Ben-Gurion's ideologies in His 'Memoirs'

David ", Ben-Gurion, one of the
chief architects of the state of
Israel, is' working on his memoirs
in his Sde Boker residence in the
Negev. He already has much to
utilize for his published works, and
many of his speeches and essays
point to the genius of the man who
led his people with so much skill,
who inspired many Jews as the
labor Zionist leader, who became
a student of the Bible and while
himself non-observant emerges as
a passionate student of Scripture
and a brilliant interpreter of Bible,
Prophets, the history of the Jewish
People.
"Memoirs," compiled by Thomas
R. Bransten, published by World,
may be just a beginning for the
very large work we can expect
soon from the man who has just
celebrated his 84th birthday. But
it already emphasizes the role of
greatness, the genius that has
made him a leader, a propagandist
for Zionism and especially the man
whose clarion call to youth is to
study Hebrew, to know the Bible,
to understand Jewish history.
Ben-Gurion is the man who
recognizes realities. This be-
comes apparent in the very first
essay in the book, his "The
Jews," in which he conceded
that as a people "we run to
extremes." Sometimes Jews are
as the stars, he asserts, and
sometimes as the dust.
He pursues the subject by dis-
cussing evil-doing and the better
qualities. "The traditional Prussian
claim to innocence on the grounds
of obeying orders is very un-
Jewish," he declares, adding: "The
Jew who commits evil must, there-
fore, act in defiance of what his
inner being affirms as right. So
he carries an extra burden of
wickedness."
And the moral code he defines
as telling the Jews what not to do,
"leaving positive actions to the dis-
cretion of each man."
His evaluation of the American
Jew is interesting. There is real-
ism in his view of Jews who
often attend synagogue services
twice a year, but all are seen
as generous and responsive. But
he sees arbitrary problems, and
his solution is for Jews to go to
Israel to find a Jewish solution
for their lives as full Jews.
His essay "The Jews" is a mere
sampling of a full course of study
of Jewish conditions and of re-
views of Jewish accomplishments
as outlined in the experiences of
David Ben-Gurion. He deals with
pioneering and tells about his early
years as a Zionist, the difficulties
he overcame as a pioneer in the
ancient homeland, the labors that

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Anniversary
Special ! !
YEAR
ROUND
WORSTEDS

Jewish Arts Featured
at NY Cultural Gala

NEW YORK (JTA) — Jewish
singing, dancing and acting was
featured during the city's eight-
day cultural gala "The People,
Yes!," which began Oct. 11
The New York Jewish Mittle-
Shule Dancers and Chorus enter-
tained Saturday afternoon at the
Central Park Mall.
Sunday evening, Sam Levenson
hosted a program spotlighting the
Zimria Chorale; the Voices Four,
a "Hebrew liturgical rock group";
Adat Beyt Mosheh, a troupe of
black Jewish performers; Mira
Gilbert's and Juan Vasquez's
"Afro-Hebraic Experience in
Song;" Shlomo Carlebach, the
"singing rabbi," and excerpts from
"Light, Lively and Yiddish," a
Broadway-bound show starring Ben
Bonus.
Last Wednesday's offerings in-
cluded a demonstration—with free
samples—of Middle Eastern cook-
ing and songs by the Jewish Phil-
harmonic Chorus.
Coordinating the festival is Dore
Schary, the playwright, who is the
city's cultural affairs director and
chairman of Bnai Brith Anti-De-
famation League.

of the Israel dead and 2,000 of
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The army
reported that 738 Israelis were borders.
never attained it; perhaps it is
According to the statistics, 659
killed and more than 2,700 were
unattainable in its totality. Yet wounded as a result of military of the Israeli deal and 2,000 of
I think the goal itself produced actions since the Six-Day War. the wounded were hit alcng the
such humanistic inspirations as The toll of Arab guerrillas killed cease fire lines. The largest toll
the kibutz idea, an institution at was placed at 1,778, but the fig-
was taken on the Suez Canal
once very Jewish, very Israeli ure does not include guerrillas front where 377 were killed and
but also very adaptable to uni-
killed by shellings or bombings 1,000 wounded.
versal requirements. Klbutzlm
are now evolving in Japan and THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, October 23, 1970 - 17
elsewhere. I once asked the Rus-
sian ambassador—in the days
when we had Russian ambassa-
dors—whether there were kibutz-
im in the Soviet Union. 'No,' he
said. 'Perhaps in 40 or 50 years
we shall have them!'"

Many are the ideas of Ben-Gurion
that will continue to inspire debate
over Jewish ideologies and will at
the same time inspire Jewish
loyalties.

Bransten's collection of Ben-
Gurion's "Memoirs" is an im-
pressive work and gains impor-
tance from the editorial annota-
tions appended to each chapter by
the volume's editor; from the
chronology that provides the life
story of Ben-Gurion and a notable
bibliography. —P.S.

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led to• creative efforts in Palestine.
He defends the military role of
Israel Is a protector of democrat e
He warns that reluctance traci-
tionally to fight for rights led -41
the belief that there was weakiw.c
in Jewry.
His strongest emphasis is oil
the view that "The Bible Is Our
Mandate" and he makes a strong
case for the historic links and
his emphasis is that "the Jewish
redemption is here and it is now"
and "It is not next year in Jeru-
salem but today!"
Arab charges are rejected, the
Jewish historic position is empha-
sized, and the Jewish loyalties are
appealed to, with emphasis on the
need to settle in Israel and to
learn Hebrew.
There is an essay entitled "Am-
sagolah" which Ben-Gurion inter-
prets as "unique" rather than
"special" or "superior" and he
applies it in his study of Moses and
his teachings. He speaks of the
implanting of the message of Am-
sagOlah by Moses and by prophets
and sages and he sees in the
uniqueness of the Jewish people
the strength to build their land. He
writes in his view of Moses:
"The message of Moshe and
Judaism's monotheistic belief are
two of the pillars on which the
Jewish faith has rested through
time. The third pillar is the ideal
of Israel and the mingling of
Jewish philosophy with natural
history. The other deities con-
temporary to the Lord of Abra-
ham and Moshe are long dead
as are the civilizations that in-
vented them. The Jews live on
The three Judaic pillars are re.
sponsible for our survival.
"Moshe's Amsagolah gave the
Jewish people something to
struggle towards. They have

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