46—Friday, February 14, 1969
Historian Explores 'Tragedy of Johnson'
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Abraham Lincoln's Religion
As a special consultant to Presi- skill. LBJ did give attention to
The role of Mrs. Johnson is inter-
dent Johnson for nearly three public opinion and in drafting the estingly indicated -- she was the
"Brother Cartwright," called out years, Prof. Eric F. Goldman of education measure he gave per- partner in everything her husband
(Copyright 1969, JTA, Inc.)
Lincoln, "I am going to Congress." Princeton University e m e r g es sonal attention to the education did. The long chapter devoted to
Was Lincoln a religious man?
her is one of the most interesting
Cartwright's question was slyly especially well qualified to review bill itself.
Lincoln wasn't much of a church- designed to call attention to Mr. the many aspects of the last ad-
In his review of the LBJ admin- in the book. And the references
goer and he didn't go to the syna- Lincoln's reputed heterodoxy. Lin- ministration and the character of istration, Goldman gives thorough to the children, and to the Presi- -
gogue either although his name coln entertained doctrinal doubts. the man who guided it. In "The explanation of the attitudes, of dent's associates, are noteworthy.
was Abraham and he had an uncle Some said he was a freethinker Tragedy of Lyndon Johnson," pub-
Abe Fortas and other friends of
named Isaac Lincoln. But you can and he was attacked on that score. lished by Knopf, we have a review
Johnson pass in review as valuable
tell a man's religion from other
* * *
guides to the President.
of the events that transpired in the
things, as Lincoln often did him-
Goldman reaches the conclusion
In those days, the Bible was the crucial years of Johnson's leader-
that LBJ was the wrong man at
self. Once Lincoln was riding in American best seller. Today, things ship as well as the major events
the
wrong time, in a concluding
that
involved
domestic
and
foreign
one of those oldtime buggies, with are a little different. Today, people
verdict in which he states:
a driver who showed a consider- don't know their Bible so well. affairs.
able proficiency in swearing. Some think Noah Webester who
"Lyndon Johnson could win
The Goldman analyses are so
votes, enact laws, maneuver
"Are you an Episcopalian?" Lin- compiled the dictionary also built thorough that for years to come
coin asked the driver.
mountains." "He could not ac-
his work is certain to be referred
the Ark
"Who, me? No." said the driver.
quire that something beyond,
Lincoln knew the Bible from to as a source of information about
"I am a Methodist."
which cannot be won, enacted
"Well," said Lincoln, "you swear cover to cover. As President, he this period in history.
-
or maneuvered but must be
Impulses which motivated the
was
called
to
task
for
having
ap-
just like Secretary Seward and he
freely :given. He could not com-
Johnson actions are outlined in
pointed to office a man who had
is an Episcopalian."
mand that respect, affection and
a
fashion
which
may
well
be
opposed him in the race for the
rapport which alone permit an
viewed by some as cruel—be-
Lincoln liked to tell religious Presidency. Lincoln, in answer, i
American President genuinely to
cause Goldman touches upon the
stories. There was the story of the pointed to the story of the Golden
lead. In his periods of triumph
issues and attitudes with brutal
frontier preacher, who began by Calf. While Moses was away, the
and of downsweep, in peace as
frankness.
saying, "I represent the Redeem- Israelites demanded a Golden Calf
in war, he stood the tragic figure
There are passing references to
er." Just then the preacher felt a to worship. Aaron, like Moses, was
of an extraordinarily gifted
opposed to the worship of the Gold- the Middle East as part of the for-
lizard crawling up his pants leg
President, who was the wrong
and and he raised his leg and en Calf, but he yielded to the pub- eign issues that confronted the
man from the wrong place at the
shouted, "Whew!" Then the lic demand. last administration, and the author
LYNDON B. JOHNSON
wrong time under the wrong cir-
t We could imagine what would comments on the manner in which
"I represen
preacher began again:represen
cumstances.
"
-
to
the
solace
of
LBJ's
labors,
the
responses,
and
"turned
the Redeemer," he repeated and happen today when Moses return- Johnson
We have in this historical review
again he felt the lizard in his pants ed. Many people would demand the Prayer," and he states inter aim: this volume is of immense historic
exactly
what
the
title
of
the book
value
in
leading
to
an
understand-
" the age of 14 he went through
leg and again the preacher raised immediate sacking of Aaron. The At
his leg high and shouted "Whew!" reformers would denounce him for what is so common among teen- ing of the crises that confronted indicates—"The Tragedy of Lyndon
Johnson." Whether it was the tra-
com 1 ing with the demand for the agers, a burst of reli on . . . In the previous administration.
Whereupon a member of the con- comp
gedy of the nation is not proven.
gregation arose and said, if the Golden Calf as a tool of Wall St. 1965, President Johns& was think-
.
There
is sufficient proof of genuine
preacher represented the Redeem- But Moses took the circumstances ing in utterly different terms.
istadrut
Leaders
political ability and concern for
er, he didn't want to have anything under consideration and did not dis- Catholics, Jews, Disciples of Christ'
—he
viewed
them
all
as
so
many
the
nation
he served to merit much
Greeted by Notables
miss Aaron from his post.
to do with the Bible.
respect and love for the former
"Four-score and seven," Lincoln groups like union men, manufac-
When Lincoln ran for Congress,
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Israel
President. Goldman's book renders
his opponent was the revivalist said in his Gettysburg address. turers and beet farmers, whom he Embassy on 22nd St. was the
a service in guiding the reader
counting. was eager to understand—and did,
informal
p reacher Cartwri g ht. Once at a That is the Bible way of counti
P towards a total understanding the
as
a
matter
of
fact,
understand
.
C
t
i
h
Lincoln's
style
was
strongly
influ-
political meet i ng. arwrgt gave
as tion tendered by the labor attache,
a vivid word portrait, first of enced by the Bible and there is a ' remarkably wellorder to
Amos Eiran to the newly-elected character of the man and the is-
faced.
heaven and then of hell and, con- consciousness in his speeches of "a , them into his governmental and officers of ' the Israel Histadrut sues he and the nation
■
eluding, called out. "Mr. Lincoln. divinity which shapes our ends"
•
Campaign who will serve during
Ther e is an interesting comment
that the Jews of Bible days had.
Will
Russia
Give
Arabs
where are you going?"
rt s in the 45th anniversary year of this
ce. G o ld
man assert
Thomas Jefferson, too, knew the on pre ju di
major sector of pro-Israel activi- N-Weapons? Expert Says
1
Bible well but one does not get this relation to aid to education , the
Romanian Chief Rabbi feeling in Jefferson's speeches. I anti-poverty program and the con-
Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin and Possible, Not Probable
Lincoln spoke of "the mystic chords dition of the time when the JFK
LONDON (ZINS)—David Divine,
to the Eiran stood in the receiving line
Campaigns for Office,
v w
of memory." He had a strong sensea dministratio n
as 500 diplomats, trade unionists the military expert of the presti-
LBJ days":
Calls Regime Beloved
of mysticism.
gious London Sunday Times, does
"The political realities en- and Jewish communal leaders en-
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
not rule out the possibility 'that
couraged changes in attitude tered the Embassy's chancery.
to The Jewish News)
The late Prof. Schechter of the
Secretary of Labor George T. Russia might arm the Arab states,
BUCHAREST — Chief Rabbi Jewish Theological Seminary corn-,
that were occurring independent-
Shultz, Speaker of the House John especially Egypt, Iraq and Syria,
Moses Rosen of Romania aban- pared Lincoln with Hillel.
ly. The opinion formers among
McCormack, and more than 20 with atomic weapons to be used
doned the pulpit for the political
Catholics, Protestant and Jews
Hillel lived in the century before
stump Monday. He has been nomi- the beginning of the Christian era.1
were living side by side in members of Congress headed the only against Israel.
line of notables at the affair.
-Russia should remember that
nated as a candidate for the na- If Lincoln was a rail splitter. MHO
Metroamerica, anxious to appear long
Dozens of high ranking labor lead- -atomic weapons could be a two
tional parliament, representing the had been a wood-chopper and bo th
educated and emancipated bey-
ers,
long
associated
with
the
way
street: they are just as dan-
Vacaresti District of Bucharest.
ond the religious group clashes
believed in the religion of the -Corn-
cause of Histadrut, paid their re- gerous to Jordan, Egypt, Syria and
He told an audience of several passionate human heart.
that were now being called bigo•
spects
to
Israel's
labor
movement,
Lebanon
as they are to Israel,
thousand workers and intellectuals
try. Only a decade before the
A heathen once came up to Hillel
which they regard as the most con- Divine asserts.
there that it was in that very dis- and said: "Tell me what is Juda-
poet-historian Peter V iere ck
He, therefore, doubts whether
trict 28 years ago that he was ar- ism while I stand on one leg."
could write, 'Catholic-baiting is structive force in the Middle East,
The guests of honor were Leon Russia will actually provide such
rested and taken to be executed by
the anti-Semitism of the intel-
What could Hillel answer?
H.
Keyserling,
president
of
the
arms,
since nuclear weapons
the pro-Nazi regime. "I was spar-
lectuals
.' Now, in the circles
This man wants to know what
ed by a miracle." he said. He Judaism is.
which read men like Viereck, an National Committee for Labor Is- would spell the extermination of
both,
the
Arabs as well as the
told the crowd, "We Jews are
anti-Catholic gibe was as likely rael; Charles S. Zimmerman,
Shall I tell him to register at a
Romanian citizens, devoted and Yeshiva and study the Bible and
to produce flinching as an anti- chairman of the board; Louis Hol- Israelis.
Semitic dig. Among Catholics Lander, chairman of the executive
Despite Israel's persistent den-
loyal, free and faithful to our reli- the Mishna and Talmud. This I
gion. He said that "Romania has would take 10 or 15 years
the oncoming generation con- committee; William H. Sylk, ials, hard reality points to the
chairman
of
the
American
'lista-
.
fact
that she does possess the po-
never had a regime which was as Should I tell him to take a corres-
tained tens of thousands whose
drut Development Foundation; and tential to produce nuclear weapons
loved and respected by the whole pondence course? Even that would
thinking was permeated by the
Sol
C.
Chaikin,
chairman
of
the
and the bomb, Divine says.
of the people as the present one take six months. He can't stand on
va g ue non-sectarian humanism
is."
one leg that long. How long can a
dominating much of educated American Trade Union Council for
In another event closer to his person stand on one leg?
America. The influence of Metro- Histadrut.
Anniversary Forest
vocation, Rabbi Rosen spoke at
So Hillel gave him an answer
america on the general popula-
JERUSALEM — A wide area
ceremonies opening a kosher res- short enough for the 'heathen to
tion joined with the spreading Ford in Israel Asked:
along the former armistice line
taurant in Bucharest. It was estab- take while standing on one leg and
national popularity of ecumenic-
Speed
Up
Production
northwest
of Jerusalem has been
lished by the Federation of Jewish yet it was a complete course. Hillel
ism to lessen the rancor over
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli of- marked for the 20th Anniversary
Communities with assistance from said: "What is hateful to thee, do
whose children received public
ficials reported that the manage- Forest, envisaged to become the
the Joint Distribution Committee not unto thy neighbor. This is the
funds for their schooling."
largest in the country, numbering
and serves some 300 observant Tora or Law. The rest is commen-
While portraying the unpopular- ment of Ford in Israel had been
14,000,000 trees, equal to the num-
Jews daily. Some pay reduced tary."
ity of Johnson, Goldman shows asked to speed up assembly of
ber of Jews in the world today.
prices for their meals and others
wherein the President showed cars to meet local needs. The re-
The forest will encloSe some of
are served free. Dr. Rosen was
quest was made at a meeting be-
joined at the restaurant by Is- ZOA Ad Hits UN
tween Transport Minister Moshe the strongpoints which were de-
cisive
InAhe battle for the capital's
NEW YORK (ZINS)—The Zion- ZOA Teen-Age Campers
rael's ambassador, Eliezer Doron.
Carmel and Dr. Shaul Lifshitz,- a
reunification in the Six-Day. War.
ist Organization of America re- to Join in Maccabia
Ford representative.
Every Jew in the free world will
cently published a half-page ad-
The locally assembled Fords,
NEW YORK—Boys and girls in
Moscow's Rabbi Levitt
vertisement in the New York this year's ZOA Teen-Age Camp in which contain several Israeli-made be called upon to plant one tree 'in
his
own name, and at least one
Times
proclaiming
its
solidarity
Gets Religious Items
Israel will participate in the Mac- components, sell for about $425 more for the "silent Jews" behind
with Israel in her struggle against
NEW YORK (JTA) — Rabbi "armed terrorism and diplomatic cabia in Israel this summer dur- less than the imported version. the Iron Curtain.
ing the special Youth Day being There is currently a 12-monthl
Pinhas Teitz, of Elizabeth, N.J., a terror."
planned as part of the Maccabia, waiting list for the vehicle.
leading Orthodox rabbi, reported
Hold Memorial Services
It
criticized
the
UN
Security
the world Jewish olympics.
he had received a cable of thanks
Announcing this highlight of the Cypriot Papers Hit Israel
from Rabbi Yehuda Leib Levin Council for its pro-Arab bias, in-
for
Victims of Bucharest
NICOSIA (ZINS)—"The Zionists
of - Moscow for a shipment of ritual spired by the Soviet Union and de- Teen-Age Camp, Jacques Torczy-
objects sent to Moscow last month clared that it "is not a forum. ner, president of the Zionist Or- view Cyprus as part of the Jewish Pogrom of January 1941
by Rabbi Teitz. Rabbi Teitz ar- where Israel can expect to find re- ganization of America, said that an state" writes the Greek newspaper
BUCHAREST (JTA) — Memorial
excellent summer program of He- "Agan" in an attack on Israel's services for the victims of the
ranged for the shipment of nine dress and justice."
The advertisement pleaded for brew, a week on a kibutz, touring reprisal acts against the Arabs.
cartons of prayer shawls, Mezuzot
Bucharest pogrom "of January
The newspaper demands that 1941, were held at the Choral Syna-
and other items, which were flown U.S. awareness of Soviet snares and hiking throughout Israel and
from Kennedy Airport on Dec. 24 lest the Soviet-Arab axis succeed other activities are among the high- Cypriots become aware of Israel's gogue here, Jan. 22, conducted by
by Aeroflot, the Soviet Airline. in eliminating Israel "the one and lights of the 1969 camp program.
increasing interest in their island. Romania's Chief Rabbi Dr. Moses
Registration and information on
Rabbi Teitz said the cable from only stable force in the Middle
Simultaneously, another publica- Rosen. The pogrom broke out
Rabbi Levin was in Hebrew and East, the barrier to Soviet im- the ZOA Teen-Age Camp may be tion requests the banning of the after a Fascist rebellion in Ro-
perialist
designs
on
an
area
which
declared that "The religious arti-
obtained by writing to ZOA Teen- American film "David Marcus," mania. A pilgrimage was organized
cles you sent me have arrived is the gateway to Asia and Age Camp, 145 E. 32nd St., New who was killed in Israel during the to the cemetery where 125 victims
properly."
Africa."
York.
War of Liberation.
were buried.
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
H
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