Present-Day Zionist Image

From a Special Correspondent
pean origlon, which is due not only
"Bitfutzot Hagola" (In the Dis- to "biological factors," but also to
persion), the quarterly published the participation of young and new
by the organization and informa- forces. Delegates born in Eastern
tion department of the Zionist exec- Europe accounted for 44 per cent
utive and dedicated to surveys and at the 20th Congress, but only for
monographs on the Jewish world, 30.9 per cent at the 27th.
includes a detailed analysis by Dr.
Business was represented this
A. Zwergbaum on the composition time by only 12.7 per cent of the
Of the 27th Zionist Congress (1968). delegates, instead of 25 per cent
It is aptly called "A Contribution four years ago, while the share of
to the Image of Present Zionist the liberal professions of all kinds
Leadership," because the 400-odd increased from 37 per cent to 44
delegates from 29 countries outside per cent.
Israel may be regarded as largely
There was a considerable rise
identical with the Zionist key in the number of those who are
sometimes called "professional
workers in the Diaspora.
Questionnaires were sent out to Jews" such as officials of Jew-
all full Congress delegates from the ish organizations, secretaries of
Diaspora, but were completed and parties, etc., from 4.5 per cent to
returned by only 204 delegates (86 7.8 per cent. The percentage of
from U.S. and 118 from other housewives - mostly Hadassah
countries) belonging to all Con- delegates--was considerable: 17
gress parties and groups. Since per cent.
the percentage of participants was The survey refutes the allegation
high, the results may be regarded that the Congress delegates from
as rather representative of the the Diaspora do not know Hebrew.
delegates as a whole, though the Only 4.9 per cent admitted that
author cautiously remarks that one they had no knowledge whatsoever
may assume that in general only of the language; more than half
delegates replied who could give a (50.5 per cent) indicated that they
positive answer to "delicate" ques- had acquired a perfect or good
tions, such as aliya, knowledge of knowledge. At the last Congress
Hebrew, Jewish education, etc. they accounted for only 45 per cent.
While 42 per cent of the delegates
Maybe, therefore, the picture is
less bright in regard to the "silent received a full or partial tradition-
al
Jewish education (yeshiva,
half" of the delegates.
Yeshiva University, heder, Tal-
The average age of the delegates mud Torah), the percentage in
was 52.1 years, as against 54.8 at regard the children of the dele-
the previous Congress. The modest gates was only 19.6 per cent. This
"rejuvenation" w a s occasioned discrepancy may be largely ex-
Mainly by countries outside the plained by the fact that many dele-
U.S. from which the average age gates were born and received their
was 48.8 years, compared with 53.3 education in Eastern Eupore, while
in 1965. The 51-60 age group was practically all the children are
the strongest, accounting for 34.9 natives of Western countries. The
per cent of the total. The youngest percentage of delegates who en-
age group increased considerably; joyed a complete modern Hebrew
while at the 26th Congress only a5 or Jewish education (Hebrew or
per cent of the delegates had not Jewish day schools) rose to 20.6
yet completed their 30th year, in per cent as against 16.5 per cent at
1967 this group accounted for 12.7 the previous Congress. So has that
per cent. This positive phenomenon of their children, from 12 per cent
is to be ascribed to youth delega- to 17.8 per cent; and 7.3 per cent of
tions who participated with full the delegates admitted that they
rights in the 27th Congress, but not had received no Jewish education
in the 26th.
whatsoever, but in many cases
For exactly 50 per cent of the they added that as adults they have
delegates it was their first Con- been making efforts to acquire a
gress, and only 25.6 per cent Jewish knowledge.
could be called "veterans" who
Perhaps the most important and
had : attended more than three gratifying single fact emerging
from the analysis is the high per-
Congresses.
No less than 52.4 per cent of the centage of delegates desirous of
delegates were born in the country settling in Israel: 35.2 per cent, in-
which they represented at the 27th cluding 6.8 per cent organized for
Zionist Congress, in 1960 such "na- the purpose in the Aliya movement,
tive representatives" reached only as against 9.5 per cent four years
40.5 per cent. The "Americaniza- ago.
tion" of Zionism in the U.S. is In summing up, one may say
evidenced by the fact that the rate that the picture reflected by the
of native-born delegates is even poll is definitely gratifying, and
greater than the average, namely that there is ground to state that
63 per cent. The analysis showed by and large the Congress dele-
also a second interesting trend, gates have proven their Zionism
namely, the decrease in the per- also by this observance of import-
centage of delegates of East Euro- ant "practical Zionist precepts."

Orthodox Rabbi Sees Grave Problem
in. Conservative, Reform Conversions

Pidyon IlaBen Coin

Legal Tender issued by the

BANK OF ISRAEL

Nominal Value IL 10
Silver 900, 26 gr, 37 mm, smooth edge
Minted by the Government Mint
in Jerusalem

The coin is issued especially for the
ceremony of the Redemption of the First
Born Son, thereby restoring to this
ancient tradition its Hebrew character.
The five coins required for the Redemp-
tion ceremony together weigh 130 gr., of
which 117 are pure silver, thus fully com-
plying with the biblical ordinance.

1970 Pldyon HaBen Coin:
$8.00 each
Price per set of five, with official certificate and
presentation box: $42.25 each
Price per set of five. with official Certificate and
do use olive-wood box: $50.00 each

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FIRST ISRAEL BANK AND
TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK

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rwrIlwann Iron, 4s. urn

ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK LIMITED
P.O. Box 1655, Grand Central Station
New York, N.Y. 10017

(A subsidiary of Bank Leon el to Israel. &M., Tel Aviv)

P.O. Box 642, Wall Street

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ORDER FORM

Mail to any one of these three
participating banks:

New York, N.Y. 10005

DriTV

M.A..,

The coin will be issued annually
In Regular and Proof condition.
This sequence will be of interest
to collectors.

Station

AMERICAN BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
P.O. Box 233, Wall Street Station
New York, N.Y. 10005

1970 Pidyon HeBen Coin(s) at $8.00 each

Sets of 5 coins in a presentation case and
certificate. $42.25 each
Sets of 5 coins in a deluxe Olive wood box(s)
with certificate. $50.00 each

Tax•

•

Postage and delivery for each coin 25r

Postage and delivery for each set of 5 coins in either
case or box with certificate• • '''11.00

Total

$

NAME

ADDRFqS

CITY

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STATE

ZIP

• in B.U. condition • •New York City add 6% sales tax. New York State
• • •will be provided only with set of 5 coins
All orders must be received by the bank prior to March 31, 1970

3% sales tax

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NEW YORK (JTA)-The debate ing in Israel is told that they are
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in the Israeli Parliament concern- not Jewish because the conversion
& Flocks on Vinyl
ing the supreme court ruling on was done by a non-Orthordox
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the who is a Jew question is not Rabbi?" Rabbi Gross said.
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only an Israeli problem but an
In fairness to both adults and II
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actual growing concern in America children, Rabbi Gross urged that *
as a , result of the increased con- they be told their true status to
rolls available
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versions by Conservative and Re- avoid future problems.
form, rabbis, declared Abraam
Meanwhile, however, an immi- •
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Gross, president of the Rabbinical grant girl whose father is Jewish
Alliance of America.
JUST ARRIVED
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but whose mother professes no
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The Orthodox rabbinate In Am- faith will be registered as Jewish
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Indoding
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do not recognize conversions by tice announced. The ruling was
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the 'non-Orthodox group. There- made in the case of Nelly Miller,
FLOCKS
FOILS ; 1 $16.00 • All Other 1 :
fore, these converts are not 23, a member of Kibutz Nahshon, ■ I LOOKS I
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Reg. 21.00 Value
Reg. 10.05 Value - .
Now from I :
Jews and in a case where a who has served in the Israeli
Reg. to 4.9S
Books : :
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Woman converted, her children Army.
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would not be considered Jewish
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or allowed to enter into a mar- Court's ruling in the case of Lt.
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riage with a Jew, Rabbi Gross Commander Benjamin Shalit that
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a person may be registered as of
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He called upon the Reform and Jewish nationality even if not II a it ru A1ah:111! AR NM I Roll
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Conservative clergy to inform can- Jewish by religion. An amendment
didates that their conversion is to the Law of Return which will re-
only accepted and recognized with- strict Jewish nationality to persons
in their limited group. "Can one born of a Jewish mother or con-
imagine the agony caused to a verted to Judaism has yet to pass
converted family who upon arriv- its final reading in the Knesset. In
Sunday 11-4
the meantime, the Shalit ruling
14960
Livernois
-
UN
2-5272
Mon. thru Fri. 7-5; Closed Sat.
applies,
according
to
Deputy
States
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Maly; 'Fsbribiy 27, 1970-17 Attorney Yoram Barsela.

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