one of them was shocked and zero.
variety of reasons. In his major I put the following to him : Some
students in North America), then Every
saddened by the death of the Rev. Dr.
"Given this atmosphere, many of the
people say that those Jewish
Luther King. Every one of them
they will prove the justice of all Martin
Jewish "leaders" find it extremely re- Congress addresses he expressed
is a racist.
businessmen who suffered as a
their demands.
EVERY ONE OF THEM strongly and warding to join in the "protest" activi- his resentment. He castigated the
*
result of the " Negro riots will
with deep feeling endorses the concept ties associated with any institution—
keeping
their
distance
from
Hillel.
Israeli newspapers in no uncer- immigrate to Israel. What do you
of collective guilt when applied to the
Every Zionist in his youth was Germans
for the massacre of European
"In Ann Arbor two factors have been
think? His reply was: "Of the six
Jewry. None of them is willing to ac- especially conducive to this situation. tain terms.
a rebel. The harsh words used cept
collective guilt for the shame and The Conservative Community's Rabbi
Aryeh Pincus towards the end million Jews in the United States
against the present leadership- sorrow
of American society.
has been extremely involved with the
No matter what programs any gov- "progressive", all - American - oriented also came to his defense by re- do you specifically want those Jews
authortarian, domineering, dicta- ernment
or private agency may foster, circles, and therefore apparently less
who are exploiting the Negroes?
torial, and some very insulting no matter how much
money is spent worried about the declining of Jewish jecting the attitude of the press
Do you want selective aliya of this
the ghettoes, this insidious, unknow- students' participation in Hillel and in in Israel.
terms—may not be different from in
ing
racism will stand in the the Jewish community's activities. Thus
nature?"
those that were used by youth of way liberal
of true improvement in the quality he could have served as a symbol and
There was much justification
American society.
previous generations against their of Forgive
If ever their was a negative
source of legitimation for those stu- for these expressions of resent-
them, they know not what a
dents that would not have so neglected
elders. Now we need the proof of they do.
approach
to the needs, here we
Hillel and Jewish-labeled kinds of ac- ment but it is questionable whether
* * *
ability to create!
tivities had he been more moderate in such personalaty issues belonged have it. There is no rebuttal about
approach to 'social issues'. (Actu-
The challenge to youth is es-
Jews who are the victims of . the
In view of the demonstrations of his
ally the number of such students is on the agenda of a movement
pecially great because of the pre- a positive Jewish nature by Jewish very
small anyway.) The other factor fighting for its historic role and race terror and . nothing was
vailing indifference in Jewish students in Jerusalem this is the is associated with the Hillel director
added to qualify the situation by
is a very inflexible and uninnova- seeking a way out of parliamentary
ranks to Jewish needs and reali- type of articulation that needs to who
tive person, has been demonstrating no moraps. Perhaps future Jewish indicating, first, that very few vic-
ties and because there is so be studied and evaluated and must sense for inducing activiites in Hillel, parliamentarians will provide a tims of the race pressures remain
spending considerable time on ac-
much ignorance about Jews and be equated with what has happened and
in Negro areas, and that those
tivities not at all related to coping with way out of resort to pettiness.
their adherence to their traditions in Jerusalem during the WZCon- the obviously more crucial questions.
who survived it might indeed
financial undoing brought Hillel to
* * *
in Jewish ranks.
make good aliyah material: some
gress. The new wisdom (sic!) from His
a virtual standstill in alleviating such
* *
Ann Arbor, indicts the entire problems.
The Congress was not without have nowhere else to turn to. But
Just as we were leaving for Jewish people of racism, deni-
"Today Hillel attracts a significant its humor. During the simultane- the fact is that the fears that have
number of "misfits", i.e., Jewish stu-
Israel for the WZCongress sessions grates Jewish principles, resorts dents
that have little or no social rela- ous tranlations, at a session that crept into American society do
this correspondent was presented to such a shocking accusation as tions on campus. But this year it has was conducted in Hebrew, one of create conditions that may lead
attracted an important nucleus of
with the text of an interesting the one contained in the charge also
leadership that is very much interested the Yiddish translators, repeating to emigration. Facts are facts.
and revealing analysis of the that seder guests were "soggy in changing the situation. This small after the chairman an introduc- whether or not a Newayk journa
attitude of Jewish students at the with abundant food and sacra- nucleus was interested in our classes. tion, said: "The next speaker ist seeks to impose reproaches
"The tie of this body of students to
University of Michigan who were m e n t a l wine," compresses all
upon unfortunate Jews - most of •
Zionism and to Israel is extremely will be . . ." and he appended to
provided with opportunities for the apparent Jewish knowledge manifest,
all but two have been to it with an inflection used when whom are aged and who have
at least once, six expressed the
specialized Jewish studies by the the author of that articles pos- Israel
to settle in Israel and all ex- one is called to the reading of the been driven out of business in
established Ann Arbor Bet Midrash ses in a Christological quotation of wish
pressed the wish to visit at least once Tora on the Sabbath: "Ya-ahmod!" areas that have become black.
year or so. About 90%
sponsored by the Midrasha of the "forgive them . . ." and fails to in the coming
to Zionist Youth movements,
Other incidents would indicate
At any rate, at the WZCongress
United Hebrew Schools of Detroit take into account an historic belong
e.g., through participating in Ramah
and the Seminary College of Jew- Jewish adherence to just rights Camps (5 students). In addition, one that there were moments of lighter many such issues found platforms,
add that a possible subjective
ish studies of the Jewish Theolog- for all peoples. Sure, there are might
attraction, given the above feelings vein, some occasioned by the ex- and neo-Nazism, anti-anti-Semitism
about
Israel
ical Seminary of America, in co- some racists among us, and not ence of two and Zionism, was the pres- treme earnestness of many dele- the effects of racism and the new-
Israelis who served as
operation with the University of all Jews are strict adherents to instructors."
gates. At a meeting of the reor- Left were probed. Time alone will
Michigan Hillel Foundation. The our basic principles. Ignoring basic
The reference to "misfits," the ganization committee, for example provide answers' to many of the
report was submitted by a respon- truths about Jews as libertarians,
note of comfort in the fact that one proponent of a resolution that problems, that were posed in
48—Friday, June 28, 1968
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS there is a renewed interest' in happened to be rather illiterate Jerusalem.
•