commit itself to finance a faun•
dation whose scope would meet
the enormity of the problem in
Jewish education caused the
activists to reflect on the enorm-
ity of their task: altering a Jewish
dent actions groups for Soviet community whose philanthropic
Jewry, and to limited, specific traditions, rooted in decades of
support for burgeoning radical precedent, refuse to be changed
overnight, regardless of how press-
groups.
However, CJFWF's failure to , ing is the need to change.
All in all, students came away
mixed feelings: satisfied over
Activist Students Win a F ewe Lose a Few with
delegates assent to the need for
student participation in federa-
to a higher priority for Jew-
at CJFWF General Assembly in Bosto il lions,
ish education, to support of stu-
By HAROLD GOLDBERG
t of all committees, .including alloca.
(Copyright, 1961, .girA. Inc.)
tion committees, of all federations.
(Harold Goldberg, a graduate , They argued that only through an
student at Brandeis University, actual student voice can the fed-
participated with some 300 peers erations be made to understand
in the student attack on what the urgency of the necessity for
they called the ramparts of the reform in Jewish education, for it
Establishment—the annual general is the Jewish students who have
assembly of the Council of Jewish . suffered under present systems of
Federations and Welfare Funds. Jewish education.
In the following report, Goldberg
Substantially increased political
gives a student scorecard on their agitation on behalf of Soviet
gains and losses at the assembly) Jewry also was called for.
BOSTON — Unprecedented par-
Immediately after the confer-
ticipation by committed Jewish ence opened, it became apparent
activists in the annual conference to the student radicals that their
of the Council of Jewish Federa- gloomy estimation of adult concern
tions and Welfare Funds (CJFWF) for Jewish education was not en-
not only altered the tone of the tirely accurate. Most delegates
four-clay gathering, but marked listen eagerly to the students'
a new departure in the positive, prescription for the spiritual mal-
Jewish radical movement.
aise of American Jewry. Dele-
Previously, Jewish students gates generally accepted the claim
limited their anti-Establishments that federations should no longer
rhetoric and programs to .local function without student repre-
concerns. Typical targets of com- sentation.
mitted student radicals have been
Perhaps the greatest surprise to
an individual federation, a Bnai the activists lay in their discovery-
Brith chapter. or a local Jewish that a small minority of delegates
slumlord. But in Boston, Jewish had been fighting unsuccessfully
students challenged a nationwide for these very reforms over the
Establishment in American Jew- past years.
ish life-the CJFWF. Fundamental
In no way did the students
issues of national—not local—im-
oppose federations allocations to
port were discussed. Demands
Israel. It was only the domes-
were presented, and, to some ex-
: tic priorities which were called
tent. accepted.
into question. Concerned Jewish
The Jewish Activist League
Students argued that services
(JAL) at Brandeis University
such as hospitals and welfare
originally stirred up interest
agencies which are now largely
among students on its own cam-
the domain of the federal gov-
pus in participating in the CJFWF
ernment and the general com-
conference.
munity and which now mostly
Subsequently, a broad -based
serve non-Jews, no longer merit
coalition called Concerned Jewish
support of the bulk of the dom-
Students (CJS), brought together
estic, Jewish philanthropic dol-
by JAL, consisting of represen-
lar.
tatives from Boston and New
Specific Jewish support of such
York colleges, met with initial de- agencies was necessary in the past
feat in its petition to the CJFWF to insure that Jews received these
for permission to address the services, but now American
Thursday night plenary session' Jewry's primary need is spiritual.
and to participate in all assembly The Jewish radicals asserted that
workshops.
Jewry in the U.S. will not flourish
However, the primary aim of as a creative, religious people un-
the students — to convince the less federations recognize and
CJFWF that Jewish education
correct their dismal failure to
must become the first priority nourish research and experiments
in domestic, federation alloca-
in Jewish education. This failure
tions — was so earnestly and was most graphically demonstrat-
forcefully expressed, that ed during the silent vigil, where
CJFWF was impelled to recon-
one student held a sign which
sider its position.
asked, in Hebrew, "Who among
A date and time were agreed you can read and understand He.
upon for a student address of a brew?" Indeed, few of the dele-
plenary session and student atten- gates seemed to indicate any
dance at all convention workshops understanding of the sign as they
and committee meetings. In addi- filed by.
tion CJS planned a peaceful picket
While the federation accepted in
rally and silent vigil.
The crux of the student demands its resolutions the student de-
centered on what they described mands for participation in local
as the low quality of Jewish life decision-making and to consider
Jewish education to be a top prior-
in America.
Students claim that Jewish life ity in federation planning, how
in this country cannot survive un- much these affirmations will
less there are comprehensive at- Mean remains to be seen. The
tempts to formulate creative ped- power of CJFWF is limited to re-
agogic techniques to enable con- solutions: only local federations
control actual allocations. To gain
temporary Jewish young people to
understand traditional Jewish con- actual representation in local fed-
erations
and to convince them to
cepts in their own terms.
Addressing the C.IFWF in terms redirect their allocations will he
primary
projects of local Jewish
of the federations' budgetary com-
mitment to Israel, the Jewish radical groups during the coming
activists warned that without year.
radical changes in present meth-
ods and institutions of Jewish
education, no future Jewish com-
munity in America will exist to
support Israel.
The second major demand of the
students was for democratization
Students were heartened that,
after years of struggling, a major
Jewish Establishment asserted
that student political groups
which demonstrate and in other
ways work for Soviet Jewry are as
important as the, American Con-
E1,1 i
ference for Soviet Jewry. an um-
brella grouping of 26 establish-
ment organizations which, say the
students, are only superficially
concerned since they do not pro-
vide the American Conference
' with any budget.
•
The most encouraging result
of the conference was a specific
assurance of funds for strug-
gling, new Jewish radical
groups from a few highly inter-
ested delegates.
The primary disappointment for
students which, at the end of the
conference, stimulated once again
feelings of distrust among the
activists, was the failure to adopt
a proposal by Gordon Zacks of
Columbus, to set up a $100.000,000
foundation under sponsorship of
CJFWF for the purpose of devis- ,
ing new methods for preservation
of Jewish identification. However.
Zacks was named to head a corn-
mittee to study the feasibility of
establishing such a foundation.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
22—Friday, December 5, 1969
TamaRoFF
OPELK
12 Mile
easy to get to ...
and well worth the trip
T elegraph
28585 TELEGRAPH ROAD
opposite Tel-Twelve Mall
1741%
1-
353-1300
N
-690 )
40 .
Surie Grubner
big
It is a very
schnis (privilege) to
be in the Beth Ja-
cob, in Yerushalay-
im, Ihr Hakodesh.
The people here are
dolls. We're having
a ball.
Rachelle
Goldstein
I have always
dreamed of it and
now it is true. Be-
ing in Eretz Yisraet
Rivka Posner
Israel is everything
I dreamed of. My
dream became re-
ality.
Yehudis Lane
Thank you ray dear
family
me
for giving
the opportunity
to go to Israel and
Beth
Yaacov.
Rena Carmen
Land of My fathers
pride. Land where
t h e Chashmonym
died. Of thee I sing
is even more marv-
elous an experience
than I imagined.
Friends of the Beth Jacob Teachers Institute of
Jerusalem cordially invite you to attend . . .
SPONSORS
Mrs. Max Biber
Mrs. Anrom Borenstein
Mrs. Joseph Borenstein
Mrs. Morris Brandtvine
Mrs. David Bressler
Mrs. Jack Carmen
Mrs. Mordechi Carmen
Mrs. David J. Cohen
Mrs. David N. Cohen
Mrs. Norman Cottler
Mrs. Julius Peigebnatz
Mrs. Eugene Greenfield
Mrs. Yehaskel Grubner
Mrs. Jacob Hoberman
Mrs. Brocha Kahana
Mrs. Leizer Levin
Mrs. Morris Mauthner
Mrs. Manford Pick
Mrs. David Pollack
Mrs. Martin Rose
Mrs. Nathan Soberman
Mrs. Joshua Sperka
Mrs. Eugene Weiss
Mrs. Herman Weitzman
Miss Zelda Kahan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mrs. Nehamia Katz, Toledo, Ohio
Mrs. Paul Litvin, Mt. Clemens, Mich.
Mrs. Jack Schan field, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Mrs. Samuel Stollman, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
The An vital Scholarship Fund Tea
at the home of
Mrs. David J. Cohen
18919 Cherrylawn — Detroit, Michigan
on
Sunday, December 14, 1969
From 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
at which time a Musical Program will be
given by the Students of the
Beth Yacov School for Girls in Israel
R.S.V.P.
Mrs. Leizer Levin — UN. 2-8791
Mrs. David N. Cohen — 538-6149
Public Invited
a
Pictured at a recent planning luncheon for the forthcoming Chanukah Chassidic Concert to take place on December 9th at Ford Auditorium are seated at left
clockwise; Mesadames Gussie Cardash; Jack Seder; Sadie Haut; Leo Laufer; Mollie Baseman; Mr. Paul Brickner; Mr. Max Sosin; Mr. Harry Citrin; Mr. Harry Platt;
Mr. Zimmerman; Mrs. Zimmerman Head Table from left: Mr. Isadore Starr; Mr. Saul Levin; Rabbi Moshe Polter; Mr. Irwin Cohn, Concert Co-Chairman Mr. Louis Levi.
tan; Mrs. Morris Schaver; General Chairman Mrs. Norman Hudosh; Miss Rose Lewis; Rabbi Beret Slietntov; seated from left clockwise: Mrs. Beret Shemtov; Mrs. Moshe
Potter; Mrs. Yehuda Cohen; Mrs. Morris Citrin; Mr. Morris Citrin; Mrs. Bela Hordes; Mrs. Rachel Kurtzman; Mrs. Isadore Starr;_ Mrs. Harry Citrin.
.- . 111r•
–
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