Purely Commentary
By Philip Slomovitz
A Distinct Honor From Dropsie to Shazar
When the honorary degree of doctor of laws will be conferred by
'mon President Zalman Shazar of Israel, at a
special convocation in President Zalman
Shazar's home in Jerusalem, on Nov. 1,
it will mark the solidification of kinship
betwen American and Israeli Jewries.
Heretofore, the Hebrew University .
Weizmann Institute, Bar-Ilan and the
Technion had come to this country to
honor Americans for their role in assist-
ing the educational developments in Is-
rael. Now American Jews are going to
Israel to honor the distinguished head of
the Jewish State and to assure continuity
of interests in learning between the two
great world Jewries.
The event will lend recognition of the
scholarly attainments of the Israeli
statesman whose life's devotion to Zion-
ism, the labor movement and the sover-
eign state of Israel had elevated him to
the highest position his people could offer
President Shazar
him. Furthermore, in the course of his
activities in the Jewish self-liberation movement, he was not only the
great Zionist but also the scholar, the lecturer who inspired tens of
thousands, the man, who, as head of his state, gave great encourage-
ment /o the spiritual and cultural aims of our people.
How suitable that the awarding of the honorary degree to President
Shazar should be by his close friend, Dr. Abraham Katsh, president
of Dropsie University! The delegation that will accompany Prof. Katsh
to the special convocation in Jerusalem on Nov. 1 will additionally
indicate the communitywide interest of American Jews in the selection
of a great Israeli leader for a special honor from an important Amer-
ican Jewish university. This will be an event of great importance for
two friends—Shazar and Katsh—and through them for American and
Israeli Jewries, at the same time drawing attention to the role of an
important school for higher learning—Dropsie University.
• - •
a
'Mass Defections and Educational Complaints
There's lots to think about and to discuss in relation to Jewish
education and the reactions of our youth. A factual account of what
had transpired at the recent sessions of the American Association for
Jewish Education, at the Concord, outlined in the current issue of
Journal of Jewish Communal Serviee by Samuel Spiegler under the
heading "Students Demand Role in Planning Jewish Studies," reported:
The recent quinquennial meeting of the American Association
for Jewish Education heard some monitory lectures by those who
are usually listeners to lectures. Students, taking the lectern, told
their mentors that they wanted to share in planning the curricula
of Jewish education. Teachers and students together, they said,
should discuss love, marriage, sex, among other student concerns,
seeking guidance in applicable Jewish texts. -
On" 15-year-old young woman told the 500 educational leaders
and teachers that the kids would continue to reject an "authori-
tarian know-it-ail attitude." A 16-year-old young man warned of
continuing "mass defections" from Jewish life if Jewish educators
failed promptly to make radical changes and innovations.
The kids found support among the younger teachers present.
Some of the oldsters appeared to be listening attentively.
Philip M. Klutmick of Chicago, a former president of Bnai
Brith, told the meeting that "We must especially pay attention
to the revolt of our young people calling for a revision of our
outmoded and outdated educational and cultural programs."
The "mass defections" threat is reminiscent of the conversation
between two Negroes in the earlier years when the battle for civil
rights was somewhat quiescent. One of them said: "I 'dun resigned
from the Negro race." To which the other replied: "Your resignation
ain't been accepted yet."
And then there is the Klutznick assertion: there is a lot of such
talk and it often ends like the complaint of Mark Twain: "Everybody
talks about the weather and complains and no one does anything about
it."
•
Is Youth Being Slighted ?
At a conference of the National Council of Jewish Women at which
youth problems were discussed, one of the very distinguished Conserva-
tive rabbis, Dr. Arthur Hertzberg, made some serious. accusations. He
charged that synagogues are more concerned with budgets and mem-
bership than with "minds and hearts of the college generation;" that
Jewish communities had a "direct and immediate stake in Jewish youth,
who are as much a part of the drug culture of the young as any other
element in American society—whether white or black, rich or poor."
Dr. Hertzberg's contention was that Jewish youth are "manipulated,
not led," and "if the American synagogue is going to survive it will have
to become involved with young people and their concerns." And there
was this additional accusation:
"The suburban synagogue is bad theater. Jewish youngsters find
that it has too much identification with the caterer and not enough with
those Judaic ethics and values that are supposed to give answers to con-
temporary problems."
Uttered by a responsible Jewish leader, these admonitions to the
organized Jewish community also sound like confessions. If the adults
have failed in their direction of youth, then there has to be a new
approach, and our curricula and social programs must change. Are we
able to change them? Are there courageous leaders to effect the neces-
sary revolutions in Jewish life? Are we merely resorting to lip service
or do we mean business?
There has been a lot of talk about the youth manifestations at the
Boston sessions of the assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds last year. Very little, outside of empty talk, has
developed since then. There will be another CJFWF assembly next
month in Kansas City. Are we to experience another youth demonstra-
tion of protest against adult failures, or will there be a report on prog-
ress in directing a better program for youth?
Youth challenges, and adults remain in a quandary. It's time for a
proper solution to the most vexing problem in Jewish life.
2—Friday, October 16, 1970
Over One Million Books Looted by the Nazis
Recovered by a Super Sleuth Bibliographer
and
NEW YORK—Since the fall of that he was learning the related Shunami opened the Talmud
the Third Reich 25 years ago, an tractate, Suka. To better under- found Dr. Breuer's drawing, and
Israeli bibliographer has hunted stand the text of the tractate, he the set of Talmud was returned to
him after almost 20 years.
down and recovered more than sketched a diagram.
1,000,000 Jewish books looted by
the Nazis.
Shlomo Shunami, who has been
Boris Smolar's
appointed acting librarian at
Yeshiva University's Mendel Got-
tesman Library of Hebraica-Ju-
daica, has coursed the map of
Europe in a mission, ferreting out
hundreds of thousands of priceless
cultural treasures which might
(Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA)
have been lost forever.
'Between You
... and Me'
So far, his efforts have re-
sulted in the return of more
than 1,000,000 volumes to li-
braries in Israel and another
200,000 to the U.S. In addition,
hundreds of Hebrew manuscripts
were recovered and sent to
Jerusalem.
(Copyright 1970, JTA Inc.)
THE JEWISH AGENCY: The quiet but basic change which has
taken place in the Jewish Agency—the divorce between the Agency
and the World Zionist Organization—has passed almost unnoticed in
this country. It was overshadowed by the preoccupation of American
Jewry over the increased military danger for Israel.
The Jewish Agency was established under the provisions of the
The youthful, 70-year-old Shu- Palestine Mandate as the political representative of world Jewry
nami, began his search under the vis-a-vis the League of Nations and the British government upon
sponsorship of Hebrew University, whom the mandate was conferred by the League. It practically ceased
which was later joined in the to be a political body after the establishment of the state of Israel.
project by Israel's ministry of re- However, it continued in existence, being directed and controled by
ligion. He also was aided by the the world Zionist movement. In fact, the president of the World Zionist
cultural branch of the U.S. Army. Organization was simultaneously the president of the Jewish Agency.
- While great rarities and books Every member of the world Zionist executive was automatically a
of immeasurable value were sal- member of the executive of the Jewish Agency.
waged, he contends that countless
The new Jewish Agency ceases to be a part of the world Zionist
volumes have been lost. He says movement although the World Zionist Organization will have repre :
"Millions of volumes were prob- sentatives on it. No longer will there be no distinction between the
ably destroyed by Allied bombing, Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. Divorced from the Zionist
and many books, incunabula and movement, the Agency becomes now a purely relief organization for
manuscripts — the most valuable. Israel. It will perform the same functions in Israel which the Joint
ones — vanished and are still in Distribution Committee has been performing over a half century for
Nazi hideouts in Germany."
needy Jewish communities in various parts of the world.
Shunami said that the Nazis
The JDC will, naturally, continue its excellent Malben operations
created a "so-called scholarly in Israel independently, as well as its aid to religious and cultural
institute to the study of the Jewish institutions there. But the reorganized Jewish Agency will henceforth
question. They set up a library of carry the burden of financing not only immigration and absorption
anti-Semitic studies with confis- in Israel but also education, health and welfare. This is because the
cated books to justify the annihila- Israelis themselves are no longer in a position to carry the burden of
tion of the Jews." They also laid covering the cost of their educational, health and welfare services, in
the foundation of a university for view of the enormously increased cost of their security. The maintain-
Nazi leaders and the "best of the ing of education, health and welfare in Israel will, in the new year,
loot" of Jewish and non-Jewish involve the expenditure of more than $600,000,000. The new Jewish
contents was destined for the Agency will have to provide a major part of this sum. Its funds will
library.
come from the United Jewish Appeal in this country and in other
"Their purpose," Shunami said, countries of the free world.
"was to disseminate anti-Semi-
DEMARCATION LINE: The World Zionist Organization had per-
tism. They boasted of having the
greatest Jewish library in the formed the functions of the Jewish Agency in the early years of the
world. Their satanic goal was to Palestine Mandate. However, in 1929 an understanding was reached
prove from the Jew's own books between Dr. Chaim Weizmann and non-Zionist leaders such as Louis
how wicked they were and how Marshall and Felix Warburg in the United States and Lord Melchett
deserving they were of their lot." in England, under which the non-Zionists agreed to enter the Jewish
Each year Shunami spends Agency on a 50-50 arrangement in the executive and the Council.
This arrangement lasted till the outbreak of World War II, but
several weeks in Germany try-
ing to track down the missing it never reached the 50-50 proportion. The non-Zionists never had their
books. He said that he had been full share in the executive. The arrangement petered out by itself
given the cooperation of. German in the postwar years, when the World Zionist Congress became the
librarians and archivists, as sole body to elect members of the Jewish Agency executive. Nobody
since then, distinguished between the Jewish Agency and the
well as that of the West German had,
World Zionist Organization.
Federal Government and the
police and had the authority to
Under the divorce which has now taken place between the two, a
strict line of demarcation will be observed. The World Zionist Organi-
investigate any library.
In addition to Germany, other zation will now have its own functions in which the Jewish Agency
countries are visited by Shunami will take no part.. These will include Hebrew education and cultural
as part of his rescue operations. work among Jews in countries outside of Israel, stimulation of emigra-
These include Poland, Czechoslo- tion to Israel from countries where Jews live in normal circumstances
vakia, Hungary • and Romania. and services to youths coming to Israel for summer periods.
More than 200,000 rabbinic volumes
The change is regarded-as historic by the people in Israel and by
were salvaged from Poland, and all involved. It responds to the wishes expressed in this country and in
tens of o sa s of oo from other countries for greater involvement of Jewish leadership more
the other countries. . broadly in the determination of policies and programs in the use of
Among the great rarities he un- funds which the Jews in these countries snake available for the needs
covered is a late 17th Century and purposes in Israel that are of great and deep concern to them.
Megila (Scroll of Esther) written
U.S. REPRESENTATION: The composition of the new Jewish
in Spanish on parchment, accord- Agency gives
wider representation to American Jewry. Its governing
ing to the Halakha (Jewish law) of bodies will consist of an assembly of 296 members, half of whom
Megilat Esther. will be designated by the,United Israel Appeals of the United States and
Included among the interesting other countries, and the other half by the World Zionist Organization.
collections is that of Immanuel Of the members designated by the UJA, 89 will come from the United
Loew, the famous Hungarian Jew- States.
ish scholar, who was an expert
The assembly will meet annually, will elect a board of governors
on the vegetation of Israel.
and will pass on the basic policies'and on the budget. The board of
Those who can prove that the governors will be composed of 38 members, 18 of them Americans.
rescued books are theirs are en- The first American members already nominated are: Max M. Fishei,
titled to them or their monetary Detroit (who will probably be the head of the Jewish Agency); Edward
value. One incident in Israel re- Ginsberg, Cleveland; Jack D. Weiler and Morris -L. Levinson, New
called by Shunami involved Dr. York; Dewey Stone, Boston; Joseph Meyerhoff, Baltimore; Louis
Moses Breuer, brother of the Stern, Essex County, N.J.; Melvin Dubinsky, St. Louis; Victor Carter,
leader of Agudat Israel. Dr. Los Angeles; Albert Adelman, Milwaukee; and Robert Russell, Miami.
Breuer excitedly told Shunami that The board will meet three times
a year, one of the meetings out-
he had discovered his own set of side of Israel. It will be the active governing body of the agency.
Talmud on the Hebrew University It will elect the executive which will be composed
of 11 members.
Library shelves. The executive will have four non-Israeli members. They are Max
Asked for proof, Dr. Breuer Fisher, Melvin Dubinsky, and Edward Ginsberg of the United States,
pointed to the initials on the and Michael Sacher of England. The executive will also have three pro-
cover. Shunami was not satis- fessional associates from outside Israel, selected for special work in line
fled for there were many with their particular competence. It will be the ongoing administrative
"M.B.s" among European Jews. body responsible for the actual day-to-day work. It will include the
Dr. Breuer then related how he heads of the major departments of the Jewish Agency.
studied the Talmud at the begin-
In the United States, the United Israel Appeal will continue to
ning of the Nazi era, when his operate as a fully autonomous organization, contracting with the Jewish
spirits were depressed. It was dur- Agency for the work done on its behalf in Israel, and retaining control
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS ing Sukot (feast of the tabernacle) of the funds transmitted for these specific purposes.