'Bech: a Book': Satirical Philosophy Caroline Ann Zack
Henry Bech, in the new John
Updike novel - drama - philosophy -
history, is a Jewish writer with a
variety of experiences. If one is to
judge this Knopf-published work
("Bech: A Book") by its conclud-
ing line, after he gets to Heaven,
in the simple words "Now what?",
one could imagine him to be imi-
tating Portnoy.
But it is not as psychoanalytical
as the Portnoy tribulation, yet it
deals with so many Jewish aspects
that one wonders about the inten-
tion as well as the approach.
There is, for instance, this ana-
lytical thesis, "in the discovery
that one is not being read" and
Bech dramatizes a point: "He
said he was sustained, insofar as
he was sustained, by the memory
of laughter, the specifically Jew-
ish, embattled, religions, suffi-
ciently desperate, not quite belly
Eban Says Pope
Is Seeking Peace
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Foreign
Minister Abba Eban has returned
here from a four-day official visit
to Italy where he conferred with
Premier Mariano Rumor and For-
eign Minister Aldo Moro and was
visited' by a Papal representative
at his hotel in Rome.
Eban told newsmen on his ar-
rival Friday at the airport that the
dialogue between the Vatican and
Israel has been enhanced by his
meeting with Monsignor Agostino
Casaroli, Vatican Secretary for
Public Affairs, who informed him
of Pope Paul VI's keen desire for
peace and the preservation of reli-
gious values in the Middle East.
He said the Monsignor assured
him that the Pope's interest was
in no way political.
Eban said that while Italy was
ready to offer its services to reach
peace in the area it is in no way
prepared to act as a mediator of
the conflict.
Weak Jordan No Reason
for U.S. Veto on Giving Aid
to Israel Says Forster
KIAMESHA, N.Y. (JTA) — An
American Jewish leader declared
that the weakened stability of the
Jordanian government "should not
become the excuse for the U.S.
State Department to continue its
veto of the sale of jet planes to
Israel."
According to Arnold Forster,
General Counsel of the Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai Brith,
Israel needs the planes "not be-
cause of the guerrillas in Jordan
and Lebanon, but because of the
Soviet intrusion" in the Mid East
conflict.
Addressing 3,000 delegates to
the 118th convention of District
Number One, Bnai Brith, which
represents New York and the
New England area, Forster ob-
served that "The Palestinian
guerrilla movement in Jordan)
is generally more pro-Soviet and
pro-Chinese than the Hashemite
kingdom and is far more in-
tractable in respect to the right
of Israel to exist."
Pointing to "the daily murders
of civilian Israelis, the shelling of
schools filled with children, and
the destruction of civilian planes
in the air over Europe as "the
work of these same guerrilla or-
ganizations," Forster said that "no
one can expect such people to nego-
tiate peace."
He told the delegates "the shaky
character of the Hussein govern-
ment is a serious setback to peace
in the Middle East.
Forster described the situation
in Lebanon between the establish-
ed government and the trespassing
guerrillas as being substantially
the same as in Jordan. The guer-
rillas, he asserted, "boast that
there is no place at all on the Mid
East map for the State of Israel."
The greatest part of mankind
have no other reason for their
opinions than that they are in
fashion. —Samuel Zohnson
laughter of his father and his
father's brothers, his beloved
Brooklyn uncles; that the Amer-
ican Jews had kept the secret of
this laughter a generation longer
than the Gentiles, hence their
present domination of the literary
world . • ."
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 26, 1970-33
to Wed S. C. Cooper End of Religious Appeals to Troops
in Vietnam Asked by AJCongress
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Am- . . can sustain you in your most
erican Jewish Congress called on trying momenta."
the Army to stop using religious
In a reply to the AJCongress
appeals to troops in Vietnam "as dated June 8, Col. C. P. Benedict,
a means of advancing the goals of chief of the Army Personnel Serv-
One wonders if this is satire or
the state in carrying on the war ices Division, defended the Easter
jealousy. In any event, It is an in-
in Indo-China."
teresting comment on the position
message on the ground that the
of Jewish writers.
In a letter to the Department of same commander had also distri-
the Army, George Solt, chairman buted a Passover message. The
The passion in one of the Bech
experiences with women is defined
of the Congress' commission on Passover message drew a "paral-
law and social action, rejected an lel" between the deliverance of
in an exclamation by one of them:
Army spokesman's explanation of the Jewish people from "the
"You American Jews are so ro-
a Vietnam commander's Easter slavery of the evil Egyptian
mantic. You think every little dolly
bird is Deliah . . ." and it ends
message to his troops that coin- Pharaoh" and "your current lives
pared U.S. intervention in Vietnam where you and your government
with a sexy irwitation.
with "Christ's own struggle to are engaged in a struggle to assist
Perhaps more vital even than
obliterate evil in the world." a nation of people in its deliver-
the Deliah scene is another girl's
admonition: "Calling me a Negress
Solt said it was "highly improp- ance from an equally evil force."
MISS CAROLINE ZACK
is as insulting as calling you a
er for a military or other govern- Although the AJ Congress was un-
aware of the Passover message at
kike." And when she pursues the
Mr. and Mrs. David P. Zack of ment official to take on the role the time of its protest on the Eas-
questions, "How do you feel about
of interpreting the significance of
Providence Dr., Southfield, an-
ter message, Mr. Soil wrote
'Jewess'?" Bech replies, "Just as
nounce the engagement of their religious tradition." The AJ Con- Colonel Benedict in a letter dated
I do about 'Duchess',"
gress first wrote to Army Secre-
daughter Caroline Ann to Stephen
tary Stanley R. Resor on May 11 June 17 that such a message was
Thus Updike's "Bech: A Book"
C. Cooper, son of Mrs. Mollie
equally objectionable. Noting that
touches on "anti-Semitic Semitic
Cooper of Southwood Dr., South- to protest a message to his troops "there are many Jews who would
sensibility." It may prove as field, and the late David L. Cooper. in the field from Major General
differ with General Roberts' inter-
E.
B.
Roberts
of
the
First
Cavalry
puzzling as the description of
The bride-elect, a graduate of (Airmobile) asserting that "Easter pretation of the Passover tradi-
Bech's "curly hair and melan-
the University of Michigan, is cur- and the promise of immortality ... tion," Mr. Soil wrote: "What is
choly Jewish nose."
rently working on her masters de- exemplified by the resurrection of most disturbing is that General Ro-
Bech goes to Russia and to Ro- gree at Wayne State University.
Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago berts, and apparently the War De-
mania and in these and other
partment, are prepared to use re-
Mr. Cooper studied at Brandeis
instances the Jewish role is para-
ligion, both Christian and Jewish,
University and the Hebrew Univer-
mount.
sity of Jerusalem. He received his Columbus Center Proceeds as a means of advancing the goals
In the course of his Russian ex- undergraduate and law degrees
of the state in carrying on the war
With Saturday Use Of
perience he is told: "Jews don't go from Wayne State University. He
in Indo-China." He added, "The
in much for Paradise. That's some- is on the executive board of the Outdoor Swim Facilities
messages, no matter how well in-
thing you Christians cooked up." Detroit graduate chapter, Tau Ep-
COLUMBUS, 0. (JTA)—A deci- tended, were an attempt to 'em-
It brings the natural reply: "We silon Rho Law Fraternity.
sion to go ahead with opening of ploy religion as an engine of civil
are not Christians."
the outdoor swimming facilities of policy.' In both aspects, they were
An August wedding is planned.
At the outset, Updike touches
the Jewish center on Saturday violative of the command of the
upon the works of Jewish writers,
afternoons, in accordance with a First Amendment."
upon scientists and psychiatrists, West German Diplomat
hotly-disputed decision of the cen-
upon "Jewish Hollywood," and we
ter's board, was announced by
OPEN HOUSE SHOWING
are treated to this: "Jewish brains Shocked at Shul Vandals center president David Roth, who
June 29 Thru July 3rd
projected Gentile stars upon a Gen- Promises Protection
had previously taken "executive
tile nation and out of their own
action"
to
suspend
the
board
elec-
LONDON (JTA) — West Ger-
immigrant joy gave a formless many's Ambassador to Britain, tion.
215 West 5th . Street, Royal Oak
399.2600
land dreams and even a kind of Karl Gunter von Hase, said that
Members of the Columbus
Daily 9 to 9; Sat. 9 to 5:30
conscience."
Michigan's Largest Interior Design
he was "deeply shocked" by a new Board of Rabbis and some
Galleries
So—mingled with the puzzling is act of vandalism committed against members of the center board
the compliment. And the appeal is a synagogue in Munich. The am- and of the center, who attended
in many directions ,with Bech truly bassador made his remarks in the meeting last month at which
a Jewish hero, although Jewish reply to a note he received from the board voted for the summer
readers will surely ask what's Harold Sebag-hlontefiore, president Saturday afternoon openings,
Jewish about him. —P.S. of the Anglo-Jewish Association.
strongly opposed such action as
Now Booking .. .
a desecration of the Sabbath.
Ambassador Von Hase said,
"Please accept my most sincere Other board members and cen-
Arms Sufficiency
ter members argued in favor
feelings of sympathy and sorrow.
Predicted by Peres
This desecration is the more abhor- of the Saturday afternoon pro-
and his Orchestra
A resolution for the pro-
p-am.
rent
as
it
follows
only
a
few
LONDON (JTA)—One of Israel's
leading armaments experts pre- months after arsonists set fire to gram was approved 25 to 15, but
Good Music
Roth
announced
he
was
suspend-
the
Jewish
old
peoples'
home
in
dicted that his country would be
for All Occasions
ing action while he met with
virtually self-sufficient in the pro- Munich. My government as well
members
of
the
board
of
rab-
LI
4-9278
as
the
German
people
most
strong-
duction of arms and ammunition
—7-f- •
bis to reach a better under-
. •0"-*--2-1---0•7"--"Lf—*WS
within a decade, including combat ly condemn this new outrage."
standing.
The ambassador said the Anglo-
jets.
YOUR CANDID COLOR
He said the decision to go ahead
Shimon Peres, minister of immi- Jewish leader's message has been
grant absorption and a former passed on to the authorities in was made "when it became ap-
parent that unanimity of opinion
deputy minister of defense made Bonn.
He said German authorities could not be attained. In the light
his forecast in the course of an
WILL BE
interview with JTA editor S. J. would do their utmost to protect of this, consideration was given to
Goldsmith here. He said that arms the Jewish community from fur- the feelings of many center mem-
bers
that
they
ought
not
to
be
de-
ther
attacks.
self-sufficiency "would make life
prived of their need for coming to
so much easier on the foreign
the center on Saturday afternoon
WHEN PHOTOGRAPHED BY
policy level" by reducing foreign NYC Orthodox Teachers
by the opposition of others, and
pressures and enabling Israel to Test Contract Time-Off
that,
since
attendance
was
purely
"make decisions more true to Is- Clause For Passover
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Asso- voluntary, there would be no inter-
rael's own vital interests."
AND ASSOCIATES
Peres conceded that there were ciation of Orthodox Jewish Teach- ference with those who wished to
KL 1-8196
two major problems to be over- ers in New York Public Schools re- observe the Sabbath in their own
come on the road to arms self-suf- ported that most public school way."
ficiency—the problem of technical principals had cooperated with
know-how in a highly sophisticated observant teachers who used for
industry and the problem of Passover absences for the first
finance. But, he said, both of them time this year a special clause in
were "soluble." "The Swedes have the current United Federation of
done it, and we can emulate their Teachers contract with the Board
REMADE and REPROCESSED
example profitably," Mr. Peres of Education.
Under the clause, which was
said. "In some ways we have al-
ready' followed them on this road. negotiated by the union at the re-
They have produced their own jets, quest of the 2,500-member associa-
342-9448
15144 W. 7 MILE RD. 3 Blocks E. of Greenfield
tion, teachers may apply for three
and so have we."
Open 9 to 5:30, Sat. by Appointment
He said Israel now produces days time-off annually for "per-
sufficient ammunition to cover its sonal business" for absences on
own military needs and a surplus such holidays. Previously, teachers
for export. The Israeli cabinet taking time off to observe any
minister disclosed that Israel has Jewish holiday, except the Jewish
received "several large contribu- New Year, were docked in pay.
tions" toward the implementation New York City public schools are
of a plan he devised to improve closed for the Jewish New Year
,S
the condition of Arab refugees in holy days. The three days off
NIrf
• ... .
the occupied territories. "I can say available to teachers are deducted
•",
no more, the contributors are en- from each teacher's 10 days an-
.;.
titled to their anonymity," he told nually of sick leave, so that the
absences are not actually free, but
the JTA editor.
Peres is visiting London in con- the observant teacher does not
have to contend with immediate
with
his
new
book,
nection
"David's Sling," published June 25 loss of pay.
17540 WYOMING • TEL. 341-1330 • THUR., FRI. TIL 9.
simultaneously in England and
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