THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
S—Frielay, March 12, 1971
Dr. Jick Charges Jewish Agencies Outdated
Generation Gap
in Israel Viewed
as Non-Existent
CLEVELAND (JTA)—An expert
on the American Jewish commu-
There is no generation gap in Is-
rael primarily because of the need
for all Israelis to close ranks in
the face of threats to their survival,
a review by the American Jewish
Committee asserts.
The report was compiled by Dr.
M. Bernard Resnikoff, director of
the Jerusalem office of the AJC.
The dangers that all Israelis face,
because of their security situation,
forges a strong bond of national
unity, the report declares.
"The-prevailing feeling is that
Israeli society cannot afford the
luxury of protest demonstrations,
'dropping out' or 'turning on.' " As
long as the country is encircled by
hostile neighbors and must mar-
.shall all of its available resources
in a continuing struggle for exis-
tence, it is unlikely that any deep
division will develop between the
younger and older generations."
Contrary to the 'situation in
this country, accusations of lack
of idealism are made by old-
timers in Israel against the
younger generation, Dr. Resni-
koff continues. "The fact that the
older generation in Israel is
composed of people who were
great revolutionaries in their
youth and who because of his-
torical circumstances surround-
ing Israel's existence have clung
to their idealism, maeks the con-
frontation between the genera-
tions somewhat unique."
Turning to other focuses of youth
unrest in some parts of the world,
such as the military-industrial
complex and resentment of the
"establishment," the report de-
clares that much of this terminolo-
gy "is meaningless in the Israeli
context." "This does not mean,
however, that the young generation
sees eye-to-eye with the oldtimers
on everything, and that there are
no differences in norms and styles.
In virtually all of the political
parties, in government offices, in
universities, and elsewhere, one
can distinguish between the 'old
guard' and the 'young Turks,' " Dr.
Resnikoff observed. The latter call
for re-evaluation of long-accepted
doctrines, introduction of new con-
cepts and methods and procedures.
nity asserts that a major restruc-
turing of that community is essen-
tial because many of its present
agencies and institutions were
created to serve needs which no
longer exist. One result is that
much of the Jewish communal
machinery is still geared to achiev-
ing irrelevant goals while the needs
of the young and the educated
American Jew are unmet.
Dr. Leon A. Jick, director of the
Lown Graduate Center for Contem-
porary Jewish Studies at Brandeis
University, offered that analysis
at the fifth annual Myron E. and
Rose B. Glass Institute sponsored
by the Cleveland chapter of the
National Conference of Jewish
Communal Service.
Dr. Jick, who also is dean of the
Brandeis College of Arts and Sci-
ences, said the Jewish community
today was almost entirely native-
born, economically secure, profes-
sionalized, well-educated generally
and Jewishly ignorant. Many of
the existing Jewish agencies were
created to serve newcomer Jews
needing help to adapt to American
life, to achieve economic security
and to overcome handicaps of bias,
he said Moreover, he declared,
"Jewish ideology, undermined by
the virtual disappearance of Jewish
knowledge and lack of familiarity
with Jewish culture, repeats old
cliches which do not begin to en-
gage the tough-minded and the
searching," bringing increasing
alienation.
and intellectual excitement for
"the widest possible variety of
options," including religion, secu-
larism, "Bundlst as well as Zion-
ist, radical as well as mystical."
Examination was required not
only of the relevance of all exist-
ing Jewish organizations and
institutions but also of "the ra-
tionality of the communal appa-
ratus as a whole." He asserted
that "no existing institution is so
sacred that it can claim exemp-
tion from ongoing critical re-
evaluation."
He posed the question as to
VernconEcntoNIC
that "a task force" was needed
"to plan for the continuing trans-
formation of the Jewish commu-
nity." He declared that such a task
force was needed to find means of
dealing with a situation which he
said involved the fact that "the
American Jewish community" was
"entering a crisis on continuity."
He warned there could not be "a
simple answer" to the problems of
that crisis.
whether, if the conditions which
led Jews to establish their own
hospitals no longer existed, there
were now other reasons for con-
tinued Jewish support of such
facilities. He asked whether Jewish
agencies, created for immigrant
charitable aid, could respond effec-
tively "to the newly emerging
needs of that beleaguered institu-
tion," the Jewish family. He pro-
posed consideration of the question
as to what Jewish Centers and Ys
should be in the future "in the face
of new demands on our Jewishness
and our humanity."
Describing Jewish education as
"that disaster area," he asked
whether Jews were to be "eter-
nally wedded to the less and less
satisfactory model of the supple-
mentary school which uses dimin-
ishing amounts of time less and
less effectively." He suggested
RNOW
&CO.
Can hoagies thit9 9
353-3204
For the
Most Eelegant
Bar Mitzva
Suits in Town
with the
Finest Fit
Slims and Huskies
Too!
PLUS all the latest
Fashions for men
6 to 60.
SOL
The
OPENER
GARAGE DOOR
IRV
PRINCETON SHOP
The latest fashions for men 6 to 60
20072 W. 7 Mile
Eve4treen
KE 3-4310
Changes were needed, he said,
to stimulate competition of ideas
Transfusion Study
Debunks Hitler's
Racial Attitude
Prof. Richard M. Titmuss of the
University of London offers a
valuable study of the provision of
blood for transfusions in "The
Gift Relationship" published by
Pantheon Books.
"From Human Blood to Social
Policy," the subtitle of the book,
offers a clue to the author's ap-
proach to a vital question.
The need of blood for trans-
fusions, the methods of procuring
it, its price, the comparative ways
of handling the problems in this
country, Russia, Britain and South
Africa—these
are the results of
To have been well brought up
I is a great drawback nowadays. It studies that make this an authori-
tative work on a serious subject.
shuts one out from so much.
Dr. Titmuss makes this inter-
—Oscar Wilde
esting comment in his analysis of
attitudes:
"The very thought of blood, in-
dividual blood, touches the deep-
eat feelings in man about life and
death. Attitudes to it and the
values associated with its posses-
sion, inheritance, use and loss
among men and women have been
studied by anthropologists as one
of the distinctive features of dif-
ferent cultures. Even in modern
times, mystical and irrational
group attitudes to blood have
sharply distinguished certain Wes-
tern societies—as in Hitler Germ-
any with its myths of 'Aryan' and
'Jewish' blood. Nor can we pur-
sue
such thoughts far without be-
FUEL FACTORY EQUIPMENT
ing reminded of racial prejudice
NIAVE
AN OFFER SALE'
and its association with concepts
of blood impurities, 'good' blood
JOIN THE SWINGERS AT
and 'bad' blood, untouchability and
contamination."
Highly scientific, the social mer-
its of this book add immeasurably
to its value. Splendidly compiled,
the facts are revealing and in-
structive. "The Gift Reaction" is
10500 W. 8 MILE ROAD
JUST EAST OF MEYERS
a genuine contribution to science
and also of great value to laymen.
Cali
—P. S.
'71 DODGES
Tell us
your hopes,
your dreams,
your desires
land how much they'll cost-31
1. New Car? Costs S
2. New roof? Costs S
3. Vacation? Costs S
4. Other? Costs S
DART!
SJAMM
L.
CHARGER!
_"
3"15L
POLARA!
54
144
-
NORTHWESTERN
DODGE
399-6700
We can help with a
.ffarik-Ztowa
Fill in one—or all of the blanks. Then
stop in at Michigan Bank and see how
quick and pleasant it is to get a Qwik-
Loan. Or several Qwik-Loans. You can
have more than one at a time.
TR SATURDAY RIM MR 4.1111 P ANIL TURD SAT.
MICHIGAN BANK
SAY IT WITH
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
22100 GREENFIELD RD, • OAK PARK, MICH. 48237
PHONE 399-0820
OFFICE HOURS: MON. THRU THURS., 9 to 5; FRIDAY, 9 to 4; SUNDAY, 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.
WYK* l.0.1.C.